It’s easy to recognize the benefits of having loyal, dedicated long-term employees who have been with your company for 10, 20, or more years. But recently, employers have begun to see the major advantages of bringing temp workers onto their teams. Temp work is drastically rising in Canada, and it may be a great avenue for you to consider when you’re in need of more talent.
Just as with everything else in life, there are pros and cons to employing temporary workers. However, the pros far outweigh the cons for most employers.
Let’s explore how your business can benefit.
Staffing Flexibility
In a bumpy economy, it can be risky to bring on new permanent employees. You never know if and when demand can suddenly drop and you might be forced to lay off much of your workforce.
When employing temporary workers, you’ll gain staffing flexibility, which will allow you to adapt to changes in demand quickly and easily. You’ll never have to worry about being understaffed and having to refuse new clients or projects, but you’ll also never be overstaffed and paying extra payroll costs unnecessarily. You won’t have financial commitments to these employees.
You’ll be able to increase your workforce when additional support is needed, and just as easily, decrease it when work slows down. This is especially crucial for seasonal businesses that deal with regular influxes of work.
Different Functions
Temp employees can be employed for different functions in your organization, which can be highly valuable to your business. They can be a valuable resource when it comes to long-term absences, like maternity leave or military duty. But they can also jump in and fill in when employees call in sick or go on vacation.
They can even come in and help when special projects come up that your current workforce is unwilling or unable to complete. They can add specialized skills that you do not currently possess in house, ensuring that these projects are handled accurately and efficiently.
Cost Savings
One of the biggest benefits of employing temporary workers is the cost savings you’ll receive. Permanent employees can be expensive. You must pay a full-time salary, but also pay for sick days and benefits. You have to pay your share of taxes, CPP, EI, and WSIB, too. You also have to pay for onboarding and training. And you may need to pay overtime as well.
With temp workers, though, the costs are significantly reduced. The staffing agency will be the temps’ legal employer, and thus, will shoulder much of these costs. Some staffing agencies also provide onboarding and training. And with temps on board to fill in, you won’t have to pay for costly overtime, either.
More Informed Hiring
Many employers hire temp workers as a means to evaluate skills and fit before extending offers of employment. They take advantage of the temp-to-perm hiring model offered by many staffing firms when looking for new permanent employees. They test out workers for a few months and then decide based on real evidence whether or not the worker is the best fit for the job. This can reduce turnover, reduce the cost of bad hires, and improve retention.
Maintain Productivity without Overburdening Employees
When employees call in sick or demand suddenly increases, it can be difficult to maintain productivity with the staff levels you currently have. You may have to increase your employees’ workloads or have them work overtime in order to meet customers’ needs, meet deadlines, and handle extraordinary business demand. This can lead to increased errors and accidents, low productivity, reduced efficiency, and poor customer service. Having burned out employees on staff can also result in low morale and higher turnover.
Employing temporary workers can allow you to take the burden off your employees’ shoulders when demand is high or staff levels are low. They’ll be happy for the additional help.
Contact Liberty Staffing to employ temporary workers today.
