The Power of Temporary Professionals

“We’re not open to considering temporary or contract workers” – say many companies’ and division leaders, daily.

But why?

Most likely, because you don’t have much of an understanding about the implementation of temporary workforce professionals, the advantages and the processes it involves, or maybe because you just didn’t know they were… or could be an option, and it’s totally ok to have apprehensions about things you don’t know much, or anything about.

Despite the numerous advantages of temporary employees, some organisations may still harbour apprehensions about their utilisation.

Concerns may include worries about maintaining a cohesive team culture with a mix of permanent and temporary staff, potential challenges in ensuring alignment with your company values, or reservations about temporary workers’ commitment to your teams long-term goals; However, it’s important to note that reputable temporary staffing agencies prioritise the recruitment of highly skilled and committed professionals who can seamlessly integrate into your company’s workforce.

With transparent communication, well-defined roles, and organised, effortless onboarding processes, and a specialist, dedicated recruitment partner, with a team who focus on interim recruitment, these apprehensions can be effectively addressed, allowing you and your teams to fully embrace the benefits of temporary employees while maintaining a harmonious and productive work environment.

The interim employment market 

The number of temporary workers in the UK is climbing, with no signs of slowing down. Since 2020, the numbers have risen from just over 1.45 million, to just over 1.62 million as of July 2023, and they continue to climb.

In recent years, there has been a notable trend of more organisations opening up roles to the temporary workforce, and this shift in hiring strategy reflects the changing dynamics of the modern workplace and the recognition of the value that temporary employees can bring to the table.

One key driver of this trend is the need for agility and adaptability in a rapidly evolving business landscape. Organisations are increasingly realising that they must be able to respond quickly to market changes, fluctuations in demand, and project-specific requirements.

Additionally, the advent of advanced technology and remote work capabilities has made it easier to manage and collaborate with temporary employees, further reducing barriers to their inclusion in organisations.

Furthermore, as the “gig economy” continues to grow, many professionals are seeking flexible work arrangements, creating this trend to lead to a more extensive pool of highly skilled, motivated, and experienced temporary workers who are willing to contribute their expertise to organisations on a project-by-project basis.

So, what can the temporary workforce bring to your team? What are you missing? Here are just a few!

Flexibility and quick responses to market changes

You can scale your workforce up or down quickly in response to evolving business requirements, whether is be seasonal demands, special projects, or even spikes in your teams workload.

Reduced administrative burdens

Save time on HR tasks like payroll, benefits and all the other paperwork. How? Because coming through a specialist agency, we’ll take care of this for you!

Diversity

By not being geographically bound, you open up the potential for top-tier candidates with varying backgrounds and experiences to benefit your team.

Workload relief

Your permanent employees can remain focused on their core responsibilities, and maintain a less stressful, work-life balance, without additional workload to over-stretch them.

Adaptability

Interim professionals are professional chameleons; and just like chameleons change colours to match their surroundings, interim professionals effortlessly blend into your teams. They’re skilled, versatile problem-solvers thanks to their wide-range of experiences and these chameleons can be exactly what you need in critical times.

Specialised skills

Access individuals with specific skills and expertise required for short-term projects, without the commitment of a long-term employment contract.

Fresh perspectives

New, diverse perspectives and ideas, different problem-solving approaches, and well seasoned past experiences can help you and your company promote a more inclusive, collaborative, and creative work environment.

Risk mitigation

The incorporation of temps enables you to assess everything their performance, knowledge base, work-ethic, values and fit, before committing to permanent employment, which can help you reduce hiring risks. Kind of a ‘try before you buy’ situation if you wish; company’s sometimes, after this trial period, go on to offer permanent employment to the temps that they just don’t want to let go of!

Fast hiring

Experience onboarding processes quicker than you’ve ever known, fill urgent vacancies and address immediate requirements promptly. Alternatively, you may have a permanent role that you’ve been struggling to fill; A temp worker could be great for the interim whilst you (or us ;)), continue the search for the permanent employee you’ve been looking for, or temp to perm the temp!

We recently placed a temp finance professional, who was immediately available, had great references, and actively seeking her next PERMANENT role, in a temporary position with a great client… In less than 1 business day! Can you believe it? What an amazing feeling and success story for our team, the client, and the candidate! That’s the job brief with the client, chats with candidates, CV’s sent to the client, interviews conducted, and an offer extended and accepted; I’ll say it again, in less than 1 business day!!!I love it when a plan comes together.

Cost savings

Ok, so this is a big one! Have you, as an employer, broken down the full costs (not just the salary & bonus offerings) for hiring a new team member? Because, wow. Granted, it can vary widely, depending on numerous factors, like the position, location, industry, your specific hiring processes etc, and quite honestly, sometimes eye-wateringly expensive!

The cost of advertising to your company can rise when extended to the best job-boards and platforms, HR & administrative costs due to time spent on your current hiring processes, interview time, assessments, background checks and other forms of paperwork involved can increase cost, and lower productivity on your core work. Legal and compliance costs rise, to ensure legal requirements, and that all necessary paperwork and regulations are met. Training and development is heightened and expensive for new employees, especially whilst they’re getting up to speed, and other team members may also spend time helping with training and on boarding, leading to potential productivity loss.

The list goes on, BUT in having a great recruitment partner on hand with their specialist experience, knowledge, and support, like our team here at Harvey John, we can take away a huge portion of the financial burden and increased costs from you.

In summary, the increasing openness of organisations to temporary roles starts with the leadership, you? This new, forward thinking reflects a strategic shift in how businesses approach workforce management, and will allow your company to stay competitive, adapt to changing circumstances, access specialised skills, and foster a more diverse, inclusive and innovative workplace.

Temporary employees can be the key solution that you and your company didn’t realise you needed, to adapt to changing market demands. Providing a flexible and versatile workforce that can quickly address anything from short-term projects or seasonal peaks in business, to filling gaps that may have previously been unmanageable. The temporary workforce flexibility will enable your business and teams to swiftly respond to unforeseen challenges or opportunities, remain agile and competitive in today’s fast and fluid market.

Ultimately, temporary employees can be the secret ingredient that empowers your teams to thrive, turning what was once a challenge into a strategic advantage; and we can expect this trend to continue as business leaders recognise the significant benefits that temporary employees bring to the table.

If you’re ready for your finance team(s) to reap the benefits of the addition of temporary employees, and a dedicated, efficient, supportive recruitment partner to be with you every step of the way, we’re the specialists you should be calling!

Connect with our dedicated team on LinkedIn:

David Waddell | Georgina Hayes