Temporary employees are extremely valuable assets for any team, and these professionals shouldn’t be reserved just for busy seasons. Whether it’s supporting a company for one day as a receptionist is out sick, or stepping in as a consultant to provide insights on specialized projects, or serving as an interim leader to provide coverage during a replacement process, temporary employees can play integral roles to keep businesses operating in times of disruption.
Below we highlight six ways temporary employees help companies continue to thrive and grow:
Help to manage business fluctuations
For many companies, business demand or individual department demands fluctuate. Rather than maintaining the same size workforce, leaving employees either underemployed or overwhelmed, investing in temporary employees can enable businesses to adjust more easily. Whether it’s sudden new projects with urgent completion dates or extended employee absences, adding temporary employees when needed can help better manage workload fluctuations.
Can make an instant impact
Performance data from Gallup shows the ramp-up time for a new employee to become fully productive and comfortable with their role can be between 12 to 15 months. While temporary talent may also need some time to adjust to a new role, they often have done a similar role before and are likely to be able to hit the ground running and make a meaningful impact quickly.
Can reduce costs
If a project lasts six months or less, Fast Company estimates it may cost as much as $50,000 less to bring on a temporary employee, compared to onboarding a permanent employee with benefits. Also, adding temporary employees can reduce overall staffing costs by helping reduce burnout and turnover of the current team.
Help evaluate a business need
By bringing on temporary talent with specialized skills, leaders can evaluate the impact of a particular skillset and role before deciding if it is needed long-term.
Provide specialized expertise
There are times organizations need particular experience and expertise for a project. For instance, a new software implementation or a website redesign where specialized skills are only needed for a one-time project or assignment.
Provide needed support
For businesses in the midst of transition, adding temporary talent to take on ad-hoc responsibilities can enable a business to operate effectively in the short-term while planning for the longer-term solution.
Interested in adding temporary talent to your team? With the thousands of professionals seeking temporary employment in our network, we’re ready to support you. Connect with our team today.
