Every company wants to maximize its profit and the only way to do that is to be as productive as possible and cut the costs as much as possible. However, this is easier said than done. If it weren’t, every company would know how to do it and there won’t be so many unsuccessful businesses.
What sets great companies apart, among other things, is the ability to accept new trends and adapt to them quickly. Those most successful are in fact those that set such trends, such as hiring a contingent workforce. Over the years, such companies have perfected the way they manage those workers, which is reflected in their business results. If you’re interested in how they do it, we suggest you take a look at the most important benefits you can reap by hiring non-permanent staff and the tips for managing them.
The pros
Let’s start by looking at the advantages of hiring a contingent workforce. To begin with, you can expand your labor force without generating more costs, such as health insurance. Next, you’ll achieve a much higher level of flexibility, i.e. you’ll be able to have exactly the right number of employees at any given time. Also, if there is mutual satisfaction regarding your cooperation, you’ll have trustworthy employees you can always turn to when you need short-term help.
Flexibility
As we’ve already mentioned, flexibility is one of the greatest bonuses of having non-permanent employees. Your business might be seasonal or you might find yourself in a situation that you need a larger number of workers for a short period of time. After all, the current economy is quite uncertain and we need to be as flexible as possible to meet the demand. Using contingent workers to help out your permanent staff will help you boost productivity, especially when demand is high, without accruing unnecessary costs.
Specialized expertise
One of the greatest benefits of hiring a contingent workforce is the fact that you can get access to highly skilled professionals in a wide range of fields, including engineers, IT specialists and other professionals. Even companies from large countries such as Australia sometimes have trouble finding the right people for a particular job, which is why they like to turn to experts providing efficient contingent workforce solutions in Australia. Hiring such experts significantly reduces learning curves and boost your productivity very quickly.
Offloading low-priority tasks
If you manage to allocate some administrative tasks to your contingent employees, your core staff will be able to improve their productivity, since they won’t have to deal with tedious tasks that take up a lot of time and energy. It’s quite common that a good contingent worker is more efficient at administrative tasks than skilled ones, which means everyone can do what they feel most comfortable with.
Eliminating overtime and preventing burnout
One of the biggest problems each employer faces on a daily basis is the stress of their employees and potential burnout. This is especially common when people need to work overtime a lot. On the other hand, using contingent workers to reduce or even completely eliminate the need for overtime will keep your permanent staff happier and healthier for longer, which will in turn lead to them being much more productive.
Dealing with bottlenecks
Many companies experience huge problems during peak production periods, when they end up understaffed. Logically, this is where a contingent workforce can step in and help eliminate bottlenecks. That would allow companies to boost their production levels and make sure no sales are lost. Companies who have already resorted to this kind of help know exactly when such periods occur and how long they last, which helps them plan in advance and ensure they get the best possible workers available.
How should you manage contingent workers to achieve the best results?
In theory, all the reasons mentioned here are logical and you may think that you don’t need to give anything in return to those who help you when you need them. It would be wrong to assume that your only job is to pay the agreed amount before a certain date. You also need to show your respect to them and treat them equally. They need to feel like they are your permanent staff. That includes praising them in public and showing your appreciation for the work they’ve been doing. Also, rewarding them is a good idea, since it is bound to increase their motivation to help you next time you ask them for help.
These are the main reasons why you should consider hiring contingent workers and the main benefits of doing so. With many companies now reaping the benefits of this relatively new concept, there is no reason why you should ignore this option. As you can see, it can really help you boost productivity and, consequently, your profit.
