Unlock the power of temps to grow your business

Introduction

With £28.2 billion generated in Temporary placements in the UK from 2016-17, the need for Temporary workers has never been greater. So, how do you harness it, and what are the benefits? How should you approach finding a Temporary worker, and how do you make sure they are the right fit for you?

We examine the answers in this month’s guide, as we provide you with an insight into the recruitment industry’s largest market.

To find out how we can help you recruit the right Temporary workers, visit our website, call us on 01865 335600.

Consider the benefits

In a fast-paced competitive climate, it’s no surprise to see the demand for Temporary talent continue to grow at a steady pace. With the net balance of Employers looking to secure short-term staff rising by 25% in the space of a year, skilled workers eager to lock down a Temporary contract will be spoilt for choice.

For businesses, the value that Temporary staff can add can be game-changing in achieving ambitious growth targets. Whether your organisation operates in the professional services arena or is a key player in the creative sector, harnessing the potential of Temporary workers during your busiest times can make all the difference. As well as quickly fulfilling an urgent requirement, however, these Candidates can also play a pivotal role in boosting the bottom line.

Gaining exposure to untapped skills

When sourcing talent for a Permanent role, eagle-eyed Employers tend to be prescriptive in their approach in order to find the elusive “perfect candidate” to fill the vacancy. In turn, their search is narrowed to a tight corner of the talent pool whereby only Candidates who tick certain boxes in the job specification are shortlisted for an interview.

While this route has its benefits, it certainly restricts the reach of the Employer: while they meticulously search through CVs to find that purple squirrel, they lose out on high-quality Candidates boasting a range of additional skills outside their specialism.

Employers who hire Temporary Candidates will usually find that they come equipped with diverse skill-sets and a willingness to lend a hand wherever it is needed the most. When your team is pressed for time and assistance is needed across the business, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have someone who offers both a flexible skill-set and a positive, can-do attitude.

Meeting tight deadlines and business demands

Results from the latest Resolution Foundation Survey reveal that more than four in 10 firms who rely on a specialist provider to source Temporary talent adopt a strategic approach to the process.

For these organisations, agency workers often form a key part of their business model: rather than contacting an agency at the very last minute when the need for skills has become a now-or-never scenario, they work to build professional relationships with recruiters to gain access to their network of talented Temporary workers.

Turning down new business opportunities when Permanent staff are stretched to full capacity is clearly counterproductive to business growth, but rather than launching themselves into a costly search for full-time talent, Employers can take advantage of Temporary workers to provide an extra pair of capable hands when demand is overflowing. In turn, they can better forecast for the year ahead and tackle uncertainty through a strong partnership.

Freeing up your schedule to focus on targets

Recruitment for Permanent staff is notoriously time consuming: without a specialist agency to do the heavy lifting, leaders can quickly find themselves caught up in the current of CVs, interviews and reference-checking in their efforts to secure full-time talent. It’s not hard to see why so many organisations are turning to Temporary staffing agencies to assist in finding strong and reliable Candidates for interim support.

Once an agency understands your primary objectives, your company culture and what you expect from Temporary workers, you are free to focus on future plans, safe in the knowledge that your agency is supplying you with a steady stream of high-calibre Candidates who have been selected based on their suitability for the specific role.

Securing talent for the future

With Temporary to Permanent conversion rates consistently growing, businesses are starting to see the long-term value in hiring Temporary talent. When individuals make themselves invaluable throughout the duration of their Temporary contract, there is little use in a business looking elsewhere for someone to fill the role full-time.

Rather than scouring the market for someone who fits the culture and boasts the right experience, Employers can take advantage of Temporary workers to drive sustainability and secure talent for future projects. If they are eager to take on a Permanent role, it’s a win-win situation if the Temporary Employee has so far had a positive experience while working for your company.

Analyse the skills to be gained from Temporary workers

The Temporary industry is booming, and demand for these workers is intensifying year on year. 43% of firms who were using agency workers (2017) reported increasing their use of them over the last five years, and this shows no signs of slowing down.

Why the spike in demand? We currently have a Candidate-driven market, with Clients seeking those toptier workers with the skills relevant to their vacant roles. As the talent pool shrinks and Employment levels rise, Employers are putting more emphasis on those additional and specialist skills Temporary workers possess, and the roles they can fill.

On top of what is to gain from the Employee themselves, for some businesses the cost-effectiveness of Temporary Employment vs the lengthier process of Permanent hiring can prove hugely beneficial financially.

Adaptability and efficiency

Almost seven in 10 Employers (69%) state that they are using agency workers to cover leave or absences, making it the number one reason to hire agency workers, as well as for additional support. Therefore, adaptability and efficiency are core benefits to taking on members of the Temporary market.

Adaptability is important if your hiring needs are instant, as you won’t have to wait out notice periods, training can start immediately, and you’re not left with an empty desk. The potential costs that could be incurred when waiting out the traditional Recruitment process can be avoided altogether by welcoming a Temporary worker, and, crucially, the time saved can be reinvested in the day job.

Temporary placements can range from weeks to years and while some Candidates may not fully become part of the furniture, they can really add to the company culture and prove their worth before they leave, avoiding disruption to internal processes and overall productivity.

Positive mindset and enthusiasm

In their quest to make the most of their placement, Temporary workers can be more eager to learn and immerse themselves into training. Not only does this develop them personally, but they will inevitably bring alternative ideas to the table that your business could benefit from.

Taking a flexible approach in choosing to recruit more Temporary workers will expose you to a greater variation of Candidates – perhaps some that you wouldn’t have considered when writing a highly specified job description. Here at Allen Associates we find that an excess of 20% of our Permanent placements started off as Temporary workers.

Potential

With this in mind, Temporary Employees will be more than willing to offer a helping hand and go the extra mile in order to prove themselves. Put into a Temporary worker what you want to get out of them, and you may well find your Temporary Candidate making that all important transfer to a Permanent member of the team. If there isn’t a place for them long-term, you haven’t wasted time, or faced the cost of a bad hire – you have sent them back into the market with additional skills and experiences for their next opportunity, and you have kept the relationship going, paving the way for a future placement with you.

Why use a Recruitment agency?

When the need arises for a Temporary worker, it’s easy to invest valuable hours in sifting through CVs, agreeing on the skills that worker needs to have and, of course, conducting interviews. In fact, traditionally you may have had no choice but to take on this project yourself.

However, all of this is time you don’t have, time that you could be channelling into key operational tasks. So, when you need to find the top talent for your business, you can save those precious hours in the long run if you use a Recruitment partner.

Using a Recruitment specialist means that all the hard work involved in finding the person that will best fit what your business needs, will be taken care of. For example, we take the time to find out what motivates the Candidate and identify what you are looking for.

Allen Associates interrogate CVs to spot the skills that will meet the role requirements, and we interview Candidates, in person ideally, but also online and over the phone, so that we can really assess whether they are the perfect match for you. This is what agencies like us do best. We pride ourselves on the connections we make, because the right matches between Clients and Candidates mean both time and money are saved – which is of paramount importance to our Clients.

Our experience over the last 20 years means we have built up honest and trusting relationships with our Clients, to the extent that in many instances Clients will give us a Job Description and say “you know the type of person that will fit into our culture”.

This speeds up the process for everybody, and means Employers can focus on achieving their long-term goals, with the right team around them.

No business wants the costs incurred, both financial and in terms of productivity and disruption, in recruiting the wrong person. A recent report by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) found that a poor hire at mid-manager level with a salary of £42,000 can cost a business more than £132,000 in money lost on training, productivity and the added cost of hiring someone new. When working with Temporary workers, the need to hire the right person is as strong, so make sure you yourself have the right team around you. One key industry insight that we have noted is that Temporary placements prove just as valuable as Permanent placements.

In two decades, we have made 49,000 Temporary worker placements. We know the market, the type of workers that are out there and the skills they bring to your organisation. We also see first-hand just how many Temporary workers there are now. According to accountancy firm PwC, 46% of people in HR expect at least 20% of their workforce to be contractors or Temporary workers by 2022.

It follows, then, that when recruiting this market, it pays to have a partner who understands it.

Conclusion

There is a common misconception that Temporary work to a Candidate signifies uncertainty and a stop gap whilst searching for Permanent employment. However, Temporary positions offer flexibility and experience; two factors that are quickly placing themselves as key considerations to job seekers.

With the growth of the Temporary economy, Employers have the opportunity to maximise the impact these workers can have on their business. As discussed throughout this Guide, it makes business sense financially to take on a Temporary worker. But most of all, Temporary employees have a wealth of proficiency under their belt, which they are willing to share and bring to each new experience, including the one that you are offering.

Whether a Candidate is building up their CV through Temporary work, taking time to start a family or they simply revel in the freedom and flexibility offered by this form of work, you and your business will benefit from hiring Temporary workers.

On top of this the Candidate’s personal development is also built on. It really is a win-win and a productive way to gain that edge over your competitors.

Can we help you? Click here for more information or contact us on:

Oxford: 01865 335 600

London: 0203 8001920

Email: jobs@allen-associates.co.uk