Labor is one of the biggest expenses for any company. Yet you really need plenty of high-quality employees to do the work. Trying to operate with a skeleton crew, or to save money by working with unqualified team members, is a path to organizational disaster. When focusing on your hiring needs, then, you will always have to strike a balance. But what do you do when your short-term hiring needs don’t necessarily align with your long term goals? Here are some tips.
How Can You Hire Short-Term with Long-Term Goals?
Always Consider the Future
One of the most important steps you can take is to always think about the long-range implications of any hiring decision you make. If you hire 10 people to open your new location, what will you do with them if it isn’t successful right out of the gate? Conversely, if you only hire 5 for that same location, what will you do if there’s a line out the door the first morning it’s open for business?
To get better at finding this balance, you’ll need to make sure your long-term forecasts are as accurate as possible. Consider using AI-driven software solutions to crunch large amounts of data and develop stronger business forecasts. But also remember that software is only as good as the data you feed it. And it can’t predict rare events (like the recent once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and subsequent global shutdown).
Work with a Staffing Agency
When was the last time you moved to a new home? Did you know in advance exactly how many Small, Medium, and Large boxes you would need? Or how many cubic feet of “stuff” you were moving? But if you worked with a professional mover, they were able to walk through your home, open your cabinets and closets, and quickly calculate how many boxes and how many cubic feet would be involved.
When you work with a staffing agency, it’s very much the same thing. We’ve been doing this a long time, and we understand the market forces that can affect your business. We can help you determine how many of what type of staff you are likely to need based on different scenarios.
Utilize Temporary Workers
Temp workers are an excellent solution for short-term hiring needs that don’t necessarily align with your long term goals. Within just a couple of days, we can send as many or as few workers as you need to cover gaps in your staffing or cope with a surge in demand. And each temp contract can be as long as you like, whether you just need someone for the last few days of a big project or you need to cover a lengthy medical leave.
Temp-to-hire is a great way to hedge your bets. We’ll send someone on a temporary contract with the option to convert to a full-time role. If you end up needing that person to stay on, we’ll help you get them onboarded. But if you realize you won’t need them after all, you’re off the hook as soon as the contract ends.
Need New Talent?
If you’re ready to bring on new temp-to-hire, temporary, or permanent employees, Pirate Staffing is here for you. Learn what we can do to help, and then contact us to get started.
