Many companies can fall into the trap of believing that growth (and therefore an ever-growing workforce) is the only way to achieve business success. Too often, candidates are placed into a role by an over-eager hiring manager without enough work to do, leaving them sitting around on the company’s dollar, or worse, are quickly made redundant because the hiring company has changed direction about the scope, duties or hours required to do the job.
Before jumping in and making that next permanent hire, ask yourself the following questions:
- How steady is your growth?
If the demand for your product or service is seasonal, or due to short-term publicity or need, it may not be necessary to hire a permanent employee. Contract or temporary staff can be a great way to cover these busy periods, or test how this role fits into your long-term business strategy.
- Can someone else in your organisation do the work?
A job vacancy may be the perfect opportunity for one of your existing employees to expand their skillset. Training and development are key factors in engaging and retaining high performing employees. After a quick team reshuffle, you may find yourself looking to fill a completely different role to the original vacancy.
- Can this role be outsourced?
Many tasks can be outsourced on a temporary or contract basis. Seasonal work at the end of a financial year, for example, can often be outsourced, easily.
If you’re unsure about how to begin planning your workforce strategy, or want to learn more about how temporary and contract staff can support your business, please contact me at the people2people office in Brisbane on 07 3118 0125!
