Like many organizations, yours may be faced with the need to do more with less. Even so, business demands may at times be too great for your staff to achieve by themselves. Hiring additional full-time workers could be impractical, however, if their skills will not be required over the long term and the ongoing expense would jeopardize your competitiveness. There is a cost-effective way to keep service quality high, avoid burnout among your team and ease your firm through a crunch.
Take a Strategic Approach
Strategic staffing requires taking a long-term view of company or departmental objectives and what it will take to accomplish them, as opposed to the traditional notion of simply trying to fill desks or restaff positions. A better approach is to think in terms of needs rather than jobs. Strategic staffing entails em ploying a well-chosen mix of full-time and temporary project professionals who can handle all elements of the workload: ongoing tasks, new demands and unforeseen spikes in activity.
Strategic staffing includes turning to interim professionals to handle workload peaks or provide specialized expertise not available internally. Additional full-time hires are made only when new projects turn out to require year-round attention. As a result, core employees are better able to focus on their most important priorities. And the business can avoid overhiring and resulting layoffs through a variety of economic cycles. Thirty-five percent of executives polled by Robert Half International say the most important benefit of using project professionals is to help avoid overstaffing followed by layoffs.
Determine the Type of Help You Need
Once you've recognized a need to implement a strategic staffing plan in your department, you'll want to identify the most appropriate kind of assistance. There are three common types of project professionals:
Pinch hitters fill in during employee vacations and medical leaves, and provide support during periods of heavy workloads. They can also help you bridge the gap during job vacancies. For example, you may have promoted a member of your team, but can't hire a full-time replacement due to a companywide hiring freeze. A project professional can assume the person's former responsibilities for as long as necessary, saving other employees from the burden of extra work.
Specialized experts are brought in to provide expertise that doesn't exist already in the department or when those qualified to do the work are too busy. For example, you might need an employee with knowledge of a certain software application to assist with an installation or upgrade to your company's systems.
Professionals for special projects may work with full-time employees for one-time, labor-intensive tasks. For instance, these professionals might help with the preparation of financial statements at year-end or be brought in to help manage a large inventory project. Keep in mind that temporary positions are not limited solely to administrative or clerical roles. Skilled project professionals are able to fill virtually every job, from file clerk to chief accounting officer. In addition, these professionals are already proven and often make ideal full-time hires if you determine an ongoing need exists. They are familiar with the company, and you've had the opportunity to observe their on-the-job performance. In fact, 23 percent of executives in the Robert Half poll say they feel the primary benefit of hiring interim staff is the ability to evaluate a prospective employee before making a hiring decision.
Use an Established Firm
Before bringing interim talent on board, research the staffing companies in your area. Begin with a list of staffing firms you've been referred to by people you trust, such as colleagues or members of local professional associations. Then call the recommended companies and speak with their representatives. Evaluate each organization based on the same key factors, such as years in business, expertise of internal employees, the process for selecting project professionals and whether the firm offers a satisfaction guarantee.
It is particularly important to select a firm that specializes in your field. A company with this focus can better understand your business's unique needs and challenges. These companies also have developed networks that give them access to the most highly skilled professionals.
Keep Employees in the Loop
Be sure that your staff is aware of the reason you are hiring temporary workers. Involving your employees in the planning process can prevent job security anxiety, which may develop if permanent staffers worry that interim workers could replace them. If you intend to evaluate your short-term workers for potential full-time employment, be sure that the current staff knows that this will not be at their expense. When employees feel their jobs are protected, they are more likely to appreciate the extra help and work more collaboratively with newcomers for maximum productivity.
Monitor Your Program
Once you've put your strategic staffing plan into action, reassess your department's human resources needs regularly. This will allow you to make any necessary adjustments. For instance, you may discover that a project professional has expertise that can be applied to a different initiative, or you may determine you need additional support in one area of your department.
Ask full-time employees for their feedback on your strategic staffing program. Is the use of project professionals making a difference in their workloads? Or do they find themselves spending an excessive amount of time training others? Skilled project professionals should need only an initial orientation and overview of the assignment, not continual direction and instruction. Inform your staffing firm if the person is a less-than-successful match.
Also maintain a dialogue with your project professionals. They may offer valuable suggestions for improving department procedures or enhancing their effectiveness on the job.
Achieving appropriate personnel levels takes time, practice and constant reassessment. However, by addressing staffing issues proactively, you'll help your firm maintain the necessary resources available to meet changing business demands and remain competitive. At the same time, you'll keep employees motivated by ensuring they have the support they need to complete their work successfully.
Barry Roy is vice president of the New England district for Robert Half International. The company has local offices in Manchester, Portsmouth and Nashua. For more information, visit www.rhi.com.