A large portion of our workforce is working from home and the business environment this year has lent itself towards businesses being required to have a more flexible approach to employment than ever before.
Work-life balance and flexibility have definitely been key tools within the employment realm over the past couple of years. However, in 2020 it’s become a more essential tool for business survival.
The reality is that this year and beyond, your workforce needs to be flexible and reactive for optimal profits and success to be achieved in the competitive and ever-changing marketplace we are experiencing within New Zealand now.
The most surprising fact to most people might be just how widely used temporary – or contingent – employment is utilised across such a wide range of industries and fields, from medical to creative services, project management, human resources, technical and trade-related roles.
There really are no industries with a barrier to temporary employment.
There is this misconception that temp employees tend to be such typical employees as receptionists or administrators. However, a temp can be as qualified and skilled as you require – they come from every industry and profession – skilled, degree qualified, registered.
Many are highly qualified and skilled, adding value through their ability to slip into a new environment, team and culture with ease.
Candidates choose to engage in temp work for all kinds of reasons, whether it is because they have just moved to the region, or enjoy the freedom of knowing they are not tied down to a permanent role.
Many enjoy the variety and flexibility or for pure lifestyle reasons.
Temporary workers can often be the best employees because they get to have a large exposure to many different industries and workplaces, systems, and processes. They also come with the flexibility to work around your individual work-load requirements, and can be on-call on an ‘as and when’ basis.
Temp employees are being used by both growing companies and more established businesses to jump over the skills gap and address needs head on. And at present here in New Zealand, including in the regions, we have quite a pool of talent available.
Having a temporary workforce can be hugely beneficial in terms of keeping on top of market fluctuations for a business.
Contingent workers, in a sense, are “on-demand” talent, the “Netflix” of the employment world if you like. They are not full-time employees of a company and once their project is finished, the contract has ended.
To label them mere temps, however, discounts the full scope, hi-tech nature and complexity of today’s contingent or “on-demand” workforce.
Utilising a contingent workforce within the relatively volatile business environment we are now experiencing under Covid-19 is a smart, lean way to run your business, whilst ensuring that the needs of your customers are met, a business as usual approach is the focus, and employment overheads are contained or reduced.
