How a Staffing Agency in Lancaster, PA Can Cut Costs for Businesses in a Recession

2023 is shaping up to be a rough year for many business owners. After years of lockdown due to the pandemic, inflation is increasing, forcing many companies to cut costs in any way they can–including massive layoffs. We understand that, for many, this is the last thing you want to do. We also know that you want to do anything in your power to keep your business afloat for the foreseeable unknown future. That’s why we recommend partnering with a staffing agency to find temporary workers.

Although working with recruiters may seem like an unnecessary expense that you don’t need to add to your already long list of costs, it can actually help you reduce labor costs. It also creates a more productive work environment for existing employees, brings experienced new employees, and allows flexibility within your business. Not sold? We’re breaking down five benefits of temporary and contract staffing.

Why Do Businesses Use Temporary Staffing Agencies?

Business needs are constantly ebbing and flowing. Because of this, you’ll likely find yourself in a position of need to hire new employees for specific jobs. In many cases, these don’t need to be permanent, full-time positions. In fact, temporary or contract (also known as freelance) work can be highly beneficial for many. Finding people to fill these roles, though, is easier said than done.

In order to hire new employees, you need to craft the perfect job posting, gather countless resumes, conduct hours upon hours of interviews, and go through the laborious onboarding process. This takes away valuable time that you could be using on more important tasks for your business. That’s where a temporary staffing agency comes in. They not only have a vast network of experienced professionals perfect for any role, but they also have years of knowledge about numerous industries, allowing you to fill a role in a matter of weeks if not days.

Five Benefits of Temporary and Contract Staffing in Lancaster

Partnering with a staffing agency seems expensive. It’s surprisingly affordable and is an incredibly helpful tool for business owners. And saving you money isn’t the only benefit.

Temporary Staffing Solutions Help Save Costs

When hiring a full-time or part-time employee, you’re paying a base salary or hourly rate, potentially offering benefits such as PTO, sick pay, and health insurance, and spending a good chunk of time (which is money, in the long run) on the hiring process. Temporary work allows you to get specific projects done without shelling out the money on a more permanent option.

Once the job is done, if you have the budget to continue with the contract employee for more projects, you can continue working together. If they’re no longer needed, you can part ways on good terms, with both parties satisfied. Not to mention that when hiring temporary staff, you’re searching for a particular skill set, which means less time and money spent on training.

Contract Workers Bring Experience and Expertise

Full-time employees often play a major role in many projects. Though they’re hired for a specific set of responsibilities, they’re likely to dip their toes into other tasks within the company. For example, your marketing director may be working on everything from social media management to ads to SEO to writing blog posts. While there is nothing wrong with being able to accomplish multiple tasks within one role, it’s important to note that contract workers bring experience and expertise in one specific area. It’s essential for them to stay on top of trends and changes within their industry in order to continue to get work. It’s also imperative that they are well-versed in at least one area, as it’s their primary way of making a living.

Having an employee specialize in one area of business ensures that you’re getting high-quality, well-thought-out work done in a timely manner. If you opt to use an existing employee, you run the risk of the work being thrown together quickly because they’re spread too thin and trying to meet deadlines–which can ultimately lead to burnout and losing valuable employees.

Contract Staffing Allows Flexibility

When the economy is stable, it’s easier to predict business patterns. You get a sense of when you need more hands on deck and when you may need to thin out your workforce. Unfortunately, during recessions, it becomes much harder to forecast what you may or may not need. If you’re trying to stay successful through even the most challenging times, you can’t act impulsively in terms of your employees. You need to be able to scale based on demand–which is where contract staffing comes in.

Unlike with full-time employees, you can structure contracts with freelancers to be on a project-by-project basis, giving you time to evaluate your needs once a milestone is complete. If your needs and budget increase, you can assign them more projects. If your staff needs to be cut down, you can end contracts early, allowing you and the contract worker to go your separate ways amicably without repercussions.

Less Risk for Businesses in Lancaster

There are quite a few moving pieces when hiring a full-time employee. You’re taking on payroll, health insurance, taxes, unemployment, worker’s compensation, disability, and more. This can be risky for your business should something go wrong. With a contract employee, you create the contract, which means creating your own terms and timeframe depending on your needs.

If using a staffing agency (which is highly recommended), any temporary employee or contract worker hired becomes an employee of the agency. Why’s that important to you? The agency is, therefore, responsible for payroll, background checks, onboarding, unemployment, etc. All you have to focus on is the everyday management of the employee, which saves you both time and money.

Bringing on Temporary Workers Free up Internal Employees

Retention is essential for a business. The longer an employee stays with your company, the fewer mistakes will be made, the less money you’ll have to pay, and the better the work done. And one of the easiest ways to create a sense of loyalty amongst your current employees is to ensure they’re not overworked. As mentioned earlier, full-time employees often wear multiple hats. But if not careful, they can become overwhelmed, ultimately leading to depression and forcing them to leave–even if they love the business.

Bringing on temporary workers helps free up your internal employees so they can focus on the tasks within their job description rather than one-off projects. If hiring temp workers, partnering with a staffing agency also prevents poor hiring decisions from internal employees, which helps further increase retention.

Partner with TriStarr to Leverage Temporary and Temp-to-Hire Staffing Solutions for Your Company in Lancaster, PA

Recessions can destroy businesses, and now more than ever, it’s important to prepare for economic hardships. Although it’s hard to say when we’ll see things take a turn for the better, there are a few things that you can do to help keep your business strong during these tough times, including maintaining a strong workforce.

Here at TriStarr, we want to help you succeed. And we can help you do that by finding you temporary and temp-to-hire employees to match your current needs. With positions ranging from receptionists to HR to IT, we have the candidates you’re looking for. We’ve been helping businesses since 1989 and plan to continue even during this unpredictable season.

Ready to get started? Contact us today!