Challenges
School districts, businesses large and small, nonprofit organizations and institutions are all gearing up for Fall. Many are moving to hire new staff now for anticipated projects and program expansion and enrichment for September, for all the holidays in the last quarter of the year, and for the new year ahead. Surveys and reports, including those published by PNP Staffing Group, are showing strong growth in employment rates. They also show clearly that the marketplace for talent is increasingly competitive.
There are abundant signs of restored confidence in future growth, as the economy continues to improve, but the other side of the coin, in managing budgets, is that it may not be easy to find good staff, even when you are ready to hire.
PNP Staffing Group’s 2015 – 2016 Salary Survey Report also gives clear evidence that, while many organizations are now looking to restore or add to their staff talent, a significant number are still hesitant to add permanent positions to their payroll.
A compelling way to deal effectively with these challenges may be hiring temporary staff – “Temps.”
Solutions
There are several advantages to retaining temp help for specific needs in a limited time-frame. One consideration is that hiring temps can be very cost effective. In fact, studies show that not hiring a temp when needed can negatively affect the bottom line of an organization. The cost of being understaffed is high, in terms of work not being done, which would more than justify an investment in using temps.
A second positive consideration in hiring temps, especially in these still uncertain times, is that it gives an organization access to skill sets that they may not otherwise be able either to readily find and recruit or to afford. An experienced temp can fulfill a special need in fundraising, special events, grants writing, program development, marketing, or administrative office support, where hiring a full-time, permanent appointment with that expertise may not be possible – especially for meeting needs on the near horizon of this Fall.
Using temps also enables a business or an organization to choose from a broad group of diverse candidates to meet immediate, specific, and short-terms needs on a “rolling” basis. The use of temps gives even small businesses and nonprofits access to an extensive range of the best talent available.
Risk-free Staffing
Another good reason to consider temporary staff for limited time projects and program development is that temps remain the employees of the provider and consequently do not hit the budget of an organization as a payroll cost. In particular, temps can be hired to fulfill grants requirements for additional staff without inflating the payroll of an organization.
Hiring temp staff is an efficient and useful way to bring on added capacity without risk. A temp can assist with a project or program on a defined basis, and when the job is done, or if the temp does not work well within an organization, that position can be simply concluded without the difficulties and complexities involved in terminating a permanent hire.
A Way to Go – and Grow
As New York business owners and directors of public and private organizations act now – as they must – to build capability for Fall 2016, and beyond, they should not underestimate the positive advantages of factoring into their plans creative, timely, efficient and effective use of temporary staff to get specific jobs done. Hiring good, capable “temps” staff may well be a worthwhile component of a successful strategy for planning, managing, and sustaining growth.
PNP Staffing Group, founded in 1996 as Professionals for NonProfits, provides a full suite of staffing services exclusively to the nonprofit, associations, and social good sector. Specializing in filling positions that are key to the growth and development of an organization, PNP has a dynamic team of experienced recruiters in talent acquisition, with headquarters in New York City and offices in four other major cities, national and even international reach, and a consistent track record of success.
