HR trend shows contingent workforces increasing
The increasing trend of employers hiring seasonal and contract employees on a need-only basis to save time and costs prompted Innovative Employee Solutions (IES) of San Diego to determine best practices in contingent workforce management. The company, which provides specialized outsourced payroll and human resources (HR) administration services nationwide, interviewed HR professionals from businesses that rely heavily on contingent staffing.
According to IES, HR professionals usually develop a pool of temporary workers who are willing to work on a contingent basis and have the experience and skills to keep up during heavy demand. Creating ways to ensure the same employees return when needed can help companies save on recruitment, orientation, and training costs.
IES offers the following points to consider for employing these workers.
1. Give in-depth training to new temporary employees because they often appear to benefit from participation in a one-time initial training program that introduces the company’s values, goals, products, and customer service policies. Such indepth training gives the workers confidence in making decisions without relying heavily on regular employees.
2. Practice team building to show contingent workers they are valued and included by treating them as regular employees. This can include implementing practices such as work-space sharing with permanent employees, inviting them to company meals and parties, and general reinforcement to both permanent and temporary workers that everyone is part of the same team.
3. Offer pay incentives to keep skilled workers coming back. Employers may offer a pay increase each year, which saves money in the long term by cutting the cost of training new temporary employees.
4. Maintain contact with valued contingent workers. Savvy HR managers often keep a database of all past and present contingent workers and send them occasional greetings or company news as well as available work schedules as the need arises.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Quality Publishing
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group
