The holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for small businesses. Sales are booming, and customers are flooding your doors with requests. That’s why it’s essential to have a plan in place to ensure that your business can still run smoothly during this busy time. One way to increase efficiency while reducing overhead costs is by hiring contingent workers to fill talent gaps left by your regular employees.
Fill Talent Gaps This Holiday Season
Contingent workers are an essential part of the workforce. They can help with talent gaps and bridge the skills divide, and they often provide more flexibility than full-time employees at a lower cost. As the holiday season gets underway, U.S. small businesses will significantly benefit from contingent workers’ flexibility, cost efficiency, and ability to perform niche responsibilities quickly.
What Is A Contingent Worker?
Contingent workers do not have an employer-employee relationship with their company. They often work part-time, are freelancers or contractors, and can be hired for a specific need and a set period, whether a few days or months.
Some examples of contingent workers include:
- Freelance writers
- Employed part-time by several companies at once
- Contractors working on projects in multiple industries (like construction) who don’t want to commit to one employer full-time
How Does The Contingent Workforce Help Fill Talent Gaps?
Contingent workers are beneficial during peak seasons, such as the holidays, when businesses must quickly ramp up activities in response to increased demand. For example, suppose you’re a retail business owner preparing for the holiday shopping season. In that case, contingent workers can help operate your cash register during busy times or assist your customers on the sales floor.
Small business owners must be strategic when hiring contingent workers this holiday season. Here are some ways they can make sure that they’re hiring the right people:
When hiring contingent workers this holiday season, small business owners should take the time to conduct detailed interviews by phone or video conference and request references from previous employers within the last year. They should also send candidates a trial assignment to evaluate their skills and fit with your business culture. These steps will help ensure that your contingent worker works well with your current team members and organizational culture.
Should Your Business Hire A Contingent Worker For The Holidays?
If you’re thinking about hiring a contingent worker for the holidays, here are four reasons why you might want to:
1. Existing staff isn’t enough
Hiring a contingent worker could be an effective solution if your business has already exhausted all its existing resources. If your company needs more hands on deck but doesn’t have the money or time to hire full-time employees, then a contingent worker might be able to help fill in those gaps.
2. You don’t know if there will be enough work
Hiring full-time employees can be expensive and risky because they don’t always get as much work as they need to stay busy and make their salary worthwhile. By hiring contingent workers instead, you can avoid having too many employees who aren’t getting enough work while still having enough help when you need it most.
3. You need someone who can adapt quickly
During the holidays, you don’t have time to train new hires and get them up to speed quickly enough to be helpful. Contingent workers are typically more knowledgeable than your average hire and can get off the ground running in their temporary roles.
4. You need the flexibility to meet seasonal demands
A contingent worker can also provide flexibility full-time employees don’t always have regarding scheduling.
Bottom Line
Contingent workers are a valuable resource for small businesses looking to fill talent gaps and bridge the skills divide. They’re accommodating during peak seasons, such as the holidays, when companies need to ramp up activities in response to increased demand quickly.
The key is to be strategic when hiring contingent workers this holiday season by conducting detailed interviews by phone or video conference and requesting references from previous employers within the last year.
When you’re ready to reap the benefits of adding temporary or seasonal workers to your workforce, contact our experienced team at NexusCW.
