‘Tis the season for bustling stores and multiple gift orders! Although the holidays are a merry time for consumers, they can be a logistical challenge for many businesses, especially those in the manufacturing industry.
With high seasonal demands, leaders must find reliable staff to maintain efficient operations. How? Consider temp-to-hire workers.
Temp-to-Hire Model Explained
For businesses looking to staff up quickly, particularly during peak seasons, the temp-to-hire recruitment model can be an attractive option.
What does temp mean in employment? It refers to employees who temporarily fill a specific role. In this arrangement, an employer hires a worker on a temporary or contract basis. This primarily allows companies to quickly scale their workforce depending on their unique business needs.
In seasonal hiring, employees are hired for a fixed period, as stated in their contracts. Once the contract ends, the workers are expected to leave their positions.
Meanwhile, a temp-to-hire arrangement gives workers a chance to become permanent employees. The time they spend working for your business helps assess their long-term fit with your company.
Benefits of Temp-to-Hire for Holiday Staffing
Light industrial businesses face significant challenges during the holiday season. As production demands soar, companies experience tighter and shorter deadlines.
The sudden rise in production demands can overwhelm your staff, leading to more errors and lower productivity. With regular employees requesting time off, the holiday season can be a real challenge without effective workforce management.
So what can you do to meet seasonal demands without sacrificing order quality or quantity? Consider temp-to-hire solutions that can directly address the challenges you face.
Why do companies hire temps in the first place? If you decide to use a temp-to-hire recruitment model for your business, you can expect to gain the following benefits:
1. Workforce Flexibility
Workforce flexibility is a crucial advantage that allows employers to adapt their staffing levels according to seasonal demands and market fluctuations. For example, a packaging facility that experiences higher volumes during the holiday season can bring in temp workers from October through December. This allows them to scale back once the rush subsides in January.
This flexibility prevents the company from being overstaffed during slower periods while ensuring sufficient manpower during peak times. It also allows them to respond quickly to unexpected challenges or opportunities that arise due to market shifts.
Additionally, adjusting workforce size directly contributes to effective budget management. Since leaders only pay for labor when needed, they can allocate their budgets to other parts of the business.
2. Maintained Operational Efficiency
Imagine a food processing plant in need of additional workers during the harvest season. Instead of pushing employees to work more hours, the temp-to-hire model can allow leaders to quickly hire pre-screened workers equipped with the right skills.
From sorting to packaging, these temporary workers can help you maintain a healthy workload and positive team productivity levels. They can also ensure that your production lines keep moving without any costly slowdowns or interruptions.
In discussing efficiency, businesses must also check if their products meet their pre-holiday quality standards. Fortunately, with proper temp staffing, leaders can rest assured their roles are filled with skilled, vetted workers. This can result in high-quality products that meet both tight deadlines and customer expectations.
3. Reduced Long-Term Risks
Reduced long-term risks provide significant financial and operational benefits for employers. When unsure about future contracts, a manufacturing company can use temp-to-hire workers instead of hiring permanently. This way, if a large contract falls through or production needs decrease, they won’t face the difficult and costly process of laying off permanent employees.
Moreover, this approach reduces the risks associated with unemployment claims and benefits obligations. The temp-to-hire model provides additional protection against market uncertainties and economic fluctuations. Companies can adjust their workforce without worrying about significant financial penalties.
For instance, a distribution center can scale its operations up or down based on market demands without the long-term financial commitments associated with hiring permanent employees. This risk reduction extends to areas such as workers’ compensation claims, unemployment insurance, and other employee-related liabilities that staffing agencies typically handle during the temporary period.
Companies also benefit from reduced recruitment and advertising costs, as staffing firms handle most of the initial recruitment process and expenses associated with onboarding temporary employees.
4. Opportunity for Evaluation
When building a workforce, it’s important to hire people who fit well with your existing teams. With this in mind, permanent hires aren’t always ideal. It isn’t easy to gauge the work ethics of potential candidates without seeing them in action. This is why temporary employees in a temp-to-hire setup is a good idea. It allows employers to evaluate performance in real working conditions.
This is like an extended working interview that gives the best of both worlds to both employer and employee. Here are some more details:
Employers
During the evaluation period, employers can assess important factors like attendance, work ethic, skill development, and cultural fit before making a commitment to permanent employment. Managers can evaluate how well potential employees handle specific challenges before making a long-term commitment.
This evaluation period often reveals characteristics that might not be apparent in traditional interviews. For example, it can reveal a temporary employee’s problem-solving abilities or teamwork skills. Additionally, it allows employers to evaluate multiple candidates simultaneously. This makes it easier to identify the best temporary workers who fit non-seasonal, permanent positions.
Employees
For employees, the temp-to-hire period provides a valuable opportunity to “test drive” a job before making a long-term commitment. It allows them to experience the company’s culture, work environment, and team dynamics firsthand, helping them determine if the role aligns with their career goals. This period can be especially beneficial in understanding if the company’s values resonate with their own, promoting a stronger sense of belonging and engagement. Employees gain practical experience while assessing if the position meets their professional needs, ultimately leading to more informed career choices and higher job satisfaction if they transition to permanent roles.
Read more: Putting People First: Why Prioritizing the Employee Experience is Key to Long-Term Business Success
5. Easy Onboarding and Training
Transitioning temporary workers to permanent employees can greatly streamline the entire recruitment process. Typically, a temp agency handles initial screening and administrative paperwork of temp workers. This means choosing a trustworthy partner ensures quality employees without the hassle of traditional talent acquisition.
So, when hiring temporary employees for permanent roles, employers can focus on job-specific training rather than spending time on preliminary onboarding procedures. This can significantly reduce the overall training time needed to acclimate new hires to their positions.
Furthermore, many staffing agencies provide basic safety training and orientation before workers arrive on site. This can be particularly valuable in light industrial settings, where safety awareness and basic operational knowledge are crucial from day one. It not only helps new temp-to-hire employees remain safe in the workplace but also reduces the need for constant training and reminders. This benefit can also prevent complications during a workday.
Horizon America: Your source for a reliable temp-to-hire workforce!
Horizon America is a staffing agency equipped with the network you need to build your workforce. Go beyond meeting seasonal expectations and build relationships that can benefit you long term. Take advantage of our vetted pool of candidates to fill your lines with top-notch professionals.
With more than 30 years of combined experience, we can ensure quality solutions tailored to your light industrial needs. Make the hiring process easier. Contact us today to learn more!
