It’s common knowledge that the dual economy developing within pockets of the Australian employment sector is putting additional pressure on SMEs to compete for staff, particularly in trades and skilled labour where employees are being lured by the promise of large mining sector salaries.
Flexible staffing has long been used by large organisations as a means to cope with peaks and troughs in demand, mobilise large numbers of employees quickly or fill a temporary requirement for a highly specialised skills set.
The concept has been embraced to a much lesser extent by small to medium enterprises, despite them facing many of the same issues. Since the GFC, they’re mindful of how engaging a third party provider may affect their bottom line, preferring to handle staffing requirements on their own, usually with permanent employee solutions.
However, as pressure to compete increases and evolving SMEs actively pursue contracts and tenders as catalysts for growth, many take another look at flexible staffing and realising some of the benefits beyond an immediate cost proposition.
Consider how outsourcing the following to an HR specialist could complement your ongoing operations and find the right talent to meet your needs:
- Mobility. Managing rosters, work schedules as well as ensuring that critical experts and contractors are on location when required, is vital for the efficiency of business operations.
- Competency and skills fit. Facilitating maximum employee productivity, engagement and retention ensures your final candidates possess the skills to carry out the role, as well as the appropriate level of ‘fit’ with the organisational culture, management style and team environment.
- Behaviour and cultural fit. Critical to the success of flexible staffing is identifying key personal characteristics, including using knowledge and demonstrating skills, behaviours and abilities that contribute to performing well. These competencies will ensure the core requirements for driving performance at both an individual and organisational level are met.
- Relevant induction of talent. Each member of the talent pool receives an in-depth induction prior to every assignment. This service extends beyond the legislative requirements of OHS and administrative standards of timesheets and payment, Health and Safety at Work and OHS Policy to include a strict Code of Conduct, incorporating the expectations of your business.
- Payrolling. Workforce advisory businesses can pay candidates according to business requirements: weekly, fortnightly or monthly across different awards and EBA’s ensuring candidates are paid in full, on time.
- Safety. An effective safety program provides an employer, with the advantages of compliance with the law, but also with commercial, psychosocial and productivity benefits. Neglecting safety in the workplace can lead to high social and financial costs in the form of higher workers compensation claims and premiums, increased commercial and legal risk to senior managers, and downturn in productivity.
For SMEs, the value of engaging a supplier to manage every step of the process saves precious time—time the business owner can spend growing the business.
