Staff shortages can be one of the top challenges for many businesses in certain industries. For example, over 76% of supply chain executives are currently dealing with labor shortages, and 37% of them express the shortages are ‘high’ to ‘extreme’. [1] In situations like these, contingency staffing can help you deal with the problem. However, rushing into it might bring you more challenges. from finding the right talent at a moment’s notice to ensuring seamless integration into existing teams and projects. To help you, we’ve gone through real-life cases of a successful contingency plan and best practices you should follow. Let’s get right to it.
What Is Contingency Staffing?
Contingency staffing is the process of identifying, hiring, and deploying staff quickly during unforeseen events. It helps maintain business operations during certain unexpected events and provides businesses with the flexibility to respond to sudden changes in demand.
For example, during peak seasons or unexpected surges in customer orders, businesses can quickly bring in additional staff to meet the increased workload. This not only helps to maintain productivity and customer satisfaction, but it also allows your business to take advantage of new opportunities and grow its operations.
When do you need contingency staffing? First of all, you need to identify potential risks to your business. These could include internal risks, such as IT systems failure, or external risks, like natural disasters or pandemics. This helps you prepare a contingency plan that addresses potential staffing issues as part of your overall risk mitigation strategy.
Keep in mind that it’s important to involve key stakeholders in the risk identification process, including department heads and employees who are familiar with the day-to-day operations of the business. This way, you’ll be sure that all potential risks are identified and that the contingency plan is comprehensive.
How to Find Contingency Staff
- Utilize specialized job boards: Industry-specific job boards can be a goldmine for finding qualified contingency staff. They often attract professionals who have niche skills and experience that are perfectly suited to your unique business needs.
- Plus, to help you get started on a right foot, here are some examples of how you can recruit for specific industries
-Hospitality
-Logistics - Work with staffing agencies: One of the best ways to find contingency staff is to partner with reputable staffing agencies. These agencies have access to a large pool of qualified candidates and can quickly provide you with skilled workers who are ready to jump in on short notice. Check out our guide on how to choose a recruitment agency before you decide on one.
- Maintain a strong employer brand: In order to attract top-tier contingency staff, it is important to have a strong employer brand. This involves showcasing your company culture, values, and benefits to potential candidates to make your organization an attractive place to work.
- Offer competitive compensation: Ensure your pay rates are competitive to attract the best talent. Contingency staff are more likely to accept positions that offer fair compensation for their skills and experience.
- Leverage social media networks: Social media platforms can also help you tap into a vast pool of potential candidates. Use targeted ads and posts to reach individuals with the specific skill sets you require.
- Develop a talent pool: Create a database of pre-vetted professionals that you can draw upon when the need arises. This saves time and ensures you have access to quality staff who are familiar with your business operations.
You can also use a tool like Manatal to make your contingency staffing easier and smoother. Manatal offers you a customizable pipeline, allowing you to adjust and manage your contingency staffing stages freely. Its automation capability also makes it easy for you to manage candidates’ data. You’ll quickly identify the right talent and fill them in your urgent needed roles with the AI Recommendations feature.
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Best Practices to Manage Contingency Staffing
1. Developing a Contingency Plan for Staffing Needs
Your plan should outline the requirements for the number, skills, and expertise of temporary staff needed in specific scenarios. Review it regularly and ensure that you always have the necessary resources to meet your staffing needs in times of crisis.
One important aspect to consider when developing a contingency plan for staffing needs is communication. Make sure that all employees are aware of the plan and their roles in it. This will help to ensure a smooth transition to temporary staffing in the event of an emergency.
Another factor to consider is the cost of temporary staffing. It is important to budget for these expenses and have a plan in place for how to cover them. This may involve reallocating funds from other areas of the business or securing additional financing.
2. Creating a Resource Pool for Emergency Situations
To make sure that you have enough staff during emergencies, it’s a good idea to create a resource pool of potential temporary staff beforehand. This pool could include candidates who have previously applied for jobs or those recommended by trusted sources. Creating such a pool can help you quickly access and deploy necessary staffing resources during times of crisis.
To maintain the accuracy and relevance of the resource pool, regularly update and maintain it by reaching out to potential candidates and confirming their availability and willingness to work during emergency situations.
3. Establishing Communication Channels with Temporary Staff
Remember, effective communication during emergencies is the key to success. So, clearly inform all contingent staff of their roles and responsibilities, the expectations of the job, and any other essential information. Having clear and concise communication channels between temporary staff and their managers will ensure that everyone stays informed and can respond efficiently to changing circumstances.
It is also important to establish a feedback mechanism so temporary staff can communicate any issues or concerns they may have. This can be achieved through regular check-ins, suggestion boxes, or anonymous surveys.
4. Training and Onboarding Temporary Employees
The best way to make sure that temporary staff are effective in their roles is through adequate training and onboarding. So, train them on the essential functions of their jobs, company policies, and work procedures. Offering online training modules or e-learning courses can be beneficial as well, as they are easy to access and can be completed remotely.
It is also important to provide your contingency team with a clear understanding of the company culture and values. One way to achieve it is via orientation sessions, where they can meet with key personnel and learn about the company's mission and vision. This way, temporary employees will feel more connected to the organization and be more likely to perform at their best.
Don’t also forget to ensure that they have the necessary tools and resources to perform their jobs. This includes access to software, equipment, and other materials that are required for their specific roles.
5. Conducting Performance Reviews for Contingency Staff
Performance reviews are essential for evaluating the effectiveness of your contingency strategy. We recommend conducting periodic reviews of your contingency team to gain feedback on their performance and the effectiveness of the staffing process and identify areas for improvement. These reviews can help you make critical decisions about whether to retain or replace temporary staff.
It is important that the performance review process is fair and consistent for all contingency staff. So, establish clear performance criteria and provide regular feedback throughout the assignment. Also, consider offering training and development opportunities to help temporary staff improve their skills and performance.
6. Retaining Top Talent from Your Resource Pool
One effective way to retain top talent is to provide opportunities for professional development and growth. Offer training programs, mentorship, and career advancement opportunities to your contingency staff. This will not only help them improve their skills and knowledge but also show that you value their contributions and are invested in their success.
Another important factor in retaining top talent is creating a positive work environment. So, foster a culture of open communication, recognition, and appreciation. Encourage teamwork and collaboration and provide a comfortable and safe workplace. When your contingency team feels valued and supported, they are more likely to stay with your organization and perform at their best.
7. Measuring the Success of Your Contingency Staffing Plan
It is a must to track metrics like the time-to-fill, the retention rate of temporary staff, or feedback about the hiring process. Use these metrics to refine and improve your contingency staffing plan over time. Another important metric to track is the cost of your contingency staffing plan. This includes not only the cost of hiring temporary staff but also any training or onboarding expenses. It helps ensure that your contingency staffing plan remains within budget and identifies areas where you can cut costs.
It's also important to assess the impact of your contingency staffing plan on your permanent staff. Are they feeling overworked or undervalued due to the presence of temporary staff? Are there any communication or collaboration issues between temporary and permanent staff? Regularly gathering feedback from your permanent staff can help you address any concerns and ensure that your contingency staffing plan is not negatively impacting your overall workforce.
8. Legal Considerations for Temporary Employees in Contingency Situations
Finally, as an employer, it is vital to be aware of legal considerations when hiring temporary employees, especially in contingency situations. This includes complying with labor laws, minimum wage rates, and health and safety regulations. So, ensure that you have clear employment contracts and well-defined roles and responsibilities and that temporary staff understand their rights and responsibilities.
Case Study: Example of a Successful Contingency Staffing Plan
Many companies have created successful contingency staffing plans. One good example is Amazon [2], which relies on temporary staff to handle increased demand during peak periods such as the holiday season or major sales events. To ensure the quality of their temporary staff, Amazon conducts extensive background checks and training programs. [3]
Moreover, Amazon also offers its temporary employees a pathway to permanent employment [4], which has proven to be an effective way of retaining talent and maintaining productivity.
The company has been successful in maintaining productivity and meeting customer demand during times of crisis or increased workload. Its contingency staffing plans have proven to be effective not only in ensuring business continuity but also in providing opportunities for temporary employees to gain valuable experience and potentially secure long-term employment.
Following in its footsteps can provide inspiration and insight on how to make your own contingency plan successful.
Conclusion
It's clear that the key to mastering the art of contingency staffing lies in anticipation and preparation. By having a plan in place to quickly and effectively bring in temporary staff when needed, your business can continue to operate smoothly and efficiently, even in the face of unexpected events. From natural disasters to sudden spikes in workload, having a contingency staffing plan in place can make all the difference in how well you can weather the storm.
Citations:
2. cnbc
3. ridester
4. cnbc
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