12-Aug-2024
Table Contents
- How Seasonal Trends Affect Temporary Staffing
- Understanding Seasonal Trends
- How to Navigate Seasonal Demands
- 1. Anticipate Seasonal Demands Early
- 2. Project Analysis
- 3. Identify the Requirements
- 4. Enforce Employee Retention Plans
- 5. Leverage Technology
- 6. Start Advertising Early
- Benefits of Partnering With a Staffing Agency
- Conclusion
- FAQs
How Seasonal Trends Affect Temporary Staffing
Seasonal demands present a complex situation for businesses as it affects their workforce. Any additional projects will automatically create pressure on all existing staff. These fluctuations can impact the quality and output of products and services.
Companies hire a temporary staffing agency to source seasonal staff to relieve the pressure and workload burden caused by seasonal demands.
This blog will cover seasonal demands, why they occur, and how your company can successfully navigate them with a contract staffing company.
Understanding Seasonal Trends
Several industries see business changes, resulting in a fluctuating demand for skilled, semi-skilled, or unskilled staff. Throughout the year, industries like logistics, manufacturing, construction, FMCG, hospitality, and retail experience shifting staffing demands.
Reasons for increase/decrease in product/service demands could be:
- Festivals and holidays
- Weather or season
- Finances
- Market situation
- Geo-political factors
- External demand
- Quality issues
a) Increased Seasonal Demands
Companies operating in retail see high demands in the festive season, while hospitality industries peak in good weather seasons.
b) Decreased Seasonal Demands
Seasonal demands do last more than a few months at most. As a result, hiring permanent staff to handle the surplus work would only prove costly. As a result, using temporarily contracted staff would solve the skill shortage problems and allow for scaling down when demands subside.
How to Navigate Seasonal Demands
It is not always easy to manage the workforce during seasonal demands, even if you know it is coming. Companies can take inspiration from these tips on handling these changing demands professionally and efficiently.
1. Anticipate Seasonal Demands Early
Companies can get a head start on seasonal demands by anticipating them early. It is possible by constantly and consistently monitoring the market for changes and developments.
Certain companies know the time of market peaking due to previous experience.
2. Project Analysis
As the workload increases, companies can analyse each project to identify the skills required to complete them.
Carrying out this activity allows companies to anticipate, to some extent, their workforce requirements. They can understand which skilled professionals are necessary, in what numbers, and for how long.
With this information, companies can build their workforce to withstand the seasonal demand.
3. Identify the Requirements
All seasonal requirements come with specialised workforce requirements. To be able to fulfil the workforce demands, you must be able to state your exact requirements.
This step allows the recruitment professionals enough time and information to deliver the desired candidates. It starts with knowing how many more staff members you need and what are the lacking skills required.
4. Enforce Employee Retention Plans
Apart from hiring contract staff to manage seasonal demands, companies also need reliable and quality employees in the form of permanent employees. Combinations of contract and permanent staff will be crucial to create a skill and experience balance in the workforce.
It is also vital to business operations to retain highly experienced individuals working in higher posts. For this, evaluation of employee skills, experience, and impact on the business is necessary.
5. Leverage Technology
Technology has become a highly effective tool for businesses, particularly for recruiters. Through tools, companies can allocate tasks to employees, thus helping in planning workforce requirements during high demands.
Special workforce-centric tools help eliminate operational shortfalls due to human error and ensure employees are aware of the latest workforce developments.
6. Start Advertising Early
To ensure you have enough candidates to interview and make the best hiring, advertise the vacancies early. Doing so will ensure you have the workforce to power through seasonal demands when they arrive.
Recruiters can utilise local newspapers, job platforms, and word of mouth as advertising. Not being able to reach prospective candidates is one of the top challenges of meeting high blue-collar seasonal demands, and you will want to avoid it at all costs.
Draft a detailed job description to attract the appropriate candidates and alert them to the contract length.
7. Partner With a Contract Staffing Company
Not every company has the time to go through the process of advertising and interviewing for contract staff. These situations make having a reliable partnership with contract staffing companies important.
A staffing agency acts as a fast and cost-efficient source of contract staff. Because of a network of pre-vetted candidates, recruitment agencies rapidly match your requirements.
With staffing agency support, you don't have to worry about sourcing contract staff. You won't have to worry about seasonal demands and how your company will overcome them.
Benefits of Partnering With a Staffing Agency
Having an expert recruiter on your side offers several benefits that most companies miss out on, including:
- Access to more candidates
- Fast and cost-efficient hiring
- High flexibility
- Management of compliance and payroll
These points can benefit your company in many ways, not just provide immediate respite to growing staff requirements. After all, contract staffing is key to long-term business success in industries experiencing fluctuations in workforce demands.
Conclusion
The ability to tackle seasonal demands effectively would significantly boost companies. One way to go about seasonal staffing demands is through contract staffing agencies. With the help of a staffing agency, companies can adjust to increased or decreased demands without being financially compromised.
If your company isn't leveraging a temporary staffing agency, you could fail to meet seasonal demands the next time they come! Contact us to start preparing for the next peak season with experienced contract staff.
FAQs
What is the difference between seasonal and permanent staff?
As the name suggests, seasonal workers are on contract with specialised experience/skills, usually during high seasonal demand. Permanent staff are on a long-term hiring plan and have skills/experience that present long-term benefits to the business.
Do contract staff attract similar costs as permanent staff?
Contract staff do not incur the exact costs as permanent staff as their tenure is short and limited to a few months. That is why they are the preferable option for companies.
Do contract staffing agencies deliver to seasonal staffing needs?
Yes, these professional recruitment agencies deliver contractual and temporary staff per your requirements. Through these agencies, you can exact skill and experience matches.