As the Covid pandemic continues to fade and the pressure of pent-up demand increases, businesses are opening back up. Contributing to this pressure is the fact that Federal Enhanced Unemployment Benefits are starting to expire. At the time of this writing, twenty-five states have ended their programs, with the balance of the states expected to follow suit by October. Many signs point to businesses embarking on a hiring spree. This potential flood of activity will strain the resources of recruiters and client companies alike. A potential solution to the short-term crunch is to utilize contract workers. To go, or not to go with temp and contract workers is an option that should be seriously considered.

An August 24^th, 2021, survey by Harvard Business Review shows that about 40% of US employees would start looking for another job or quit immediately if ordered to return to the office full-time. Indeed, this looming threat hangs over employers who have not seriously embraced the remote-work paradigm and have not positioned themselves to be able to accommodate the more flexible work arrangements being demanded by many employees. In a previous article, we cited the “Turnover Tsunami” as characterized by SHRM’s Roy Maurer. Roy notes that more than 50% of survey respondents planning to look for a new job in 2021, with a quarter of workers planning to leave their jobs when the disruptive effects of the pandemic subside. For those who will not come back to the office, direct-hire or contract replacements must be found.

For recruiters and client companies alike, it is very important not to overwhelm existing staff. Chaotic workplace scenes, long wait times, poor customer service, and staff burnout can seriously degrade profitability. Plan ahead now to have adequate direct-hire candidates and back-up staff to enable you to avoid these unpleasant outcomes. Contract personnel can be retained to work on a contract-to-hire basis for a trial period. These contract employees can help your internal staff keep their heads above water and reduce their stress. Some of these contract employees may prove to be excellent workers and can be hired direct at a later date. Your risk is minimized since the contract person can be released at any time if the market changes. This peak-shaving approach can enable you or your client companies to ride through labor marketplace tumult.

Conduct a survey of your in-house staff to gain understanding of their work preferences, stress levels, and thoughts regarding coming back into the office versus remote work. Attitudes regarding vaccination policy should be included.  Make appropriate adjustments where possible to keep them happy. You can offer to do this kind of survey of your client’s staff as well. You can assess the level of workers’ satisfaction, company culture, and understand changing employee needs. Your client will appreciate your proactive approach.

Keep your organization healthy, as well as that of your clients and try to minimize turnover. Supplemental contract employees can help control the burden on key staff. You can partner with a back-office provider such as Evergreen Contract Resources to enable you to supplement your team with contract assistance as well as respond quickly to your client’s needs. Evergreen will keep up with the requirements of the regulatory jurisdictions, so you do not have to. If you are set up in advance, you can provide services immediately. Call Evergreen today, and we will set you up. There is no cost or obligation. Use us when you need us. Prepare for the coming labor marketplace chaos by considering TO GO, OR NOT TO GO…WITH TEMP AND CONTRACT PLACEMENTS!