It’s hard to contemplate we’ve now lived almost a full year within the pandemic. Since March I’ve written articles about ways to regulate business strategy, how you may adapt to the changing times, utilizing technology to stay successful, and more. When I wrote my first article related to the pandemic back in March, I never thought almost a year later the pandemic would still be as present as it’s in our lives today.
What’s changed though to this point 10 months, are the opportunities the pandemic brought to the staffing industry. A lot has changed since March and companies adapted to this alteration. We’ve seen major increases and decreases in industry demand. We’ve also seen a significant increase in working at home, among many other changes. Now, we are beginning to see a number of the long-term effects these industry changes have brought to the workforce. The rise of temporary help and flexible jobs for the foreseeable future is among these changes.
Cause of Increase in Temporary Jobs
There are several reasons experts predict there’ll probably be a rise in contract jobs going forward. In general, the staffing industry has seen that temporary jobs have recovered faster than direct hire jobs.
COVID-19 has actually added quite a bit of the roles to the temporary workforce, such as temperature checkers and contact tracers. Currently there is a major demand for jobs assisting with the vaccine rollout, which may very well be an incredible opportunity for staffing companies do you have to’re in a position to get the trained staff that’s needed.
Besides the addition of COVID-19 jobs, the pandemic has caused an increase in demand for contract work in other areas. Some companies are still treading water and are cautious about bringing employees back on full-time. Contract workers are less of an investment, which is better in times of uncertainty and as companies are getting back on their feet. The job continues to be in a position to get done without the added expense of benefit packages and other costs associated with a new full-time hire.
More workers have also turned to do freelance work as it helped bring in income for jobs that were lost through the pandemic. According to a survey conducted by Upwork between June and July of 2020, 36% of the American workforce had freelanced within the previous 12 months. 12% began freelancing through the pandemic (54% out of necessity) and 75% within the hunt for financial stability. Of those who were surveyed, 88% said they’re prone to freelance ultimately.
In general, workers are also looking for a flexible work environment. More people have an interest in doing quite a bit of labor and need to have the flexibility to manage their schedule. According to a recent Monster survey, 92% of respondents said they think now is an efficient time to look into a gig economy. 57% of respondents also said they may take a gig job in-between jobs and 52% said they need a long-term contract with flexible hours.
All of those reasons are the cause for the rise in demand for temp help. Whether it’s the demand for COVID-19 jobs or the best way the pandemic has caused the workforce and employers to shift the best way they’re used to doing things. In the strategy, we’ve adapted to those changes and it has brought on new opportunities for both workers and employers.
Cause of Increase in Remote Work
As everyone knows and have probably experienced it at one point or another, there was an increase in remote work. I personally never worked remotely fulltime, until March hit. Now I’ve been working remotely for the past 10 months and it has truly change into the brand new normal. When I think back to the times, we all went into the office, it looks like so long ago now. Workers and employers are beginning to feel this same way, if they don’t seem to be already feeling it. Remote work has change into a new normal and it’s here to stay in some capacity.
From an employer stand-point, companies have seen that working from home can work. They’ve seen employees still in a position to finish their tasks and, in some cases, have seen an increase in productivity. Operating costs have also probably gone down as they’re spending less money with employees working remotely (no more café snacks, employee lunches, etc.) With this, employers will probably be desirous about incorporating more earn a living from home opportunities ultimately and/or eliminating an office all together. According to a survey performed by Verizon, 86% of global companies consider the digital workplace will coexist with the physical workspace post COVID-19 and 78% expect to increase remote working.
Employees have also gotten used to the earn a living from home environment and prefer keeping it in some shape or form. This may include going into the office just a few days a week or working remotely full-time. In a survey conducted by PWC, over half of employees (55%), want to work remotely three days a week or more.
Remote work though just isn’t just for permanent employees. The staffing industry has seen a rise in remote work from temps, for the reason that pandemic began and it’s predicted that more temps will continue to work remotely post-pandemic. Employers who’re used to temporary workers being on location, have learned that this does not necessarily have to be the case. Not all temp jobs require the worker to work on location and the pandemic has proven that. This opens up significant opportunities for employers hiring temporary help.
Opportunities it Brings for Staffing
So, what does the rise of temporary help and flexible jobs actually mean for the staffing industry? It opens up the door to new horizons. Now is the time to start planning both your short and long-term strategy. Statistics show the workforce will probably be making this shift for the foreseeable future. By adapting to the change now, staffing companies can stay ahead of the curve. So where can you begin?
Discuss Temporary Opportunities with Employers that Typically Hire Full-Time
The rise of temporary help just isn’t just for companies that employ contract workers. It may very well be a new opportunity for companies that typically look to rent full-time. If a client would be open to the thought of contract work, it may very well be a good opportunity to debate the rise and benefits of it versus hiring a full-time employee. It’s not only less costly, as discussed early, but it surely opens the door to explore more qualified candidates which are looking for contract work. Not all positions may be fitted to contract work, but it surely’s certainly an avenue which may be explored if the client is open to it. To test the waters, you can even propose a temp-to-hire plan. If the contract worker ends up figuring out they normally want to stay on the corporate, they’re often brought on full-time.
Flexible Jobs Add Another Layer of Opportunity
As temporary jobs are no longer just for companies that look to contract, flexible jobs are no longer just for permanent placements. As statistics have shown, more workers need to have the possibility to work remotely. This brings new opportunity for both contract and permanent placements. It allows staffing companies to expand your seek for qualified candidates outside of the state. It also offers the possibility to hunt down more qualified candidates based on their preference to earn a living from home. There may be highly skilled individuals that you simply can be missing out on if they like to not work at a physical location.
The opportunity to supply more flexible jobs will ultimately help increase the candidate pool. If a client would be open to remote work, now is an efficient time to debate the increased interest in it and likewise the benefits. Not all jobs may very well be performed from home, but take into consideration the roles which will very well be and the possibility it brings for the client.
Take Advantage of the Industries in Demand
There are several industries in demand now which will continue to be in demand and offer opportunity to employ contract and/or remote workers. Below are only just a few of theses industries that would bring new opportunities for staffing companies.
As mentioned earlier, there was an increase in COVID-19 related jobs. The pharmaceutical and healthcare industries are both booming and are in desperate need of assistance to satisfy the vaccine rollout demand. This is an efficient opportunity to partner with these industries and help them employ contract workers.
The information technology industry also boomed in 2020 and will continue to spiral upward. These jobs have been more stable through the pandemic because they haven’t relied on having a physical location. Most IT jobs may very well be performed online and offer an agile earn a living from home environment. There has also been an increase in helpdesk/PC support jobs as more organizations are working at home. With the rise of IT jobs and the flexible work environment they bring about, it’s another great industry for staffing companies to explore.
Customer Service representatives and call center agents have also seen an increase in demand in healthcare, IT, and online retail. As more businesses move virtual, there is a greater need for customer service help related to software and applications to help run teams remotely. More persons are also shopping online, so there is a greater demand for online retail Customer Service Representatives. Customer Service Representatives can also offer the possibility to work remotely.
Industrial and Manufacturing have also seen increases in demand. Manufacturers that produce essential goods have needed to increase staff significantly for the reason that start of the pandemic. If staffing companies haven’t already looked into manufacturing companies of essential goods, this may increasingly very well be an opportunity to employ contract workers. Manufacturers of non-essential goods are also beginning to increase production. Business orders for durable goods such as tools, appliances and new cars rose for eight months in a row. This shows manufacturers are increasing their goods production in anticipation of strong sales in 2021 and may need to rent more staff now or within the near future.
These are only just a few of the industries in demand now and for the foreseeable future. By doing research into industries which are booming and are expected to grow, staffing companies will set themselves up for future success. If they will incorporate contract and/or remote work into these industries, it should likely be a win, win.
Running with Opportunity
The pandemic has certainly brought on it’s challenges this past year, however the silver lining is it’s brought some new opportunities for the staffing industry to reap the benefits of. Change may very well be scary, but now is the time to run with the opportunities that present themselves and prepare for the changing future!
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