The talent drought has impacted every industry. One in ten employers has a skills shortage vacancy, according to the September 2023 Employer Skills Survey. But some are finding temporary recruitment is the best solution to fill this gap, with more and more job seekers choosing temporary work.
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation reported both a rise in temporary placements and a fall in permanent placements in its September Report on Jobs. Amid economic uncertainty and rising costs, employers are reluctant to make long-term commitments, even if they can find a candidate worth committing to.
While temporary hiring can fill a short-term gap, it can also be medium to longer term. Here are ten reasons to consider temps.
- It’s cheaper–you’ll only be paying for the work you need, rather than a full permanent salary plus benefits.
- It enables you to source rare and sought-after skills quickly.
- It’s a “try before you buy” arrangement–think of it as an extended interview for a permanent role.
- It allows you to be agile, scaling up or down depending on the economy.
- Bringing in temps when a team is behind on a project can prevent burnout and improve employee retention.
- Temporary hiring helps you beat the talent drought and boost diversity by tapping into new talent pools—for example, many parents, carers, and people with disabilities choose temp work.
- Your recruiter will handle the payroll admin, so you’ll avoid any hidden costs.
- Temps are used to hitting the ground running.
- Many European nationals are unable to work here permanently because of Brexit issues–temp work gives them that option, so you get access to their skills.
- For those who need a visa, permanent work is off the table, but temp work is permitted.
At Abacus, we’re experts in recruitment in multiple sectors–Abacus is the leading supplier of industrial and distribution personnel in the South of England, and has recently acquired Dovetail, a specialist supplier of managerial, professional, white-collar, HR and facilities management workers. We’ve witnessed the same pattern playing out across the employment market: temp is the new perm.
We’ll be happy to offer free advice to other Chamber members on a temporary recruitment strategy to meet your business needs–please contact 01635 43100 for a no-obligation chat.