Do you have a gap in your workforce? Are you anticipating a period of growth in the near future? Do you need to replace an ineffective team member? If you answered yes to any of these questions, contract staffing could be a more viable option than bringing on full- or part-time staff. Ask yourself the following questions to determine if contract staffing is right for your company:

• Do You Have Seasonal Hiring Needs?

Most businesses have busy and slow seasons. During the busy times you wish you had more staff, but when business slows back down you don’t want to have deadweight on your payroll. Contract staffing allows you to bring in the talent you need for just as long as you need them, then part ways in an amicable way. The busy season doesn’t have to be the stressful season.

• Are You Having Problems With Retention?

Most retention problems stem from a lack of employee morale. Contract staffing allows you to keep your team spirit high in two ways. First, bringing in extra help when needed helps take some of the load off your permanent staff and eliminate the kind of overworking that leads to burnout. Second, since contract staffing works on a temporary basis, when the staff leaves it doesn’t create the same environment of suspicion and uncertainty that layoffs do.

• Are Your Hiring Needs Uncertain?

Predicting your workforce needs over both the short and long term can be a difficult, even impossible process. If you’re uncertain just what kind of staff you need moving forward, why not start by hiring contract staff and observing the impact? The cost/risk is a lot less than making a permanent hire, but you have the means to make the position permanent if and when it becomes necessary.

• Have You Suffered from a Bad Hire?

Making a bad hire is at best expensive and disruptive and at worst a catastrophe for your company. Contract staffing offers you the unique opportunity to “try before you buy.” A candidate can serve in a contract capacity for a period of a few months and give you a clear look at their on-the-job performance. If you’re impressed, you can offer them more. If you’re not, you can part ways and start your search over with relatively few consequences.

Remember that adding contract staff is the lowest cost and least consequential option on the table. So why not make it a part of your recruitment strategy? Explore this option further by contacting RennerBrown.