​5 reasons you should consider temporary employment this winter

There has been a 69% increase in temporary staff hires during 2024 so far. A lot of employers are using temporary recruitment to work towards closing the current skills gap. Two thirds of employers admit that there is a worrying skill shortage in the UK, to try and overcome this, employers are turning to techniques such as skills-based hiring and temporary employment.

What is temporary employment?

Temporary employment is where you work on a flexible and temporary basis, generally either to complete a specific project, or cover busy periods without being a temporary member of staff. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement for both candidates and employers and there are two different contracts you can receive.

Fixed-term contracts

Fixed-term contracts are where an employee signs a contract that states how long they will be employed for. They generally range from 1-6 months and are usually implemented when there is a specific task that an employer needs doing. In businesses like retail, there may be hectic periods where employers need a larger headcount to manage the influx of customers. In this scenario, temporary employment would be suitable and you would also avoid having a headcount surplus once the busy period is over.

Temporary contracts

A temporary contract can often occur when covering for an existing employee, or again, when completing a specific project. Temporary contracts can also be less intense, as the work could potentially be a couple of hours weekly depending on the role. You will still not finish the contract as a full-time member of staff.

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Why should you consider temporary employment?

Networking and referencing

Temporary work is a great way to grow your professional network. It is a form of ‘job hopping’ but without the negative connotations, meaning that you are constantly meeting new people within your industry. This can be beneficial for temporary workers because if you leave a good impression, it is likely you could get a referral or a positive reference, which is valuable as words spread fast and could present new opportunities.

​Build your knowledge and expertise

Temporary employment is the best way to develop your knowledge and skillset. It allows you to meet industry professionals with all different levels of expertise. Even if you have been employed on a short-term contract, no matter how big or small, you will always learn something new. It is also great for updating your CV and making you seem more employable.

Opportunity for development

Even though temporary employment isn’t supposed to be long-term, a lot of times there is an opportunity to secure a permanent role. Your temporary period gives you the chance to display your capabilities, if you leave a strong impression, you could be in with a chance of securing a permanent position.

Flexibility

In temporary employment, you are control of your work, making it much easier to achieve a healthy work/life balance- ultimately improving overall productivity. 71% of workers say that flexibility is important to them.

 A faster on-boarding process

Typically, employers consider temporary employment as there is an urgent task that needs completing, meaning that they need to find a capable employee as quick as possible. Most of the time, employers will go through a recruitment agency for efficiency purposes, as they will not have the time to go through a mountain of CV’s and interviews. This speeds up the on-boarding process, especially because the employees are already equipped, so there is no need for a lengthy training process.

Why should employers consider temporary employees

Reduced stress for existing staff

Hiring a temporary member of staff will have a positive impact on permanent staff, making them feel more at ease. Permanent employees may feel overwhelmed with a workload or anxious about time management, so hiring an extra pair of hands should boost the overall team morale.

Cost effective

Hiring temporary staff is cost effective and allows business owners to remain within their budget. You can manage the hiring period to meet your financial goals without a continuous payment every month.

Temporary employment also avoids the common issue of mis-hiring. Mis-hiring can have a financial impact on a business, even if they are only looking to fill a temporary role. Mis-hiring can cost a business through time and resources.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is a mutual benefit for both parties involved in this process as there is an element of ‘try before you buy.’ The try before you buy concept gives the employer the opportunity to evaluate whether the temp worker would be suitable for a full time role, and also gives the employee the chance to see whether this is a work environment they would like to remain at. This from both parties will again, avoid mis-hiring.

Are you interested in temporary employment? Take a look at our current temporary vacancies.

Temporary vacancies

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