46% of businesses are currently understaffed, according to new research by Indeed Flex.
In a survey of 2,000 UK business owners and hiring managers, nearly half are struggling with staff shortages, mainly due to staff sickness, or an inability to recruit the staff they need.
Of those businesses who have staffing issues, 38% say filling vacancies is their biggest challenge and 34% say it is retaining talent.
An already challenging market has been slowed further by rises to Employer’s National Insurance Contributions and the National Minimum and National Living Wage increases in April.
Budget constraints and economic uncertainty mean that some employers are turning to temporary staffing solutions as a lower risk, more flexible approach to bridging those staffing gaps, with the same research showing as many as 51% of firms are planning to increase their reliance on temporary staff over the next year.
As providers of permanent and temporary staffing solutions for over 35 years, we’re well placed to advise clients on their options against the current economic, political and legal backdrop.
We partner with clients to facilitate the introduction of temporary staff for several reasons including:
Flexibility
Need to scale up or down at short notice, no problem. Having a temporary workforce gives you the ability to react to customer demands quickly.
Speed of hire
Get the people you need - fast. Temporary staff can be in place often within a few days (or in some cases, even within hours!), bypassing any lengthy onboarding processes.
Reduce your administrative burden
When hiring a worker through a temporary recruitment agency, like Ambitions, they’ll take care of the paperwork – ensuring all legal checks are carried out (right to work checks) as well as payroll.
Broaden your talent pool
While permanent recruitment can often lead to hiring the most ‘obvious’ candidate – the safe option, it does mean you could miss out on a wildcard – the ones who have potential but don’t tick all of your boxes on paper.
With the risks removed, you’re exposed to candidates who you might not have chosen otherwise, who could turn out to be just what you need!
Cost effective
There’s no long-term commitment, so it’s a lower risk approach. Coupled with flexibility, it means businesses can be more agile, protecting your cash flow or hiring budgets.
Fresh skills
New people bring fresh ideas and fresh skills. Whether it’s a specific new project, that requires a skillset you don’t have already in-house, innovation, or simply a fresh take on how’s best to complete a task, you never know benefit a new perspective might have.
‘Try before you buy’
When circumstances change and it comes to making a permanent hire, where better to look than your current temporary workforce? It’s a two-way street – you know them, and they know you, increasing the chances of success in the longer term.