Day: April 12, 2022

Hiring and maintaining a large number of full-time staff is not always a financially viable option, especially for start-up companies that are just breaking even. For these businesses, flexible staffing is an ideal way to save money, provide a wider pool of applicants and meet customers’ ever-growing demands. It is also great for companies that require specialized skill sets for a limited period.

With these demands in mind, many Orlando-based businesses are turning to on-demand staffing services to fulfill their recruitment needs. For employers, such provisions are a more cost-efficient and efficient way of finding and retaining qualified employees. It’s crucial to know what flexible staffing is before jumping on board. This guide serves as a primer on this dynamic recruitment process.

Introduction to Flexible Staffing

Flexible staffing is essentially a workforce management strategy that combines the cost-effectiveness of temporary employment with the flexibility and reliability of permanent staff. Typically, business owners outsource their recruitment processes to a third-party service provider. This helps them save significant time and money by avoiding recruitment expenses like training, payroll taxes, and insurance.

Businesses of all sizes can benefit from flexible staffing. It gives them access to a highly qualified pool of talent for a variety of tasks and projects that do not require full-time employment. Offering such services, a staffing platform functions as a strategic partner dedicated to providing value for money. Flexible staffing options can include hiring part-time workers, freelancers, and consultants.

For employers, partnering with a reliable flexible staffing service provider is critical to success. Not all providers have a track record of delivering cost-effective and high-quality services. However, Internet technology has now enabled companies to choose from many platforms. One such platform is Upshift.

What to Look for in a Flexible Staffing Company

A staffing platform’s service can either make or break a business. That is why owners should choose their providers with care. Since most platforms are fairly new (less than a decade), many owners don’t know what to look for when evaluating different providers. Nevertheless, these tips are helpful.

Research the Company’s Reputation

It is imperative that business owners research their potential staffing partners ahead of time. This approach calls for special attention to the platform’s customer reviews and testimonials. These should come from credible sources like Glassdoor, Trustpilot, or other employer review platforms. Such reviews allow an unbiased view of the service’s strengths and weaknesses.

Upshift, for example, sets the pace in the recruitment industry by providing exceptional service to all its clients and applicants. Although founded in 2016, the platform provides the latest technology, an excellent job board and a seamless application process, earning it a job success rate of 95.6%, compared to the average standard of 42%.

Consider the Clientele Size

When looking for a flexible staffing partner, it is equally important to determine the company’s clientele. This information can provide an indication of the average size of projects the platform completes. It also shows if the service is capable of delivering solutions in a timely manner.

A staffing platform with a large client base will typically have a large pool of job seekers. Upshift is a perfect example, as it successfully hires thousands of job seekers every month, demonstrating the demand for labor. Clients have access to top-qualified talent without undergoing the lengthy application process of traditional staffing firms.

Evaluate the Service’s Application Process

The application process is a fundamental element of any hiring process. Thus, it’s vital for employers to ensure that the service provider they are partnering with understands the needs of their company. This is especially relevant for online application processes. The best service providers make it easy for clients to navigate the online application process and submit their applications quickly.

In addition, the platform should also have a 24/7 support centre with a response time of no more than 12 hours. This is vital because the client may likely submit their applications at odd hours when their hiring managers are offline. With this, the platform can respond quickly and help them select the right applicants, without delaying the entire hiring process.

Consider if the Platform Has a Clear Cost Structure

Hiring is one of the most expensive aspects of running a business. That’s why it’s crucial for employers to know exactly what they are getting in return for investment. For many employers, this cost structure is expressed in a series of percentage fees, which vary depending on the types of services provided by the platform.

For example, some services charge upfront monthly fees and others charge a percentage fee on the salary paid to the worker. Unlike other platforms, Upshift helps employers save up to 50% in agency fees. There is no monthly subscription or other recurrent costs. The client only pays when an Upshifter is recruited. Hence, the pricing is transparent.

Full-Time vs Part-Time Recruitment

Business owners in Orlando can hire full-time or part-time workers, depending on their operational needs and financial capabilities. For those with seasonal demands, part-time recruitment is ideal, as it enables them to quickly expand their teams without increasing their overhead costs. For instance, a ski resort that only opens during the winter may need a temporary solution to hire employees, which a flexible staffing platform can provide.

On the other hand, businesses that have continuous projects that are large enough to create a full-time role should opt for a long-term staffing solution. This approach gives them full access to a team of talented people who are more than willing to work round the clock. Upshift provides access to this highly-qualified talent pool, which reduces operational costs. Approximately 50% of clients take advantage of the platform’s hiring solution on a full-time basis.

Conclusion

Flexible staffing solutions are not just a fad. In fact, businesses across industries are embracing such services to reduce recruitment costs and gain a competitive edge in the market. Flexible staffing is not only a great solution for large enterprises; it’s also a viable option for smaller businesses that can’t afford to hire full-time staff.

With a platform like Upshift, employers can search through thousands of potential employees and find the best candidates without spending much time and money. With the help of innovative technology, an easy-to-use platform, and a pool of skilled candidates, Upshift helps businesses find qualified, highly-paid employees in Orlando.

HR  Future Staff Writer

When preparing to launch a business, there is so much focus put on the concept of the company and the finances. These two significant factors will significantly influence how successful the company is. Chances are you’ve put a lot of time and effort into coming up with the perfect business idea and then working on a business plan that addresses the finances. But that’s not all there is to launching a business; there is much more than you need to be aware of. Here are five things to be mindful of when starting a small business, some of which you may not have been aware of.

Who Is Your Target Customer?

Here’s something that requires thought and research and should be completed before your business is launched. Identifying who your target customer is will help you to determine such essential factors as:

• What products/services to offer;
• Your pricing;
• Advertising/marketing campaign techniques;
• Who your competition is; and
• What your target customer is looking for.

You want to provide customers with something unique, something they can’t get from the competition, so the more you know about them, the easier it will be for the business to make decisions.

What is Your Marketing Plan?

Speaking of reaching your customers, what is your marketing/advertising plan? You can’t just launch a business and expect immediate results and a healthy customer base to show up. You need to attract new customers and then ensure they have a positive experience so that they remain loyal to your company.

In today’s digitally dependent age, it’s essential to focus on digital marketing techniques. While it’s true that traditional forms of advertising are still effective, the fact is they cost more money, can be more labor-intensive, and probably aren’t the best option for new companies trying to reach as many people as possible.

Digital marketing encompasses several things, but you’ll want to give close attention to the company’s social networks. Setting up a professional account on all the leading networks – Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter – is great to get noticed. You’ll be able to engage with potential customers, post upcoming deals and promotions, highlight new product offerings, offer helpful information, and even converse in real-time. Just be sure you stay consistent with your social network efforts.

What About Small Business Insurance?

Small business insurance is something that applies to businesses across every industry. It doesn’t matter what sector your business is in; insurance will be necessary. This type of insurance is meant to protect the business financially from unforeseen issues that can occur and end up costing the business a fortune if not protected. This can include protection from workers’ compensation claims, natural disasters, accidents, and professional errors. Unfortunately, even with the best planning in place, you still can’t predict if and when one of these issues may arise.

There are also different types of small business protection: business income insurance, business property insurance, and general liability insurance. Again, insurance companies such as The Hartford can advise businesses on which protection is best for them.

Hire the Right People for Your Business

While you may not need to hire anyone right away, eventually, you will need staff. Staff will play such a crucial role in the company that they can make or break it. This is why you want to be sure you hire the right people for the job. Staff members need to bring something to the table that the business needs to thrive and be successful. This should include relevant skills, experiences, training, and knowledge. Of course, you also want to look for a staff that has a positive go-getter attitude so you can ensure the work environment is happy and productive.

Do You Have a Plan for Growth?

It’s probably difficult to imagine your business becoming huge and outgrowing its current environment, but that’s the dream. So, to achieve that dream, you need a growth plan. So, how does the business plan to grow, attract more customers, offer more products and services, enter international markets (if applicable) and become a driving force in the industry?

Experts suggest you cover all these details in your business plan. A business plan is meant to act as the blueprint to success, so this is where you lay out all the goals and milestones, along with the key steps you’ll need to take. From there, it’s just a matter of following the plan, reacting, adapting when necessary, and keeping your eye on the bigger picture.

Launching a new business is huge and stressful, but when you go in with eyes wide open, making sure to consider everything, the odds of success increase dramatically. So, take your time, do your research and prepare yourself for various challenges and scenarios.

HR Future Staff Writer