In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies adjusted their plans and procedures to incorporate working remotely. For companies that use a contingent workforce, they were already accustomed to working with experts and technicians who aren’t on-site or in the office all the time.
One outcome of the pandemic is that many companies are realizing how helpful a contingent workforce can be when it comes to serving their customers and clients well. Beyond that, though, contingent workers can also help make your company more resilient in difficult times as well as stay strong under normal circumstances. Let’s take a look at some of the ways your company can benefit from expanding your contingent workforce.
Benefits of Growing Your Contingent Workforce
Improved Productivity
Many times contingent workers are more productive than full-time employees. They’re often working for a number of clients, so they have to plan their time carefully to ensure they can get everything done on time. Contingent workers are often very skilled at working to a deadline and ensuring their clients are happy. By working off-site, they also don’t have to worry about commuting to the office or attending as many meetings, which can reduce productivity.
Happy Customers
Speaking of happy customers, while you might technically be the one hiring a contingent worker, they’re likely to do everything they can to make sure your customers are satisfied. After all, you want your customers to be happy, and contingent workers want you to be happy. If they are in a client-facing position, they are more likely to do everything they can to meet or exceed customer expectations, because they know that reflects back on them and influences their chances of being hired by you again.
Top Talent at the Right Time
There are likely some jobs your company would like to take on that you can’t because they’re too specialized. By working with a contingent workforce, you can find experts who meet the needs of that job. If those jobs are few and far between, you wouldn’t want to hire a full-time employee in that role, but you don’t want to have to consistently turn down those jobs.
A Cost-Effective Option
If you’re in a bind, as many companies are right now due to the pandemic, you might need to bring someone onto your team quickly. When you have a pool of contingent workers you can access at any time, you can rest assured knowing that you’ll always have the talent you need.
Onboarding contingent workers is often less expensive than onboarding a full-time employee. Also, don’t forget that while their hourly or project rates might be higher than you might be paying some of your employees, contingent workers don’t receive benefits, which saves your company money.
Easy Communication
One of the best ways to communicate with a contingent worker once you’ve brought them onto the team is by using a field service management platform. All members of your team can access information related to a particular job, which improves communication across the board. Then, your technicians can easily access documents or anything else they need within the platform while they’re on-site at a job, which can save time and improve your customer's experience.
An Extended Trial
Finally, you can also sometimes view bringing on a contingent worker as a way of seeing how well they mesh with your team in the hopes of bringing them on full-time. It’s important to note, though, that many contingent workers are happy working this way and prefer the control they have over their schedule. While that certainly isn’t the case for everyone, understand they might not want to join your team full-time.
There are many more reasons you might want to grow your contingent workforce, but these six are a great place to start. If you’re looking to expand your talent pool either in your local area or anywhere else in the world, Kinettix provides global staffing services that can help you fill your needs without adding more work to your plate.
