Temporary roles have always had a number of benefits, even before the COVID-19 pandemic began. However, after the devastation on the jobs market over the past 18 months, interim vacancies have really come into their own and have provided the solution to the problem of mass redundancies.
In November and December 2020, temporary roles rose at the fastest rate since 2018, increasing by 2.4 per cent, taking the UK’s total of temporary workers to around 1.45 million. 378,100 of these took on temporary work due to the lack of permanent roles available, undoubtedly due to many businesses’ inability to recruit and hire during such a volatile time.
Unfortunately, there has been, and still is, a large amount of stigma attached to temporary work. Research has found that those in interim roles are more likely to be the victim of poor treatment and therefore, the drive to take up temporary work usually only happens in times of dire need, such as throughout 2020 and 2021.
Nevertheless, there are many positives to taking up temporary work for both the interim employee and the employer. It’s time to eradicate existing prejudices and celebrate non-permanent staff members.
Employers: Interim staff make recruitment faster
The average time, from reading a CV to accepting an employee after interview, to hire a permanent member of staff is usually around 42 days. Usually, when looking to hire a temporary member of staff, this is cut down dramatically.
Of course, this is most likely down to searching for an able skill-base only, rather than the long-winded need to look for someone who is also a cultural fit as much as experienced and knowledgeable enough.
And when the average cost of hiring one new employee is around £3,000, time and money can be saved: a win-win situation for any business leader.
Employees: Explore new opportunities
The pandemic has sadly meant that a large proportion of the UK’s workforce has been made redundant from their current roles, especially in industries such as hospitality and entertainment. And for some, the potential of returning to a similar role is slim, therefore the need to look for a new career path has never been more important.
Temporary positions are the perfect way to look for and find another passion without being tied down. You may find yourself in Accountancy for three months, Administration for six, Legal for five and HR for nine – this varied exploration of the working world is a rare opportunity to not only upskill and gain experience but discover a new steppingstone that leads you to a job you love.
Employers: It’s a flexible way to meet consumer demands
While the market is certainly beginning to pick up once again and customers are feeling a little more confident to spend money, it’s difficult to predict exactly what’s going to happen over the next six to 12 months and beyond. It wouldn’t be a surprise if we saw some peaks and troughs which doesn’t make things easy for business owners, especially when it comes to knowing who, or how many people, to hire.
Hiring interim staff is an effective way to manage staffing levels. If you know, for example, that you’re going to have a very busy next quarter but perhaps a quieter six months after that, hiring temporary members of the team for only three months ensures you are not only fully staffed during but also managing cash flow and expenses to the best of your ability to remain profitable.
Employees: You still have rights
One misconception of the ‘temping’ industry is that interim workers don’t have any protection when it comes to employment law. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Regulations that must be followed by employers include, but are not limited to:
Being entitled to rest breaks.
Time of for illness after serving a length of time with a company, the same with Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) and maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.
National Minimum Wage is the minimum an employer must give you.
You are to be treated fairly and without discrimination.
Temporary and interim work offers an incredible range of benefits to both employer and employee and shouldn’t be overlooked by either party, especially as we find our way out of the pandemic.
If you want to chat further about how an interim role could work for you or your business, please get in touch with our team who would be more than happy to help.
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