Anyone who has always pursued a flexible personnel strategy has a clear advantage now. The past few months may have shown many others that they are not optimally positioned for extraordinary events. A good reason to take a critical look at the strategic direction and to establish a crisis-proof staff mix.
Superpower agility: advantage in peak times, vital in times of crisis
The world changes demand a certain amount of acrobatics from companies: Changed production methods and new delivery routes, digital instead of analog solutions, and the focus on certain business sectors, while others fall asleep. If you now have flexible employees, consider yourself lucky. However, a company’s ability to adapt should not and must not depend on luck alone. The key is flexible workforce planning.
If you rely on a core team for your staff mix, which you can add temporary workers and project-related interim managers or freelancers as required, you can react agile to new requirements. This is very handy in times when business is thriving – in times of crisis, it can be essential for survival. After all, nobody can predict today which hygiene rules will apply in a few weeks, whether your suppliers from abroad may have to suspend production or whether a major second wave of infection is to be expected.
Not so paradoxical: flexibility as a calming factor
It sounds paradoxical at first, but it is actually quite logical: Personnel requirements planning that combines permanent employees and temporary workers from the outset also ensures peace in the workforce. Sure: The regular cast is required to adjust to new faces now and then. In return, your permanent employees also know that a decline in sales will not immediately result in layoffs. And hardly anything endangers the trust in the employer more than a constant personnel roulette, from which nobody feels safe.
Cost-benefit aspect: Where flexible personnel planning pays off
Sure: A flexible, needs-based mix of staff undoubtedly requires more attention than managing a workforce that has been stable over the years. Nevertheless, the effort usually pays off – and not just financially. Although the cost is of course a decisive factor. There are a few good reasons to rely on flexible personnel planning in your personnel strategy:
- Cost savings: It is obvious: By combining permanent and temporary employees, you lower your fixed personnel costs. You only pay for the manpower that you can really use effectively.
- Competitive advantages through agile action: With a flexible staff mix, you can cope with the ups and downs in the market much more smoothly than the competition with rigid personnel planning.
- Greater employee loyalty: If your employees find that you can protect them from overload by bringing reinforcements on board as soon as necessary, you will earn plus points on your employer branding account. Especially in times of crisis, it is essential that your core team feels seen and taken seriously.
- No expensive wrong decisions: Hardly any HR manager will be able to claim that they have not made any (expensive) mistakes when it comes to recruiting when the time was of the essence. Temporary forces are quickly available and take the pressure off the tense situation. So you can look around for the perfect candidate in peace.
- Focus on important tasks: When temporary workers relieve your team of routine tasks, they have the freedom to tackle more complex tasks, advance their training – and occasionally take a break to regenerate.
- Fast recruitment instead of long time-to-hire: It can take months for a suitable candidate for a permanent position to reach the notice period. Freelancers often have gaps in their calendars much faster. They are also the ideal reinforcement if you urgently need certain skills, but cannot fill an entire position with special tasks. And once you have set up an onboarding process for freelancers, the training effort is manageable.
New territory even for old hands-on HR: Implementation of flexible personnel planning
As worthwhile as the step to a flexible staff mix is, the implementation can appear challenging. Anyone who has previously only worked with permanent employees asks themselves many questions at the beginning:
- Which positions should I fill permanently?
- For which positions are temporary employees useful?
- Where can I find the right candidates at the right time?
- Should I look around regionally or nationwide – maybe even globally?
It pays to have an expert at your side when making these difficult decisions. Robert Half’s consultants will be happy to help you analyze and evaluate your individual situation and develop a future-oriented HR strategy.