The end of the year may present an increase in workload and demand for production. It’s up to you to make sure your team is well-staffed and equipped, and sometimes the best way to achieve this is to think about finding temporary staffing solutions.

Here are six red flags on how a temp might be required on your team, how to find suitable candidates, and the reasons why temp agencies are often the best solution to your problem.

1. Lack of Suitable Permanent Candidates for a Vacant Position

Skills shortages can prevent you from finding the right candidate quickly, leaving a skills deficit that weakens your team. If there is a role that you just can’t do without, it makes sense to fill it with a temporary member on which team until you find the right person.

2. Your Team’s Workload is too Heavy

If the workload is too heavy and you have multiple projects due before the end of the year, a temp can help free up your most valuable permanent employees. This helps take the pressure off your best employees, leaving them free to focus on important tasks without feeling overwhelmed.If you’re feeling too busy to even think about hiring a temp, talk to us about a job interview.

3. When Niche Skills are Required

Freelancers and temporary professionals tend to possess specialized and niche skills, not commonly found in permanent workforces. When certain projects require those skills for looming deadlines, it may make more sense to bring in someone short-term, especially if you know that you won’t necessarily need those skills again for future projects.

4. Your Team is on Vacation

Your business needs to be able to offer a quality service even if the team members go on vacation. If you’re concerned that many of your best employees are on vacation at the same time, a temporary member of your staff can help fill that gap and ease the pressure on the rest of the team, who would otherwise have had to share the workload.

5. Digital Transformation Projects Need Support

It is not uncommon for temp agencies to hire qualified temporary professionals to take the reins as they train existing staff members to prepare them for the digital transformation of the company.

Through research for the 2018 Salary Guide, we found that employee training and development is a top priority for companies for the year ahead. Temporary professionals and combined workforces are a great way to support this initiative.

6. When you Need Resources, but have a Limited Budget

If you’ve noticed that there is a space on your team for a new professional, but you just don’t have the budget to hire anyone, a temp may provide a cost-effective solution. Daily rates and flexible hours can give you the freedom to fill in the gaps within your monthly schedule, so no funds are wasted at temp agency Portland.

Do you need help finding a reliable and highly qualified temporary professional? Contact the Robert Half team and request a list of fully screened professionals in no time.

5 Points to Consider before Hiring Employees

Learn how to avoid the most common mistakes when hiring and the strategies of choosing the best prospects.

Often times it is not so easy for small businesses to recruit staff. If yours is preparing for the arrival of new people, you may want to take a moment to review some of the best practices for your expanding team. Here are five tips for hiring employees effectively in your small business.

1. Skills and talent are important, but they should also be considered if candidates are passionate about working for you. Did candidates do pre-interview research to find out about your company? The answers to these types of questions can help you assess whether potential employees really want to work for your company or are simply looking for any job.

2. Often times, you can find employees simply by contacting people with whom you already have relationships that have to do with your work. Get in touch with some of them or post a notice on LinkedIn to inform your contacts about your hiring needs.

3. Afterward, check your potential candidates on Facebook for inappropriate comments, as well as negative or offensive ‘tweets’. Make sure you do not consider any confidential or protected information in your hiring decisions (gender, race, religion, age, disability, national origin or pregnancy).

4. Whether it’s in person or online, make sure you do it the right way. Be on time, be positive, and diligently heed any red flags you have found on a resume. There are good and bad answers to all questions, so be sure to ask all the right questions and let the candidates answer accordingly.

5. Older workers can bring a certain level of experience to your organization, something younger candidates simply don’t have. Additionally, they can serve as mentors to younger team members. Older people also tend to pay better attention to detail and are usually more organized.