Almost every company knows the challenges of on-demand staffing and staff planning: downtime, inefficiencies and bottlenecks take up a lot of time, resources and energy. However, new models in the era of digitisation, particularly in human resources and recruitment, are helping to simplify staff management. Moreover, many companies are beginning to understand the benefits of investing in a flexible workforce.
Working from home, on the train, early morning or at night is already possible in many companies. This approach enables employees to build work around family commitments, for example, which results in a more agile working world. A recent study on “digital transformation”, published by InterSearch Executive Consultants in 2015 reports that the majority of executives surveyed believe that working hours and location of work are becoming more and more flexible.
Flexible work is the future
However, not only is the nature of work becoming more flexible but also employers and employees are interested in variable working methods and appreciate a more flexible working arrangement. Flexible work is an integral and growing part of the economy. The American economist Arun Sundararajan of New York University believes that in the not too distant future, full-time positions within a company will be the exception rather than the rule. In America, according to the Union of Freelancers nearly 54 million Americans already work freelance – one-third of all employed.
Digitisation as a solution approach
In order for the flexible workforce to be able to work remotely in multiple locations, appropriate working tools and technologies are needed. This is where products like Slack, Google docs, Skype and Trello come into their own.
Digital transformation has proven extremely successful for many businesses. What began some years ago with Amazon, Google and Apple has been fast tracked with the launch of companies such as Uber and Airbnb, who have revolutionised their entire industry with a simple idea. Those who choose to adopt new models and new ways of thinking will benefit most when it comes to increased cost and time efficiencies. The human resources and recruitment industry is no different, which is where on-demand staffing app Coople comes into its own. Coople enables companies from a host of sectors spanning hospitality, events and promotion, retail, logistics and business services, to recruit flexible, qualified staff for the right job, at the right time.
On-demand digital recruitment strategy
Just as the seasons influence demand for products in the retail industry (BBQs and sunscreen in summer through to welly boots and umbrellas in winter), they also drive recruitment trends. For example: Christmas drives a peak in footfall to both high street stores and online, therefore pressure is put on the shop floor, order quantities, delivery and warehouse systems, and much more. All the way through the supply chain an increase in staff is required to manage increased customer demand.
Throughout the calendar year peaks occur very quickly driven by many unpredictable parameters such as large orders, illness and on-off events, therefore it’s critical to be able to staff up quickly and efficiently.
Of course long-standing, full time, experienced employees with in-depth company knowledge remain the company’s core capital – they form the foundation. However, it often makes sense to complement the core team with a pool of flexible workers for additional support, as and when required. Certain types of work can be done without the extensive knowledge of the organisation, therefore external help provides relief and bridges more intense times. A combination of people who are familiar with the operation from the ground up, with the flexible specialists who complement the team when needed, is a model which has proven its worth.
Smarthire: recruiting flexible talent
Sometimes a flexible worker fits into the company so well that the worker and the employer want to enter a permanent relationship and a full-time employment contract is established. In essence, this presents a ‘try before you buy’ option which is beneficial for both employee and employer, as it saves time and money with recruitment.
Win-win situation
In today’s world, it is critical for companies to be flexible and agile, not only to manage short-term surges in recruitment driven by illness and weather but to manage long-term staffing requirements. On-demand staffing platform Coople enables businesses to build up a pool of talent they can tap into when the need arises. This approach creates efficiencies in the recruitment process, encourages a new degree of flexibility, whilst also providing a variety of employment opportunities to help create the perfect work-life balance. Moreover, the digitisation of recruitment and additional services such as SmartHIRE, offered by Coople, give greater control to internal human resources professionals responsible for recruitment.
On-demand staffing made easy
Coople have the knowledge and experience in employment law and regulations to provide a fully professional service. Get in touch to find out how we can help you save time and money with recruitment.