As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, employees have had to adapt to numerous changes within the workforce in recent weeks. While there exists much uncertainty when it comes to employment, one thing remains clear: new job opportunities have emerged with the increasing demand for essential services.

In order to efficiently fill this growing number of openings in a timely manner, employers should consider leveraging temporary staffing. Read on to learn the benefits of hiring temporary workers, and why it’s especially important during this time.

Temporary Staff vs. Contract Staff

To begin, it’s important to define temporary workers and be able to differentiate them from contract workers.

A temporary worker, also commonly referred to as a “temp,” is an employee that you retain through a human resources or staffing agency for a short period of time. The staffing agency is responsible for handling the temporary workers’ salary and paperwork.

Contract workers, on the other hand, are employees that are hired directly by the company or organization. Their period of work also generally runs for a short duration.

Benefits of Hiring Temporary Workers

Temporary staff can help your business or organization in many ways, especially with regards to timing, morale, and productivity.

Flexibility & Timing

One of the greatest benefits, and perhaps the most relevant to our current situation, is the flexibility that temporary staffing provides during an unstable economy. Hiring temporary workers allows organizations to quickly respond to developing demands and provide quick fixes for unexpected changes.

Additionally, the use of staffing agencies would also reduce the time and work that is otherwise required for finding, interviewing and hiring qualified candidates. This would allow employers to effectively apply these resources in other areas of work.

Morale & Productivity

During times of increased demands, an inadequate quantity of staffing can result in employee burnout. Hiring temporary staff can help evenly distribute the work among your team, thereby alleviating feelings of stress and tension and boosting morale for current employees.

With increased staffing, your firm’s productivity will increase. As well, new employees will bring forth new skills and perspectives, which can improve current work processes and lead to tasks being completed more efficiently.

Opportunities During COVID-19

Finding temporary staffing has become exceptionally important during the COVID-19 outbreak, as the demand for frontline roles have surged in recent weeks.

These include openings within the health-care industries and the grocery sector. According to Brendon Bernard, an economist at Indeed Canada, “there are still a number of companies hiring and in need of people to fill positions.” He says, “When we look at some of the larger grocery store chains in Canada, they’re posting data suggesting they continue to hire. And grocery stores are a key part of the economy — especially with so many non-essential businesses shut down.”

There has also been a growing demand for delivery positions to be filled, as more people are ordering online while they practice physical distancing and self-isolation. Just last week, Peter Van Stolk, CEO of grocery delivery company Spud.ca, stated that his company is seeing a sharp spike in business and that they were “looking to add 100 people in the next few days” in Vancouver.

Temporary Staffing with TPD

As the demand for essential services increases during this pandemic, so too does the demand for workers in these industries.

If your organization needs help obtaining temporary staffing during this time, feel free to reach out to the qualified experts at TPD and we’d be more than happy to help. You can reach us here, through email at covid19support@tpd.com or by phone at 1.844.873.4745. For additional HR resources, visit our COVID-19 HR Support Centre.