17-Feb-2025
India's potential is evolving at an unstoppable rate, driven by accelerated economic growth. Based on a report by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India is set for robust growth amounting to 6.5% in 2025, helping the country retain its position among other global growth drivers. It is impressive in a scenario that sees the world economy remain relatively stagnant. A major element of Indian growth is the massive employable workforce. The Economic Survey 2024 - 2025 showed that urban unemployment rates dropped to 6.4% in Q2FY25. There is work to be done, and the need for flexible hiring, skilled talent, and lower recruitment costs can be the solutions.
The increasing popularity of the gig economy or freelancing shows that the temporary employee holds a significant role in the broader picture than once thought. They bridge skill gaps, are cost-efficient, and are flexible. However, with this new staffing form comes a few mistakes companies make when hiring these problem-solving staff.
This article covers ten mistakes in hiring temp staff to help overcome recruitment challenges related to them.
What is Temporary Staffing & Why You Need to Get it Right!
Temporary staffing refers to hiring staff for a specified time. That is until your company no longer needs their specialised or can manage the workload with the existing workforce. Temp staff come on board for one of these reasons:
- To help ease an excessive workload
- Obtain specialised skills to complete a project or further its progress
- Gear for demand spikes (festive season or sales)
- Free up existing employees to focus on other tasks
- Reduce costs arising from permanent staff
- Facilitate company growth and innovation
These reasons show the need for them and how they benefit a company in the short and long term. However, companies make common hiring mistakes when looking to hire temporary talent.
It reduces their efficiency in finding the right people when they need them most. It can be a problem later on when they need short-term or specialised staff.
10 Temporary Staffing Mistakes You Must Avoid Making
Not every company has a streamlined hiring process, and they can make costly mistakes. These are ten temporary staffing errors firms make with the effects and how they hurt your company.
1. Rushing to Complete The Process
Time is vital but shouldn't be the reason to cut short the hiring process. Not taking enough time to assess an applicant and do the necessary background checks can be costlier than spending the extra time!
Spending enough time on recruiting temporary workers will:
- Ensure they have the necessary skills or knowledge the company seeks
- Check if they can put theory into practical working
- Has no pending criminal charges against them
- Can fit into your company's culture and can adapt fast
2. Lacking Clear Goals
Another common error companies make is not setting out a clear list of objectives. It often leads to hiring teams moving in the wrong direction or splitting up and working towards different goals.
Not having goals if you want a temporary hire can lead to:
- Lack of communication and waste of time and funds
- Inability to find a suitable applicant
- No skilled short-term talent to fulfil project requirements
- Multiple vacancies or increased costs due to missed deadlines
3. Poor Job Description
Job descriptions are the first thing candidates look at when searching for their next job. Top talent will ignore unoptimised job descriptions.
Most job descriptions are written in a hurry without much thought, leading job seekers to:
- Imagine they aren't the right fit
- Seek other opportunities where the descriptions have all the details
- Question the authenticity of the job advert
- Want more details
Judging Candidates By Resumes & Education Qualifications, Not Skills
The market values skill over qualification, and most companies fail to acknowledge this when hiring for a temporary position. It leads to hiring the wrong person, which costs the firm later.
Ignoring skills and over focusing on papers leads to:
- Companies hiring qualified but skill-lacking employees
- The need to train the new hires
- Delays in projects, which end in missed deadlines and reduced profits
- Needing to carry out the recruitment process again
5. Offering Poor Incentives
Before moving forward with temp recruitment, companies should look at industry standards. They should look especially at the wages and benefits offered before selecting what to offer.
Failure to do the necessary market research will have the following results:
- Below-par wages and benefits that are not attractive
- Inability to attract staff for short-term purposes
- Lose of skilled talent to better options
6. Neglecting Candidate-Culture Match
Company culture and the ability for temporary staff to fit into it is crucial. Because if they don't, they won't be as productive, and if they are, they won't be happy.
Staff satisfaction has become a major talking point, and companies must be alert to employee expectations.
Applicants who lack cultural matching will:
- Not be as productive as the company may require
- Be unsatisfied with the workplace
- Produce work of lower quality
- Be a liability and not an asset to the organisation
7. Using a Long Recruitment Process
Company recruitment strategies always think of the applicant and make the process easier. Not thinking about the candidate can work to a company's disadvantage.
A lengthy process for a temporary role will:
- Dissuade applications and lead to low turnout
- Possibly reduce the applicant quality
- Take up more company time for less results
8. Making Unreasonable Demands
Another area where companies fall short is when hiring managers are unrealistic. Their expectations should align with the applicant's skills, experience, and qualifications.
When employers have high hopes for their candidates, they are most likely to:
- Not be able to recruit for the open position
- Make applicants feel not skilled enough for the role
- Intimidate staff who have the right skills
9. Not Thinking About The Existing Workforce
Most companies don't consider the effects of temporary staffing. There is no doubt that including these short-term staff will make a change to the working environment that full-time employees are used to.
10. Sticking to One Source
Companies looking to hire the best talent in the country cannot afford to stick to one source. Using a single source has limitations and doesn't allow a firm to access a larger temporary workforce.
Not using all temporary staffing solutions available to you will:
- Diminish your network of short-term staff
- Lower staff numbers
- A lack of skilled staff
- Delay of projects and missing deadlines
- Limiting your staffing solutions in times of desperation
- Increased costs and wasted time
Why You Need A Temporary Staffing Partner
Many companies in India have been using skilled temporary staff to fulfil their need for short-term specialised skills.
They can hire these staff for short contracts without raising overhead costs associated with permanent employees.
Hiring new staff on short-term contracts gives firms flexibility, and this is what's needed for consistency and growth. Funds saved go to innovation initiatives, helping the company improve operations.
Partnering with a reputable staffing agency lets companies hire short-term employees whenever needed. Also, they don't have to handle the process and can directly provide the agency with their requirements.
Conclusion
Temporary staffing mistakes are bound to happen as companies aren't aware of the hiring process. It is where having a professional to partner with can solve these mistakes.
Partnering with a professional can help firms find skilled temporary talent quickly and maintain a strong workforce. That is, without having to allocate a higher budget!
Make temporary staffing your plan to turn to for cost savings and skill gaps. Contact us to start hiring smartly and leave the common pitfalls behind.
FAQs
Why do businesses struggle to hire temporary staff in India?
Most companies in India may not know where to find, how to hire, or how to assess these temporary staff. Also, they may not have a clear understanding of how to label these staff at the time of payroll and compliance documentation.
What are the benefits of partnering with a temporary staffing agency?
Hiring a temp staffing agency allows firms to focus on staffing while they continue handling business. It frees up their time and resources and gives them cost-efficiency.
What are the risks of hiring too many temporary or contract staff?
By hiring too many temporary employees, you pose the risk of being short-staffed or completely changing the balance of your workforce. It can also lead to increased dependency and lower quality and productivity.
What are some considerations when hiring a temp candidate?
Some things to note are compliance and taxation differences between permanent staff and those with short-term contracts. Full-time and short-term staff will attract different rules.
How can poor planning affect the workforce and temporary staffing?
A lack of prior planning can lead to understaffing, overstaffing, missed deadlines, and increased budgets, which affects company profitability.