8 Steps to Create An On-Demand Staffing Strategy

What is one step companies need to take when creating an on-demand staffing strategy?

To help your company create an on-demand staffing strategy, we asked c-suite executives and HR professionals this question for their best advice. From setting clear communication channels to ensuring quality service, there are several steps that may help your company when creating its on-demand staffing strategy.

 

Here are eight steps for creating an on-demand staffing strategy:  

• Set Clear Communication Channels
• Look to Search Firms for Help
• Assess the Demands That Already Exists
• Have a Plan B As Well
• Review Strategy Efforts Frequently
• Ensure Quality of Services
• Determine Efficacy for Your Needs
• Create a Genuine Relationship

 

Set Clear Communication Channels

When creating an on-demand staffing strategy, make sure that you’ve hammered out the best communication strategies that work for the place you’re getting on-demand workers and the channels you already use in the business. This kind of strategy is beneficial as it helps your company reduce costs and allows those workers to set their own hours and have a bit more flexibility. Because they’re not full time, you need to make sure that you have an established mode of communication in case anything changes. There are apps to research that can help with this as well. 

Randall Smalley, Cruise America

 

Look to Search Firms for Help

On-demand staffing can be beneficial as it helps keep costs down. Establishing which priorities you need to have on a more freelance basis helps you better understand where to allocate your resources. If you’re hiring at a high level, or at a position that requires more full-time commitment, knowing that can make the difference between if you decide to source out to an executive search firm or if you look to an on-demand agency. Establish the organizational structure and how you want your teams to work, either cross-functional, or in some other capacity. Knowing that first will best help you see which kind of agencies or search firms can best aid you in your search. 

Jon Schneider, Recruiterie

 

Asses the Demands That Already Exists

An on-demand staffing strategy is best utilized when you have a decent understanding of what your needs are today and what they will be in the future. Demand will ebb and flow regardless of what industry you’re in. The beauty of on-demand staffing is the flexibility it provides to only get the people you need when you need them. Look at historical data, project forward what kind of demand you think you will experience, and leverage an on-demand approach to match your staffing needs to your projections. 

Zack McCarty, Qwick

 

Have a Plan B As Well

Having an on-demand staffing strategy has been very beneficial for our professional services agency. When the client demands ebb and flow, we are able to align quickly and efficiently. We have used traditional platforms, but have found more value in building out our own pool of talented and qualified professionals ready to deploy as needs arise. One lesson learned along the way is to always have a plan B for when availability or capacity changes, which can happen quickly.

Jenn Christie, Markitors

 

Review Strategy Efforts Frequently

Staffing plans should never be set in stone as the job market, employee expectations, and your clients’ companies are constantly evolving. And so, your plan should ebb. more so now than ever. Frequently assess how a plan is working by regularly reviewing the success of your placements.

Alain Sobol, Red Sea Diving College

 

Ensure Quality of Services

One thing companies need to keep in mind when creating an on-demand staffing strategy is to ensure that the talent pool consists of vetted, high quality candidates. When researching various options and platforms, it’s essential to confirm that the pools are large enough, but even more so that the quality is up to par. A reliable platform should have at least a couple key fail-safe mechanisms in place such as worker ratings and ability to sort/filter by specific skills. 

 

Furthermore, the platform should be able to provide additional services such as background checks and even an onboarding strategy. Ultimately, you can save yourself and your company a lot of time, money, and headaches by doing the heavy lifting upfront. Find the places where the candidates most match your company’s needs and let it become the trustworthy pipeline you can tap into on a consistent basis.

Anna Berkolec, ResumeLab

 

Determine Efficacy for Your Needs

On-demand staffing strategies can be beneficial because, as a company, you are able to save some money and allow for flexibility to all parties involved. However, before you take on this kind of organizational strategy, you’ll need to consider the needs that you’re trying to fulfill. Some needs might be easier to fill on-demand than others. Though this type of staffing is becoming more popular, it’s still important to make sure that this type of strategy will be effective for you and your business. 

Ryan Nouis, TruPath

 

Create a Genuine Relationship

Maintaining positive relationships with freelancers, contractors, and temporary workers is a solid on-demand staffing strategy. Rehiring a former temp worker takes much less time and costs less than recruiting from scratch. Plus, it’s less of a gamble, since you are already familiar with the individual’s skill levels and work ethic. When hiring seasonal staff, be transparent about the length of employment, and treat your temporary team members with as much kindness and respect as your full time staff. Include short-term staff in company happenings and make efforts to engage and show appreciation for your temps. Be sure to collect up-to-date contact information upon dismissal so that you can contact them when staffing needs arise.

Michael Alexis, TeamBuilding

 

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