There has been a marked increase in the demand for temporary and interim Supply Chain professionals in recent months, with demand remaining strong as we head into the second quarter of 2020.
In this article, Hunter Campbell explores the reasons for the rising demand and the benefits that bringing temporary Supply Chain specialists into your business can bring.
Advantages of temporary cover
Over time, the needs of businesses often change and although many companies have the necessary skills and expertise among their existing employees, there may be an area within their infrastructure that requires a specialist approach.
There are different types of temporary employees – ranging from contractors, to interims and temps. Whatever your needs are, there will be someone with the right skillset to fill that employment gap.
When you hire a temporary worker, there are many advantages and benefits that this type of cover can provide. Below some of the key benefits are outlined.
Fast hires make an immediate difference
There may be circumstances where you need to bolster resource, but not on a permanent basis. As an example, you could have regular employee absences that are affecting the productivity of your business, you may need to cover maternity leave or you have seasonal demands like peak season. Temps and contractors can start almost immediately, are cost effective and recruiting them is a straightforward process.
Cost effective and flexibility
The cost of hiring interim resource may appear higher than what would you pay your permanent people on paper, however keep in mind that permanent employees are paid a salary regardless of whether there is a lot of work or not while interim Supply Chain specialists really will be paid only for what they do. Secondly, once their project or work is complete, you no longer have to incur unnecessary further, long-term costs.
As they can bring specialist skills, interim and contract employees usually hit the ground running and are able to provide a skillset you might not currently have developed in your existing Supply Chain team.
Fresh perspectives
Interims, temps, and contractors are not burdened by company culture and can therefore enter a work environment with fresh approaches and ideas. This will allow them to add more value to areas, such as problem-solving, for the work assignment.
Provide cover for a permanent role or fill a gap
Despite your best efforts, there may be times when you just cannot find the right Supply Chain professional to hire on a permanent basis. Alternatively, perhaps you feel there may be a permanent opportunity but are not quite ready to commit to bringing someone in on a permanent basis.
Rather than rush into hiring the second-best candidate, it may be better to hire a qualified specialist. Not only will this provide an immediate solution of filling in the required skills gap, but that person can bring a wealth of knowledge and experience from their previous contracting jobs. This could potentially add unexpected value while also benefitting your business long after they have left.
Furthermore, if hiring via a specialist recruitment agency such as Hunter Campbell, candidates would already be vetted to fit the requirements you are looking for thus eliminating this process for your organisation.
Increase profitability and efficiency
By hiring an interim Supply Chain professional for specific projects, you can re-direct and focus on essential activities while ensuring your existing team build their skills and training in the areas that are required long-term. This will build team culture and ensure your team is not spread too thin.
As a business, this solution will also allow you to keep your internal resources focused on delivering effective and improved Supply Chain results.
Reduce pressure on you and your team
Aside from absences due to holidays and illness, there are genuine times of the year such as year-end or physical stocktaking where there is a need for instant, additional headcount due to a peak in work demands.
In these times, hiring interim resource offers the relief that ensures the welfare and happiness of your permanent employees as well as the long-term smooth running of your business.
This reduction of pressure and stress on permanent employees can help in keeping absenteeism at bay and maintain morale during the tough times.
A chance of hiring permanently
After a contract has ended, you might decide that the person you have hired on a temporary basis has added a huge amount of value to your organisation. So why not recruit them permanently? You will already have seen how well they work within your team structure, if they are a good fit for the business and whether they have the critical skills needed for the role. This puts you in a good place to make an offer.
Summary
Hiring a temporary or interim Supply Chain specialist is a great option for many businesses. If a member of your team has departed suddenly, or you simply have not had enough time to find a replacement, then hiring a temp can make this transition easier. This solution can minimise the loss of productivity during a transition stage, provide specialist knowledge and key skills while also allowing for better business flexibility.
With businesses becoming increasingly global, the pressure to deliver on time and within budget is so great that the interim solution is becoming a more attractive option to ensure businesses continues to run as smoothly and as consistently as possible.
The popularity of contracting is resulting in more and more specialist professionals signing up to provide quick solutions while giving them the freedom to work on their terms.
For more advice or to discuss your hiring needs, please contact Hunter Campbell
Wayne Fry is a Senior Consultant at Hunter Campbell who specialises in the recruitment of Supply Chain, Procurement & Operations in New Zealand. Hunter Campbell is a specialist recruitment business for Supply Chain, Operations and Procurement as well as Finance and Accounting.
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