ABR Blog

When it comes to effectively staffing your business, the options are endless – and can be, frankly, a little overwhelming.  Today’s post is dedicated to straight talk about a strategic staffing service that may be of real value to your organization:  planned staffing.

The 101

So, what exactly is “planned staffing”?

Simply put, planned staffing is the strategic use of temporaries to accommodate workloads known to vary in seasons or other cycles.  Traditional planned staffing strategies typically allocate between 10 and 20 percent of the total workforce as supplemental (temporary) employees.

To implement a planned staffing solution, a company’s decision makers meet with a highly trained staffing professional to discuss how the organization’s workload changes throughout the year.  The staffing professional then analyzes the company’s workforce needs, and designs a comprehensive plan for managing the peaks and valleys with supplemental staff.

When business surges, temporaries are brought in to handle the additional business volume.  Once the peak cycle is completed, the staffing firm reassigns its employees to other companies.

Planned Staffing Benefits

For businesses with (at least somewhat) predictable surges in demand, a planned staffing option offers a number of benefits:

• Flexibility.  Bringing in supplemental staff allows you to handle surges in demand without impacting fixed expenses.  Your workforce stays lean and flexible.
• Less risk and expense.  Using temporaries during short-term peak periods is less burdensome, risky and expensive than hiring – and then laying off – direct employees.
• Instant access to the help you need.  Your staffing provider will recruit in advance of your needs, to ensure you have qualified candidates ready to work – right when you need them.  At your request, the staffing firm can even develop customized orientation materials to get temporaries up-to-speed more quickly.
• Fewer layoffs.  When business slows, it’s the temporaries who go first.  As a result, core employees enjoy increased job security.
• Less burnout and overtime.  Using supplemental staff reduces overtime and eliminates the burn-out overwork can cause.
• Hiring benefits.  When you implement a planned staffing solution, you have the luxury of hiring employees from a pool of temporaries who are already trained, and have proven their dependability and cultural fit.  Discuss your temporary-to-hire options with your staffing provider.

Is a Planned Staffing Option Right for Your Business?

If your business experiences frequent and/or predictable changes in workload, contact ABR Employment Services.  We’ll discuss your needs, help you weigh your options and determine if planned staffing is right for your organization.

Ever notice how certain people always seem to have great jobs?  You know - the ones who are always working on a consistent basis, even in shaky industries and during uncertain times.  So, what are their secrets to success?

According to Deborah Brown-Volkman, President of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc., these people make their own luck.  Rather than being reactive, and waiting for things to happen, they take a proactive approach to their careers.  And rather than blaming others for mistakes or missteps in their careers, these individuals are passionate about new possibilities.  They are excited about what they do and what they can contribute every day.  Their enthusiasm is infectious, making their superiors committed to keeping them around as team members.

Here are a few practical tips to help you “make your own luck” – and ensure you always have  a job:

1. Tell yourself that you will always be employed.  What you say matters.  Your words have power, meaning, and intention.  If you tell yourself that you are marketable and confident that you will always be working, your words can make this true.
2. Anticipate trends in your industry.  If your job is being eliminated or outsourced, you need to know about it before HR sits you down to let you go.  Research what’s going on in your industry.  Know what’s happening and what the experts say will happen.  Look for trends and train yourself in these areas.  Having the right skills at the right time ensures that, no matter what is happening around you, you will be needed and employable.
3. Keep your resume up-to-date.  Your resume is an invaluable selling tool that showcases your skills and abilities to the world.  So even if you’re not looking for work, keep your resume current to keep track of contributions and accomplishments you may otherwise easily forget.  When you eventually do need it, your resume will be up-to-date and ready to work for you.
4. Create a 30-second introduction.  You never know when a new career opportunity may present itself.  So, create a good first impression with anyone you meet in business by developing a concise introduction with clear details.  Include the following information: your name; type of position you seek specifically; your skills and strengths; your background and accomplishments.
5. Network regularly.  If you start networking only when you need something, you’ll have a lot of catching up to do.  So make networking a part of every day.  Don’t limit yourself to conferences, job expos, or meet-and-greets – networking opportunities are everywhere, even within your own company.  Keep in regular touch with your key contacts, even if only via e-mail, so that you will not feel like you’re “bothering” someone whe it’s time to reach out and ask for help.
6. Always be on the lookout for new opportunities.  Read trade publications.  Read memos from departments outside your own.  Think about what more you could be doing, or how you could be doing things better.  Get your creative juices flowing, and think positively.  Rather than telling yourself that “it cannot happen,” believe that what you want is possible and within your reach.  Then, make it happen.

Of course, registering with ABR Employment Services can help ensure you always have a job.  With offices throughout Wisconsin, we match talented individuals with temporary and direct placement opportunities in the office/clerical, professional, technical, and light industrial areas.  Contact us today to find out more.

About Deborah Brown-Volkman

Deborah Brown-Volkman is the President of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc., a successful career and mentor coaching company that has been delivering a message of motivation, success, and personal fulfillment since 1998.  Deborah Brown-Volkman can be reached at www.surpassyourdreams.com, or www.career-escape-program.com.