Provisional Blog

As a Spokane employment agency, we know that balancing the right amount of staff with workflow can be a difficult task. Some companies hire too many employees, wasting thousands of dollars, while other companies are understaffed, which leads to employee burnout and less productivity.

So how do you know when it’s the right time to hire? Ask yourself these questions:

• Over the past few months, how many times have I had to extend deadlines in order to meet demand or complete a project?
If you answered “every day,” or “every week,” then you may be understaffed.

• How many times have employees called in sick over the past month?
If you’ve noticed a recent rise in sick days among your staff, it may be due to stress and burnout. Your employees could be over-worked and over-tired because they are trying to do too much.

• Have your employees taken advantage of their time off and vacation days?
Many times, in a bad economy, employees become fearful of taking any time off. They think their employer will see it as “slacking” and they will therefore be the next person on the chopping block. But this can lead to burnout and less productivity. So encourage your employees to take an appropriate amount of time off.

• Are your overtime costs consistently on the rise?
Another sign that you are understaffed is rising overtime costs. It means simply that you don’t have enough employees to get the work done during the workday.

• Have you had to turn down new business ventures or opportunities because you don’t have the right talent?
If you don’t have employees on staff with the skills you need to take on new opportunities, then you’re going to lose your competitive edge.

• How much are you using temporary or contract employees?
If you are consistently using temporary employees for the same tasks in the same departments, it may be time to consider hiring a full-time staff member to perform those tasks.

• Are you implementing ideas from your business plan or marketing strategy?
If not, then lack of time and energy may be to blame. There’s a reason you create a plan and goals for your business each year, and if you’re not able to execute those plans or meet those goals because you have too much to do, then it may be time to hire additional staff.

By asking yourself the above questions, you should now have a better idea about whether or not you need to hire more people. If you have any questions – or are looking to hire more temporary or full-time employees – please contact Provisional. As a premier Spokane employment agency, we can take on the task of sourcing, screening, and hiring, so you can focus on other priorities, like running your business.

Rightsizing. Downsizing. Whatever you want to call it, eliminating employees can be an unpleasant proposition. While layoffs are sometimes a necessary business strategy, there are some cost-saving steps you can take to reduce your overhead – and the likelihood you’ll have to cut staff.

Step 1:
Decrease Hours Worked
Think about offering a four-day work week, or ask your staff to trade some pay for extra time off.

Step 2:
Reduce Wages
Consider asking your employees to take a temporary cut in their pay.

Step 3:
Allow Attrition
When an employee retires or leaves the company, assign their tasks to your existing employees, rather than hiring a new person.

Step 4:
Support Leaves of Absence
Let employees take leaves of absence with full benefits for a certain time period. Tell them they’ll have a job when they return, but it may not be the same job with the same pay.

Step 5:
Limit Overtime
Place limitations on the amount of overtime an employee is allowed to work. Also, consider hiring temporary employees if you have a sudden rise in demand, which can oftentimes be less expensive than overtime.

Step 6:
Offer Early Retirement
Offer an early retirement package to eligible employees.

Step 7:
Freeze Hiring
Don’t bring on additional staff until you feel like things have stabilized. If you do need some extra help, consider temporary staffing instead.

Step 8:
Create a Shared Ownership Plan
Let employees trade in some of their pay for company stock.

Step 9:
Allow Job Sharing
Let two or more full-time employees convert to part-time and share a position.

Step 10:
Temporary Staffing
Use temporary staffing to meet rises in demand without having to pay overtime or hire more full-time staff.

As a Northwest employment agency, we’ve helped many companies throughout the region avoid laying off full-time employees through the use of temporary, strategic staffing. If you’re in a position where lay offs seem imminent, please contact Provisional. We may be able to help.

Many companies today aren’t strategic when it comes to their most valuable asset – their people. Instead, they are reactive, waiting until the sky is falling before taking any action.

But to succeed in today’s business environment, developing a staffing strategy is key to operational efficiency and adaptability. When used effectively, it can make life easier for you – helping you to manage your workload, meet goals, and fill in gaps in your workforce.

Here’s how developing a staffing strategy can impact your company:

Boosts productivity.
Let temporary employees, not your core staff, handle administrative and low priority activities.

Helps you meet increases in demand.
Hiring for what could be a brief spike can be risky, but so is losing sales because you couldn’t fulfill orders. Consider using temporary employees to meet the rise in demand without committing to more permanent hires.

Helps you prepare for anticipated peaks.
From busy seasons to holidays, you know when demand rises. Hiring extra temporary help during those times only can help you improve flexibility and productivity – without increasing overhead.

Allows you to easily tap into skilled talent.
Bringing in someone with specific experience or specialized skills can save you time and money by shortening the learning curve for a new process.

Lets you fill gaps in your workforce.
Relieve the stress of employee absences by bringing in temporary support in cases of illness, maternity leave, or vacation.

Strategic staffing can actually bring stability to your workforce by easing the stress of rises in demand, while still allowing you to operate in a lean manner. In fact, a good staffing strategy can help you do more with less!

If you’re interested in developing a strategic staffing strategy for your company, contact Provisional. As a leading staffing agency serving Seattle and Spokane, we can deliver the support and expertise you need – when you need it – while helping you avoiding the expense and problems caused by overstaffing.

Having trouble finding qualified professionals? Need more flexibility in your workforce? Dealing with a high rate of turnover? Trying to manage too much overhead?

Most employers face these problems at one time or another. But by working with a reputable Seattle staffing firm, you can overcome these issues and build a stronger business. Here’s how:

Problem #1: Lack of qualified talent.
Solution: Develop a great network.

Most staffing firms, like Provisional, develop relationships with professionals who excel in their career fields. As a result, they can provide you with access to a large pool of well-qualified employees with a variety of skills from throughout Seattle and the Northwest.

Problem #2: High turnover.
Solution: Hire a staffing firm to search deeper.

Hiring someone who isn’t a fit can be stressful and expensive. But quality staffing firms spend the time necessary to source, screen, and evaluate a variety of candidates. You’ll wind up with an employee you can depend on, without having to spend the time and energy finding and interviewing people.

Problem #3: Not enough flexibility.
Solution: Tap into the power of flexible staffing.

Do you ever feel overstaffed or understaffed? If you do, you’re not alone. But if your business needs are fluctuating, then why is your workforce staying steady?

Flexible staffing can give you access to the temporary employees you need to take on a big new project or deal with an increase in demand. On the flip side, when demand dips, temporary employees can be easily released and you only have to meet payroll for your core group of permanent employees.

Problem #4: Too much overhead.
Solution: Use temporary employees.

By using temporary employees, you can convert fixed expenses to variable since you’re only pay for temporaries when you need them. You can also reduce or even completely eliminate the amount of overtime your permanent employees work. In addition, you can reduce the cost of benefits since temporary employees receive benefits from the temporary staffing agency – not from your company.

Interested in learning more about how a staffing company can help you overcome these – and other – common business problems? Contact Provisional today.

Using temporary employees is a great way to improve productivity without increasing your overhead. However, as with any new hire, there are ways you can maximize their contributions and ensure that they hit the ground running. Here’s how:

Know what you want.
Before using temporary employees, have a clear set of expectations in mind. Create a list of the tasks to be performed, the skills required, and the results you expect. Also, if you’re working with a staffing agency, make sure they understand and communicate those expectations to the temporary employees.

Prepare your staff.
Clearly explain to your full-time staff why you are using temporary employees. The last thing you want is for your core staff to view the temporaries as a threat. Open communication is the best way to encourage cooperation.

Provide an orientation.
Make sure that temporary employees feel welcome on their first day. Prepare their workspace before they arrive and know what you want them to accomplish each day. Also, give them a tour of your facility. Be sure to introduce them to the people they’ll be working with and to the on-site supervisors who can answer any questions they might have.

Communicate frequently.
Check in with temporary employees regularly to ensure they understand what they’re supposed to be doing.

Create a positive work environment.
Invite temporary employees to regular team meetings, parties, and events that occur while they’re on the job so they feel included.

Give feedback.
Let your staffing agency know about a temporary employee’s job performance. If the employee is doing a great job, then you may want to request them again in the future. If the temporary employee is doing a poor job, then notify your staffing agency immediately to request a replacement.

If you’re interested in using temporary employees to boost productivity, please contact Provisional Staffing. As the premier recruiting and staffing agency serving the Washington and Northern Idaho marketplaces, we can find and deliver the quality temporary employees you need for positions in Accounting & Finance, Law, Healthcare, Administration, and IT.