The impending fourth industrial revolution, fluctuating markets, tumultuous political environments and numerous other factors have created uncertainty when it comes to employment. However, the laws around employment are inflexible, which creates a conundrum for businesses. The issue is how do they deal with fluctuating requirements while operating within the frameworks that govern them? Flexible staffing is the answer, but the challenge is that the majority of businesses simply are not geared towards this. Temporary Employment Services (TES) providers are at the centre of this. These are specialists that businesses need to leverage flexibility in an inflexible labour environment to keep pace with constantly changing demands.
“For many businesses, Human Resources departments are geared toward standard employees working 45 hours per week with sick leave and all of the other contractual requirements. For the most part, labour laws have also been written around this type of standard employee. However, the world has changed, and businesses face increasing pressure to maximise efficiency and adjust to fluctuating market conditions. This often means that a workforce of full-time employed staff is simply not financially viable,” says Tebogo Moalusi, IR Executive: Staffing and Outsourcing Cluster at Workforce Staffing.
The most efficient way of operating is often to utilise non-standard employees and to only pay for staff as and when they are needed. Flexible, scalable and agile staffing go hand in hand with a technology-driven, flexible, scalable and agile business world. Managing such a workforce can be challenging however, since the laws governing it are different, and the requirements and opportunities differ. A TES partner is the missing piece in this puzzle.
TES providers have developed specialised systems to accommodate flexible staff, from recruitment to administration and management. They handle the process of onboarding staff and placing them in suitable positions based on their qualifications, experience and interest. A business looking for a specific set of skills can approach a TES provider and take on appropriate staff for as long as they are required, without the administrative processes involved in hiring a person themselves.
Rian Ferreira, Commercial Manager at Workforce Staffing adds, “A TES provider is in the business of understanding the laws and requirements of temporary and flexible employment services. The provider takes on the human resources and industrial relations aspects of flexible staffing and can manage complaints or irregularities fairly and effectively without interrupting business.” TES providers are able to measure and report on the effectiveness of the staff placed and can ensure that placed employees are performing according to requirements. In addition, TES providers manage the payroll, leave and other benefits, and provide ongoing skills training to ensure that the workforce has the relevant abilities to perform.”
While businesses may not understand the ins and outs of a flexible workforce, they do understand that having a flexible workforce is the future. Without increased flexibility, many local industries will not survive. A TES provider ensures you have the right staff when you need them and has the ability to deploy them elsewhere when required. This is the ideal solution for a world in a state of flux and ensures that people and jobs can be connected in the most efficient way possible for maximum sustainability.