Every employer must think about whether they are using temporary assignments effectively in their workforce.

The benefits of employing temporary staff are gaining the attention of business leaders in Hong Kong, with the number of contract jobs starting to rise.

With world economies at varying stages of crisis and recovery, employers need flexibility when planning their workforce. Temporary jobs allow work to be completed at the same time as maintaining headcount flexibility. This “bank” of temporary workers can also help mitigate the effects of the unknown.

A flexible workforce can also be part of an effective long-term workforce management plan in which factors such as project work, peak demands, annual leave and system updates are considered.

Given emerging skills shortages, it’s also about the ability to access specific skills and broaden the pool of talent, rather than restricting your search to only candidates looking for a permanent role.

By taking advantage of the benefits of temporary assignments, an organisation can get ahead of competitors by fully utilising flexible workforce arrangements. We’ll look at more of these benefits and their long-term effects next week.

Marc Burrage, regional director, Hays in Hong Kong