After a year of uncertainty and volatility, firms that know what to expect will position themselves best for success in the year ahead. Whether your staffing company has a global presence or you are competing in fiercely competitive regional markets, you need to develop the strategic roadmap your company needs.
In the highly competitive world of staffing and recruiting, success isn’t just about what you do. It’s also about what you do next. Even the best-performing staffing companies always need to be looking forward and tracking the trends. Growth isn’t just about landing new clients and feeding the talent pipeline. It’s about building a business infrastructure that can pivot when needed.
Return to Work
Many U.S. business operations stalled out when the coronavirus pandemic struck. As the nation opens back up, the staffing industry can play a pivotal role in supporting a safe return to work. Staffing firms can help to ensure a safe workplace and can support their clients’ efforts to reopen with worker safety foremost in mind.
“Worker health, safety, and well-being are of the utmost importance to all employers,” says Martha Foreman, CIMA chief executive officer, “and all of this is even more top-of-mind as the nation continues to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic and businesses begin to resume traditional work and operations.”
As businesses began to reopen, an American Staffing Association survey found that more than three-quarters of employees said they were satisfied with their employers’ pandemic-related return-to-work plans. Eight in 10 approved of protocols around office cleanliness, remote work, and benefits such as paid leave and sick leave.
Staffing firms can help their clients formulate sound policies around social distancing and workplace hygiene. They can encourage clients to offer temperature screening, promote continued wearing of masks, and support ready access to Covid-19 testing where appropriate.
Adaptation
In the world of commerce, change is the only constant. Those who cannot adapt, perish. Staffing firms need a mindset of constant adaptation to compete effectively in an everchanging world.
Why do people pursue temporary and contract work? According to ASA research, 61% of surveyed workers say they choose staffing to fill the gap between jobs, or as a way to help them gain access to and land a permanent job. But that’s a moving target: As the economy surges and contracts, workers’ motivations change, and staffing firms need to follow those shifts to position themselves strategically.
The nature of staffing itself is likewise always in flux. An ASA survey of more than 8,200 temporary and contract workers in the U.S. found that 40% are in jobs that require higher education and skills: fields like engineering, information technology, and health care. But that figure also evolves over time. A surge in housing starts, for instance, will spark demand for construction labor, or a post-Covid return to dining out could drive demand in hospitality.
With the needs of the business community constantly in flux, an adaptation mindset is a hallmark of success among the leading staffing firms.
