How will you cope with the empty office this summer? Could those empty desks be full of potential?

Summer is officially here and school is nearly out.   How will you cope with the inevitable reduction in staff numbers during the peak holiday season?  For your business, the holiday season can be a time when workload multiplies to answer increased demands.   Having a strategy to cope with either of these scenarios will help ensure key deadlines are met without overworking those left in the office.

A complete break is, of course important for the morale and well-being of both your staff and yourself.  They should come back to work relaxed, reinvigorated, refreshed and ready to hit the ground running.  So… with this in mind, how can you manage this extra work whilst keeping the business running without disruption?

Research by ‘The Guardian’ into the effects of holidays on team working suggests that ‘extra’ workloads are more easily absorbed in small and large-sized businesses whilst medium-sized companies are more likely to utilise temporary or contract staff to relieve the pressure on their teams and ensure business objectives are met.

From an employer’s perspective, hiring contract staff simply makes sense in many circumstances.  Could it make sense for you?  Many businesses are already staffing up for short or long term projects without the price tag of pension, health care or other benefits.  In the current employment market, you can attract the ‘crème de la crème’, and did you know we can supply IT contract workers who can be retained for as little as a day or a week?   Contract workers can be kept on longer-term and may even be available for permanent hire.  This is a great way for both the contractor and the business to get to know each other before committing to a permanent relationship.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic to be able to increase the ability and motivation of your existing team at a time they would otherwise be lagging under the strain of an extra workload?  Do you have projects that have been postponed due to a skills gap?  Why not source an IT contract worker with the specific skills you need to get the job done while your permanent employee is on leave?  High quality contract workers can bring fresh ideas to your business as well as pass on new skills to existing employees.

It’s not just the during the holiday season that contractors become a vital part of your team.  A contractor could be right for you if you:

• Have high employee turnover due to staff burnout
• Need seasonal help, or help with a long-term project
• Cannot offer benefits or are not able to afford a permanent member of staff
• Have a hard to fill position
• Are uncertain about the future of the business or the position itself

We’ve all been there – working late during the weeks running up to your holiday to help reduce the ‘back to work’ catch-up and this pattern is often inevitably repeated upon your return. By midday on your first day back, your holiday can feel like a distant memory.  So, as a manager, director or business owner we can sometimes have business objectives affected for three times the amount of time the employee takes for leave.

Our market summary newsletters have shown that the demand for a more flexible workforce has increased considerably over the last few months, with figures released last week confirming that the economy has grown in the last 6 months, albeit gradually.  The challenge now is to maintain this pace during the second half of the year and contract positions are playing an increasingly important role in the economic recovery.  In fact 7 out of 10 companies are planning to recruit in the next 12 months.

The majority of CEO’s are looking for change within their business in response to the volatile economic climate.  They are keen to reduce costs and risk while increasing the efficiency of existing employees, putting even more pressure on you in the IT department.  Many are turning to technology as an answer.  You can use technologies such as IM Clients, VOIP calls, video chats, PM software and cloud storage to get a lot done from remote locations.  In the short-term this can save you an overhead and can also ease the pain of sick days and holidays when urgent tasks pop up.  In the long-term, hiring off-site contractors means saving on both salaries and Capex.  And did we mention that many contractors will take a lower day rate in exchange for the ability to work from home?

With the availability of such high quality skills and the potential to save money and reduce staff stress, it could be that hiring a contractor is the right decision for your business. Just think of the fresh, untapped talent that could be filling those empty desks this summer.