The economic impact of Covid-19 will have a great effect on the employment market for the foreseeable future. Many companies are still debating whether to reduce staff and consider employing temporary workers. Others don’t want to lose the valuable skills their current employees offer.
We compare the benefits of permanent versus temporary workers from both the job seekers’ and clients’ perspective.
Job seekers
Temporary jobs
You can gain experience from a variety of companies
Temporary workers mostly only stay with a company for a short amount of time. This can range from a day to several months. With each job, you will learn new skills, learn to adapt better and gain people skills.
This is a great way to get a wide variety of skills and gain experience in a short amount of time. It can make your CV look very impressive and you may even get the opportunity for a permanent job.
You can choose your availability
Temporary workers can choose when they are available. This will affect the types of jobs you can qualify for. This can range from working in the mornings, afternoons or evenings to only being available for a day or two, a week or several months.
This can help you achieve a better work-life balance and give you more time with the family or more time for important hobbies.
Decreased overtime hours
Most temps are not required to work overtime, unlike permanent employees. This means that you most likely won’t have to work evenings and weekends. You’ll be able to spend more time with family. If you are asked to work overtime, chances are high that you’ll be compensated for it.
You won’t get caught up in office politics
For many people office politics are the worst part of their job. Temps are often not at a company long enough to get involved in this. In other words, you’ll be able to focus on the job at hand, instead of worrying whether you’ll need to impress Karen or John to get onto a career-making project.
You can test out a career path
If you’re not sure whether a certain career or job is worthwhile or will be a good fit, temping is a good option. You’ll get to see whether you like it and maybe even get to try out different jobs, before you make a more permanent move.
Permanent jobs
Job security
This is one of the biggest benefits to a permanent job and the reason why the majority of people want this type of employment. When you’re a permanent employee, you are usually assured that you will have a job for a considerable period of time (for several years or until you come across a better opportunity) and will receive a salary every month. This makes it easier to plan your budget and schedule your life.
Opportunities for promotion
Permanent employees often have the opportunity to be promoted or at the least gain new skills. When you gain new skills, that makes your CV look more impressive when you’re looking for new opportunities. A promotion often comes with increased job security, salary and benefits.
Incentives and other exclusive benefits
Permanent employees can be eligible for awards, incentives and other benefits. Some companies offer vouchers, discounts for goods or services or bonuses to promote loyalty.
A sense of belonging
Permanent employees have the opportunity to build strong bonds with their colleagues. They help form the company culture and have a strong sense of belonging. This goes a long way towards making a job worthwhile and more enjoyable. It also cultivates employees’ sense of loyalty and motivation to go the extra mile.
Clients
Temporary jobs
You can add a greater pool of expertise and skills to your company
Highly-skilled professionals are often expensive to keep on-staff permanently. But it’s often more cost-effective to add this type of professional to your team on a temporary basis. This professional may even assist your permanent employees and inspire them to improve their skills or help them gain new skills. Each temp will also bring a unique skillset to the table and add a different type of value to your company each time.
Minimize cost to company
It may be more cost-effective to hire temps to complete individual projects, than it is to keep a someone on staff. If you only need a certain skillset at certain times of the year or for the occasional special project, it will be more advantageous to consider a temp. This means that you will cut down on salary costs and perhaps even overhead costs, as some temps can work remotely.
Permanent jobs
Expertise and skills permanently on hand
Having a skilled professional permanently on staff, means that you’ll have their expertise at your disposal whenever you need it. A versatile permanent employee can be worth their weight in gold. If you offer regular training or incentives for permanent employees to improve their skills on a permanent basis, you can ensure that your company always has top-level employees at their disposal. By ensuring that you have the best on staff, you’ll be able to easily cope with unexpected or last-minute projects or demands from clients.
Continuity
By having a stable staff environment, you won’t constantly have to train new staff or have an unexpected interruption in delivering goods and services. Skilled, experienced permanent staff can help ensure your company’s good reputation and consistency in delivering quality goods and services. They help maintain a good company culture and can help train new staff to reach their high standards.
In the end, the company and their clients’ need, or the job seeker’s preferences will determine whether temporary or permanent jobs suit them best. When considering this, carefully weigh up what you are looking for and the benefits you want.
For other interesting articles on how to gain new skills, employment and remote working, check out our blog.