At a time when profit margins have become thin, conducting focused recruitments and bearing the costs of talent management seems unrealistic for many companies. For job seekers, sitting idle with no offers for full-time roles just adds to the desperation.

Under these circumstances, flexi staffing has emerged as a strong and viable alternative. As a company, you get to evaluate candidates in depth while they are on the job—a staffing method that is much simpler, more practical, and economical than conducting recruitment interviews.

Even some of the biggest organizations in the world realize the need for flexi staffing. David Coplin, Chief Envisioning Officer, Microsoft UK says: “We need to take a more flexible approach to both the workplace and the work we do; one that provides us both the physical and cognitive space to harness the incredible power, insight, and experience we offer.”

For job seekers, it’s an opportunity to build a resume, get paid for the amount of work they do, and, at times, even convert these jobs to full-time roles at the same company.

However, there are a lot of myths or misconceptions about flexi staffing in the minds of employers and job seekers alike. Let’s look at some of the common ones.

Biggest myths about flexi staffing

1-No one gets hired permanently

This is not true. Many of those who enroll for flexible hiring and contract-to-hire positions manage to secure permanent roles at the same organization.

Specific scenarios like budget cuts in companies can be reasons why employees hired through flexi staffing don’t get past the initial contract.

Besides, if you manage to put your best foot forward every day at work and deliver consistently, the chances of becoming a full-time employee are high.

In the UK, the number of temporary employees is up by 7.9%, and job vacancies have reached a record high. This means that companies are now more interested in trying out candidates in temporary roles.

2-Low job security

Many job seekers are hesitant to become part of a flexi staff program because they fear that they can be asked to leave whenever the employer wants. The fact that flexi staffing agencies work on creating contracts for both job seekers and providers serves as a safety valve that promotes compliance.

In a majority of these contracts, employers have to provide a substantial reason for expulsion before tenure completion. This way, the rights of a worker remain protected in flexi staffing programs.

3-Employers get access to a limited candidate pool

This could have been true 10 years ago, but not anymore. More talent is now available for temporary roles, willing to work under unpredictable loads to earn well and gain experience.

Earlier, employee benefits like paid leaves, health insurance, etc., kept most job seekers interested in starting with direct hirings. Only a few job seekers considered a flexible role as a good alternative.

However, with direct roles declining in the market, most workers are now prepared to take up flexible projects and build a resume. This makes flexi staffing a great option for employers with limited-term needs as it will allow them to work with a good talent as and when the need arises.

4- Flexi staff incomes are lower

Again, a big misconception.

The salaries for temporary and flexible roles are fixed on a ‘per hour’ basis and often the hourly income of flexi staff employees prove to be higher than that of permanent employees.

Moreover, since these are usually project-based jobs, if a job seeker has a proactive approach in finding temporary roles, they can avoid gaps between projects and maximize their income by working full-time.

Flexi staff members usually do not get benefits, but some companies provide them. So, from a monetary perspective, temporary or contract roles are not a bad deal at all.

5-Employers have to spend a lot of time training

It is a wrong assumption that people hired for temporary roles have to be trained with more effort, time, and money compared to permanent hirings.

When a temp agency facilitates flexi staffing on your behalf, you get to lay down the rules regarding how talent will be evaluated, what will be the duration of the project, etc. This way, flexi staffing is more often than not aligned with the goals and requirements of your company.

Therefore, even with simple on-site training sessions, you can familiarize workers with equipment, processes, etc., after which they can directly start contributing to your success.

Conclusion

Flexi staffing opens the doors to a much more efficient and profitable work environment for both workers and recruiters. Partnering with a reliable flexi staffing agency can bridge the gap between deserving talents and the right organization. It is currently the best way to string together regular employment experience.