Delving into the world of contract staffing with mankind.lk

By Fayaz Saleem

As people that are a part of the 21st century, we are quite fortunate if you compare our quality of life today, as opposed to say two decades ago. Technology has had a pivotal hand in the development we see around us through various modes of change, from smartphones in every corner to the invention of tablets and razor-thin laptops. 

Of course along with the technical effects of technology, we also see a vast difference in our lifestyles; from education to work and how we live our day-to-day lives, the world has experienced a shift in how it does things. Where once things were regimented and strictly controlled, today we find more flexibility and options. A good example would be contract staffing in employment, a concept that mankind.lk has welcomed with open arms and with good reason too. 

Contract staffing to put it simply, is working somewhere for a pre-determined period of time at the end of which the employee could either renew their existing contract or look for work elsewhere. It has seen a rise in popularity since many in the ‘baby-boom’ generation have found that they prefer this over full-time, permanent employment. Internationally, it has gained solid ground as well. There are so many benefits to the working population today from contract staffingsome of which I have elaborated below.

Flexibility

The younger generation today is all about making their own choices and finding the best work-life balance they possibly can. They are not looking to slave away all their years at an institution only to reach 60 years of age one day and find out they have barely lived. Contract staffing offers flexibility with hours and employment period which gives the employee enough freedom to focus on other things too. This keeps them happy and motivated which in turn produces great work and eventually success for the company. 

Broader experience

Assume there is someone who might have worked say, in the banking industry for the past 30 years or so. Although this is an impressive dedication, this person only has experience in banking and nothing else. ‘The beauty of contract staffing, says mankind.lk, is that although it goes against basic employment rules of ‘job-hopping’, it broadens one’s mind and expertise piling on experience from everywhere. Which means at the end of the day they’re able to move about more fluidly than their more rigid counterparts since they have more knowledge and are at times even more innovative than a company’s internal employees.

Trial and error

Just like some products come with a money-back guarantee or a returns policy, contract staffing too is a trial and error mode of employment; for both sides. The company gets to find out whether this person is a suitable fit not only in work but with their colleagues and culture. The employee on the other hand also gets to find out whether this is what they want to do and whether they see a future for themselves serving for this organisation. 

Save time and money: As far as saving time goes, both parties can benefit from contract staffing since companies can get rid of incompetent, unproductive employees when their contracts are up and employees themselves can look for other options as opposed to being hired on a permanent basis. This saves time since they need not just ‘settle’ for each other, as well as money for the company since they need not launch a full-scale recruitment process every time from publishing the advertisement to hiring and training. What is more, the company only needs to pay the employee for the hours they have worked, which is more money saved, according to mankind.lk.

Cyclical: Another great thing about contract staffing is the fact that it is cyclical; in other words, a company only need look for these people as and when the need arises as opposed to hiring a flock of people and have them idling at their desks trying to get to the next level in Candy Crush. This means the company reduces its downtime and does not unnecessarily expend money in payments, whilst the employee can use that time to do something more productive and perhaps do something else to help solidify their career path because, let’s face it, Candy Crush can only take you so far! Some companies do not need employees 24/7, they have peak periods which is where contract staffing comes in. 

Having being recruitment experts since 1978, mankind.lk has a solid backing in the corporate world. If you are currently unemployed or employed yet contemplatingdoing what you really want to, they have the advice you are looking for. With the right guidance, you can always change your life around so take the plunge!

The writer is the Chairman/Managing Director Mankind International Ltd., and a pioneer in the field of executive search and headhunting with over three decades of experience in the business.