It can be challenging to determine what type of employee is the best fit for the needs of your business, especially if you are an up-and-coming startup. Relocation, temporary offices, changing needs and a shifting budget can all affect your hiring needs. There are a lot of factors that can play into your decision. Here are some of the things that you should take into account when you’re trying to determine if you should hire a full-time, part-time or temporary employee.
Examine Cashflow
The amount of money that you have to work with is your top concern when you’re hiring. Salaries can’t be floated and need to be factored into your financial health. Use a spreadsheet to determine if this is something that your business will be able to sustain for the long-term. Another thing to take into account is your benefits package. A part-time or temp employee isn’t as likely to incur these additional expenses. However, they will likely have less longevity than a full-time employee with benefits. So consider how much you can pay, for how long, and whether short-term or long-term savings benefit you the most right now.
Determine Business Needs
Your second step should be determining whether the needs of your business dictate the addition of a new employee. For example, staffing offices can help you locate suitable employees quickly and regularly, but you still need to determine the role that they’ll play. Hiring for replacement workers is easier to manage because you know your current workload. If your business is growing consistently, you need to be able to keep up with the demands of your customers. If things are more seasonal in nature, a temp employee could work to your benefit.
Number of Hours
The amount of work that your current employees can complete in the hours that they work is their productivity rating. You may be able to increase their productivity, but only to a certain point. Determine the number of hours that you’ll require to meet your goals. You might be able to get away with hiring two part-time employees for every one full-time employee, but this comes with a downside. Part-time employees often get more flexible schedules, which you will need to account for.
Factor in Training
The amount of training that’s required for employees to be competent should affect your hiring decision. For example, an intensive training program means that hiring full-time is better. For a moderate training program, part-time can work well. If next to no training is required, temp employees may be your best bet. This is especially true if the workload is going to be of limited duration. You don’t want to waste your efforts on training employees only to lose them right away. However, you can also make use of temp employees as a way to find full-time or part-time help: you can train them to do the work and see how well they handle it, and then offer more permanent positions to those who do best.
You’ll have to make some hard decisions when you need to go through the hiring process. Use these tips to help you make the right choice between full-time, part-time and temporary employees.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan
