One of the most prevalent topics of conversation is the virtual school impacts on parents for the fall semester and how this will, in turn, impact business operations. Virtual school can have a definite effect on businesses extending remote policies, but even more so, some employees may decide to leave the workforce and be at home while children are home and schooling remote. This shift provides a gap for employers that needs to be filled, especially in the short-term. Temporary staffing solutions provide flexibility for companies to ride out this secondary effect from the current environment while remaining productive.
Many of TRC’s clients have been working remotely since the beginning stages of COVID-19 for positions that do not require on-site work. A large portion of companies aimed to have their teams back in the office in the June or July time frame, but have extended through the beginning of 2021. The schools and districts moving to fully or partially remote for fall and the new positive case uptick have motivated companies to have their workforce continue remote operations.
Employers are becoming more flexible to retain great people. Those employees with small children will need to oversee and manage their daily coursework, even if they are spending most of the day on the computer. Companies are moving in the direction of more flexibility in work outside of traditional business hours so parents can complete their teaching tasks during the day while working more in the evenings or on the weekends. Additionally, since many employees have gotten accustomed to working remotely, the trend will be more flexibility in order to retain them long-term such as allowing them to work remotely a couple of days per week once offices reopen.
While the Professional Division, which encompasses positions such as accounting and finance, has employees working remotely, there are still a multitude of jobs requiring on-site work such as distribution, manufacturing, and contact centers. Those essential positions present significant challenges on employees, such as impacts on personal lives, and challenges to employers due to loss of productivity when employees are unable to be as productive or available during regular business hours. Many parents may weigh their wage rate against childcare costs and ultimately choose to leave the workforce to meet the obligations at home, such as becoming a full-time teacher for their school-aged children.
While according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate as of June 2020 declined to 11.1 percent, there are still many companies that require a significant number of new hires. TRC has seen strong demand for distribution centers, warehouse employees, manufacturing plants, and hourly employees because essential jobs are here to stay. There is also an uptick in technology and software development, engineering, healthcare, supply chain, account managers, and sales reps. The prediction is a
strong season for Contact Center specifically related to Collections positions.
Some of the positive elements that have come out of COVID-19 in staffing are the approach to interviewing candidates and the increased efficiency in hiring decisions. Staffing agencies have not been doing the traditional process of bringing candidates in to interview them prior to sending them to clients and are conducting virtual interviews instead. The recorded interviews are then efficiently packaged up with the talent’s resume and delivered to clients. This process has resonated with them and enables them to get a good feel for the candidate and their skillset. Video interviews with the clients are also significantly easier to schedule, which has helped expedite the hiring process.
Regarding temp staffing, contract workers, and freelancers, TRC can provide solutions for the scenarios with a large number of positions expected to open up in the near future. As TRC anticipates an influx of jobs, we are committed to continuing to provide our customers with the flexibility they need. Whether there is a need to have a qualified candidate ready to work on a project the next day or if work is halting and there is a need to release temp staff, TRC can quickly accommodate both sides of the spectrum.
Should your company need staffing support or hiring resources as you navigate the next phase, please contact the TRC Staffing Services team today.
Resources:
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf