Temporary Staffing - You Get What You Pay For

By Catherine Lang-Cline

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Temporary Staffing - You Get What You Pay For
By Catherine Lang-Cline

Who doesn’t love a bargain? Everyone loves a bargain as illustrated by the popularity of coupons, rebates, sales and deal-of-the-day email services. With everyone being budget conscious both at home and at work, it is probably a fairly wise thing to do.

Who has ever bought something at a very reduced price only to find out the product was terrible or it in the long run, cost you even more money?

Hiring people can be the same way, which is why there needs to be an even balance of skill and value. Sometimes a company will low-ball a person’s salary offer to see if they will take it. Let’s pretend that worked and they took that low offer. How long before the person realizes they are underpaid and/or move on to the next better offer? Or they continue working but now they have a bitter attitude that impacts everyone.

The real bottom line is to pay people what they are worth. Not only are they happier but also they are typically more productive when they know they are valued by an organization.

This can also apply to hiring temporary workers. In some cases, a low hourly rate is the main objective. But if you are looking for people with specialized skills, really take into consideration what you are paying for. Sometimes just a few extra dollars an hour can get you a much more skilled individual who can do the work 10 times faster than someone with less experience. With a more seasoned staffer, you’ll also save money by eliminating the need for you to supervise the person heavily or correct their work repeatedly.

You also need to weigh how this person is going to make you look. If you acquire top talent who can step in and contribute immediately, you are the hero for finding them and delivering that output. Oftentimes entrepreneurs or small business owners fixate on the bottom line when it comes to hiring help, when the reality is, the right person on the job can cause revenues to soar by freeing up others to take on more profitable tasks.

When it comes to staffing, look beyond dollars and cents and consider the entire picture. A bargain may not always be a bargain in the long-run if the skills and value aren’t also in place.