WHY MORE BUSINESSES ARE LOOKING AT HYBRID MODELS TO SOLVE SKILL GAPS
As of the end of December 2022, the Office for National Statistics reported 56,000 vacancies [1] across the Information and Communication industry. What is interesting about this figure is that, despite it representing an improvement on the 60,000 reported vacancies in the previous quarter, the data shows that a rise in the number of employed positions is partially offset by a reduction in self-employed positions.
This could suggest that previously self-employed individuals, such as contract staff, have decided that the uncertainty around their next role is no longer worth the increased day rate and are now seeking perm contracts.
This represents a significant step change for the tech industry, where cutting costs and delivering results in the shortest possible timescales is of the utmost importance in order to remain competitive.
Hybrid Working
A team consisting of core staff with a defined skill set required on an ongoing basis is vital to the success of any business. These employees are the lifeblood of the business, encompass its values, strive to deliver its vision, and create the culture through which the business is defined. Supplementing this team as required with specialists on short term contracts supports innovation, improves productivity, and can enable businesses to take on additional contracts where capacity allows.
Blended teams offer such incredible value to businesses that the thought of losing the wealth of experience delivered by contract staff due to a need for greater certainty in their own careers should be of concern for anyone involved in the industry.
Solving Skills Gaps
Every business is seeking to weather the storm of the economic crisis. In such a fragile economic environment, delivering profits improves a business' reputation, satiates its shareholders, and attracts increased investment. This allows a business to take on more work, more people and to deliver benefits for the firm, its people, and the local community.
The first step to solving any skills gaps is to identify and articulate what work cannot be pursued as a result of those gaps. By classifying the output required from the vacant positions, it is possible to create a picture of the need for the role, the skills that are required to fill it, and the duration for which an incumbent will be required. In developing this level of understanding, a business can determine the most effective way of filling the role. This may require a permanent employee, or there is, of course, the potential for resourcing the role on a temporary basis with an appropriately skilled contract worker.
Resource planning in this fashion is essential to building a successful team and delivering the outputs required by the business in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. Contract staff have traditionally been seen as an expensive option; however, it must be remembered that their day rate does not entitle them to paid leave, sick leave, or other company benefits. Their day rate is, however, reflective of the flexibility and experience that they bring to the table. They will have been deployed in a variety of companies and potentially across a range of industries, garnering a wealth of experience and exposure, which should be seen as hugely beneficial for improving the productivity of a workforce.
Successful Blended Teams
The very definition of "success" is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. If the business' aim is to reduce costs whilst improving output, surely considering a blended team is an optimised approach to achieving this. Creating a team that consists of a balance of permanently employed and temporary contract staff allows a business to accurately forecast its HR cash flow, meet its milestones and KPIs, and increase profits.
For support in implementing a hybrid hiring model for your business, Addition Solutions can help. We have a wealth of experience in providing a variety of hybrid resourcing solutions which are tailored to meet the needs of your business. We can support you in identifying skills gaps in your workforce, assess your future capacity to aid in resourcing smoothing, and deliver the optimal balance of skills and experience necessary for your long-term success.
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