About Temp Staffing   As an electrical contractor, we are sure you are always looking for ways to take on more work, save money, save time, and minimize administrative nightmares.  The following information is offered to help you decide if temporary electrical manpower will help you achieve savings. Flexible Growth without Risk in Electrical Contracting: Outsourcing Electrical Labor By Mike Widner - Director & CEO, Strategy Construction Company, Inc. Article Featured in Electrical Contractor Online, Electricity.com and Sparks Magazine (European edition) Striking the Manpower Balance in the Electrical Contracting Industry The cyclical nature of the electrical contracting industry demands owners and key decision makers need the know how to strike a balance between maintaining permanent electricians on the payroll and keeping them busy (employed) during slow periods. Having the continuity and security of a core staff of reliable electricians is paramount to meeting customer needs. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the ability to hire and let employees go according to market conditions? You can…and without losing those loyal to your company. Conversely, the flexibility must be in-place to accommodate higher workloads when unusually large projects come your way but you lack manpower.  What if you are given the opportunity to conduct business in a state with specific licensing requirements your permanent electricians do not have? Do you pass up the opportunity due to the difficulty in finding the manpower needed? How are you set up to handle the situation to take on more work, maintain overhead costs, and increase your profit margin? The answer is here…read on! The Seasonal Situation Some would argue that there is no such thing as a "permanent" workforce anymore, due to the ever-changing seasonal nature of the electrical contracting business.  It does not make good business sense to keep a set number of permanent employees on the payroll when it is costing you money without any coming in! The Solution Keep a small cadre of core electricians you trust and to supervise job sites. Secondly, based on the workload, hire your electricians as temporary employees and be able to release that person with little or no notice, legal liability, or severance package. Although the staffing company’s rate may be slightly higher than a permanent employee's salary, the employer doesn't have to worry about training costs, benefits, paid-time off, etc. You will discover over time, the up-front costs to you versus net income generated by the temporary electrician will put more into your bank account. Why? Because had you not taken on the work, staffed the job, and billed for the work there would be NO profit. The plus side to using an electrical staffing agency is you have no overhead increase, no additional time spent doing payroll, insurance, vacation, benefits, discipline, and other HR functions. Finally, you keep the electricians only as long as the job lasts. The staffing company is focused on your needs during the contract period. Imagine having 20 electricians on a job and only having to talk with one person to handle the entire HR job – top to bottom! Yes, it IS nice!  It pays to be smart with the HR side of your business!