Why Startups Should Consider Using Temporary Employees

Characteristics of many startups are that they’re chasing dreams, making sacrifices and taking risks. In general, the people who work for them don’t do so for the paychecks and they’re frequently spread thin. It’s common for individuals to juggle widely disparate tasks that scatter their focus at a time when they need it most. Departments such as accounting, marketing and human resources often don’t exist; one person oversees these diverse functions. Temporary employees can help plug some of these personnel issues and end up being valuable contributors. Here’s why startups should consider using temporary employees.

It may not be economically viable to hire a long-term employee.
Posting job ads, reviewing hundreds of resumes, sitting through countless job interviews, providing health and retirement benefits…the list goes on. Each item requires expending time and money that startups don’t have—and what happens if a new hire doesn’t last long? On the other hand, a great temp offers the same skills and attributes that a permanent hire does, but often at a reduced cost. If you don’t have a human resources department, or much of one, a staffing agency can be a viable solution.

Certain expertise is needed that does not exist in the organization: accounting or marketing, for example.
Startup founders and their first employees may have covered all the bases, except for one or two. They can bring in temporary workers to fill the gaps with an eye toward possibly retaining them longer term or seasonally. The expertise also comes in helpful if it’s needed only for certain projects, such as software development.

Temps can help keep things moving during projects, such as to help make specific deadline.
If your startup just began a project or won a contract, now isn’t the time to get bogged down due to a shortage of personnel. Temps ensure full staffing, and they keep work flowing so you can meet deadlines. They do all this without requiring you to expend precious time and attention on hiring.