Often employers are looking for a way to get an edge in hiring top talent. One way to do that is to offer flexible work options. The truth is you may not need to hire an employee, your best option may surprise you. Here are the different options that are available for businesses.
Full-time Employee – flexible hours
This is the most common option available and very popular with employees. Working the 40 hour week is what most people need in order to survive with the ever-increasing cost of living. Allowing employees to work a schedule that will satisfy their needs for both family and work is a great way to do this! The company can set core hours which means that the employee must be present during that time frame but can start earlier or work later. Whichever option works best for them.
Part-time Employee
If the position is not a critical job for the company, in some cases part-time employment can work well. Working less than 32 hours a week appeals to many people who have obligations that restrict their availability for work. It could be a child or a parent who requires extra time. Whatever the reason, part-time employment can work. So if the position is not critical and you can shorten the day a little, this option may work for you.
Job Sharing
Sharing a position between 2 different people can be very good for an employer. It allows you to break the position down to play to the employee’s strengths. Caution with this is that the communication between those two individuals has to be strong. They need to be able to ensure that the other person knows exactly what is going on. There are advantages and disadvantages to this option, so take your time in deciding if this is the right way to go.
Working from Home
This option has taken hold of businesses in 2020 and 2021 that had very few options but to embrace this change and determine the best ways to make it work. There are some great positive aspects for employees, such as no commute and more flexibility. Managing employees in a working from home environment can be very difficult. For the business, the cost savings can be extremely rewarding as you reduce your overhead operating costs.
Temporary
This is a great option for when there is a need, but not on a permanent basis. This could be coverage for a sick leave, a vacation, a new project. The options are great in having someone that you can rely on, but do not need to worry about, the long-term effects of hiring another person on your payroll.
Virtual Assistants
This option is similar to temporary as you would contract the work out to a company. The difference here is that it would be the same person completing the work each week. Depending on the company they can assist with tasks from bookkeeping to marketing and sales lead generation. Maybe you only require 4-6 hours of assistance per month. If you utilized a temporary employment agency for this you would not be guaranteed the same person each month. With a virtual assistant, you avoid this issue and have continuity and less training.
Business Consultants/Contractors
When you have a unique project and feel that the expertise is not available within your organization these professionals can help you on a project basis. Whether the project takes two weeks to complete or a year, you can tap into their expertise to get the job done right. They will generally be more independent, free up time for you and your staff and in the big picture are typically more cost-effective than trying to do it on your own.
With so many options out there, it can be difficult to decide what to do. I would suggest that you review your job description, determine what the main responsibilities are and go from there. Determine what skills and expertise you are missing in the organization to complete these job tasks and look at the time it will take to complete the task. You may decide to go in a completely different direction than you originally thought was needed.
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