News

Temporary jobs may seem unappealing at first but do not reject the idea until you consider all the benefits. Short-term positions are better than being unemployed and can enhance your skill set. Companies employ contract workers for many reasons. Mainly, temp positions allow businesses to fill positions quickly and give candidates a trial period before permanently hiring them. Here are benefits you might not have realized about temporary jobs:

Leads to Full-Time Work

Temporary could be a one-day assignment or a months-long opportunity. There are also temp offers that give full-time hours and lead to permanent positions. A company may use a short-term contract to see whether a candidate can do the job well. Hiring a contract worker to start relieves them from the risk of getting stuck with someone who is not the best fit.

Flexible Hours

This might be the ideal situation for people returning to the workforce after a long break or people changing careers. Flexible hours are also suitable for students taking full or part-time classes. Or, anyone just needing extra cash who want to work occasionally because they have other commitments like another job or kids to look after.

Gain Experience

If you are switching careers, getting experience in your new profession is essential. An easy way to do this is by taking on temporary gigs. These are also an excellent way to see whether the switch is indeed something you want to do without making too large of a commitment. Even if you choose not to stick with it, the experience will look good on your resume and give you added skills.

Try out Different Jobs

If you are unsure about switching careers a temp job would let you try it out first to see if it is worth pursuing permanent work or more education. You will also gain insight into that business or market, which could help you with whichever career you eventually end up in.

Ego Boost

If you have been down on your luck and unemployed for a while, a temporary job could boost your self-esteem. It will also relieve the stress you are likely experiencing from going without a paycheque for so long. Even if you are certain you do not want to make a career out of this job, it is still better to get out there. A job is better than no job.

Ideal for New Grads

Temporary work is ideal for recent graduates who lack experience in their resumes. Your first job out of school with likely be the hardest to get so save yourself some trouble and get a temp job. Once you get your first job, it will be easier to apply for more.

Earn Respect

Future employers will be impressed that you choose to veer off the path most travelled and do something different than the crowd. It will make your resume stand out amongst the piles that most companies get and could be the reason you land the job.

Networking Opportunities

A job in a different field, even for a short while, is an excellent opportunity to connect with professionals you may not have ever met. They could lead to other, permanent job opportunities and references that will help you land another job.

If you just got out of school, are contemplating a career change, or simply want to add more skills to your resume, a temp job might be perfect for you. This type of work allows you to get your foot in the door in a variety of industries while still earning income. Temp work can be the ideal path to your dream career.

Lead to Permanent Work

There are always permanent positions wherever you get placed, and you could get offered one. Some companies like to use temp positions to see first-hand if a candidate fits in well. Doing so allows the employer to screen people without worrying about getting stuck with someone that is underqualified.

Get to know your Strengths and Weaknesses

You do not want to risk switching fields only to discover that it is not for you. Temp jobs are an excellent way to see whether a job or industry suits you. You can know for sure if you prefer working with your hands and doing physical work or sitting at a desk. You may be surprised by what you learn about yourself. Even if you do not excel at the task, at least you found that out sooner rather than later.

Gain Experience

If you just graduated, you likely do not have much experience under your belt – especially if your program does not offer a co-op or internship. Whether you do a daily assignment or a project that lasts a month, any experience is better than none. Working various short-term jobs is also a great way to network with different people. Hiring managers prefer to pick people who have been recommended to them. The more professional connections you form, the more likely you are to be recommended to potential employers.

Gain Skills

By working on numerous assignments in a short period of time, you will gain a diverse skill set quickly. Doing so will help your resume stand out from the hundreds a company receives. It will also help you learn skills that are difficult to acquire in an academic setting. Temp work is also an effective way to get skills in a field you are unfamiliar with but interested in.

Try different positions

Contracts for temp positions can range from just one day to a full year depending on the assignment. These low-commitment projects allow you to try out different jobs without being financially burdened. If you find out the gig is not for you, simply move on to another. You can try out several positions in a short time frame, allowing you to eliminate fields that you do not like quickly.

Temp positions are also great options for businesses looking to fill short-term positions. Maternity leave or an extended absence due to sickness can make companies struggle. It is also ideal for people who want to stay working in their field, but not on a regular basis. These people come in handy for businesses that need extra help during busy seasons and do not need to be trained as extensively as a new hire. Temp positions are a win-win situation for both employers and employees, filling in gaps for both parties.

What exactly is cryptocurrency and why should businesses care?

Cryptocurrency is simply a digital form of currency. It’s global form of currency as well in that it’s not specific to any country (as of yet).

There are various different types of cryptocurrency – the main one being Bitcoin. Bitcoin is not only the most dominant cryptocurrency, but it was the first one created, and has the first-mover advantage as a result.

Cryptocurrency uses blockchain technology. Now this may sound complicated, but the basic premise is quite simple. It’s essentially a network of different computers that all share the same ledger/document and are able to keep track of all transactions and movements the  cryptocurrency. The benefit of this is that there are multiple different parties that all can confirm the transactions, it’s not just coming from one party. This ensures the transactions are valid and people can’t just make them up.

Now why should businesses care about cryptocurrency? As its adoption rate increases, there may be impacts that we are seeing in the work world:

• The use of the blockchain technology will allow many business functions to improve. The technology now isn’t only being used for currency, but can also be used for operational efficiencies. Some crypto organizations are developing blockchain technology for supply and logistics solutions, securities, confirmation of employee records, and so forth.
• Employees may begin to request or desire payment in the form of cryptocurrency from their employers
• Businesses may be buying or selling products/services with cryptocurrency
• There may be a competitive advantage to using cryptocurrency compared to competitors
• Employers can offer compensation using cryptocurrency in their Job Listings

Additionally, it is important to know that cryptocurrency is taxable just like any other currency. As well, further government regulations will likely arise as crypto grows.

Cryptocurrency is currently in its infancy. It is quite undeveloped and much of it is based off speculation. However, its utility and benefits is undeniable and we are very likely to only see more of it in the future.

Contact Trades Labour Corporation today for access to our wide range of temporary workers to help you out with your business.

A new survey by the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of B.C. finds that 86% of contractors in BC are either expecting the requests for work to increase, or to remain the same for 2018. These numbers have been progressively increasing each year since 2014, with 2018 having the highest percentage. Considering the boom in BC housing, this is understandable. The trend does not seem to be stopping as BC continues to grow at a dramatic pace.

However, the report also finds that skilled workers are becoming harder and harder to find. In conjunction with low unemployment rates, BC is facing a large shortage in trades workers. According to the report, 75% of employers are saying there are not enough qualified workers in the trades they require. This is up from 59% in 2017.

Specifically, pipefitters, concrete finishers, truck drivers, and labourers shortages have worsened the most in the past year. Across the BC region, carpenters and labourers are highest in demand.

It’s becoming a tricky situation for employers, as the supply is not quite meeting the demand for work. Employers will have to become more strategic with their staffing solutions as competition amongst employers for top talent will increase further. One strategy that many organizations are finding to be successful is by diversifying and mixing internal hiring with some outsourcing help from temporary employment agencies. Having access to a flexible pool of workers seeking temporary work can help organizations with their workforce needs during this complex time.

Contact Trades Labour Corporation today for access to our wide range of temporary workers to help you out with your business.

Recruiting will become more difficult due to the reduction of qualified applicants.

With less people applying, finding that next person will take longer than it did previously. Recruiters will have to explore different options to discover their applicants such as job boards and employment agencies, and they may have to reduce their qualification demands for their next role.

Employee retention will require more efforts and attention from employers.

Employees leaving an organization will hurt even more than it did before. The positions will be harder and harder to fill, especially for higher-level positions. Organizations must focus more on ensuring that their employees are satisfied and fulfilled in their roles. Retention efforts as a result will require more attention.

The cost of hiring will need to be reduced.

Because there will be less qualified applicants available, more recruitment efforts may need to be made in order to fill that next position. This will result in more money spent on advertising or job agencies, time spent on pre-screening and interviewing, and so forth. Organizations will have to be efficient and effective with their recruitment in order to keep these costs down.

More employers will seek out the help of temp agencies to cut down on recruitment time and costs.

With the expertise and infrastructure of a temporary job agency, organizations will see that their best option may be to get the help of this third party for their recruitment needs. Not only will it reduce their costs, it will also free up their own time so that they can focus on other tasks.

References

1. Flexible scheduling

2. Regular performance reviews

3. Creating total rewards packages that employees want

4. The ability to work from home

5. Speak to them