Administrative professionals are the team members who keep operations running seamlessly and are often on the front lines of customer engagement. That’s why losing an administrative staff member or encountering unanticipated workload surges can create roadblocks that slow everything down.
A talent solutions firm can save the day when administrative staffing challenges strike. Here are five common situations your business may encounter and how to manage them in the short term — or permanently.
1. Vacations
It’s always a good idea to encourage employees to take vacation time. Overall productivity and job satisfaction improve when people have a chance to relax and recharge.
But employee absences can cause gaps that other staff may be stretched too thin to cover. Bringing in contract professionals to bridge those gaps helps keep the business running smoothly.
You may be surprised how easy it is to get seasoned contract staff up to speed. Specialized talent solutions firms like Robert Half meet dozens of new candidates each week and maintain a roster full of skilled administrative individuals who can perform a variety of roles and transition into new work situations with speed and ease.
2. Leaves of absence
As an employer, you’re sympathetic and supportive when an employee has to take time off for parental leave, caregiving, extended illness or other personal matters. Still, doing without a star player in your lineup can leave you scrambling.
Covering for an employee who takes a leave of absence can be challenging. But here again, a talent solutions firm can help. Specialized recruiters can pre-evaluate candidates who can step in for a few weeks or even several months until your full-time employee returns.
Working with contract professionals for extended periods also allows you to assess their on-the-job performance and get insight into how they might fit into your organization for the long term. Many employers decide to hire contract professionals permanently when the right job opportunity arises.
3. Busy seasons and special projects
If your company experiences seasonal peaks in workload or lands a special project, bringing in contract professionals can help relieve the pressure on core staff.
A talent solutions firm can recommend candidates who have tackled similar projects and possess the skill set needed to round out your team on a project basis. And as a critical deadline approaches, recruiters can help you secure staff at the last minute — even on the same day.
4. Unexpected employee departures
If an employee quits unexpectedly, you’ll be saddled with getting a handle on in-progress work and finding a replacement — often with just two weeks’ notice.
A specialized talent solutions firm can recommend experienced candidates looking for contract-to-permanent work and have candidates ready for you to meet the very next day. This quick turnaround may even allow time for your outgoing employee to help onboard your new hire.
5. Increased workloads
In an environment where the demand for skilled talent and employee turnover are both running high, companies often struggle to staff administrative positions quickly enough to cover critical gaps and manage rising business demands.
There is little time to source, screen and onboard the very best candidates, temporarily or permanently. Worse, an employer might invest a significant amount of time in advertising a position and interviewing for the role, only to have a new hire leave to pursue another opportunity.
Experienced recruiters can head off this disappointment. They take the time to get to know the candidates they work with and understand what drives their career decisions. They will also have conversations with candidates they’ve placed to make sure they’re satisfied in the role and communicate any issues to the employer.
There will be times when administrative team members need to step away from work temporarily or decide to leave your organization altogether. No matter the situation, establishing a strong relationship with a talent solutions firm like Robert Half can help you turn administrative staffing challenges into minor hiccups in your workflow.
