High turnover, seasonal demand, and unpredictable workloads make temp labor essential for many businesses. But without a clear staffing model, temp labor can lead to inefficiencies, low fill rates, and unreliable workers.
A staffing model is a strategic framework for flexible planning and managing your labor needs.
What Is a Staffing Model?
A staffing model is a strategic framework that helps businesses determine how many temp workers near them they need, what types of roles they need filled, when and where those workers are needed, and what mix of workers is most efficient.
Put simply a staffing model is a plan for getting the right amount of people in the right place and the right time.
A staffing model helps businesses determining:
- How many workers they need
- What type of roles those workers should fill
- When and where those workers are needed
- What mix of full-time, part-time, temp, or on-demand staff is most efficient
The working staffing model reduces labor waste, improves productivity, and ensures you’re never over or under staffed.
A staffing model is increasingly important for businesses using temp agencies near them to find temp employees. Without a plan temporary labor can quickly become inefficient.
Core Elements of a Staffing Model for Temp Labor
The core elements of a staffing model start with forecasting demand. Using historical data or preplanned peak times calculate when staff needs to scale up or down. Planning a staffing model around predicted peak times helps create the foundation for an effective staffing model.
Next consider what mix of labor you will use. The mix of type of staffing services to use will depend on the industry of your business.
Warehouses looking for warehouse temp staffing will need a staffing solution that can scale up or down to handle seasonal or fluctuating demand.
Events and catering businesses need a labor agency near them that will let them build a team of flex workers to be able to work during events but not work when there are no events.
Regardless of industry the best way to balance permanent staff with flexible or temporary workers is to hire a baseline of full time workers first. Then use temporary labor near you to scale staffing numbers up or down.
Staffing Models for Warehouses
Warehouses need labor flexibility to meet fluctuating shipping, receiving, and inventory demands. A staffing model for warehouses include a core team of full-time workers, on-demand workers and scheduling systems tied to demand.
When building a staffing model for general labor staffing it’s great to build a core team of full-time workers. This can include leadership and supervisor positions. These workers will be trained and know how the business works.
Once a solid foundation is built, bring in on-demand workers for variable demand. These workers can be scaled up or down depending on demand. Building a bench of these temp workers makes finding temp staff for your business easier and faster.
Lastly, a scheduling system that lets managers increase or decrease staffing numbers based on shipment volume. An online staffing platform like Bacon gives supervisors and managers the control and flexibility to build their staffing plan for what they need.
Build a Staffing Model That Adapts to Change
A well-designed staffing model gives businesses control, flexibility, and reliability. Especially with the rise of gig workers and temp labor, structure is your best strategy. Using on-demand staffing platforms like Bacon, you can create a staffing system that scales with your needs and supports your long-term growth and goals.
