Temporary Staffing: A Short-Term Solution to a Long-Term Problem

by Lisa Brown Morton, SPHR, President & CEO, Nonprofit HR Solutions, and Laura Gassner Otting, President, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group

Pop quiz. You’re getting a temp. Is that person more likely to make copies or write copy? Chances are it could be both.

It used to be that nonprofit organizations would contact their local temporary agency only when the receptionist called in sick or went on vacation or the mailroom clerk quit suddenly but forgot to mention it on the way out. While employers can still rely on agencies to provide administrative and clerical staff to meet their routine, short-term staffing needs, they have also begun to call on these agencies to provide experienced, specialized professionals to handle more complex tasks for longer periods of time.

Increasingly, as nonprofits face shrinking budgets and growing pressure to do more with less, the alternative of “just-in-time” staffing, more commonly known as temporary staffing, is growing in popularity. Now temporary staffing firms are being used by nonprofits across the country to recruit everyone from envelope stuffers to executive directors. In light of the current economy, this might not be such a bad idea for organizations to consider. Here are some of the reasons why.

An Employers Market

First, today’s economic and employment conditions have once again created an employer’s market. In any major city across the country – New York, San Francisco, Washington, DC, or Chicago – thousands of highly skilled nonprofit professionals are out of work. Often times, through no fault of their own, these individuals have been hurled back into the employment market heavily equipped with real-world knowledge and valuable nonprofit experience but with nowhere to land. These individuals have begun to turn to temporary staffing agencies as a means to “bridge the gap” to their next professional position. Nonprofits can rely on these temporary employees to do such things as developing entire strategies for getting an organization’s message out to the community, government, funding sources and other major stakeholders. Other professionals including grant writers, program management staff, marketing and communications professionals, human resources managers, and other mid-level professionals can provide vital project-based support on a temporary basis at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time professional.

A Cheaper Alternative

At the core of the argument for using temporary staff is the issue of cost. It’s no secret that employers – for profit and nonprofit – across the country are taking increasingly drastic cost-cutting measures in order to maintain their organizations’ financial stability. Even harder hit have been nonprofits such as health and human service agencies and arts organizations that rely heavily on grant funding to maintain operations. These groups are increasingly challenged by the ever-widening gap between what funding sources allow for overhead costs – particularly the costs associated with attracting, retaining and developing staff – and actual costs. Today, nonprofits can reasonably expect to shell out an additional 20-25% of their salary budgets to cover costs associated with providing employee benefits – the vast majority of which will be tied to soaring group health insurance premiums. These very real costs are not going away any time soon. Yet all is not lost. This is where using professional level temporary staff to fill your organization’s project and short-term needs virtually eliminates the additional burden associated with carrying these individuals on the payroll year-round and providing benefits. And, while temporary staffing is not recommended as a long-term human resources strategy, it can offer effective, value-added assistance to an organization that has very real and immediate labor needs without the heavy “overhead” price tag.

Filling open positions, especially those at the senior staff level, during a lengthy search process can also save an organization money in the long run. During the tumult and uncertainty of what can become a rather drawn out process, funders become uneasy, staff get nervous and constituents worry. The loss of dollars, staff and members or clients caused by this lack of leadership worsens an organization’s reputation, its long-term financial viability and can position the permanent hire up for failure. Temporary staffing, at the senior staff level or even in the executive director’s chair, sends a clear message of stability to all stakeholders.

Finding Temporary Staff

Employers looking for temporary staff have at their disposal several alternatives. Some mirror methods practiced to fill permanent staffing positions, others are more individually suited to specific temporary staffing needs.

Several website have emerged in the last few years catering to independent contactors, soloists or consultants who are looking to fill their day with several part-time or short-term assignments for a range of different clients. None of these sites focus specifically on the nonprofit world, but some have consultant biographies that an employer can spend time reading while searching for a temporary hire.

A faster way to find candidates is to post the position broadly online and in print. Candidates who are actively searching for jobs, and as such are most likely available to start a short- or long-term temporary assignment immediately, are looking at job listings on web sites and in newspapers. Posting temporary positions in these places will yield many resumes, although many will be hoping to turn a temporary contract into something more permanent or may leave when a full-time position becomes available elsewhere.

A third, more tailored, option is to turn to a temporary staffing company. It is important to note that not all staffing agencies are created equally and the quality of nonprofit candidates they attract will be determined largely on the percentage of their business that comes from the nonprofit community and their connections among nonprofit professionals. When considering using the services of a staffing firm, ask about their nonprofit client base and how they go about attracting individuals with nonprofit experience to their candidate pool. If they can’t answer either of these questions to your satisfaction, keep moving. Work only with those organizations that are willing to take the time to understand your organization’s mission, values and workplace environment. Without this insight and information, working with your temporary staffing firm could be like calling a dentist to fix your foot. A bad match to say the least.

About the Authors

Lisa Brown Morton, SPHR, is President & CEO of Nonprofit HR Solutions, LLC, a Washington, DC based firm dedicated exclusively to meeting the human resources consulting, temporary staffing and executive search needs of nonprofit organizations. For more information their services, visit their website at www.nonprofithr.com or www.nonprofittemps.com. Lisa can also be reached via email at lmorton@nonprofithr.com or by calling 301-350-9513.

Laura Gassner Otting is founder and president of Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, a niche consulting firm dedicated to strengthening the capacity of nonprofits and their staff, and is available to discuss individual resumes, cover letters, and job search strategies. She can be reached at LGO@NonprofitProfessionals.com or by phone at 617-527-9661.