Read this article to learn more about the connection between project work and temporary staffing. We've deciphered this topic to understand the benefits, types, and application of this form of work!
Did you know that instead of hiring employees themselves, companies are deviating towards external staffing agencies? And this shift has been pretty quick!
Project work is a form of an external or borrowed staff. And recently, it has become the talk of the town. No matter what the work packages or work topics are, companies are creating projects for processing or completing it.
So, what is project work exactly?
For the project - project teams are formed, project managers are appointed and project assistants are made available. And most of the time the work at hand has to be completed within a certain time frame - this project work can last for months or a few years, depending on the size of the project.
Under these circumstances, it makes sense for companies to outsource such work packages as a whole or to buy support from services that specialize in providing staff for a fixed period.
Who are project service providers?
The classic temporary employment agencies are experiencing an evolution, and the negative reputation attached to them is gradually dissipating. There are now personnel service providers whose sole purpose is the project business and hence, they're popularly known as project service providers.
This model is often aimed at people who have a medium to a high level of training and experience. They are on top of the ladder when it comes to white-collar professions, i.e. administration, planning, and management. Unlike temporary workers, they do not opt for the usual route of production.
Fresh out of college or training, people take up project-based temporary work to kickstart their careers. It's a great opportunity to fetch knowledge about a new industry that one is just entering or switching to. Some employees simply take up such work to gain work experience for a few years and to learn how to function well in a changing environment. But in a nutshell, there isn't a major difference between temporary work and projects, they are just named differently.
What are the advantages of project work?
For the employers, the advantages of project work are as same as they would be in the case of hiring temporary workers. It is where the work is carried out only for the duration of the project. It is wise to purchase temporary employees through a service provider as they take control of the search and planning, and also carry the risks of not meeting the client's expectations. Simultaneously, the duration of a project can also be treated like a probation period for the end customer, during which he/she can find out whether the external or borrowed employee fits into all facets of the company.
If the employee performs well and ticks all the criteria, it can also lead to takeovers after the project duration.
What are the different kinds of project work?
There are two most common types of project work. Either a company takes on individual employees from its service provider, who are then integrated into its project team. Or the company hires members to fill the whole project group.
In a nutshell, the main content planning stays with the company itself. And the company outsources the entire project process. This means that the project service provider becomes responsible for staffing the entire project team. And along with that, they also have to provide the resources and plan the team and tasks.
All this time, the service providers need to coordinate with the client, who still has ultimate control over the project. But since this is a type of managed service, the service providers take up the responsibility of all the members in the project team, and also the technical implementation.
What about on-site project management?
Such 'Managed Service Providers' are prevalent in the engineering, IT, and business sector, as they manage projects at their customer's sites. For example, the development of a partial product for the automotive industry, or the programming of software for a trading company. Hence, it is primarily known as on-site management or in-house management.
In case, the service provider manages the project as on-site management, a master vendor or neutral vendor often comes into play. This person is deployed by the managed service provider at the customer's site and is responsible for coordinating, planning, and monitoring the staff and resources used for the project.
The master vendor is the point of contact and is in charge of providing the appropriate personnel. Master vendors are also relied upon to draw on the service provider's portfolio for the same reason. However, if this is not enough, he/she can also call third-party employees or freelancers.
The project service provider's attention rests completely upon the project at hand. It doesn't matter if only one or a few employees have been assigned to a project or if an entire team has been hired - the project has to be completed on time, without the unnecessary and extensive use of resources. Without having to worry about the sale or marketing of a material product, their only concern is the service provided, and the employees who make it happen!
In general, temporary work is and shall remain an important issue, when it comes to the economy. That's because the concept of projects has started to come into the spotlight and has become a part of people's daily lives. We can safely assume that this form of temporary work, labeled project work or a 'managed service' will play a very vital part in the future, as it will boost a company's workforce with a lot of advantages.