Temporary employment is gaining popularity because of the increasing amount of migrants, the growing need for temporary medical workers, and the flexibility it gives to both employers and employees;
Today, systems for managing temporary workers are gaining popularity. In 2019, Eurostat reported that the number of temporary employees in the EU between 15 and 64 years old was 13.6% of the total number of workers. According to Statista, this figure in the same year was 16 million in the United States. The American Staffing Association reports that search and placement sales in the country totaled $24.7 billion in 2019. In light of this data, the development of staff management software is becoming increasingly important.
Experts believe there are several reasons why temporary workers are in demand. For companies, this is a way to replace employees who got sick, took a day off, went on maternity leave, or quit their jobs. In the latter case, a temporary worker is a good substitute while interviewing for a permanent employee.
For those looking for a job, such employment is a way to fill a career break. Six out of ten American employees state this. In fact, 20% of candidates choose temporary positions because of their flexible schedules. This option is also gaining popularity due to the growing number of migrants. In 2019, in the EU, a fifth of all temporary workers were citizens of other countries. Finally, the pandemic has generated widespread demand for temporary medical personnel - the so-called locum tenens.
Software for searching for and managing temporary workers is successful in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, logistics, office work, hospitality, and many other industries. The programs allow companies to use the services of specialists on demand. In such cases, recruiting agencies serve as intermediaries that select personnel in a given location and for a specific period.
During their 13 years in the software market, Andersen has developed several types of such systems. This software helps recruiting companies that are looking for employees for clients. In this instance, the agency receives a commission for each closed vacancy. Or the platform can bring together many recruiting companies. In this scenario, the developers create a system as a product, and agencies pay to connect to it.
The difference between these two options is that, in the first case, job-seekers set the radius within which they want to receive information about open vacancies. In the latter case, the new temporary workers are automatically assigned to one of them based on their location. Later on, they will receive vacancies from this recruiting company.
So who utilizes the above systems? Among Andersen's clients, there have been several types of users:
As a rule, the above systems exist in two versions - web applications and mobile applications. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
A web application is intended primarily for agencies and companies who need employees. Developers can create it as a minimum viable product for all types of users and then add the necessary functionality.
The designers of such a system are responsible for providing a convenient user interface and dashboard. Agencies and companies need to have quick access to information, including the location of candidates. Processes that require the participation of several parties need to be well-tuned. Moreover, developers are expected to configure the functions of sending notifications and creating customized reports.
The mobile application usually appears at a later stage. It is often intended only for temporary workers, most of whom use mobile devices to look for a job and respond to messages.
Such an application is usually available for Android and iOS operating systems. Data security is ensured through a user verification process. The product should have a user-friendly interface, display job vacancies in real-time, and have a powerful filtering function to find employers quickly. Additionally, the system syncs with Google Maps to track the companies' locations and sends job alerts to its users.
In most cases, web and mobile applications integrate with such systems as the customer companies' ERP and CRM, Google Maps, programs for creating and sending invoices, and services for email, SMS, and push notifications.
The system's functionality depends on whether its user is a recruiting agency, a company that needs to fill a vacancy or a job-seeker.
The software allows recruiting firms to manage vacancies, interact with clients and candidates, issue invoices, send and receive emails, SMS, and push notifications. At the same time, HR agencies can add and delete CVs, accept and reject proposed salary rates, negotiate with clients and candidates, upload, edit, and delete documents, and much more.
Firms that need employees use the system to review lists of candidates and agree on suitable specialists. Companies can negotiate payment rates, manage their branches, view invoice information, receive notifications, and more.
Candidates utilize the program to register and fill in all the necessary data, set up their profile, specify their payment rates and distance to the employer, search for vacancies, respond to them, and more.
We recommend that developers and users of the system familiarize themselves with the agencies' rules, responsibilities, and restrictions established by the legislation in different countries.
Most agencies set limits on the term for canceling already signed contracts. For example, a company and a candidate can refuse to cooperate no later than three calendar days before the beginning of work.
In many countries, minimum hourly wages are set by law for various roles. That means the workers of certain professions cannot receive less than a set amount for their services. Therefore, agencies need to use official job evaluation catalogs, considering the countries where they work.
Prohibitions may also apply to the signing of contracts with candidates for certain types of work. For example, in France, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and other countries, temporary workers cannot perform tasks hazardous to their health and safety. Therefore, the firms cannot engage such applicants in grinding or removing asbestos, using fumigants, or expose them to toxic substances, etc.
The data that candidates indicate during registration - their gender, age, individual tax number, and other information - are further used when drawing up contracts. That means the system designers must pay special attention to field validation and cross-validation. With these functions, agencies can verify the user input's correctness and avoid incorrect information entering their database.
Programs for managing temporary employees are beneficial for agencies, companies, and candidates. Recruiting firms save time on hiring and streamline processes such as invoicing clients. Companies, in turn, have access to an experienced workforce whenever they need it. Candidates have the opportunity to look for jobs that match their salary expectations and location, as well as to gain new experience.
Many systems include such a useful feature as online negotiations between a company and job seekers about the hourly rate. If the amount set by the organization is not suitable for the candidates, they can put forward a counter offer. In this way, firms receive employee feedback and, thus, broaden their choice.
According to the American Staffing Association, there are about 25,000 recruiting companies in the United States, more than half of which specialize in finding temporary workers. Simultaneously, specialists who have proven themselves in the short term often become part of the organization’s permanent staff. Both this data and our experience give us reason to believe that professional software for managing temporary employees is a reliable investment for recruiting agencies and companies in various industries.
