Personnel best

Home Office Computing, Feb, 1998 by Dorothy Elizabeth Brooks

What good is landing an unexpected contract with the local coffee bar for your hand-dipped biscotti, if you can't mobilize the crew needed to get the job done? If you want to grow, you've got to be nimble and when it comes to staffing, that means anticipating your future needs. Nurturing relationships with people and organizations now can help you through periods of high demand. Here are eight sources to consider when you don't have time to write classifieds or sift through resumes.

Nepotism, Naturally You can have fresh manpower on the job in a matter of hours when you call on relatives and personal contacts. Though still a much-maligned method in political circles, many business experts now sing the merits of this recruiting technique.

"When you're hiring in a hurry, you don't have time to check backgrounds or accomplish all the other things you're supposed to do," advises Steven Nickerson, president of Workforce Strategies, a Lafayette, California, human resources company. "So if you're going to take a shortcut, lower the risk by bringing in friends and family whom you already have some kind of trust in." Encourage employees to spread the word among their relatives and acquaintances as well.

In-House Advantage Not only can existing staff provide you with solid referrals, they can also be zipped into other positions when an urgent need arises. That's how Brian Davis, director of operations for Norcross, Georgia's Communication Equipment Exchange, found some of the help he needed in a jam when his firm was awarded a big contract.

"I needed to add five or six qualified people literally overnight. [So] we moved up people in our own organization to fill the higher-end jobs," Davis says. The positions left vacant were much easier to fill.

Trade Group Think A well-timed call to a comrade at a trade or professional organization may be all it takes to solve your short-term staffing needs. Greg Jarecki, senior recruiter for the Trilogy Consulting Corporation in Waukegan, Illinois, often relies on the Technical Recruiters Network (312-649-5887) to help him locate personnel. "I can go to any one of the 700 members and say: I am a member, and I have this need. Can you help me out?" Jarecki, who has been able to get qualified people within hours for certain low-level personnel slots, stresses that such relationships tend to grow in value over time. "The more people you know, and the greater the depth of those relationships, the quicker the turn-around time," he says.

Aged and Able Retirees offer expertise and availability, but it's not always easy to find them when you want them. Hook tip with organizations such as the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) (800-827-5722). You may also want to establish ties with local senior citizens' centers and your state or regional office of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Although the national organization has no formal recruiting program, some branch offices offer assistance. "AARP is one of four major recruiting sources," notes Jane Prock, recruiting coordinator for Tucker, Georgia-based Alternative Staffing. Prock has found few retirees interested in full-time work, but many are eager and well-qualified to fill part-time or temporary positions and can often be on the job within a week.

Moonlighters' Serenade If your hours are flexible, moonlighters can bridge a critical gap in your staffing needs. And because there's no need for them to give notice, they can often start within days or even hours of your call. Minneapolis-based management consultant Jill Johnson needed some temporary administrative support when she landed a couple of projects with early start dates. She called around to business associates for recommendations and found a highly qualified executive secretary who was able to start within a week. "She was bored with her day job and looking for a challenge," says Johnson. Networking is the best way to find these double-timers. Try contacting other companies that may be going through a slow period and are anxious to provide their workers with opportunities for extra pay.

Temporary Fixers You'll pay more for labor from a temporary agency, but it's a reliable way to find people in a flash. And nowadays there are temp firms that specialize. Annette Davis, also with Communication Equipment Exchange, regularly relies on two temp agencies that handle technical and warehouse labor. In addition to the speed with which they can deliver the bodies, sometimes as fast as overnight, "You don't have to pay all your workers' comp and fringe benefits on such people until you determine whether they will work," Davis says, adding that many firms prescreen candidates. "It takes a little bit of the hassle out of it," Davis says.

Enterprising Alumni Guidance counselors, internship coordinators, and placement specialists at high schools and colleges are great sources for quick part-time or seasonal labor. For permanent or full-time positions, try alumni associations. "They are getting better and better at tracking who is in between jobs," says Nickerson, noting that he often turns to such groups when short order is the priority. "Universities have made a push to add value in terms of providing after-school placement services."