Staffing a company can always present challenges, even in the best of times.

But the pandemic repositioned the economy, the supply chain, retail, online shopping and, perhaps most significantly, with lockdown and remote employees, the workforce.

Nearly three years after the onset of the pandemic, staffing challenges have yet to subside. And with inflation and high interest rates generating constant chatter about a pending recession, staffing challenges have never been greater.

It can all be so-overwhelming.

Should you be cutting back? Staffing up? Focusing on contingent staffing?

Mackin Talent can offer solutions.

"Companies can hire people through us to make sure that the work gets done, but without the long-term commitment, stock options, bonuses and relocation assistance costs generated when FTE people are hired," said Mackin Talent Chief Marketing Officer Leniece Lane. 

"Then, after the downturn, if they want to build their workforce back up, they have people who are trained already, through us, that they can easily convert into FTEs, if the positions are available. Staffing companies can be a really good partner in a recession."

A contingent workforce consists of two sectors, SOW, or Scope of Work; and Contractor Labor.

An example of Scope of Work staffing is when an engineering consultant is needed for six months on a construction project. Or a logistical team is needed, so 15 experts are brought in, and they operate as a separate unit. These are referred to as vendors and are managed by Mackin.

Contractor Labor is typically how many view staffing firms-a 6-to-12-to-18-month assignment. Maybe five data engineers are needed for the next six months, to process a big download of data. These are short-term placement with specific tasks and deliverables that they perform.

With offices in seven countries, Mackin maintains a global network that offers access to worldwide talent in a range of fields, including:

• Project Management, PMO Analysts

• Information Technology

• Engineering (Hardware, Software, Mechanical, Optical, etc)

• Data Analysts, Engineers, Scientists

• Administrative/Clerical

• Life Sciences

• Pharma

• Environmental, Health & Safety

• Marketing/Design

And Mackin goes beyond filling straightforward staffing needs, with services that are particularly relevant in the midst of economic uncertainty.

Perhaps the confluence of the pandemic and the possibility of a recession is the perfect time to pause and take stock of your staffing needs, your staffing strength and the available options. Maybe the time is at hand to take a bigger look at your overall operations, rather than just focusing on the size of your team.

"We offer consulting and workforce planning-we call it efficiency planning," Leniece said. "You identify the gaps, and hire for those first."

She explained that companies often focus on their team members, rather than the work tasked to those team members. She might hear from a client that, "80 percent of our team is at a 90 percent capacity, so we need more people."

But when assessing the situation, clients often tell Mackin that, after hiring more employees, they still seem to be at capacity and assignments for the new team members are confusing and unclear.  

"They say, 'There's just a lot of work and we need more people,'" she said. "This is where Mackin steps in and says, 'Let's take a timeout and think about this person's deliverables. What gaps are they filling on the team? What skills or knowledge do they bring that is specific to them? How can they best contribute?' We go beyond just staffing for the positions we are asked. We are invested in the success of our clients."

As firms continue to emerge from the pandemic and gear up for a possible recession, Mackin continues to implement its "Smart Staffing" and "Beyond Staffing" strategies to empower firms through resiliency.

Perhaps a company's leadership team needs to reassess how success is being measured, how projects are being completed and the gaps left behind when work is left undone.

"A recession doesn't necessarily mean you have to lay people off,"  Leniece said. "It could be just reorganizing your workforce in a more efficient manner."

Visit mackintalent.com to learn more or speak to one of our consultants.