The economic downturn has taken a toll on many businesses. Some companies have not been able to keep up with the demand for their products and services, while others have had to downsize in order to maintain profitability. In uncertain times, it is important to have an experienced team on your side.

For many businesses, temporary workers have been the perfect solution for their staffing needs.

Temporary workers can reduce the costs of a full-time worker and are also usually less expensive than in terms of long term and short term benefits and save on payroll taxes. Hiring contingent staff is a great option for many businesses, especially those with large workloads or sudden increases in demand.

Contingent staff members have the flexibility to work remotely and can be offloaded at any time without notice. They also come with less risk than hiring someone who will be working in your business for years. Temporary employees don’t require ongoing training or support which means there’s significantly less headache involved in bringing them on board.

Going contingent is also a great way to test out your newest team member. You can bring him or her on board without making the commitment of hiring them full-time, and you’ll be able to see if he/she really fits in with the company culture before signing any contracts.

While there are some drawbacks to hiring contingent staff; the lack of loyalty, the difficulty in trying to build a cohesive team with people who come and go frequently; or the challenges that managers face in keeping track of the different projects that each person is working on–the benefits far outweigh the challenges. Contingent staffing can definitely work as long as you have an established system to manage all the considerations and results of your effort.