Five Ways Project-Based Talent Can Change Your Life

It’s time to think outside the box when it comes to your talent plan, especially if you or your team are feeling overwhelmed. Maybe a key player unexpectedly quit. Maybe a critical initiative needs attention. Or maybe your busy season has turned out to be busier than expected.

Have you thought about bringing on project-based or short-term talent to relieve the pressure? Here are five new ways to use project-based talent to improve your life.

1. When Turnover Happens.

If a key employee turns in their two-week notice, don’t stress. And certainly don’t knee-jerk and make a bad hire that will cost you in the long run. Bring in a short-term resource to manage the transition, fill in while you search for the perfect permanent person, and even assist with on-boarding the new hire. You will have peace of mind knowing that your institutional knowledge didn’t just walk out the door.

2. When Your Staff Hates You.

Sometimes we all have to burn the midnight oil, but when you’ve been at it for weeks, the only thing you are burning out is your staff. If you are working to finish a critical project or key initiative, engage an experienced, short-term resource to ease the pressure and get your project across the goal line.

3. In the C-Suite.

Most companies don’t realize they can bring in interim help at the executive level to bridge key gaps during periods of change or high-growth. More than once, we have placed interim CFOs or COOs to handle new market opportunities or fill knowledge gaps to help make your business stronger. This frees you and your team up to return to being great at what you do.

4. When More Bodies Isn’t the Answer.

Sometimes, a staffing problem is actually a business problem, and the immediate reaction is often to throw bodies at it. Recently, we worked with a large e-commerce company that thought it needed additional agents in their call center, but we quickly realized there was more going on. We brought in a project-based call-center guru who diagnosed and improved several systemic issues. Now, instead of spending capital on people they don’t need, the company is seeing an immediate and sustainable impact on their bottom line with the fixes identified and implemented by the project-based executive.

5. When You Need Strategy + Execution… At the Same Time.

When you are growing rapidly, both strategy and execution are key to continued growth. We often get requests for strategic-thinking executives to both build strategy and execute tactics. In these cases, we recommend bringing in a project-based executive to develop a big-picture strategic solution, and the right team to implement it — in a way that is friendlier to your bottom line.

There is a popular misconception that project-based resources are only useful for entry-level roles, or for handling specific tactical jobs. Nothing could be further from the truth. With the rise of the gig economy, project-based and short-term work arrangements have become part of the new normal. And for our project-based team, the ability to make a quick and meaningful impact in a variety of companies and environments is highly rewarding.

If you are feeling spread too thin for any number of reasons, ask yourself if a short-term or project-based superstar could relieve the pressure. Then call HireBetter for help!