With organizations struggling to find workers amid ongoing talent shortages, more are bringing in contingent workers to help meet their needs. The United States’ contingent workforce grew to 4.3 percent in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.   

If you haven’t considered scaling your organization’s workforce with temporary workers, now might be the time to reconsider. In this blog post, we’ll break down six major benefits of temporary staffing that make it a viable solution for your talent needs. 

Related: The Upside of Converting to Contingent Labor

#1. Addresses Talent Gaps 

One of the biggest benefits of temporary workers is that they can quickly address talent gaps within your existing workforce. 

Let’s say you have a specific skill or trait that you need but that your current employees don’t have. A temporary staffing partner can provide you with a qualified worker who’s ready to come in and make a difference immediately.  

Hiring a temporary employee is much more efficient, and effective, than spending time sourcing, interviewing, and onboarding a full-time employee. 

#2. Greater Flexibility 

Bringing on temporary workers is also a strategy that comes with few strings attached – meaning you can end these resources’ assignments once your labor needs subside.  

So if your organization is in the advanced manufacturing industry and needs extra technicians to help with production on a new device, you’re only paying for these workers as long as you need them. As soon as operations are back to normal, your temporary workers can be dismissed. 

#3. Cost-effective 

Temporary workers are typically much less expensive than full-time employees. Think about the wages, benefits and other costs incurred for all employees (taxes, workers, compensation, etc), in addition to any necessary training or upskilling. Compare that to hiring a qualified worker who can put their skills to work right away – and is only around as long as you need them to be. 

If you work with a staffing partner to bring on temporary workers, you’re looking at even more significant cost benefits. Without having to spend time on tedious recruiting tasks, your HR team can pursue more valuable business objectives.  

#4. Offers an Employee Trial Period 

Leveraging temporary workers lets you evaluate their skills and determine how well they mesh with your direct staff. If you’re satisfied with their performance, you can easily convert them to a full-time employee.  

Most temporary staffing partners offer free conversion fees after accruing a predetermined number of hours worked, providing you with even more cost savings.  

Related: Explore Acara’s temp-to-direct talent services

#5. Reduces Administrative Tasks 

Temporary staffing providers do more than just find the talent you need. They can also handle all onboarding and payrolling responsibilities. 

So if your HR team is overwhelmed and stretched thin with administrative tasks, working with a temporary staffing partner can take some of the more time-consuming tasks off their plate. 

#6. Customizable 

Regardless of your company’s size and industry, your hiring needs will be unique and specific to your business. By choosing the right temporary staffing provider, you’ll get specialized talent acquisition services catered to your organization.  

Ultimately, your staffing partner will help you connect with candidates who align with your business objectives and company culture. 

Finding the Right Temporary Staffing Solution For You 

If you’re struggling to find full-time employees or need a more flexible workforce, temporary staffing is a solution that lets you quickly address your needs so you can stay competitive and drive growth.  

But finding success with temporary staffing requires the right talent partner. A good temporary staffing agency will get to know you and develop a deep understanding of your goals and challenges so they can provide you with the right resources. 

If you’re looking for a temporary staffing partner, you should find one that offers: 

• Scalability 
• Risk mitigation 
• Advanced sourcing technology 
• Fast turnaround

At Acara Solutions, we have decades of experience providing custom temporary staffing solutions to companies across a wide range of industries. If you’re ready to scale your workforce and address your talent needs, get in touch with our experts.

Updated on March 19, 2025

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Yes, the video-sharing social networking site that we’ve all come to know and love is doing more than just entertaining millions of Americans—it’s now helping them to find a job. Due to current nationwide talent shortages that are disrupting business operations, TikTok has implemented a simple—yet potentially game-changing—idea that could alter the world of talent acquisition.

What is TikTok Resumes?

To help employers more effectively connect with prospective employees, TikTok unveiled a temporary U.S. pilot program called TikTok Resumes, which allows candidates to apply for open positions by submitting video resumes on its platform. Supplanting the age-old cover letter and paper resume application process, job seekers can now showcase their creativity and passion through short digital videos. The idea—specifically catered to young millennials and Gen-Z job seekers—is designed to help them discover entry-level positions.

To browse available job openings and submit your video resume, check out the TikTok Resumes site here.

Which companies are using TikTok Resumes?

For several years, organizations from across the world have utilized TikTok to improve their brands and promote their products or services. Now, they can use TikTok Resumes as a means of attracting talent to their open jobs. To date, several big-name employers—including Chipotle, Forever 21, NASCAR, Shopify, and Target—have jumped onboard the TikTok Resumes trend and created their own job listings pages. Once candidates successfully apply for a position by sending in their video resumes, employers can then review the submissions before scheduling candidate interviews. The process is designed to be as smooth and painless as possible—one that companies hope will more effectively connect them to top talent.

Are there any drawbacks to TikTok Resumes?

The very nature of video resumes presents a challenge for companies and their talent acquisition teams. While submitting a video application enables candidates to showcase their passion and excitement more than a conventional cover letter or paper resume, there is also a greater chance of unconscious bias that can influence the hiring process. Hiring managers and other primary decision-makers run the risk of unintentionally judging a candidate’s appearance or actions on camera and using that against them when making a decision on their hiring status. Organizations that utilize the TikTok Resumes platform will need to educate their TA teams on the importance of expelling unconscious biases from recruiting efforts—thereby facilitating a fair and just hiring process for all prospective employees.

Will video resumes stick around? 

Although the TikTok Resumes pilot is only set to run through July 31, look for companies and candidates alike to push for the program to be extended. The idea is creative, it’s current, and it’s caught on incredibly quickly. By making job applications—particularly entry-level ones—as easily accessible as possible, organizations can boost their chances of increasing the size of their applicant pool and finding the talent they need to maintain business continuity. As the entire TikTok platform continues to evolve and expand in the months ahead, look for video resumes to become a primary talent acquisition strategy for companies across the country.

Interested in learning what happens after job seekers submit their resumes? Find out how you can improve your odds of landing a job here.

Is your organization faced with an extreme labor shortage? Are you battling the effects of workforce turnover? Let our Acara team connect you with top candidates for your open positions. Get in touch with us today to learn how we can help.

This blog was written by Acara Account Executive Shannon Callahan.

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As our world progresses toward the light at the end of the tunnel, business will slowly return to a new state of normal. While terms like “social distancing” and “flattening the curve” have quickly become standard in our everyday vocabularies, allow me to introduce another buzzword that will soon turn mainstream: contract labor.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies have embraced the idea of hiring contract and contract-to-hire employees to assist in the operation of their business. Although organizations may be seeking an influx of talent to support their immediate needs, many will be hesitant to hire full-time workers in a period of uncertainty. This is why contractors present the perfect solution.

Not only do contract laborers offer significant cost savings for companies in the long haul, but they also provide greater staffing flexibility for any organization. By using contractors, businesses can avoid paying for employee benefits, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation. Saving money on these payments can slash payroll costs by up to 30 percent. Organizations can seize significant financial savings by simply paying a fixed bill rate to account for the contractor. Yes, it’s that easy!

Workplace demand has proven tricky to predict in the long-term. While talent may need to be added right away, there is no guarantee that these workers will be required indefinitely. Contract workers allow an organization to quickly hire an employee to complete one specific assignment, knowing that the individual will depart when the job is completed. Not only does this allow a candidate to collect a source of income by bringing their expertise to the table, but it allows companies the opportunity to assess the contractor. If the individual possesses a strong body of work and aligns with the organization’s culture, he/she may be able to earn more contract assignments or even secure a permanent position. Talk about a win-win!

Agencies like Acara Solutions are equipped with expert recruiting tactics to expedite a company’s interview and hiring process. Programs like our Ready to Roll employer of record service utilizes contract workers who just completed an assignment or were recently furloughed or laid off and puts them back to work. In bypassing background checks and drug screenings, organizations can quickly and effortlessly onboard contractors to assist with their immediate needs in as little as 24 hours.

If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of contract labor and how contractors could support your company, I would encourage you to give us a call. At Acara, we can work within your budget and provide competitive pay rates to help your business remain viable in challenging times. Working as an extension of your organization, our team of dedicated recruitment professionals will help you to meet your unique talent needs and find best-fit employees.

Times are changing. Whether you are a company or a candidate, it’s time to embrace contract labor.

Contact and Connect with Jason Hatch

763.560.8023

HatchJ@acarasolutions.com

LinkedIn

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Earlier this month, I was pleased to join a panel of talent and recruitment professionals to speak at an event called “Building Skilled Talent” in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Alive with workshops, a trade show, and a panel discussion among industry leaders, the event spoke to the emerging talent needs of manufacturers in and around Mississauga.

Here is a quick recap of what we discussed and what we can do as HR, recruitment, and staffing professionals to meet the talent needs of our manufacturing communities—not just in Ontario—but across Canada and North America as well.

1. Improve the perception of manufacturing as a viable career path.

It is important that we work with grade schools, high schools, colleges, and universities to reinforce the benefits of studying, mastering, and pursuing careers in trades, such as manufacturing. Remember, college isn’t for everyone—nor should it be. Accentuating the importance of real-world skills in our schools will guide our more mechanically minded youths to explore viable job opportunities in manufacturing.

As Acara Senior VP of BD Chris Beckage points out in his article, “What Bypassing College Could Mean for Gen Z and Recruiters” published by Hunt Scanlon Media, younger people are beginning to set their sights on technical fields like programming, engineering, and robotics. As we continue to develop and promote these perspectives, we’ll be better positioned to fill critical positions in manufacturing and other similar industries.

Are you doing enough to partner with educational institutions in your community?

2. Successful companies must attract new and young talent.

It isn’t enough for kids to actively pursue careers in manufacturing. Employers must reciprocate by providing healthy, happy, and worthwhile opportunities for newer and younger talent to succeed at their businesses. So, how can they do it? Here are a few recommendations:

• Study industry trends to determine what people are looking for in an employer
• Use social media, video, and other channels to broadcast your brand
• Offer compensation that aligns with market averages
• Define compelling reasons a person should join your company
  • Culture
  • Company growth
  • Career advancement
  • Authentic voice for employees
  • Work/life balance
  • Purpose-driven mission
  • Opportunities for disruption

3. Identify hard-to-fill positions and upskill your staff.

The hardest-to-fill positions are skilled machine operators, machinists, millwrights, welders, and tool and die operators.

Why? Business owners and hiring managers are telling us that college graduates are not equipped with the practical skills and experience needed to perform these tasks. And because younger people are being persuaded to enter college, they are entering a supersaturated workforce of white-collar professionals. To make matters worse, older workers who do have the necessary skill sets are either retired or nearing retirement.

Successful companies realize this challenge or partner with staffing firms to implement strong succession plans. In some cases, employers are carrying an extra headcount to account for the time it takes to train and upskill employees.

What skills are most important to new hires in advanced manufacturing?

• Machining
• Fabrication
• Welding
• Tool and die operations
• Industrial mechanics
• PLC programming
• Adaptability (soft skill)
• Creativity (soft skill)
• Critical thinking (soft skill)

Related: Developing a Successful Workforce Upskilling Program

4. Mix in a fractionated HR solution to save time, money, and resources.

Many businesses become overwhelmed by the number of applications they get for a single position. In my work with Mississauga companies, a significant percentage of these applications are from applicants who do not possess the necessary qualifications. This can take up a lot of time for companies that have no HR Department to sift through applicants—especially small- and medium-sized business and family-run operations.

How can a fractionated HR solution be economical and help companies in this situation?

Look at the cost of having the position or positions vacant: the cost of allocating a manager to sift through resumes… the cost of time taken away from managing your operations… the cost of overtime needed to make up for the absence of production… the cost of working your employees too thin and its associated risk of missing deadlines.

Many companies are starting to understand that they need a talent solutions partner to source, screen, and present only the top profiles of high-quality candidates to optimize their hiring processes.

It’s also important to note that in many cases, the top candidate for the position isn’t the person who actively applied for the position. In today’s market, top candidates are already employed—they’re passive job seekers—they’re not even looking for new opportunities. That’s where Acara Solutions comes in. Our recruiters are trained to identify and generate interest from these candidates, and our ATS system allows us to automatically weed out profiles that do not meet your pre-set qualifications.

For more talent, staffing, and recruiting insights, connect with me on LinkedIn! Until then, learn more about how Acara Solutions can enhance your talent efforts at acarasolutions.com. And don’t forget to follow Acara on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram!

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This year’s HR Technology Conference & Exposition was a large-scale event focused on HR technology across all functional areas, including:

• Talent Acquisition
• Performance Management
• Employee Engagement
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Payroll
• People Analytics

Attendees included:

• HR Tech Service Providers
• HR Tech Startups
• HR Practitioners
• Analyst and Research Firms
• Tech Decision-makers

While AI continued to be a major topic at the event this year, there was an extra emphasis on employee experience, engagement, HR learning providers, and talent analytics.

Today at #HRTechConf 2:00 come to booth 1319 with @IBMWatsonTalent to see @BersinAcademy HR in the Age of AI. #ai pic.twitter.com/QqQlDnHqbq

— Josh Bersin (@Josh_Bersin) October 2, 2019

Here’s a recap of the tech trends we’re seeing in the HR space. 

1. HR solutions are everywhere.

While there were many vendors and solutions at HR Tech worthy of our consideration, here are five promising solution tech leads that warrant further exploration.

Exago is a business intelligence (BI) solution that embeds self-service ad hoc reporting, dashboards, and analytics to your existing applications. The difference is that Exago is designed to look, feel, and behave like it’s native to your application.

Jobma is an affordable, per-instance video recruiting option that lets you conduct video interviews with candidates in two ways: as a one-way video interview or as a live video interview, each of which can lend to speedier recruitment efforts.

Kronos produces a variety of workforce management and HR technologies for small and medium-size businesses. With so many specialized products to choose from, you’ll need to see which options are best for you.

Solve by Human Capital Management Institute and Visier both deliver BI services that help you set goals, manage your spend, measure productivity, analyze data, and more.

Workato is a “universal cloud API platform for integration of all systems.” In other words, you can use Workato to automate multiple functions across your business from a single location.

HR Tech 2019: 10 innovations for a more inclusive world: Today’s innovators delivered their ideas via fast-paced, five-minute “TED Talk” style presentations. https://t.co/nUUs21TAUd @hrexecmag pic.twitter.com/N58UyeYKKh

— HR Tech Conference (@HRTechConf) October 4, 2019

* * * RELATED: 3 Tech Tools for Recruitment and Retention by Carl Kutsmode * * *

2. Microsoft is making moves in HR.

Microsoft elaborated on how their solutions work together by demonstrating their core HRIS, “Dynamics 365 Talent.” This HR tech tool integrates with several Microsoft products that your organization may be using (LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Microsoft 365 and Teams, Workplace Analytics, Azure, SharePoint) to simplify tasks and automate processes.

Learning about the HR Tech solutions from @Microsoft, including their core HR Dynamics 365 Talent. #HRTechConf #HRTechConference pic.twitter.com/yxGWwqOgKY

— Frank Gullo (@frankgullo) October 2, 2019

3. There is no shortage of HR management systems.

HR Tech featured several HRIS and LMS providers that provide core HR, talent analytics, and learning services. Here are four:

Cornerstone HR Suite gives you a centralized view of your people and data so you can take control of workforce management with a more modern experience.

Utimate Sofware (UtltiPro) uses cloud-based systems and AI to help you manage HR, payroll, talent, time and scheduling, engagement, HR service delivery, and more.

Workday offers medium- and large-sized businesses a single system for planning your workforce, recruiting talent, and managing it all.

SAP SuccessFactors is calling for a revolution in HCM with its take on Human Experience Management (HXM): cloud HR software and services that cover the gamut of HR tasks.

“The story and what we’re trying to solve now is very different than just counting numbers.” -Carin Taylor of @Workday on the evolution of #data on #diversity #hrtech #HRTechConf pic.twitter.com/jZNLDZwmDU

— Human Resource Executive (@HRExecMag) October 1, 2019

For more tech takes from me, Frank Gullo, let’s connect on Linkedin, or follow me @frankgullo on Twitter. And don’t forget to follow Acara Solutions Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Independent contractor compliance has become a hot topic in the staffing and recruiting industry. As defined by the IRS, independent contractors are people such as doctors, dentists, veterinarians, lawyers, accountants, contractors, subcontractors, public stenographers, or auctioneers who are in an independent trade, business, or profession in which they offer their services to the general public.

The implementation of an independent contractor compliance program can provide an array of benefits to any organization. Yet one of the most frequently cited emotions that companies use to induce action regarding compliance is fear. While it is reasonable to fear an IRS audit, it is better to have the processes in place to ensure all of your resources are categorized correctly.

In a recent decision by the Court of Appeals in California, the Court concluded that an employer within a supply chain may be liable if they had knowledge of the misclassification of workers, even if they were not the employer who made the determination. This means that if an employer partnered with a supplier who misclassified one of their contingent workers, then the employer is liable for their supplier’s mistake. These risks and possible pitfalls could be happening to any company that engages suppliers in a business relationship without the proper processes in place.

While there are certainly risks involved in employing independent contractors, successful business operators know that there are solutions to internal problems that expose companies to these risks. This is why independent contractor compliance programs have been growing rapidly, as companies have found value in maintaining highly flexible workforces. Creating a program that enables your contingent workforce to run efficiently and seamlessly within existing HR plans not only creates cost savings, but increases efficiency.

What are some of the benefits of independent contractor compliance programs?

Compliance

Whether it’s misclassification, insufficient insurance, or rogue suppliers, staying compliant is critical when facing governmental audits by the IRS. Each year, the IRS loses billions in revenue from unpaid taxes as a result of misclassification. In recent years, they have stepped up their efforts to recoup these losses by auditing your business’ books. Through an IC compliance program, the compliance risks and penalties associated with improper classification can be avoided through a partnership with a company that specializes in classifying and engaging ICs. Studies have shown that companies that deploy IC programs achieve a 56% higher rate of compliance.

Productivity Management

Eliminating time-consuming processes can significantly boost a company’s productivity and, with an IC program, that is no different. Through automated technologies used to manage ICs, many of the administrative duties that are associated with engaging ICs have been eliminated. Thus, key stakeholders have more time to devote to critical projects and day-to-day duties.

Cost Savings

By eliminating administrative burdens and liabilities, companies experience heightened cost savings—money that they would otherwise have been spent on overhead. Focus on core business objectives without having to worry about the small nuances that accompany IC compliance efforts.

Visibility

Providing the ability to manage rates and analyze IC-related expenditures, an IC program gives its stakeholders visibility into the expenses, profitability, and contract length, while also offering an avenue for seamless re-engagement. Reap the benefits of greater transparency over all IC-related spend and activity.

Looking to recruit top talent? Learn how your organization can improve your candidate attraction efforts through these three proven strategies.

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