GIG, the flexible staffing platform, is encouraging more businesses to #ChooseGIG across Northamptonshire, to embrace flexibility amidst challenging staffing situations and look to the future of recruitment. GIG knows the ‘golden triangle’ is a central hub for warehousing through, having worked with warehouses such as iForce in Corby, but over recent years they have seen the adverse impact of the pandemic and Brexit on businesses’ ability to keep things operating smoothly.
Research has shown that during this period a range of industries have been struggling to find workers, with around 2/3rds of businesses being unable to recruit and retain staff in sufficient numbers to cope with recent disruption.
“We have been aware of a ripple effect in the UK labour market, especially in areas like Northampton where there are a number of logistics companies all who have high volume staffing needs,” Antony Woodcock, MD and Co-Founder of GIG, said.
The iForce warehouse in Corby, one of GIG’s current partners, provides orders for some of the biggest retailers in the country, and 80 workers are currently provided daily by GIG Hub. GIG Hub brings workers from areas of high unemployment to locations like Northampton, guaranteeing a minimum supply level for clients with a closed audience workforce. GIG looks after all the travel and accommodation for their workers and has even been creating purpose-built accommodation at partner sites like iForce to house the workers it provides them. This helps to avoid some of the additional costs such as transport and hotel accommodation, allowing for even fewer costs to be passed on.
“Purpose-built accommodation allows us to keep a consistent delivery for our clients, so we can guarantee a certain number of heads, and keep that cost steady through the year it also means we can tailor the accommodation to better suit the needs of our workers,” Antony said.
Many now also see flexibility as one of the key ways to overcome recent challenges and help prepare for further shocks. But for others, flexibility can conjure images of uncertainty and complicated rotas, making it seem like a costly headache.
That doesn’t have to be the case. With GIG businesses can benefit from flexible staffing solutions, whilst being able to guarantee a constant supply of workers, and join the third of businesses for whom staffing has not been a concern.
GIG believes that to cope with future challenges in an increasingly uncertain world, embracing more flexibility is key. “We know it’s essential to build trained workforces for the future if we want to continue the prosperity and longevity of key industries,” said Antony. “But we also need to allow people to choose flexible options that fit their lifestyle, whilst ensuring businesses can be reactive to shocks in real-time.”
GIG can provide staff training, implement the systems needed to manage flexible rotas and help plug shortages as and when they arise. For the workers, they can choose flexible hours, whilst still being guaranteed minimum wage, and choose to work a range of jobs, whilst also building up holiday and pension pay.
Building a recovery from staff shortages, supply chain disruptions and economic setbacks will not be an easy one, but moving to a future where flexibility is maximised, not feared, can go a long way to building more resilient industries in Northamptonshire and across the country.