Does your company use contingents? Can it staff a project within 48 hours? Does the company have a temp-to-perm hiring option? Does your management team talk about workforce modeling and the right mix of temporary workers and employees? If you answer no to at least 2 of these questions, your company could be using outmoded methods for finding the right talent.

When I talk with others about the subject of contingent labor,, there are those who feign interest. Thankfully, I no longer have to explain what a contingent is. But really, if your company isn’t already using contingents, it’s a dinosaur in terms of labor best practices. In other companies, contingent usage is booming.

A 2011 survey by Staffing Industry Analysts reveals that companies are planning to increase their use of such workers by 26 percent over the next two years.  The survey includes responses from 236 contingent buyers from 187 large companies that have more than 1,000 employees.

In fact, firms in the restaurant/hospitality and finance/insurance industries are among those planning the biggest increases (42 and 40 percent) in their use of contingent workers, according to the study. “Historically, the retail and hospitality industries have been under-penetrated by contingent labor,” said Robert Balicki, research associate at Staffing Industry Analysts. “However, our survey results indicate that these buyers may be finally coming around and embracing temporary workers. Of course, the degree to which these projections will be realized will likely also depend on the economy.”

Economic mood swings aside, as we start 2012, sit back and make a new year’s resolution. Understand how to use temps and why they can enhance your competitive stance. Talk to your peers who engage them. Or call us. We can help.