In virtually all aspects of our lives, we’ve started to expect to have everything on-demand—information, food, entertainment, you name it. It makes sense that we’d want to have that digital responsiveness available to us professionally, as well. When it comes to hiring and recruiting, many organizations are embracing an “on-demand” model, where talent is sourced and hired quickly to fill immediate needs.

What Is On-Demand Hiring?

On-demand hiring is a way of matching immediate openings and project-based needs with an instantly available workforce. It prioritizes hiring employees for temporary assignments or long-term projects with an eye on a specific task or job at hand, rather than an open-ended career position. The benefits of on-demand hiring include flexibility and speed and reducing the overhead that would otherwise be necessary when hiring a traditional employee.

Critics of this approach feel like on-demand hiring undercuts the value of a traditional hiring process and creates a more shallow employee pool, with employees suited to specific tasks rather than overarching, nuanced roles. Still, with a growing emphasis on conserving resources and cutting time-to-hire, many organizations are opting to build up the on-demand side of their recruiting.

If your organization is trying to tap into that agility and develop a strategy for on-demand hiring, let’s review some strategies that can help you along the way.

Build A Strong Pipeline

If you want to improve your on-demand hiring, then creating a solid pipeline of candidates is an essential step. Hiring temporary or contract workers can increase your candidate pool potentially by the thousands, right off the bat.

Start with freelancers or contract workers you’ve worked with before. Even if they’re not necessarily on deck for a position at your organization right now, they’re great resources to have in a database for the future—plus, they may be able to recommend others. Current employees can also be a good resource to fill your talent pool, with contacts or former colleagues who could be good fits for your project-based jobs.

Create A Blueprint For Each Job

On-demand hiring cuts out a lot of the traditional vetting methods you’ve used in recruiting and hiring: rounds of interviews, extended resume reviews, etc. One of the main requirements of on-demand hiring is that you do it quickly, without the downtime that can bloat the hiring process. That means decisions are made based on a resume, CV, or other qualifications on paper. You’re trying to limit the time you spend on intangibles in order to hire fast. 

In order to optimize your hiring for an on-demand position, create a blueprint of what the job looks like and what the person holding it will need to have. Having a quick profile on hand (ideally developed by the project manager or supervisor) for each available job can help you find the right person faster, based on direct applicant information.

If your organization has regular on-demand needs, a job profile can help cut down on the time spent preparing for each job opening, because you’ll already have the profiles on hand and ready to go.

Embrace Digital Tools

There are a number of tech platforms and apps able to connect available talent with organizations that need to fill immediate staffing needs. The “gig economy” means that there are people out there putting their information into the ether, looking for opportunities like the ones your organization can provide. Marketplaces like Shiftgig and Wonolo collect information on qualified workers and work with organizations to staff temporary or project-based roles.

Refine Your Employer Brand

Because on-demand hiring is often an employee-driven market, you want to make sure you’re attracting (and attractive to) the best potential employees. That means having your employer brand front and center when a potential on-demand hire clicks on your website or reaches out for more information.

Keep an eye out for your reputation on sites frequented by freelancers or project workers, and make sure your values and company information is clear on your website. Emphasize why you’re a great place to work, whether you’re committing to a career there or just to a single project. The legwork here will make you more appealing to potential candidates as they look for their next gig. Again, you’re looking for speed, so the more you have in place before you hire, the better off you’ll be.

On-demand hiring can be an ideal way to keep up with the pace and challenges of modern recruiting. If your organization is prepared with templates, potential candidates, and information in place, your hiring process will be more efficient and have fewer pain points. Your organization should be ready for every possible kind of recruiting—traditional or on-demand—with tools that make your life easier.