Small Businesses - Surviving the Sluggish Economy

The current economic trends have resulted in many smaller organizations cutting back or closing their doors altogether. Without the cash flow and holdings of larger corporations, the smaller entities are struggling twice as hard to just keep afloat and ride the waves until the markets turn around and the recessionary cycle ends. For some, this has meant outsourcing various processes that were once in-house tasks.



Many small business enterprises have followed some of the larger corporations in placing their recruiting efforts and recruiting vendor management into the hands of experts, such as Creek Systems. When it comes to talent acquisition and staffing, whether for permanent placements or for contingent workforces, outsourcing the recruiting function has many benefits. Utilizing a company such as Creek provides access to real-time recruitment metrics on demand via their licensed VMS technology. Company executives and hiring managers can obtain accurate data about candidates, the interview process and on-boarding status with a few keystrokes.



When in-house HR departments are freed up from daily recruiting tasks, they are able to focus on strategic initiatives that can impact the company's NOI. Developing strategies for labor cost containment and benefit plan architecture will help limit corporate expenses during tough economic periods. Human Resources staff has more time to assess and monitor liability exposure and mitigate risk. This can be crucial to retaining corporate earnings and protecting stakeholder assets.



According to Precise HR Consulting expert, Dr. JM Aycock, companies such as Creek Systems provide levels of expertise in the area of workforce acquisition and staffing that many smaller businesses are unable to sustain in-house. "Small business entities do not have budgets capable of sustaining contingencies of highly skilled recruiting specialists", says Aycock. She adds, "Recruiters with expertise in a wide variety of industries, knowledgeable in many areas of specialty skill sets can command hefty salaries. In addition, the cost of purchasing a license for a top-line vendor management system to track recruiting efforts placed externally is financially not feasible for a small organization. When you also consider that the pool of HR expertise within smaller companies is either extremely limited or nonexistent, considering a firm such as Creek Systems for outsourcing the entire recruiting and staffing components can be the optimum solution to realize a ROI. Outsourcing is often the best strategic move executive leadership can make".



In further commentary, Dr. Aycock expounded on the benefits of engaging a third party organization for business solutions, like Creek Systems, who offer a variety of services that include:



• Executive Recruiting

• Workforce Acquisition

• Vendor Management System (VMS)

• Recruitment Process Outsourcing Services (RPO)

• Enterprise Consulting



Aycock stated, "When small business is hit hard by tough economic times, it is imperative that they maximize the return on expenditures and mitigate their liability exposure. Placement and retention of highly skilled staff that are compatible with the corporate culture is crucial. This is especially true for executive leadership and management positions that need to be filled quickly. If your organization does not have the HR recruiting expertise in-house or your HR team is over-burdened with recruiting tasks, outsourcing this component can be vital to the company's operational efficiency. Companies such as Creek Systems offer strategic solutions that are cost effective, that mitigate HR risk and increase corporate efficiency."