www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com | 33 “Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work we go” might be the daily mantra for America’s workforce – or at least it was before the pandemic. COVID-19 turned life upside down for many companies and their employees. Businesses shuttered or drastically reducing staffing, and workers were left to cope as best they could. Prior to the pandemic, 16 million job and career opportunities were available yearly through temporary staffing companies, also known as temp agencies. That number initially dropped by 3 million during COVID, but, very quickly, the shortage in first responder medical workers became apparent, and demand rebounded in this field. When testing sites, vaccines and boosters became a priority, additional health care employees were needed both for temporary and long-term assignments. Today, although the urgency for these workers has relaxed somewhat, the need for medical workers is still strong. In the Upstate, Kudzu Medical, the health care branch of Kudzu Staffing, has tripled weekly job opportunities because of COVID. According to Stacy Bayne, operations manager at Kudzu Medical: “We are here to help medical clients find the staff they need and to help health care professionals or those looking to enter the health care field find job opportunities. We provide PRN staff, temporary staff, temporary-to-permanent staff and direct-hire staff options, excluding M.D., P.A. and N.P. positions. Our most in-demand positions include caregivers, certified nursing assistants, medical assistants, nurses, housekeepers and dietary staff for long-term facilities, medical practices and hospitals.” There are several advantages to workers who uses a temp agency. A short-term assignment is a great way to try out a new job or career and to gain additional skills or experience. Because only 2% of those who apply for jobs online ever get invited to interview, a temp agency can be a way to get a foot in the door for a permanent job. Kudzu Medical also can provide short-term assignments for those wishing to fill in a gap between jobs or other commitments. Flexible hours and schedules are ideal for college students and part-time workers. Businesses also can benefit from using a staffing agency as their HR department, thus eliminating the time-consuming processes of recruiting, interviewing and onboarding. Bayne estimated that because her agency clearly lays out pay rate and job expectations up front, more than 85% of their job matchups are successful. However, she also acknowledged that some jobs are more difficult to fill than others because of hours, unusual schedule requirements or exceptional job expectations. Other benefits of using a temp agency include reduction of overhead costs; easy and quick access to short-term hires, specialty employees and talent networks; and the ability to try out an employee before offering a full-time position. Neither companies nor potential employees pay upfront costs for any hiring-related expenses. TO TEMP OR NOT TO TEMP For more information about Kudzu Medical, call 864-272-0182 or visit kudzustaffing.com. By Janet E. Perrigo SPONSORED MEDICAL CONTENT “ We are here to help medical clients find the staff they need and to help health care professionals or those looking to enter the health care field find job opportunities. “
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