Running head: CASE STUDY 2 1
Case Study 2
Kennedy DeBord
Liberty University
BUSI 643-D03
Dr. Mary Jo Odom-Dull
April 1, 2021
CASE STUDY 2 2
Case Study 2
Flexible Staffing is something that businesses and companies will use for a variety of
reasons. Flexible staffing can be beneficial however it also can come with disadvantages. This
Case study will dive into a company’s decision to possibly employ the use of Flexible Staffing. It
will include a summary of the possible advantages and disadvantages of flexible staffing, a
summary of using a specific company for the service provider of flexible staffing, and a
summary of any additional information that should be considered as part of the decision-making
process. Flexible staffing is something that some members of the human resources community
have had success within the past and continue to use in their businesses; Kaiser Manufacturing
Company, in this case study, may or may not choose to use flexible staffing.
Flexible Staffing
Flexible staffing is something that some companies use frequently, some use
occasionally, and some never employ. Flexible staffing has many advantages, one of them being
a “flexible workforce may be used for adjusting staffing levels quickly in response to changing
technological or consumer demand conditions and to the ebbs and flows of orders for products
and services” (Heneman III, Judge, & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2019, p. 125). Flexible staffing is
exactly as it sounds, a flexible workforce that can be used or not used at the discretion of any
company or business. Every company or business is familiar with and uses a core workforce,
which is important for the foundation of any company to be successful. Flexible staffing is able
to come in and build upon the strength of core staffing, by providing a professional form of relief
or help if it is ever needed. Flexible staffing can provide cost advantages, which includes tax
advantages, and relief from employment laws and obligations (Heneman III, et al., 2019, p. 125).
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When flexible staffing is in use, it also can provide new knowledge and insights from other
workers that would not have been there if only a core workforce was in use. While there are
significant advantages to using flexible staffing there are also disadvantages. Employees that are
sourced from flexible staffing have been proven with research that they are less committed than
the core workforce employees (Heneman III, at al., 2019, p. 126). It is also important to consider
that these flexible employees may have knowledge about the service being provided or the
typical functions of the job, they may not be well versed on the technology and systems that are
in place, where as your formal employees have been well-trained and versed on all things about
the company. While it is possible for a flexible staffing member to go from temp-to-hire, there
will also be a bigger learning curve and acquisition situation, which can lend itself to being a
disadvantage rather than an advantage.
FSS Service Provider
Flexible Staffing Services (FSS) is the specific company in question when it comes to
deciding whether or not to use flexible staffing within KMC. Mr. Tom Jacoby gave a very
compelling and insightful presentation about FSS and their services. FSS devotes itself to
providing KMC and other customers with qualified employees, and also give access to a “temp-
to-perm” service. FSS charges a reasonable rate for using its services and it encompasses many
of the above advantages to using a flexible staffing service. A major advantage to using FSS is
the selection process of getting a flexible employee. FSS “offers customized selection plans in
which the customer chooses from among a set of special skill tests, a personality test, an honesty
test, and background investigations” (Heneman III, et al., 2019, p. 146), and this service is very
similar to the hiring process KMC would use to hire core employees. The selection process is an
advantage that negates some of the disadvantages from the previous section. FS, after their
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custom process, will then recommend the best candidates for the position, and KMC would still
have an option and say in who would be hired. The advantage is not only for cost advantages, but
FSS would do a majority of the “grunt” work in finding good candidates for the position, with a
possibility that they could be hired to become a part of staff if the position becomes a
requirement. Although there are a lot of advantages to using FSS, there are disadvantages as
well. Even though FSS uses a solid process to find and furnish employees, the employees may
still not assimilate well into the company. It is also possible that there will be tension between the
regular employees and flexible employees. If FSS is used to often, the core employees may begin
to lose trust in the hiring process of KMC.
Additional Information to Provide
It is important to note that KMC has been a business that has never used flexible staffing
in the past, and their employees have always had a trust and respect for the stability their jobs
provided. Moving forward with FSS could do one of three things; it could 1) cause the current
core employees to begin to lose trust and find another company to work for, 2) it could cause the
core employees and community to gain respect for KMC taking a step forward and embracing
change, and their willingness to adapt to the current market, or 3) it could cause a mixture of
both of those reactions. KMC has been reliable for 50 years, and the use of FSS does mean it
would become less reliable, it simply means KMC is able to adapt to a changing market, but still
provide job security for the community they work with and in.
