In a crisis? Then send your staff out on loan
Feb 4 2009 by Andrew Hebden, The Journal
IT'S often said that businessmen lose their heads the moment they step inside the boardroom of a football club so it might seem an unlikely scenario that corporations would ever look to sport for ideas when it comes to running their companies.
There are, however, obvious parallels between the loan system that operates in football and the proposal that is being suggested as an antidote to the economic crisis.
Officials at Workwise, the project that encourages businesses to adopt flexible working models for staff, have suggested a form of loan scheme that would allow companies to “share” their workforce with other businesses.
The idea is in its embryonic stages, but could work very much in the same way as the loan system operated in football, with employees moving to another company for a period of, say, six months.
Those companies suffering a downturn in demand could offer staff to businesses where they are in need of people with such specialist skills.
An arrangement would be reached between the two sides which may see them share the costs of the labour, allowing the host firm to tap into a much-needed resource while the parent company cuts its costs but retains the services of skilled staff for the long term.
There are all sorts of complications such a system might throw up, of course. For example what happens if the worker takes to his or her new job and fancies making the switch permanent?
Also, how would workers feel if they were to learn that their services were effectively being “touted” to a rival?
However, these are all issues which crop up from time to time in the football world with loan signings but there is usually a sensible solution to be found and the same would most likely be true here. After all, in the current climate most workers realise the dire problems that their employers face and, if such a scheme effectively improves their long-term employment prospects, then they will most likely seize it.
While the fine detail needs to be ironed out, the scheme appears to have many advantages as the economy dives head first into recession.
Ironically, it was actually dreamed-up to cope with exactly the opposite economic climate, when skills shortages were the most common problem facing businesses and such a project was seen as a way that sought-after skills could be effectively shared between businesses.
Workwise is keen to play a part in rolling this project out in the North East and it certainly looks like something that is worth trying.
Now what’s required is an organisation with the necessary resources to act as a broker.
With One North East now well into its Real Help for Businesses Now campaign, this seems like an ideal opportunity for them to play such a role.
