Bridging the Print Industry Staffing Gap: Finding Expert Support Through Augmentation Contracts

Your business is going through its busy season, putting out more print jobs than at any other time of the year, but being short-staffed has made it difficult for your team to keep up with the demand. Increased caution about health throughout the pandemic has made many people hesitant to return to on-site roles. Those who were able to work remotely during lockdowns want to continue doing so, even though restrictions are being lifted.

Even before the pandemic, staffing was already a growing challenge. Many print industry workers are maturing, with thirty to fifty percent considering retirement within the next ten years. Organizations are struggling to recruit younger people due to their lack of industry knowledge and awareness.

When you’re down team members, especially on the shop floor, how do you manage? Absences need to be filled. As job volume increases, you need more hands-on deck. Not only do you need short-term assistance keeping up with jobs, but you also need long-term support with training and on-boarding to fill the impending gaps over the next decade.

Enter, Staff Augmentation. With the help of Ricoh’s Professional Services, you can take advantage of short-term contracted support to meet your immediate staffing needs. Here’s how: 

Quick access to experienced assistance

Onboarding and training a new hire may be unrealistic in a short timeframe. Alternatively, pulling in existing employees to fill the gaps is not a sustainable solution and could ultimately lead to an increased risk of errors and reduced productivity when people are stretched too thin.

With short-term staff augmentation contracts, you can get the expert help you need without missing a beat. Bring in Ricoh experts who know their way around the production floor and can hit the ground running to keep your operation going while you seek out more permanent team members.

Seamless onboarding

With expert support on site, you also get the benefit of a faster and more seamless training and onboarding experience for new hires and employees who are taking on new roles within your business. Typically, it takes about six months to get someone up to speed, but with labor shortages, you don’t have the luxury of investing that time into a long training process when you need help now.

Augmenting your existing workforce with technical experts can help. With new team members working alongside seasoned operators, they have a front-row seat to seeing how things work and learning from the best, without your productivity and output having to slow down.

Short-term help for long-term success

To maximize the benefits of short-term support, consider augmentation contracts a regular part of your operating plan. Check in on your staff routinely so you can be prepared for life events like retirement or parental leave in which you may need quick expert support to keep your operation running without much interruption. Think about how staff vacations have affected your operation in the past and reserve a budget for hiring short-term help, especially during peak seasons, which can be less forgiving when you’re short-handed.

We can help. Whether you only need to bridge a five-day staffing gap, or you need someone on board for several months to keep business going, Ricoh Professional Services has the resources to help. Interested in learning more about how Ricoh’s Staff Augmentation can provide your organization with the staffing support you need for success? Contact us to understand how you can build short-term support into your long-term plans.