Forget temp agencies: Australian businesses are now ‘staffmaxxing’

Australian small and medium businesses are finding an unexpected way to deal with staff shortages and absenteeism: borrowing a helping hand from the business down the corridor.
 

Workplace expert Brett McAllen, CEO of @WORKSPACES, said a new form of informal business collaboration is emerging inside coworking and flexible workspaces, where businesses that have built trusted relationships are increasingly helping each other when workloads spike or staff are unexpectedly unavailable.
 

McAllen calls the trend 'staffmaxxing', businesses making better use of the people, skills and relationships already around them rather than immediately turning to external temporary staff.
 

"Staff absenteeism can be incredibly disruptive for a small business because losing one or two people can suddenly remove a significant proportion of your workforce," McAllen said.
 

"But something really interesting happens when dozens of businesses operate within the same flexible workspace. They get to know each other, they do business together and increasingly we're seeing that collaborative mindset extend to helping each other when somebody is under pressure."
 

The answer could be down the corridor
 

McAllen said traditional standalone offices can leave smaller businesses isolated when staffing problems arise.
 

"If you're a five-person business and two people are suddenly away, that can create an enormous operational headache," McAllen said.
 

"In a traditional office, your options might be to struggle through, bring in temporary assistance or ask existing employees to absorb even more work.
 

"In a coworking environment, there can be another option. You may already know another business down the corridor with people who have complementary skills and some spare capacity.
 

"Instead of searching across the city for help, sometimes the solution is literally metres away."
 

Any sharing of employees, McAllen stressed, needs to be properly agreed between the businesses and workers involved and comply with employment, confidentiality and workplace requirements.

Businesses are becoming part of each other's support networks
 

McAllen said the development reflects how dramatically coworking has evolved from its early reputation as somewhere freelancers simply rented desks.
 

Modern flexible workspaces boast a range of different office setups from large serviced offices to coworking desks and these sites can contain accountants, consultants, technology companies, marketers, lawyers, recruiters, designers, start-ups and established businesses working alongside one another.
 

"Most of our sites include corporate head offices and government agencies as well as smaller enterprises and start-ups. Because of the nature of flexible workspaces, people aren't sitting anonymously beside strangers anymore. They're developing genuine commercial relationships," McAllen said.
 

"They refer clients to each other, buy services from each other, collaborate on projects and share knowledge. Helping each other manage temporary resource gaps is a natural extension of those relationships.
 

"It's wonderful to see businesses saying, 'You're under pressure today, how can we help',"
 

Why pay for a temp if someone nearby can help?
 

McAllen said temporary staff remain important in many circumstances, but bringing an unfamiliar person into a business for a short period can involve additional cost, onboarding and time.
 

"Sometimes you absolutely need a temp or another external resource, but not every staffing gap requires that solution," he said.
 

"If businesses have trusted relationships and the right arrangements in place, there may be opportunities to share resources when one company is experiencing a surge and another has some spare capacity.
 

"Today I might help you. Next month you might help me. That's staffmaxxing."
 

He said the model can be particularly useful for short-term administration, reception, project support and other functions where appropriate skills can be shared."
 

Flexible shared office spaces already move part of the burden
 

McAllen said professionally managed flexible offices also provide businesses with support that would ordinarily need to be managed internally.
 

"At @WORKSPACES, reception, office infrastructure and various administrative support services are already available, which means businesses don't necessarily have to carry all of those functions themselves," he said.
 

"But the really exciting part is what happens beyond the services we provide. Businesses create their own ecosystem around them.
 

"One company needs graphic design, another needs accounting advice, someone else needs help with administration. Instead of everyone operating as an island, people start looking around the community."

Staffmaxxing reflects the new economics of the office
 

McAllen believes the trend highlights why more businesses are questioning the economics of maintaining traditional standalone offices.
 

"A fixed office gives you four walls and complete control, but it can also leave you carrying the lease, fit-out, meeting rooms, reception, kitchen, utilities, technology and every staffing issue yourself," he said.
 

"A flexible workspace gives businesses the infrastructure, but it can also give them something much harder to put a price on: access to an entire business community.
 

"Resources naturally ebb and flow. One business can be overwhelmed while another is having a quieter week. Creating appropriate ways for businesses to support each other can make everyone more resilient."
 

The office is becoming a business ecosystem
 

McAllen said coworking's greatest advantage may ultimately have little to do with the physical office itself.
 

"The future of flexible workspace isn't just about sharing desks. It's about sharing opportunities, knowledge, connections and, where appropriate, resources," McAllen said.
 

"Businesses don't necessarily want to operate in isolation anymore. They want flexibility and they want to be surrounded by other ambitious people and businesses.
 

"Staffmaxxing is another example of what can happen when you put great businesses together under one roof.
 

"Sometimes the person who can help solve your biggest problem doesn't need to be recruited. They may already be working just down the corridor."
 

About @WORKSPACES
 

@WORKSPACES is a premium, Australian-owned flexible workspace provider delivering enterprise- grade, on-demand office solutions across Australia. With locations in Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, the company offers serviced offices, coworking environments, virtual office solutions and meeting facilities designed to support modern businesses.
 

Led by CEO Brett McAllen, @WORKSPACES is focused on delivering high-quality, flexible and scalable workspace solutions that enable organisations to operate efficiently and competitively in a rapidly evolving business landscape. For more information, visit: www.atworkspaces.com.au