Before You Hire: 5 Smart Alternatives Every Growing Business Should Consider First
Hiring full-time staff is often seen as the next logical step when growing a business. But for many Australian construction businesses, especially those with lean teams of 5 to 100 people, jumping straight to hiring can be costly and risky. With high wage costs, compliance requirements, and long recruitment cycles, more businesses are exploring smarter, more flexible ways to get work done.
Why Hiring Isn’t Always the Best First Move
In Australia, hiring a full-time employee costs more than just a salary. Once you include superannuation (11%), paid leave, payroll tax, and recruitment expenses, the true cost can be 1.5x their base wage. Add to that the average 32-day time-to-hire and risk of turnover, and it becomes clear that full-time staff aren’t always the best option for lean businesses.
Post-COVID, many SMEs are rethinking traditional models. In 2023–24, over 33,000 Australian businesses shifted from having employees to running solo or outsourcing, a clear trend toward agility and lean operations.
The 5 Smart Alternatives to Full-Time Hiring
1. On-Demand Support
Pay-as-you-go admin, bookkeeping, or customer support that scales up or down with demand. Providers like Lynk Global offer managed, trained support staff from just a few hours per week, with no long-term contracts.
Pros: Cost-efficient, no HR burden, fast to implement
Cons: Less embedded in company culture, shared attention
Best for: Admin, finance, inbox management, data entry
2. Part-Time or Fractional Hires
Bring in experienced professionals (e.g., CFOs, HR managers, admins) on a part-time basis—from a few hours a month to a few days a week.
Pros: High expertise, lower cost than full-time, flexible
Cons: Limited availability, less day-to-day presence
Best for: Strategy roles like finance, HR, marketing
3. Project-Based Freelancers
Hire specialists through platforms like Upwork or Fiverr for one-off jobs—from graphic design to web development.
Pros: Fast, flexible, access to niche skills
Cons: Requires vetting, limited continuity
Best for: Creative, digital, or technical one-off tasks
4. Automation and Software
Tools can now handle everything from scheduling and invoicing to customer support and reporting.
Pros: Cost-effective, scalable, reduces manual work
Cons: Setup time, not suited for every task
Best for: Repetitive or rules-based admin work
5. Outsourced Service Providers
Engage firms or agencies to manage entire functions like payroll, IT, marketing, or customer service.
Pros: Scalable, specialist expertise, lower overhead
Cons: Less control, depends on provider quality
Best for: Repeatable processes outside core business
What Roles Don’t Require Full-Time Staff?
Roles like admin, bookkeeping, HR, IT support, and marketing often don’t require 40 hours per week. Outsourcing or part-time help is usually sufficient and more cost-effective. For instance, a small builder may only need 5–10 hours/week of admin support, easily handled by an on-demand assistant or automation.
When Hiring Is the Right Move
Hire in-house when:
- The role is core to your product or service
- There’s a clear, ongoing, full-time workload
- You need deep company knowledge or cultural alignment
A Smarter Framework for Resourcing Decisions
Use this checklist before hiring:
- Is this work core to our business?
- Is there a predictable, ongoing need?
- Can it be outsourced, automated, or done part-time?
- What is the cost of doing nothing?
Why This Matters in Australia
With high minimum wages, strong employee protections, and complex compliance (Fair Work Act, super, leave entitlements), every hire is a commitment. Many construction SMEs are adopting hybrid models: keeping core site and delivery staff in-house while outsourcing admin and support functions.
By exploring these five alternatives first, you reduce risk, maintain flexibility, and can grow sustainably. Hire when it’s strategic, not just by default.