Hiring Great Temps- Here’s How

Posted July 12, 2013

According to the Bureau of Labor, there were roughly 200,000 temporary workers in the early 1970’s.  Fast forward to today and that number has skyrocketed to 2.68 million temporary workers!

Why the huge shift?  Put simply, it makes great business sense.  Temporary staff allows companies to:

• Quickly meet rising demands without adding  to the full-time headcount
• Eliminate the high cost of overtime
• Fill in for vacations and sick-time
• Better adjust to seasonal demand
• Reduce employment risk
• Secure hard-to-find talent for short-term projects

So are you ready to start reaping the benefits of temporary staff for your business?  Here are some tips to help ensure that your temps hit the ground running and have a positive impact on your team’s productivity:

• Choose a good provider.
  You know that saying, “You get what you pay for?”  Well that extends to temporary employees too!  You might be inclined to choose a provider based on price—but that can cost you in the end.  Instead, choose a provider based on value.  If you could pay $1 more per hour to increase productivity by 50%, would you?  Of course!  When choosing a provider, ask for references and conduct some due diligence. 
• Define expectations on day one.
  When a temp arrives at your location, be sure you clearly communicate exactly what is expected from them.  Make sure they know the job duties and responsibilities and provide direction on who they should talk to about any questions.  At Ambassador, we will even work with you to conduct this training ahead of time so the temporary workers we send understand their duties and expectations the minute they walk through your doors. 
• Talk with internal staff.
  In some situations, internal staff can feel threatened by temporary workers.  To help alleviate any concerns, be sure to explain to your internal staff that temporary workers will help reduce overall stress, support company growth and help ensure job security going forward. 
• Provide feedback.
  Be sure to provide feedback not only to the temp, but also to your staffing agency.  An open dialogue will help ensure quality hires going forward.

Interested in bringing on top temporary workers?
Since 1985, Ambassador has helped thousands of companies secure the talent they need to improve productivity and support growth.  Contact us today to learn more about strategic staffing services.