Temporary workers are important for companies because they cover employee absences, seasonal needs, special projects and provide a way to screen potential permanent employees. When used strategically, temporary employees or “temps” can help improve productivity, increase capacity, and provide access to specialised skills without increasing your business’ fixed expenses.
So how do you ensure that the temps you hire succeed and benefit your business?
Here are five key steps to help you succeed with temporary staff.
- Determine the type of skills you require before hiring. Meet with the managers and people who will be working with the temporary staff to find out which skills are necessary for the position you want to fill. Examine permanent employees who perform well in the same job description and find out which skills make them successful. Make sure you list these skills in your job post. You don’t want to spend a lot of time and money training someone that won’t be staying long.
- Work with an experienced labour hire agency. The main benefit of using a labour hire agency is their screening process. A good agency will take the time to learn about your company, its culture and the specific skills you are in the market for. An experienced agency will also know where to look for the right person so as to fill the position within the shortest time possible. This will also free up your people and resources so that they can concentrate on their core activities.
- Take the temps through a rigorous orientation program. The orientation should include information such as working hours, lunch schedules and breaks, safety regulations, company rules, and contact information for direct supervisors. Assigning a core employee or supervisor to handle the orientation would help smoothen the process. The labour hire agency should also be able to provide guidance on how best to bring your temps up to speed so that they can hit the ground running. The agency may even conduct the orientation and initial training for you.
- Communicate openly and clearly. Whether temporary or permanent, all employees need feedback. Correct mistakes gently and acknowledge and appreciate good work. This will help the temps to serve you better in the future. Encourage your temporary employees to ask questions and make sure they know who to direct the questions to.
- Keep in touch with your staffing agency. The relationship with your staffing agency should be maintained even after the temporary workers have been provided. Give regular feedback about the temps’ progress, effectiveness and productivity. This will help your staffing partner to improve the quality of candidates in the future.
It is important that your company conducts exit interviews to access the effectiveness of temporary worker systems in your organisation. Ask them how well their orientation prepared them, how well their daily workflow was managed and how this affected their work.
Our experienced recruiters strive to make sure that every temp we provide to our clients is successful. Let Blue Collar People help you get the best for your company.
