Temporary Staffing

Temporary Help or Temporary Staffing is one of the fastest growing recruitment trends all over the world. It is gaining popularity with firms both big and small. Temporary employees work on the client site but remain on the payroll of the external agency supplying the Temporary manpower. All the responsibility, right from recruitment to on-boarding lies with the external Temp staffing agency. Client only provides specific functional training so that the Temps can work effectively and efficiently.

Why would a company hire Temporary Staff?
Companies use Temporary staff for several reasons. Temps are most commonly used to handle excess or unexpected increase in work load. Temps are also hired as contingency workers till the company finds full time permanent staff for the position. Temporary staffing is also a great way to try out new employees. If found suitable, Temporary staff is then offered permanent positions.
Another use of the Temporary workers is on occasions where the permanent staff has gone on leave or has left the company unexpectedly. In such cases the company can hire Temporary Staff to finish the projects on time.

What areas do Temporary workers typically serve?
There are many functional areas where one can hire Temporary staff. Specific job titles may include Accounts manager, Clerical/Administrative Officer, Service or Maintenance staff,  Secretary, Data Processor, Word Processors, Typist, Call Centre Operator, Administrative Assistants, General office clerks, Filing clerks, Receptionists, Data entry clerks, Cashiers, Shipping clerks, Receiving clerks, Assembly line worker.

Gone are the days when Temp workers used to pick only the low wage jobs that required repetitive work. Now you can hire highly skilled workers as Temps. For example Computer Programmer, IT Analyst, Business Analyst, Project Manager, Engineer, and professional workers in the Accounting, Legal, Sales and Marketing, HR Management are some of the commonly hired Temporary skilled workers.

How do I hire a Temp firm?
Before you hire a temp firm, understand your needs thoroughly and recognize your priorities. If possible develop a job requirement listing skills set and education. Ask for agency’s track record in your job category. Keep the following in mind while choosing a Staffing agency.

• Geography: You can hire a local firm or a national Temp agency. Local agencies have a distinct advantage since they have a closer connection with their local community and workers as compared to larger national companies.
• Specialty: Temp help providers have become increasingly specialized. Earlier they simply provided Temporary employees as needed, wherever they were required. However, recruiting agencies realized that they needed to specialize by profession or industry in order to gain advantage over their competitors
• Guarantee: Reputed agencies generally guarantee satisfaction, waiving fees for workers who do not work out or perform as expected.
• Experience: The agency which holds considerable experience has a better reputation in the market and is favorable to provide skilled temporary manpower as per the requirements.
• References: Check references to make sure that Temporary Staffing agency has satisfied clients.
• Size: It is advisable to hire a Temp staffing agency that is similar to the size of your company. Small companies gravitate towards smaller Temp staffing agencies while large organizations go in for bigger Temp staffing agencies.
• Fees: Fees vary by skill level. If you are only looking for unskilled help, don’t approach a company that mostly places skilled workers. They are likely to be more expensive than a company that specializes in placing unskilled staff.

Advantages hiring Temporary staff.

• Hiring process is easier.
• Temps can work flexible hours
• Reduces your liability
• You do not have to provide benefits to Temps.
• You have the opportunity to concentrate on core areas.

Drawbacks of hiring Temp workers.

• Temps have high turnover rates.
• It is tough to find highly skilled Temps for critical positions and if they do not perform, your projects suffer.

Temporary Staffing, if done right can be highly advantageous for your company. If you are facing a recession or uncertainty in your business, hiring Temps makes even more sense. You can hire specialists or unskilled Temporary Staff without worrying about firing them if things do not turn out as expected.