The benefits of a temporary employee

As recently as 12 months ago, it was
not difficult for companies to find
employees willing to work on a temporary basis. At the time, it did not matter
what the salary was or how long the assignment would last. Temporary job opportunities were limited, and there was little risk
that the temporary would leave for a full-time job. With a thriving job market, things
have changed and temporary employees
now have multiple temporary job opportunities from which to choose. Consequently,
recruiting firms and companies that rely on
supplemental work forces are having to
educate themselves on how they can
attract and retain sought-after temporary
employees.

Smart Business talked with Michelle
Cook, vice president at Delta Dallas, to
learn more about how to attract and retain
temporaries in this market and how companies and staffing firms can adapt to it.

How do companies benefit from hiring temporaries?

Some of the benefits include flexibility,
reduced liability, and time and cost savings.
Whether it is a temporary job lasting a few
hours or several years, using a temporary
allows companies to adjust their work
forces to meet their ever-changing needs
and to remain fully staffed during busy
times. Since temporary employees are fully
employed by the staffing firm, companies
are not financially responsible for their
unemployment or workers’ compensation
claims. That translates into reduced liability and costs for them should problems
arise. Companies also save time by working with a staffing firm to design a screening process that fits their hiring strategies.
It might include personality tests, credit
checks, background checks, drug tests,
and/or software evaluations. As a result, companies will only see qualified candidates — saving them time from going
through resumes and interviewing unqualified candidates.

How can companies attract and retain temporary employees to be competitive in this
tightening labor market?

In order to attract temporary employees,
companies need to know why someone
would want to work for them and should be
able to communicate the reasons clearly.
Those reasons are typically the same ones
that attract permanent employees. Pay and
perks are high on the list. Regarding pay,
temporaries are becoming more educated
on their market value. The pay of a temporary position should be in line with the
salary the company would pay for the position if it were full time. Taking the annual
salary for the position and calculating it on
an hourly basis is a practical approach. In
the current employment market, candidates
are shopping around, so perks such as paid
parking, casual dress codes or even free
lunches are attractive.

Should companies interview for temporary
positions?

If your company is requiring interviews
for temporary positions chances are you
are losing out on top talent. Those candidates will take other temporary positions
that start immediately and do not require
interviews. The person you should be interviewing is your staffing firm or H.R.
Department. Making sure that they have a
clear understanding of your needs and
expectations will result in a successful
selection for that position. After all, that is
what you are paying them for.

Once temporary employees are aboard,
companies are now faced with ways to
retain them. It is always a good idea to do
a modified orientation for them and cover
items like parking, bathroom and break
room locations. Anything you can do to
make a temporary employee feel more at
home will benefit you greatly.

Is mentoring more important than training?

With retention as the ultimate goal, training and mentoring are equally as important. Companies need to make sure they
clearly define the goals and objectives of
the job, thereby setting the expectations
from the beginning. This will help ensure
that companies get the best ROI. Providing
a mentoring program can be a nice addition. This means designating someone in
the company to whom the temporary
employee can go to for guidance and
answers to any questions they may have.

Remember, attracting and retaining qualified temporary employees is all about supply and demand.

MICHELLE COOK is vice president of Delta Dallas. Reach her at
(972) 788-2300 or [email protected].

Michelle Cook
Vice president
Delta Dallas