19 Feb How to Effectively Manage Temp Staffing

During the course of a single year, American staffing companies will hire about 16 million temporary and contract employees, according to the American Staffing Association. In a given week, this could mean about three million temporary and contract employees are working for temp staffing companies all over the country and are on temp assignments. As an example, you can imagine what would happen if one day the United States experienced a nationwide labor shortage with millions of jobs that needed filling. That is exactly what we have been experiencing in recent years and it has now become commonplace to see temporary workers being hired for certain positions such as customer service agents or retail sales associates. How does one go about managing these employees? Are there some specific policies that need to be followed when dealing with temporary employees? Below, we will take a look at how to properly manage a team of temporary employees and other ways to effectively manage your team.

What are the benefits of using a staffing agency for contract staffing?

There are several benefits to using a staffing agency for contract or temp staffing. They can help fill the void of employees that leave, they can save on overhead costs for the company, as well as save time for the people in charge of hiring. Other benefits include not having to worry about their individual payroll and payroll taxes, as the agency is the one that takes care of them. Temporary workers also offer plenty of flexibility in schedule and experience. Now we’ll take a look at some ways that you can effectively manage your temporary employees.

Set Up Expectations Early

For contract workers, it’s crucial that as a manager, you make your expectations for the employee clear early on in the assignment. To start this, make sure you have a clear description of the job or the project. Make you expectations clear in your agreement. Include the project or job description, the variety of tasks that the contractor may need to take part in, and the deadline in which completion is required for the job.

Use Their Previous Experience

A great way to find out more about their previous experiences and qualifications is through his or her resume. You can learn a lot from looking at the credentials of your potential candidates. By reviewing their resumes, you can get information about their extensive experience, level of training and education, work history, as well as any certifications and/or licenses they might have. This allows you to know about their skillsets and whether or not they meet the requirements of the position that you’re currently recruiting for.

Set Them Up for Success

Any temporary employee that you choose to have on your team will only be as successful as you set them up to be. If you get a temporary employee and blindly throw them into the position without any sense of direction, there is an unspoken expectation for that person to fail. While some staffing firms do a great job of orientation and training for these assignments, it’s always important to make sure that there is adequate training, even for short-term assignments. Provide guidance and assistance as needed, or even offer mentorship from a current employee who has plenty of experience in the line of work, if needed.

Treat Temporary Employees as Equals

There are a lot of cases where offices use the staffing services of temporary staffing agencies for a temporary position and that employee can end up being treated like a second-class citizen. It’s not the majority of cases, but it does happen. Temporary workers in today’s workforce come in with a wide variety of experience, education, and a diverse skillset. As a manager, aim to treat them no different than you would an employee in a permanent position in the company. They deserve the same amount of respect as every other worker in the building, as they are all there to make sure the company is as successful as possible.

There’s a strong chance that that temp worker could work themselves into a full-time position with the company. Some ways to make them feel like they are truly part of the team: invite them to lunches, interoffice parties, and company meetings that may involve their specific role. Making them feel valued is a great way to build a lasting relationship with both the employee and the staffing agency.

Give Quality Feedback and Ask for Input

Just as you would give your permanent employees constructive feedback, make sure you’re doing the same for temporary employees. As many temporary employees are looking to gain valuable experience in order to gain permanent employment, it’s important for them to get the quality feedback on their performance. Give temp staffing any helpful pointers and tips that they can use to increase their performance in their assignment or any help to increase their chances of becoming a permanent worker at the company.

Additionally, as many temp workers have years of experience in different office settings with different companies, they may have valuable input and experiences that could benefit your office and company. If you’re looking for an updated opinion on how to perform certain tasks or looking for a fresh perspective on things, a temp employee may be able to offer some valuable insight into your office functions. This can be beneficial to both you and the employee, as you gain more knowledge, and they feel like they are included in your organization, knowing that you value their ideas and opinions.

Keep Note of Their Skills

Chances are that if your company is utilizing temp staffing services or recruiting services, they are likely looking to fill a permanent role down the road. As a manager, make sure you take careful notes of your temporary workers and their skills. Their skillset and experience may come in handy during the search for a permanent employee, as you were able to see how well they fit with your company and your team.

Scion Staffing Offers Temporary and Direct Hire Staffing Services!

Scion Staffing is proud to offer award-winning temp staffing services, as well as direct hire staffing. When you partner with us, you can rest assured that regardless of your needs or staffing numbers we are able to seamlessly support your team. To learn more about our recruiting and staffing services, please contact us today. Additionally, to learn more about Scion Staffing, we invite you to visit our about us page!