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Temporary Hiring - Is It Right For You?By Robert GraberCEO, WallStJobs.comSaturday, July 07, 2007 |
Taking a few moments before reflexively calling for 'a temp' will markedly improve the entire experience.
With every economic downturn, there is a spike in hiring of temporary staff. If you don't believe it, just look at the stock prices of temporary service firms during periods of recession. But no matter what the economic climate, you have a business to run and using temporary help may well be a part of your human resource planning. The temporary staffing industry has changed markedly from both the candidate's and the client's perspective over the years, which means that taking a few moments before reflexively calling for 'a temp' will markedly improve the entire experience. Consider these issues:
Is It Cost Effective? Think Cost vs. Rate
The critical factor when making an efficiency decision in temporary hiring is to differentiate between the cost and the rate. Don't make a staffing decision based solely on the hourly rate charged. A skilled individual who is billed at $20/hr may be able to complete a project faster and more effectively than a generalist at $10/hr. Give serious thought to the skills required to complete an assignment accurately and with minimal orientation. Don't be pennywise and pound foolish by focusing excessively on billing rates.
Is there an "exit strategy"?
Will the assignment come to a finite end? For example, is this a 'fill-in' for a vacationing staffer or to handle things during a prolonged illness? Might you consider hiring the temporary staffer permanently? This information is extremely important for the staffing service when considering candidates for your assignment. Many temporary employees like the idea of working at many different companies and are not interested in full-time opportunities while others are using temporary assignments as 'auditions' for a new job. If you are using the temporary service to fill a job in the, "try before you buy" mindset, remember that by the very nature of the industry, you will be auditioning only candidates who are unemployed. The best person for your job might be working elsewhere and unreachable to a temp service.
Who will be in-house mentor?
Before you make a call to the temporary service, be certain that you have the resources available to get an assignment off to a good start, and that a temporary employee can acclimate quickly. This is best accomplished by assigning someone to be a mentor to the temporary. This person will be responsible for orientation tasks, such as showing the person their work area and the surroundings, making introductions to other staffers, providing input on office procedures, etc. If you are going to be the mentor, be sure you have the time to devote to the role and remember that it is almost certain that questions will arise periodically throughout the temp's tenure.
Managing the Rumor-Mill
Any efficiencies that you hope to realize by hiring temporary staff can be quickly sabotaged by the uneasiness created by your full time employees who are not "in the loop" concerning the arrival of a temp. It will be essential that you alert your staff to your plans with respect to the acquisition of temporary help. Explain what the person will be doing and how it will impact them (in most cases, it will make their jobs easier). Start this education process early so the information can 'sink-in' and when you know the name of the person who will be coming in, have the mentor (see above) inform the "troops." Be as transparent as possible about the circumstances surrounding the temporary assignment so there is a minimum amount of disruption and uneasiness about this new person coming into your firm. Do not minimize this part of the temporary employment process.
Using temporary help has become an accepted part of any firm's management strategy. The logic behind the use of such interim help is inescapable, it is flexible and cost effective and it can offer a firm the opportunity to fine tune its full time hiring success record by the 'try before you buy' methodology. That said, there are still pitfalls that can arise by moving too quickly to the telephone and calling for help. By giving the process the gravity it deserves, by doing some pre-planning, the likelihood of a good result is dramatically increased.
About WallStJobs.com
WallStJobs.com is the premier recruiting source exclusively for financial service professionals and is a member of the Jobosaurus family of uniquely specialized recruiting sites.
With every economic downturn, there is a spike in hiring of temporary staff. If you don't believe it, just look at the stock prices of temporary service firms during periods of recession. But no matter what the economic climate, you have a business to run and using temporary help may well be a part of your human resource planning. The temporary staffing industry has changed markedly from both the candidate's and the client's perspective over the years, which means that taking a few moments before reflexively calling for 'a temp' will markedly improve the entire experience. Consider these issues:
Is It Cost Effective? Think Cost vs. Rate
The critical factor when making an efficiency decision in temporary hiring is to differentiate between the cost and the rate. Don't make a staffing decision based solely on the hourly rate charged. A skilled individual who is billed at $20/hr may be able to complete a project faster and more effectively than a generalist at $10/hr. Give serious thought to the skills required to complete an assignment accurately and with minimal orientation. Don't be pennywise and pound foolish by focusing excessively on billing rates.
Is there an "exit strategy"?
Will the assignment come to a finite end? For example, is this a 'fill-in' for a vacationing staffer or to handle things during a prolonged illness? Might you consider hiring the temporary staffer permanently? This information is extremely important for the staffing service when considering candidates for your assignment. Many temporary employees like the idea of working at many different companies and are not interested in full-time opportunities while others are using temporary assignments as 'auditions' for a new job. If you are using the temporary service to fill a job in the, "try before you buy" mindset, remember that by the very nature of the industry, you will be auditioning only candidates who are unemployed. The best person for your job might be working elsewhere and unreachable to a temp service.
Who will be in-house mentor?
Before you make a call to the temporary service, be certain that you have the resources available to get an assignment off to a good start, and that a temporary employee can acclimate quickly. This is best accomplished by assigning someone to be a mentor to the temporary. This person will be responsible for orientation tasks, such as showing the person their work area and the surroundings, making introductions to other staffers, providing input on office procedures, etc. If you are going to be the mentor, be sure you have the time to devote to the role and remember that it is almost certain that questions will arise periodically throughout the temp's tenure.
Managing the Rumor-Mill
Any efficiencies that you hope to realize by hiring temporary staff can be quickly sabotaged by the uneasiness created by your full time employees who are not "in the loop" concerning the arrival of a temp. It will be essential that you alert your staff to your plans with respect to the acquisition of temporary help. Explain what the person will be doing and how it will impact them (in most cases, it will make their jobs easier). Start this education process early so the information can 'sink-in' and when you know the name of the person who will be coming in, have the mentor (see above) inform the "troops." Be as transparent as possible about the circumstances surrounding the temporary assignment so there is a minimum amount of disruption and uneasiness about this new person coming into your firm. Do not minimize this part of the temporary employment process.
Using temporary help has become an accepted part of any firm's management strategy. The logic behind the use of such interim help is inescapable, it is flexible and cost effective and it can offer a firm the opportunity to fine tune its full time hiring success record by the 'try before you buy' methodology. That said, there are still pitfalls that can arise by moving too quickly to the telephone and calling for help. By giving the process the gravity it deserves, by doing some pre-planning, the likelihood of a good result is dramatically increased.
About WallStJobs.com
WallStJobs.com is the premier recruiting source exclusively for financial service professionals and is a member of the Jobosaurus family of uniquely specialized recruiting sites.
