This is a guest post from Auria Heanley, co-founder of Oriel Partners. As part of our Recruiting Weekly Series, Auria shares her thoughts on how to hire temporary staff.
Temporary staff offer a significant amount of flexibility for a business and can be hired quickly and let go quickly when there is no longer a workload for them. A temporary worker can fill a gap in employment or be taken on during a hectic time period, or if you are looking for someone with a specific skill set to work on a shorter-term assignment or project. Read on to learn how to hire from a temp agency.
What is a temp worker?
A temp worker is hired for a short period of time. If a temporary staffing agency assists with the hiring process, the candidate will be on their payroll to not add to your headcount. The agency will be responsible for their national insurance, pension contributions and holiday pay.
Generally, the temp will be paid per hour and receive their salary weekly in arrears. A temporary position can be for any length of time, be it a day or two, to cover sickness or for several months; a temp booking can be adapted to suit the particular needs of your business.
What are the types of temporary workers?
Businesses can hire temp staff to cover all roles for different durations and specific skill sets. Temporary employees can be hired on a temporary or fixed-term contract.
A good recruiter will take a thorough brief from their client and ensure they are not only finding a candidate with the appropriate skills to succeed in the role but also someone who is the right culture fit for the organisation, which can be equally as important.
Where to find temp workers?
As with permanent long-term roles, there are several places you can go to when looking to hire temp or agency workers.
- Relevant job boards are an obvious place to start, and you can post an advert on there which outlines what you are looking for. For example, if you advertise a remote job, try posting first on a remote jobs board. However, be aware you may become inundated with responses which can become very time consuming to filter through.
- LinkedIn or social media platforms can give good exposure to people looking for work, but again may lead to an influx of response, much of which may not be what you are looking for.
- The easiest option is to use a recruitment agency to help you with hiring. Even with a short term temporary worker, they will have a network of suitable candidates ready to go, many of whom have been tried and tested previously. So, you can feel confident you are getting someone who knows what they are doing and won’t let you down.
- Word of mouth is another option. Asking your current team if they know of anyone suitable could lead to a quick, short term solution for you.
What to avoid when finding temp workers?
Candidates leaving before the end of the assignment
Be aware that many candidates who will consider temp work are also looking for permanent employment but happen to be available immediately. This means there is a risk that they will start the assignment but continue to interview for permanent roles and then leave at short notice if they are offered a long term opportunity.
This, however, goes both ways. And you can also end the temp assignment very quickly if needed. The more upfront and honest you can be with a temp candidate, the easier it is for them to adapt their timescales and expectations around you.
Candidates you have to spend a lot of time training
You also want to ensure the candidate you are taking on, on a temp basis, has the skills required to settle into the role quickly. Otherwise, the time you take to train them up may defeat the object of hiring them in the first place. If you need to train, KMI Learning explains how e-learning can reduce costs. Writing a clear advert, having a detailed job description, carrying out a thorough interview or using a reputable agency you trust can all help avoid this situation.
Candidates that are unsuitable or unqualified
Referencing is a very important part of hiring a temp candidate to ensure you secure a suitable candidate for the role. This should also help confirm the candidate is who they say they are, with relevant experience and allow you to avoid any surprises.
Key Takeaway
Whether you’re looking for a temp for short-term cover or someone to fill a temp-to-perm position, a good recruitment agency will help find you the ideal candidate that’s ready to hit the ground running at short notice.
About the author:
Auria Heanley is co-founder of Oriel Partners, a boutique PA and administrative recruitment consultancy based in Central London. She is extremely passionate about providing the highest quality of service to both clients and candidates. Oriel Partners’ clients range from global multinationals to small boutique firms, all requiring the same personal service and high calibre support. Follow Oriel Partners on Instagram.
