Temporary staffing firms recruit and hire temp workers to fill businesses’ workforce needs when they are short-staffed. The use of staffing agencies and temporary workers is becoming increasingly popular for a variety of reasons—like reduced overhead, overtime, and training costs—there are still some myths and misconceptions that linger about the industry and its professionals. Here are five myths about temp workers that simply aren’t true. Let’s dismiss them right here and now.
1. They’re Only Useful for Admin Jobs
Many staffing agencies do specialize in finding candidates for administrative jobs, like administrative assistants and receptionists. However, the industry has grown so much during the past few decades and these firms now also offer more specialized and high-level candidates for a variety of positions.
Generalizing to say that all temp workers are low-level administrative people is simply wrong. Staffing agencies can and do hire experts in just about every field to take on special projects or more difficult work when it comes up. Some agencies even specialize in only hiring these types of professionals for higher positions.
2. Temps Are Unqualified
Staffing agencies use thorough screening processes to ensure that the temp worker that is assigned to a particular position has the skills and requirements needed to get the job done efficiently. People join staffing agencies for many different reasons and at many different stages in their lives and careers—they’re not just unqualified high-school drop outs.
Many temps have specialized skills that assist companies in filling particularly difficult positions when they have been unsuccessful on their own. A staffing agency’s recruitment processes and screening processes are in place specifically for this reason.
3. Temp Workers Can’t Find “Real Jobs”
While it’s true that many people who choose to work with staffing agencies to find temporary work are actively looking for full-time jobs, many are not. Some professionals choose temp work assignments in order to grow their client base and network with businesses that could be advantageous to their future. Many people prefer to have many different jobs to learn new skills and meet new people when they’re considering changing careers.
And still other temp workers use staffing agencies to get their foot in the door in their chosen field when getting a full-time job in their industry can be difficult without connections. Some people might be looking to add a variety of work experience and references to their resume and some simply like the challenge of temporary assignments.
4. Temp Workers Are Limiting Their Career Opportunities
A lot of people choose temp jobs while they’re in school learning their trade for some additional income or while actively looking for their dream jobs. Working temporary assignments is simply an easy way to work around their busy schedules while they’re on their way to their career. As mentioned above, other temps are grateful for the opportunity to work with major companies in the industry they’re looking to work in full time in the future.
5. They Are Unreliable Workers
A lot of people believe that temp workers are unreliable. If a business owner is looking for a 6-month contractor, he might be worried that hiring a temp worker for the job will only lead to disappointment. Why? Because he thinks that temporary work is just an in-between gig and that the person he has hired will quit the second he gets offered a permanent position elsewhere. However, temps are used to making both short- and long-term commitments to assignments, and many aren’t even looking for permanent positions, so there’s nothing to worry about.
