Procuring quality temp employees can be time consuming, costly, and difficult. You might go through hundreds of applications and perform a dozen interviews before realizing that all of the candidates you’ve considered aren’t qualified enough to do the job.
Even though your temp workers are only going to be with you for a few days, a few weeks, or a few months, they should still have the right skills and experience to do the work efficiently and effectively. Otherwise, they won’t provide much value, they’ll require more extensive training than you have time for, and they’ll increase your risks of workplace accidents and injuries. Temp workers are more likely to get hurt on the job, so you want to reduce this risk by hiring qualified employees.
Here’s how to ensure that you only find and hire quality temp employees.
Partner with a Temp Staffing Firm
Recruiting and hiring temp workers in-house may reduce your chances of finding the right candidates with adequate skills, experience, and education. If you’re only searching for candidates on job boards, then you’re missing out on the talent that doesn’t actively look on these sites.
A temporary staffing agency will have access to a larger network. Its recruiters have a broader reach and they have relationships with top talent that you can take advantage of. They also have the experience and expertise required to recruit, interview, and hire the right candidates—they know what to look for and they know what types of candidates to avoid. They have the repeatable, proven processes in place to hire correctly every time.
When it comes to finding quality temp employees, you should acquire the services of a high-quality temporary staffing agency. It’s the easiest, most efficient and cost-effective way of hiring the best temps.
Engage the Right Staffing Agency
However, you must realize that there are hundreds of temporary staffing agencies in your area. Just picking a number out of the phone book might not result in the hiring of quality temp employees. You need to find the right staffing agency for your unique hiring needs.
Consider your choice carefully. Learn about the agency’s reputation and years of service in the industry. Generally, the longer a company has been around, the more opportunities its recruiters have had to build relationships with candidates. Read reviews from past clients and candidates. Learn about their vetting processes to better understand how they weed out candidates.
But perhaps most importantly, try to work with a staffing agency in your niche. If you’re in the medical field, then look for a staffing firm that specializes in placing medical professionals. If you’re in the industrial field, find an agency that works to fill industrial positions exclusively.
A niche firm has many advantages over a generalized firm. Its recruiters will better understand your unique needs, challenges, and opportunities because they’ll understand your industry. The recruiters will be able to ensure that they hire the right candidates with the right skills and experience because they’ll understand the requirements. Its recruiters will already know how to find the top talent in your industry and will know who the big players are. And its recruiters will already have deep relationships with the exact type of worker you need, meaning you’ll benefit from faster hiring, too.
Plan Ahead
It’s not always possible to plan ahead when it comes to your hiring needs. Sometimes, employees will quit without notice or call in sick and sometimes demand will increase without notice. But last-minute hiring can reduce the quality of your temp workers. If you know that an employee is going on extended leave or is going on vacation, or if you know that your busy time of year is coming up, then give your staffing agency a heads up. Understand your typical recruitment cycle to ensure that your recruiters have the time they need to ensure quality.
