Getting The Most Out Of Your Temp

By Lon Matejczyk

So how do you get the most of out of the temporary employees you’ve hired to fill in during crunch time, manage a short or long-term project, or fill in for staff members on leave?

Planning pays off. Explain your needs thoroughly to the temporary staffing agency. The experts can match up highly skilled candidates if they know your specific criteria. Temporary employees will also benefit from clear expectations.

Be prepared in advance before the workers show up. Have a work space ready for them and decide on what their routine will be and when they’ll start and end their work day.

When the employees arrive, make them feel welcome and part of your team. Managers should be ready to make introductions, answer questions on that first day and provide any supplies needed to get the job done.

Beyond the first day, give your newcomers feedback and make sure they have a good contact person at the company to answer any questions or concerns that come up.

It’s vital to avoid any miscommunication from the start. Correcting mistakes early on is a lot less costly than having to write off a whole day’s efforts because of a simple misunderstanding.

Temporary agencies like Apprentice Personnel also interact with businesses and their temp employees daily to get feedback and address issues.

Setting reasonable objectives for a temp worker is important. Offering a challenge is a great way to keep people motivated, but be realistic. Don’t expect a new employee to know everyone’s name in the first five minutes or be able to understand the way you do business right off.

Above all, treat temp workers the way you’d want to be treated. Newcomers, especially those who have worked at several firms previously, have vast experience and can bring a fresh perspective to your company.