That’s why I’ve never really understood the idea that standards should be lower when recruiting temporary staff. The recruitment process may need to be considerably faster, but you still need people who are reliable, capable and appropriately vetted. Sending whoever happens to be available might fill a space on a rota, but it doesn’t necessarily solve the client’s problem.

How temporary workers are treated once they arrive matters too. Someone walking into an unfamiliar workplace needs to know where they’re going, who they’re reporting to and what’s expected of them. A relatively simple induction can make the difference between somebody becoming productive quickly and spending their first shift trying to work everything out for themselves.

There is also a commercial benefit to getting this right. Businesses that treat temporary workers well tend to find it easier to attract them again. Good temporary workers have choices, particularly when the local employment market is busy, and they’ll naturally prefer assignments where they know they’ll be welcomed and treated as part of the team.

Temporary recruitment makes up a significant part of what we do at ASL Recruitment, so we see both sides of this every day. The best results come when the agency, client and worker all understand what’s required and each treats the relationship professionally.

A temporary assignment may be short, but the work being done during it still matters to your business.

Final Thought

If somebody’s contribution is important enough for you to recruit them, it’s important enough to recruit them properly, however long they’re staying.

Photo by George Pagan III on Unsplash