Getting the most from your Temporary Employees
The rise in temporary workers has most definitely been noticeable in recent years, with temp and contract roles increasingly seen as being among the norm at many organisations.
Temporary staff can be highly valuable assets when treated correctly. Let’s look at some simple ways by which you can enhance productivity and raise morale among your temporary staff.
Have A Plan In Place
Ensure you have a clear plan of action from the get-go in order to get the most from your temps. This should include the period of time they will be working for you (even though this could be extended please outline the initial period), their role and responsibilities, and their place within the company. The rest of the business should also be made aware of such things so that the employee in question knows what is expected of them and their colleagues also understand where this individual will fit into the company. This should result in a smooth transition as the employee settles into the business and also as the business adjusts to a new addition to the team.
Practice Effective Integration
As you would hope that all new employees would settle in well to the business, the same should be a priority for your temporary workforce. As with any new starter, temporary workers should receive an induction to the business. This will save you time in the long run as they will have a better understanding of the business which should in turn result in a better overall performance at work. Temporary employees should have access to all facilities and amenities available to those in permanent roles, such as the staff canteen, childcare facilities, etc if applicable. Invite them to any company social events and welcome lunches if this is standard practice within the business. Ensure that they are aware of who they report to within the business, and it may be helpful to assign a mentor to them within the company if this is possible to help them settle in. Setting up monthly meetings with your temporary employee and setting out a plan for the weeks or months ahead is a great way of reviewing their role within the business and getting feedback from them on how they are getting on. Giving credit where credit is due, along with recognition and other incentives will make the employee feel valued and more motivated to perform well. Effectively, by treating them as a permanent employee this will ensure optimum engagement throughout the temporary assignment.
Engage & Motivate
Often when something is only for a short time, it is hard to become passionate or motivated about it. However, as you want temporary employees to perform as well as possible at your organization, it is important that they are engaged and feel motivated within your company. Creating a positive impression of your company could also result in these temporary workers becoming rehires at some stage or even accepting permanent offers at the end of their contracts. Pay is often a massive motivator for people, so ensuring temps are paid on time and that their timesheets are up to date and signed off is key to ensuring a healthy working relationship for both parties. Think of incentives like you do with your regular employees, flexible working hours within reason, bonuses, commission, and paid overtime should all be options for your temp employees if they are options for your permanent staff. If you think that they are a good fit for the business, make sure to discuss potential long term opportunities within the business. Encourage them to attend any possible internal training for upskilling. Essentially, ensure that they feel part of the team, that their contribution is valued and that they are part of the overall success of the business.
Meet Their Needs
One must strive to meet the needs of their temporary employees which are generally to learn and upskill, to work for high performing companies/teams, build their networks, break into new industries and gain experience with specific systems/processes that are in high demand with other employers. As well of this they also generally wish to feel like part of a team and be included. Salaries comparable to permanent employees within organisations are also desirable.
Temporary workers are a beneficial and often necessary addition to a workforce, they may fit in slightly different to the normal workplace structure, but in order to ensure they reach their maximum potential and achieve optimum results, one should provide them with adequate attention. By following the above best practice pointers, one can ensure that both the business and the temp benefit adequately for the duration of the contract.
If you would like to book a temp or find out more about our recruitment services here at La Crème then please get in touch with myself at the below contact details.
