Northwest Staffing Blog

Best Practices Equal the Best Results When Using Temporary Employees

December 22nd, 2009

Temporary staffing is a great way to get work done without adding to your overhead in Mill Creek, Washington and beyond. In fact, using temporary staffing can help you reduce personnel costs and increase productivity.

While using temporary employees is a smart decision, it’s also important to follow best practices to get the best results. Here are some tips.

Invite your staffing firm on site.
Ask a representative from your temporary staffing agency to visit your company so they can experience your work environment first hand. This will lead to more thorough job descriptions and better employee matches.

Be clear about your expectations.
What tasks do you want the temporary employee to accomplish? How quickly do you need him or her to perform those tasks? This is the kind of information you need to supply to the temporary staffing agency to ensure your needs are met.

Provide feedback to your staffing firm only.
Don’t coach the temporary employee about his or her performance. Track performance and provide feedback directly to your temporary staffing agency and ask them to coach the employee.

Replace temporary employees that aren’t working out.
If a temporary employee isn’t meeting your needs, don’t think twice about contacting the temporary staffing agency to have them replaced. Be sure to exercise any replacement guarantee offered by your staffing firm.

Also, do not terminate an employee directly. Simply inform your temporary staffing agency about the situation and let them handle it.

Communicate with your staff about using temporary employees.
Some staff members may feel threatened or become concerned that you’re out to replace them with temporary employees. So create a positive work atmosphere by explaining to your staff how temporary employees can help your company as a whole. Foster communication and cooperation.

Provide orientation for temporary employees.
When a temporary worker arrives on the job for the first time, be sure to give them a tour of the company. Also introduce them to co-workers and supervisors who can answer their questions.

Don’t discuss full-time openings or pay rates with the temporary employee.
Temporary employees work for the staffing firm, not for you. So if a full-time position opens up, or you want to negotiate rates, contact the temporary staffing agency directly and discuss the situation with them.

As one of Mill Creek’s leading temporary staffing agencies, Northwest Staffing can help you increase productivity and lower personnel costs through temporary staffing. Visit www.northweststaffing.com to learn more.

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