WORKING WITH TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES: KNOWING YOUR NEEDS

Employment trends are shifting. According to officials at the American Staffing Association,  U.S. businesses now spend over $50  billion a year for temporary employees

One of the biggest complaints industry professionals hear is that the temporary employee they received did not have the right skills for the job.  The dictate for success when contracting contingent employees is knowing precisely what skills you need, not the job title you want to fill. If you have experienced this scenario did you call and ask for a "word processor" or a "secretary"? Neither description offers much detail.

Don't be afraid to get comprehensive with your needs. Get together with staff prior to requesting your temporary employee and look carefully at what tasks they will need to perform. Precisely look at the functions they'll need to know in your software packages. Share these duties with your Staffing Resource Specialists versus just asking for a person in generic titles. Broad uses for temporary workers now exist including computer analysts, engineers, accountants and even doctors. If a short-term project involves troubleshooting or handling precise, critical assignments, it's time to ask for a degreed professional. Lastly, make sure your staff is organized in how they will work efficiently with this individual so that you can maximize their benefit for your staffing needs.