As the economy continues to improve, job creation is also steadily on the rise – particularly in the temporary employment category. Since the start of the recession, over 1 million temp jobs have been added – oftentimes companies will allot 20-30 percent of their positions for temporary/contingent workers. Employers truly see contingent labor as a strategic part of their workforce plan.
Why are people flocking to temp work?
Job seekers are still recovering from the Great Recession, as well as grappling with highly competitive talent pools. Temporary employment allows job seekers to:
- Get their foot in the door at a great company
- Earn additional income, especially during the holiday season
- Take advantage of flexible schedules
- Leverage training opportunities
In certain industries (namely IT and engineering), temp and project work is deemed more desirable for job seekers as it’s a way to be exposed to a larger range of skills. And, as the job market becomes increasingly competitive, job seekers will be willing to take on temporary assignments to make themselves more marketable.
What about the perception of temp work?
In some cases, temporary workers are misjudged and are not considered an integral part of an organization because they are perceived to have different goals and values. Or, perhaps some full-time employees feel temp workers threaten their jobs. Neither of these scenarios are true.
Temping has now become the norm, and you need to assure your full-time employees that they’re not in danger of being replaced by temps. It’s quite the opposite—they need each other to succeed. Over 80 percent of employers worldwide have a favorable view of temp workers, according to information published by Staffing Industry Analysts. This means that temps are here to stay, so learning how to work together is more important than ever.
What’s so great about temp workers?
A survey posted by Staffing Industry Analysts breaks down why employers find temp workers valuable – and the reasons go beyond filling an immediate need:
- Flexibility (89.4% of employers)
- Value in answering short-term needs (87.8%)
- Benefit in identifying candidates for long-term positions (75.7%)
- Cost-effective solution to HR challenges (61.2%)
- Bringing external expertise into the business (49.1%)
How can you keep temp workers engaged and increase retention?
According to Staffing Industry Analysts, positive relationships with staffing agencies have tremendous effects on employee happiness. So much so, that in a survey they conducted, temp workers actually had a higher satisfaction rate than permanent employees. A few things Adecco does to increase temporary employee engagement and retention include:
- Offering additional training
- Implementing recognition programs
- Building personal relationships with associates
Now for the bottom line.
How can temp work benefit companies?
Temporary workers help grow your business, while reducing costs. More and more companies are taking on a larger volume of temporary workers. According to a recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), 46 percent of HR professionals expect more than 20 percent of their workforce to be made up of contingent labor. By using contingent labor, you’ll see significant savings not just in overhead and benefits, but through soft costs such as time spent by other employees on sourcing, onboarding, training and more.
