Temporary recruitment is an effective solution for companies that need a qualified profile for a specific and punctual task.

While many companies are worried about bringing employees who will only be around for a few weeks to a few months for special occasions, in truth temporary employees are often the smartest decision a business can make. If you have a significant shift in workload based on the season, yearly deadlines, or special projects, temporary employees can make a huge difference in both productivity and staff morale. 

So here are our best tips on how to properly recruit your temporary employees.

1) Plan for temporary hires months in advance

Temporary employees in a business environment for tasks like accounting and customer service can’t be picked up outside the home improvement store, they take time to find, interview, confirm, and schedule. Ideally, you want to be organizing your next temporary employee recruitment wave the moment your busy season dies down. Let your recruitment agency know that you’ll be needing another wave of temporary employees the same time next year so they have plenty of time to find the right people.

2) Use a checklist for hiring 

You can also use a checklist for hiring an temporary employee. The checklist will help you to shortlist people who can be eligible for the job. To create a checklist, you will need to list down all the things that you are expecting from your employee. For example, your employees should have good communication skills, they should be aware of specific software applications that you use at your company, they should know any foreign language if necessary and so on. The thing is that each of the companies has its own requirements, so you will need to come up with your own checklist.

3) Make the most of their time

Temporary workers are typically hired to support specific tasks or projects. While it’s important to make them feel welcome, it’s also important to stay on task and meet the assigned goals. Here are a few tips for making the most of their time:

• Treat them like professionals and empower them. Temporary workers are a great way to gain new perspectives. Treat your freelancers and temporary workers as professionals and empower them to make decisions and share ideas.

• Don’t focus on corporate integration. Your temporary staff is likely just that: temporary. Unless you are working to turn your temp workers or freelancers into employees, it isn’t necessary to integrate them into all of the corporate happenings. While having them connect with their assigned teams will be supportive of their role, it’s important to be mindful of their time and project deadlines.

• Stick to specific tasks and duties. Don’t overload your temporary staff with additional duties. The contract or temporary job assignment likely outlines specific tasks and duties, so it’s important to stick with those until the assignment is up or transferred to an employee position.

4) Get Employee Recommendations

It’s important to remember that your existing employees know what they’ll need from their temporary team members during their stay. Ask your staff for specifications they’d like included in the job listing and consider taking their input during the recruiting process as well. While you don’t have to use every suggestion dropped in your inbox, the insight from your team who are personally familiar with the work at hand will give you a very clear and thorough view of who you’re looking for.

5) Discover what they are looking for 

Everyone has a reason as to why they applied for a job. Find out what it is. If a temporary worker or freelancer is only doing it for the money, it might not work out the way you want. Look for a professional that hopes to contribute to the company while also learning something new.

6) Bring Back Favorites If They're Available

Some of your temporary hires will live a lifestyle or have an annual schedule that aligns well with your yearly needs. If you really enjoyed a few of your temporary employees because they were fun to have around, great workers, or were particularly talented, keep in contact with them and let them know that they're welcome back next year. The best way to be sure that your busy time of year will go exactly as planned is to know who is coming and that you can count on them.

Whether you need accountants to round up the fiscal year or Seasoned developers to help you catch up with a regulatory project, the temporary employees you hire are still an important part of the team. For more advice and tips on recruiting valuable temporary team members, contact us today!