It may be a crisis, it may be for holiday or sickness cover. It may be the need to maximise flexibility in today's competitive markets. Whatever the reason, over 10% of the UK's workforce is made up of "complementary workers". As ambassadors for us, we choose our temps with care - not only for their skills but also for their temperament and adaptability.

Using Temporary Staff Successfully

The flexible labour market is large and growing. It is estimated that over 1 million people work on temp assignments every day throughout the UK and recruitment consultancies operate in virtually all sectors of industry and commerce, supplying staff with a wide range of skills.

The reasons for using flexible staffing are many and varied. Holiday, maternity and sickness cover, staffing for peak loads, or manning a special project are all typical reasons for taking on temporary or contract staff. Flexible staffing also helps to reduce and contain costs. Companies have the benefit of the staff they need when they need them, without the fixed costs of permanent labour when skills and capacity are not needed. Using temporary staff effectively can pay dividends for your organisation - here are some guidelines to help you:

Communication

It is vital to invest time up front to brief your agency about your needs, an essential part of making sure you get the service you deserve.

• ask them to spend some time with you, finding out about your organisation and the types of skills you need. This will help them to select, recruit and induct the right temporary staff for you.

• building a close relationship is important. Make sure you get to know the consultants who will handle your business - and consider introducing them and giving access to the key people in your organisation who will be working with temporary staff.

• arrange for regular feedback sessions. If you use a large number of temporary staff, you may want to do this in absolute terms (attendance, time-keeping, induction, skills and competence) or in more subjective areas like attitude to work, skills, initiative, ability to work without supervision, etc.

Involvement and Integration

Integrating temporary staff into your own workforce effectively will produce the best results

• allow them access to staff canteens or similar facilities. Make sure your supervisors understand the value of temporary staff to your organisation and that they respect them and the contribution they make.

• ensure your agency knows what training you expect temporary workers to have, what induction they will need, and any health and safety issues that need to be covered.

• when temporary staff arrive, make sure that someone is available to meet them, show them their work station and introduce them to relevant others. Make sure you tell them about any house rules, e.g. on smoking, breaks, availability of refreshments/meal breaks, Internet usage policy and give them a contact name in case they have any queries. Ensure that they are aware of health and safety issues and emergency procedures. Consider developing an induction checklist specifically for temps which could save you valuable time.

• report back to your agency immediately if the temp does not meet your standards. Many recruitment consultancies formally guarantee the quality of the temporary workers they place.

Agree Standards

Quality standards can take many forms and it's good to be clear from the start:

• Quantitative - e.g. how many staff are you likely to need? What size staff pool can the supplier reasonably be expected to provide?

• Timing - what lead time is reasonable between notifying the requirement and expecting staff at your premises?

• Appearance - do you have any rules about dress or appearance?

• Equipment - in some sectors, temporary or contract staff may need to provide their own equipment or protective clothing. Make sure your agency knows what is essential.

• Skills - what training and knowledge are needed to do a good job? What steps have been taken to make sure these are in place?

• Attitudes - what attitudes are expected from temporary staff? How will the supplier identify these as part of its selection process?

Finding Flexible Staff

You can dramatically improve your chances of finding temps who will meet your standards by choosing a recruitment consultancy which is a member of the the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). All REC members commit to Codes of Practice which stipulate best recruitment and customer handling standards in virtually all sectors of the employment market. When you choose a REC member you choose a company which will:

• ensure that temporary workers are suitable for the assignments for which they are put forward

• check references on temporary staff before assigning them to clients

• comply with current legislation relating to statutory payroll deductions

• always agree clear terms of business with you as soon as possible after receipt of your booking

Contact Us

If you'd like to send us information on the temporary booking you are looking to fill and to get a call back from one of our consultants then please move to our vacancy submission form.

If you'd rather give us a call to discuss temporary workers in more detail and to hear just how we might be able to help, please do call us on 020 8680 5777 or just click here to move to our main contact page - we'll be delighted to hear from you.