It is always good to have numerous employees working for your company or business. However, a business may not have enough employees for a sudden increase in workload or a new project. Hiring new employees can fix this issue; however, they become a permanent expense for the company. Temporary staffing addresses this issue more cost-effectively.
As its name implies, temporary staffing means hiring an employee for a contracted period, making them fulfill all the functions of regular employees. They also provide cover for other employees if they leave for vacations or maternity leave. For this reason, you should learn all there is to know about temporary staff solutions since it allows you to cover these situations.
In this article, well talk about everything there is to know about goodwill temporary staffing. We´ll cover:
1-What is temporary staffing?
2-How to hire temporary staff
3-Reasons to hire a temporary worker
4-Pros and cons of temporary staff
5-How to get the most out of temporary employees
6-What is a temporary staffing company?
7-How can Connectstaff help you with your temporary staffing?
1-What is temporary staffing?
As mentioned before, temporary staffing is the term we use for hiring an employee for a contracted period. Temporary employees do a job for a short amount of time. Companies directly hire temporary employees. However, they can also form part of a staffing agency, which sends temporary workers on temporary jobs.
Temporary staffing is different from other positions, mainly because of the short time frame the job has. However, other companies use these temporary staff solutions as a trial position for the temporary employees. On the other hand, temporary employees can use this provisional job to investigate and find out about any kind of business in case they want to commit to a full-time job.
Professionals choose temporary workers based on their talents and the need of their business. Taking a temporary job (also known as a gig job) makes an employee able to look for a full-time job, flexible employment, and even project-based opportunities.
A company or business employs temporary staffing instead of hiring a full-time employee. The main reasons are for time-saving on the hiring process and to defer the cost a full-time employee has. Temporary workers do need to be trained; however, some of them may not need much practice before they start employment or while on the job.
2-How to hire temporary staff
Now that you know the basics of temporary staffing, you might be wondering how to hire temporary workers, be it by doing so yourself or by staffing agencies. To know the answer to this question, we´ll need to go over the basics of temporary employment.
Rights of a temporary employee
Temporary workers need to have the same working conditions as permanent staff as well as the same benefits. They need to have the same working hours, pay and holidays that permanent staff has. If you don’t meet these requirements you must have a reason to justify any less favorable treatment.
In addition to this, you should inform temporary workers about any permanent vacancies in your business.
What should an employment contract for temporary staff have?
Whether the employee is temporary or permanent, you´ll still need a contract of employment for them. Legislation requires this contract. In it, the new hire has to give a written statement of employment particulars by the date they start the job.
You´ll need to be very clear about the role you´re offering them; include all conditions and stipulations. This contract is usually the same as any contract for permanent employees, with a few differences like:
- Inclusion of the date the contract is supposed to end, or for the project to reach completion. This is because it’s a fixed-term contract.
- You can´t terminate the contract before the end date unless it contains a notice clause permitting notice to be given before the end date.
- An agency is responsible for workers’ rights under working time regulations and national minimum wage law.
How long can you hire a temporary employee?
Any employee on a fixed-term contract can automatically become a full-time employee after 4 years. This is unless you have an objective business reason for it that justifies a further renewal for a fixed term.
It should also be noted, that if a temporary employee has worked for your business for at least a month (although it depends on the contract), they must give notice of their resignation at least one week in advance.
How much notice do you need to give a temporary employee?
Fixed-term contracts end on an agreed date. For this reason, you don´t need to give notice for it. However, you still need to follow a fair dismissal process.
Nevertheless, if you want to end a fixed-term contract before its agreed date, your contract will need to have a clause for it. You must make sure it isn´t in breach of contract. If your contract allows them to dismiss early, then you need to give the minimum notice period. If they’ve worked continuously for at least one month, you need to give them a week’s notice. And one week for each year they’ve worked, if they’ve worked continuously for two years or more.
3-Reasons to hire a temporary worker
Temporary staffing may seem inconvenient in comparison to hiring permanent workers. In reality, there are a lot of reasons for you to seek out temporary staff solutions. The main 4 reasons are:
Employee leave
As implied by its name, a business may need to hire temporary staff to fill the position of an employee on leave. They hire a temporary employee since they can´t replace the permanent employee that´s on leave. Once said employee returns, the temporary position ends.
Seasonal needs
At certain times of the year, a company sees a rise in demand for its products or services. In those cases, companies bring temporary workers to make up for it. This is done by the company since it only needs help for a short period of time. Some of these positions are recurring. Job seekers find work every year and usually for the recruitment company.
Short-term work
We refer to short-term work for companies or businesses that only open some times of the year or under certain circumstances. One example of these companies is the stores that sell items holiday items once a year.
Company gaps
If a company needs to cover a need that its own staff doesn’t perform, they hire temporary employees for it. For example, this can be for a freelancer needed for a one-time project.
4-Pros and cons of temporary staff
Temporary staffing brings a lot of benefits for the companies that hire them. However, goodwill temporary staffing also has some disadvantages. In other words, it has both pros and cons, so it’s important to know about them before hiring temporary workers.
Pros
Temporary staff solutions can cut the company´s overhead costs. Even though they get the same benefits as full-time workers, there are still some benefits they don´t get, which saves money. In addition to this, a company won´t need to spend much money on overtime. The company also won´t need to pay for the time it takes to administer their payroll or deal with compliance issues. Their staffing agency deals with that.
Secondly, temporary staffing allows you to evaluate your temporary workers in action. With this, you can ensure that the worker is suitable for your company. in case you want to hire them permanently. In addition to this, it makes you avoid wasting time, money, and effort on hiring workers that don´t fit your company.
Last but not least, it allows you to quickly adjust to workload variations. After all, sooner or later employees will call in sick, take vacation time, or even quit without notice. A temporary staff solution avoids just that and allows you to cover for those missing employees.
Cons
According to studies, temporary workers are more likely to get hurt on the job. Hiring new employees can be a risky practice for a business. You need to make sure that temporary workers are fully trained on health and safety before starting. Staffing agencies take care of this for their employees.
Secondly, there are legal issues since you have to make sure that you’re careful about their work statuses. You need to follow the letter of the law when it comes to the pay and duties you give them, and the way you treat them. If you don´t, you can face severe legal action for worker misclassification.
Thirdly, there´s a higher wage rate for temporary workers. Expect to pay at least 15% more on their hourly salary. This ensures fair pay for them, although it also takes into account the markup fee that staffing firms charge for their services.
Lastly, there may be team problems between temporary and permanent workers. Since temporary workers are usually seen as extendable, permanent staff don´t try to know them or help them. This makes it difficult for you to create a team atmosphere.
5-How to get the most out of temporary employees
After taking into account the pros and cons of goodwill temporary staffing you may be left with the question: how can I get the most out of temporary employees? First, you need to make sure to give a detailed description of the job, as well as any expectations you have for the temporary employee. This results in better productivity on their part.
Secondly, you need to ease your temp in their role. This is done by making sure to assign someone, making them responsible for the temporary worker´s experience at your firm. Have said assigned personal show the temporary worker around, and make him/her familiarized with the company´s equipment, and explain procedures. They should also answer any question the temporary worker asks.
You need to take into account, that an experienced temporary worker is accustomed to popping in and out of temporary jobs. So with that in mind, you need to make them feel comfortable in your business. This is done by making their stay more enjoyable and productive for them.
Lastly, it is highly recommended to instruct your employees to greet temporary workers in a friendly way. Make them respect the temporary workers and respond to their inquiries or requests punctually.
6-What is a temporary staffing company?
We mentioned staffing agencies many times throughout this article. However, you may be left wondering about what is a staffing agency.A staffing agency is a firm that connects businesses to workers for temporary or contract work. Staffing agencies charge businesses for the workers it finds to fill roles. This allows workers to find part-time jobs and businesses to get select staffing to fill their needs.
Simply put, staffing agencies act as the middleman between employers and workers. They match highly qualified candidates with companies that have current job openings. Working with a staffing agency saves your company time and brings other benefits. Some of them are flexibility and reduced potential legal risks.
When you choose to work with one of these agencies, the process usually goes like this:
- Employer contact staffing agency.
- The agency creates the job description.
- Staffing firm vets candidates.
- The employer makes a final decision.
- The staffing agency takes care of the paperwork.
7-How can Connectstaff help you with your temporary staffing?
Business owners do temporary staffing in crucial moments for their business. Whether it’s to fill a need or an employee on temporary leave or to get new hires during peak hours, it can be useful for you and your company. However, there is a lot of risks involved with them if you try to hire temporary staff yourself, that´s why it’s best to rely on a staffing agency.
That is why Connectstaff is your best option for a staffing agency. With over 20 years on the market, we can help you with all your temporary staffing needs. Send us the job description and choose from a pool of ready-to-deploy candidates who have appropriate experience.
Would you like to contact us to find out more about temporary staffing? Call us at +97143316688 or send an email to contact@connectstaff.ae and you’ll talk to one of our representatives that will gladly answer all of your questions.
