Temporary workers can bring a great deal of flexibility and dynamism to a business organisation. Employee illness? Hire a temporary worker. Seasonal surge in orders? Hire a temp worker! Sudden departure? Maternity leave? Employee shortage? Temp, temp, temp!
Temporary workers are that all-important cog in the wheel which keeps the business world running despite the vagaries of demand and supply. They are useful for all kinds of businesses from service industries to manufacturing, and come at all levels from janitorial staff to highly skilled professionals specialising in sophisticated fields like finance and IT.
Advantages of Hiring Temporary Workers
Temporary workers bring many advantages that make them a better option than full-time workers in certain scenarios. They are an excellent choice for companies which have to deal with a short-term project or a temporary surge in orders. You can also use them to fill stop-gap positions such as those that arise during employee leave or illness. Sometimes, companies that have open full-time positions hire temporary workers on an ad-hoc basis even as they continue their search for permanent staff. Temp-to-hire is another popular employment model that clients may resort to which enables them to try out different employees with a view to hiring them on a full-time basis.
Employing a temporary workforce gives employers exceptional flexibility and saves them time and cost vis-à-vis the recruiting process. It is a highly cost-effective model when the demand is of short duration (less than six months) and it saves companies from bothering about factors like payroll and compliance as the employees are technically in the service of the temping agency.
Skilled & Unskilled Workers
It’s not just unskilled or semi-skilled workers that take up temporary jobs. Today it is possible to find many highly skilled employees in fields such as finance and accounts, sales and marketing, mobile and web development etc. that are available for short-term hire. The UAE government’s 2018 order permitting full-time employees to take up additional part-time jobs to supplement their income has also provided a huge boost to the temporary job market opening the way for companies to work with premium quality talent and vice-versa.
Finding a Good Temp Agency
The search for good temporary workers begins with your search for the right temping agency. The right temp agency is not only able to understand your needs and provide you with suitable workers, but give access to a high-quality talent pipeline you can continuously fall back on. However, selecting a good agency is never easy and requires substantial investment of time and energy—something which is worth it given the potential dividends it could bring to your business for years in the future.
Below we list some important tips you could follow to zero in on the right service provider:
- Reviews, Ratings and References
Planning to go on the internet? Be sure to check out relevant reviews and ratings before shortlisting the agencies. Online reviews can be of great help during the shortlisting process. On the other hand, you could also ask your friends, peers and your industry body for appropriate recommendations.
- Industry Knowledge
Most agencies can supply unskilled manpower, but getting access to skilled workers is challenging. Fortunately, there are agencies in the market specialising in sectors like manufacturing, IT, banking, HR, legal etc. that offer a solution to this problem. It’s a good bet to reach out to them for specific manpower needs. Their industry knowledge and deep connections can help you find suitable candidates in the least possible time.
- Recruiting Process
Understanding the recruiting process is vital in your search for a good temp agency. If you are evaluating potential vendors, find out whether they tend to go the extra mile vis-à-vis recruitment. What are they doing to ensure they have a better talent pool than their competitors? Are they using professional networking platforms, job fairs, and employee recommendations to source the best candidates? What is the depth of their evaluation process? Is the selection rigorous? These are some questions to ask when they pitch for your business.
- Relationship with Candidates
The relationship of the agency with candidates is an important indicator of their commitment to the business. Do they share a bond with their candidates? What is the average number of years that employees hang around? How are they treated? What keeps them there? An agency with a revolving door policy needs to be viewed critically by the client as it shows lack of commitment. On the other hand, companies that treat their employees well are great news because it means they value stability and relationships.
- Legal Aspects
Temporary workers are employed by the agency which is the responsible party for purposes like tax, benefits, and compliance. Prior to signing the contract, it is important to ensure that the agency is in conformity with all rules and regulations like the UAE Labour Law and others. You might also want to see the contract between the temping agency and the candidate for an insight into the indemnification clauses.
- Costing
Temp agencies charge their clients the salary of workers and add a mark-up for their services. This type of arrangement is suitable for short-term hiring, offering both economy and convenience. Bear in mind that while cost is important, it should not be the sole criteria for your hiring decision. An obsession with pricing could lead to the selection of a poor-quality agency which could end up doing more harm than good.
Seeking Out A Business Partner
Ultimately, the goal is to find a staffing agency which can deliver on a consistent basis. The objective of the shortlisting/evaluation exercise is not so much to find a temping agency as to seek out a reliable business partner with whom you can grow the business. The above are some valuable guidelines on how to enable this. But eventually, any such process needs to be customised to your organisation for the best results.
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