5 Tips for Managing Temp Workers

In today’s business world, the temporary workforce is

growing at a rapid pace. According to the American Staffing Annual Analysis,
“In a 2011 McKinsey Global Institute U.S. Jobs Survey of 2,000 employers of all
sizes and in all sectors, 34% said they expect their companies will use more
temporary and contract workers over the next five years.”

Temporary employees can be a great resource to your company, so if your
business is one of the 34% you should probably consider how to properly manage
these new employees. Consider the following 5 tips as you begin to hire temp
workers for your growing or seasonal business.

1. Have the Necessary
Paperwork

Learn More About Our Compensation Software

GET A DEMO

 

Every new employee is placed into your HR system for reporting
and data purposes. However, temp employees may not need to be added, simply to
be removed in three months. Still, you want to be sure you’re using the right
paperwork. This paperwork will depend upon the industry you’re in — for
example, agricultural workers have different paperwork than someone doing
clerical work in an office. Check USCIS.gov for a complete list.

2. Get Current Staff on
Board

Even though you’re working in a professional environment,
some permanent employees may not take well to having temp workers in-house.
However, with everyone on board the process of integrating temp workers into
the office can be very successful for the business.

• Proper training: You may not need to do the full
  onboard process for a temporary employee, but be sure they know enough about
  the company that they feel comfortable coming into the office and being a part
  of that culture.
• Important contacts: It’s important that your
  temp worker knows who they are working with and who they should be reporting
  to/contacting with issues.

3. Create Clear Goals

Temp workers are at your business for one specific reason — whether that be to fill the spot of a temporarily absent permanent worker, complete
a special project, or simply because you need some extra hands on board.
Because of this, you want to be clear in the goals of the position from the
start.

• Job description: In the job description, be
  clear about what you want. You don’t want to hire a temp employee you need to
  fully train for one project.
• Future potential: Many businesses take this
  opportunity to give new employees a trial period. Be clear in the interview
  about whether there is permanent potential or not. This could be a make or
  break for the candidate.

4. Remember They Are
Temporary

While you should always treat your temp workers the same as
current permanent staff, you want to remember they are in fact temporary.

• Keep them on task with what they are there to
  do, don’t overload them with extra work.
• Don’t give away too much information about the
  business; if having internal meetings, be sure to excuse them.

5. Know the Legal
Details

When enrolling a new, full-time employee, you give them the
run through about insurance, 401k, etc. However, temp employees may not get
those benefits right off the bat. However, depending on your industry, some
insurance coverage may be necessary. Be sure to consult your lawyer about workers
compensation and liability insurance to get smart about potential legal issues.

In a slowly recovering economy, temp workers are of high
value to businesses. However, it’s important that you know how to manage them
properly to stay legally compliant and within your long-term business
goals.  When you properly manage your
temp workers, you can be sure to get the most business value.

Jessica Sanders
is an avid small business writer. As the marketing copyeditor of www.ResourceNation.com,
she touches on a range of topics such as Gen Y hiring.