Temporary staff recruitment options for your business

Most businesses encounter times when they need to quickly find staff to fill roles on a temporary basis. Someone might be away on sick leave; a key worker might unexpectedly need to look after an ailing relative for a week or two; or there might be a huge order that needs to be filled at short notice.

The best way to find short-term employees is to use a temporary staff recruitment agency. These firms have a database of candidates who are ready to step into a workplace to fulfil its needs at short notice and for short periods of time. And just as importantly, have the skills to do so. 

Broad skills set

Don Clutterbuck, manager at Monarch Personnel, points out that since many of the candidates on his temporary staff recruitment list have worked in a variety of roles, they bring to any new workplace a whole host of skills.

"As long as you give the recruitment firm an accurate brief of what sort of person you're looking for, then they should be able to quickly find someone to fill the role," he says.

These temporary staff should then be able to do the job: 

• with minimal training
• with minimal supervision
• without disrupting the rest of the workplace.

An easy trap

Don suggests that the worst thing a business can do when they need temporary staff is to call on a friend or relative of someone in the business.

"It's a sure way of getting the wrong person for the job," he says. "It might seem comfortable, easy and cheap initially, but when that person doesn't know how to do the job, causes disruption and you then need to let them go, it will end up costing you time and money later on." 

Worse still, not replacing employees who are away for extended periods can cause an increased burden on other workers and result in lost business.

Benefits of temporary staff recruitment

Using a temporary staff recruitment service will help ensure that temporary staff:

• bring fresh skills in to the workplace
• fit in smoothly
• add value immediately
• come without the need for much training or supervision
• are flexible, in terms of time and skill sets.

Succession planning

In many businesses, if temporary staff are needed, a succession plan allows the business to push the vacancy to the bottom of the skill group. For example, if a manager is away, a junior staff member can step up and the business recruits a receptionist or admin officer instead.

It's called forward planning and it will hold your business in good stead to accommodate temporary staff when necessary.

So talk to an employment services consultant today and discover how temporary staff recruitment can benefit your business.