Effective Strategies for Onboarding Temporary Staff

According to recent statistics, two percent of the workforce consists of temporary employees. Temps can be a godsend when it comes to filling in for permanent workers who take vacation (Hello, summer! It’s right around the corner …) or adding extra bench strength during peak business periods.

Employee Handbook - Ontario Staffing ServicesTwo percent may not seem like a lot, but when a business-critical employee is absent – albeit for a legitimate reason – you need to find the right resources to compensate for this deficiency. A temporary or seasonal employee may be just the ticket to keeping your business successful.

Onboarding temporary employees is a bit – but not much – different than onboarding permanent workers. With the right strategy, you can make the process efficient and valuable to your ongoing business success.

Orient Your Temps

Even though their tenure with your company may be limited, temporary employees need a robust orientation to their assignments – and as an employer, you need this, too.

  • Your temporary employee orientation may be less extensive. Be sure you cover all the basics: the specific role of the temp, an overview of their day-to-day duties, and your company’s philosophy, mission and vision; in other words, what you stand for as an organization.
  • Regardless of an individual’s knowledge level, it can be difficult to absorb too much information at one time. Ease temporary employees into their assignments, and avoid bogging them down with too much work.

Provide the Right Training

Learning a new job and adapting to a new culture can be just as daunting for a temp as it is for a permanent employee. You don’t have to cover every single detail, but provide a robust training program to ensure your temps’ safety, success and productivity while they work for you.

  • Familiarize temps with the software, hardware, and other equipment and resources to get the job done. Maximize your time with these employees by giving them a comprehensive understanding of your organization and their role in making it successful.

Offer a Buddy

Partner temporary workers with seasoned full-time employees. This will make the acclimation process smoother and less intimidating. Help create a more unified, team-oriented environment that reaches out to and includes your temps.

  • Assign them a partner. This way they’ll never be left wondering what to do or who to ask for when they need something.

Prepare Their Workspace

Nothing says “We’re not ready for you to be here” like an incomplete, unfurnished, unwelcoming desk or work space. It may seem like a relatively insignificant detail, but it’s one of those ways in which first impressions are indelible.

Be sure that your temporary employees have a place to work and be productive. This means:

  • Everything is set up and ready to go on Day One of their assignment. Systems are operable, email addresses have been set up, phones work, and the rest of the organization has been appropriately informed of their arrival, what their role will be, and for how long.
  • Organizational chart, internal phone directories, parking authorization? Check! Be sure they know how to get all their questions answered, how to clock in and out, where to call for takeout at lunch … all the minor details that could become major if your orientation strategy fails.

Contact the recruitment experts at Employment Professionals Canada to learn more about sourcing, hiring and retaining leading talent – and how to take all the right steps to make that happen on a regular basis.