Working with a contingent workforce is not always the same as dealing with your permanent staff. The process of bringing a temporary employee on board is often taken for granted as managers and other employees believe that the temps can hit the ground running. While it is true that temporary employees usually possess the specific skills required for the job, it is important to coach them on the company culture and workplace to be successful. To ensure the success of your temps create an onboarding program to get them acclimated to your business.

• Communicate with your full time staff. Often the barrier between the temporary employee and success is your current team. An uninformed team can feel threatened by a new short term employee. Stress that the new staff member is there to make a project run smoother and to provide help in the office. Talk to them about who will be arriving, how long their assignment will be, and what they are there to accomplish. Stress they are there to make the jobs easier, not harder. If your current staff works with the employee the entire duration of the assignment will be more pleasant and successful.
• Communicate with the temp and the agency. Ignoring a temporary employee for the duration of a three month assignment is also a sure fire way to make them dissatisfied with your company. Provide feedback, both good and bad, about their job. Encourage them to continue their good work. Correct anything that needs correcting so they don’t accumulate. Keep your recruiter in the loop about the assignment and they can be an advocate for you and the employee. The more feedback you can provide, the better equipped the employee will be to improve their performance.
• Assign an office mentor. One of your trusted team members can make a great liaison for the temporary employee. They can answer questions about the office, the company culture, and the job. The mentor can also check in with the temp during the assignment to make sure they have everything they need to succeed. This employee can also assist the temp with getting to know the rest of the team and feeling like a part of the office.

Are you in need of temporary help for a project in your office? If you are looking for temp agencies in St. Petersburg, contact us today.