Temp workers have been a vital part of American industry for decades, and their prevalence and usefulness is only increasing with today’s rapidly developing business environment. Businesses hire temporary workers for a wide variety of reasons, whether they are looking for extra hands for an unusually large project, or seeking out a specific technical skill that they may not need long-term. Nonetheless, employers often avoid hiring temp workers or do so only as a last resort, because they assume that hiring temp workers comes with a host of hidden consequences. But temp workers are often the best solution to your staffing needs, and stereotypes about temp workers are not based on reality. Here are some common myths about temp workers, along with explanations of their inaccuracy.
Myth 1: Temp Workers Can’t Get Full-Time Jobs.
When discussing temp workers, some people may picture caricatures like the character of Ryan on The Office — a temporary employee who is spacy, lazy, and uncommitted to his work. But this depiction of temp workers is not based in reality. In fact, temp workers are often some of the most energized and creative workers you can hire. This is true because they are workers who are experts in their field, and who are independent and driven enough to prefer work that works with their schedule. Some temp workers may be working to start their own businesses or work part-time on passion projects. And because of their limited time window at any given company, they approach their work with the gusto of a new employee and the thoughtfulness of a seasoned professional. In some ways, they may be immune to the burn-out that some long-term employees of your company may face. Finally, because they rely on repeated first-impressions, temp workers are incentivized to continuously produce excellent results.
Myth 2: Temp Workers are Hired for Unskilled Work.
This may be the most insidious and misleading myths about temp workers. Most temp workers actually have highly specialized skills in advanced fields, and this is especially true for the temp workers at Enterprise Staffing. One of the most common needs we help to meet is the need for professional commercial electricians. These workers are educated problem-solvers who not only have extensive experience in the field, working to build and repair complex electrical systems for a wide variety of commercial projects but also have undergone thorough testing by Enterprise itself. We make sure that our electricians are skilled enough that they can enter any commercial environment ready to diagnose issues, jumpstart projects, and do hands-on electrical work. In fact, many clients come to Enterprise because they know that we are an especially good source for skilled labor.
Commercial electricians are just one group among the dozens of types of highly-skilled temp workers that you can find. Here at Enterprise, we provide everything from disaster-recovery workers to office staffers to database developers. Each type of employee comes with a unique skill set and an abundance of experience. Unskilled labor can be found anywhere — come to temp worker agencies like Enterprise to find specialized and skilled workers.
Myth 3: Temp Workers are a Waste of Money
Many people assume that because temp workers are usually paid by the hour, hiring them will add unnecessary costs to a business’ operation. This is wrong for several reasons.
For one, temp work is so flexible that you won’t pay temp workers for any more hours than what you need. While the prospect of hiring new employees comes with the complex dilemma of determining marginal productivity versus marginal cost, the decision to hire a temp worker is basic arithmetic. Hiring a temp worker doesn’t commit you to any long-term costs, so it’s actually the most cost-efficient way to do business when you need a little bit of extra help.
Furthermore, businesses actually save money by increasing efficiency when they allow their permanent staff to focus on what they do best. While some business owners may be tempted to simply ask more of their permanent employees when there is a particularly large or daunting project, doing so is not a real solution. The financial well-being of a company relies on each employee meeting the goals of their own position and doing so with quality and care. When employees are asked to commit working hours to side-projects for which they may not have the skills, the quality decreases in both of the jobs they are being asked to juggle. Although it may seem like an added cost to hire a temp worker for some extra help, doing so pays dividends in efficiency.
Myth 4: Temp Workers Will Always Just Be Temporary
It’s true, this is a blog post about temp workers, but one of the best things about Enterprise workers is that they don’t have to be temporary! Staffing agencies like Enterprise are focused on finding quality candidates to fit your company’s current needs, and this often means short-term or transitional employment. But we can help provide staffing for any time range that your company needs. And if you hire a contractor as a temp-worker and realize you need them to stay on, we can help you and the worker transition into long term employment! Temp workers are so useful because you don’t have to make a permanent commitment, but needs change, and everyone knows that projects can drag on for longer than expected. You should never worry that a staffer you hire through Enterprise will be prevented from staying on with your company if needed.
Myths: Busted!
Misconceptions about temp workers are unfortunately quite common, and they can prevent businesses from getting the help that they need in the best way possible. Now that you’ve learned a bit more about who temp workers really are, contact the Enterprise Staffing family so we can answer any further questions you may have. We know that hiring decisions can be stressful, but don’t worry — our work speaks for itself!