Hiring Strategy, HR Innovation, HR Management
Temping. It’s Not a Dirty Word.
Finding the perfect job can be a difficult and time-consuming task. While we all hope to easily apply to the job, land the interview, and get hired to a permanent position that we love, that is not always the case. If you find yourself looking for a foot in the door, but seem to be hitting a wall, you may want to consider temporary positions.
Temporary work has many misconceptions from both the candidate and employer side, and often pushes people away from considering it. Many assume that temporary work is basic, a time waster, or that the jobs are part-time only. However, many of those misconceptions are untrue.
There are a wide range of reasons why job seekers should consider temporary jobs. Temporary work can provide the candidate with many benefits, including:
- Making Money. Temporary jobs allow you to make money while you continue to search for a permanent position.
- Improving Your Resume. Temporary work allows you to show continuous employment on your resume, which is desirable to employers, and for recent graduates, temporary jobs allow you to gain work experience that will help your resume stand out.
- Staying Current While Learning. Temping allows you to keep your knowledge current, while learning and testing out new skills.
- Experiencing Different Industries. Temping allows you to test out your skills in various industries and can even help you decide which industry is the best fit for you and your career.
If you start temping for a placement company and do great work, you can easily get repeat work and your prime pick of the jobs available. Our Director of Operations, Paula Agee, worked for a temporary agency during college breaks and got experience as a receptionist for a local rock radio station, a research assistant for pharmaceutical trials, and then landed the prime spot filling in for executive assistants out on vacation. “It was a great variety and great experience,” she says, “and gave me access to professional references that I would not have otherwise had upon graduation.”
The benefits don’t just stop on the candidate side. Employers can also reap the benefits of bringing on temporary resources. Hiring temporary employees is a great way to manage periodic increases in workload or complete special projects. Many employers also use temporary workers year-round as a way to find and test new hires and complement their permanent workforce. For employers, there are three main pros to considering temporary employees.
- PRO: Ability to adjust quickly to workload fluctuations.
- PRO: Save on costs.
- PRO: Evaluate workers without long-term commitment.
In conclusion, it is important to keep an open mind when job hunting and give temporary work a chance. The benefits on the candidate side are great, and you can build your skills and your resume while making money. Employers should also not shy away from considering hiring temporary workers, because you may just realize that resource you brought on for temporary work is your next great hire.
If you are considering the benefits of temporary work and are looking for more information on how to hire a temporary worker, HR Affiliates can help you decide if it is right for your business. Contact us for more information today!