How to create a temp-friendly environment

When it comes to temporary placements, first impressions go a long way toward ensuring success. We asked our veteran temporary employees to let us in on some of the steps that client organizations have taken to make them feel welcome and get off to the right start.

Provide a welcoming start
Inform your team—reception and other staff—that “a temporary employee of altisHR is expected tomorrow at 8:30 am, and should be directed to her Supervisor, Joan Smith.” Make sure people know the temporary employee’s name. All of this will help prevent any confusion or awkwardness when the temporary employee arrives.

Offer a thorough orientation
Give the candidate a tour of your office; introduce him or her to other staff. Be sure to point out kitchen facilities, closets, office equipment and washrooms. Provide a clear description of the what your department, branch or division does, and answer what you know to be the most frequently asked questions.

Depth of role
Make sure the temporary employee understands his or her responsibilities and your expectations: include significant deadlines, preferred document formats, location of electronic documents and an overview of company culture. If you engage numerous temporary employees, have a “Quick Reference Guide” available—something that describes the history of your organization, provides an org chart or corporate who’s who, core hours (lunch, breaks), employees and extension numbers.

Be inclusive
Although a temporary employee may be with you for only a short time, including him or her in your organization is extremely helpful to ensuring successful job performance. This is, in fact, one of the most common observations made by our temporary employees. Avoid referring to the person as “the Temp”. Invite the whole organization or group to practice team behaviour.

Give constructive feedback
Tell the candidate how he or she is doing. Provide performance feedback: praise for great work and consultation on areas for improvement. Like other staff members, temporary employees need to know if they are meeting expectations. Check in at least once during the first day, and then periodically throughout the assignment (ideally as part of your weekly timesheet approval process).

Take advantage of what a temporary employee has to offer
Avoid under-utilizing the resource’s abilities and experience. Often, temporary resources are more skilled than clients realize; make the most of his or her abilities and experience. Try not to relegate junior tasks to a talented—and eager—temporary professional.