SI Review: May 2014

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The Other Side: Teach Them Well

Temping can be more than a stop-gap measure

By Ian Traylor

I have found working as a temp to be a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, I have definitely appreciated being employed and have enjoyed the variety of businesses where I have been placed. On the other hand, I have found that temping very rarely leads to traditional, full-time employment and I find myself in a cycle of uncertainty: I’ll have a full-time schedule for a few months and then dry spells of no work for a few months.

Such sporadic employment makes it next to impossible for me and others like me to plan for the future, as steady employment is a vital cornerstone of a good life. I would like to blame this irregularity of engagements on my staffing firm but in all fairness it’s more than just them. The end user — customers — have a role to play as well.

It’s become the norm for companies to use long-term, full-time temps. This is great for businesses, but not so great for workers. We often work the same jobs as companies’ full-time employees, but realize none of the benefits, like the sense of security that comes with being an employee, the steady routine, not to mention paid sick or vacation time. And often there is financial disincentive to taking us on as full-time employees even if there is an opening. And that’s where I point a finger at staffing firms.

Finder’s Fee

For example, most temp agencies charge a “finder’s” fee if the business does want to hire the temp. I’ve heard that these fees can be as high as 10 percent of the worker’s first-year salary. Even at a lower-end position, such a fee could be an insurmountable barrier for temps like me. I’ve actually been told before that this fee is a reason other temps and I were not considered when full-time positions became open. Why would a company pay thousands of dollars in a conversion fee when they can get someone that is not bound by the terms of a staffing firm?

Given that, you may be asking why I sign up with a staffing company in the first place. It’s because even sporadic work is better than none. Therein lies the catch-22 of temp work. We need you. And you need us. But our relationship could be more symbiotic. You could be doing more to keep me busy, and could be doing less to prevent me from being hired after I’ve proven myself. After all, I would be happy to extoll the virtues of temping if it leads to a better opportunity.

Educating the Ecosystem

I am actually very thankful for all the work I’ve gotten and all the work I will get in the future. But I think there needs to be a huge effort made to educate customers as well as staffing firmsabout the benefits — including financial — of temporary work and doing it right.

Once both sides see and understand this approach, the advantages will trickle down to the temporary worker as well. After all, headlines constantly focus on the war for talent. Given that, it’s frustrating that companies seem to be more inclined to go the temp route as a quick-fix to get them through the bad times rather than creating real career opportunities. And creating career opportunities is not that complicated. In this process, companies and staffing firms will earn the gratitude and loyalty of a pool of workers who are hardworking and give back. This boosts everyone’s bottom line.

I look forward to those days.

 Ian Traylor is a contingent worker.