Temporary employees can be very helpful when dealing with extra work, peak production seasons, or when a need arises in your office. However, it is very important to prepare your current staff for the arrival of a temp. These short term workers are often taken for granted by managers or other staff members or, at worst, treated as a threat. The temporary employee needs to feel comfortable on the assignment and a little preparation will go a long way. Here are four ways to prepare your current staff for an incoming temp.
- Map out the temp’s role. Feeling threatened by an incoming person is natural so make sure it doesn’t become an issue when you bring someone on board. Assure your team that this short term employee is not there to take anyone’s job. If the temp is there to help with additional workflow let everyone know they are free to concentrate on their day to day tasks and this project will be handled by the temp. A temporary addition can help the department stay on track.
- Encourage open communication. Even without the addition of a temporary employee, your staff should feel comfortable coming to you with any concerns or questions at any time. Success of a temporary assignment will hinge on honesty about what they short term employee is doing and how they help. You should trust your team to tell you about positive and negative experiences with the temp in the office.
- Create a comfortable space for the temp. All too often companies don’t plan well for the arrival of a temporary employee and they don’t have a workspace or equipment for them when they start the job. This sometimes means that a temp is sharing space with a permanent employee. This can lead to very uncomfortable situations and should be avoided. In the day or two before the temp is scheduled to arrive, talk with the necessary departments to have everything in place.
- Ask your staff to mentor the temp. Your current employees have a lot of experience and knowledge about your company. You can tap into this information to help the temporary worker succeed. Trust a senior employee to get the temp oriented on the job. This shows that you trust them and believe that they are a valuable part of the office team.
Are you looking to bring on temporary workers for a project or to help out in the office? If you are looking for temp agencies in Deer Park, contact us today.