Building up your team with temporary or contract workers is smart to get the talent you need fast. But onboarding temps is very different than onboarding full time employees. You need to know what they need to know to be effective on the job.

Here are the top 6 things your temp workers are eager to learn, even if they don’t feel comfortable asking you outright.
1.  Is this Job the Right Fit for Me?

Just as many employers rely heavily on temp workers in times of change, so too are workers looking for flexible options in their employment. For that reason, employers must understand that just as they are feeling out whether a temp worker is the best person for the job, they are feeling out whether this is the right fit for them. While you likely don’t have the answer to this question, it’s one you will want to have conversations about with your workers. Because once the answer to this question is no, you don’t want to be caught by surprise.

2. Am I Adding Value to the Team?

Providing feedback (both positive and constructive) to employees should be a regular part of the management process for full-time employees and for contract or temp workers. They want to know that they are contributing but also how they can improve. This is often a question best answered formally by their agency, but informal feedback and suggestions (or verbal recognition) is also very helpful.

3. Who Do I Go to If I Have Questions?

Temp workers are too often dropped into a new job cold, with little to no onboarding or context needed to do their best. Make sure they know who they can go to when questions inevitably come up. And also reassure them that there’s no such thing as a stupid question.

4. How Do I Get Hired Full Time?

It’s safe to say that a contract position is probably the best way to get employed if someone is looking for work. But almost every temp worker is looking for long term employment. That employment may be with you, or it may be with another company. So if you are in the market for someone who can fill a need long term, make sure that your temps are also in consideration. Otherwise they’ll slip away from you before you even know it.

5. Can I Take Vacation?

Clarity around what is and isn’t ok in terms of time off (for sick leave or vacation) should be ironed out between you and the temp agency. But be sure that your workers are eager to know what the process is and what the expectations are of them.

6. How Will This Temp Contract Help Me Grow My Career?

No temp worker doesn’t have their eye on their long term career. Even if the contract is for a short term stint, they are looking for opportunities to learn new skills and build their network. That’s one of the most impactful ways they can move forward toward larger career goals, so don’t undersell the opportunities available to them while working for your company.

Ready to Staff Up?

All-Star Personnel is a top-notch staffing agency in Tennesee that excels in contingent warehouse and production staffing. Contact our team today to discuss your temporary staffing needs.