Temporary workers on assignment at your company…leave. After all, it’s right in their description: they are “temporary.” So why should they even expect any type of commitment from you? And why should you expect any commitment from them?
Excellent questions! But here are better ones: why shouldn’t you provide them more commitment (albeit temporarily). Why shouldn’t they be more committed to you?
Sometimes referred to as “external workers,” many HR professionals believe it’s critical to “align” external workers to a business’ goals. In addition, according to a recent survey by the Society of Human Resourcees Professionals (SHRM) and SAP SuccessFactors, even more HR pros think that engaging temporary workers would have a terrific and positive effect on their organizations.
They are, of course, right.
That said, here are some strategies and attitudes your company can try to get more commitment from your temporary workforce (without entering the bugaboo of co-employment).
- Offer training.
Yes, they’ll leave with the new skills or education without “paying” for it and you will lose the benefit of their new abilities going forward, but providing such a great perk can make you an employer of choice in your region’s temporary marketplace. Word does get around, after all, and you soon enough could see temporaries eager to take on assignments at your company, rather than your competitors’.
After all, in a Los Angeles/Orange County region where temporary workers are willing to drive long distances in order to receive a higher minimum wage, becoming the company that helps them learn new skills could come to be a game changer for you when it comes to attracting top temporary talent.
- Respect – really respect – temporary workers’ contributions.
Your company says it wants an engaged workforce, but are you walking your talk? If you consider external workers as “just temps,” you’re effectively saying they are second-class in your eyes.
And don’t think your temporary team members don’t notice: they definitely see when they’re excluded from the pizza party, when they don’t get the free movie passes after their department exceeds goals for the month, and so on. They may “say” they understand. But, really? Really!!?
- From a “self interest” standpoint: many temporary workers work with the public….
…don’t you want them to come across as proud of their place of employment, invested in providing terrific customer service, etc.? Do you really want to run the risk of one of your external staff having no problem saying “I’m a temp and I can’t help you with this”?
How much better would it be your temporary team members were equally as invested in the customer experience as your regular employees? And how difficult would it be – truly – to help them become as invested in your success?
Are you going to have to be careful regarding co-employment issues? Of course! But that’s where Helpmates comes in: we will work with you and our temporary staff members to keep them invested in your company while helping you avoid less-than-obvious co-employment complications. Contact the Helpmates’ location nearest you for more information.
