How to work effectively with temporary help services

Step One: Take a close look at your company's temporary needs. Ask yourself

• Do you require a source of last-minute help?

• Do you require workers skilled in a particular type of equipment or knowledge about industry procedures?

• Do you require long-term temporary personnel because of continuous projects?

Step Two: Preliminary fact finding

• Select several firms from the phone book or from networking.

• Contact each firm selected. Determine the following: How long did the phone ring prior to being answered?Was the receptionist courteous and professional?How was your call handled? If the contact was by e-mail, how long did it take to obtain a response? Judge the agency by the manner in which your contact was handled.

• Select two or three firms and request a meeting. Be prepared to provide information concerning how often your firm uses temporary help, what type of jobs are filled by temporary workers, and what your expectation is of those who fill positions from temporary agencies.

• At the meeting ask for financial information and copies of recent advertisements. Determine what kinds of benefits and incentives are offered

• For the firms that are satisfactory to you at this point, ask each sales representative for a formal proposal.

• Questions to ask when interviewing a temporary help agency:

  1. How long has the service been in business?

  2. How does the temporary help service recruit and retain its temporary staff?

  3. How are potential employees screened, tested, and evaluated?

  4. What is the experience of the account coordinator (the individual who will actually decide who is sent to what opening)?

  5. Does the temporary help service carry worker's compensation, liability insurance, error and omissions insurance, and/or fidelity bonds?What are the policy limits/ Secure written documentation of the coverage.

  6. What type of performance guarantee does the temporary help service offer?

  7. What if your company wishes to hire the temporary worker on a permanent full- time basis? What are the liquidated damage charges and how are they calculated?

  8. What references can the service offer?

  9. What kind of quality control mechanisms are in place?

Step Three: Site visit by client company

• Arrive early and while sitting in the reception area look at the applicants, how each is handled, what testing is done and assess the overall business environment.

• On a tour of the office, observe the type of employees, the manner in which you are greeted, and how the agency workers conduct their business.

Step Four: Formal proposal presentation

The formal proposal from the agency should include:

• background information on the firm and its management team

• a statement concerning the mission or focus of the firm

• the firm's philosophy concerning recruiting, retention, quality and client relations

• a description of any special features or benefits such as hours of service, testing, quality control, reference checking, background searches, guarantees and responses to usual problem situations

• a tailored response to your company's requirements expressed at the initial meeting

• pricing including billing rates for each skill category, time period rates are effective, and any special volume or rebate information

• policy on client employer hiring a temporary worker -liquidated damages

Step Five: Evaluate the proposal

• Follow up with the references provided

• Network with your business associates

• Determine if the agency payrolls stand by workers in the event of an immediate need

• Compare costs and service among each agency

Step Six: Negotiate the best contract

• Consolidate your purchasing if possible to get volume discounts

• Request modification or waivers of any liquidated damages

• Determine and secure additional no cost or low cost services from the agency such as training, performance tracking system, customized billing and pick-up and delivery of checks and time sheets

• Never allow the agency to replace turnover. Have a back-up agency relationship for that purpose. This technique will ensure that your primary agency will try carefully to match the employee's availability with your company's projected need.

Step Seven: Award the business and brief the agency

• Tell the agency what procedures the temporary worker must follow upon arrival such as dress and grooming standards, proof of identity, no smoking rules, etc.

• Specify who will handle the agency for your company.

Step Eight: Track and measure performance

Track, analyze and report the following information internally and to the agency:

• name of temporary employee

• dates employed

• position filled

• overall performance indicator

• skills assessment

• assessment of ability to work with other employees

• name of person assigned to supervise and to rate the temporary employee

• comments and specific incidents

• name of agency