What are the benefits of hiring temporary employees?

Organizations often find themselves in a rush to fill open positions. The Winter, Wyman Companies, however, suggest that organizations slow down and consider a contract or temporary candidate even if the open position is a permanent one. These temporary employees are task-oriented and focused and can often fill the void before seamlessly transitioning into a permanent position.

Other benefits for employers of hiring temporary employees include:

• The fall-off rate for temporary employees is half the industry rate for permanent placements.

• Temporary employees allow your day-to-day work to get done while auditioning your potential future hire-it's a great opportunity to fill gaps in staff while getting the work done.

• When you bring a contract employee to work on a project or solve a problem, and then keep him or her permanently, you may add a skill set to your organization that you company did not previously have.

• Using contract employees can help you refine your search. Most hiring managers think they know what they need when beginning the process of hiring for a position. But many find when they bring in a contractor for a month or two, they have a chance to determine if the skill set and experience they need matches what they were seeking. This helps hiring managers refine their requirements for that position and avoid a bad hire.

• Temporary employees open up a segment of the market that would not be accessible if an organization looked only at permanent candidates.

• Temporary employees can help significantly reduce your training time since the person is already onboard. Even if the job responsibilities change, the contractor already knows the people, the company and how things are done in your corporate culture.

• Temporary employees result in lower benefits, insurance and health costs.

The temporary employee also benefits from this type of relationship. The benefits of contractor usage for the worker include:

• Earnings (hourly rates are normally higher than equivalent salaries of full-time workers doing the same job);

• Tax benefits (contractors may be able to write off);

• Flexibility;

• Variety of work; and

• Quality of Work (successful contractors can choose the projects that interest them).

If you decide to incorporate a temporary employee program into your overall hiring policies, Winter, Wyman advises that you consider the following five tips:

1. hire for skills as opposed to credentials;

2. if you find a person who can do the job, hire him or her permanently;

3. focus on outsourcing;

4. work on filling core competencies; and

5. hire for your current needs.