On-demand labour is a fantastic resource for businesses. Whether dealing with staff shortages, increased productivity, or expanded services for special projects, a business can access the skills they need when they need them through short-term labour. Unfortunately, not all temporary staffing is the same. Using a reputable staffing agency is instrumental to success. Here are a few of the challenges of temporary staffing and how staffing agencies can help.

1. Training becomes a recurring activity

Short-term labour is generally used to fill roles that require specific skills. While an orientation for new labourers is always required, the training itself is limited. For example, a worksite may need carpentry work for a staircase project. The incoming carpenter will need to be oriented as to the worksite, scope, and potential hazards, but already knows the skills required for the job. In fact, most of the time, they have already proven their abilities and bring the benefit of diverse work experience. The best way to ensure this is the case is to use a reputable staffing agency that has verified their resume, experience, and credentials.

2. Morale Issues

When temporary labourers are used to fill roles that are also being filled by full-time employees, it is important to clearly communicate and agree on expectations. Leaving the wage and benefit negotiations to a staffing agency is a great way to avoid creating divisions between full-time and temporary staff. When someone arrives at your worksite, their work terms have already been made clear and there is no expectation that they should be compared to the rest of the team.

3. Safety Issues

Studies have shown that the frequency and severity rates of on-the-job injuries are significantly higher with temporary workers. Luckily, these same reports have driven reputable staffing agencies to provide mandatory health and safety orientations for their labourers and ongoing supervision to ensure compliance with regional legislation. This significantly reduces the likelihood of on-the-job injuries.

4. Legal Concerns

Companies such as Uber contribute to a changing definition of temporary work. Working with reputable staffing agencies is a great way to ensure businesses always abide by their legal responsibilities. Staffing agencies have trained staff that is tasked with defining labourers’ work status and eligibility for benefits. All businesses have to do is ensure they treat temporary workers with the same care and respect as their full-time staff.

5. The question of reliability

There is a stereotype around ‘temp work’ that suggests short-term labourers are less reliable than their full-time counterparts. In reality, there are reliable workers and some who are less so, this is the case regardless of their work terms. That’s why reference checks are important for successful work relationships. Businesses often do their own reference checks for full-time staff. When it comes to short-term staff, they can count on reputable staffing agencies to do the same.

Ready to give a staffing agency a try? M3 Personnel would love the opportunity to solve your temporary staffing needs. Their knowledgeable staff is dedicated to matching experienced labourers with business partners that are the right fit. Contact us to learn more.