Common Mistakes when Managing Contingent Workers

Common Mistakes when Managing Contingent WorkersCommon Mistakes when Managing Contingent WorkersCommon Mistakes when Managing Contingent Workersbrightcove.createExperiences() BenningtonWe all know temporary staff can be a huge blessing when youre busy but not busy enough to take on full-time hires.The problem is temps are different so you have to manage them differently and thats where a lot of companies get it wrong.The number one mistake by far is hiring off the street.As we all know, when you have the right people in place, a big chunk of your management issues are already solved.So the notion of, we just need help so lets get somebody in here right now is disastrous especially in a small business where theres no such thing as flying under the radar and everybodys job is critical.So you really want to use the same care throughout the hiring process that you would for your full-time people.This means a complete job description,knowing the competencies that youre looking for and maybe even mora than one interview yes, even for a temp.The second mistake when it comes to managing temporary staff is full blast fire hose training.Maybe youre like other small businesses and you dont really take the time to onboard temps because youre thinking, why bother? Right?But theres a good chance that what is obvious to you about your clients and your business isnt going to be quite so crystal clear to your temp. So when you give them task, they may nod their head but have absolutely no idea what youre talking about and it will show in their work.A good rule of thumb is a half-day of training for every month that you expect to have your temp on staff. So if its a six months engagement, they get 3 full days of onboarding.Now obviously, you dont expect them to be able to, you know, recite your policy manual, but they do need to know exactly what you expect from them.They need to know what your core valuesare and how to live those values everyday, if you expect them to reall y merge into the fast lane with all the rest of your people.The final mistake is treating or allowing your staff to treat your temp like a temp. This is just good manners but more than that, your customers have no idea which of your staff are temporary versus full-time hires and frankly they dont even care.Same thing if your temps are working only with your internal people they dont care either because they just want the same thing that your customers want which is a seamless experience and solutions to their problems.So every employee you have, whether theyre with you for 3 months or 3 years, needs to know how to provide that.You want your temp to feel like real partners in your business because who knows, they can end up being your next great hire or even your next great customer.More from Emily Bennington Video Best Practices for Todays Recruiting LandscapeVideo How to Conduct an InterviewVideo New Employee Orientation