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5 Steps for Onboarding New Temporary Workers the Right Way

August 29th, 2013

The first day on the job is significant for a new hire, whether you choose to hire directly or work with a temporary agency. New temps have the same expectations of what their experience will be in the initial onboarding process – they are looking forward to a rewarding and positive corporate environment and meaningful tasks. Therefore, since you are investing time and money in your new temps, it’s critical that you design an onboarding process that can give you the greatest return on investment.

5 Steps to Onboarding New Temps

Here are some steps for successfully onboarding your new temps and getting the most out of this working relationship.

  1. Communicate policies and procedures clearly.  Have your employee handbook ready and take the time to schedule a brief orientation on the temp’s first day. Do a physical walk-through of the facility and introduce the temp to key personnel. Be sure to communicate both verbally and in writing the company policies and procedures, and answer any questions the temp may have.
  2. Layout short term goals and expectations. As part of your orientation day and the week ahead, set some goals for the temp to achieve. Let the temp know you understand there will be a learning curve to overcome, but that you will make sure there is support to help bring them up to speed. Review the goals at the beginning and end of each work shift with the temp.
  3. Assign a mentor to teach new skills.  Your new temp will be more successful if there is access to information and resources. A good way to ensure this is by assigning a mentor for the first few weeks on the job. This gives the temp someone to go to with any questions, concerns, or to be shown work tasks by a seasoned employee or supervisor.
  4. Provide a respectful work environment. New temps often feel awkward and disconnected from regular employees. They may not feel respected or valued much. Communicate to your existing staff that this is a workplace of respect and therefore all temps are to be treated with equal respect at all times. Let the temp know this is an important value in your workplace too.
  5. Ask for feedback and give additional guidance. You can help the temp to be better on the job by asking for frequent feedback and providing added guidance throughout their experience. Never leave the temp to guess how to handle any situation. Instead, keep an open door and an open mind to what the temp says.

Hiring a new temp can benefit your business in many ways. Make sure you partner with a staffing agency that you trust and can lean on during this transition. Look for temps who are pre-screened and evaluated for their skills. Use the above tips to onboard and help all temps become valuable members of your team. If you are looking for recruiters in Atlanta, contact Staffing Resources today.

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