Tip of the Month: Good Starts Lead to Lower Temp Turnover and Higher Productivity

If you are a frequent user of temporary staffing to operate your business these problems are not new. Turnover, absenteeism, unqualified, etc. are words all too often associated with temps.

While these problems will never be eliminated there are ways to minimize their impact and provide you more bang for your buck.

Getting off to a Good Start is key. The way to do this is not hard but does require some pre-planning. This includes having the temp understand what the client expects as well as a basic orientation of client policies.

Before a temp arrives to start working at your facility they should know the following:

1. Directions to your building that are sufficiently detailed to include potential detours, road closings, landmarks, one-way streets, etc. so that a person cannot get lost.


2. Once the temp finds you they need to know where you want them to Park.

3. Knowing where to Enter your building and having a Contact Name of the person they should find upon arrival contributes to a Good Start.

4. The Hours of Work including all shift starting and stopping times, Break policies, Lunch times including the scope of available Lunch Room facilities.

5. Procedure for Recording Hours is important to make sure the temp is paid correctly and you are invoiced correctly. Will the temp be using your time clocks or a timecard provided by the service? Who is authorized to approve the hours worked?

6. How does your company handle the Smoking Issue? If it's not allowed at all the temp should know this ahead of time. If you have designated smoking times and places making the temp aware of these is most helpful.

7. What is the required Dress Code? Nothing worse than having a temp show upwearing shorts, a tee shirt with body piercing from head to toe to work around your heavy machinery right? Having the temp show up with all the required Personal Protective Equipment make for a good start.

8. Communication of Job Duties through a detailed job description will go a long way to reducing turnover and the dreaded "NCNS" (no call/no show). If a job puts the temp on their feet 90% of the time lifting 65 pounds this needs to be known before the temp starts. Job duty surprises
are the main reason for NCNS.

9. Safety training is a must. While your service can provide a general safety orientation it is important that the client perform a detailed hazard recognition audit with the temp before the job starts. Making sure the temp is wearing all required PPE needs to be part of this training.

10. Understanding Your Needs and related to your basic business model can go a long way in making the temp/client fit work. While things change if your service can provide potential temp candidates answers to the following it will improve the odds leading to that Good Start. For
example:

• What type of business are you. . . what do you make?
• How do you use temps? Long-term? Seasonal? Temp to perm?
• How long will the assignment last?
• Is there a chance for permanent hire?
• Is prior experience required?
• Do you work overtime? Weekends?
• Can we leave for lunch?
  

When the temps don't work out for whatever reason it represents a cost. The "No Call/ No Show" can mean lost production or the payment of overtime to cover. Turnovers create having to re-train replacements.

Effective communication between the service, temp and client can go a long way in weeding
out the problems that cause the "Bad Start".