Temporary staffing agencies play a significant role in today’s business world whether a company needs an office clerk, warehouse personnel, manufacturing specialists, or an IT technician, and anything in between. From labourers and traditional office personnel to mid-management and professional positions, temporary staff can keep your company running smoothly.

Before entering into a contract with a temporary agency, it’s best to have an understanding of the pros and cons associated with temporary employees. Quality temp staffing agencies ensure your use of temporary workers is a satisfying experience by:

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• Providing high calibre personnel for a variety of positions
• Helping save your company money
• Quickly fulfilling your needs with just one call

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The Good

Temporary staff can not only cover your business needs when emergencies occur causing permanent employees to be away from the job, but also for scheduled employee leaves of absence, illness, and vacations. Temporary staff are also a useful resource when projects are behind schedule or when more staff are needed to complete a large project.

Workers choosing to work as a temporary employee range from people just starting out with limited experience, to highly experienced and skilled workers who prefer to work on an “as needed” basis.

When using temporary staff from an agency, you are assured of quality employees who have been pre-screened and tested. While the  charge per hour  billed by the agency may be more than a permanent employee’s hourly rate, you are not required to pay their WSIB premiums, which can save  your company money in potential NEER surcharges.

If your company has a position to fill, utilizing a temporary to do the job gives management the opportunity to observe the temp and determine if he or she would be a good fit for the company on a permanent basis.

The Bad

A temp is only as good as the staffing agency providing them. Some agencies can make hiring temps an unpleasant experience. They may provide poor or non-existent customer service. They may not return your phone calls. They may make mistakes in billing and be reluctant to correct those mistakes. They may send temps unqualified for the position, or who speak poor or limited English.

The Ugly

The temp agencies you want to avoid are those that can get you in trouble. They can look attractive because of the ridiculously low price they are charging. But they can do that by doing an end-run around government regulation and statutory remittances. They may under-report their payroll to both the CRA and WSIB so that they can pay less CPP, EI and WSIB premiums on behalf of their temporary workforce’s payroll.  Or they may supply temps not legally permitted to work in the country. Companies using these kinds of non-complying, law-breaking staffing agencies could be dragged into any ensuing government agency investigations, especially if there was a workplace accident or injury. Not only the staffing agency, but also the company using them, could be held accountable for fines, penalties or back-taxes.

The “Bad and the “Ugly” can all be avoided of course by checking a temp agency’s references and speaking with past and current customers.

Temporary staff can make the difference in having a successful day at the office and a bad one. Before committing to a temporary staffing service, do your homework. Contact several temporary staffing agencies and ask about their screening and testing procedures, their reference and background checking processes, hourly fees, and their policies for incomplete assignments.

With quality temporary services on your side, companies can weather any bump in the road.