Employees are the lifeblood of any successful company. This applies equally to temporary employees that are just covering a few shifts. In the eyes of potential customers they still serve as representatives of your company. So it is understood that you want to find those individuals that will reflect positively on your company. This is where a temp staffing agency can help.

There are many short term situations that may arise where you may need to hire short term workers. These include:

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• Illness or injury
• Maternity leave
• Family or personal issues
• Seasonal increases in production
• Special short term projects

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Whatever the situation, you need to find temporary staff that will be able to seamlessly fill the position without disturbing your company’s operations. That is why it is important that when you select a temp staffing agency you select the right one.

Here are three things to consider when hiring a temp staffing agency.

They Should Have Experience in Your Industry

This is important because you need your temp staffing agency to understand your needs. If they have experience in your industry they will more readily have access to temporary staff that will be immediately be able to step in with little training.

The other benefit of industry experience is that this could make your temp staffing agency a great source of market intelligence. Through their experience with working with your competitors they will also have a knowledge of industry trends. This knowledge can also give you a competitive edge.

You Need to Know How Their Fees Are Structured…..and WHY!

If a temp staffing agency offers you a really low billing rate, it’s natural to assume you are saving money. In the long run that may not be the case. You need to know that the temp staffing agency that you hire is in compliance with all Ministry of Labour (MOL), Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s (WSIB) requirements. Too low a rate fee could be an indicator that the agency is guilty of doing the following:

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• Offering their workers lower than minimum wage
• Using employees that are not legally able to work in Canada
• Not properly paying WSIB premiums
• Under-reporting their temp workers’ earnings to the CRA

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It is imperative you make sure that the temp staffing agency is above board in all legal and regulatory matters. This will avoid potentially costly fines and other legal issues if you are ever audited by the CRA, WSIB, or MOL.

Even if the temp staffing agency is properly following all legal requirements, it would also be good to know that they are offering their temporary workers wages that are competitive by industry standards. You get what you pay for, and wages that are below norm can be considered an indicator of quality.

Need To Know How They Select Their Applicants

You need to be aware of the screening process the temp staffing agency uses. For example; what kind of tests do they perform? You need to know that the agency you hire can match your company with workers who possess your desired skill set.

Also, the tests performed by the temp staffing agency can greatly cut down on the cost associated with training. Much of that training can be done before they walk through your doors.

By knowing what to look for you can select the right temp staffing agency. By selecting the right agency you will increase productivity while looking after your temporary staffing needs.