How Do Temp Agencies Work?

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) estimates that agencies place more than a million people on temporary assignments on any given day.

For an employer, a temp agency is the fastest route to hiring a skilled worker during project spikes, when an employee is off duty, or a permanent hire is still weeks away. For candidates, temping offers the opportunity to earn money fast, gain new experience, and explore different industries without long-term commitment. 

This guide explains how temp agencies work for both sides: the process from brief to placement, how pay and UK rights work, and how to choose an agency that fits the role you need filled.

HOW TEMP AGENCIES WORK AT A GLANCE

• A temp agency connects employers who need short-term cover with candidates who are ready to start, often within a day or two.

• Temp agencies handle sourcing, shortlisting, reference checks, contracts, and payroll, so the employer carries little administrative burden.

• In the UK, an agency cannot charge a candidate a fee for finding them work; the employer pays the agency.

• Temporary workers have statutory rights from day one, including paid holiday, and gain equal treatment on pay and basic conditions after 12 weeks in the same role.

• Specialist temp agencies place faster and match more accurately within their field than generalist agencies covering every sector.

WHAT IS A TEMP AGENCY?

A temp agency is a recruitment business that supplies workers to employers for short-term or fixed-period assignments by handling sourcing, vetting, contracts, and payroll on the employer's behalf.

It differs from a permanent recruitment agency in one key way. With temporary recruitment, the agency employs or engages the temporary worker, places them with a client company, and remains responsible for the worker throughout the assignment. The client gets the cover; the agency carries the admin.

Specialist temp agencies like Oriel Partners focus on a defined field rather than supplying across every sector. We recruit specialist temporary support across the UK, covering PA, EA, reception, office management, and administrative roles from junior coordinator to senior executive assistant.

HOW DOES THE TEMP AGENCY PROCESS WORK?

The process runs along two paths that meet at the placement: the employer side, from briefing the role to welcoming the temp, and the candidate side, from registering to starting an assignment. Both are managed by the temp agency.

FOR EMPLOYERS: FROM BRIEF TO TEMP PLACEMENT

For employers, the hiring process starts with a brief and ends with a vetted temp at work, usually far quicker than a permanent hire. The employer path runs as follows:

1. Brief the role: You outline the responsibilities, skills, and fit. The agency advises on current market rates so your offer attracts the right people.

2. Shortlisting: The agency shortlists suitable candidates from its pool, often within hours, for roles it specialises in.

3. Review and decide: You review profiles and interview if you want to, then choose. For urgent cover, many employers approve a profile and go straight to a start date.

4. Onboarding and payroll: The agency handles the contract, references, and right-to-work checks, then runs payroll for the duration.

5. Adjust as needed: If your needs change mid-assignment, the agency can extend, replace, or stand down the cover at short notice.

For a detailed overview, read our employer's guide to hiring temps using a temp agency. If you are weighing up whether you need cover, our guide to the reasons to hire a temp helps you judge whether the benefits outweigh the costs.

FOR TEMP CANDIDATES: FROM REGISTRATION TO ASSIGNMENT 

For candidates, the process starts with registering and ends with a paid assignment, with no charge and no long-term tie. The candidate path runs as follows:

1. Registration: You submit a CV and meet the agency by phone, video, or in person, so a consultant understands your experience, notice, and the work you want.

2. Assessment: The agency confirms your skills, references, and right to work, and may test skills such as diary management or software where a client requires it.

3. Matching: When a suitable assignment comes in, the consultant talks it through before putting you forward. You decide whether to take it.

4. Start work: You start the assignment, complete a timesheet for your hours, and the agency pays you, usually weekly.

5. Move on or convert: When the assignment ends, the agency can line up the next one. Some roles become permanent, which we cover in our guide to temp to perm roles.

At Oriel Partners, we hold our temporary clients and candidates to the same service standard as our permanent ones, getting to know both parties so we can match swiftly and appropriately.

HOW DO TEMP WORKERS GET PAID?

Temp workers get paid by the agency, not the client. The worker submits a timesheet, the employer pays a single charge to the agency that covers the worker's pay and the agency's service. The worker receives their agreed hourly rate, with tax and National Insurance handled through the agency's payroll, and holiday pay accrues on top.

Temp agencies in the UK are prohibited from charging a candidate a fee for helping them find work. That has been the position since the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003. If an agency asks a jobseeker to pay to be placed, that is a red flag. The cost of recruitment sits with the employer.

WHAT JOBS CAN YOU HIRE TEMP WORKERS FOR?

At Oriel Partners, we specialise in high-calibre administrative and support positions. The temporary roles we recruit for most often include:

• Receptionists and Front-of-House: ensure guests are greeted professionally, calls are answered promptly, and keep day-to-day office operations running smoothly when permanent staff are away.

• PAs and Executive Assistants: manage diaries, travel, and correspondence, and provide meeting support to help busy executives maintain productivity without disruption.

• Office Managers: Hands-on cover for suppliers, facilities, events, and day-to-day operations until a permanent appointment is made.

• Administrators and Team Assistants: Project support, data work, and general administration during busy periods or staff absence.

The right assistant or coordinator holds a function together through a transition, which is why specialist matching beats raw availability.

WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS AS A TEMP WORKER IN THE UK? 

Temporary agency workers in the UK have rights from the first day of an assignment, with further rights after 12 weeks in the same role. These are set out in the Working Time Regulations 1998 and the Agency Workers Regulations 2010, and they apply regardless of which agency placed you.

From day one, you are entitled to paid holiday, the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for your age, rest breaks, and protection from discrimination. You also have access to shared facilities such as a staff canteen, and you must be told about permanent vacancies at the company where you are placed.

After 12 weeks in the same role with the same hirer, you gain the right to equal treatment on basic pay and conditions, meaning the same core terms as a comparable permanent employee. The clock counts any week you work, even for an hour, and short breaks pause it rather than reset it. 

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING A TEMP AGENCY?

A temp agency gives employers fast, low-commitment cover and gives workers flexible work without the admin of going it alone. The benefits are split cleanly into two categories: 

For employers:

• Speed: A suitable candidate, often within hours, so absence or a workload spike does not stall the team.

• Flexibility: Cover for as long as you need, from days to months, stood down when the work is done.

• Lower admin and risk: Payroll, National Insurance, holiday pay, and compliance sit with the agency, not you.

For candidates

• Quick earning: Assignments can start almost immediately, with weekly pay.

• Experience and contacts: Each placement builds skills and a professional network across different organisations.

• A route to permanence: Many temporary roles become permanent when the fit is right.

For more on the candidate side, read about the benefits of temping.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT TEMP AGENCY

The right temp agency specialises in the roles you are hiring for, moves quickly, and provides candidates who fit from day one. Use these points when you compare agencies:

• Specialism over size: An agency that recruits your kind of role every day reads a brief faster and matches more accurately than a generalist covering every sector.

• Reach over postcode: A specialist agency with UK-wide reach can cover a role in London or further afield, in person or hybrid, so weigh sector depth and responsiveness ahead of location.

• Recommendations: Ask colleagues or business contacts who have hired temporary staff before.

• Transparency: Compare fees and turnaround times. The best agencies are open about their process, advise on market pay rates, and take time to understand your culture before making introductions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How quickly can a temp agency place someone?

A specialist temp agency can often place a temporary worker within hours of a brief, because it works from a pool of pre-vetted candidates who are ready to start. Speed depends on the role and how specialist the requirement is, but cover within a day or two is common for office support roles.

How much do temp agencies charge employers?

Temp agencies charge employers a single rate that covers the worker's pay plus a service fee, usually quoted as an hourly charge or as a percentage on top of the worker's rate. The exact figure depends on the role, the seniority, and the length of the assignment. Candidates are never charged.

How often are temps paid?

Temps are usually paid weekly by the agency, not the client, once they submit a timesheet confirming the hours they have worked. Pay includes the agreed hourly rate with tax and National Insurance deducted through the agency's payroll, and holiday pay accrues on top.

How many temp agencies should you register with?

Registering with two or three specialist temp agencies that cover your field is usually more effective than signing up with many generalists. A specialist consultant who knows your skills and availability will match you to better-fitting roles than a wide net of agencies that don’t take the time to get to know you.

READY TO FIND SPECIALIST TEMPORARY SUPPORT?

Temporary cover works best when the agency knows both sides well: the role you need filled and the person stepping into it. That match is what turns a quick placement into cover that actually holds.

If you need short-term cover or want thorough permanent recruitment, our temporary recruitment service places specialist PA, EA, and administrative staff across the UK. If you are looking for work, browse our temporary roles or see what else is available on our wider job board.

Whichever side you are on, contact Oriel Partners, and we will move quickly to help.