If you require help during a busy period or are looking to scale your business, hiring temporary workers can help to meet your needs. Temporary employees on a short-term contract enable you to meet your clients' demands and help you navigate staffing issues, such as regular employees going on maternity leave, sick leave or holiday cover.
Read on to learn more about the benefits of temporary staffing and how to hire a temporary employee who will meet your particular needs.
Why Do Companies Hire Temps?
Companies hire temporary employees for many different reasons, but usually to plug a gap in their workforce. For example:
- Maternity cover
- An employee on sick leave
- Seasonal demand
- Fluctuating workloads
- A backlog that needs clearing
- Holiday cover
Good temporary staff can be worth their weight in gold because they can hit the ground running, bring a relevant skill set and slot right into your team without the need for extensive training or mentoring.
What’s more, hiring a temp through a temporary staffing agency means you will not have to deal with sourcing suitable candidates, payroll, or HR-related matters, as the agency will handle all of that.
Learn more about working with a temp agency here.
What Are the Benefits of Temporary Staffing?
Let’s delve into some of the benefits of temporary staffing for businesses and teams:
1. Cost-Effective
Hiring temporary employees is a cost-effective solution for your business, as you don’t need to provide extensive training or other benefits associated with full-time employees. For example, a temporary worker employed for four weeks won’t require holiday pay. Hiring temporary workers ensures that you only pay when needed, if the work is seasonal.
If you hire a temporary employee via an agency, you can also save on advertising costs for hiring purposes.
To assist you in drafting a comprehensive temporary employment contract, we've provided a free template that covers all essential terms and conditions.
2. Flexibility
Temporary employees provide cover while you’re recruiting for permanent staff. They can work during busy business periods and be hired part-time or full-time. Additionally, you can hire them for a certain period on a fixed-term or temporary contract.
A fixed-term contract starts and finishes on a specific date, whereas you can use a temporary contract for periods where the start and end dates are unknown. The flexibility that temp staff offer means there is no disruption to the business.
3. Alleviation of Stress on Permanent Employees
Temporary hires are an effective way of reducing stress on permanent employees. You can employ temporary staff to cover absences caused by holidays and sickness, meaning you don’t need to put extra work onto other employees. The business keeps running smoothly, and you don’t need to worry about your workers feeling pressured.
Hugh Dixon, Marketing Manager at PSS International Removals, contributed his perspective:
“During a particularly busy summer, I hired a temp to assist with the marketing department’s customer service and lead management. We had a major increase in expat relocation requests and needed extra hands. The temp handled inquiries efficiently, which helped us streamline operations without overburdening the full-time team.”
4. Access to Highly Skilled Workers
You can hire temporary employees to work on a specific project or in areas where you require specific skills. For example, if you need to cover reception duties, you can find someone specially trained or experienced in this area. This will benefit you and your business and ensure smoother operations.
Henry Powell-Jones, Managing Director at Brunsfield, shares his experience with hiring a skilled temp:
“We lost an experienced team leader in our accounts team, which resulted in a period of disruption for the business and a backlog of work, particularly with the required credit control. We therefore needed someone who could come in, pick up this requirement and help us to get back on track. The person provided was hard-working, organised and a fast learner, needing minimal supervision and getting on efficiently with the required work.”
5. Refinement of Your Hiring Process
Hiring temporary staff enables you to refine your hiring process for long-term, permanent team members. You’ll reduce the risk of hiring bad employees as you can extend the contracts of temporary staff. On the other hand, if you find a temporary hire isn’t the right fit, you don’t need to employ them beyond their initial contract.
Shannon Smith O’Connell, Operations Director, shares how this approach worked for her team:
“We hired a temp at Reclaim247 to manage admin tasks during a sudden surge in enquiries. The temp quickly adapted, and we were so impressed that we offered them a permanent role.”
This isn’t an uncommon scenario. We’ve delved into temp to perm employment in more detail here.
6. Meet Budget Constraints
Temp hires have a beneficial impact on your bottom line. You can save money on training costs while working with payroll restrictions. Short-term workers provide a hiring solution to your budget constraints.
7. Easier To Hire
Using a temp agency to hire employees on a short-term basis is an easy way to hire extra staff. Recruitment agencies go through the rigorous hiring process for you, so you don’t need to deal with interviews, checking references, or the administration associated with new hires.
8. Immediate Impact
Having a blend of temporary and contract workers can work to your advantage in scaling your business quickly. Whether you require administrative assistance or help within another department, you’ll experience an immediate impact within your organisation.
Ben Richardson, Director and Owner of Acuity Training, shares:
“When demand for our courses roared to life, our core team was at capacity. The quickest way to ensure we didn’t drop the ball when it came to customer service was to hire a temp. They dealt with client inquiries, managed bookings, and supported the admin team with very little day-to-day supervision. They quickly took hold of the role, and in some areas improved how we executed things.”
9. Enhance Morale
Bringing in short-term hires can give fresh and outsider perspectives, which benefit your business in many ways. They can offer insights and opinions on business strategies, better workflows or improved output. They can allow your team to breathe and avoid burnout from heavy workloads.
10. Test New Projects or Service Lines Without Long-Term Risk
Temporary staff aren’t just for covering absences or busy periods, they can also be a valuable tool for strategic growth. Hiring a temporary specialist allows you to trial a new service, explore a different market or test new technology without committing to the costs of a permanent team. This approach means you can gather valuable insights, validate demand and adapt your plans based on real-world results, all while keeping your operations lean.
Kevin Heimlich, CEO & Founder of The Ad Firm, shares:
“Before we fully commit to building an entire department or hiring a permanent team for a new service line, we bring in temporary specialists. This allows us to pilot the offering, gauge genuine client interest and assess operational feasibility without incurring a significant financial risk.”
11. Handle Sudden Changes in Your Industry
Not all workload surges are predictable. Sometimes they’re triggered by unexpected events, such as new regulations, market shifts or sudden spikes in customer interest. In these situations, hiring a temp can help you respond quickly without compromising service quality or putting extra strain on your permanent team. By bringing in adaptable support at short notice, you can keep operations running smoothly while your core staff focus on the areas where their expertise is most needed.
Steve Case, Financial & Insurance Consultant at Insurance Hero, recalls:
“I once hired a temp to help us handle an influx of inquiries following a significant update to life insurance legislation. The temp had no prior experience in insurance but quickly grasped the essentials, allowing us to manage customer queries more effectively.”
How to Hire a Temporary Employee
If you’re new to the temporary recruitment process, you may be unfamiliar with how to hire a temp.
There are two ways to hire a temporary employee:
- Hiring them directly and managing the recruitment process internally
- Working with a temporary recruitment agency such as Oriel Partners
Here’s a breakdown of how the process works if you are recruiting directly:
1. Understand the Assignment
Before beginning the recruitment process, clearly define the temporary position's requirements, including:
- Specific skills
- Experience level
- Duration of the assignment
- Pay
Consider the project's goals and how the temp will fit into your existing team structure. This step is crucial for finding the right candidate and ensuring smooth integration into your workforce.
2. Advertise your Role
Create a compelling job posting that accurately describes the temporary position, responsibilities, and required qualifications. Place your job role on job boards, social media, and your company website to reach a wide pool of potential candidates. Be sure to highlight the temporary nature of the role and any unique benefits.
We have a bank of job description templates you can draw upon for inspiration.
3. Shortlist Candidates
Review applications and CVs carefully, focusing on candidates whose skills and experience closely match your requirements. Look for individuals with a history of successful temporary work or those who demonstrate adaptability and quick learning. Create a shortlist of the most promising candidates to move forward in the hiring process.
4. Interview Candidates
Conduct thorough interviews to assess candidates' qualifications, work ethic, and ability to quickly adapt to your organisation. Ask about their experience with temporary assignments and how they handle short-term projects. Consider including team members who will work closely with the temp to ensure a good fit with your company culture.
Not sure what to ask a temp candidate during an interview? Read our list of temporary interview questions here.
5. Make an Offer
Once you've identified your ideal temporary candidate, extend a clear and concise offer detailing the assignment's duration, pay rate, and any specific terms or conditions. Be prepared to negotiate and answer any questions the candidate may have about the temporary role.
Here’s a job offer letter template that you can use.
6. Onboard Your New Temp Staff Member
Create a welcoming environment that helps the temp quickly integrate into your team and become productive as soon as possible. Here are some onboarding tasks to consider:
- Provide necessary training
- Introduce them to key team members
- Communicate expectations and goals
For insights into the best digital tools that can enhance your temporary staffing operations, explore our curated list of top apps and platforms.
7. Set up Payroll
Determine the payment schedule, which could be weekly or monthly, and clarify any overtime policies. It’s important to make sure that PAYE and National Insurance contributions are accurate.
If you are working with a temping agency, you will need to discuss your requirements with a temporary recruitment consultant, including the job itself, the skills required, and the duration for which you need a temp. If you don’t know how long you will need a temp, this can be approximate or on a rolling basis.
A temporary agency will then handle all candidate sourcing, screening, interviewing, contracting and payroll, making the process efficient and hassle-free for employers.
Learn more about how temping agencies work here.
If you're not working through a temping agency, discover our top list of temporary payroll services here.
Looking For a Temporary Employee in London? Oriel Partners Can Assist You!
Oriel Partners can help you find the perfect temporary hire, whether you’re looking for a temporary employee for a short-term contract or something more extensive. Many of our temporary candidates are tried and tested and have successfully completed assignments with us. Get in touch with us to see how we can help you hire temp staff today!
