Hiring Temporary Employees

Since the downturn in the economy and enduring high unemployment rate, many organizations are hiring temporary and contract workers as opposed to full-time workers. Doing so has the cost-benefit of not having to pay a full benefits package but still be able to benefit from the great deal of talent that is in the job market today. Further, if financial times worsen, it is easier to adjust staffing levels by decreasing the number of temporary workers who are on short-term assignments. Or, on a much more positive note, when financial resources free up, there is the opportunity to permanently hire an employee with whom you have had experience and who already knows your business.

According to Sara Horowitz of the Freelancers Union, 42 million people are working part-time assignments and moving from job to job. In fact, the practice of working as a freelancer has become so prevalent, that it is now referred to by the term “permalancing,” meaning using freelancing as a long-term means of employment.

Given that contractors are not permanent employees, employers may be tempted to think that less care needs to be given in deciding who to bring on for these temporary assignments. However, hiring and onboarding temporary employees still requires organizational resources (e.g., orientation, training, administration costs) and can have an impact on key stakeholders including other employees and your customers.

So what is important to consider when evaluating the fit of a candidate for a temporary position? Of course, contractors need to have the skills to be able to do the work they are hired to do, but another important consideration is whether or not they are a good match with the culture and values of the organization. The way temporary employees get their work done and interact with others can have a significant impact on morale, productivity and the experience of your customers. Therefore, in assessing whether or not a freelancer is the right person for the job, it is important to have a solid understanding of your organizational culture and values and how this person will support that environment. Using culture-based assessments and interviews to evaluate a candidate for a temporary position will help ensure that these employees smoothly mesh with the rest of the organization and have the potential of perhaps one day being a permanent employee.