Reasons to hire temporary workers

Flexible or permanent workforce

Traditionally, temporary workers have been hired to cover brief absences when regular employees are sick or on vacation. Periodic fluctuations in business activity may also demand a contingent workforce. But today's staffing companies can help with much more.

You can often hire a temporary worker through an agency and later hire them as a permanent employee of your business. This is an ideal way to ascertain an employee's performance before making a long-term commitment. Staffing agencies typically charge additional fees for this: find out what they are up front.

Using temporary workers can also be a good alternative to using contractors, because you have more right to supervise and control the work temps do.

Access to a large pool of candidates

Staffing agencies have qualified candidates for entry-level to senior-level jobs in a wide range of fields: accounting, light industrial work, office and clerical staff, biotechnology professionals, computer experts, and so on. Because employment is their only focus, staffing agencies have economies of scale and employment-related expertise that small business owners can really benefit from. With the resources to reach hundreds of job candidates, agencies can often fill your open position more quickly than you could on your own. Since a good agency will carefully screen and often train an employee before they ever arrive at your site, you may find their services deliver the best results as well.

Easier administration

When you hire a temp, that person is an employee of the staffing agency. You pay the agency, not the individual. The agency handles all payroll taxes, worker's compensation, and many other costs of personnel management.

You can find staffing agencies in your local phone book. To fill your job faster, try listing it with several agencies at once.