Looking for a way to get help for your startup or small business, but without having to invest the time and money necessary to select and train an employee?
And how about the paperwork load: taxes, insurance, benefits, a ton of paperwork and red tape? Hiring can be a nightmare. But so can working short-handed.
There’s a type of business that specializes in providing workers for other businesses. It’s a business that can help with short or long-term assignments.
But small businesses sometimes don’t even think to consider going that route. We’re talking about job placement agencies.
Let’s look at that business model and lay out the pros and cons you’ll want to consider if you think going through a job placement agency could be right for you.
Don’t shake your head and leave. Keep reading. A good placement agency could do a whole lot more for your business than you might think.
What You Need to Know About Temporary Placement Companies
A temporary employee is one who spends less than a year with a company, and has an expiration date listed on the contract.
A staffing agency can provide you with a short-term worker with the necessary skills. These companies have an existing database of employees to loan out. Those workers are actually hired by the agency as permanent workers.
The placement company bears the financial burden of handling payrolls, unemployment insurance, and other benefits.
Types of employees available include these and more:
- Clerical help
- Secretarial help
- Bookkeeping
- Janitorial
- Management
- Customer Service
- And many more…
You can get just about any position you can think of filled via a temporary placement agency. That’s not to say every agency can help with every position, though. Many specialize in a field like medical, construction, or general business.
More about that in the tips (below).
Good temporary placement companies have a careful screening and testing process in place. They test workers’ abilities to make sure they have the particular skill set you’re looking for. That means you don’t have to interview and check credentials. The temp agency does it for you!
Ways Placement Agencies Help Small Businesses & Start-ups
Placement Agencies Can Save You Money
The wage or salary isn’t all a worker costs. Employees create a pile of risks and obligations. Payroll, insurance, and tax expenses are often more than a small business can handle. Making an arrangement with a temporary placement company is often the cheaper option.
Placement Agencies Can Get You Staffed Quickly
This might be the most significant benefit of making a deal with a staffing agency. When you need a temporary employee, you usually need help fast. Most employment agencies can secure a worker with the appropriate expertise rapidly.
You Can Improve Your Productivity
Depending on the industry, companies may face higher demand during particular seasons. By hiring temporary workers, the company insures peak periods will be handled efficiently.
You May Find a Future Full-Time Superstar
During the short time the worker spends in your company, you can evaluate that person’s performance without commitment. If the worker leaves a positive impression, you might think about using that person again. Perhaps you’ll even find the worker to be such a valuable asset that you’ll offer him or her a full-time position with your company.
Switching to Another Candidate is Much Easier
If you are unsatisfied with the work of a permanent hire, it might be a bit tricky to find a pain-free way to let the worker go. However, when you feel that the temporary worker should do better, you just have to contact the agency, and they will send a replacement.
Drawbacks of Hiring a Temporary Placement Company
It Takes Time to Fit In
Regardless of how skilled the worker is, it takes some time to fit in with a new group. The new person needs to learn how to perform tasks to suit the particular business’s needs, and that can cause trouble fitting in with the rest of the team. However, this can be resolved if you repeatedly use the same temporary employee.
Motivational Concerns
Unlike the previous one, this issue may arise when a temporary employee has been working in your company for months. In most cases, that person will do the same job as the permanent workers, but will be less paid. It might cause motivational problems, so make sure to, at least, give your temp the same amount of respect you give to your permanent employees.
Legal Issues
Make sure to double-check the paperwork when making an arrangement about hiring a temporary worker. Leave no room for doubt about the status or ineligibility for permanent employee’s benefits.
Should Your Business Hire a Temporary Placement Company?
Short-term workers can be a great help to a small business, all things considered. Having this in mind, it’s safe to say that the success largely depends on which temporary placement company you choose.
That’s why you’ll want to pick a reputable agency with years of experience. Before making an arrangement, ask about the screening and testing process of the company, and be sure they can deliver the particular expertise you need.
Author Abel Cane knows the value of job placement agencies to both employees and employers. Quick, low-hassle, low commitment. You can’t beat that for a hiring process.