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Onboarding your Temporary Workforce

February 6th, 2015

Once you decide that you’re ready to add a few temporary hands to your team, you’ll need to take the next step: introducing and acclimating your temps to the culture and rhythms of your current workplace. New employees often struggle to find their feet and a friendly welcome can make a world of difference. Temps also need to know where to turn when they have questions about their tasks, and if your current teams are adequately prepared, they’ll be able to answer these questions without losing stride. Keep these tips in mind as your start dates approach.

Give your current teams all the facts.

Make sure your teams have plenty of warning about the start dates for your temps, but also be sure to share their names, their areas of expertise, and a little bit of each person’s backstory. Give both parties a few details they can use to launch a conversation, and encourage your full time staff to show interest in the newbies and make them feel valued.

Assign clear responsibilities.

Your teams should know exactly what will be expected of them when each temp arrives. Be clear about who will greet them at the door, who will introduce them to the office, and who will insure that their workspaces are prepared and functional. There’s nothing more awkward then a temp left standing alone in a workplace with no assigned guide, no desk, and no clear place to direct her energies.

Avoid redundancy.

Here’s another awkward scenario: your temp arrives and sits down to her assigned task, only to be approached by a full time worker who believes he’s the one charged with the same task. If the task belongs to the temp, make sure the regular staff member knows what he should be doing instead. Workflow communication and scheduling are critical to smooth temp-onboarding.

Bring everyone into the loop.

Too often, full time workers watch temps walk past in the hall without knowing who they are– or caring. Full time workers should recognize temps when they see them. And when these encounters take place, they should show friendly interest in the temp’s acclimation process. Encourage phrases like: “Do you have any questions? Are you adjusting okay? Do you have everything you need?”

For more on how to make your temps feel welcome, motivated, and ready to work, reach out to the temporary staffing experts at Merritt Staffing.

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