In today’s competitive hiring market, keeping great employees engaged should be a top priority for all managers. I’m a firm believer that this is applicable for both permanent and temporary hires (my colleague wrote a great piece on how to retain permanent employees – read it here). The more you can do to keep temporary professionals engaged, the better their performance will be, and the more likely they’ll stick around for the duration of their contract.
Last year, Pro Count Staffing placed more than 500 temporary employees in a variety of finance, accounting, payroll, and administrative roles across the Greater Toronto Area. We conduct extensive candidate and client feedback surveys and have distilled what it really takes to keep temporary hires engaged.
7 Ways to Keep Temporary Hires Engaged:
- The longer the contract you can offer, the better. Temporary employees are most likely to leave for a longer contract or permanent opportunity elsewhere.
- Clearly communicate what is expected from your temporary hires (duties, hours required, etc.) and offer feedback on areas of improvement.
- Be transparent about the length of the contract and if there is any potential for extension or permanent employment. If your temporary employee is a great technical and cultural fit for your organization, there is always the opportunity to convert them into a full-time employee.
- Make it a learning experience. Allow your temporary hires to wear multiple hats and take on more duties. The more opportunities they have to enhance their skill sets or gain new ones, the more likely they are to stay for the duration of their contract. Additionally, candidates pursuing their CPA designation will be further attracted to opportunities that provide relevant work experience in specific competency areas as part of obtaining their designation.
- Include your temporary employees in your corporate initiatives – invite them to company events and team socials, give them swag, and help them feel at home at your organization. This is also a great way to promote your corporate culture and contribute to the overall reputation of your employer brand.
- Provide training on the various software suites and online platforms your company uses. Temporary professionals are eager to learn and gain practical experience they can highlight on their resumes.
- Be supportive and accommodating to the unique needs of temporary employees. For example, being flexible with working hours so that temporary hires can attend permanent job interviews.
If a temporary employee does leave your organization before their contract ends for a longer term or permanent opportunity, know that it’s perfectly okay and quite common. If you have any questions about how to optimize your temporary hiring experience, feel free to email me at wbanks@procountstaffing.com.
