If you employ temporary workers, it’s vital that you incorporate them into your work culture.Not doing so could lead to an awkward or hostile atmosphere in the workplace.For instance, a full-time professional may think that a temp worker is taking any available overtime on offer or are there to potentially replace them in the long-term.The most important lesson here is to treat every employee the same, regardless of their contract length and pay grade.If you don’t, this could lead to a temp worker feeling unwelcomed and performing well below your expectation.In fact, if you’re paying a temporary worker a lot more for a day rate than a full-time member of staff, why would you run the risk of making them unhappy?That’s a lot of wasted money and resource.Getting it right in the first place could be monumental in maintaining your reputation as a great organisation to work in going forward.This is particularly important when researchers believe that there will be up to 1 million agency workers by 2020.To help you address this problem, here are some simple ways to involve your temp workers in your work culture.
Lead by example
If you treat a temp worker with respect while talking to them, you’ll find that it rubs off on other employees too.Leading by example can set the tone and make the temp feel involved.When it comes to holding a staff meeting or arranging an out of hours activity, you should always remember temporary staff as well.And then there are the finer details.Giving them a company email address, uniform and conducting the same onboarding process as permanent staff will really give them a sense that they’re truly valued by your business or organisation.If you leave your temp workers feeling isolated, you won’t create a balanced and happy work culture.
Get feedback from your current employees
As well as making your temp workers feel welcomed from the start, you should also address any issues before they even walk through the door.Every month, if applicable, you should give your permanent employees a questionnaire to fill out.Try asking questions that will get their opinion on how well they worked with temporary employees last time around.Gathering any information like this could be the key to maintaining a happy environment when both types of employees have to start working side by side again.You should also consider giving your temp staff the same questionnaire to fill out at the end of their contract.This will allow you to formulate a holistic view of what worked and what didn’t, forming the basis for your next recruitment hunt.You should then have the relevant employee information to see what kind of personalities and experience is required to fit well within the dynamic of your workplace.For example, if your last temp worker wasn’t experienced enough and needed further support, you may want to think about employing a more independent and experienced person next time.Just remember, the core ingredient for improvement is to learn from your mistakes.
Do some research
When a temp worker isn’t happy with their experience with an employer, they will usually voice their opinion on social media or employer rating sites like Glassdoor.In fact, the latter is home to more than 32 million reviews – eek!While this might not always give you a fair perception of your business or organisation, you might stumble upon a theme.If you notice multiple temp workers talking about a certain element of the business, this could suggest that your work culture or dynamic isn’t functioning properly.Collecting this sort of information will give you the tools to rectify it just in time for the next arrival of temps.
Don’t forget the small things
As a nice gesture, try doing something thoughtful for any new starter on their first day.This could include giving them a few welcome goodies to help them get through their first week or just offering to make them a tea as soon as they enter the room.Another kind alternative is to take them out for lunch or a drink after work.Getting to know your temp workers may seem pointless in the short-term, but in actual fact, it may well benefit you in the long-term as well.If they enjoy themselves while working for you, they’ll always show an eagerness to return in the future.If they don’t, and they leave a negative review online, you might start to struggle to fill a position due to a poor reputation.The good thing about making a small gesture is that they’re relatively inexpensive, but often make a big difference to your work culture and productivity as a whole.
Summary
A happy temp who feels involved, valued and loved will work hard for you.Whereas an uninspired and unwelcomed one will probably clock watch every day.So which one is it going to be?The decision is yours.For more help finding the perfect temporary staff for your organisation, get in touch with our expert team here at Temps 4 Care today.
