As a business owner, there are undoubtedly times when you wish that you had someone qualified to assist you. Unfortunately, the tasks and time involved in finding and hiring the perfect match for the job can be daunting – and is a whole lot of work when you only need help for short period of time. Whether a regular staff member is away on vacation and you need someone to handle their tasks or it’s a busy season and you need a set of extra hands, a temp agency can help you and your business.
What Is a Temp Agency?
Temp agencies offer workforce solutions for approximately three million Americans during a given week. They hire about 16 million temporary and contract employees for a variety of businesses every year.
Simply put, a temp agency hires employees for businesses that needs to fill a short term job opening. But there is a great deal more to what they do to lighten your workload and possibly save you money in the long run.
What Exactly Do They Do?
Once you decide to work with a temp agency, you’ll want to contact an agency that specializes in your industry or type of role you are looking to fill. Discuss details during your phone call, such as the job responsibilities and how many employees you need. Clarify when you need the position filled, the duration, and the salary you will pay. Be clear about your needs. Make a list of your questions beforehand.
The temp agency will create a job description and advertise it. If they have suitable candidates in their employee bank, they will also reach out to them.
The agency will review all the candidates’ qualifications and work experience. After that, they will schedule interviews for your hiring manager with only the most qualified candidates. Having saved you hours of work and effort, you or your hiring manager will now get to make the final hiring decision.
Here’s the “cherry on top”. Because the agency is the employer, your company is not responsible for tasks and payment of such things as employment contracts, payroll, taxes, vacation pay, or benefits.
Remember to read all contracts thoroughly or, if you have one, send it to your business lawyer or legal department.
What Will It Cost You?
Temp agencies take on the responsibility for paying the employee that you hire from them. This means they are responsible for determining and collecting taxes from the temp employees pay, paying benefits (if they offer them), and determining vacation pay.
Temp agencies may charge between 25 and 100 percent of the employee’s wages. There may be other fees should you decide to hire the employee on permanently. Be sure to discuss these details during your initial conversation with the agency representative, so you can go into a partnership with confidence.
What Will It Save You?
Now you know how much a temp agency will charge you, let’s take a look at what value they bring to you.
Time
Finding and hiring someone great has become more complicated and time consuming. Developing a partnership with a reputable temp agency can save you weeks and allow you to be more flexible in your hiring needs.
Money
Many companies are reluctant to hire full-time, permanent employees, as they’re, quite frankly, expensive. Having employees work only when they are needed allows a company to make every dollar work and keep the business lean.
Here is a perfect example. Some pharmaceutical companies who are launching a new drug may use a staffing agency. They bring a temporary sales force on board for three to six months to educate physicians and pharmacists on the new product. It injects “fuel” into the product’s sale during the most crucial months of a new product launch. Once that is achieved, the contract ends.
Also, since the temp agency is the employer, your business is exempt from paying benefits to the employee, saving quite a bit of money.
Eliminate Legal and Financial Risk
Being an employer comes with many legal and financial risks and responsibilities. The employer is liable for paying taxes and insurance coverage, as well as following various employee labor laws.
Because the temp agency is the employer, they will assume many of these liabilities and risks.
Eliminate Stress
Workplace stress results in hundreds of billions of dollars in healthcare costs and absenteeism every year. There is also compelling evidence to show that stress reduces workplace productivity.
The responsibility that comes with looking for and hiring an employee can be stressful. The service that a temp agency provides can help eliminate considerable stress and allow you to continue to be fully productive.
Get Started
Finding the best temp agency for you and your business may take a little bit of time. However, the partnership you develop can provide you with the ideal short-term hire and all the benefits that come with that.
Growing your team — even if it’s temporary — has become a larger and more complicated task than it was a few years ago. Finding an expert in this field to take care of the details can have a positive impact on you and your business.
Once you have found an agency that provides you with the quality of service and worker that you’re looking for, stick with them. A company that has proven themselves to be efficient and reliable will ensure that you can focus on growing a successful business.
