Should Employers Include Temporary Staff in New Hire Orientation?

The growth of temporary employment agencies is amazing. This is obviously the result of the increased use of temporary employees in the workplace. From office staff to production workers to the sanitation crew; more and more Human Resources Managers are turning to Temp Agencies for help.

Hiring through these services has its advantages. The cost of hiring a new employee is generally in the $1,000 range. Additionally, manager managers and supervisors do not have the interviewing or intrapersonal skills need to choose the right candidate. By turning to an agency, their open positions are filled and they can "try out" the applicant before ever hiring them. If they don't like their work, there is no firing involved; just call the agency for a replacement. They deal with the dirty work.

The major disadvantage of using temporary employees is the lack of training. These workers generally come in and are put to work immediately; unlike a person being hired on, they would go through an entire orientation. This gap can have many negative effects on the company.

First, there can be a huge turnover in temporary employees. This can be caused by the lack of communication. Human Resources Managers are unaware of what the worker was told by the agency. Several times, there are miscommunications and the employee is not told everything about the position. By starting them off in the orientation process, the Human Resources Manager has the opportunity to review all of the temp's concerns, thus reducing turnover.

This lack of communication can hurt employee moral, not just for temps but for all employees. Permanent staffers are strained when people are coming and going all the time. A steady and reliable worker makes their job easier and reduces the negative impact.

Untrained temps are also at an increase risk of injury. Most new hire orientations review the company's basic safety rules and procedures. When a temp starts without this basic knowledge, they are more likely to be injured. Although, this may not affect the company's bottom line because the workers' compensation coverage is provided by the agency, it does affect the company's OSHA log. Additionally, unsafe temps may cause injury to a permanent employee.

Lastly, putting a temp through new hire orientation will not only save time when they are hired on permanently it will give them a chance to view the employee benefits the company has to offer. Knowing about health insurance, dental, paid time off and other employee benefits will give them something to look forward and entice them to stay for the long haul.

Needless to say, the benefits of taking the time to properly orientate temporary employees are well worth it. Although it may take some of the convenience out of the employment agency's service, it will give managers, supervisors, and coworkers a higher caliber employee to work with.