Working with Temporary Agencies: Pros and Cons
Temporary Agencies Have Both Good and Bad About Them
The Employer's Perspective
Employers using a temporary agency might enjoy the flexibility of having the labor pool outsourced to other agencies. This would leave management free, for the most part, to focus on other aspects of the business such as sources, inventory management, or other functions.
Easily seen as a drawback is having employees filling roles with no long-term career aims in mind. But even that is overshadowed by finding the occasional temporary employee who "just needed a foot in the door."
The Employee's Perspective
Those on a job search obviously see the benefit of getting a paycheck in for living expenses. While filling that need is an obvious plus, there's the additional "pro" of having just the very opportunity itself. Any worker with a strong back, weak mind, and willing heart could provide a genuine resource to the company, and end up hired full-time.
The drawbacks are pretty heavy of a burden in being the lack of any initial "job security." Not knowing if you'll be needed next week can be a source of personal stress. As well, the lack of pay-scale is another drawback.
The "cons" go further though, for the worker.
A lack of job security isn't the only drawback for workers employed by temporary agencies. Benefits such as insurance, retirement funds, credit unions, and clubs are also some of those things which would make lives of families better. Those perks mean a lot to many people in the work force today.
Children of temp agency employees still grow teeth. Their autos still break down and need roadside assistance. Every now and again, a temporary employee still needs a loan. The temporary agencies that first realize offering "bennies" is the key to the labor pool, will enjoy global success one day.
Source:
Published by Donald Pennington - Featured Contributor in Politics
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34 Comments
Post a CommentNot the worst experience, but sort of a coin toss. Good article.
You make some excellent points.
Interesting info!
I've worked for temp agencies several times and it's a lot of fun. It can turn into a regular job.
Thanks for this article-I'm considering signing up for temp work in the near future and this is great info!
excellent points.
I had to work thru a temp agency some years ago, in hopes of a permanent placement. After three months, i could not believe that my experience and education hadn't landed me a perm job. Then one day one of the girls (who was leaving to work for another agency) told me that since I was such a good legal secty with so much experience, they didn't WANT to place me because I was making more money for them as a temp, and they had no intention of sending me out on a permanent job interview! I flew into my handler's office, demanded to know if this was true, and she actually admitted it. I walked out that day, got a perm job less than two weeks later through another agency.
I worked for them at one time and was offered a job. I like that you get the chance to see if it's a fit with you and a prospective employer.
Temp agencies are great for people trying to break into the workforce. Myself, as a touch typist in high school a temp agency helped me get work experience in the office environment and then eventually landed me my first full-time job.
I've worked for temp agencies in the past and got offers of full employment from them. I also liked the flexibility, and that you could 'try' different things before committing.