Why Employers Should Work with Temporary Professionals

Even though employers may want to fill open positions permanently, there are advantages to working with temporary professionals.

When people hear the words “temporary work,” they often think of clerical jobs or seasonal holiday positions. But as business needs have evolved, so has the “temping” professional. Temporary financial staffing firm Accountemps has identified a new set of realities for temporary workers today.

Max Messmer, Chairman and CEO of Robert Half International

“Interim work has gone far beyond the ‘temping’ of the past,” said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Human Resources Kit For Dummies®, 3rd Edition. “Businesses are hiring project professionals at all levels to tap into the specialized skills organizations critically need but may lack internally.”

The following are seven facts about contemporary temporary work:

Fact #1: Interim workers range from entry-level to executive-level. Temporary work is no longer limited to lower-skilled assignments. Firms of all sizes engage payroll clerks, bookkeepers, business systems analysts — even treasurers and chief financial officers — on an interim basis today.

Fact #2: Temporary assignments offer career flexibility. Interim professionals have the freedom and flexibility to choose projects based on their professional goals and preferences. They can accept short- and long-term assignments and may work either a full- or part-time schedule.

Fact #3: Contingent workers can earn good money. Compensation for project professionals is generally on par with that of full-time employees. And temporary workers with in-demand skills often command even higher pay. What’s more, many staffing firms, including Accountemps, offer their temporary workers access to health insurance and other benefits at competitive rates.

Fact #4: Project work can help professionals bolster their resumes. Sixty-five percent of staffing employees surveyed by the American Staffing Association said they developed new or improved work skills through their interim assignments. Accountemps offers all registered temporary candidates access to free skills training, including courses on the most popular accounting software.

Fact #5: Interim work can lead to a full-time job. Many businesses look at a temporary assignment as an on-the-job audition. A company that feels an interim professional has performed well and is a personality fit often will ask that person to stay on permanently.

Fact #6: Temporary workers don’t have to pay to register with a staffing firm. Reputable temporary agencies never ask their job candidates for fees.

Fact #7: Companies seek skilled interim professionals. Contingent workers with specialized expertise are in demand. Organizations of all types are relying more heavily on a flexible workforce to access specialized skills that either do not exist among their core employees or are not needed long term.