If you’re using flexible staffing, chances are you’ve had temp workers not meet expectations. But in some cases, it’s not the worker that’s the problem, it’s a lack of clarity. Clarity is instrumental in building trust between temp labor and managers.
Clarity in temp staffing is the first step to having an optimized and efficient staffing strategy.
Workers Aren’t Mind Readers
We frequently hear shift managers say they want people who will be on time and stay on task. But what does stay on task mean?
Imagine a shift manager who is using some warehouse temp staffing. They get a worker who comes in on time and they tell them to assemble boxes. So the worker spends the whole shift just assembling the boxes.
Then at the end of the shift the manager says they didn't really like that certain worker. But the worker was on time and stayed on task for the whole shift.
So what was the worker missing? The manager might not have clearly stated what they wanted. They wanted the worker to do three things: assemble the boxes, clean up scraps, and stack the boxes in a specific way. If the manager doesn’t make those things clear then the worker is set up to fail.
What You Need to Be Clear About
Managers must get specific about the most important aspects of the job, from check-in procedures to task priorities.
Some points to be sure to be clear about include
- Arrival time and location
- Point of contact
- Check in/out processes
- What to wear (uniform requirements)
- Who the supervisor will be
- What to do in case of emergency
- Shift Priorities
- Safety Information
Through traditional temp agencies near me it can be difficult to clearly state expectations. With on-demand staffing apps it is much simpler. Use your online staffing platform to get the control to add detailed shift descriptions.
The Business Results of Better Clarity
Bacon runs thousands of shifts a month to help businesses find temp employees. We have found that the companies that are very clear with their expectations for their jobs have really high fill rates. These businesses have an average fill rate of 97% with many companies reaching over 100% because they bring in backups.
Being clear sets workers up for success and when they are set up for success workers want to come back to these companies.
Events company AE&ES has used many types of staffing services in their search for finding temp staff for my business. They turned to online staffing platforms in search of flexible staffing for their high profile events and general labor staffing.
AE&ES uses staffing app Bacon to source workers and uses Bacon's features to train employees prior to their events.
“I think when people say ‘I don’t have time out of my day to train them or it’s no longer of value’ my response is you have to invest in your workers just like they’re your own staff because then they’re going to be dedicated they’re going to show up and they’re going to come to the last minute class. They see that we value them and they appreciate and respect us because of it.”
-Steffany Avera, COO
Conclusion
Clarity is key for building a relationship of trust. We should do everything we can to be super clear with temp labor. The Bacon app allows businesses to create detailed job descriptions to make clarity easy.
