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Motivating your Temp Employees

Motivating your Temp Employees

In order to cut costs and reduce hiring risk, you frequently enlist the help of temporary employees during spikes in your business cycle. These workers usually come on board, do what you ask, and leave without much fanfare. The relationships you build with them are cordial, but cool and fleeting, and you wonder if there’s a way to get more out this partnership. How can you inspire your temp employees to give more than the minimum? Here are a few considerations to keep in mind.

Make the first move

When a new person steps into your workplace for the duration of a three-week project, she’ll probably spend most of that time thinking about the future and wondering what she’ll do when the three weeks are over. If you’d like to see her working a little harder and caring a little more about the long-term outcome of her current tasks, start by showing more concern for her long-term outcome. Ask about her future plans, listen to the answers, and if there’s any way that you can make this temporary assignment into a permanent gig, let her know.

Be generous with praise and verbal rewards

If your temp walks in the door on day one and immediately faces criticism, scolding, and irritated glares, she’ll be counting the seconds until it’s time to leave. But if she faces encouragement, coaching, and praise for her hard work and attention to detail, she’ll thrive. You may not have much to offer in terms of monetary compensation, but a little praise and verbal compliments can go a long way.

Offer something other employers can’t

Are there certain aspects of this business that your temp would like to see? Are there certain types of experience, exposure, or training that might help her reach her long-term goals? Find out. If you can provide these things, by all means, do so.

Encourage connections between your temps and full-time staff

Before new temps arrive for their short-term assignments, prepare your regular staff. Let them know when the new person will arrive and what she’ll be doing. Generate some interest in her past and her personality. Encourage your regular staff to engage with her and show her the ropes.

For more on how to light a spark and encourage your temporary staff to invest a little extra time and energy in your organization, reach out to the top-notch staffing professionals at Techneeds.