High expectations can really louse up a good day! Just ask Rob and Joanne (names changed to protect the innocently duped). That was, after all, the lesson they learned the day they took a diamond ring into a shop in Manhattan’s famed Diamond District. Looking forward to paying a few bills with the highly appraised ring, they were only too happy to let the jeweler examine the stone more closely by removing it from its setting. Suffice it to say the couple was rendered speechless after discovering the setting hid major flaw, diminishing its value.
If you think about it, temps in the creative fields are no different than that diamond. Sometimes you find that gem of a professional who will meet, if not exceed, your expectations. Most employers who have hired temporary help, however, can also tell a tale or two of that employee who just didn’t deliver the goods.
Are there tricks to hiring good temporary staff? Things you should know? Certain traits to look for? Oz gathered a few tales from the employer trenches and checked in with a few temp firms to seek a little perspective on the subject, and find out what employers should know about hiring and working with temporary employees. Some Are Better Than Others... Steve Goodman has a fair amount of experience riding the “temp-go-round.” “We’ve used a couple of firms over the years,” responds Goodman, CEO of Jackson Marketing, a special events marketing firm. “Some,” he cites, “are better than others.” In selecting temp agencies, Goodman assesses which has the quickest response time and the greatest pool of applicants. “One great advantage of using a temp firm is that they can often have an employee at your door within hours of making the call.” But will that employee be the appropriate one? “Often,” Goodman says, “agencies have a tendency to oversell candidates. I’ll be told they can do Excel or PowerPoint and when they get here, we have to spend time to train them.” Exaggeration is another common occurrence. “There are definitely agencies out there which report higher than actual test results.” How can he be so certain? “We do our own typing test when the employee arrives only to discover they don’t come close to the reported score. When those things happen, we simply drop that agency down to the bottom of the list.” Goodman believes these discrepancies may stem from agency profitability goals. Some agencies reward internal managers based on profitability and the number of placements made. “You learn quickly which agencies do that and avoid them.” Despite some of the drawbacks, though, Goodman appreciates the fact that agencies have a greater pool of applicants than he could ever access on his own. The fact that agencies can also handle initial screenings is also helpful. “That saves my team from having to repeat many of the same processes.” The better the relationship established with a temp firm, the better the placement, Goodman states. Scared of Committment.. Assuming you do get a candidate with the appropriate skill set, you’re out of the woods, right? Not necessarily. Your next concern should be whether or not they’ll finish the project. “One of the greatest frustrations with temps is their lack of commitment,” Goodman comments. “Sometimes you spend hours training a telemarketer on their script, for example. By the time they’ve learned it, they’re gone, on to another project, or perhaps they just don’t feel like coming in.” While Goodman appreciates the agency apology complete with the promise to send another temp at a lesser rate, Goodman is not likely to be appeased. “At that point, we’ve already lost out. Besides that, it’s not about the rate, but about getting the job done.” And Then There Were More... Meeting impossible deadlines is one obvious reason for hiring a temp. One anonymous company hired an agency to accommodate such a deadline. This company felt confident, having requested a seasoned, reliable professional. The problem was that talent spent too long on the project, longer than the client anticipated, and missed the deadline. Of course, it didn’t help that the talent was working off-site. To make matters worse, the company never established clear expectations, and never monitored or guided the writer doing the work. Let’s face it, though. A missed deadline is nothing when compared to the temp caught trying to steal from their new employer. Such was the experience of another anonymous firm. The individual was hired in to do some accounting work. She took voided checks, duplicated them, and opened up a new account to try and pass them off. Fortunately, the company’s bank was on top of it and called to verify what was going on. After this fiasco, when the employee had disappeared, the employer tried calling references. They were shocked when they discovered none of the listed companies had ever heard of this employee. What the Temp Agency Wants... When it comes to handling the creative temp hiring process, Aquent Services tries to do everything possible to ensure a proper match. The original founders of MacTemp, Portfolio and Webstaff, Aquent does temp and contract to hire for the creative industry. Aquent Global Accounts Manager, Audrie Eidson, believes that a thorough screening process plays an important role in the firm’s successful placement record. “We do portfolio reviews as well as testing to see how well candidates can handle various programs. Because we work with so many people in the industry, we know when someone puts work into their portfolio that they didn’t really do. Which is why we don’t have too many cases of talent misrepresentation.” Working with an agency that’s aligned with the services a client wants is one word of advice Eidson offers. “Get references,” she says. “And see who the agency is affiliated with. For example, we’re a premier resource for Adobe.” But there’s more to hiring a temp then just finding a reputable agency. “Understanding exactly what you need is a key element in hiring any temp,” Eidson notes. “Look at the project, what type of technical skills will be required, what kind of design style you’re looking for, what deadlines exist. The more information we can have, the better.” Sherra Bell of Digital People couldn’t agree more. “Most clients need more than they ask for,” she offers. Which is why the agency is reluctant to send talent without first meeting a client. “We call it the discovery process,” she remarks. “We want to get beyond just the skill sets required to determine the real need.” Eidson cites numerous occasions where early conversations have led both parties to realize that more than one temp is needed. “With enough information, we can help clients outline the type of creatives they really need,” Eidson says. A hasty discovery process resulted in a big loss for another anonymous company. A client called on this firm to finish a time sensitive project. Because they were in a rush, they didn’t take the time to answer initial questions thoroughly. Consequently, the job description was very general. The agency tried as best they could to interpret it and send the candidate who had most of the skills outlined. Unfortunately, the skill they needed most was not one this candidate possessed. By not refining the job description, the client got the wrong candidate, had to better explain the situation for the next temp to be selected, and ultimately lost the account because they missed their deadline. “We get to know our client personalities as well as our temp personalities,” Bell muses. “We’re very intuitive about weighing strengths and weaknesses over time. Which is why we need to know what a project really requires, both technically and personally.” Going Through the Discovery Process... Okay, so now you’ve gone through the discovery process and hired a temp. Now what? Eidson believes it’s important to realistically determine what that temp can contribute. “Obviously we can take clients out of a bad situation in a bind, but we’re the first to admit, we can’t always be the hero,” Eidson remarks. “So it’s important for a client to be realistic.” Once talent is on assignment, both Eidson and Bell believe employers need to explain expectations, let them know where to go with questions, how often to report in, and set deadlines. “Some people offer more nebulous descriptions while other clients can define exactly what it is they want,” Eidson adds. From the first moment on, it’s also vital to pay attention to that temp’s work. “We do quality checks at the end of four hours and at the end of the day,” Bell responds. “As a policy, we try to catch any problems as early as possible. We want to hear from a client if things aren’t working out initially and why. Then we can fix it. Given the pressure of deadlines, it’s usually in the best interest of the client to cut losses quickly if necessary and replace the initial temp.” It’s also in the best interest of the temp agency to understand any early problems. “We do everything we can to ensure a good match,” Bell notes. “But if a client lets a bad situation go on for two weeks without alerting us, they need to assume some responsibility for their dissatisfaction.” Another reason Digital People wants to know what’s going on is so they can better understand their own talent pool. “We really try to weigh various situations,” Bell states. “It’s important to pay attention to what you learn about people in this business. It helps us know the particular projects our temps are right for and in certain cases, makes us realize that certain temps are unable to meet our expectations. Are incidents isolated or are they a sign that shows us this individual won’t work out? We’re incredibly picky, but we have to be.” Giving Your Temp a Proper Home... Don’t hire a temp until you’re organized is another word of advice Eidson offers. “We’ve sent talent to clients before and it’s so chaotic, our temps sit for a day without doing a thing,” Eidson comments. Having the proper equipment is another thing to ensure positive project results. If that temp is going to produce, they need the proper tools and space in which to work. The old adage of “you get what you pay for” holds true in the temp staff business, too. “If you’re looking for a senior level designer, expect to pay a higher rate than you would for someone with less experience,” Eidson notes. “Clients can be disappointed when they want a senior designer but are only willing to pay for junior talent.” And if you want that top talent, try to give as much advance notice as possible. Both Eidson and Bell believe that the more notice they have, the better talent they can offer. “The higher and more senior level the project,” Eidson says, “the more time we need to secure the right person.” Is your mind set on a particular person or a particular skill set? Can you wait for that person or is yours an immediate need? “We try our best to give clients multiple options on both staff and pricing,” Eidson finishes. Decisions are often a function of time and budget. Finally, be aware of the time temps are spending. “Our work is billed on an hourly basis,” Eidson comments. “If you have stipulations about working overtime, let us know. That way there are no unwanted surprises.” Keep Talking and Keep Smiling... In the end, there’s probably no way to completely eliminate less than stellar temp experiences. But if you open the lines of communication early on, both with the temp and with the temp agency, chances are great that a smile will light your face at the end of the day when your business functions just the way you want.
