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Top Tips for Welcoming New Temps
Temp hires are just as important as permanent hires for any business. Temps are usually brought on to address an urgent need, cover staffing gaps or help permanent staff handle their workloads during peak seasons.
A recruitment agency will usually look after the process of finding the right people, drawing up temp employment contracts and handling payroll. But when it comes to making a temp feel welcome and ready to settle into their new assignment, employers have the most important part to play.
When everyone is busy, it’s tempting sometimes to pop the new person into a chair and leave them to their own devices – but there is a better way!
Giving new temps a proper welcome on day one can help them be more productive, quickly fit in with the team and contribute positively to the company culture. We’ll outline the most sensible tips for onboarding a temp that will help new starters hit the ground running and feel welcomed to the fold.
Prepare Before the First Day
It helps to make an onboarding checklist before a new temp is due to start to ensure you cover all the essential tasks and help teams get prepared if necessary. This will prevent any last-minute running around the morning your new temps are arriving.
Have a list of the introductions you need to make ready to go and the most important information the temp will need when they first walk in through the door. Write the list in chronological order so you can tick off each item as it’s done.
Onboarding is a team sport, so preparing current employees ahead of a new temps arrival is also important. Make sure your permanent employees know the temp’s name, the work they will be doing and the help that the team will be expected to give them.
Start with an Orientation
On their first day, greet them at the entrance and give them a tour of the workspace and amenities. Don’t forget to show them where the coffee machine is, where ping pong tables are (if you have those) or recommend the best places nearby for buying lunch. Bonus points if it’s on the company on their first day!
Introduce temps to their team members and give them a warm welcome. After that, it’s a good time to hold an information session in a meeting room or another suitable space, so you can brief the new hire on their assignment, key information about the company and any important policies and procedures they need to understand.
Providing new temps with a ‘welcome pack’ can be an especially useful way to help them get oriented on their first day. Resources could include key contacts, phone numbers and software shortcuts, as some examples. Don’t forget to include any passwords they need to be effective in their role, too.
If appropriate, you might want to include a few goodies like a company coffee mug, stationery, lunch voucher or sweet treats. (Everyone loves a good swag bag!)
Pair Temps with a ‘Buddy’
As specialists in contact centre recruitment and business services recruitment, we recommend assigning a buddy or mentor to temps on their first day to show them the ropes. Buddies can guide new temp employees on the job, answer their questions on the fly and give them the rundown on the office culture and dynamics. If any introductions or tours were missed at the start, a buddy can help fill in those gaps.
It’s best to assign a buddy who loves their job, is approachable and has the right amount of experience to mentor a newbie, too, so that your new temp feels welcomed. A buddy can also give them feedback where appropriate, which helps them to be more efficient!
Help Temp Workers Feel Included
The social aspect of onboarding is just as critical as knowing where the bathrooms are. After all, everyone likes to feel like they’re part of a group. Helping new people fit in with a team helps everyone work better together.
Wherever possible, find ways to include temporary employees in social activities such as team lunches, coffee runs, after-work gatherings and any bouts of daily fun your team might indulge in. Temps will be more likely to feel like they belong and have opportunities to establish rapport with their colleagues.
With their variety of work experience, temporary employees can offer companies valuable insights and fresh perspectives, so find ways to include them in meetings and seek their suggestions where appropriate.
Don’t forget to check in regularly with new temps and stay accessible, so they can seek out managers when they need to. Get in touch with them at the end of the first day to see how they’re doing and make note of any critical feedback.
Summary
Focusing on clear communication and social gestures can help your temporary workers feel welcome and able to make an impact from day one – no matter how long their contract lasts. Good onboarding processes help new hires start confidently and get productive quickly. The more a team invests in onboarding new hires, the easier the process will be.
By looking after temps well on their first day, you may also help pave the way for a great temp to eventually become a great permanent employee!
At WOW Recruitment, our contact centre recruitment and business services recruitment specialists have deep experience with hiring and onboarding temporary workers in Sydney and across Australia. We can connect you with the best temp talent, offer more tips on onboarding a temp or two, and a whole lot more! Get in touch with our team today.
