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Recruiting and Retention Strategies of Office Temporary Employees
An in-depth analysis of the temporary office employee industry as it pertains to recruiting and retention of those employees.
This paper presents a detailed proposal for the recruiting and retention of temporary office workers. The writer is employed as a full time on site recruiter of temporary office workers at one of Wall Street's top financial firms. The majority of the temporary help the writer recruits are administrative assistants and other entry level finance positions. The positions range from a couple of days to several months in time. The writer is charged with recruiting and retaining temporary workers who have the necessary skill sets and experience to perform the jobs. The writer analyzes the industry, the company history regarding temporary employees and future trends to propose methods for the purpose of recruiting and retention of those workers.
FLOW OF INFORMATION
Abstract
Introduction
Another concern according to the study is the lack of job security. One third of those in the study reported having no idea how long their current temporary position would last, or where they would be placed when it ended.
"Aside from benefits, job security was a major concern for the temporary workers surveyed. Almost one-third (32%) of those polled said they did not know how long their current job would last, while over 50% said that it is likely or very likely they would leave their current assignments within one year. This uncertainty means that temporary workers are often reading want ads, sending out resumes and talking with friends about other employment possibilities (Forty percent of temporary workers prefer nonpermanent employment status, Cornell University study concludes http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Oct97/temp_study.dg.html). "
Statement of the Problem
In this particular company there are several factors that play a part in the need for constant recruiting and retention efforts when it comes to our temporary employees. Because the company is located in the city, the cost of living is higher than other areas of the state. This means that workers have to be concerned not only with the weekly wage amount, but also that they will be able to continue working with a minimum of breaks.
In addition, this company is considered one of the top firms in the industry, which makes it a favorable resume booster. Temporary employees who can get on full time will work for a well respected company which can only help their career goals. Because of these factors there are company specific issues related to the recruiting and retention of temporary employees here.
The skill sets needed for these positions are very specific. We hire those who are proficient in Microsoft word, some spread sheets, word processing, and other things that can work well in administrative positions. In addition we have a problem with the turn around time for hiring. Managers give us very little time to find someone once they discover a need. This may be because we are an on site vendor and it is easy for them to communicate with short notice to us by stopping by or calling down the hall. This puts us in a difficult position because it takes time to do the necessary background and skill set checking before placing an employee in the position. The managers generally give us one or two days notice which puts us in a time trap. If we could recruit more employees, and more importantly retain more temporary employees we would have a larger pool of already tested and checked on employees to draw from for these positions.
The skill sets necessary for these positions are proficiency on MS Office, prior work experience as an administrative assistant in a corporate setting, and polished and professional presentation and demeanor. For entry level finance candidates, we look for undergraduates from top and reputable schools around the country whom have a good understanding of finance concepts, accounting, financial modeling, regression analysis and other analytical-type skills. Additionally, those placed at this company need to have a clear criminal background and for most positions a minimum of a Bachelors degree. Our pay rate is competitive even for this area. We generally pay a minimum of $21 an hour. We find that we lose our employees because they want a permanent position that offers benefits, or they want to work toward a specific career goal or pursue educational goals. It is not about pay, which actually would have an easier remedy. It is instead about other intangible issues that we must find a way to address if we hope to recruit and retain qualified dependable temporary employees for long-term relationships with our agency.
EXAMINING OTHER AGENCIES
"Recruiters need more than just a list of job skills to find quality candidates. They need to understand your culture and environment," says Tom Lucas, senior vice president of HR and employee relations at….....