Media Centre - Recruitment News

HR GO RECRUITMENT COMMENTS ON THE TEMPING INDUSTRY - 15 July 2010

SOURCE: DAILY MAIL
DATE: 15 JULY 2010
BY: LINDA WHITNEY

How a top temp can become a full-time fixture

YOU CAN'T get a job because you have no experience. But you can't get experience without a job. It is a vicious circle - but temping could break it.

Temporary work could be a particularly useful option for new graduates and school leavers looking for work. ‘Any kind of work experience will enhance your CV and provide valuable commercial skills to prepare you for permanent roles,' says Mike Fettas from online jobs board Totaljobs.

Temping also gives you access to networks of colleagues who can help you find jobs by word of mouth and gives you the chance to show off your skills to bosses.

Sectors most likely to be seeking temps in summer include hospitality, events, childcare and leisure. In some cases you can get in with no qualifications. There is also on-going demand for temporary care workers, medical staff and teachers, according to recruiter Hays, but usually you will need qualifications and experience for these roles.

‘There are around 40 candidates for every temp job at present, the same as for permanent jobs,' says Mr Fettas.

A degree will not necessarily give you the edge. Up to a third of graduates apply for temp roles as well as permanent jobs and employers tend to feel that graduates are less reliable as they will always be seeking permanent roles.
It may be better to play down academic qualifications unless a vacancy requires them. Instead, highlight your work skills to employers and temp agencies.

Part-time or vacation jobs in shops or bars give you customer service skills and cash handling experience, which shows trustworthiness. Highlight any teamworking experience, even from hobbies or sports, and any experience working to deadlines.

Give yourself the edge by showing you are a ‘self-starter'. Employers often ask for this because they cannot afford much time to train temps, so you must be able to show you are quick to learn. Demonstrate that you can take in information quickly and be openminded and flexible with enthusiasm to learn.

‘These attributes are key to making a positive impression,' says Jez Ladva of recruiter Synabor, and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation's London director.

HR GO recruitment, which specialises in temp and permanent warehouse, food, engineering and logistics jobs, has a core worker passport scheme. The passport lists the core skills needed for the temp role and the employer ticks them off once the temp has gained them.

‘This is especially effective for post-A-level and graduate temps, because employers can see they have the right skills to get into permanent roles,' says David Simons of HR GO. To use a temp role as a route into permanent work, be cheerful, reliable and punctual, show a keen interest in the company and if you are trained in a particular computer programme be willing to boost your skills by practising in your own time.

Be willing to do anything you are asked and if you finish one task, ask for another - even if it is in a different department. This can gain you a higher profile in the company and enable you to make more contacts and boost your experience.

‘Make sure the company knows you are interested in permanent work. Apply for internal vacancies if they suit your skills,' says Mr Simons.

Don't make the fact that you are ‘only a temp' an excuse for slacking or not helping customers or colleagues - and do not get involved in office politics. Don't expect to get paid more just because you are a temp. Some sectors - such as social work and teaching - pay higher rates for temps than for perms (£20 to £25 an hour for temp social workers and £120 to £150 a day for teachers, according to Synabor).