How to Make Your Temporary Employees Feel Part of the Team

Temporary workers have become a major part of the economy. In a given week, more than three million people fill temp assignments, with about 17 million taking on those roles during a year. But even as these employees become crucial contributors to your organization, are you doing enough to make them feel like part of the team?

Many companies don’t do enough to integrate their temporary workforce. Seeing them as short-term help, these firms invest as little as possible in their development and take few steps to welcome them into the organization.

This is a mistake. Added training and support can increase productivity for your temp workforce. At the same time, many short-time hires eventually become full-time staff members — an inclusive attitude from the start can help you find top talent.

With that in mind, here are some tips to make your temporary employees feel part of the team:

Start with Training and Onboarding

From the moment a temp enters your orbit, you should work to make them feel included. This usually starts at the onboarding and training phase. Use these processes as a way to integrate your temps into the wider corporate family.

Invite Them to Meetings

Don’t exclude temps from routine company operations. Any meetings or discussions that require their coworkers should include your temps as well. This will keep them up to date on events at the company, as well as integrate them into the team.

Solicit Their Ideas

Temps don’t just provide a supply of labor. They also come with experience and insight. Benefit from this potential source of innovation by soliciting ideas from your temps.

Give Constructive Feedback

Employers often take a “good enough” approach to training temps — get them to the point where they can adequately perform the required tasks and then leave them to it. However, an ongoing training program can yield better results. At the same time, it shows interest in your worker’s efforts, which will make them feel more invested in the company.

Talk to Them About the Company’s Goals and Values

Involve your temp workers in the larger mission of the company. By talking to them about your grander plans, they will feel part of the longer-term journey of the organization. This will make them feel like important contributors.

At the same time, a conversation about broader goals and deeper values has other benefits. It opens up an important dialog about your firm’s corporate culture. By presenting your temps with motivations beyond a simple paycheck, you can unlock added productivity.

Assign a Mentor

Often a one-on-one approach offers the best way to ease a new team member into the flow of everyday operations. You might not have the time to do this yourself. Meanwhile, a peer typically represents a more comfortable fit when it comes to providing routine guidance.

Create a mentorship program that pairs veteran staff members with your incoming temps. This will give the newbies a point of contact and a low-pressure guide to the organization. This relationship will also encourage your new worker to build ties with the company.

Include Them in Social Events

With the passing of COVID, company-sponsored events are making a comeback. From special occasions to spontaneous after-work Happy Hours, make sure your temps get an invite to social events. This will nurture bonds within the team and improve worker satisfaction.

Temporary workers can provide a crucial boost to your organization. Finding the right professionals to fill these roles gets easier with a top recruiter like SmartTalent.

Contact SmartTalent today to hire temps that will take your team to the next level.