The Benefits of a Temporary or Temp-to-Hire Position
It’s easy to see how hiring temporary employees can benefit companies. They’re able to get skilled labor from employees who don’t need much training, without the need for a long-term commitment. Temporary employees don’t need to be added to payroll, or enrolled in benefit programs, or invested in for success the way a full-time employee would be. With all that in mind, how does a temporary position benefit the employee?
You may be surprised to learn that working temporary and temp-to-hire positions can actually help you in a number of ways. Here are just a few of the advantages temporary employees can realize, both on the job and off.
In today’s market, it’s not so “temporary”
If you’ve never worked with a temp agency or on a contract position, you may think that a “temporary job” is one that lasts a few days, or maybe a few weeks if you’re lucky. But along with the growth of temporary positions that followed the recession came a significant increase in the length of temporary jobs. Now it’s common for “temporary” to mean three, four, or six months — or even a year, in some cases. There’s also temp-to-hire, which can become permanent employment.
For the unemployed, any job’s better than no job
If you’ve been unemployed for any reason and hitting the job search path with disappointing results, taking a temporary job will deliver a sorely needed boost to your bank account — and more importantly, to your confidence. Even if you take a temp job that’s outside your desired industry, you’ll be working again.
The additional income and the feeling that you are worth employing can help you return to your job search after the position ends refreshed, rejuvenated, and with a positive outlook. Or you might find a permanent home with the job you thought would be temporary.
New graduates: Experience the working life without a commitment
If you’ve just graduated from high school, vocational school, or college, and you mostly know what you want to do with your life, you might find it difficult to jump right in to the career you want. Temporary employment can help you fill the sudden void in your life that used to be taken up by class work and studying — and gives you a “try before you buy” opportunity to test different types of positions before you settle on one you truly enjoy working in.
Build your skills, your resume, and your network
When you work at a temporary job, you’ll always have the opportunity to learn new skills — whether they are technical and related to your chosen field, or general and related to working with other people. Even if you take a temp job that’s far outside your industry, the “soft skills” you learn on the job will benefit you throughout your career.
Temporary assignments also ensure that you don’t have large gaps in your resume when you apply to permanent positions. Employers will be more impressed that you took a job outside your field, than if you had not worked at all for long periods of time.
Finally, the people you meet and interact with on your temporary job — from the staffing agency, to the HR folks, to your co-workers and supervisors — all represent potential connections to opportunities both inside and outside the company. Network with everyone while you’re on a temporary assignment, and talk about your career goals whenever you have the opportunity. You never know when you may discover someone who can hand you a great lead for your next job. To learn more about how we can help you find your next behavioral health position, contact us today at (513) 651-9500 or by email at [email protected].