Tips for Handling
Most Common Problems
Reported By Temp Workers
#1. Unresponsive Staff |
Your qualifications or presentation may not be up to par.
"Best-Practices" agencies know when to refer you to local public or
non-profit career counseling or training services.
If the temp agency staffer interviewing you is too inexperienced or seems unprofessional,
you may need to be assertive and make known your accomplishments, character, and desired
assignments.
If interviewer or assignment manager does not answer your questions, frequently changes policies, or is not coordinated, then you should consider registering with another temp agency. You have the right to get answers, even when denied.
#2. Poor Temp Assignments |
| Scenario A: | Temp sent to assignment that requires different skills |
| Solution: | Before accepting an assignment, obtain a job description which clearly states the skills and experience required. Don't "stretch" your expertise or skill level, even if your assignment manager does not catch the mismatch. |
| Scenario B: | Not many temp assignments available. |
| Solution: | When first registering, ask for number of assignments filled recently in your area of interest. |
| Scenario C: | Few Real temp-to-hire/temp-to-perm possibilities |
| Solution: | Utilize an agency which gives you evidence of conversions in your field or at a client firm they are servicing. |
| Scenario D: | Assignment ended prematurely. |
| Solution: | File for unemployment insurance immediately after you've notified your temp agency that you are available for work. If there is no new assignment available immediately, then you qualify for unemployment insurance benefits. |
#3. Lack of Testing / Poor Training Opportunities |
Be prepared and eager to have your skills assessed. Ask when making an appointment when this will occur, how long testing will take, and what subjects testing will cover. Agencies vary in sequencing receipt of resume, phone screening, testing, and interviews.
Learn details of training offered at your agency -
At what point in your
application and work process is training accessible?
When are equipment,
manuals, tutorials, and/or instructor available?
Does a connection exist
between accepting assignments and eligibility for training?
If your placed on assignments where specialized training
is required, and the client firm is not providing training, call your agency immediately.
#4. Benefits |
Fact: Only 6% of temps receive health insurance benefits via their agency. However, temps almost always pay for their coverage.
Some agencies, like MacTemps, Science Registry, and Omne Staffing, pick up an increasing share of health insurance costs after a short period of time.
If certain benefits are promised (in literature or
verbally), and you meet the minimum number of hours required for coverage, then it may be
a case of fraud.
#5. Pay |
If your check arrives late, you can complain to the NJ Department of Labor Wages and Hours Office. Call (609) 292-2337.
Clarify before accepting an assignment the exact rate you will be paid. Fax your temp agency your understanding of your pay rate, and keep a copy.
You can refuse an assignment if it is substantially below what you normally receive in pay. In such cases, you can also collect unemployment insurance.
After three months and if you've been receiving positive evaluations from the
client firm (or if you learn that a comparable temp is earning more hourly), ask for a
raise.
#6. Temp-to-Perm Conversion Possibilities Promised, But Are In Fact Absent |
Fact: NATSS (National Association of Temporary and Staffing Services) claims that 75% of temps found permanent jobs last year, of which 18% did so by conversion at the client firm. This suggests a 1 in 7 chance of going permanent at any given temp assignment.
Note that participating "best-practices" temp agencies revealed both the percentage of assignments going past 90 days and what percentage of these assignments went perm last year.
If you are promised that a temp assignment would become a permanent job hire, and later discover that such promises were hoaxes, then you are a victim of fraud. Contact us immediately.