How to Hire the Best Temporary Workers During the Holidays

The holidays are here – and if your business is like many, it’s a hectic time. You have an increase in demand and projects that need to be wrapped up before year’s end, while employees are requesting vacation time off. It’s certainly a balancing act, one made easier with the help of temporary workers. To help ensure you hire the best ones – and can get the most from them – here are a few rules to keep in mind:

Rule #1: Get referrals from employees.

As a leading provider of temp services in Houston, Texas, Murray Resources knows the best temporary workers will come from employee referrals. Not only can referrals give you a quick source of talent, but it’s also a great way to find candidates who will likely be a better cultural and performance fit. After all, who knows better what it takes to succeed at your company than existing staff members? You can even consider rewarding your employees for successful referrals through bonuses or other incentives.

Rule #2: Take time to interview each candidate.

Don’t hire temporary workers on the fly. Take the time to properly screen and interview candidates to ensure the person you hire is the best fit. Keep in mind, too, you need people who can get up and running quickly. You don’t have the luxury of weeks of training and onboarding like you do with full-time employees. That means, during the interview, you have to ask good questions so you can rest easy that you’re hiring those who can truly thrive. Some questions include:

  • Tell me about your related experience.
  • Give me an example of how you handled a difficult customer in the past.
  • What makes you a great fit for this job?
  • Why do you want this job?

Rule #3: Look for a positive attitude.

A positive attitude can make a huge difference when you’re hiring workers. Someone who’s happy to show up at work and driven to deliver will infuse energy into your workplace. On the other hand, someone who’s bored or unenthusiastic will do barely enough to get by. So look for those candidates who seem excited about the opportunity.

Rule #4: Undercut the competition.

If your competitors are offering a certain hourly wage for temporary workers, offer a dollar or two more, if you can. The extra money will be well worth it in the form of better temporary workers and higher productivity.

Rule #5: Partner with a temporary staffing agency.

As a leading provider of temp services in Houston, Texas, we know hiring temporary or contract workers can sometimes be a struggle. But we’re here to help. We have the expertise, proven processes, and network of candidates to help ensure you have the right people, in the right place, at the right time. We can do all the legwork and minimize hiring missteps and risks, all so you get the skilled, dependable, enthusiastic people you need.

If you need help hiring temporary workers for your company during the holidays – or any time of year, call us today. We can help.