4 ways to welcome temporary employees

With temps representing over 5% of the UK workforce, and that number rising, bosses are being urged to go the extra mile to motivate and collaborate with their temporary staff. Without a ‘one size fits all’ approach to the increasingly diverse temp world, director of Argos for Business Jacqui Glenn has come up with her top ways for managers to keep workers motivated and part of the team, even if only for a limited amount of time.

Building relationships
When an employee is only contracted short-term, it’s easy to write them off as not working for long enough to get to know or collaborate with. With temps already often sitting outside of office reward schemes, they regularly receive less recognition for their work than their colleagues, and companies are encouraged to consider regular team-building exercises and social events to quickly break the conversational barriers and more easily integrate into the team.

Demonstrate value
Feeling valued by a boss is one of the top motivational factors that drives British employees. Encouraging positive morale within your workplace should be a top priority, and making things more personal can drive home the importance of your workers. Congratulating a job well done and demonstrating that their work matters will have them treat their work as more than just another contract.

Embrace the short-term
Temporary workers by definition aren’t around for very long, and so managers need to work around their flexibility. Setting short-term targets similar to the longer-term goals other employees have keeps motivation high as you can give rewards like gift cards. Similarly flexible to the worker, a gift card can give the recipient the freedom to choose their own gift, while also leaving potential for expenditure to stay within yours or a partner’s company.

Go above and beyond
Letting any employee know they matter can be a breath of fresh air to a worker that’s used to being treated more as a tool than a person. Going out of your way to keep them included and getting them actively involved with what keeps your business ticking over will help workers stay positive, and that positivity will reflect well on your business. Presenting yourself as part of a company that welcomes temps as equals can lead to long-term benefits as repeat contracts and increased interest will come along with it.