The Desk

September 11, 2017

Getting in the Temp Agency Door

Filed under: Job Search,Management,Recruiting — Yvonne LaRose @ 2:45 PM
Tags: , , , , , ,

The New Workforce

The New Workforce

At one point in time, getting formal temporary work was simply a matter of finding an agency. Well, actually, a little more than that. It was necessary to actually go in and fill out an employment application so that you could become a registered candidate. Then there were screening tests followed by an interview with the agency recruiter. Finally, you were asked about your availability and walked out with (1) a couple of time sheets in order to keep track of the hours you worked for (2) the job you were going to start doing the next business day.

In the Last Century

No, it wasn’t necessary to make an appointment. Having a resume was a nice thing to have. It showed a modicum of professionalism but more importantly, it showed you were prepared to work and show your work history.

Things changed a bit, but not drastically. The industry had little bearing on the protocol. It didn’t matter if it was office, labor, construction, nursing, or care giving. The routine was still the same. Labor agencies were even less formal. Simply go in, register, if the drop-in was not for the first time, simply put your name on the sign-in sheet, then sit and wait to be called for the next job.

Client Priority Changes

Some clients strove to streamline and formalize their operations. Their usual mode was to use their informal registration of applying to work via referral or emailing a resume and cover letter. They contacted their database of past workers to learn whether they were available for the next regular project and then did an new orientation. There was outreach for new workers who were sought by small advertisements and solicited referrals. But some decided to remove the paperwork and management from their workload. They turned to temp agencies to handle the administrative side of the employment issues. So the cadre of workers were required to register with the contracted agency during a registration period. The rest of the steps were the same.

New Game Plan

Sometime between 2008 and May 2017, the manner of working with an agency (from the worker’s side of the picture) changed. No more drop in, complete the application, go through testing, and walk out with a time sheet. Instead, applicants are now discouraged from even going into the agency office.

Instead, the applicant goes to the agency’s website and completes an application that’s accompanied by the applicant’s uploaded resume. In July, Joe Cummings, CEO, President, and owner of Royal Staffing, posted to LinkedIn by encouraging those who were seeking work to do so through his agency. The campaign was very similar to a current one that says, “Looking for a job? If so, we’re looking for you. Make your life easier and visit http://www.royalstaffing.com Look at the great opportunities we have waiting for you or someone you know.” What a great opportunity to find out how to be found. So I asked him to explain the new intake process used for registering temporary candidates.

“What we have our candidates do is fill out the online application. We reach out to each and every one of them once the applications received… If the applying candidate has the skills and a good work history for our niche market, we schedule an appointment for them to come in and interview. Prior to them coming in we do send them the assessment tests online and they complete them at home before they come into the office.”

This is now the protocol used by all agencies. Joe added some cautionary advice here. “[T]he job seeker is also responsible for following up on his or her application submittals to potential employers. The old adage still is very much alive today, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

But, What About?

There are still unanswered questions. This also begs the question of how the application / resume needs to be constructed in order to get temporary work – not gig work, just the fill-in stuff that used to be “easy-peasy”, walk in, take a test and complete forms, walk out with a time sheet and an assignment for the next day (and a paycheck the next week!).

Since there was no response by the end of June, I turned to the American Staffing Association to seek information. I explained my association and standing with the organization and asked for clarification about the change in protocol for registering with an agency. The burning questions were, “When did this practice begin and what is the reasoning for it?” Well, there’s been no response.

Digital and Modernization

Perhaps the reason for the change has to do with cost containment as well as the fact that we now do so much in a digital format. As each year since September 11, 2001 has passed, the need for security increases. Perhaps this manner of applying for work via the Internet has a small amount of attention to security issues. There is less need for office space and equipment so overhead is also reduced. Does that in turn mean that the contract workers can enjoy a small pay increase? It’s hard to say.

In the past, workers would choose an agency that was geographically easy to reach. At the end of the week, they could leave the work site and go directly to the agency office to drop off the verified time sheet. That also meant the previous week’s check could be held for them (not mailed) so they could personally receive it and handle it in whatever manner was necessary for their needs. Are checks now done via direct deposit? Security, as mentioned before, is growing to more than just physical site issues. Cybersecurity is now an important business concern. So perhaps that modicum of pay increase because of reduced overhead got absorbed by the expense of shoring up the vulnerabilities from the different weak spots. More open issues with no explanations.

The Same but Different

What remains is applying to work for more than a quick project now requires greater amount of formality. Yes, people do take vacations, go into hospital or take a leave of absence. Some employers manage the contingency by hiring one or two extra staff who have flexible skills. (That can become expensive over the long run.) And contingency work is still a great way to try out the talent before extending an offer of employment (also known as “temp to hire”) to get a 360, in-house evaluation of the talent. If the situation isn’t a good match, at least the “supply chain” of work continued without the usual interviewing / screening / onboarding interruptions created by traditional hiring methods.

And perhaps this is why the gig economy is not only growing but thriving today.

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