Time & Attendance Software Can Help Temporary Workers Get Going

In some parts of the country, the current hiring boom means that there are more openings than there are workers to fill them. That’s part of why some organizations turn to temporary employees to help them plug immediate gaps.

Hiring temporary workers

There are a number of reasons why you might need to hire temporary employees. For example:

  • You’re going through a period of growth, or are dealing with seasonal demand.
  • You want to avoid overtime hours, or burning out your existing employees.
  • You want to try someone out before you make a long-term hiring decision.

When you hire temporary or seasonal workers, you want them to be as successful as possible right out of the gate.

In the process, you want them to adjust to your workflow, and feel like they’re a vital part of your work environment. You don’t want them to get lost in the shuffle of processes and procedures. This is especially true when you need them to come up to speed quickly.

One way to support your new workers is to provide easy-to-use business and operational tools. That includes your time & attendance software.

How easy it is for temporary workers to understand and use your time & attendance can make all the difference when it comes to mitigating potential time theft. Take our interactive Time Theft Test, and quiz your current knowledge of time theft.

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For many organizations, hiring a temporary employee starts with partnering with a staffing agency.

  • A staffing agency can provide immediate access to qualified workers.
  • Most reputable staffing agencies will help you streamline the hiring process by contacting references and conducting background checks.
  • However, staffing agencies include additional expense.

With that in mind, here are a few critical insights to consider when it comes to finding the right temporary employee on your own, and helping to acquaint them with your business systems such as your time & attendance software.

1. Look for ways to speed up hiring

If you’re considering a temporary worker, then you’ll probably want to move as quickly as possible—especially if you’re hoping to reduce employee burnout or overtime costs.

If you’re not working with a staffing agency, consider the following tips during the interview phase:

  • Be flexible. While you want to hire someone who aligns with your company’s culture, you will want to weigh this against your immediate need. Therefore, your temporary hire might not need to meet the same standards as you’d apply to a longer term hire.
  • Likewise, after the interview process, focus your internal conversations on how well the candidate continues to meet your immediate needs.

2. Be mindful of performing a background check

As we mentioned above, a staffing agency will most likely conduct at least a partial background check. But if you’re going it alone, it’s important to apply as much due diligence as possible.

Background screens are a fairly routine part of the hiring process for many employers. But it can also be time consuming. Still, the background check is a corner you may not want to cut.

To start, be sure to verify the following:

  • Dates of employment
  • Titles and positions held
  • Job-related skills

From there, whether required by law, company policy, or both, you might need to conduct a more comprehensive background screening related to job duties, including:

  • Checking criminal and driving records
  • Asking to review their credit report
  • Requesting that they submit to a drug screening
  • Checking if they are a registered sex offender

Hiring requirements can vary by industry, state, locality, and job position — making screening a challenging task for employers. Employers must ensure they are complying with federal, state, and local regulations regarding background screening. If you are unsure of what restrictions apply to your company, you may want to seek assistance from appropriate legal counsel.

Conducting this level of a background check might slow the process down some, but it will help to protect your company from liability.

3. Make sure your time & attendance software is easy to use and helpful for you

Getting bogged down in processes and procedures won’t help anyone, especially temporary workers. For that reason alone, having a time & attendance system that’s easy to learn and use can help set you up for success.

To start, your time & attendance software can help simplify scheduling.

Depending on your industry or the time of year, temporary workers might jump into situations where schedules shift around. This is especially true if they’re in an on-call situation, or filling in when multiple employees are on leave, taking vacation, or dealing with illnesses.

  • Your time & attendance software can make it easy for temporary workers to keep an eye on their schedule remotely.
  • This can be especially helpful if your overworked employees need to swap shifts, or if you need to toggle the schedule to make sure people don’t work overtime hours.

On the management side, time & attendance software can help you keep an eye on pay rates

There’s a good chance that temporary employees will be earning a pay rate that’s different than your regular employees. Your time & attendance software can take these additional rates into account.

  • Your software can seamlessly integrate rate information into your accounting and payroll systems.
  • Conversely, if you’re using a paper-based system, or even a spreadsheet, it can be pretty difficult to keep track of rates. And it can be almost impossible to provide an audit trail.

With a cloud-based time & attendance solution, you can make it easier for temporary workers to understand and manage their schedule. When you’re already dealing with an immediate need, the quicker and easier that you can bring a new employee up to speed, the better it is for everyone.

Temporary workers can play a vital role in your organization’s business plan, especially during a staffing shortage. Make it easy for them to contribute right away. Find out how stratustime can help streamline time & attendance.

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