During the recession period, many individuals had lost their jobs due to the tremendous slow down in the economy. Even though the economy is slowly bouncing back, it's still rather difficult for some to find suitable work due to intense
competition in the job market. For this reason, many dislocated and displaced workers
have turned to temporary agencies to help them get back into the
workforce. Even after signing with several agencies some individuals
still remain unemployed- simply because the agencies don’t have the
volume of temp jobs they once had. Why? Because
many companies have outsourced work and downsized and don’t have the
need for more workers or the funds to pay a temp agency. And for those
who have found work by going through a temp agency are glad to have some
income coming in, yet not totally satisfied with working for an
agency. Thus, there are some advantages and some
disadvantages in working for a temporary agency. If you have never
worked for a temporary agency before there are some things that you
should be aware of. Lets take a look at some advantages and disadvantages in working for a temporary service.
ADVANTAGES
Option to apply online
Nowadays you can conveniently apply online with most temporary services. You will need to call the agency you’re interested in working for to find out whether or not you can apply online. They
should call you to set up an interview once they have received your
application and determine that you are a suitable match for a job(s). By
completing the application process online, you could minimize the time
that you would spend interviewing.
Temp to perm
One great advantage in working for a temporary
agency is that you can start out working temporary but end up working
permanently. Keep in mind that you will need to prove your ability to
deliver excellent work results before an employer will consider hiring
you permanently.
Learn new skills
Another advantage in working for a temp agency is that you will have an opportunity to learn new skills and you can add your newly acquired skills to your resume.
Earn while looking for permanent work
You can still look for a permanent job while you
are yet working for the agency and earning wages. Bear in mind that you
are working on a temporary basis and you should continue to actively
look for a suitable job opportunity while you are in between jobs.
Showcase your talents
Working temporary for various companies will give you the opportunity to showcase your remarkable talents. You just might have the skills and expertise that is needed to help a company that you are temping for achieve its goals. The
employer might see you as a valuable asset to the company and could
offer you a permanent position should an opening become available.
Include work experience on your resume
When you have worked with the temp agency for six
months or more you can list this as work experience in your resume as to
justify employment gaps in your work history. Be sure to list your
major accomplishments and core skills that you acquired while working
for the agency.
Networking opportunity
This is an excellent time in which to network with other individuals who share the same career interest as you. Perhaps
they can give you some advice as to how you can land a job with the
company they are employed with or advise you of other career
opportunities elsewhere.
Can file for unemployment
You can apply for your unemployment benefits once
you have worked for a period of time provided that the agency was unable
to find you work later on. However, this can be tricky. For some agencies will try to block your unemployment…stating, refusal to work on your part. This can cause your claim to be denied. Make sure that you are able to prove your case.
Prefer to work temporary
And finally, some individuals prefer to work on a
temporary basis for various reasons and choose not to commit to one
company permanently. These individuals are appeased at
knowing they won’t be penalized for choosing to only work when it’s
convenient for them to do so. They can notify the agency as to when they
are seeking temporary work and when they are not available to work.
DISADVANTAGES
Short-term assignments
A major disadvantage in working for a temporary agency is that you cannot predict the length of your job assignments. You can request long-term assignments but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you will get long-term assignments. Some
companies might request a temp for two days, or two weeks, or one
month, or indefinitely…it simply depends upon the need of the company.
This can be quite frustrating for individuals who need steady income to
meet their expenses, which is most of us.
No work available
Another major disadvantage is…you might call
looking for work only to learn that there is no work available at that
particular time. In fact, you might call for several weeks or months only to learn that the agency has no work. This
is so frustrating for most. This is why some job seekers sign up for
several agencies in hopes of landing a job through one of them.
No benefits
Unfortunately, some agencies do not offer benefits to their workers. However,
some agencies offer benefits only after you have worked a certain
amount of hours but the benefits are limited and can be very costly to
you. You should inquire about the benefits before you register with a temporary agency.
Lower pay
Another disadvantage is that you will not receive the pay that you were accustomed to making when you worked permanently. The agency charges the companies a certain rate for your services and you will only be paid a percentage of the bill rate. You
will need to negotiate a pay rate before you accept a job assignment.
You might also politely ask what percentage of the bill rate you are
being paid by the agency. You should also note that not every assignment pays the same. It’s up to you whether or not you choose to accept or refuse an assignment. However,
you don’t want to turn down too many assignments, because they might
stop calling you and select to call individuals who don’t hesitate to
accept job assignments.
Feel like an outcast
When you work for various companies on a temporary
basis you might find that some individuals will not embrace you because
you are not technically part of the company. You might be excluded from
parties, lunch outings, etc. because you are basically an outsider
working temporarily. Some employees might also refer to you as
"the temp" instead of making a conscious effort to memorize your
name...and that's pretty sad.
The blame game
Oftentimes permanent employees want to avoid reprimand from
their managers and to cover themselves, will blame the temp(s)
(unbeknownst to them) for job errors they’ve caused in the workplace. They
know that the temp will only be there temporarily and may never find
out that they’ve been accused for something they did not do. On the contrary, they may take the credit for work that the temp did as well.
Misleading job assignments
Scenario: You get an offer
from your agency to work a particular job and you opt to accept the
assignment based upon the job description the recruiter articulated to
you. However, on your first day on the job you discover that the duties are not what you expected. You were told one thing by the agency but the company gave you something else to do. For
example, the recruiter might tell you that you will be doing strictly
accounting work, but you were instructed by the company manger that your
duties are to distribute mail and file instead. How disappointing! Sometimes this is a matter of miscommunication. And
in some instances the agency staff person failed to give you the
complete job description or an updated job description. Nonetheless,
you have the option of calling the agency to explain the situation and
to request a different job assignment. These type incidents will inconvenience you, the company, and the agency.
Conclusion, despite the disadvantages in working
for an agency, the bottom line is that a temporary agency is a useful
service and can be very instrumental in getting the unemployed back into
the workforce.
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