Search4Balance

In years past, you only went to a temp agency for light industrial and clerical work but not for so-called management or professional positions. If you’re still under that mindset, times are passing you by. Even twenty years ago, the company I worked for had two engineers through temp agencies. One of the engineers had worked through agencies for years.

Why would an Employee Do This?

1. Chance to check out an employer without making the commitment to work full-time. If you interview with a company, you really don’t know completely what a company is like. You hope you do, but there’s nothing like working at a company to get the real feel of the place.
2. Find out what is versus what they say it is. Everywhere there are the official rules and how things are actually done. They rarely are the same. You learn that from working at a place, not just interviewing there.

Why Would an Employer Do This?

1. Check to see if an applicant can really do the things he or she says they can do in an interview. I always recommend to an employer to have an applicant perform a task you need done to see if the applicant can do it. When they’re working as a temp for you, you can really see if they can do a task.
2. Check out work habits. Is the temp on time? Does the temp keep busy, is the work accurate? How does the temp get along with the co-workers? This is what you find out when you use a temp.

So if the job search is not going as fast as you would like, take a look at temp agencies. Next week we’ll summarize what we’ve done so far with this series and if we’re done or need to continue.

The Unemployment Office is not just a place to file for unemployment or get your unemployment check or in some states learn how to get things online. There are some innovative programs some unemployment offices are doing.

I first heard about a great program in Connecticut on 60 Minutes. Joe Carbone has an organization called The Workplace, which is funded in part through the Workplace Investment Act. It is available in all fifty states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories. What the 60 Minutes episode had that was so great a program paying employers to try unemployed workers for a period of time for the opportunity to hire.

The employer is not paying for the employee but has an opportunity to try an employee. The employee has a chance to show his or her ability. Most of just want a chance. To learn more about this system or locate specific resources in your area, go to www.workforceinvestmentworks.com.

Next week temp agencies.