One of the core activities of an employment consultancy like maryb.ie is providing temporary workers for industry, and sourcing regular work for our legion of temporary workers.

 

Recruiters find themselves in the middle of this constantly changing dynamic between clients and candidates. We need to ensure that supply meets demand in the marketplace and that the right jobs are found to meet the skills and needs of our temporary candidates. It’s a balancing act which requires the utmost attention to personal detail when dealing with the employee and an awareness of the business imperatives of any employer of temporary workers.

 

According to an Ecorys NEI report for the International Confederation of Temporary Work Businesses, or CIETT, candidates opt for temping for a number of reasons. It is used to screen possible employers and gain work experience or training to increase employability. Candidates also revealed they opt for temping to gain additional income and to find work that fits in with other aspects of their life.

 

Our experience in maryb.ie is that each and every temporary worker has his or her own reasons for entering the world of temping. Is this reason related to an inability to find a permanent job? I don’t think so. A recent Deloitte and Touche Bakkenist survey asked 700 agency workers across europe what were their reasons for working for an agency. The results show that only 8% stated a preference for agency work claimed they accepted agency work because they couldn’t find a permanent job. People who engage in temporary work have different aims and needs to those looking for permanent employment. Students, parents returning to the workforce, people about to go travelling, or anyone who needs their working life to fit around contraints particular to the rest of their life; these are the people who come to maryb.ie looking for temporary work.

 

Deirdre Griffin, maryb.ie’s temporary division team leader in the Fitzwilliam branch, was once a temp herself. She contends that there have been huge changes in the Irish temping market over the last few years. “When I first started there was more a shortage of jobs”, she says. “It was an employers market, but things have turned around. Now the shortage is with the right qualified candidates and it is increasingly difficult to source the higher skilled candidates, such as accountancy staff and administrators. The candidates themselves are more demanding and expect better salaries and benefits.”

But Deirdre feels that temping also offers some workers the chance to move from temporary to permanent employment. But only when they’re ready. “Longer term temp and contract roles provide a gateway to possible new career paths,” she reveals. “Longer roles also expand skills and provide stability for candidates who are looking to settle into permanent employment and shows that they have the ability to commit to one company for a defined period of time.”

 

Workers aside, what benefits do businesses receive from using temps? As with the workers, the reasons are manifold.

 

Employers use temps to replace absent employees, assist in fluctuations in market demands and production flows.

 

Maryb.ie prides itself on the provision of quality candidates with the right skills and attitudes to fit in with the seasonal or varying needs of any company.

“For businesses, temping is a hugely cost effective method of sourcing candidates, whatever their reasons,” reveals Joanne Duffy, another of maryb.ie’s temporary division leaders. “We maintain a close partnership with employers. When businesses look for temporary workers we can at quickly to their needs. As a result, in are advertising, sourcing, personally interviewing and testing candidates on their behalf, we are fully conversant with their requirements. We ensure that businesses get exactly what they need.”

 

Joanne Duffy, maryb.ie’s temporary division team leader in Walkinstown, also notes the rise in online recruitment for employers and candidates. 

“This does open up opportunities for a wider range of candidates from Ireland and abroad”, she says. “However, recruitment is about quality not quantity. Good online strategy needs to go hand in hand with knowledge and expertise. Maryb.ie uses the internet to source candidates as well as other methods of sourcing the right candidate for any role. This allows us to cut time by supplying a shortlist of relevant cv’s we have previously screened, IT tested, reference checked and matched to job specifications.”