Temporary staff can be beneficial to businesses, going well beyond cover for when someone is sick or on holiday.
In fact, planning to use temps can be a successful resourcing strategy for a variety of situations. Here are just two situations where Eclipse was able to help clients with their temporary staff needs.
Customer Service – personality plus!
Eclipse was recommended to help a well-known New Zealand employer find five customer service temps for a month as part of a project they were undertaking. The company identified that their existing customer service team would be required to spend a lot of time on the project, and therefore would need additional support.
The challenge in this assignment was not about finding customer service skills, but rather finding the right fit. With a young, enthusiastic and upbeat team, the brief was to find them people that were just as outgoing. They wanted the right personalities – and they would train them for the skills required.
Eclipse had just one week to find five people, and they were all to start on the following Monday. With the brief in mind, we searched our database and advertised the roles, and spent the week interviewing and talking with candidates, while liaising with the client as to who was available. We immersed ourselves in their culture, communicating in their style – and the company trusted us to identify the five most relevant people for the role.
Our client was pleased with the temporary staff who arrived – with all five temps fitting in well. We ensured any road bumps were smoothed by undertaking first day calls, as well as regular follow up during the length of the assignment to manage rosters and any changes required. By keeping in touch with both the managers and the temporary staff, we were able to ensure we delivered a fantastic service.
Accounts Payable temp within a tight budget
After initially filling a temporary position for a data entry role to help out at a busy time, our client requested that Eclipse help them again with an Accounts Payable temp role. This time they needed someone to cover the position while they recruited the role permanently themselves. They had found the market was tight for accounts assistant level staff and rather than hurry a decision, they called in an Eclipse temp until they found their ideal person.
The challenge with this temporary position was that while it was an accounts role that required a certain level of accounts skills, they were constrained with their budget.
Eclipse went out to meet with the Finance Manager and see the environment. We advertised the temp role as well as searching the Eclipse database, and then presented a range of CVs for consideration.
After assessing the essential tasks in the role, it was decided that a candidate with less experience but the right qualifications would be suitable for the role – and would fit the budget. With a Finance Manager available to provide guidance, it was better for the company to keep costs low than pay for someone with more experience. We took the time to explain where rates stood for various levels of experience and allowed the client to assess CVs at different rates, enabling them to make an informed decision.
Another challenge during the temporary assignment was that the chosen candidate was looking for a permanent role – something that was communicated to our client from the outset. As such, the candidate did secure a new role, so Eclipse stepped in to find a new person immediately, ensuring minimal disruption to their business.
Excellent communication, knowledge of the candidate market and problem solving skills all ensured that Eclipse delivered a smooth outcome for our client.