To Temp or not to Temp? That is the question…

Have you considered temping? It’s a fantastic opportunity to gain work experience on a short- or long-term basis and there are many reasons why you may choose this route of employment. Excitingly, it can offer you valuable experience within many industries, from SMEs to Multinational Corporations.

You could be in-between permanent employment, a student looking to gain crucial experience during your breaks between academic terms or simply, you like the flexibility that temping offers.

Whatever your reason, you will find the world of temping is extremely diverse, often fun and can help you develop invaluable skills for the future!

For the businesses who hire a temp, this is a valuable solution on a short-term basis. Challenges such as sickness, maternity leave, annual leave or a project that needs extra manpower to complete – are all factors in utilising the services of temporary staff.

Let’s find out – is temping the best route for you?

Pros:

• Temping is flexible and allows you to pick up work when you need it. A word of warning is that if your agency offers you something urgent, it is worth accepting it as your loyalty will not go un-noticed.
• Often you will pick up new skills along the way. You will be placed in a role that suits your skill set, but by asking if you can help out in other ways in the company you work for, may give you exposure to extra skills you didn’t have before.
• Under the Agency Worker Regulations, all vacancies have to be advertised internally and as a temp you have every right to apply for the role. Therefore, if ultimately you are looking for a permanent job, you may find yourself in a ‘try before you apply’ situation where you can apply after checking out that you like the ethos of the company beforehand.
• Whilst temping you also accrue holiday pay which means you can take time off and still receive pay.
• Whilst temping you can network. Business networking is essential and just by working in a plethora of different companies you can expand your network which may reap benefits and help with your job search.
• When you have been in the same temporary job for over 12 weeks you will be entitled to the same hourly rate as a comparable person doing the same job in that company as well as a Work Place Pension.
• You will be entitled to Maternity Leave and SSP, providing you meet the criteria.

Cons:

• You will not reap the benefits of job and financial security that you get in a permanent job and applying for a mortgage or bank loan may prove more difficult.
• You cannot rely on a steady income as a temporary job may come to and end quicker than you initially thought it would.
• You will have to be ready at short notice to start an assignment.

In short, temping can be the perfect solution for you if you need extra money or have a commitment that prevents you from securing a permanent role.

The upsides of temping, by far, outweigh the downsides as the 865,000 temporary workers in the UK will prove.  Before you decide which agency to temp through ensure that you make a considered decision and work for a company who can deliver a constant stream of temp bookings to keep you financially satisfied.

Look for an authentic recruitment agency who has a track record and works with integrity and is committed to keeping you employed.  Remember YOU HAVE RIGHTS and whilst, once upon a time temping was a forgotten industry, temping is now a well-recognised way of making a living and can be seen as a positive on your CV as it shows you in a diverse and well-rounded individual.

YourRecruit has over 100 temporary workers in Surrey, Kent and Sussex and we have new bookings coming in daily. If you would like to join our temporary team please contact Nicky Waiton 01883 331691 and we will organise a time for you to register.