Recruiting temps can be a frustrating process, often taking up valuable time when you need it most. Writing briefs, phoning agencies, reviewing CVs, shortlisting, setting up interviews, conducting the interviews, conducting 2ndinterviews, making offers – all this time adds up, lengthens the process unnecessarily and may not be fit for purpose.
Recruiting a temp for your business in record time can be done.
If you’re really up against it and don’t have the luxury of a managed service to help you recruit a temp, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to recruit a good temp for a short-term appointment in less than 40 minutes.
FIVE steps to recruiting a good temp using less than 40 minutes of your time:
That morning (or the night before if possible) spend TEN MINUTES putting the role ‘down on paper’ and include:
- the top 3 things the temp will have delivered by the end of the assignment for it to have been considered a successful placement – be specific so you can measure it;
- the essential experience required to ensure they can achieve these;
- working hours, duration of placement, the pay rate, location of work;
- write two competency questions relevant to the skills required.
As early as you can that morning, use THREE MINUTES to send one email to three recruitment agencies that specialise in your industry/profession. Copy them into the same email and include:
- the brief;
- one of the competency questions;
- a time allocated to each agency’s applicant for a 6 minute telephone interview that afternoon.
Request that they send you only the best CV available for the position (with references) within 4 hours and be clear that you will not consider any more than one CV. This will give the agency enough time to search their database, and assess applicants against the brief and competency question. By copying them into the same email and giving them interview times up front, they will be incentivised to send the best applicant they can find, to fill the job order that day.
Spend ONE MINUTE scanning each CV for the essential experience and competency answer.
Conduct SIX MINUTE telephone interviews with each candidate, using the time given to:
- ask them how they intend to use their experience to meet the top 3 deliverables;
- ask the second competency question;
- ask them how their experience of working with the agency has been.
The candidate will already have been told to expect a short-interview and we’re only filling a short-term role here. There is no need to go into great detail, and if you do, maybe you don’t need a temp but a longer-term appointment on a fixed term contract.
This last question about the agency experience is vital as it helps you to build a better knowledge of your supply chain, which you can use to your benefit when seeking future temps.
Make a decision on which candidate to appoint, email the agency with the offer as per the brief (TWO MINUTES) and once accepted, email the other agencies with feedback for the other candidates (TWO MINUTES).
PPS – we help organisations improve the way they recruit – forever.
We can help you improve your temporary agency processes – whether you need to drive up quality, save money on temp fees or better manage the impact of AWR.
If you would like to talk to us or any of our clients about how our work has changed recruitment for them, please get in touch by email or on 07939 297 337.
- Lee Burman, Business Solutions Manager at PPS.
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