Running a dual desk agency and not sure why your temp desk is struggling? You might be missing out on some temp recruitment best practices.

Temporary recruitment is a dynamic and ever-changing landscape with the global temp staffing market valued at a whopping US$500 billion in 2021. 

And it’s only going to get bigger with the market forecasted to hit US$673 billion by 2025.

So, how is your agency making the most of this opportunity and utilising the power of temp recruitment for long-term success? 

In this blog, we outline five best practices to boost your temp recruitment success and maintain a competitive edge in the market.

FREE EBOOK: Setting your agency up for success: The power of temp recruitment

1. Consistent client communications and superior client service, first and foremost

Listening to and understanding your clients and their needs is always an essential part of any recruiter’s role. 

However, with the ongoing, often daily communication that temp recruitment requires, this communication has to be seamless and consistent. 

Angela Cameron, Founder and CEO of Consult Recruitment, states that temp recruiters have to anticipate their clients’ needs and problem solve proactively.

“You need to make sure you’re thinking about your clients all the time and before your client even knows it, you need to have called them with a profile of a person who’s going to solve the problem they don’t even know about yet.”

2. Proactive creation of opportunities with a long-term view

Temp recruitment is all about outbound activity and proactively identifying opportunities to boost your temp business. 

Though recruitment expert Greg Savage emphasises that it’s a long-term play. “You’re a hunter, you’re a snipper of opportunities. You don’t just sit there and wait for things to happen. You create opportunities.” 

“If I was a perm recruitment business [looking to move into temp] or even a perm business that dabbled in temp and wanted to really scale it, you’re not scaling it fast. One of the things you have to do is hold your nerve because you’ve got to invest before you see the return.”

3. Identify your industry niche and determine what your business brings to the temp market

Consider what you bring to the temp market, do you have a wealth of candidates in a particular industry? 

What client relationships do you have? What industry expertise or knowledge do you offer? 

Determine what your industry niche is and offer your perm clients the opportunity to find quality temp workers in the same space.

4. Invest in dedicated temp recruiters, not just recruiters who do both

Temp recruitment and perm recruitment require different skill sets, strategies and knowledge (check out our recent blog on what makes a good temp recruiter for more info). 

Temp recruiters are well-versed in the unique demands of temporary staffing, such as quicker turnaround times, flexible schedules and short-term roles.

Agencies that invest in dedicated temp recruiters will be able to provide better client service, faster response times and expert candidate management. 

Greg stresses the importance of this point. “If you’re serious about temp, you’ve got to have dedicated temp recruiters. I’ve had so many people say to me, “Greg, you’re wrong. Look, I’ve got 10 permanent recruiters. They all do a bit of temp, they’ve got five temps each, we’ve got 50 temps.” But I’m right, because if you had dedicated temp recruiters, you wouldn’t have 50 temps, you’d have 500, because you’ve got to have people who wake up every morning dreaming and thinking about temp.”

5. Build a temp talent pool that’s ready to go

A strong and diverse temp talent pool is the bread and butter of any successful temp recruiter. 

Angela explains: “You need the temps and contractors that are ready to go. You’ve already met them, you’ve already done your compliance on them, you’ve done your reference checks. You can call them tomorrow and you know that they’re available and ready to go.” 

“With perm recruitment, you’ve got more time up your sleeve, right? The client decides that they want to hire, and then you talk about the role, and then you can go to market and start looking at that stage. But in a temp business, it’s all on, all the time. So you’ve got to be proactive.”

These best practices were pulled from our latest eBook, Setting your agency up for success: The power of temp recruitment, so if you’re looking for more temp tips, download the free eBook now!