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Recession may be good for temporary working
Companies are increasingly recognising the usefulness of short-term staff for an adaptable workforce to help them increase efficiency, cope with new technologies and deal with customer demand, seasonal fluctuations and economic uncertainty.
During the last recession a lot of companies made redundancies and got caught out when orders started coming back through. Now employers are recognising the importance of having access to a pool of quality workers, and hence temporary positions are a very real opportunity for jobseekers.
Of course it's not just employers who benefit from the rise in popularity of temporary work. For those who aren't totally sure of where they want their career to go, people who have something planned in a few months but need something to fill the gap, or anyone just wanting to earn some extra pounds for Christmas, a temporary job could be the ideal solution.
Temporary working started in the office, but has become a way of life across sectors and at all levels, with temporary personnel ranging from senior interim managing directors on short term contracts to casual bar staff. There are 1.7m people in the UK on temporary contracts, as casuals or agency workers, according to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), and 82% of workplaces have increased the number of people employed on temporary contracts over the past ten years.
Financial rewards can be great for temps, especially if you possess a skill that's in high demand. Be careful not to spend all your earnings though as at the end of your contract you may not know when your next placement will be.
Being a good temporary worker comes down to having top-notch communication skills so you can make your mark in a new environment. Here are a few top tips that may even help make your temporary role a permanent one.
- Keep your skills up-to-date.
- If you have spare time offer to help out others in the office.
- Make the most of every working minute to find out more about the company and show your commitment.
- Don't waste your time chatting to friends on the phone or surfing the Internet.
- Find out who the key personnel are and make sure they know you.
- Learn who signs your time sheet or invoice!
Fixed-term employees have now been granted much the same rights to equal treatment on pay, pensions, holidays, sick pay and training, as their permanent counterparts.
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