HR Corner Temporary appointments offer extra option by Chris Johnson Flexibility can provide advantages for all sides With companies ever mindful of the need to maintain service standards while keeping a tight lid on costs, they are turning to temporary staff as a viable option to cope with excess workloads. This not only allows them to meet precise manpower needs and control expenditure, but also provides flexibility to deal with the unexpected. "A multinational might call at 9am to say their receptionist is sick; we could have someone there by 11am," says Helene Krieff, managing director of Adecco Personnel Limited which, within a diverse recruitment business, specialises in temporary staffing requirements. She emphasises that there are also benefits for the personnel involved: they can learn new skills, get a feel for the company and gain invaluable work experience. "The people we place in temporary positions are our employees," explains Christine Pace, Adecco's sales and marketing director for Hong Kong and China. "We have about 1,000 such staff in Hong Kong and assign them to clients mostly for junior to middle-level jobs." Adecco agrees terms and conditions for filling specific roles and is then responsible for supplying staff and paying salaries, provident fund contributions and any other benefits for the individuals concerned. Employment contracts are signed with the employees who are required to comply with the clients' internal policies, though there may be a seperate agreement covering expectations, corporate practices and safety issues in the actual place of work. "Although their status is temporary, some people can work for the same firm for years," notes Ms Pace. "They remain on our payroll and are therefore not counted by the client as a permanent member of staff." Many advantages Once recruited, they can log on to a Web-based system to check available positions and also have access to an online learning tool which offers 25 courses covering a range of technical and soft skills. The advantages for the client include the chance to assess effectiveness during a trial period and minimise administration costs. If things don't work out, the notice period is usually seven days, but Adecco can find another candidate from their short list without needing to advertise. "We will have checked profiles, educational background and resumés, and can quickly line up an interview for the client," explains Ms Krieff. "It helps that we have long-term relationships with many companies and can act almost like an in-house HR department as far as recruitment is involved." Once an assignment finishes, the person may be offered another job with the same client or move on to something different. Typically, those taking on temporary assignments are recent graduates looking to gain work experience, mothers returning to the workplace or, increasingly, people over 40 testing out new opportunities. At present, the most consistent demand is for secretarial, administration and clerical staff, merchandisers, and promoters, though roles in IT and other specialist areas regularly come up. The larger or longer-running contracts with clients are generally decided after a process of bids or tenders and detailed negotiations. Strict conditions are set down and back-up routines are agreed. For example, in providing temporary staff for libraries in Hong Kong, Adecco must maintain a roster of people on standby who are ready to report for duty at short notice. Unique chance More recently, the company was appointed to handle the recruitment of 250 temporary staff to work as "cirquadors" for Cirque du Soleil's Quidam tour, which will visit Hong Kong in November. The positions include everything from VIP hosts, box office assistants and merchandising representatives to costume dressers, kitchen staff and general labourers. Those selected will have a unique opportunity to work alongside performers from 16 different countries. According to Ms Krieff, the tender process took almost a year because Cirque wanted assurances that deadlines would be met and that sufficient candidates with the necessary technical skills could be found. They also asked for transparency on fees, clear working procedures, online links and guarantees that those selected would be reliable. "For this project, we are like a master supplier, so if we can't find the right people by ourselves, such as lighting specialists or construction workers to do the scaffolding, then we will subcontract," she says. The first concrete steps have been to draw on the experience of working with the production in Singapore and then to evaluate the internal resources needed to manage the contract. In handling such events, the focus has to be on service delivery, providing prompt feedback to the client, and ensuring expenditure remains within the agreed budget. "However, when we have an exciting project like this to sell, it makes things easier because candidates are ready to commit for the full assignment," says Ms Pace. Ms Krieff adds that in France, for example, there is now a distinct workforce willing to take on only temporary work. Workers see this as a lifestyle choice and appreciate the flexibility it gives them to gain experience in different sectors of industry. "It is not the same in Hong Kong where people don't yet look at the work-life balance in the same way, but it will probably come," she notes. Salient points Both employer and employee can benefit from temporary appointments The system is flexible and allows individuals to gain diverse experience Candidates are under contract with the recruitment agency and enjoy similar benefits to permanent staff Larger projects involve a tender process and detailed negotiations with clients Taken from Career Times 21 October 2005, p. A16 Your comments are welcome at [email protected]