Every year, temp agencies are becoming more popular with employers in nearly every industry. If you handle the hiring for a business, it’s likely that you’ve used a temp agency at some point. If so, you know how affordable and easy they are to use. What you may not know is what goes on behind the scenes. You may be surprised to find out how much work it takes to make your life easier.

Knowing how temp agencies work may give you a greater appreciation for the amount of effort they put into taking care of your short-term staffing needs.

Separating Wheat from Chaff

Temp agencies get applicants in a variety of ways. Some applicants are recruited, some are referred to the agency, and some just walk in looking for work. Once they come to the attention of the agency, the applicants begin an exhaustive application process.

With a quality temp agency, no corners are cut and no steps are skipped. Before they ever get to an interview, an applicant’s identity, immigration status, education, work history, and references are all verified. This first step weeds out applicants who don’t meet even the basic criteria for employment.

Once verified, applicants are interviewed, often more than once, and given a battery of skills assessments. At each step, more potential candidates are eliminated, narrowing down the field to the best of the best.

Successful applicants are entered into the temp agency’s pool of workers. Their particular skills and experience are carefully entered into a database, making it easy to find the best candidates for open positions.

Ready Reserves

When you have a temporary position to fill, you don’t have to go through all of the usual employment steps—the temp agency has already done all of that work for you. You can simply give the temp agency a description of the position you need filled, along with the skills and experience you want the temp to have. The temp agency matches those criteria against the pool of workers they have in their database.

The agency then contacts the best matches, gives them the details of the job, and contacts you with their information.

Because they keep such a large and diverse pool of applicants, temp agencies are able to fill most positions using their existing workforce. This is especially important when you need a temp to fill in for an unexpected absence. In a busy office, a single ill or injured worker can throw everything into disarray. Being able to have a qualified temp on site quickly is the easiest way to minimize the disruption caused by an unexpected absence.

Special Projects

Of course, there may be times when you know in advance that you’re going to need extra workers for a special project or period of increased demand. When that happens, you can really take full advantage of the resources a temp agency has to offer.

Knowing ahead of time exactly what you’re going to need allows you to work with the agency to create a custom profile. The agency can then begin recruiting and testing applicants to fill the specific roles you’ve described. When your project begins, you’ll have access to a pool of temps who have been hand-picked to fit your needs.

Easing the Burden

Having your human resources department go through the entire hiring process for a short-term position is a losing proposition for your company. Temp agencies work as a robust HR department, on your behalf, finding qualified short-term employees for almost every industry. Temp agencies work by saving you valuable time and allowing you to focus on running your business.