Acculturating Temps Can Minimize Workplace Friction

According to Workforce Management, the University of Arizona has released a report about the negative effects of hiring a high percentage of temporary workers. Full time employees apparently don't take kindly to working in an environment where many of their coworkers are contingent labor. You might think traditionally hired workers would be happy to be among the elite few actually getting a full benefits package; but there is a downside to being a "permanent" employee surrounded by temps.

One challenge regular workers face is that of training new hires provided by a staffing agency. Temp jobs are usually fairly short term. This means turnover is high and full time employees may have to devote significant time to getting temps up to speed. They would probably prefer to apply this effort to advancing their own careers - or just handling their day to day workload.

It's also normal for "cliques" to form at work if regular employees feel their positions within an organization are at risk. When a company hires temps to perform tasks usually handled by full time workers, this can undermine the perceived value of the job in question. This can lead to temporary workers being given the cold shoulder - which is bad for everyone's morale. On a related note, temps who don't see any chance of being converted to full time status tend to be disengaged and may not have the best attitude. They feel like second class employees rather than part of a team.

Acculturation Onboarding Can Help Everyone Work Together

With a strong acculturation program, temporary staff members can receive more of their training and orientation online. This may lessen the mentoring burden being placed on full time employees. The AllegroHR Acculturation Portal can be integrated with most third party training vendors. So, new hires (whether temporary or permanent) can readily access the education they need to become productive using a single sign-on for all modules.

It is also important for contingent workers not to be treated differently than the regular employees. They need to go through a similar socialization process and be encouraged to participate in intranet based communications. For example, they should be invited to read and comment on the corporate blog even if it is assumed that their tenure with the company will be short. Welcoming temporary assignees into the team by including them in daily social activities and interactions paves the way for a transition to direct hire status for promising temps. These actions on the part of employers help quell potential suspicion and mistrust on the part of both full time workers and contingent labor.