Suggestions for Motivating and Managing Temps

Make temporary employees feel that they are an important part of the department by:

• Introducing the temporary employee to others in the department.
• Having them attend meetings and seek their input when appropriate.
• Including them in incentive programs and opportunities for skills enrichment.

Provide the temporary employee with a handout on the first day that addresses work site policies and procedures.  (Examples include safety information, lunch practices, overtime approval procedure, etc.)

Assign an employee familiar with the work to be assigned to orient the temporary employee.

Designate one supervisor to approve the temporary employee's time card.  This will keep things consistent and  allow you to easily track the hours worked and tasks performed.

Address any performance issues immediately.  While the agency providing the temporary employee has the ultimate responsibility for addressing the employee's performance, if the supervisor feels comfortable doing so, it is usually encouraged.