I am fed up of the negativity surrounding temporaryrecruitment agencies. This blog is the start of me changing the perception ofhow recruitment agencies can add REAL VALUE to a business.

If you have ever thought that working via a recruitmentagency meant you were a second class citizen then I am pleased to tell you thatyou are wrong. Or should I say misinformed?

In the current climate, many companies are operating a leanwork force to keep their overheads under control. This is great all the timetheir business trends as expected, but what happens when a new client orunexpectedly large order arrives?

You guessed it! They want agency staff. Companies do notwant and cannot afford to have poorly motivated, uncooperative and lazy peoplesent to them. They demand and deserve the best they can get for the wage theywant to pay (Your hourly rate will always be relative to the full time staffmembers you would be working with).

At the same time, many people find that they are in need ofa new source of income. They may have been made redundant, have chosen to gosemi-retired, are just out of college and looking for their first job and comefrom a myriad of other backgrounds.

Recruitment agencies obviously attract a lot of peoplewanting to register for work. The trick is to work out who genuinely wants workand who is there because their partner / parent / the job centre forced them tovisit. That is where our unique eight point plan comes in to play - a screeningprocess that stops us wasting time and ensures that only suitable people workon our behalf.

Can a company afford to hire temporary staff that are lazy,unproductive and inert? No they cannot. They want people that will fit in withtheir existing employees and add value to their business by providing a returnon their cost.

So if anything, temporary staff have to be as good as (witha few exceptions) the full time employees. Temporary staff are committed,flexible and in many cases looking for a placement that will eventually leadthem to a full time role.

Myth one: You should not be treated differently. You willnever be forced to stand on the production line wearing a traffic cone on yourhead so that managers can spot who is from an agency against their ownemployees. The vast majority of our clients want people who fit in to theirculture and working environment. If full time staff get an induction on theirfirst day, you should get an induction on your first day. If everyone gets aten minute break at 3PM in the afternoon, you will get a ten minute break too.

Myth two: The agency does not “make” what you earn on top ofyour wage! Clients know how competitive the recruitment market is. After thelegal costs of employer’s national insurance and holiday pay, agencies reallyearn a small percentage as a service charge. This service charge has to coveradvertising, premises, vehicles and telephones.

Myth three: Your money won’t always be wrong! We know howhard our people work for their wages. We also understand how they rely on beingpaid the correct amount of money at the right time. Years ago there wereexcuses for human error, but with technology doing a lot of the work, wages areright first time, every time. On the basis the time sheet was submittedcorrectly and no acts of God interfere, you are paid on time all the net incomedue to you. A wage slip is emailed to you 24 hours prior so that you know whatto expect.

Forget what you heard and were led to believe. Temporarystaff are a vital part of the UK economy. We know that we can place many of ourworkers across a variety of environments. This gives a fresh challenge, theopportunity to learn new skills and can ensure a regular income.

Enjoy your time temping – you will meet new people and findyourself in places where unadvertised vacancies present themselves to you.

There is no greater satisfaction than getting a telephonecall or email from a temporary worker who has found a permanent job thanks toour efforts.

That is the main reason I do what I do.