There are real advantages to hiring smart temporary workers. This probably explains why there’s a boom in temporary employees and freelance workers. Sometimes you need to hire some extra hands to help out. Perhaps some periods are busier than others, or maybe your regular employees are taking leave to be with their families or because of a health condition. Either way, small and large businesses alike often make use of seasonal help over certain periods. Hiring temporary workers is a bit of a different process than a full-time staff member.

While you will still want to perform your routine process, from background checks and reference calls, there is one very important element with temporary workers: transparency. Generally, businesses hire temporary workers to fulfill a specific purpose or role, so be sure that you are clear with candidates about what the goals of the positions are. Here are some tips to help you make the best choice in hiring temporary staff.

Create clear job descriptions

You need temporary employees with specific skills, to complete specific tasks. This is why you need to make sure your job descriptions are crystal clear. When hiring a full-time employee, training and onboarding can sometimes fill gaps for a talented worker who just needs a little training to shine, but a temporary employee needs to be able to hit the ground running for the company to really see value. You don’t want any confusion on what skills and qualifications are necessary to perform the job. Make sure you list out everything you absolutely need in a temporary worker.

Consider whether you want to use a recruitment agency

Many recruitment agencies have specialized services for temporary work. The benefit is that these employees have often already been screened, and the agency will do their best to find someone who matches your exact requirements. They can save you a lot of time, and time is often at the forefront of your mind when it comes to temporary workers. The downside obviously is that you pay for these services and that you are allowing someone else to make fairly important decisions for you.

Consider virtual workers

Virtual workers can be a great solution for tech companies, digital-focused startups, or highly skilled fields suffering from the skills gap. Just because the candidate with the right skill set isn’t located in the company’s backyard doesn’t mean the right person isn’t out there. By combining a flexible work environment with the power of video interviewing, you can connect with the most highly skilled candidates even if they’re across the country.

Look for company culture fit

Hiring well-fitting employees can help ease the internal hiring process as well. You don’t have to wonder what these candidates can do, because you’ve already seen them in action. Little training will be required if you bring them on full-time, because they already know the ins and outs of your office. So before hiring on a temporary staff, make sure they align with the organizational culture and environment.

Hiring a good temporary employee is both an art and a science. Use the tips above to recruit the right hire and reap the benefits of the new economic normal.