July 2003
Temps given a voice
The annual campaign, which is organised by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), aims to raise awareness of the one million plus temporary workers who go out on assignment every week in the UK.
Recruitment specialists, Thorpe Molloy Recruitment, supported National Temporary Worker’s Week in an original but worthwhile way again this year when they sent four of their consultants out from their Aberdeen and Edinburgh offices to temp in the offices of their clients.
The aim of the exercise, now in its third year, is to create awareness of the important work that temporary workers do and to help the consultants gain a better understanding of the challenges facing temporary workers.
Consultants Simon Warner, Simon McDonald, Robert Bruce and Fiona James-Martin got a taste for temporary work when they took up temporary positions in the offices of two oil and gas service companies, a public sector organisation and a university. The consultants undertook a variety of tasks from invoice processing to filing and typing.
“National Temporary Worker’s week is a perfect opportunity for companies to acknowledge the important work of their temporary and flexible workforce,” said Thorpe Molloy Recruitment’s manager Amanda Robb.
“We recognise the valuable contribution that temporary workers make to our clients businesses and we would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to all of our temporary workers, sometimes referred to as the invisible workforce.”
The role of the temporary worker has changed significantly during the past few years, with an increasing number of people now opting to undertake temporary work as it enable them to work where and when they want according to their lifestyle and family commitments.
Temporary work can also open up new opportunities for employees and is seen as a good way of getting on the first rung of the employment ladder.
Once in a position employees who can demonstrate that they have good skills and work well as part of a team are often offered a permanent position within the organisation. Temporary positions also provide good networking opportunities and enable employees to gain valuable experience that they can add to their CV’s.
“Most workplaces need a temp at some time whether it’s to provide cover while someone is out of the office or an extra pair of hands during the busy times,” said Amanda.
“Temporary workers have a lot to offer any organisation, they are able to pick things up very quickly and adapt to a wide range of environments and personnel. As a result, we often find that our temps through their skills, experience and professionalism can end up being offered permanent contracts.”
Two-fifths of the British workforce are currently working in temporary positions. They undertake a wide range of roles from junior administrators through to highly skilled managerial positions. Nationally, the industry is growing by 15% a year and now accounts for approximately 93% of all agency recruitment.
“We have more than 100 temporary workers out on assignment every week and recognise that temporary work can be both challenging and daunting,” said Amanda.
“It’s easy to forget the anxieties that the temporary worker may experience when they first start a new position and that’s why this exercise is so important. Our priority is to help and support all of our temporary workers, not just during this important week but throughout the entire year, by providing them with professional advice to help their career development.”
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