How to go to work for a temp agency or temporary agencies, part one

©Copyright LillyGrillzit all rights reserved July 28, 2010

I have dedicated a few Hub Pages to those who have lost their homes, jobs and all other security. Having been there and done that (BTDT), and having survived, with my mind somewhat intact, I offer encouragement, humor and a hand out, to help Pull others Up and Out of their current situations. [See My - "Living In a Hotel - Starting Over" series] Disclaimer; I only know about Employment Agencies in the U.S. - perhaps job seekers in other Countries may cover this topic for their given area.

One of the ways that I was able to go from homelessness to living in my own home, was by signing up with every (free) Temporary Employment Agency in town. I started on the streets, into hotel rooms, then to Apartments paid by the Week or Month, and finally, Into a house. Trying to find a permanent full-time position, when you are homeless is quite difficult. When you are homeless, people do not want it to rub off on them, so they naturally are repelled, and wish to avoid the truth that good people can end up homeless through bad circumstances. It is easier for people to villainize the homeless...keeping it further from "Them".

There are other reasons to register with Temporary Employment Agencies, College Students, Full-Time workers who need extra holiday money, or seasonal work, like Tax Preparation or Construction. Temp Agencies are not as biased, because they often need willing bodies to show up on job sites. Many Temporary Agencies pay on a daily basis, most pay weekly. As with any job, you have to prove yourself, because you are an advertisement for the Temp Agency. The worse the reputation of the workers sent by some Agencies, the worse jobs they get, and they lose all the way around.

If you are a good worker, or are willing to give a little extra, working for a Temporary Agency can be very rewarding. You will end up getting courtesy calls, rides if needed, and put at the front of the line when a new Employer contracts with the Agency. Manners, being polite, and honesty will gain you good ground, as you are climbing up out of that rut you have been in. There are some basic facts you may want to know when you present yourself to a Temporary Agency.

• You will probably be required to submit to a Drug Test. Often this is initially upon your Registration, but many good companies require a fresh Drug Test, or Random Testing.
• You are an employee or representative of the Temp Agency you are dispatched by. Even if you get a long assignment, do not forget, you have an obligation to fulfill with the Agency First. Sometimes the Agency will "sell" the remainder of your contracted time, and release you from working with them, but mostly not.
• If you are earning $10.00 per hour, the Agency is getting anywhere from $15.00 - $25.00 dollars per hour for you. You are not getting ripped off. The agreement between the Agency and Employers, saves Employers from having to pay Social Security, Medicare, and Workers Comp Insurance. This adds up to a savings for a Business that goes through many employees. It is expensive to hire and train new employees, and the paperwork is killer. That is what the extra money is for. The Temp Agency assumes those costs.
• Being a long-time Temp worker for certain Agencies, like Manpower, and Staff-Mark, have benefits you would find at a Permanent Full-Time Job. There is usually a 1000 hour minimum to qualify, but after a year, you are usually eligible for 1 week paid vacation, there are some Health & Life Insurance offers, and very early on, many Agencies will offer Free Computer Classes and other Training, to help you better qualify for a certain job Market.
• Filling out the Questionnaires for the Agency, may seem long and gruelling; (why do they want to know if I can read a measuring stick?, or how many months I did Exterior Painting?). Perhaps you have some secretarial skills, and that is where you have the most experience, but in your Teens, you worked for an Uncle who owned an Auto Body Shop...There may be a job for someone who is "familiar" with an Auto Body Shop, and they need someone to do the clean-up, twice per week. This job may pay $12.50 per hour, while your secretarial jobs will not pay as much. Be honest, but if you have Any Experience over a month in the many sections of the Questionnaire, let them know.

• Housewives or Househusbands - If you have never worked outside of the home, Do Not put, No Experience...please...You have: childcare, budgeting, management, meal prep, janitorial, nursing, tutoring, prison guard (heehaws), parole officer (teens), counsellor, animal husbandry, funeral director (little Johnny's hamster - Amen). Do not sell yourself short. Have a garden, mow a lawn, coach a little league team, work in a concession stand, PTA Meetings? The list goes on. Give yourself credit for what you have done. This can launch you into a field you never realized was out there.
• Some Agencies require you to call in everyday to let them know you are available. Some ask that you call in at the start of the week. Agencies, like Labor Ready, require you to show up each morning...First come, First serve. Those are the roughest, because you must get there by 4:30 a.m., to wait for jobs to come in. You may not even go out until 8:00 a.m. or later, and then you may have to travel a long way, and not get back in until 8:00 p.m. All you get paid for is what you actually work. The Agency has all the benefit in this. They are boosting their business by showing they have bodies to send out, who are chilling in the lobby, while the bodies are only hoping to be sent out.
• There are great assignments to be had with a Temp Agency, often turning into a Full-time career. There are many jobs that are horrible and will test your mettle. When you initially sign up for the Agency, make sure you have their rules straight, because they are all different. They are loyal to their profit margin, more than your situation. If you are assigned a job that you know you cannot do, refuse it, and let them know why, in the most respectful terms. Do not rail on about terrible past employers, no one wants to hear it, and it will keep you from getting good jobs.
• If you are sent on a job that is not what was represented to the Agency, contact the Agency at the first moment possible. If you get to a job, and it is making you sick, or you just cannot handle it, it is better to communicate with the Agency, because if it is that bad, they have probably had problems with the Employer before. Take care of yourself, because you want to be in good condition to accept that assignment that will turn into a full-time job.
• If you are working multiple jobs, leaving one job - going to another. Leaving School going to jobs. Having to visit a medical practitioner, or pharmacy. Paying for training in a new field. All of these things maybe Tax deductible. Also, each week or day, you will be required to complete your own time sheet, and possible mileage. By starting out even with a simple notepad, this will help your situation, and make sure you get paid for all of your hours.

I hope you have learned something here that will help you in your current situation, a friend, or family member who got knocked off their horse, and have not been able to get back up. There is always Hope, and add just a dash of courage, and before you know it, you will be gainfully employed, and made many new acquaintances. Good Luck and Blessings to you my Friends. Peace

[If you sign up with them, please let them know you were referred by me, Lori Latimer, my #1006580313]