While temporary workers are often brought on to meet fairly straightforward needs, they are people who are driven by complex needs. Often the difference between high turnover and low turnover is a conversation about what works. According to a study conducted by the American Staffing Association, more than four out of ten workers most value schedule flexibility in their current jobs — even more than pay and wage potential.
This represents a tremendous opportunity for employers to forge better relationships with employees whether they are contingent or full-time. By simply discussing ways that hours are structured, longer term relationships can be fostered in an event to reduce turnover.
Flexibility can also extend to possibilities for advancement. Many companies have a specific pathway for temporary workers to advance and some hire permanently on an as needed basis. But advancement can also mean acquiring new skills. By offering to add to skill sets and counseling on the career path of a temporary individual can help make a temporary assignment an important marker in a person’s work life pathway.
Reducing turnover involves investigating why employees leave, but more importantly, why employees stay. Temporary workers that are included in the organization begin building a relationship with that company through praise from superiors, flexibility in scheduling, and thorough training. Consequently, their co workers and managers begin to build that relationship too.
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