A couple of posts ago I talked about temporary employment agencies and how they can be an excellent way to spend your time in between jobs.  I currently have two people on my staff from temporary agencies and there is a high likelihood that I will hire one or both of them for the next applicable openings I have.  Such is the power of obtaining a good temporary job.

Let me now tell you what it is about these two temporary employees that makes me want to consider them first for my next openings, so that you too can tilt the odds in your favor should you ever find yourself in a temporary position.

First, both of these people came in with great attitudes.  They are happy to be working and it shows.  They don’t complain or talk negatively about anything and they are the first ones to volunteer whenever extra works needs to be done.  This type of positive attitude is contagious and lifts the overall morale of the team.

Second, they make it a point to get along with all of their co-workers.  They do this by being friendly, offering to help out as much as possible and showing respect for everyone.  Every manager loves employees who are great team players.

Third, they are doing desktop technical support (we’re an IT group) and giving great customer service.  They don’t just fix what they think is the problem, they verify that it really was the problem and that the customer is happy before they leave.   In IT, the quality of our work is only as good as our customers say it is and I’m getting rave reviews from our users.  In fact, they are starting to ask for these two people by name and this is absolutely what hiring managers like to hear.

Lastly, both of them are demonstrating what I consider to be the number one trait I look for in potential employees: initiative.  They don’t sit around waiting to be told what to do – they actively look for problems to solve and things that need to be done.   In other words, I don’t have to micro-manage them.  In fact, I don’t have to manage them at all.

This is why I love getting employees from temporary agencies.  If they don’t work out, I can switch them out quickly, and when they do work out I have the opportunity to hire someone with whom I’m already familiar.  Over the years, I’ve hired many temporary employees as permanent employees and I can’t think of a single one who didn’t work out.

So the message I’d like to leave you with this time is this: if you’re ever in a temporary position, do what these two employees are doing and you’ll have a great shot at becoming a permanent employee.