How to Get the Most Out of Your Temporary Staff

Temporary staffing has become an essential workforce strategy for businesses looking to access high-quality, experienced professionals without the commitment of permanent employment. In a fast-changing economic landscape, ensuring that temporary workers are engaged, productive, and delivering value is crucial.

According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), over a million people provide temporary support to businesses across the UK every day - accounting for approximately 6.1% of the UK workforce, a figure that has grown from 5.8% last year. As businesses navigate cost pressures and labour shortages, temporary workers are increasingly becoming a vital part of agile workforce planning.

Yet, many organisations fail to maximise the potential of their temporary hires. How can businesses make the most of their temp workforce? Here’s a guide to boosting productivity, engagement, and return on investment (ROI).

Why Temporary Staffing is More Important Than Ever

The REC’s Temp Work Works campaign highlights the growing significance of temporary workers, both for businesses and the wider economy. Temp staff provide:

• Flexibility – Two-thirds of temp workers say their roles offer a better work-life balance, while employers benefit from increased agility.
• Specialist skills – Temps bring industry experience and niche expertise to businesses in need of immediate support.
• Workforce agility – Employers can scale up or down quickly in response to market shifts, without the risks of long-term headcount commitments.

Additionally, new trends in pay transparency and AI-driven workforce management are reshaping how businesses approach temporary staffing. Companies that integrate temp staff into their long-term hiring strategy are seeing significant productivity gains—McKinsey & Company reports that businesses that effectively onboard and integrate temp staff see a 25% increase in productivity within the first three months.

Key Strategies for Maximising Your Temporary Workforce

1. Onboarding: Setting Up Temps for Success

One of the biggest mistakes employers make is treating temporary hires as short-term fixes rather than as valuable contributors. Investing in onboarding can significantly enhance engagement and performance.

• Ensure a seamless first day – Make sure IT logins, security passes, and workspace setup are ready before they arrive.
• Introduce them to the team – A welcome meeting with key colleagues fosters inclusion and helps them understand the workplace culture.
• Provide clear guidance – A short induction pack with essential policies and job expectations ensures clarity from day one.

Tech Tip: Businesses using HR management tools like Workday or SAP SuccessFactors can integrate temp workers into workforce planning, ensuring seamless onboarding and tracking their contributions.

2. Setting Clear Expectations and Deliverables

Temporary workers may be with your organisation for a few weeks or several months, but setting clear goals ensures their time is productive.

• Define responsibilities upfront – Provide clarity on tasks, reporting structures, and performance expectations.
• Link their work to business objectives – Show them how their role contributes to broader company goals.
• Discuss workplace culture – Address company policies, dress codes, break schedules, and any relevant compliance measures.

Legal Consideration: Under the Agency Workers Regulations (AWR), temp workers are entitled to the same basic pay and working conditions as permanent staff after 12 weeks of continuous service. Businesses should factor this into their workforce planning to remain compliant.

3. Communication and Feedback: Keep Engagement High

Strong communication is vital for ensuring temp staff feel supported, engaged, and motivated to perform at their best.

✔ Regular check-ins – A quick weekly catch-up helps address any challenges and keeps temps aligned with company expectations.✔ Encourage feedback – Invite temp workers to share their insights on workplace processes—many bring fresh perspectives from different industries.✔ Recognise achievements – A simple "thank you" or acknowledgment of their contribution fosters loyalty and engagement.

A Competitive Talent Market: With unemployment in Oxfordshire at just 2.3%, skilled temp workers have options. If you want to retain high-quality temp staff, offering competitive pay, flexibility, and a positive work environment is crucial.

4. Leveraging Temporary Staff for Long-Term Growth

Many businesses think of temporary workers as short-term solutions, but the right temp can become a long-term asset. In fact, 25% of Allen Associates’ temporary placements at a globally recognised educational institution successfully transitioned into permanent roles.

• Use temp roles as a pipeline for permanent hires – Identify high performers who could become long-term employees.
• Offer contract extensions where possible – If a temp worker is excelling, extending their contract ensures continuity and saves on recruitment costs.
• Track performance metrics – Businesses using AI-powered workforce analytics can identify the highest-performing temps for future hiring needs.

Employer Insight: The demand for Education, Legal, and Engineering professionals in Oxfordshire remains high, with job postings in Education up 59% from pre-pandemic levels. Employers that build strong relationships with temp staff and recruitment partners will have an edge in securing top talent.

Why Temporary Staffing is a Competitive Advantage

With the National Living Wage increasing by 6.7% in April 2025 and ongoing economic uncertainty, businesses must balance cost efficiency with talent acquisition. Temporary staffing offers a cost-effective, flexible solution—but only if managed strategically.

• A well-structured temp workforce boosts productivity by 25% (McKinsey & Co).
• HR tech solutions help integrate temp staff into core teams, improving efficiency.
• Clear expectations, strong onboarding, and continuous feedback lead to better results.

By investing in temp workforce engagement and development, businesses enhance performance, reduce hiring costs, and stay agile in a changing job market.

Need Support?

At Allen Associates we have over 27 years’ experience of finding the right temps for businesses in Oxfordshire and within the city of Oxford. If you need temporary support with PA & Administration, HR, Marketing or Finance, contact us to discuss your options. Email us at hello@allen-associates.co.uk, or call us on 01865 335600.