OK, I’m looking for a new job. My husband found one that he thinks I’d be good for at his company…in fact, he passed my resume to the person I’d be working for, and she is eager to interview me. The problem is that his company has decided to no longer do direct hiring of new people–instead, they are hiring all new people through a temp agency called Pro Staff. After a year, if they still want you, you can be hired on permanently by the company.
I went to Pro Staff’s website and did not find out much information. I didn’t even see this job posted there. I e-mailed them my resume and a note asking for more information on Monday…so far, I have gotten nothing from them by e-mail or telephone.
So, how does this work? Can I go into a temp agency and ask to be placed in a specific job? If I don’t get the job, am I free to keep working at my current company? How do benefits like health insurance, vacation time, etc. work? Do you interview with Pro Staff or with the company you would be working for, or both? Is it a good idea to go with a temp agency, or should I just keep looking for a permanent position?
The temp agency will interview you and give you skills tests, e.g. using Word. Then they put you in for jobs that they think you’re fit for. My sister’s firm does their hiring that way and if they decide to keep someone on they’ll offer that person the job.
Manpower has vacation and insurance, provided you’ve worked there long enough, &c.
My experiences haven’t been sterling. If you’re good and dependable and work one job for a while, then they forget about you and when you’re done w/ that assignment you never hear from them again. They don’t seem to be that interested in rewarding people they can count on and instead forget you exist. In my experience, that is.
My current job I got through Manpower, but not because Manpower is any good, but because my sister is a big customer and you know how that goes. I guess if you want temp agencies to work well, maybe you have to be there 24/7 poking them w/ sharp sticks or something.
I would imagine that it really all depends on who is working at the branch through which you’re employed. In that regard, it’s just like any other job—except that the temp agency gets a 30% brokerage fee.
I worked for temp agencies for 10 years as a placement counselor. I was about to give you all the advice about getting work and stuff, but then I re-read the OP and I see you are actually just signing on through a temp agency for a specific job. In this case, the company where you’ll be working is supposed to call the agency and make arrangements. They will say, we have Tamex here who we’re considering for temp to perm. We want to pay her $15 an hour.We’ll have her come fill out your paper work. They company will negotiate what they pay the temp agency which will be less than if the agency had made the placement. They probably will NOT have the agency test you. That’s how it usually works. Companies do this so they don’t have any employment burden for you.
If they are telling you to go to the agency on the off chance that you’ll get placed in this job, I would say they are brushing you off regarding this job, but would not be adverse to having you temp elsewhere in the company.
Anyway, the agency will pay you hourly, any benefits will be nowhere near as good or easy to earn as those in a permanent job and that’s about it. If you think you would like them to place you again, make nice with them, report absences, etc. You’ll feel like the company is your employer, but the agency doesn’t want you to forget that they are your employer. If you don’t go perm and want to work with the agency again, be cooperative about tests they might ask you to take at that time. If the company asks for you again, they’ll place you even if they don’t like or trust you.
Understand that the agency is for profit and there is usually a healthy mark-up. I was considered a good counselor because I could often get 75% or more on job orders. If you complain that they can “afford” to pay you more, that’s the kiss of death. In these types of situations, though, the markup is more likely to be around 35%.