IES Blog

Keep contract workers engaged while on the job

Posted on April 26th, 2013 Read time: 1 minutes

Employers tend to see contingent workers as unequal parts of the company dynamic, often excluding them from training programs or aspects of workplace culture. With almost a third of the labor force being contract employees, businesses cannot afford a high turnover of their contingent staff. Companies employing temporary workers can help prevent short-term staff members from becoming disengaged and leaving the job by adopting a few strategies.

  • Designate a check-in schedule right at the beginning of the contract
  • Inform permanent workers on the temporary employee's duties to create a support system
  • Encourage contractors to share some of their experience with other members of staff
  • Focus on development, even if the worker will not be staying long
  • Invite short-term employees as honored guests to company functions that are outside of the designated work day
  • Stay up to date on workplace interactions to identify any issues early on

Staffing firms sending out employees to jobs might want to consider putting in place a communication network between temporary workers and the agency to keep informed on what is happening on the job. Employers can avoid a high contingent worker turnover by integrating contract employees into company culture for the time period they are with the business.

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