If you’re a supervisor for a municipality, the holiday season is a stressful time of year. Employees may leave for vacation, call in sick more often, or plan an extended leave of absence. A reduced workforce means extra responsibilities fall to the rest of the team. Increased workflows cause greater stress on employees left to pick up the slack. To improve workflows and reduce pressure during the holiday season, consider hiring temp workers.

Start the Hiring Process Early

As with any business initiative, create a seasonal hiring strategy. Set and enforce a timeline for how many temps need to be hired by a set date. Begin the process early, such as after Summer ends, so you have adequate time to train. Be realistic about how long your temps will need to take on their responsibilities. Allow for more time than necessary, so you’re not rushing.

Hire Enthusiastic Temps

Look for temps who are passionate about their work. Because they most likely will be helping ease workloads from stressed employees, temps must quickly adapt to their environment and responsibilities and work at a fast pace. With the year-end approaching, there will be many extra tasks needed to close out the year. Be sure temps are willing to work longer hours, vary their schedules and show up when needed. Since the requirements for temps are different than requirements for full-time employees, modify your interview questions accordingly.

Create a Positive Work Environment

Keep temps happy and productive by providing a positive environment. You want them to return next year and potentially provide referrals. Cultivate a professional relationship with temps. Find ways to reward them for their hard work, such as with bonuses or gift cards. Include temps in employee events to show they’re necessary members of your team. Have an offboarding program and exit interviews at the end of the season, so temps can provide feedback to improve the experience next year.

Treat Temps Equally

Interact with temps as you would full-time employees. Ensure temps understand their role. Train them to take their time and do their best work. Provide feedback about what temps do well and how they can improve.

Use a Temp Agency

When hiring temps for municipal jobs this holiday season, get help from MuniTemps. We identify candidates with the required skills and experience, then train them to fulfill your specific work processes. Find out more today!