How to Pick the Right Temp Agency to Find Work

If you find yourself in a position where temporary employment is necessary — or even preferred — you may want to seek a temp job agency to help you with your search. Temp jobs are performed for a short period of time, with a clear start and end date, and do not provide the same benefits as a full-time position. These jobs include work that takes place during specific seasons, periods of high productivity, freelance or contracted work, and other project-based employment.

There are many paths you can take to find the best temp job for your situation, such as online job boards and social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook. However, if the thought of searching for job openings by yourself is intimidating or overwhelming, a temp job agency is the best way to find a job without having to do much of the legwork on your own. Are you wondering what is a temp agency and what do they do? Keep reading, as we answer these questions and more below.

A temp job agency acts as the liaison — or the “middle man” — between an employer and employee. The point of a temp job agency, also known as a staffing agency or firm, is to connect job seekers with a place of employment that best suits their specific skills and abilities, experience, and personal interests.

Businesses can hire temp job agencies when they need employees to fill short-term roles, work on specific project-based assignments, or fill in for an employee who is on a leave of absence, such as maternity leave.

Those companies pay the temp job agency to find a potential employee who fits the qualifications and requirements for the position at hand, and if that worker is hired, they are paid by the agency. Some of the most common professions that temp job agencies work with are health care, information technology, accounting, office administration, and industrial labor.

Sounds simple enough, but not all agencies are created equal. There are many job agencies that you can work with, so how do you know which one is the best for you?

There are a couple of kinds of agencies: some privately owned and others that are publicly owned by labor departments. These public agencies have a large enough staff to process many more applications than a typical company’s human resources department. As a result, companies will use public employment agencies when they are planning a round of new hires or need to expand their number of employees significantly for a specific reason.

If you are unemployed and very much in need of work quickly, registering with a public employment agency allows you to seek out multiple job openings, as there is a good chance of receiving a variety of offers.

Once you are part of a public employment agency’s database, you will receive a notification whenever there is a job posting that matches your qualifications. You might be invited to complete an interview with the agency on behalf of the employer, or you could be prompted to contact the employer directly to schedule your interview to move forward with the potential temp job.

On the other hand, private employment agencies are more detailed and personalized to the worker. For instance, job seekers will submit an application that covers their skills, experience, and preferences in precise detail, so the agency knows the type of temp job they are looking for.

Instead of a blanket notification going out to registered workers when job openings become available, the agency will do its due diligence to search for jobs on an individual level.

Private agencies often have specific businesses they work closely with, so they can reach out to these companies with you in mind as a potential employee — should they be looking to fill a temp job position. A more personalized approach to your job search could mean more readily available jobs in the industry you’re looking for temp work in.

Sometimes, private agencies also offer various types of training, like how to interview, write a resume, and put together a presentation, among other work skills needed for potential jobs.

Keep in mind that some temp job agencies can connect you with a wide variety of professions, and then there are industry-specific agencies, such as those that work with health care or technology companies exclusively.

If you’re looking for a temp job in a particular industry, you may want to consider looking into an agency that focuses solely on that type of business. You can also search for job agencies by town, state, or region, which is a great option if location plays a large role in your job preference.

When selecting from among the temporary work agencies you want to work closely with, you want to ensure that you are compatible with the person or team seeking out work on your behalf. This mainly applies when you have decided to work with a private temp agency rather than a public one, where you receive notifications when job openings become available.

The goal here is that the temp job agency you use fully understands what kind of job you are looking for and has a clear and concise comprehension of what you like and dislike, want and don’t want, as well as what you can and can’t do.

If you know people who have used temp job agencies in the past, reach out and ask about their experiences. Find out which ones they used and which ones they may have liked more than others.

Hearing firsthand from others about an agency can greatly influence your decision-making process. It’s important that you are happy with the temp job agency you choose. You never know how long you’ll be working with them, and you must be comfortable with the team that is out there looking for your next potential temp job.

Not only is it helpful to speak with job seekers who have worked with temp job agencies, but you can also gain a lot of insight from businesses that have used temp job agencies.

If you know any hiring managers or employers who have contracted temp job agencies to hire employees, ask them which ones they have used, which ones they prefer, and most importantly, why they prefer one over the other. Hearing from both sides gives you a full-picture idea of what a temp job agency is all about.

Once you’ve talked to others about various agencies, it’s time to test the waters. Visit agencies’ websites and social media accounts. Brush up on their company culture, the industries they seem to work with the most, and what companies they tend to staff more often than others.

Check to see if they offer benefits or any incentives for being part of the agency, such as resume and interview training. You can also visit the agency and speak with their staff to get a feel for how well you get along with one another. We can’t stress enough how important it is to be happy and comfortable with the agency you end up choosing.

In addition to using an agency to help you find a temp job, you can also browse through online job boards like Joblist.

Joblist will provide you with a list of the best temp jobs available that fit your skills, experience, and preferences. Our platform gathers only the best job opportunities from various job boards to help streamline your search. Search by keyword, location, industry, or job title, and you’ll instantly have access to millions of job opportunities, making it that much easier to land the temp job you’ve been searching for.