Demand for temps runs hot

Media release 15 May 2007

Employers procrastinate at their peril as demand for temps runs hot

Employers who dither over temporary job applicants are missing out because others snap temps up as soon as they’re available, a leading Auckland recruitment consultant warns.

Megan Alexander, division director of temporary recruitment for Robert Half Finance & Accounting, says she has never seen Auckland’s temporary employment market as tight as it is now, with the finance sector skills shortage increasing the demand for temps.

“A year ago, when employers wanted a temp for a financial role, I would have been able to provide them with two to three CVs and they would have been able to choose between them,” says Ms Alexander.

“Now they frequently have to wait for two to three weeks for the right candidate to become available, and risk losing that person to a competitor if they don’t hire them immediately.”

Ms Alexander gave the example of one candidate who, a day after arriving in Auckland answered an ad for a contracting role, advertised through another agency.

The next day, he came into Robert Half to register and was immediately suitable for three roles - including the job he had already applied for. That day, he was offered the original job and the other two employers didn’t even to hear about this candidate.

“Employers move like lightening once someone suitable becomes available,” says Ms Alexander. “Those who don’t, miss out.”

Adding to the urgency was the fact that many employers didn’t start searching for temps until just before they were needed.

“Almost all placements at a junior clerical level, and many at senior levels, are for jobs that begin within one to two weeks,“ says Ms Alexander. “The majority begin within one week, and some begin tomorrow.”

As a result of the demand for high-quality temps, Robert Half encourages employers to conduct “eight-hour working interviews”. Rather than formal interviews, temps are placed in the role on the recommendation of Robert Half who have already assessed the skills set and culture fit, with the employer then affirming after the first day their suitability. This allows employers to get access to the best candidates more quickly.

In another instance, an employer gave Robert Half four weeks’ notice that a temp would be needed. Two weeks later, the employer was in Robert Half’s offices for a permanent role when a suitable temp candidate came in to be interviewed.

“I quickly ran through the candidate’s profile with the employer, and then got them to meet for a 10-minute ‘culture-fit’ interview,” Ms Alexander says. “A job offer was made on the spot.”

Ms Alexander said with employers consistently reporting that finding skilled financial staff was harder than ever before, more were hiring temps to cover gaps in permanent staffing. As a result, those who procrastinated over hiring did so at their peril.

ENDS

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