Certain businesses turn their nose up at the term ‘labour hire’, seeing it as a dirty word. This can be due to a number of factors, including poor past experiences or hearing negative comments in the industry.
Because of this, some companies might not consider using labour hire services at all, or only use them reluctantly as a last resort. At Agile Services, we think this is a huge misconception.
While it’s important to acknowledge that projects aren’t always going to run perfectly, with the right preparation process, labour hire can provide much needed short-term assistance.
The good and bad of a labour hire situation
Labour hire can be a beneficial solution when:
- other contractors struggle to complete the job themselves
- your labour hire consultant can provide you with a quality resource solution, with the skillset to suit your industry and the job.
However, there are times when labour hire may not be the right solution for your project, such as:
- when there’s limited time for the supervisor to induct and properly communicate expectations to the labour hire contractor
- if there’s insufficient work for the labour hire contractor/s to keep busy
- when a project lacks direction.
With this differentiation in mind, if you decide to utilise labour hire contractors you need to know how to best incorporate them into your project.
How to take care of temporary employees
Labour hire contractors might only be on your project for a small amount of time, but it’s important that they’re treated equally and with respect. Sometimes this doesn’t happen, and labour hire recruits aren’t looked after the same as other employees on the job.
Building rapport and worksite camaraderie can go a long way in ensuring you get the best out of your labour hire contractor, for your current job or any other future work you may need help with.
Three top tips for labour hire
Here are some great tips to maximise the impact of labour hire, both before and during the project.
1. Get to know your labour hire consultant
We recommend that you get to know your labour hire consultant, including their onboarding services. This can help build your understanding of their business, from both a structural and cultural perspective. Taking the time to learn more about each other improves their ability to give you the level of service your project requires.
The onboarding period is a good time to provide your labour hire consultant with as much information on the project as possible. This allows them to send the right individual with suitable skillsets to your site.
2. Give your temporary employees a thorough induction
It’s vital that you undertake a thorough induction with your new employees. By sharing your expectations and vision with contractors, you can establish the respect and camaraderie needed for project success. Communication is an essential pillar in achieving your project goals.
3. Share ongoing opportunities
A key motivating factor for many labour hire contractors is the potential to obtain more ongoing or permanent work opportunities. If they know they might be working with your team in future, they’ll be more likely to put in the effort and go the extra mile to impress.
At Agile Services, we have a strong track record in providing our clients with labour hire contractors who show potential for ongoing work. In many cases, our clients go on to employ them permanently, which we see as a win-win situation. The client has a quality resource who they can engage directly, while the individual contractor is provided with long-term opportunities to establish their career.
Interested in finding out more about labour hire for your business? Or are you looking for exciting opportunities to contract with reputable companies? Contact our team today and see how Agile Services can help your project.