Maureen Mackey, principal and co-founder of Mackey & Guasco Staffing Associates L.L.C., in Southport, Conn., remembers when the market was dead last year. She views long-term temporary assignments as plums of the temporary staffing industry and a harbinger of better times. “Long-term temporary orders are popping up daily,” she says. “This is how we always come out of a bad market. Temporary is the new full time.”
THE TEMPORARIES
Hopeful signs are also coming from Michigan staffing companies, where light industrial assignments are increasing. Jay Keegan, president and CEO of Staff Line L.L.C., in Livonia, which also has operations in Memphis, points to “a handful of clients who in 2009 were inactive or moderately active coming back and asking for replacements for workers.” One of them supports a national heating and air conditioning company supplying primarily residential builders. The client company wasn’t very active in 2009 but recently submitted an order for ten employees. Business that trickled down is now inching its way back up. Keegan’s company pays approximately 1,500 to 3,000 people per week.
Steve Armstrong, senior vice president and general manager of the United States operations of Kelly Services Inc., at its world headquarters in Troy, Mich., reports, “We’re cautiously optimistic that we’re coming out of this one,” based on the company’s long history. The company has watched demand in light industrial staffing increase every month since August, particularly in small to mid-sized markets. Office/clerical started gaining in September. Kelly doesn’t know when growth in the professional-technical area of the company will resume. Armstrong recommends watching for companies budgeting for new technology for even more signs of an upturn.
Mackey, who places in HR to vice president and in office administration, began to notice increased orders in August, which restored her sense of hope. Data included in her assessment includes more than new orders. “If I get one or two phone calls per week from a candidate who’s landed a role through his own efforts or another agency,” she points out, “I see that as a good sign.”
Keegan first noted improvement in orders related to home building and consumer products in December.
YOU
Light industrial assignments dominate at Kelly, where the uptick indicates that other sectors of staffing companies will be following suit. However, representatives of these three firms, whose sizes range from small to global, don’t consider the spottiness of assignments related to an uptick as a deterrent to job seekers. In fact, they consider this a good time to maximize opportunity in temporary services.
“Do your homework with particular employers (of interest) who’d use the services of a temporary staffing firm,” Keegan advises. “Find out which ones are. Approach the staffing firms and let them know where you’d like to work. Have them do the legwork to get you in front of the people. Be transparent with your goals. If you want part-time work over a short time period, don’t use chicanery in how you treat a staffing firm or client.”
Mackey recommends being flexible about salary and location. She also states, “Don’t be afraid to make the commitment to a long-term temporary assignment. Some temporary agencies are offering benefits to the people they send out. It’s better to have work without perks than not to have any work.”
“There really is a sense of hope,” she continues, conceding, “It’s not an abundance. You really have to believe. We’re kind of in that holding pattern. Watch your budget and spending and hang on tight. We should be okay.”
Dr. Mildred L. Culp welcomes your questions at culp@workwise.net. Copyright 2010 Passage Media.
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