Workloads rarely stay the same all year. Orders spike, employees take leave and new projects arrive with short notice. Temporary staffing gives Twin Cities businesses a flexible way to add skilled workers when they need them, without the cost and delay of a full hiring process. Here are seven smart benefits and how to make temporary staffing work for your team.
What is temporary staffing?
With temporary staffing, a staffing agency recruits, screens and usually employs the workers who support your business for a set period. You decide the role, the schedule and how long you need help. The agency handles payroll and related paperwork, and you pay an hourly bill rate for the hours worked.
Temporary staffing is common in warehouses, property management, cleaning, light industrial work and office support, where demand changes from week to week.
1. Temporary staffing gives you flexibility
The biggest benefit of temporary staffing is flexibility. You can add people during busy weeks and scale back when work slows, without layoffs. That makes it easier to match your labor costs to real demand.
2. Fill gaps fast
When someone quits or calls in sick, the work does not wait. A staffing agency with screened candidates can often send help quickly, so shifts stay covered and customers are not affected.
3. Save time on recruiting
Posting jobs, reading resumes and scheduling interviews takes hours every week. With temporary staffing, the agency handles sourcing and screening, so your managers can focus on running the business.
4. Reduce hiring risk
A bad permanent hire is expensive to fix. Temporary staffing lets you see a worker on the job before you commit. If a worker is not the right fit, the agency can usually send a replacement.
5. Cover busy seasons and projects
Holiday orders, apartment move-out season, inventory counts and special projects all create short bursts of extra work. Temporary staffing covers these peaks without adding permanent headcount. Our seasonal staffing guide explains how to plan ahead.
6. Simplify payroll and paperwork
When the agency is the employer of record, it handles payroll, payroll taxes and new-hire paperwork such as Form I-9, described on the USCIS website. That means less administrative work for your team. You are still responsible for a safe workplace and clear instructions.
7. Find future permanent employees
Many businesses use temporary staffing as a pipeline for permanent hires. Workers who perform well during an assignment can be offered a full-time job through temp-to-hire. Learn more in our guide to temp agency vs direct hire.
How to get started with temporary staffing
- List the roles, number of workers, shifts and start date you need.
- Write down the skills, certificates and safety gear each role requires.
- Share the pay rate and any overtime expectations.
- Prepare a short training checklist for the first day.
- Choose one contact person to welcome temporary workers and give feedback.
Need help choosing a partner? Read how to choose a staffing agency in St. Paul. For Minnesota labor rules, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry is a helpful resource.
Common temporary staffing roles
- Warehouse and general labor
- Maintenance and make-ready staff
- Custodial and janitorial staff
- Administrative, office assistant and data entry staff
- Property management support
When to use temporary workers
Short-term help makes the most sense when the need is real but not permanent. Common examples include a large customer order, a new building opening, inventory week, an employee on medical or family leave, and the weeks while you search for a permanent hire. If the workload will last longer than a few months, talk to your staffing partner about temp-to-hire or direct hire instead.
It also helps when you are not sure how a new role will work. Bringing someone in for a few weeks shows you what the job really needs before you write a permanent job description.
What it costs, and how to compare
Agencies usually charge an hourly bill rate. That rate covers the worker’s wages, payroll taxes, insurance and the agency service. It will be higher than the wage alone, so compare it to your full cost of hiring: job ads, hours spent interviewing, onboarding time, overtime for your current team and the cost of replacing someone who leaves early.
Ask each agency for written rates by role and shift, including any overtime or holiday rates. Clear numbers make planning much easier.
How to set new workers up for success
A good first day makes a big difference. Give each new worker a short tour, explain safety rules, show them where tools and break areas are, and introduce them to the person they can ask for help. A one-page checklist of daily tasks helps people become productive within hours instead of days.
Share feedback with your staffing partner early, both what is going well and what needs to change. Quick feedback helps the agency coach the worker or send a better match.
Key takeaways
- Temporary staffing lets you scale your team up or down as demand changes.
- Temporary staffing saves recruiting time and reduces the risk of a bad hire.
- Use temporary staffing for busy seasons, projects and employee absences.
- Strong temporary workers can become permanent employees through temp-to-hire.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is temporary staffing?
Temporary staffing means a staffing agency provides workers for a set period, such as a busy season, a project or an employee absence. The agency usually employs the worker and handles payroll while the worker supports your business.
How quickly can I get temporary workers?
Common hourly roles can often be filled within days when the agency already has screened candidates. Clear details about the role, shift and start date help speed things up.
Can a temporary worker become permanent?
Yes. Many businesses use temporary staffing to try workers on the job, then offer a permanent role through a temp-to-hire arrangement.
Is temporary staffing expensive?
The hourly bill rate covers wages, payroll taxes, insurance and the agency service. Compare it to the cost of overtime, missed orders and your own recruiting time to see the full picture.
Need reliable staff?
Tell New Tomorrow Staffing which roles you need to fill in St. Paul and the Twin Cities. We handle sourcing, screening and matching.
We’re a St. Paul staffing and recruiting company that specializes in speed to hire. We hire fast to last.
