Maximise Investment in Temporary Office Staff
The Operations Manual – A Win-Win Resource during Staff Shortages
Mar 8, 2009
When staff are unexpectedly absent, a last-minute telephone call to recruit replacements may result in harried temps arriving halfway through the morning with no one on hand to familiarise them with the different environment. There are many generic tasks in clerical situations and at the end of the day most of these are likely to have been achieved; but there’s also a possibility, especially with an inexperienced temp, that work will have to be reviewed or redone when permanent staff members return to work. This can culminate in frustration, wasted time and lost revenue.
The Operations Manual is a Valuable Resource during Staff ShortagesKellie Hamlett-Coombs, director of award-winning Rotorua, New Zealand recruitment company TalentID Recruitment, says that while employers do not expect to have to train temporary staff, it is helpful for both employer and temp if some forethought is given to temporary staffing procedures.
The most efficient way to do this, says Ms Hamlett-Coombs, is to provide an easily accessible, clearly indexed and comprehensive operations manual that includes everything the new or temporary staff member needs to quickly navigate the unfamiliar environment. A copy of the manual should be filed in each department of the organisation and all key staff members should know how to access it.
Employers and Temporary Staff will Benefit from a Manual that Has been thoughtfully Developed
Ms Hamlett-Coombs suggests that the following bulleted list contains the minimum information that is required by a temporary staff member on a new assignment.
- name and location of key contact person or people
- passwords to access networks and photocopiers: a generic “temp” password with restricted access could be used so that a fresh username/password does not have to be created every time a new temp is recruited
- preferred telephone greeting
- preferred document formatting – layout, fonts etc
- samples of frequently-produced documents
- location of stock or stationery room, toilets, kitchen, photocopier room
- diagram or map of the building’s layout
- emergency procedures
- location of alarms and fire equipment
- designated opening and closing hours
- a brief bio of the company and its philosophy or mission statement
In a company with networked systems where individual computers may be configured differently, it would be useful to highlight the IT person’s contact details.
Regular Reviews are Required to Keep the Manual Up-to-date
The operations manual should be seen as a living document, requiring regular reviews and updates. Although it may seem a lengthy process to develop, the manual will provide a long-term, valuable and ultimately time-saving resource when inducting new employees or recruiting temp staff.
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