Temporary and Contract Employees - Who They Are and What They Do
Edited by Steve Berchem, American Staffing Association
www.AmericanStaffing.net
Staffing employees have very positive views of their temporary or contract work experiences, according to the results of a comprehensive landmark survey conducted by the American Staffing Association in early 2006.
In the largest sample ever surveyed of staffing employees (which account for about 2% of the U.S. work force), 13,196 current and former temporary and contract employees from 186 ASA member companies completed a telephone or online questionnaire from January 23 through February 17. Seventy percent of the respondents were currently working on an assignment for a staffing firm; the balance had been employed by a staffing firm at some time since January 1, 2005. Respondents were asked to think about their most recent assignment in answering questions; 79% said they had worked full time. Participants included employees from all staffing sectors. The median employment tenure with a staffing firm was 15 weeks.
ASA and its members often use "temporary" and "contract" interchangeably with regard to staffing employees, and previous ASA research has shown that many staffing employees prefer contract to temporary. Accordingly, respondents were asked which they considered themselves; 57% said temporary employees and 43% said contract employees.
Nine of ten staffing employees would refer a friend or relative to work as a temporary or contract employee, the survey shows. Similar proportions - around 90% - were satisfied overall as well as in various specific measures of their work experiences, far exceeding satisfaction ratios from surveys of the total U.S. work force. The survey's plurality was "extremely" satisfied overall. And those respondents who were "extremely" or "very" satisfied outnumbered those who said they were "somewhat" satisfied by nearly 4 to 1.
Most respondents viewed their temporary or contract jobs as a way to get a permanent job, earn additional income, and improve their skills. Getting a permanent job was by far the most important reason for choosing temporary or contract work; 49% said it was an extremely important factor. Many succeeded in securing permanent employment. Of the survey participants who remained in the work force but were not on a temporary or contract assignment at the time of the survey, 53% had taken a permanent job. Nearly one-quarter of those who got permanent positions said that working as a temporary or contract employee helped them get a permanent job faster.
Although bridging to a permanent job was important to most staffing employees, it was of little or no interest to one in four. They worked with staffing firms for lifestyle reasons. One in five respondents said that flexible work time, choice of assignments, or having time for family were extremely important factors in their decisions to become a temporary or contract employee.
Employees in the industrial sector were the most satisfied and optimistic, even though they were the lowest paid. Employees in the technical and information technology sector provided the lowest satisfaction ratings (albeit at 87%, just three points lower than the total sample) even though they were the highest paid. Employees in the health care sector rated lifestyle factors highest, were more likely to work part time, and were the most satisfied with their pay. Employees in the office–clerical sector were more likely to be seeking experience or training to improve their skills, whereas employees in the professional sector were more likely to be going back to school.
Long-term employees - those whose average assignment lasted for two years or more - accounted for 12% of the total sample. They perceived that the money is better and that they have more flexibility as contract employees. The evidence suggests that their perceptions were accurate: They received higher hourly wages, achieved higher household incomes, and were more likely to work part time than staffing employees with shorter-term assignments. They were more likely to participate in employee benefits programs offered by their staffing firms, too.
The survey revealed two unexpected key findings. One was the relatively small proportion of staffing employees who indicated their previous occupation as student (10%), homemaker (4%), or retiree (3%). The other was the relatively high importance assigned to the additional income provided by temporary or contract work. Although nearly equal numbers of surveyed employees cited income and flexibility as important, 35% said the additional income was extremely important whereas 23% said flexibility was extremely important.
Regardless of their reasons for working as temporary or contract employees, more than 88% of those surveyed said their experience made them more employable, mostly by developing new or improved skills and receiving on the job experience; 20% attributed their enhanced skill levels to specific training provided by their staffing firm. A majority said the work strengthened their résumés, and four in 10 said the experience helped them gain self-confidence and improve their work habits.
Overall, the survey results shed light on the important role U.S. staffing companies play as labor market intermediaries - creating jobs, helping those who want permanent jobs to get them, offering flexibility and choice to those who prefer alternative work arrangements, and providing training and experience to improve skills and enhance the value of staffing employees in a growing and ever demanding economy.
The executive summary and the full report on the survey results are available at
www.AmericanStaffing.net.
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