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I am
looking for answers about how to motivate temporary workers and how to maintain
or improve their commitment to the organization. I would very much appreciate if
you could provide an answer and indicate where I can find more information on
the subject.
One of
my graduate students who this month will receive her Ph.D. did her dissertation
on temporary workers. She found that temps often feel they are in hostile
territory, facing uncertainties about what to do and relationships with new
peers. She also learned that their measure of assignment success hinges on
reduction of uncertainty in that new assignment and on such traits as their own
flexibility and adaptability.
Assignment success includes such things as being offered a full time job, being taken to lunch, given a party or thank you gift, having a supervisor keep in touch, receiving a compliment for doing a good job, having a supervisor say that she/he would recommend them to other departments, and an inner feeling they have done a good job.
Motivation for temps is not so different from motivation for all of us--we each want a fair exchange of pay for work, security for ourselves and family, career advancement, support and cooperation with co-workers, recognition for good work, and opportunity to do work that is meaningful and not only mechanical. Temps too often are treated as a convenience for the corporation and little attention is given to their well-being. Temps are people with needs, wants, and hopes deferred perhaps more than the full-timers.
Those in supervisory and management positions have a special opportunity to make these folks wanted both by supportive communication and more tangible considerations--such as helping them develop more marketable skills, benefits such as health care for their families for a period within the assignment and even a short time beyond the job, stock in the company, paid time off for good work, child care, flexible scheduling, etc.
Very likely most temps have not experienced working as a team excited about accomplishing a major assignment. Providing them team training and opportunities for team work can be a unique and motivating job experience.
Some of these ideas are found in Working For the Best Can Jump-Start America and Value-Added Attitude and Action, excerpts are found on our home page. Also, although little is written in them about temps, I find the Harvard Business Review and Business Horizons quite helpful. Do write to tell us what works for you and your temps.
All of us have egos, but only the fortunate work in a place where WEGO is a daily experience.
Bill Gorden