For many large organizations, retail stores or utility companies, temporary workers are a necessity to the team. Still – Employers often grapple how to keep these workers engaged and as a result, productive. As an employer, there are several minor yet significant measures you can take to keep employee engagement high, even for those who aren't permanently on your team.

Here are a few areas for you to focus on:

Prioritize onboarding:

Just because an employee may only be with you for a few short weeks (or days!), doesn’t mean you can skip this step.

Being clear with directions, even just minor things like who your temporary workers will report to, and what the breakdown of their days will be, can make them feel more comfortable, and improves the likelihood they’ll continue to show up for work. Give them a sense of the workplace environment so they know what to expect on their first day.

Even if their role is mundane, make sure you get feedback and do an offboarding session as well. This could be done in a quick meeting or in a short survey before you part ways.

Highlight any possibilities

While you probably can’t hire on all your temporary workers, it can be a way to find top talent.

Just because you’ve brought someone on temporarily, doesn’t rule them out from having a skill set for other potential (full-time) roles. Find out what these employees’ goals are, learn more about them. At the time they might just be extra administrative support in the summer, but next year they could land an entry-level, permanent role .

Remember, you won’t know unless you ask!

Avoid us vs. them

Unfortunately, there are times when permanent employees can decrease engagement of temporary workers because they don’t fully respect their position.

Make it clear to your team beforehand that the part-time or seasonal workers are integral to the success of what you’re trying to accomplish, and that you expect everyone to collaborate (if necessary) and be welcoming

If possible, set up a more senior employee to mentor one of your temporary workers – you could also create a rewards system for good training or based on the performance of your seasonal workers depending on what their role entails.

Stay in touch

Especially for organizations who hire seasonally, like large retail stores for the Christmas rush - stay in touch with your temporary team! Even sending them a note in the mail, letting them know you appreciate their hard work, can go a long way.

As well, if you already know of another time in the future you'll need to hire on temporary workers, offer an incentive for them to join your team again. You could also use a referral program in this scenario - Offer temporary employees a gift card if they refer a friend that you bring on as well.

Want to learn other ways to keep your team engaged and become a better employer? Check out one of our free resources below!