I didn’t want to take the computer-proficiency tests required by the staffing agency. I tried to convince the hiring coordinators — who were all a decade younger than me — that I didn’t need to be tested. I was well-versed in many computer programs. But the hiring coordinators wouldn’t budge from their stance that “to get me into the system,” I needed to complete all aspects of their evaluation.
I really wanted a job. It had been months since I moved back to California from Las Vegas, during which I applied for many jobs, went on a few interviews, and received no call-backs. Though the global financial crisis continued to steamroll the economy, I felt that I should be able to find a job without too much difficulty. However, most of the available full-time opportunities were for candidates with specific skill sets, and not for a “Jill-of-all-trades” like me.
I ended up inside the staffing agency’s cramped computer-testing room, staring up at the speckled white ceiling — the only part of the room that wasn’t a shade of gray. I looked around as the timer on my computer screen ticked down to the start of the next skill-test. The other candidates in the room, all women in their thirties and forties, looked as bored and as resigned as myself.
After I completed the tests, I met with a few of the hiring coordinators to talk about our expectations. They confirmed that my college degree was a particular asset on my resume, and then asked me if I was fluent in Spanish. I only knew enough to talk to las niñas y los niños, I replied, and added, “Is that something many of your client-companies are looking for?” They nodded, and said that they would call me if the right opportunity came up. I walked away from the office with the new understanding that the hiring coordinators were concerned with their client-companies’ needs first, and mine second.
Is the Old “Temp” Stereotype Alive and Well?
While the hiring coordinators treated me and the other candidates with respect, I worried that I teetered on the edge of becoming the stereotypical “temp” — the woman who lacked career-direction, professional clout, and who employers saw as a temporary means to an end and nothing more. I didn’t want to fall into that trap, which was created for women in the mid-1950s, and then perpetuated by successful staffing agencies throughout the 60s and 70s.
Kelly Services, Inc., a staffing company that became well-known during the late 1950s, marketed their “Kelly Girls,” as reliable, low-cost, and low-maintenance workers who weren’t interested in becoming permanent employees, and didn’t expect to be treated as such. According to an ad in a magazine in 1971, a Kelly Girl (aka a “Never-Never Girl”) “Never takes a vacation or holiday. Never asks for a raise,” and “Never costs you a dime for slack time. (When the workload drops, you drop her.)” If I saw or heard an ad like this today, I would be appalled at the blatant sexism. I would wonder how anyone could tolerate being treated in such a dismissive way.
According to the American Staffing Association, 76% of temporary workers work full-time, compared to 82% of the total regular workforce, and the average wage of temporary workers equals “more than $17 per hour”. In other words, the average “temp” works full-time doing the same job as their permanent-employee counterparts, for less than $18 per hour. That amounts to roughly $35,360 – $37,440 per year in personal income, and does not account for tax and insurance deductions. Also, as you may know, it is rare for a temp to receive paid vacations. Whereas the average full-time administrative assistant (a common type of temping position) earns $20 per hour or $41,000 per year.
Why Temp Work May Not Lead to a Full-Time Job
While 49% of temporary workers said that “temping” was a way to get a full-time job (according to the American Staffing Association), only 35% were offered a permanent job by a client-company. This could be due to the way that staffing agencies make their money. In addition to collecting a percentage of the temp’s hourly wage, if a client-company hires a temp, the staffing agency may charge a percentage of what the new employee will make in the first year. Most businesses, I imagine, would rather not pay a fee to a third party when hiring a new employee.
Despite the odds, I was hired as a permanent employee after temping for my current employer. I was fortunate to get the job, and in truth, I’m glad that I didn’t know the odds at the time. A few months after I was brought on as a temp, a co-worker said that a permanent position was opening up and that I should apply. My varied work experience and positive attitude fit the company’s culture, and my foot was already in the door. I interviewed without a blunder and received the job offer. At the time, I thought that my experience as a temp was typical. But that was before my observation of other temps’ subsequent experiences at my company.
When Tori first joined our staff as an accounting temp, she was personable, confident, and helpful. Then, around the time Tori found out my company would not renew her contract or offer her a job, her personality flipped. She became withdrawn, and spent long periods on the phone during the workday with someone who sounded like a friend.
Diane, another accounting temp, made it clear that she wanted a job with our company, and spoke openly about interviewing for other jobs. Diane was friendly and experienced, but for reasons which I can only speculate about, my company offered the job Diane was temping for to an external candidate.
I now believe that Tori and Diane’s experiences were more typical than mine. If you hadn’t noticed, our experiences match the reported figures — one of the three of us gained full-time work, or 30%. What’s interesting is that we became temps expecting to find permanent positions. Where did we get that idea? If it was an assumption, then we should have thought twice about the history of temp work, and its future.
What the Future of Temp Work Means for Us All
The number of those who work remotely as “VAs,” or Virtual Assistants/Admins (a new kind of temporary worker), is on the rise. Clear stats about VAs are difficult to find, but thousands of VAs are listed on UpWork, Guru, and Freelancer. Hourly wages range from a few dollars to $100, the latter of which sounds pretty good. But, according to Lana Bandoim for The Week, VAs are responsible for their own insurance and taxes, and face unique challenges. VAs never step foot in the office and therefore miss the benefits of in-person communication. Job insecurity is another issue, as the virtual nature of the role makes immediate dismissal easier and less involved than firing a regular employee.
Upwork markets hiring a VA as the best way to “streamline” a business and save on employee-related costs. VA-staffing agencies make that same claim, and promote their candidates as reliable and easy to manage. I must admit, if I was a new business owner, or if I was a seasoned manager tasked with cutting costs, hiring a VA in lieu of a regular employee would sound ideal.
I resisted being measured and inserted into “the system” that day in the staffing-agency office, and wondered if temp work was right for me, based on the impersonal nature of the “on-boarding” experience. However, today, I’m glad that I made the decision to move forward with the opportunity. I have a full-time job with good pay, health benefits, and retirement savings — positive aspects of regular employment that should not be overlooked.
But, from what I see on UpWork, most VAs are women in their thirties or forties, who may think that the flexibility and independence of temp work outweighs the downsides: impermanence, and the lack of company-paid benefits. I am, therefore, left with this question: will we adapt to the expanding digital economy in a reactive way, and resign our focus to the immediate personal gains, or will we step back on our own behalf and aim for a more stable future?