The New Breed of Career Temps

Personnel Today reports on the emergence of the ‘career temp’, as revealed by SecsLife, the Gordon Yates/Guardian survey.

“The anonymous office temp - the nameless worker who takes lunch alone and spends most of their time at the photocopier - has become a thing of the past,” journalist Lucy Freeman writes in Personnel Today.

According to Gordon Yates’ latest annual survey, a new breed of 'career temp' is emerging. 'Portfolio careers', once only associated with high-earning interim managers or consultants, is now a realistic option for temporary office workers.

Richard Grace, joint managing director of Gordon Yates, comments: "I was taken aback that one-third of the temps we surveyed said they had made a deliberate choice to work on a temporary basis. Some temps are unable to take permanent jobs for visa reasons, but portfolio working was cited as a popular reason. Temporary assignments are now stimulating, interesting and challenging, and temps can be a key part of a team."

 Bethan Dixon Bate is a good example of a ‘career temp’. She has temped for 20 years, combining it with acting, gardening and floristry. "I really enjoy the flexibility," she says. "It's enabled me to get a broad view of lots of different businesses. And I'm operating in isolation so I don't get caught up in the office politics.”

Temps: the facts

·          55% of temps have been offered a permanent job.

·          50% of temps are graduates.

·          80% of firms use temps.

·          48% of temps feel firms could make more use of their skills and experience.

·          67% of temps said internet job searches were most useful.

·          53% of temps have stayed with the same company for at least six months.

·          27% of temps have stayed with the same company for more than a year.

·          47% of 'career temps' are more satisfied now than they were a year ago.

Source: Gordon Yates SecsLife 2006-7

Adapted from Office Temps by Lucy Freeman

Personnel Today, 20 March 2007