how companies work with temporary staff.

Americans are taking on more temporary work than ever before, with more people seeing high value in adding skills, references, and experience to their resumes. With increased flexibility and with a greater availability of work, temporary jobs can either link you to new skills you need or keep you at work during times of instability.

Four times a year, Randstad surveys hundreds of workers in the US to understand their ambitions and goals surrounding work-life balance, job mobility, and their happiness at work. In our recent Workmonitor survey, 39 percent of respondents said they wouldn't accept a job that didn't provide flexibility around where they worked, and 43 percent said the same about working hours.

It isn’t just employees who are driving this change; companies are finding innovative ways to work with temporary workers and are shifting their perspectives on people who have less long-term experience. It used to be frowned upon to have a resume item of under one year; now, it might even be a benefit — with some writers and HR managers seeing ambitious potential in someone with a varied resume.

3 creative ways employers work with temporary employees

1. contract workers help companies meet shifting demand

The reality for many businesses is they grow by the contracts they win or lose. In every sector, from manufacturing to finance, whether contracts or orders are coming in consistently defines whether they can keep staff on — full-time or otherwise. Temporary workers provide a smaller risk to small or medium-sized employers — knowing that their commitment to the worker ends in a shorter period gives them more flexibility to grow.

Companies can now find temporary, contract, and part-time workers on the Randstad app. On the Randstad app, you can discover pre-vetted workers who are ready and willing to work. Simply post a job, then see applicants accept the job and come to work — all in real time.

2. they are trying before they buy

Permanent placements are a business investment; with any investment, there comes a risk. Hiring temporary workers is a great way to test out potential candidates or scope out preferable skill sets for hire. Increasingly, organizations of every size, public or private and in every sector are hiring for temporary positions.

3. program experimentation

When businesses are looking to test new markets, pulling successful, efficient team members from programs that are already profitable is dangerous. Who will replace my successful team members? What if the new program isn’t successful? Are there problems that we haven't worked out yet? Hiring temporary employees and starting them on a new project is a way to prevent the loss of institutional efficiency while still experimenting with a new line of business.

3 ways to highlight your experience

1. show off your diverse skill set

Just because you are applying for a position in one field doesn’t mean your experience in other fields doesn’t apply. The full breadth of your experience is your career story — you might have achieved a great deal in a previous position that has helped your development into the professional you are now. How you shape your career story depends on what you’re applying for and the experience you have. Why are you the best for this job, and what have you learned that has made you so?

2. detail your results

A lot of your previous work experience can be made relevant by detailing what you achieved, not just what your responsibilities were. You should discuss your results, what you achieved, who you helped, and how your work contributed to the corporate goals of the organization you worked for. If you aren’t sure what you’ve achieved, this might not be something you want to include on your resume.

3. be prepared to discuss your experience

Your experience is only as valuable as your ability to communicate why it is important. Where you worked is important, but what you did there is of higher value. Always be prepared to discuss the jobs you’re including on your resume and other experiences that shape your abilities. What are your proudest moments? What were the greatest challenges you’ve had in your education or work experience? What are some examples where you’ve creatively adapted to a negative situation? If you are looking for work, this is the time to really examine what you’ve already done — go beyond a job title and get into your personal experience — you’re not a list of accomplishments, you are a creative, interesting person.