If you’re short-handed for a particular project or job function, a temporary staffing agency can quickly provide skilled assistance to keep your goals on track.

We spoke with Michelle Misuraca, Human Resources Manager for BuyerZone and Reed Business Information, to understand what to look for in a temp employee, which mistakes to avoid, and how to spot candidates with long-term potential.

BuyerZone: When should a company seek temporary staffing?

Michelle Misuraca: There are three occasions when businesses should consider temp staffing:

1. When all other available resources have not yielded the desired results. For example, if the company posts an open position but doesn’t see qualified candidates.
2. If you have a critical position that requires a support person during an employee’s absence due to illness or temporary leave.
3. When the company wants to “try before they buy.” They want to fill the position full-time, but want to see how a candidate performs and if he does the job well and enjoys the environment. BuyerZone has done this with great success – allowing temps to show they fit into the job and the culture, then hiring them full time.

BZ: What are some common mistakes companies make when hiring temp workers?

MM: A lot of times it’s just focusing on the wrong set of demands. For instance, putting in a request for an executive secretary when all you need is a part-time office clerk for a few days.

Other times it’s setting the wrong expectations for the job and length of assignment. It’s important to work closely with the recruiter to ensure both ask the right questions and have realistic expectations for job performance.

You should keep in mind the positions that temporary staffing wouldn’t work for, like human resources roles. You’re very limited in what temps could do in HR because of confidentiality. An agency may be able to get character information about a client to ensure they maintain confidentiality, but for HR assistance I recommend looking for full-time help or working with a reputable HR outsourcing firm.

BZ: How can you learn whether temp workers have long-term potential in a short timeframe?

MM: Be sure to review a candidate’s resume and ask about each experience listed. If you work with a bunch of agencies, many of them will provide test results from their candidates. For example, if you’re looking for an office administrator with mail merge experience, the agency will conduct a Microsoft Word test with the candidate to see how well she performs the mail merge function and how long it takes.

You can also gain a sense for how a candidate will perform by observing them on the job. For specific, common tasks, a candidate should be able to figure them out in the first 1-2 days if she can do the work properly over the long term.

To ensure you find the right fit, some agencies will even provide the first eight hours for free. If the worker doesn’t do a sufficient job, you pay nothing.

BZ: When is it most cost effective to bring in a temp worker?

MM: Cost-wise, use a temp worker when you just want to pay a flat rate for the work performed. Agencies typically provide benefits like health insurance to their employees so you’d be free of that financial responsibility. You also want to look at temporary employees if it’s just a short-term assignment lasting a few days and internal employees aren’t available to do the work.

BZ: Do you have specific examples of positive and negative experiences you’ve had with temporary staffing?

There’s one employee we brought in for Reed Business’ accounting department as a temp-to-hire. This person picked up procedures and policies right away and we brought her in as a full-time employee. Recently, she received a noteworthy promotion for her vast contributions to the organization. This was a clear example of the temp agency identifying the right candidate and skill set, the employee getting valuable on-the-job training from her manager, and showing her initiative to make the company successful. Ultimately both the company and the employee wound up ahead.

On the flip side, I once asked a temp agency to send over someone with basic clerical skills. When I asked this person to make photocopies of a document, he didn’t know how to properly use the copier! This showed the agency didn’t do an adequate check of his background or skill set.

BZ: Any final thoughts on temp staffing?

MM: A temp staffing experience begins with the right partnership with the appropriate staffing agency. If you need an industrial-skilled employee, don’t go to an agency specializing in accounting and finance. Also, keep those expectations you have for the role in mind and make sure the agency conveys the right message to the temporary worker. You don’t want the agency to send over a staffer who you only intend to work with for a few days but who thinks he’s being considered for a full-time position.

Also, if you plan to regularly use temp staffing, make sure to diligently check references, particularly the companies the agencies have provided staff for. Find out what worked for those companies and what the agency did when the experience was poor. Quality staffing agencies want to build solid relations with employers to ensure repeat business and most will only focus on sending the best candidates to fill their needs.