Temp Agency Newbie Needs Your Guidance
March 13, 2016 12:44 AM Subscribe
I'm entering my 5th week in a job I got through a temp agency. My boss has officially confirmed that she wants to take me on permanently after I complete my 90 days as a temp. However, I am not so sure I want to stay. Who should I talk to, first--my boss or my agency?
When I started this temp-to-hire 3-week assignment, I was surprised by the training I received. I expected to do straightforward administrative stuff, but the rigorous nature of the job and level of detail involved made it feel like my training was a long-term investment. After 4 weeks, I'm only just understanding the flow of things and finding my groove.
Several important projects have been handed to me to carry on to completion. I've shown diligence, gone the extra mile to make sure deadlines are met, made some eyebrow-raising (a.k.a dumb) errors, but my boss assures me I'm rising to the occasion and handling things well. I'm learning a lot and people in my company are very pleasant. But I honestly don't see myself staying there permanently because the environment makes me feel so awkward.
Questions:
(1) When I finally decide that I don't want to stay with the company (before my 90 days as a temp is up), who should I inform first--my boss or my agency?
(2) If I turn down the offer to be a permanent full-time employee, will this make my agency less likely to give me assignments in the future, i.e. affect their perception of my competence and 'marketability'? When they offered me the assignment, they initially said "They would want someone to start ASAP and stay until they have a permanent hire. You would of course be welcome to throw your hat in the ring for the permanent position should you like the job."
(3) Please help me come to terms with the guilt of leaving my boss to find and train my replacement. She's a terrific manager and I hate disappointing people.
Thank you so much for reading!
When I started this temp-to-hire 3-week assignment, I was surprised by the training I received. I expected to do straightforward administrative stuff, but the rigorous nature of the job and level of detail involved made it feel like my training was a long-term investment. After 4 weeks, I'm only just understanding the flow of things and finding my groove.
Several important projects have been handed to me to carry on to completion. I've shown diligence, gone the extra mile to make sure deadlines are met, made some eyebrow-raising (a.k.a dumb) errors, but my boss assures me I'm rising to the occasion and handling things well. I'm learning a lot and people in my company are very pleasant. But I honestly don't see myself staying there permanently because the environment makes me feel so awkward.
Questions:
(1) When I finally decide that I don't want to stay with the company (before my 90 days as a temp is up), who should I inform first--my boss or my agency?
(2) If I turn down the offer to be a permanent full-time employee, will this make my agency less likely to give me assignments in the future, i.e. affect their perception of my competence and 'marketability'? When they offered me the assignment, they initially said "They would want someone to start ASAP and stay until they have a permanent hire. You would of course be welcome to throw your hat in the ring for the permanent position should you like the job."
(3) Please help me come to terms with the guilt of leaving my boss to find and train my replacement. She's a terrific manager and I hate disappointing people.
Thank you so much for reading!
1. As a temp, you are the product being sold to the company. Anything you do is supposed to be funneled through the agency, and then they deal with the client. Tell the agency first.
2. Most likely not. If the company likes you well enough to offer you a permanent job, then you are obviously a good employee and therefore an asset to the agency, because they can use you to fill other positions and know that you'll do a good job.
3. You are doing your boss a favor by not accepting a job you wouldn't be happy in. No one wants an unhappy employee. And you would end up leaving anyway, so this way they're not going to be investing in you long term, only for you to leave after a year.
Also, it's business. One of the hardest things to learn is to understand that business isn't personal. Your job is to find the best fit for yourself; the company's job is to find the best person for the job.
posted by MexicanYenta at 1:35 AM on March 13, 2016 [13 favorites]
2. Most likely not. If the company likes you well enough to offer you a permanent job, then you are obviously a good employee and therefore an asset to the agency, because they can use you to fill other positions and know that you'll do a good job.
3. You are doing your boss a favor by not accepting a job you wouldn't be happy in. No one wants an unhappy employee. And you would end up leaving anyway, so this way they're not going to be investing in you long term, only for you to leave after a year.
Also, it's business. One of the hardest things to learn is to understand that business isn't personal. Your job is to find the best fit for yourself; the company's job is to find the best person for the job.
posted by MexicanYenta at 1:35 AM on March 13, 2016 [13 favorites]
I honestly don't see myself staying there permanently because the environment makes me feel so awkward.
Is this your first experience with office work in general or just the first experience as a temp? If it's the former and you're just getting started with your career, I'd encourage you to consider staying longer term if the full time offer is reasonable and the rigorous work seems surmountable with some experience. It's pretty common to take a little time to get your sea legs in new work environments and a job with people that you like and are demonstrably willing to help you through that process is not a bad thing in a tough economy for young workers.
If you are experienced with office work and know this is not the place to stay for you, disregard the above. The temp agency is not likely to care - they'll continue to make money off of you if you go on to another position.
posted by Candleman at 6:29 AM on March 13, 2016 [6 favorites]
Is this your first experience with office work in general or just the first experience as a temp? If it's the former and you're just getting started with your career, I'd encourage you to consider staying longer term if the full time offer is reasonable and the rigorous work seems surmountable with some experience. It's pretty common to take a little time to get your sea legs in new work environments and a job with people that you like and are demonstrably willing to help you through that process is not a bad thing in a tough economy for young workers.
If you are experienced with office work and know this is not the place to stay for you, disregard the above. The temp agency is not likely to care - they'll continue to make money off of you if you go on to another position.
posted by Candleman at 6:29 AM on March 13, 2016 [6 favorites]
Everyone feels awkward when they first start a job, it takes a couple of months to feel competent to make some work buddies, etc. So stay the 90 days and if you like the work and like the people, consider staying.
If, on the other hand, the people suck and the work bores you, let your agency know that you'd prefer a different assignment.
They hired a temp, if they invested a massive amount of training into you, that's on them. You went in expecting the assignment to be temporary and they have no right to be angry if you decide to move on.
When you work, you work exclusively for yourself. ALWAYS do what's in your best interest.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:47 AM on March 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
If, on the other hand, the people suck and the work bores you, let your agency know that you'd prefer a different assignment.
They hired a temp, if they invested a massive amount of training into you, that's on them. You went in expecting the assignment to be temporary and they have no right to be angry if you decide to move on.
When you work, you work exclusively for yourself. ALWAYS do what's in your best interest.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:47 AM on March 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
You should also find out what the salary would be. Temp agencies take a huge percentage of what the company pays. Unless there's a serious issue of some kind a bigger paycheck can make up for a quite bit of awkwardness.
posted by sammyo at 7:03 AM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by sammyo at 7:03 AM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
Tell the agency first, unless for some reason you have no intention of working through that agency again. If you want them to place you again, you need to remember that the agency considers you basically their product. They want to control every aspect of this interaction. That means they're going to want to decide when and how your "boss" finds out, and that means telling them first.
I mean, it's not that you'll be instantly blacklisted forever if you don't tell them first. But it's risky, and the sort of risk that's not really worth taking.
Definitely don't feel guilty. This is part of the risk of going through an agency. You don't have any guarantees of long-term employment, and they shouldn't be getting that attached to you until they've actually hired you. 4 weeks to get someone settled in is almost nothing for anything above basic filing.
posted by Sequence at 7:22 AM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
I mean, it's not that you'll be instantly blacklisted forever if you don't tell them first. But it's risky, and the sort of risk that's not really worth taking.
Definitely don't feel guilty. This is part of the risk of going through an agency. You don't have any guarantees of long-term employment, and they shouldn't be getting that attached to you until they've actually hired you. 4 weeks to get someone settled in is almost nothing for anything above basic filing.
posted by Sequence at 7:22 AM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
Hi, done lots of temping.
1. You work for the agency, not the company. Tell them it's just not for you and you'd like a diff assignment that is x, y, z, whatever you are looking for.
2. This will not get you blacklisted because you are competent..sadly, lots of temps are not. I have often astonished clients w my competence because they'd had a string of terrible temps.
3. Many temp jobs are listed as temp to perm, so know that you will have to say no a lot if you truly only want temp work.
posted by emjaybee at 8:11 AM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
1. You work for the agency, not the company. Tell them it's just not for you and you'd like a diff assignment that is x, y, z, whatever you are looking for.
2. This will not get you blacklisted because you are competent..sadly, lots of temps are not. I have often astonished clients w my competence because they'd had a string of terrible temps.
3. Many temp jobs are listed as temp to perm, so know that you will have to say no a lot if you truly only want temp work.
posted by emjaybee at 8:11 AM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
This was temp to hire. The agency could be in a position where it will make no fee, or a very low fee, if you're offered the position and don't accept it. That doesn't mean you should accept if you know you wouldn't be a success in the position ... but it means to stay in your agency's good graces you might want to focus on things that were unpleasant surprises. If you aren't taking the job for reasons that were obvious or you would have foreseen had you done a good amount of reflection, the agency could feel pretty screwed and might not place you again in a temp to hire role.
posted by MattD at 8:45 AM on March 13, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by MattD at 8:45 AM on March 13, 2016 [3 favorites]
You should speak to your agency first. Since this was clearly defined as a temp-to-hire position, it will make the agency look bad if you don't take the position. The company you are placed at is doing this because they don't want to deal with the headaches of interviewing/hiring/firing if it doesn't work out. It's a convenience for them, which they are willing to pay for. (In addition to the rate they have paid the agency for your time, they will also pay the agency some sort of hefty commission if they hire you as a full-time employee.) The quick permanent placement of competent employees enhances the agency's reputation. Anyhow - it's your life and your employment, you don't have to worry about your agency's feelings, but I can guarantee that your agency will be less likely to place you at a plum assignment after this one.
posted by stowaway at 12:48 PM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by stowaway at 12:48 PM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
Your agency will probably replace you on this particular job as soon as you express to them that you don't want the perm job.
As to whether they place you again, that will depend on why you're turning down the perm job. You need to give them a reason that won't make you look like a bad bet for other roles. "I feel awkward" is a reason they are unlikely to understand, or be able to avoid for you in the future, so they won't place you temp to hire again. Give them a reason that gives them some guidance, like "this kind of work is a bad fit for me, I'm an admin and this is more technical" or whatever.
And if you don't want the job, don't take it and don't feel guilty! Nobody wants an unhappy hire.
posted by fingersandtoes at 3:07 PM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
As to whether they place you again, that will depend on why you're turning down the perm job. You need to give them a reason that won't make you look like a bad bet for other roles. "I feel awkward" is a reason they are unlikely to understand, or be able to avoid for you in the future, so they won't place you temp to hire again. Give them a reason that gives them some guidance, like "this kind of work is a bad fit for me, I'm an admin and this is more technical" or whatever.
And if you don't want the job, don't take it and don't feel guilty! Nobody wants an unhappy hire.
posted by fingersandtoes at 3:07 PM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
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posted by Kalmya at 1:18 AM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]