Temporary staffing in manufacturing and logistics is plagued by unpredictability. It often means no-shows, last-minute cancellations, and mismatched skills that threaten to derail operations.
Thankfully, there are solutions to this reliability crisis, one of them being a structured and effective onboarding process. By setting clear expectations from day one, you can turn your contingent staff into a highly dependable workforce.
To help you do this, we've put together this guide on best practices for onboarding temporary workers in manufacturing and logistics. We cover pre-boarding preparation, job-specific training, team integration, and everything else you need to know.
Pre-Boarding Preparation
The onboarding process for temporary employees should begin before they even step foot on-site through pre-boarding preparation. This is the best way to create a good first impression and set temp workers up for success in their manufacturing and logistics roles.
The most effective pre-boarding steps include:
Sending a welcome package with essential paperwork and information on things like dress codes and logistics, such as entry points and parking.
Providing your temp workers with detailed onboarding information about your company and an in-depth job description.
Sending them a first-day agenda including the schedule, who to report to, and who to contact with any queries.
Providing orientation and training materials related to their specific manufacturing or logistical role. This should include relevant compliance and safety protocols.
Assigning a mentor to each new temporary employee to help them settle in and hit the ground running.
Labor solutions like Traba can handle this type of service for your business at no additional charge. Traba ensures that every contingent worker receives critical information and pre-onboarding training prior to the onboarding process. Information and videos can be accessed directly from their phones through the platform.
Safety Training & Compliance
All of your temporary workers need to receive role-specific safety training that must be completed prior to their start date. Additionally, it has to be conducted in line with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and state compliance regulations.
This involves basic training on situational awareness, personal protective equipment (PPE), and emergency action plans. Staffing services like Traba pre-vet their workers have the appropriate experience and training to minimize basic training and onboarding. Employers need to provide workers with safety training for their specific roles, such as:
Forklift safety and inspector training
Fall protection and working at heights safety training
Safe handling of damaged or recalled products
Combustible dust awareness training
Welding, cutting, and brazing training
Welder electrical safety training
Hazardous waste operations training
Job-Specific Training
Job-specific training is vital for all logistics and manufacturing operations, regardless of whether they're temporary or permanent employees.
By providing this training when you onboard temporary employees, you ensure they perform their tasks safely and efficiently.
To give you a better understanding, let's take a look at some examples of training for specific manufacturing and logistics roles.
Warehouse associate
The job-specific training for temp warehouse associates includes:
Inventory management system operation
Barcode scanning and data entry procedures
Order picking and packing best practices
Safe lifting techniques and ergonomics
Proper use of material handling equipment
Forklift operator
Temporary forklift operators require training such as:
OSHA-compliant forklift certification
Proper stacking and unstacking techniques
Pre-operation inspection and safety checks
Battery charging and maintenance procedures
Production line worker
Temp production line workers need to be trained in:
Lean manufacturing principles
Machine-specific operation and safety protocols
Troubleshooting common equipment issues
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for assigned workstations
Logistics coordinator
The specific training for this role includes:
Transportation management system (TMS) operation
Carrier selection and rate negotiation
Freight forwarding and customs documentation
Supply chain visibility tools and tracking systems
Team Integration
Integrating temporary workers into your team of full-time employees is a crucial step in the onboarding process that's often overlooked.
They should be greeted with a warm welcome, and you must encourage your employees to learn their names. This helps to foster a company culture where newcomers don't feel isolated when they begin their employment, and it's a good strategy for creating a more reliable workforce.
So, besides introducing temp workers to your permanent staff, how do you integrate them into their teams? Well, here are some tips:
Assign a buddy to offer guidance and support.
Communicate team roles, responsibilities, and expectations clearly to avoid any ambiguity.
Establish open communication channels so temporary workers have access to key contacts and necessary information.
Organize team-building activities and meet-and-greets to integrate permanent and temporary staff.
Provide regular feedback on performance and ensure temp staff can voice concerns or suggestions.
If a temp worker is hoping to gain full-time employment at your company, provide the advice and resources necessary for them to achieve this.
Measure Success & Continuously Improve
So, you've been through the hiring process and onboarded your temporary workers. Now, you need to take the necessary steps to ensure they can thrive in their new environment moving forward.
This means tracking their progress and areas needing improvement and providing feedback in a constructive manner. Here are some of the ways you can do this:
Focus on KPIs
The most important KPIs you should be tracking for your temp workers include:
Time-to-productivity: Compare temporary workers' productivity timelines to permanent employees to identify training gaps.
Safety compliance: Monitor incident rates during the onboarding process and early assignments to assess the effectiveness of your safety training.
Retention and turnover rates: Tracking voluntary turnover is a good way to detect deficiencies in your onboarding process. If voluntary turnover is high within the first 90 days, it signals issues like unclear expectations.
Encourage continuous improvement
There are a number of strategies you can use to help your temp workers continually improve:
Iterative feedback loops: Implement ways for temporary workers to provide feedback on how processes can be improved and how you can help them enhance their own performance.
Open communication: Ensure temporary workers are consistently made aware of any changes in goals, expectations, and production requirements.
Continuous learning opportunities: Provide access to resources and a responsive support system to encourage continuous expansion of knowledge.
Collaborative environment: Foster collaboration between temporary and full-time employees to create a cohesive work environment where temp workers can reach their full potential.
At Traba, we know how frustrating it can be trying to find temporary workers through traditional staffing agencies. It often means hiring temp employees who aren't suited to the job, leading to high turnover rates and staffing shortages.
Our platform is designed to help employers find skilled workers who are more than ready to support your business in temporary roles. Book a free consultation to find out more.
FAQs
How long does it take to onboard temporary workers?
The duration of the onboarding process varies depending on the specific role. However, it usually takes a few days to complete all of the necessary steps and ensure your temp workers are fully prepared.
What are the key challenges when onboarding temporary employees?
The biggest challenges employers face when they onboard temp workers include high turnover, inconsistent skill levels, lack of safety knowledge, and difficulty integrating temp staff into existing teams. This is why onboarding steps like pre-boarding, safety training, and team integration are so important.
What's the best way to handle conflicts between temporary and permanent workers?
If any conflicts arise between your temporary and permanent staff, you should address these issues promptly. Don't let conflicts fester by tackling them as soon as they arise to prevent escalation. Plus, you should offer conflict resolution training to both temporary and permanent staff so they can manage disagreements constructively.
Wrapping Up
Effectively onboarding temporary workers in manufacturing and logistics significantly increases productivity, safety, and retention. If you focus on strategies like pre-boarding, safety training, and team integration, you're sure to set your temp workers up for success.
Additionally, you should track KPIs and encourage continuous improvement among your temporary workforce while simultaneously using their feedback to make your onboarding process more effective.
