Temporary work is in season
For the AJC
Friday, December 05, 2008
As Georgia’s unemployment figures rise, so do the number of applicants for seasonal, part-time and temporary employment.
“We’re definitely seeing more candidates,” said Cally Mastio-Hamdan, Buckhead branch manager for Office Team, a division of the staffing firm Robert Half International Inc. “Many people have been laid off, and others are being cautious about the outlook in their current companies. Those who are pretty sure that their company won’t be around are going ahead and registering with us.
Photos by Leita Cowart / Special
Lupe Alcaraz has worked part time for two years at McDonald’s. Restaurant chains with low-cost menus often get busier in lean times.
UPS driver Angie Wood has been an employee with the company for 21 years. She is checking on boxes in her truck at the customer center.
UPS drivers gather for a morning meeting at the UPS customer center in Roswell before going out to deliver packages.
“We’re definitely seeing more people looking for work and they have a broader range of high-quality skills,” she said.
Never knowing what type of skills will be needed or when, Office Team is still recruiting new talent. Fortunately, the firm is also seeing about the same number of requests for workers that it normally sees at this time of year. The division specializes in placing people in administrative, office support, customer service and clerical positions.
“Administrative staff is often the first sector to get laid off, so when companies need to get the work done during their peak season or for a big project, they turn to temporary staffing,” Mastio-Hamdan said. “More employees take vacation over the holidays, but temporary jobs can come up quickly any time when people need to take an unexpected leave of absence.”
Temporary workers were once viewed only as a stopgap measure, but more companies are now including them in their long-range staffing plans. An Office Team survey of 150 senior executives among the nation’s largest 1,000 companies found that 71 percent incorporated the use of temporary employees into their overall staffing budgets.
Hiring temporary workers allows companies to be more flexible in changing market conditions, while boosting retention rates because it eases the burden on full-time staff, said Diane Domeyer, executive director of Office Team. “More businesses are recognizing that they can hire highly-skilled project professionals in specialized areas of finance, information technology and administrative support,” she said.
Temporary employment offers workers advantages, as well.
“A temporary job gets your foot in the door. It’s like a free interview where you get to show them your skills,” Mastio-Hamdan said. “It can help you gain exposure, which can lead to other opportunities, even permanent work.”
Workers who register with Office Team have access to the company’s Skills Port, which offers more than 5,000 courses online to help people improve their computer skills and job prospects. Workers at temporary agencies can keep their skills sharp and avoid gaps in their résumé. Other perks include a paycheck and benefits with Office Team.
Busy time for businesses
Part-time jobs at retail stores and other businesses that see more volume during the holidays — including income tax preparation services from January to April — can bring welcome income to families.
“We’ve almost completed our seasonal hiring, but people may still apply online at Macy’s Jobs or at their local Macy’s store,” said Marla Shavin, public relations manager for Macy’s South. “We’re looking for people who are dependable and flexible in their scheduling, and who have strong customer service skills.”
United Parcel Service hires additional driver helpers and package handlers during the holidays and pays an average $8.50 to $9.50 an hour, spokeswoman Karen Cole said. The company offers a variety of shifts, letting people schedule part-time work around another job or school.
“A big part of our customer culture is to promote from within, so if there are positions available, a part-time position could lead to a full-time job,” Cole said.
Steppingstones to careers
The economy may be depressed, but “McDonald’s isn’t going anywhere,” said Beth Van Loon, regional human resources director-Atlanta Region for McDonald’s USA. While other companies are shedding workers and closing their doors, McDonald’s continues to grow. “We’ve built 17 new facilities and remodeled many others in my region this year,” Van Loon said.
McDonald’s has always accommodated part-timers. “We have a lot of students, bus drivers who work between shifts, moms who work while the kids are in school, seniors who work the breakfast shift and people who need a second job,” Van Loon said. Most restaurants serve food until midnight, many around the clock.
What people may not realize is that McDonald’s offers a ready career path for workers. “Many of our corporate leaders started out as crew members,” Van Loon said. The majority of workers start above minimum wage, get raises within six months and may work their way up to part-time swing manager, third, second or first assistant manager and restaurant manager. Some of Atlanta’s owner-operators run large operations with five to 20 restaurants and need multistore supervisors and other workers.
McDonald’s restaurant management courses are accepted as college credit toward a degree in hospitality at many colleges and universities, Van Loon said.
Federal government jobs
When looking for part-time work, don’t overlook the federal government. The U.S. Census Bureau plans to hire 80,000 part-time workers in Georgia, Florida and Alabama combined over the next two years, according to Monica Dukes, recruiting coordinator at the Atlanta Regional Census Center. They’ll be hiring numerators (people who take the census), crew leaders and assistants, clerks and other positions to help with the 2010 census. Numerators will work from five to 10 weeks, but some of the other jobs are full time.
“We need people who are flexible and dependable for this important work,” Dukes said. Applicants may learn more at 1-866-861-2010 or apply at the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Atlanta IRS Center has seasonal employment opportunities for the tax season. The positions include clerks, data transcribers, tax examiners and contact representatives. The recruitment job line is 770-455-2455.
Look for growth industries
Applicants must be resourceful to find work in this challenging market. Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International, suggests they step outside of their comfort zone.
“Avoid limiting your search to your current industry or field. Identify transferable skills and experiences, and communicate them to prospective employers,” he said. Messmer suggests reading local business journals and newspapers to find out what industries and firms are expanding.
The Georgia Department of Labor reports that the following industries added jobs in Georgia between October 2007 and October 2008: health care and social assistance (6,300 jobs); educational services-private ownership (3,700 jobs); amusement and recreation (1,900 jobs); federal government, Department of Defense (1,900 jobs); state government education, including Georgia’s colleges and universities (1,300 jobs); computer systems design and related services (1,300 jobs); management and technical consulting services (1,000 jobs); accounting, tax preparation and bookkeeping (900 jobs); wireless telecommunications carriers (600 jobs); and repair and maintenance (600 jobs).