I hate the word “temp”

I’ve always hated the word “temp.” Not sure exactly when it happened but the term carries such a negative connotation now. Maybe I’ve been reading too many Dilbert cartoons or watching too many episodes of The Office that I think of Ryan The Temp. Or maybe it’s the hundreds of conversations I’ve had back in my recruiting days when people turned me down because it was a “temp” job and not “permanent.” Never mind that the project was going to last a year, and never mind that there is no such thing as “permanent,” at least in The Valley.

So over the years I’ve been promoting the terms “contractors,” “consultants” to describe the placements, and “engagements,” “contracts” and “projects” in place of the term “assignment.”

We place contractors/consultants to do project-based work. I feel that these terms are more accurate to describe our services.

An administrative assistant who is placed in a 3-month contract is there to fulfill the projects of the direct employee who is out on maternity leave.
A software engineer is placed on a 6-month contract is there to do work for a specific phase of a project.

One might argue that terms are just terms and euphemisms and what not, but I believe they carry a lot of value. If it makes the difference in terms of employee satisfaction — the contractor performs better because he realizes the importance of his role instead of the temp who is doing a mediocre job because he is just a “temp” filling in — I’d say that small change in industry terminology could prove invaluable.

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August 28, 2007 | Filed Under Recruiting, Staffing, Staffing Solutions, candidates, terms | 1 Comment