A Guide to Temping at Honeycomb
Temping and Contracting is increasingly the preferred choice for many Business Support professionals seeking a portfolio career. Not only does it offer the opportunity to work on exciting projects with employers across a range of sectors, but it also provides you with real flexibility to work where you want, when you want.
At Honeycomb, we have a team of experienced Recruitment Consultants that specialise only in Temporary and Contract assignments, so when work for Honeycomb you know you are in safe hands!
We pride ourselves on the amazing feedback that we receive from our clients and on the great relationships that we have with our temps, who we consider to be an extension of our own team. So, if you would love to ‘join the hive’ and start your journey as a Honeycomb temp, we hope this guide will help.
What Makes a Great Temp?
While Temping is a great option for many, providing access to exciting projects across a wide range of employers, it is not for everyone.
Due to its very nature, temping is fast paced, can require you to be available at short notice and (in the case of emergency or sickness cover) may have limited training available.
Tech Savvy
As you will need to get to grips with a range of in-house systems quickly, strong IT skills are a must. The most common packages we look for are MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint, however if you have experience across HR, Finance or ERP systems, even better!
Great Attitude
Great temps all have one thing in common: a positive attitude. They can find a solution for every problem, see a challenge and not an obstacle and seek out ways to help! For many of our temporary workers, this winning attitude has secured them a permanent role at the end of their assignments (which we love to see!).
Adaptable
You may be working for a Top Tier Legal firm one week or a local Engineering company the next. Our best temps embrace change and can quickly adapt to a new company culture seeking ways to add value with their breadth of experience.
Reliable
The absolute golden rule when temping – be reliable! As a temporary worker, you are often covering staff sickness, a peak in workload or a business-critical project. In short, the business needs you and if you don’t arrive for work, it has a ripple effect across the team.
Trustworthy
As a temp, you may have access to money or commercially sensitive company information such as personnel files, finance systems or a manager’s inbox. It goes without saying that our temporary workers need to be extremely trustworthy and maintain confidentiality at all times.
Self-Sufficient
With a temporary or contract assignment, you may be required to work independently with limited direction. It is therefore important that when you are being trained, you take notes and ask questions to clarify and understand who you can go to for help or where you can find information if required.
The Do’s of Temping
If you are offered a role that doesn’t suit for any reason, don’t
worry, just let us know and we will continue to look for a job that does.
Dress impeccably for interview and assignment – whether this is
remote or on site. Please remember, you are representing Honeycomb and it is important that you are professional at all times.
Be punctual, arriving to work on time each morning and returning from rest breaks within the required time.
Contact your Consultant and your direct line manager BEFORE your shift is due to start if you are unable to attend or are running late.
Show commitment and enthusiasm for the role.
Communicate to your Recruitment Consultant should your circumstances change at any time.
The Don’ts of Temping
Do not accept an assignment that you cannot commit to! If you fail to show for a temporary assignment, you are not only creating additional workload for your Recruitment Consultant and the client company, but you have also taken to opportunity from a candidate who may have wanted it.
Do not use your mobile phone to make or take personal calls during working hours. Your mobile phone should be on silent and remain out of sight.
Do not use the company computers for personal use, to access websites or send your CV. Most companies will have an IT policy that you should familiarise yourself with on starting the assignment.
Do not use inappropriate or bad language (although this should go without saying).
We hope this guide will help you and we look forward to supporting you find a job
that you love.
