Working a temporary position is a good alternative for some people when they cannot find a full-time job, they need real-world job experience, or they are returning to the workforce after a long absence. A temporary position can sometimes lead to an offer of long-term employment.
If you have an interest in temporary employment, find out more about the Select Staffing application process.
What is Select Staffing?
Select Staffing is an employment agency that specializes in temporary positions. They offer employment in a variety of industries, including:
- Clerical
- Warehouses
- Construction
- Retail
- Skilled labor: Forklift operators, testing technicians, or electronic or mechanical assemblers may be in this category
The agency has offices in 15 states, mainly in the west and southeast parts of the United States. These states include:
- California
- New Mexico
- Washington
- Florida
- Georgia
- Tennessee
Application Process
Although you may find job openings on their Facebook site, third party job sites online, or the newspaper, the application process starts on their website. As soon as you go to the site, you’ll find a blue box that asks you to put in the city, state and a job title to search for jobs.
You don’t need to fill out all the boxes. Instead, you can input the state in which you live or want to work in and then press the orange search for jobs button. The resulting list shows what jobs are currently available and where they are located within the state.
For each job, there is a brief description that includes the pay rate, what the primary responsibilities, and the working hours. The description also includes whether the it is temporary or a temp-to-hire position. This information can be found by clicking the plus symbol on the right side of the job description box.
What is a Temp-to-Hire Position?
A temp-to-hire position, which may also be known as contract-to-hire, is when a company has long-term needs but wants to try out employees before offering them a permanent position. Many companies use this strategy to determine how well employees will work out for their businesses.
It also gives employees a chance to try out the job to find out if it is a good fit for them. If they don’t like the work they are doing, or the hours are not suitable for their lifestyle, then the employees can quit while they are temporary or turn down offers to take the job on a permanent basis.
Some positions are direct-hire, which means they are looking for full-time employees, but the staffing agency is taking care of the hiring responsibilities for them. It could be because they are a small business without the resources to do the task themselves. Some companies have contracts with staffing agencies, like Select Staffing, to handle hiring responsibilities for them nationwide.
Applying for a Job
When you find a position that you have an interest in, you can either click the “Apply Now” button or the one for “More Info.” The more info button redirects users to a full description of the job and includes job requirements and other details about its compensation, such as whether they provide relocation pay.
After reading this information, if you still have an interest in it, then you will find another “Apply Now” button at the bottom of the page. Clicking it takes you to the job application webpage to fill in your personal information. After filling out your name, address, and phone number click “Continue,” which takes you to another page to fill out.
The second page contains qualifying questions to check if you’re over 18, have a way to get to work and are willing to take a drug screening test. Once it is complete, you will need to start an account with the company.
The next page is for filling out more personal information, or you can upload a resume, which will transfer the pertinent information onto the online forms for you. This information includes your address, work skills, and experience.
Select Staffing Dashboard
After submitting a resume or filling out the information manually, your Select Staffing application is complete for the job that you selected. The next webpage takes you to their “Dashboard.” Here you will find eight sections that need to be filled out. These sections include:
- Questionnaires
- Tax information
- Documentation you need to fill out, such as an I9.
- A work safety video.
Each section needs to be completed before moving onto the next one.
After completing the information, you can wait for someone to contact you from the office at which your information was sent. However, since it informs you of which office receives it, you may wish to wait a few days and follow-up on your application by calling them.
Preparing for Interviews
If you get a phone call from Select Staffing, you will probably need to go to a face-to-face interview. An interview gives an employer the opportunity to assess job candidates, ask them questions, and gauge how well they communicate with others. Which, depending on the type of job you’ve applied for, could be an essential skill.
An interview also gives the applicant the opportunity to assess the company. However, by going through a staffing agency, the candidate will rarely see their place of work unless they get a job offer. Then, the day they start may be the first day they meet with the employer.
Interviews make many people nervous, but you can prepare for them in many ways. When going through a staffing agency, you won’t be given much information about the company offering the position that you want. Instead, you will need to be somewhat creative when preparing for an interview.
Anticipate Questions You May be Asked
Most companies will ask you to tell them about yourself or discuss why you have an interest in a job with them. When talking about yourself, be professional and stick to good adjectives to describe yourself, such as ambitious, punctual, or a quick learner.
If the interviewer asks about why you want the job, you can discuss your work experience, what qualifications that you have for it, and you can talk about why you like that type of work. Try to show some enthusiasm, but don’t go too overboard or it may come across as fake.
Review Social Media Accounts
It is becoming standard practice for employers to look up prospective employees via Google or through social media accounts, especially if they are on the prospect’s resume. While the staffing agency may not look up the information, the company who you’ll be working for may.
Google yourself to find out what information can be found online about you. Also, go through your social media accounts and delete information you’d rather not have prospective employers see. If you don’t use your real name on social media, you can create other ones using it and post photos and information you don’t mind employers seeing.
Dress Nicely
It doesn’t matter what type of position you’re seeking, and you should show up at the interview clean, neat, and well groomed. Unless you’re anticipating going straight to the job site, dress a little nicer than you would on a typical workday. However, if you’re going to be working construction and you may be sent to the job site from an interview, dress appropriately.
Plan to Arrive Early
It is essential to be on time or a little early for an interview. If you get there late, then the employer may get the impression that you’ll be late to work. Being late wastes everyone’s time and is unprofessional. If you take public transportation to work, anticipate how long it takes to get to the interview site and plan your trip accordingly.
Bring Necessary Documents
When you go to the interview, bring the documents that they request from you. They may want to see a state photo identification card, like a driver’s license or a state id card. Your Social Security card or a work permit or visa if you’re not an American citizen.
After the interview, they may ask some potential employees to take tests to analyze their skill levels depending on the position for which they are applying. Some candidates may also need to take a drug screening test. Sometimes candidates get job offers after the initial interview and will get information about where they will be working.
Staffing agencies hire employees for companies quickly to fulfill their clients’ needs. Getting a job offer after the Select Staffing application process, the interview and testing usually don’t take long. If you don’t get an offer for the job you’ve applied for, they may consider you for other similar openings.
If you don’t hear anything from Select Staffing within a week of interviewing with them, call them back to follow up on your application. They may not have filled all the positions yet, or your application may have been turned down, and the notification may not have been sent out yet.
However, most of the time you should get a job offer or a notification about not getting an offer within a few days after the process is complete.