At times you may have to hire qualified technology temps. Information technology temp agencies can provide a necessary stopgap for your business when you need extra help or a skilled IT employee is absent for a day, a week, a month, or longer.

Whether you want to employ IT personnel for a particular project or on an as-needed basis, the question remains: how do you know which technology staffing agencies are best suited for you? Follow these steps:

1. Evaluate your needs and your resources.

2. Compare information technology temp employment agencies that may be right for you.

3. Search online for temp agencies that concentrate in workers over 50.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Determine your technology temp requirements

Decide what skills and experience you are looking for in a technology temp. An information technology temp agency can only work with the specifications that you give them. If you take time to evaluate your needs and your resources, the recruiting process will be much more efficient.

I recommend: To clarify your needs for IT temporary staffing solutions, look at Business Owner's Toolkit. They also provide a checklist of information and questions to have for the agency. Go to the ATS International website for a guide to temporary staffing.

Locate the information technology temp agency that is right for you

IT employment agencies pre-screen temporary information technology workers and match their skill set to your needs. Make sure that the agency is a good fit with you and your business. Remember, you don't have to commit to any one agency until they find the perfect candidate.

I recommend: Locate an IT temp agency at the American Staffing Association's (ASA) member database. Read the article on Choosing a Staffing Partner, and take a look at the tips from Verdus Corporation on hiring an IT agency.

Find technology staffing agencies that concentrate in workers over 50

Temporary information technology workers have a lifetime of invaluable experience that they can bring back to work. These are employees who know the ropes, and they are often geared for temporary employment situations.

I recommend: Find qualified and reliable staff at Senior Staff. You can also try Workforce50.com and RetirementJobs.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Ask the agency for references from other small business recruiters.
• •  Give feedback to the information technology temp agency about candidates they send to you for an interview. This will help both of you define and focus the recruiting process.
• •  Many technology temps like the freedom of temporary jobs, but others may be seeking and available for long-term employment. IT temporary placement is a good way to try out staff for potential permanent positions.
• •  IT staff comes into contact with information about your business that is sensitive. It is important to ask about the contracts provided by the IT temp agency to the technology temp. You may want to create and use an additional contract with the temp.