Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 1, 1990 TAG: 9004030499
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV13 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Kathy Loan
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG - LENGTH: Medium
Hilton, a portrait artist and mother, moved to Blacksburg in October after working with a family business in Waynesboro. When her children were younger, she wanted to spend more time at home and didn't consider a career a priority. When she became a single mother, she thought about taking her own advice and becoming a temporary, but instead got into free-lance business services.
When she moved back to Blacksburg, Hilton said she "found myself back at home without really knowing where I wanted to be."
Hilton signed up with Adia Personnel Services and has worked regularly for the company since it opened in January.
"It's really nice because I have flexibility built in, which gives me settling-in time. I can take time in between assignments to deal with buying a house," she said. "Temping adapts itself to that sort of situation very, very well." Hilton is finding that the people she is filling in for often are women who are on maternity leave. She likes the fact that, with her son in his teens, she can make someone else's first taste of parenthood a little easier.
People choose temporary employment for a variety of reasons, said Ann Ward with Manpower of Roanoke.
"Sometimes it's a fill-in while they're looking for jobs. Sometimes we just keep the people so busy that they stay around for years. It may be the housewife who wants to travel with her husband. There are a lot of different reasons people do it. A lot of times they'll take a second shift job and then during the day are looking for a job. And sometimes they'll take a temporary job with the hopes that they might get permanently hired with the company. And it's a way of getting in behind the personnel department."
Lynn Miller with Adia in Blacksburg also finds that many people like the variety of work assignments available as a temporary. "If you're new to an area, I think it's an ideal way to get into the local work force. You learn a lot. You kind of learn the nitty gritty if you go in as a secretary."
Candi Romberger moved to this area in January and also signed up with Adia. She had worked for the same temporary agency in Camp Hill, Pa. for 12 weeks before landing a full-time job, and hopes to find permanent work here.
"One reason I like it is because Adia tests you. They know your capabilities, they know what you're good in and they match you up with someone who needs what you have to offer."
Adia, Manpower and Norrell all have testing procedures to determine skill levels of potential workers. And they have several software packages allowing them to train workers to use computer programs they don't already know.
Jim Coyle of Norrell Services in Blacksburg said he enjoys seeing his temporary workers improve their skills and land full-time work.
"I love temporary service. I get the biggest kick out of the number of people we have helped," he said.
Hilton said she enjoys the benefits she can accrue from Adia such as reimbursement for classes taken to improve her skills. She also enjoys the flexibility but at the same time it can be a problem when scheduling activities with family and friends.
Part of the flexibility Romberger had to learn as a temporary worker in the New River Valley was the difference in wages. While none of the temporary agencies talked specific amounts they paid, they all realize that people who move here from Washington, Richmond or other larger cities are put off by the lower wage rates they receive here.
Coyle said he prefers to measure the pay rate to the individual's skill level, with a goal of paying as competitive wages as possible. "One of the standard questions we ask when an employee calls to fill an order is `give me a range,'" they're willing to pay. Coyle said his general range is $4.85 to $5.75 per hour.
Ann Ward with Manpower said she tries to pay people more than what they would earn if they got the job on their own. "We have to in order to retain our people. We haven't paid a minimum wage in so long I can't even remember - I mean it's been years. We pay to keep people and we pay what we think is going to be needed to keep them on that particular job."
by CNB