Dear Matt: I was hired for a temp-to-hire position through a staffing agency and was pretty excited about it. But now a few months into it, my role is not what I thought it would be. I don't want to quit, but it's not for me. Should I bring this up with the staffing firm? Will they be willing to help me?
Matt says: You are most certainly in the right to go back to the staffing firm or recruiter and discuss this situation, says Dan Webinger, business development manager for the Minneapolis branch of Experis (experis.com), a staffing firm that hires workers in the IT, finance and accounting, engineering and other industries.
Unfortunately there are agencies and recruiters who mislead candidates about what they are actually getting into because they want to fill the position and satisfy their client. "This certainly isn't a practice that is looking out for the best interest of the candidate, but rather the best interest of their reputation to their client, as well as their profitability," said Webinger.
How can you handle this situation? First reach out to the staffing firm and let them know that this current position doesn't properly utilize your skills, isn't what was explained you would be doing, doesn't fit the job description you were given, or isn't what you were expecting. Then tell them you will either continue working this assignment until they find a replacement for you, until they find you a new position, or until they find you a new position and a replacement. You also could give two week's notice and resign, or simply quit, but this is really not recommended.
If you are willing to keep working the current assignment until they find something else, don't expect the staffing company to work all that hard on trying to find a new assignment, said Webinger. They are not going to spend time trying to find you a new assignment as long as you are "willing" to keep working his current one. This creates double the work for them. Not only do they have to try and find you a new assignment, but they also have to find a candidate for your position.
If they agree to help you look for a new job, ask them about current opportunities that may be a fit and follow up with them at least once a week. Be persistent -- this is the only way they will know you are serious about wanting a new position. You have to stay on top of them though, or your request will go unattended, said Webinger.
You may be a temporary employee, but you still have to look out for what's best for you. Use these tips, be professional and fight for the right opportunity for you.
