Though today's economy is booming, the business environment as a whole is very competitive, and companies live in very uncertain times. In order to compete successfully, companies must remain "lean and mean." They can only do so by hiring the most essential personnel as permanent staff. It makes perfect sense to hire a reliable temporary agency to provide all other staffing needs as they may arise. Temporary services companies are profiting from this new wisdom. Among the multi-billion dollar companies on the stock market are some temporary services organizations.

Not only are the services of temporary services organizations required by start-up companies these days, they are also required by some major corporations.

Start-up companies can rely on temporary services organizations to provide them with practically all their staffing needs. Regardless of whether or not they are well-financed, companies that have just started their operations generally need some time before they have well-oiled human services departments. Their primary concern is generating new business, obtaining the necessary financing, taking care of their customers - not hiring staff. In most cases, new business owners are too busy establishing company policies that are in accordance with Federal, state, and local government laws to devote much time to recruiting and screening personnel. Where does that leave these startups? In a lurch!

By retaining the services of an outside temporary staffing agency, start-up companies avoid the minute details involved in hiring, firing, and training personnel. The temporary staffing agency has a pool of experienced personnel from which they can draw. That is because the temporary staffing agency is constantly recruiting, screening, and training personnel to stay in business. Their primary business is people. And if, for some reason or another, the person hired by the start-up company is not performing up to par, the company is at liberty to ask for a replacement. Or, if there is a slowdown, the contract is merely terminated. There are no other penalties to worry about, such as dealing with the state's unemployment agencies, social security, medical health insurance, or even payroll. The temporary staffing agency takes care of everything, including paying the salary, long before it is paid by the company.

~ Because most companies nowadays have very efficient work forces, any event that requires the addition of a temporary staff person onto the payroll can become a major problem - unless a temporary agency is ready to pitch in. The great thing about the solution is that there are hardly any additional costs or risks assumed by the client. Overhead costs are, generally, not affected. And there is another added benefit: When the company needs to make the short-term position into a permanent one, the temporary agency is more than happy to oblige!

Pearl Freier is Vice President of Professional Staffing Group, and temporary and permanent placement firm in Boston, Massachusetts.