Temporary employment on the rise in Tauranga

Tauranga job-seekers are making a career out of temporary employment, said 1st Call Recruitment managing director Phill Van Syp PHOTO / FILE

Bay of Plenty jobseekers wanting temp positions appear to be on the rise.

More Tauranga job hunters are taking up temporary employment with some ''making a lifestyle of it'', a recruitment agency says.

The news comes hard on the heels of a recent survey by Hays recruitment experts that found 59 per cent of the 1624 New Zealanders polled said they were happy to accept temporary work. Another 9 per cent said they were already in temporary positions.

Hays New Zealand managing director Jason Walker said temp, contract and freelance roles had become "the new normal".

"Those job seekers who aren't willing to consider this type of work halve the job opportunities available to them," he said.

"Even if your long-term goal is to obtain a permanent position, there are many advantages to taking short-term assignments while you wait for an opportunity to come along."

1st Call Recruitment managing director Phill Van Syp said the number of applicants the recruitment agency had placed in temporary positions continued to increase.

"It's growing every week."

In fact a lot of locals seem to be "making a lifestyle out of it'', Mr Van Syp said.

"They enjoy the freedom."

A lot of people were starting to see the typical Monday to Friday work week as an "obligation".

Temporary work also gave the recruitment agency's clients a variety of options and workers could learn a lot moving from job to job, Mr Van Syp said.

He said starting in a temporary position gave candidates the opportunity to network and gain experience before being locked into fulltime employment.

"They get to know how well you work," said Mr Van Syp.

"They see you're reliable and hardworking."

Temporary work often allowed workers to take time off between positions but Mr Van Syp said the relationship was becoming symbiotic - with temporary employees becoming increasingly appealing to employers.

Hiring temporary staff members gave companies the opportunity to call workers in only when necessary and made it easier for employers to move people around the company, said Mr Van Syp.

"It's the way companies are going.''

Mr Van Syp estimated the number of applicants the agency had helped secure permanent employment through temporary work to be "in the thousands".