Visited a temp agency office yesterday and it changed my whole view on trying to find work

I walked into this place on 5th Avenue thinking they'd just hand me a low wage gig and send me packing, but the guy sat me down and actually listened to what I wanted for 20 minutes. He told me about a warehouse position that pays $18 an hour with a direct hire option after 90 days, which is way better than anything I've found on my own. Has anyone else had a different experience with a temp agency than they expected?

2 comments

2 Comments

leep333d agoMost Upvoted

My buddy got a gig through Labor Ready back in 2018 and he swore it was a waste of time but I went anyway. I found a shipping clerk spot that started at $16.50 but they had a $1 raise after 60 days if you showed up on time every day. The key is finding an agency that specializes in the kind of work you want, not just the ones that throw people at factories. Ask the recruiter what companies they usually place people at and how many of those turn into permanent hires. If they can't give you a straight answer, walk out and try the next one on the list.

reese_taylor693d ago

Put the job description in writing and get them to sign it. @leep33 mentioned asking about direct hires but the real trick is getting the pay rate and terms down on paper before you step foot on the worksite. Temp agencies get a kickback from the company for every hour you work, so they might lowball you on pay at first. If you show them you wrote down exactly what they promised, they usually come through with the real numbers. That saved me from getting stuck at a $15 an hour spot that was supposed to be $18 once.