Our business has changed over the last few years, and the word “temp” is really not a fitting title for our contingent workforce anymore. With the pervasive use of lean, Just-in-Time business practices and the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act, our flexible workforce has become a more permanent and integral part of our customer’s human resource strategy.

The US unemployment rate is in the low single digits. As the war for talent heats up, we must have great relationships with the best employees that the market has to offer at any given pay range. We offer a liberal vacation and holiday pay plan, robust healthcare benefits, bonus programs and even a scholarship for continuing education; but the real difference is how we view the workforce. Our contingent workers are not defined by the length of their assignment. Whether an employee works with us two days or two years, they are part of a team – they are Teammates.

Belief in the Cause

Words can be powerful, but they must be backed by substance or we look like hypocrites. As a whole, our internal employees, “Ōninites,” understand the importance of what we do – they derive a sense of calling from putting the right people in the right job opportunities. Our business is people—it can be messy and unpredictable, but on the other hand, it is very fulfilling when we make a great match.

The term “temp” is a black-listed word at Ōnin, unless of course one is referring to another staffing company’s workforce. The word “Teammate” gives definition to how we already look at our workforce and serves as a rallying point for our internal staff as we strive to do an even better job of serving the workforce.

Connecting with the Workforce

Renaming our Teammates is part of a broad effort to make a deeper and wider connection with the workforce. Treating people well and approaching our business relationships with a heart of service is simply the right thing to do – so that is where we start. We had roughly 700,000 applicants walk into an Ōnin office last year. Whether we put them to work or not, we want them to walk away from our offices with a good feeling about our company. It is our goal to be the first place people think of when they are looking for a job change. The more successful we are at engaging the workforce, the more successful we will be delivering for customers. That’s a win-win-win.