The Pros And Cons Of Hiring Temps For Your Apartment Office

Is a temporary employee the right fit for your apartment office? Considering that the turnover rate for leasing professionals is at 20 percent and turnover of other office roles keeps increasing, according to a Grace Hill 2019 assessment of multifamily housing, using temp workers for apartment management provides a trial period not found with a direct hire.

Hiring quality office employees is a must for managing your apartment building regardless of the number of units. Training and retention also are important aspects of employee management, but are proving more challenging as older talent ages out of the workforce and younger talent tends to stay in positions for less time.

Consider bringing on temporary professionals to help handle a ranges of office positions and tasks from leasing to bookkeeping and management. Temporary (“temp”) employment is more acceptable these days and is a desirable choice for those employees seeking flexible work schedules.

Temp Workers for Apartment Complex Questions

Whether you need a temp to cover maternity leave for your assistant property manager or to create online training courses, there are several questions to ask before hiring temp workers for property management, leasing or another position:

General Manager Albert Navarret of Valley View Condominiums in Dallas, where rentals are a large part of their business, notes that he only needs seasonal help when looking for new condo tenants. Temps help with “paperwork, offering the homes, and whitelisting possible renters,” Navarret concludes.

Advantages of Hiring Temp Workers

There are many advantages to hiring temp workers for apartment complex positions that could save time and money.

Disadvantages of Hiring Temp Workers

Likewise, there are numerous disadvantages to hiring temp workers for property management and other positions:

Let an Employment Agency Do the Work

You can spend the time and energy hiring your own temp or let an employment agency do the work for you. While it’s easiest to using an agency to hire backend staff, such as for bookkeeping or accounts payable where multifamily housing knowledge is not required, some larger cities have employment agencies specifically geared to the needs of the apartment complex industry with already-vetted workers – criminal background and credit checks, social security verification etc. Plus, the agency handles all payroll and insurance for their workers.

Fees for temp workers are higher through an agency, but the savings in time and benefit costs may be worth it. These multifamily housing employment agencies can verify licensing and certifications, property management software knowledge, and may have their own fair housing or other pertinent trainings.

From Temp to Permanent

Whether you hire your own workers or go through an employment agency, temps are a viable solution to your staffing needs, especially if you value their work enough to hire them on permanently. Weight the pros and cons next time you find your apartment office short-staffed and decide if a temp worker might be the right fit.