How do you find temp workers fast?
Start with people you already know: search your own bench by role, distance from the site and the days needed, then ring the nearest who are free. Keep a weekly ring round so availability is current before the call comes in. Advertise only when the bench is thin, and check documents before anyone starts.
Last checked 26 October 2026.
Take the order properly, once
Speed starts on the first call with the client. A missing detail costs a second round of calls later. Ask for:
- The site address and postcode, and where to report.
- The role, the days and shift times, and how many people.
- Licences, tickets or checks needed: licence category, Driver CPC, FLT truck type, DBS level.
- PPE, dress code, parking or public transport.
- The charge rate, and whether overtime or nights pay more.
- Who the temp asks for on arrival, and a number that answers early.
Search your own bench first
The quickest people to place are the ones already checked and registered with you. Search by the role, a radius from the site postcode and the days needed, then call in this order:
- People who have worked at that site before and the client was happy with.
- The nearest people who are free on every day needed, with documents in date.
- People free on some of the days, if the client will take a split.
- People in a related role who hold the right ticket, such as any driver with the right category.
Distance in most systems is straight-line miles. Allow for rivers, motorways and the last bus.
Make the calls count
Before you book, the Conduct Regulations require you to confirm the temp is willing to work in the role, and to have confirmed their identity and any qualifications the client or the law needs. So say the site, the times, the pay and anything awkward up front. Book only once they have said yes, then confirm in writing. Note who said no and why, so you do not ring them for the same thing next week.
| Stage | What to do | What slows it down |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Take every detail on the first call | Ringing the client back for the postcode or ticket |
| Search | Role, distance, days and skills in one search | Scrolling a spreadsheet and guessing who is free |
| Calls | Nearest free people first | Ringing people who are booked or off |
| Checks | Documents already in date on file | Chasing a share code or DBS on the morning |
| Confirm | Temp and client confirmed in writing | Nobody sure who is going |
When the bench is thin
- Ask your best temps who they know. People recommend people like themselves.
- Advertise on job boards. In England, Scotland and Wales the government's Find a job service also lets employers advertise vacancies.
- Look again at inactive people. Someone who stopped working with you last year may be free now.
- Tell the client early if you cannot fill it all. A straight answer at 3pm beats a no-show at 6am.
You cannot charge workers a fee for finding them work, so recruitment costs come out of your margin.
Keep the bench ready before the call
The agencies that fill fast did the work earlier in the week: availability checked, documents in date, postcodes on every record. Our guides on managing availability and running a ring round cover that routine.
In Tempbench, the CRM for UK temp agencies, sentence search does the first step in one line, for example forklift drivers within 15 miles of the site postcode, free Monday to Friday, with Counterbalance FLT. Results come back nearest first with each person's week, and the same people appear on a map. It searches your own candidates only, not job boards, and it does not send texts.
Questions people ask
What is the fastest way to fill a temp shift?
Search the people already registered with you by role, distance from the site and the days needed, then ring the nearest who are free and have documents in date. They need no new checks, so they can start sooner. Advertising is slower because new applicants still need right to work and role checks.
Should I text a group of temps to fill a shift?
It can be quicker for a large group, but you still need to confirm one person is willing and booked before telling the client, and a group text can leave three people thinking they have the shift. A common approach is to ring the nearest free people first and use texts only to confirm details.
Where can agencies advertise temp jobs?
On job boards, your own website and social media, and, in England, Scotland and Wales, the government's Find a job service, which lets employers advertise and manage vacancies. Referrals from good temps are often the quickest source. Remember that you cannot charge workers a fee for finding them work.
What checks are needed before a temp starts?
Always a right to work check, completed before the first shift. Then whatever the role needs: a driving licence check and Driver CPC for lorry work, an Enhanced DBS with the barred list for personal care, an FLT training certificate for forklift work. The Conduct Regulations also require identity and qualification checks.
Sources
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