Telain Ware – President/CEO, Marketing Consultants of Atlanta, Inc.

From the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, to large conferences across the U.S., new product and services launches, the Las Vegas Democratic Presidential Debate in 2008, and a myriad of corporate and nonprofit marketing programs and events involving high profile individuals, I have worked with hundreds of interns, vendors, temporary workers and volunteers. As a career marketer, I have led high performance teams that were required to deliver under extremely condensed timelines. Over the years I’ve learned there are some very distinct and consistent characteristics that clearly define great interim workers. Without question, the qualities listed below allow them to stand head and shoulders above an average temporary worker.

• Sense of Urgency
• Resolution and Deadline Focused
• Enthusiasm for the Opportunity/Experience
• Respect for the Organization and their Established Process
• Unwilling to Deliver Mediocrity
• Pleasant Nature
• Extremely Flexible
• Fast Learner
• Strong Communication Skills
• People Person
• Ability to Deliver on Assigned Tasks

Wouldn’t it be great to have these characteristics in any worker? With so many companies outsourcing and many small business owners collaborating to win assignments, adding the right people to your staff (be it short or long-term) will remain critical to your current and future success. In fact, interim workers for every area of the business, across all industries, are now the norm. It will serve you well to establish your company’s “Dream Team” criteria so you will be certain to always secure workers with the right stuff.