MacTemps is really a provider of temporary employees, who are skilled in database management and computer graphics. Unlike similar agencies that treat temps like a commodity, MacTemps has tried to establish real relationships with temporary employees by offering both benefits and training. This case study explores the benefits and drawbacks of the aforementioned strategy by showing data around the underlying financial aspects and the characteristics of the temp force.
Jeffrey L. Bradach; Nicole Sackley
Harvard Business Review (497005-HCB-ENG)
October 07, 1996
Case questions answered:
- How do you account for MacTemps’ success? Does the firm have a sustainable source of competitive advantage?
- Should the firm attempt to increase the commitment of temps to the firm? What is the value of temp loyalty?
- What actions would you recommend to strengthen the firm’s performance?
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MacTemps: Building Commitment in the Interim Workforce Case Answers
Question #1: How do you account for MacTemps’ success?
MacTemps is a leading provider of temporary workers in the fields of database design, graphics production, and multimedia presentation. The company’s success is based on several factors, which can be summarized and structured into two distinct groups.
On the one side, MacTemps could successfully establish itself based on its unique and state-of-the-art services provided to its clients. On the other side, they emerged as a prosperous and highly demanded employer due to their specific approach to employee retention and organization of working conditions.
What MacTemps offers to its clients:
MacTemps is competing with numerous interim agencies that match those who are willing to work with companies that are searching for temporary help. What sets the firm apart, however, is its distinct focus on a specific niche market: the high-end market of providing technically skilled and professional temporary workers.
MacTemps serves clients who are in need of talented and dowered workers, such as graphics, database, or multimedia experts, to support their workforce or to help meet deadlines for a restricted period of time.
A key success factor hereby consists of MacTemps’ focus on offering outstanding quality by assigning those temporary workers whose skills fit best to successfully solve the required task on behalf of the client. The satisfaction of the client’s specific needs is at the core of the business, which is sustained by ongoing performance evaluation and improvement.
Should a client be dissatisfied with the work of a “temp,” the firm offers a refund of 110%, which significantly enhances credibility and shows commitment to execute tasks in the best way possible.
Being able to acquire skilled and professional temps from MacTemps will lead to many advantages for companies as they don’t need to invest money and time to hire and/or train employees by themselves and can thus tailor their costs to their needs.
The firm is undertaking the paperwork for them and is even giving their clients the opportunity to provide potential full-time employees, thus releasing them from human resource expenses.
What MacTemp offers to its employees:
The core value and key to the success of MacTemps lie in their…
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