Temporary but seeking permanence: a study of New Zealand temps

Temporary employment, colloquially referred to as temping, is relatively new to New Zealand. Research is divided as to where the benefits of temporary employment lie – with the agencies, the employers, or the “temps” themselves. We review the literature on temporary employment, with particular reference to New Zealand. We also present some findings of a New Zealand survey of agency‐employed temps. We present the demographic profile of this population group, their reasons for engaging in temporary employment, and their preferred type of employment. Most temporary employees in this study preferred permanent work, and undertook temporary work as a step towards more permanent employment. We discuss the implications of the research findings for organisations that are increasingly being faced with issues surrounding the management of temporary employees.