7 Hidden Costs of Hiring the Wrong Temp Staff

Why a cheap hire can become a very expensive mistake!

When you need extra hands, fast, it’s tempting to focus on filling the role quickly and cheaply.

But when a temporary staff member isn’t the right fit, the real cost can go far beyond their hourly wage.

At Route 1, we’ve seen first-hand the impact a wrong hire can have.

In this article, we’ve listed seven hidden costs many businesses overlook when hiring temp workers and why getting it right matters more than ever.

1. Lost Productivity

A poor temp hire often requires constant supervision, makes mistakes, or simply doesn't perform. That slows down your whole team and puts strain on your permanent staff who have to pick up the slack.

2. Increased Error Rates

Whether it’s picking the wrong items, entering incorrect data, or mishandling equipment, small errors can create major operational headaches. These mistakes can damage your reputation and even up losing you customers.

3. Constant Replacements

Hiring the wrong person once is frustrating. Hiring the wrong person again because you’re rushing or relying on the wrong agency? That’s a never-ending cycle that eats into your resources.

4. Team Morale Drop

Bringing in someone who isn’t motivated, skilled, or reliable can bring down your entire team. Permanent staff may feel frustrated or undervalued if they have to carry the weight.

5. Management Time Drain

Every time a manager has to stop to deal with an underperforming temp—whether it's training, correcting errors, or replacing them—that’s time not spent on their own key tasks.

6. Training & On-boarding Costs

Even temporary staff require training. When that person leaves after a day or two—or doesn’t work out—you’ve wasted valuable on-boarding time and resources.

7. Client Impact & Reputation Risk

One temp worker can represent your business at a crucial touchpoint. If they’re not up to standard, it reflects on your brand. The cost of a bad impression? Potentially long-term damage.

So, what’s the alternative?

Working with Route 1 means hiring smarter - not just faster.

We focus on:

• Cultural and attitude fit

• Industry-specific vetting

• Reliable, trained candidates

• Transparent, value-driven pricing

Our clients don’t just fill roles—they build better teams.

Want to avoid the cost of a wrong hire?

Speak to us about how we can help make your next temp placement your best yet.

Where will Route 1 take you? Hopefully far away from recruitment stress!