What This Article Is
This article explains how temp agency screening works. What gets you past automated filters. What triggers rejection before any human sees your application.
Temp agencies use AI systems to scan, score, and filter applications. Your resume must pass software before a recruiter reads it.
This is not resume writing advice. This is filter mechanics.
How Temp Agency Screening Actually Works
Temp agencies use applicant tracking systems. Bullhorn. Avionté. TempWorks. These systems parse resumes and rank candidates automatically.
The system extracts data. Job titles. Dates. Skills. Keywords. If the software cannot read your resume, you are auto-rejected.
Recruiters search databases using keywords. If your resume does not contain the right words, it never surfaces.
Background checks happen in two stages. The agency runs one check. The client company where you work runs another. Passing the agency does not guarantee client approval.
Resume Format That Passes AI
One page only. Temp agencies do not read page two.
Plain Word or simple PDF. Use standard .docx or PDF with selectable text. No Canva. No phone-created PDFs. If you cannot highlight and copy text in the PDF, the AI cannot read it either.
No columns, icons, graphics, or colors. These break parsers. Black text. White background. Standard fonts only. Arial. Calibri. Times New Roman.
Chronological order only. Most recent job first. AI expects this structure. Functional or skills-based resumes confuse parsers and get rejected.
Standard sections in this order: Name and contact. Availability statement. Work experience. Skills.
Use neutral job titles. Warehouse Associate, not “Logistics Ninja”. General Labor, not “Team Member”. Production Worker, not “Manufacturing Specialist”.
Creative layouts break AI parsers. Boring wins.
Keywords That Surface Resumes
Recruiters search databases using keywords. No keywords equals invisible resume.
Safety and compliance: Safety-conscious. OSHA familiarity. PPE compliant. Drug test ready.
Physical capability: Heavy lifting 50+ lbs. Standing 8-12 hour shifts. Repetitive tasks. Physical stamina.
Reliability signals: Punctual. Dependable. Consistent attendance. Overtime available.
Equipment: Forklift certified. Pallet jack experience. RF scanner use. Hand tools.
Work settings: Warehouse. Production. Manufacturing. Distribution center. General labor.
Availability: Immediate start. Nights/weekends available. Flexible schedule. Open availability.
Put these in a Skills section or work them into job descriptions naturally.
Example: “Warehouse Associate — Heavy lifting 50+ lbs, safety compliance, RF scanner operation, consistent attendance.”
Digital Identity Cross-Checks
Agency systems cross-reference your information against public databases automatically.
What gets checked: Employment dates. Address history. Public records. Court data. Inmate records. Identity consistency.
What creates problems: Resume says “Caregiving 2020-2022” but public records show jail time during those dates. Result: Fraud flag. Auto-reject.
Resume lists three different phone numbers across applications. Result: Risk signal. Deprioritized.
Employment dates overlap impossibly. Two full-time jobs at once in different cities. Result: Deception score increases.
The rule: Omission is safer than contradiction. Leave out difficult periods rather than create false stories.
Use the same name spelling, phone number, and address across all applications. Consistency beats storytelling.
Gap Handling
Gaps in employment are normal. How you handle them determines rejection risk.
Allowed neutral explanations: Family caregiving. Medical recovery. Relocation. Independent work if true. Job searching for recent gaps.
Never reference incarceration on the resume. Address it only if directly asked after initial screening.
Never over-explain. One line maximum per gap. “2021-2022: Family caregiving”
Format example:
Warehouse Associate | ABC Logistics | 2019-2020
Operated forklifts, loaded trucks, maintained safety compliance
Family Caregiving | 2021-2022
General Labor | XYZ Manufacturing | 2023-Present
Production line work, quality control, heavy lifting
Stability now matters more than explanations then. If you have worked consistently for 6-12 months, older gaps matter less.
Background Check Timing
Do not volunteer criminal history on your resume or initial application. Many placements happen before detailed background checks finish.
The sequence: You apply. Agency screens resume. You get phone interview. Agency assigns you to client. Background check runs sometimes after you start working.
When asked directly: Use the 3-Sentence Pivot.
1. Acknowledge briefly. “I have a felony from 2019.”
2. Distance it. “It has been 7 years, case is closed, I have stayed out of trouble since.”
3. Redirect to work. “I am focused on stable work now and available to start immediately.”
Example: “I have a felony from 2019. It has been 7 years, case is resolved, and I have had clean employment since then. I am ready to start immediately and available for nights.”
Lying is fatal. If caught, you are terminated and blacklisted. Oversharing is unnecessary. Do not explain details, emotions, or circumstances unprompted. Silence until asked is strategic, not dishonest.
The Interview
Temp agency interviews are short. They evaluate one thing: Will you show up?
What recruiters want to hear: I can start immediately. I do not miss shifts. Nights and weekends are fine. I have done warehouse work before. I have steel-toe boots and reliable transportation. I am looking for consistent hours.
What hurts placement: I am looking for the right fit. I need flexibility for personal appointments. This is temporary until I find something better. I can only work certain days. I need to check my schedule.
The script they follow: Can you pass a drug test? Can you start this week? Can you work nights/weekends? Do you have reliable transportation? Have you done this work?
Give direct answers. Do not elaborate. Do not negotiate at this stage.
Availability Rules
Availability functions like a credit score in temp agency systems.
High availability equals faster placement and less scrutiny. Nights: fewer applicants, faster placement. Weekends: premium need, lower competition. Overtime: shows commitment, increases value. Immediate start: solves urgent needs.
Low availability equals deprioritization. Day shift only: high competition. No weekends: limited options. Cannot start for two weeks: skipped over. Need specific hours: too complicated.
Put this on your resume: “Availability: Immediate start, nights/weekends available, overtime ready”
Agencies score commute risk. Long distances without a car lower your reliability score automatically. List your city/state to match the job location when possible.
Reliability on bad shifts beats perfect background on day shifts.
What Gets You Blacklisted
No-call/no-show at one agency can blacklist you across multiple agencies in the same region.
Accepting a job then not showing up creates a permanent mark. These scores follow you even when you apply under different names or phone numbers. Systems match by SSN, address, date of birth.
One no-show equals flagged at that agency. Two no-shows equals flagged across affiliated agencies. Three no-shows equals regional blacklist through informal networks.
It is safer to decline a job offer than accept and fail to show.
If you cannot make a committed shift: Call two hours before the shift minimum. Explain the situation. One documented call-out with notice is recoverable. A no-call/no-show is not.
Ninety days of perfect attendance at one agency creates transferable credibility. Recruiters at other agencies can verify your track record.
Many POs treat undocumented cash work as ‘unemployment,’ not employment.
Application Checklist
Phone charged, voicemail working. ID and SSN ready. Same phone number on every application. Work clothes for interview, not a suit. Practice three-sentence background explanation once.
Clean format. Right keywords. High availability. Honesty when asked directly.
Related: Staffing Agencies: What Gets Tracked
Apply to multiple agencies: Randstad, Adecco, Manpower, Spherion. Do not rely on one agency. Multiple applications increase placement speed.