Guide for employers
On-demand staffing app or temp agency? An honest comparison
Both put temporary workers on your floor. They differ in how your request travels, how fast it gets filled, and what you can see once the shift starts. Here is how to choose, including the cases where a classic agency is the better pick.
How each model works
Classic temp agency
You call or email a recruiter with your need. The agency searches its candidates, places workers at your site and invoices you. Many agencies also recruit for permanent roles. What you see during the shift depends on your own supervisors and the recruiter's follow-up.
On-demand staffing app
You post shifts on a platform. Vetted workers are matched to them or claim them, and attendance is tracked in the app. Speed comes from a pool that is already active, not from a search that starts when you call.
Where Aukazi sits
Aukazi combines flexible labour supply with execution technology. Workers are vetted before their first shift and rated after every one, and supervisors get an app for real-time attendance, backup requests and deployment. It is neither a traditional agency nor a typical marketplace.
Decision table
Find your situation in the left column. Where a classic agency is the better fit, we say so.
- On-demand wins
- Agency wins
- Either can work
| Your situation | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You need workers on the floor tomorrow | Better fit: On-demand | Why: A pool that is already vetted and active doesn't need a search to start. Aukazi fills 98% of shifts within 24 hours. |
| Volume swings week to week or by season | Better fit: On-demand | Why: You add or drop shifts as volume moves instead of renegotiating a placement. Aukazi requires no long-term contract. |
| You want to see, live, who showed up | Better fit: On-demand with a supervisor app | Why: Attendance is tracked as the shift starts, and a missing worker can be covered by a backup request from the app. |
| You're hiring someone permanently | Better fit: Classic agency | Why: Sourcing and assessing candidates for a permanent role is what recruitment agencies are built for. |
| You need a skilled trade or a certified role | Better fit: Specialised agency | Why: Aukazi focuses on physical roles such as picking, packing, loading and assembly. For trades, a sector agency that screens for the licence is the better route. |
| Office, admin or professional roles | Better fit: Classic agency | Why: Aukazi specialises in roles that require physical movement, so these are outside its focus. |
| One person, same post, for several months | Better fit: Either, often a classic agency | Why: A long single placement needs little shift-by-shift matching, and agencies handle it well. |
| Repeat workers who know your site | Better fit: Either | Why: Good agencies keep recurring workers through recruiter relationships. Aukazi records site familiarity from earlier shifts and uses it for matching. |
| You want payroll off your plate | Better fit: Either | Why: Agencies usually pay the workers they place. Aukazi offers fully managed payroll or support for your internal payroll team. |
Questions to ask either one
- In Québec: what is your CNESST permit number? Then look it up in the public registry.
- What share of shifts do you fill, and within what time?
- What happens when a worker doesn't show up?
- How is attendance recorded, and can my supervisors see it live?
- Is there a minimum contract length?
- Who handles payroll and timesheets?
The short version
If most of your need is permanent hiring, skilled trades or office roles, a classic agency is the better choice. If your need is shift-based floor labour that moves with volume, and you want to see the shift as it runs, an on-demand platform fits better.
Questions employers ask
What is on-demand staffing?
On-demand staffing means booking temporary workers shift by shift through a platform, instead of placing a request with a recruiter for each need. Workers are vetted in advance and matched to the shifts you post.
What is the difference between a staffing agency and a temp agency?
The terms overlap. A temp agency supplies temporary workers; “staffing agency” is broader and often includes permanent recruitment. In Québec, an agency that supplies temporary workers to client businesses needs a CNESST permit.
Is on-demand staffing legit?
It can be, and you can check. Québec's courts read the definition of a personnel placement agency broadly, so ask any provider, app or agency, for its CNESST permit number and look it up in the registry. Also ask how workers are vetted and what happens on a no-show.
Sources
- CNESST: registry of agency permit holders (French)
- CNESST: client businesses of a personnel placement agency (French)
- BLG, October 2025: Court of Appeal confirms the definition of a personnel placement agency (French)
Legal facts checked October 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Ready to Move From Reaction to Readiness?
Request a demo and see how Aukazi brings visibility, structure, and execution to your workforce — before, during, and after every shift.
Workforce flexibility should strengthen your operation — not make it fragile. Aukazi helps teams move from reaction to readiness, and from staffing to execution.
- Shifts filled within 24 hours
- No long-term contracts required
- Dedicated account support
- Free demo, zero obligation
First — who are you?
So we can point you to the right place.