Users of temporary staff will see a change in how Penn fills their needs come January. That’s when Unique Advantage takes over as Penn’s official temporary staff provider. The minority- and women-owned firm will also run the Job Application Center at 3550 Market Street and screen candidates for full-time positions.

According to Job Application Center Manager Donna Showell-Brown, recent changes in technology and the temporary help industry led the University to review its options. “We wanted to see what was out there that we didn’t have,” she said.

A Temporary Staffing Committee composed of Penn administrators researched potential providers, visited sites to view operations and sent shadow job applicants to see how well the firms reviewed potential employees.

What changes can people expect to see? “The changes will be invisible to the community,” said Showell-Brown. But the technological improvements will include better access to records and to Internet-based services, she said.