Staff hired to work for a business, usually on a temporary basis who already possess the knowledge and skills required to competently and confidently carry out the job, and who remain on the payroll of the agency business, as opposed to the payroll of the business they are hired to undertake the work for. The use of agency staff is a quick and simple way of obtaining the staff required to carry out a job. However, it is not necessarily the most cost effective. Whilst there is no need to invest in training or developing methods to attract and retain qualified and experienced staff, it is costly in the long run due to the higher rates paid for agency staff.