Are you thinking about using a staffing agency? Well, if you are, staffing agencies can save you a lot of time and money, whether you are a business owner or a job seeker.
A staffing agency acts as a middleman between workers and employers. As such, with several reputable staffing agencies at your disposal, you can easily streamline the hiring process and find the right match in no time.
Hiring staff has never been an easy process for companies or job seekers. The entire process can be lengthy and tiring, from reviewing applications to interviewing to negotiating and picking qualified candidates.
But finding a talent pool or job openings doesn’t have to be a hassle. Hence, the need to work with a staffing firm to help remove hurdles and makes the process seamless.
And contrary to many beliefs, staffing agencies do not only handle entry-level jobs or candidates. Instead, staffing agencies handle job openings for every career level, from CEO positions to permanent positions and remote ones in several industries.
Note that using a staffing agency isn’t for every business or job seeker. But if you are considering using one, it’s important to be sure it meets your hiring needs.
In this guide, we will walk you through what staffing agencies are, how they work, and how to choose one to meet your needs.
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A staffing agency is an organization with a primary purpose of providing human resources to several industries. Also known as searching or recruiting agencies that hire for temporary and permanent positions.
This employment agency collects information about job openings from companies and the position requirements and tries to fulfill firms’ demand for labor.
Most staffing agencies can find the ideal candidate for the position by choosing a candidate from its talent pool or posting the vacancies on different sources with a job description to attract potential candidates.
Many staffing agencies provide an end-to-end staffing solution to companies. Aside from posting job vacancies, their services extend to accepting applications and conducting the interview process.
Also, many staffing agencies perfect a background check on job seekers if required by the client company. And once the ideal candidate is found, the person is hired by the staffing agency employee, except in cases of a direct-hire process.
Furthermore, if offered, the staffing agency issues the employee’s paycheck and benefits. But the length of employment is determined by the client company.
The job market today is highly competitive. As such, if business owners want to get the best talents, they are better off enlisting the services of an employment agency.
But there are different types of staffing agencies. Some specialized agencies offer temporary jobs, while others focus on permanent ones.
So as a business owner, it’s important to know the different types of staffing agencies so you can choose the ideal specialized staffing firm to match you with the right skilled workers. Below are some of the common specialized staffing firms you can consider.
Temporary and permanent placement employment agencies are the most common staffing agencies. Temp agencies come in handy when a business is looking for someone to temporarily fill a position.
On the contrary, permanent placement agencies are ideal for businesses looking for long-term employees. This type of hiring staffing agency guarantees the employee will be with the company for a certain period.
The executive search firm or retained search firm is another specialized agency that employers use when searching for senior-level or executive-level staff for a specific period. These staffing agencies specialize in sourcing and contacting the best candidates for the businesses and often will approach executives who aren’t actively looking for a new job.
Sometimes, this staffing agency is referred to as headhunters. Executive search firms or retained agencies are very thorough when reviewing candidates before presenting them for the final interview with the client’s employer.
Recruitment process outsourcing agencies are another complete staffing solution businesses can consider. This staffing agency manages the entire recruitment process. As such, the staffing agency is responsible for finding and testing the right candidates for the company.
This staffing agency is often ideal for companies that don’t have the resources or time to handle the recruitment process independently. As such, outsourcing the entire process to a specialized staffing firm guarantees the business won’t suffer but will hire top-notch staff for all positions.
The main goal of a staffing company is to find qualified candidates for their client’s business. The steps these staffing partners use to fill vacant positions vary depending on whether the business is looking for permanent, temporary, or contract-based staff.
Below are the generalized steps staffing agencies take to find the ideal candidate to fill positions.
Staffing companies work for both client businesses and candidates. If a client needs staff, they could contact a staffing agency to find the right candidate. Similarly, if job hunters need a specific type of job, they can discuss their employment needs with the right staffing agency.
This first step can involve discussing job descriptions, salary expectations, health insurance, or other incentives. Recruiters review all the staffing details with the employer and work to match those needs with potential job candidates. Note that staffing agencies charge a fee that varies depending on the service offered.
When recruitment firms post about open positions at a firm, many candidates apply, but only the best fit gets the job. After candidates apply through the staffing agencies, and the agency and employer have interviewed the candidates, only the best match gets an offer letter. The ultimate goal of a staffing agency is not to fill the position but to find a good match between the client and the candidate.
A staffing agency serves two clients─ the candidate and the employer. As such, the career goal of the candidate and qualification must match the expectation and requirements of the employer. To achieve this, recruitment agencies consider the employment history of the candidate, salary range, location, skillset, career aspirations, work-life balance, and so much more.
There are numerous advantages of working with a staffing agency as a candidate and employer. As an employer, a staffing agency helps you hire quickly while saving you money. Also, staffing agencies often have an extensive network of available candidates, making the scouting process more efficient.
But if you are one of the many job seekers, since the company is the client, you don’t have to pay to be considered for an agency job. Moreover, the staffing agency does the job searching for you based on your skills and experience. And with various staffing agencies specializing in almost any industry, finding your dream job is now a click away.
Whether you want to be discovered in the next future talent searches or you seek to hire employees with top talents, start by aligning yourself with the right partners during the hiring process.
With so many staffing agencies available today, it can be challenging to align with the right job boards for a permanent position or temporary workers’ employment. So, to make the evaluation easier, below are a few suggestions to consider when selecting or screening the best out of the list of staffing companies.
If you trust an organization with your hiring process or job search, then the organization must be reputable. Also, check the organization’s track record to see if they adhere to their policies. Check the staffing company’s social media presence, client list, testimonies, etc. Generally, any firm with more than a decade of experience in the industry should have a decent level of reliability, efficiency, and professionalism.
Another thing worth considering is the staffing agency’s area of specialization. Most staffing agencies offer several services, but one core specialization always exists. Ensure the area of specialization aligns with your immediate and long-term goals.
Staffing agencies are constantly adapting to new technological methods for several reasons. For example, artificial intelligence, timekeeping programmers, mobile HR, and so on are used to track the productivity of candidates to get efficient results. So, aligning yourself with an agency that organizes large databases of prospective employees and job opportunities will set you up for success.
Scheduling a meeting with the hiring company to understand and learn more about their strategies during their recruitment process can help you decide if they are a suitable match. If the agency has a well-defined and clear-cut approach to recruitment, you will be more likely to get consistent outcomes.
Also, review the customer service of the agency. If customer support isn’t very receptive, chances of getting quality service are slim. While you are at it, check for other support such as onboarding, candidate training, a skills test, and many more. Many staffing agencies provide different services, including human resources consultation and payroll. So, it’s wise to check everything you stand to gain from aligning yourself with a staffing agency.
After finding the right agency, working together is crucial to achieving the common goal. The same rules apply if you choose to work with a small local or a well-known international agency. Here are some of the main things to remember when working with a staffing agency.
Everyone has different goals and objectives when it comes to business and career. As such, the agency must understand exactly what you want. Communicate with the agency concisely and clearly what you want to achieve from working with them. If you are a business with an open position, discuss why you’re hiring an agency with its support team. Similarly, if you are job hunting on job sites, register with the agency and explain your goals, such as the expected employee’s hourly rate, to the agency.
When working with an agency, ensure you communicate the details of the job. For example, let the recruiter know if you are looking for a temp to hire or permanent staff. Also, if you have any specific requirements for the type of staff you want, communicate them with them. Giving this information will help them better search the talent pool for the best match.
Finally, discuss the unique features of your business and how the ideal candidate will fit in. Having this conversation will make the organization more efficient at narrowing the list of potential employees.
