How to Choose a Staffing Agency

In 2019, about 7 out of 10 companies reported talent shortages.  According to experts in the recruitment field, this was the worst level ever they had experienced. Still, many business owners don't know how to choose a staffing agency.

Today, many companies are struggling to find the right talent. Even with a functional in-house recruitment team, good employees seem to be agonizingly elusive. However, working with a staffing agency is proving to be a magic bullet for many employers.

Part of this is because these firms are specialists in the recruitment field. At any given time, they have a wide pool of high-quality candidates in their database. On top of that, most of them both boast a wealth of experience and expertise in scouting for the right talent.

There are many staffing agencies today. Finding the right one for your company can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. In this guide, we explore how to choose a staffing agency that matches your recruitment needs.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Staffing Agency

Before you settle on a particular staffing agency, you need to conduct thorough research. While at it, examine the following factors;

Experience

Experience is an essential factor when choosing a recruiting agency. If you have a particular firm in mind, get on the internet and check their website. Find out when it was established so that you can know how long it has been operational.

If the staffing has more than three years of experience under its belt, it could be the right match for you.

A staffing agency that has been in existence for only a few months may fall short of your expectations. If possible, run a background check on the people running the firm. See if you can find their qualification and work experience on professional platforms such as LinkedIn.

Recruitment agencies with a broad history will have most likely developed formidable talent searching strategies over the years.

Leadership and Expertise

Most of the time, businesses hire a staffing agency when they are unfamiliar with particular professionals.

The reason behind it is that these talents are beyond their scope of experience. And they don’t know what kind of qualities they should be focusing on.

If this is why you want to work with a recruiting agency, ensure that they have the expertise in your field of interest. For instance, when you are looking for IT professionals, hire a firm that specializes in the information technology domain.

You can find information about the specialty of a staffing agency by looking at some of their clients. Normally, most of these firms will provide a list of organizations they have worked with on their website.

The stature of their clients will give you a hint of the expertise of the recruiting agencies. For example, a staffing agency that works with a Fortune 500 company probably has incredible credentials.

Availability

Sometimes, you want to fill some positions in your company as soon as possible. As a result, you will want to work with a recruiting firm that can get on board immediately. An agency that needs time to get things going will inconvenience you.

Ensure that you sign up with a firm that will hit the ground running. It should have an adequate and dedicated workforce.

Price Factor on How to Choose a Staffing Agency

Before you even start looking for a staffing agency, you should look at your company's budget. The ultimate objective is to look for a firm that you can afford. You don’t want to engage a recruitment agency without knowing if your budget can support the arrangement.

Staffing agencies charge differently based on various factors. If your budget is tight, you will want to consider a service provider that charges a low fee. Comparing agency fees will be instrumental in choosing the right firm.

Reputation

It is vital to consider the reputation of a staffing agency that you are eyeing. Reading online reviews will help you figure out whether the firm is reputable. Multiple negative comments from clients should raise a red flag.

If most of the feedback on the reviews is positive, the staffing agency in question could be ideal for your company.

Question to Ask When Hiring Staffing Agency

When weighing your staffing agency options, you will get to a point of interviewing the people behind it. Knowing the right questions to ask will help you get the most out of the meetings. In this section, we will list a couple of questions that will come in handy.

What does your Candidate Screening Process Look Like?

When hiring a staffing agency, you are undoubtedly looking for expertise that your in-house team lacks. Hence, you don’t want a firm will use a candidate screening process that is similar to yours. That is why it will be vital to ask about the recruitment process.

Based on their response, you will know if they are adding any value to your hiring process. Working with a recruiter with an all-around screening process increases your chances of landing top talent.

Screening is quite broad. You want to ensure that they carry out drug tests and background checks. The last thing you want to do is to hire a drug addict or a fraudster.

Do you provide any Other Services?

Staffing agencies are not limited to providing one service. Additional supportive services could be an added advantage. These include payroll, consulting, human resource management, and so on.

If you are looking to do away with your in-house hiring team, these services can allow you to do so.  Moreover, you and your team could focus on the core business while the recruiting firm takes care of the rest.

Asking these questions will let you know whether the service provider can ease your human resource management burden.

How do you Advertise for Positions?

You want to know how a staffing agency will advertise for positions available in your company. If you post the positions on social media, you should not pay for a similar service. You will find that most recruitment agencies have innovative and effective methods of advertising for the position.

If the firm is using elaborate techniques that you are barely familiar with, they are more likely to land you competent and talented employees.

You can take it a notch further and request a meeting with the person in charge of recruiting. Ask them any questions to gauge their experience and expertise.

Do you have Safety Procedures?

Overlooking workplace safety is a costly mistake. Ask about their safety procedures to ascertain that their firm values the safety of their employees. The areas you want to touch on include skill testing.

Find out if they can customize their service to fit your recruitment process. If it is possible, you may no longer need an in-house team.

What are your Charges?

If a particular staffing agency is offering a wide range of services, you want to know what each product costs. For example, they could have different packages in their service portfolio. Or you might need them to help you in hiring temporary employees.

If that is the case, you will need to choose a package that falls within your budget. You also want to compare at least three offers. The goal is to get a high-quality service provider at an affordable rate.

What does your Market Knowledge Look Like?

Some recruiters tend to specialize in certain industries. The problem is that you might want an all-around service. For example, a nursing recruitment agency will focus on finding the best nurses.

However, what if you need a wide array of workers. Maybe you are also looking to hire accountants, janitors, laboratory technicians, and much more.  The nursing agency will not deliver on these expectations.

What are your Hiring Timelines?

Hiring is a timebound exercise. If one of your employees resigns, you need a replacement as soon as possible.  For this reason, you will want how long it will take the hiring firm to get you the right candidate.

Using a Google Map Search to Find a Staffing Agency

If you want to find a staffing agency that is within a particular city or state, you can leverage Google Maps. The American Staffing Association is one of the available resources for companies looking for recruitment firms.

The ASA membership directory has a provision where you can enter search details. You only have to key in the location of your interest and the name of the company you are looking for. In a matter of seconds, the results will pop up on your computer screen.

Partner with the Best Staffing Agency

Now that you know how to choose the right staffing agency, nothing should hold you back.  Prepare a list of your priorities, factor in the insight we have provided above, and begin searching.

If you also need other forms of support services for recruitment purposes, we can help you. We are a leading software provider in the staffing domain. Once you partner with us, we will satisfy a wide range of your staffing needs. Contact us today, and we will be happy to help you.

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