More and more companies are turning to staffing agencies to meet their workforce needs. According to the American Staffing Association, around 3 million people are employed through a staffing agency in an average week, and over 14 million people are in an average year.This means that there’s a high demand for contingent workers, and thus a high demand for staffing agencies. The question is, though, how do you find a workforce management agency that meets your company’s needs? Here are a few important things to look for.
1. A Proven Ability to Find the Right Candidates
There are a number of factors that go into selecting the right candidate for a position. Their résumé and skillset are only a small part of it. Do they have practical knowledge of the tasks you’ll need them to perform? Will their personality and work ethic fit in with your company’s dynamic? A good partner is one with a proven track record of finding the right candidates, not only on paper, but in practice. The American Staffing Association recommends that you ask a potential staffing company if they provide practical skills tests on things like software proficiency.
2. A Management Team with Extensive Experience and Resources
What does the staffing agency do to find candidates for you? Are they simply Googling for people who match your criteria? You could do that yourself. If you hire a staffing agency, they should have the experience and resources to dig deeper. Matt Lowney, Executive Vice President for talent and operations at The Buntin Group, says, “I’ll ask new hires, ‘How did that recruiter find you?’ So many times, the agency had no relationship with the candidate. I don’t think it’s worth a big commission for a recruiter who just did simple online searches.”
3. A Solid Track Record for Increasing Their Partners’ Bottom Line
Why do you hire a workforce management partner? It’s so that they can take on the pressures and responsibilities of keeping your company staffed and on task. You need to use your company’s time and resources elsewhere. They make sure you have qualified and productive employees who will keep your company running smoothly, without your having to scour the Earth for them yourself. Therefore, when you hire a staffing agency, your bottom line should go up, as more productivity and less overall cost means increased profits. Has the workforce management partner you’re looking at proven themselves in that regard? If not, then you’re wasting your time.
4. A Time Table for Presenting Results
How long will it take a particular staffing agency to find the candidates your company needs? A week? A month? It may vary depending on the level of sophistication that each available position in your company requires. The important thing is that your partner should be able to tell you at the beginning how long it will take, and then adhere to that time table. Time is money, after all, and the longer it takes for you to staff your company, the more it’s costing you.
Vetting a workforce management partner is one of the most important tasks for your company. You’re putting your workforce in their hands. You need the assurance that they’ll find you the people that you need, in order to keep your company running smoothly, efficiently, and productively. Who will YOU trust to make that decision?
