There’s a reason the staffing industry pulls in nearly 145 billion dollars in annual revenue in the US.
The reason is – staffing agencies have significant benefits for businesses both small and large and offer advantages for employees, making working with a staffing agency an excellent choice. Agencies play an important role in meeting the demands of a growing company’s need for qualified and skilled employees.
Employers and job seekers alike may consider using a staffing agency to find new opportunities or talent for open positions or contract work. Staffing agencies offer help filling all position levels from entry to management. Individuals looking to change careers may seek help from a staffing agency to explore options and find greater opportunities.
What exactly is a staffing agency, and how do they work? This article will go over the ins and outs, the process, and the benefits to both job seekers and employers.
What Is a Staffing Agency?
A staffing agency matches the employment needs of its business clients with qualified candidates that have the required skills and experience needed for their open positions. Most staffing agencies focus on one particular industry or type of work.
For example, an agency may exclusively provide clerical personnel for office work or executive and managerial professionals for large corporations.
Benefits of Working With a Staffing Agency
For the Employer
Staffing agencies are becoming increasingly popular in the business world since they are an excellent resource for companies needing to fill permanent and temporary positions. If you’re scaling your business, you might predict and prepare for the need for new hires.
However, unexpected exits and company issues can result in open positions that need filling quickly. Finding qualified workers to fill open positions is becoming increasingly difficult. There are more jobs available than people looking to fill them.
An agency can find qualified workers to fill your positions quicker than a hiring manager could since they already have a large pool of skilled candidates waiting for a job. Companies also get to take advantage of the expertise, resources, and technology that a staffing agency offers.
Another benefit is avoiding the time-consuming process of placing help wanted ads, sitting through numerous interviews, background screenings, reference checks, and the HR paperwork.
It allows a business owner to focus on the core business functions without spending a lot of time recruiting and hiring. Since the staffing agency is the one that pays the employees, a business can reduce overhead by eliminating the need to provide benefits and the cost of employee taxes.
For Employees
As a job seeker, working with a staffing agency gives you access to an experienced recruiter that will work directly with you to find your placement based on your skills and qualifications. The recruiter will prep you for interviews to impress the employers and land the job you’re seeking.
Working with a staffing agency gives you access to more opportunities you wouldn’t find independently. Since the agency works as your advocate, they have your best interests at heart and focus on getting you the right placement in a permanent position where you are a good fit.
Another benefit is that staffing agencies collect their fees from the employers, so their services are of no cost to you.
Many companies require experience to be considered for employment, but how could you get experience if no company will give you a chance? A staffing agency will help you get in the door to employers to gain the experience for your resume you need for future employment opportunities.
How Do Staffing Agencies Work?
For an Employer
The staffing agency gets to know your company and the needs and requirements of the positions you need to fill. Then they interview and get to know those on the job hunt to find the best placement for your company based on skills, qualifications, and even personality.
The agency will complete thorough background screenings and check the references of the candidate as well. When they find you the right fit for your open position, they will contact you to schedule an interview with you and the individual.
After the interview, if you want to hire the individual, the agency will handle the employment paperwork before their state date with you.
For an Employee
As a job seeker, the initial interview you have with the staffing agency should be treated like an interview with a top employer. You should show up dressed for success as if you would if you were in an interview directly with a potential employer.
The recruiter is getting to know you, your skills, attitude, and work ethic so they could find you the proper placement that you could stay with long-term. You may be required to complete a typing test depending on the ideal position you are seeking.
Potential employees tend to view a staffing agency as an objective third party; therefore, employees trust a staffing agency’s company recommendation more than recruitment efforts from an in-house team.
Length of Jobs
The length of an employment contract depends on the assignment or position of the company looking for workers. Some agencies focus on temp jobs, while others focus on long-term permanent positions. Some of the term positions include:
Temporary: a project or assignment based with a set start and end date
Temp-to-hire: a project or job based that’s initially temporary but is used to help an employer determine the temp workers is a good fit for long-term
Direct hire: a long-term or permanent position with no end date
What if the Staffing Agency Doesn’t Have the Right Candidate?
There will be times the agency doesn’t have an existing candidate within their current network who is a good fit for the open position. In these cases, they will typically place an ad on job boards and other places where job seekers commonly look for employment.
When they receive applications for the position, they will conduct interviews and screenings just like any other employer.
How Can You Get the Most Out of a Staffing Company?
Be Clear About Your Needs
Successful staffing agencies want to help you find the best workers for your organization, or as a job seeker, place you within a position you could stay in long-term. To accomplish that effectively, you must communicate clearly and thoroughly about your wants, needs, expertise, culture, and skills.
The more transparent information you provide, the more likely you are to find the perfect fit.
As an employer, give the staffing agency the responsibilities, required skills, and experience you want for the job, outline your business policies and culture and provide the staffing firm exactly the type of professional that would most succeed within your organization.
It’s also a good idea to list out the exact duties that will be performed so the individual knows what is to be expected of them before they accept the position.
Are Staffing Agencies Worth It?
The benefits to an employer of saving time and money and quickly filling open positions that allow them to maximize productivity and efficiency make working with a staffing agency an excellent business decision. No matter your employment needs, contact a reputable staffing agency, and they will help fill your requirements in no time.
For job seekers, the excellent opportunities make working with a staffing agency worth it.
Summary
Both employers and job seekers can benefit from using a staffing agency. An individual can find opportunities they may not have come across on their own at no cost to them.
A staffing agency can also help find new positions for job seekers looking to change positions or industries.
A staffing agency could help get an individual in the door to gain experience in a new industry they are looking to gain experience.
Employers will save time and resources they would typically spend on the hiring process.
Experienced recruiters are working on their behalf to find qualified skilled candidates to quickly fill the open positions so a company could increase productivity and efficiency with limited delays.
Staffing agencies will also complete a thorough screening process, so a business doesn’t have to waste time interviewing unqualified candidates.
If you are looking to hire experienced, skilled workers to fill your open positions or an individual looking for employment, contact Pocketbook Agency today to find your perfect match.
Sources:
The Staffing Industry in the US – Statistics & Facts | Statista.
Everything You Should Know About Staffing Agencies | Businessnewsdaily.com