Unless you’ve worked with a staffing agency in the past, you may not have any idea how working with a company like this could help you. This comprehensive guide to working with a staffing agency will give you a ton of info that will help you to figure out whether it’s the right next step for you to take, and how it will impact your business.
Read on to learn more.
What A Staffing Agency Can Do For You
Employers are using more part time and freelance workers to fill in gaps in their workplace, so staffing agencies have become a very popular way for companies to find workers efficiently and quickly. The hiring process is much longer and harder than it has been in the past, but using a staffing agency can take the stress and most of the work out of it for you and help you to find quality workers quicker than ever before!
You Become More Flexible
When you decide to work with a staffing agency, you can enjoy more flexibility with your business. You may be able to hold back on hiring full time, which in some cases can be more productive as you only have workers when they are really needed.
Less Risk To Worry About
Working with a staffing agency can give you less risk to worry about. The legal responsibilities of being an employer are vast and can give you a lot to think about, like taxes, insurance, and labor laws to name a few things. Then there are financial risks – perhaps a staff member unexpectedly leaves or needs time off. A staffing agency usually assumes many of the liabilities on your behalf, so you can worry less.
How Do Staffing Agencies Fill Positions?
You may be interested to know how staffing agencies fill positions. They won’t just provide you with anybody who needs a job! If the agency doesn’t have an existing employee that fits your role well, they will usually advertise the position on a job board for suitable seekers to find. Then, they can accept applications and do interviews and background checks. When they have located the right candidate, they will then be hired as an employee of the agency, however, the length of employment will be determined by the client. Many wonder how staffing agencies are so efficient at what they do, and it’s usually thanks to the systems and software on sites like Prim-Software.com, helping them to stay organized. If you don’t want to use a staffing agency, there are alternatives. Online hiring platforms are out there that can give you access to people who are ready to work from home. You can find web designers, content writers, and even voice over artists depending on what you’re looking for.
Common Misconceptions About Staffing Agencies
Some employers believe that staffing agencies are too expensive to be a viable option. However, they could actually end up saving your company money in the long run, especially when you consider the way they provide value to a business. You can easily decrease the time it takes to hire and reduce the loss of productivity to a business. Remember, temporary employees are often overqualified for the jobs they’re doing, so another common misconception is that they are working with the agency because nobody else wants to hire them!
Many of the workers at staffing agencies choose these jobs because they want more flexibility, or are trying to get into a different field. They might even be looking for a big change, and temporary positions can be easier to get into than permanent ones.
If you’re wondering how you can work with a staffing firm, here are some tips to start you off:
Finding The Right Company
First of all, you need to make sure you find the right company, preferably one with a great reputation for solid business practices. It make take trial and error, but you’ll get there. Make sure you choose a reputable firm that takes pride in the employees it sends!
Ensure that the proper credentials are verified, including, things like reference checks being carried out. You also want to make sure that they are carrying the proper insurance, including general liability and workers’ compensation insurance. If you can’t find out much about these things, don’t agree to anything or hand any money over until you do!
A staffing firm also needs to provide real value to you to be worth the investment, so it may be worth considering a specialized staffing firm that works specifically with companies in your industry. Niche agencies know the candidate marketplace well and should be able to help you fill in the space in your workplace far easier.
Get Clear On What You Need
Next, you need to be super clear about what you need. Ensure you communicate clearly and thoroughly about your company, your position and the type of person you would like to take on board. You’ll need to talk about the required skills for the job plus your business policies like your dress code, hours ,and breaks. Don’t forget to give them an idea of your company culture either. Once they are clear on what you want, they can begin searching for you right away.
Double Check The Legal Aspects
Don’t neglect to double check the legal aspects of working with this staffing agency. Ensure they have everything ironed out, like worker classification and payroll taxes. Make sure that the people they have on board are employees and not independent contractors. Always review the contracts that are in place to ensure that there are proper provisions in place regarding indemnification too. You need to be clued up on the ‘dual indemnification’ clause, as this will protect both of you if something does crop up.
Is working with a staffing agency the next step for your business to take? For many, it’s a great idea when hiring permanently/full time isn’t an option. Leave your own experiences below if you have them. Thanks for reading!