Guidelines on Choosing a Staffing Agency
Employees are among the most important assets in a company. This makes it important for companies to hire talented and productive employees. Most importantly, employees need to be reliable. Finding such employees can be difficult. It is also likely to consume too much time, which a company might not have, especially if an organization needs to make a quick hire. Fortunately, there is the solution of working with a staffing agency. Such agencies connect organizations to the right type of employees instantly. Understand that only the right agency would be reliable, meaning that you should not hire just any. How do you choose the right one?
The expertise and reliability of a potential agency are among the primary aspects to consider. It is true that their past success does not guarantee outstanding results in the future. However, such successes mean that a potential agency has what it takes to deliver. It is integral that you focus on professionals that have been operating actively for the past couple of years. If the founders do staffing only as a part-time venture, chances are that they will let you down. It pays to consider the type of reviews they have, especially from past clients.
It is important to consider the experience in your industry. General expertise is important. If you are in a highly specialized industry, however, you need a provider that would deliver. If your agency understands your specific business needs, they would be able to match you with the right employees. It is important to consider their expertise in the categories of staffing you are interested in. Some of these categories include health care, industrial, clerical, administrative, engineering, ICT, among others. It is also important to consider how strong their talent pool is. Having many candidates who lack the level of skills you need would be a letdown.
How long will they take to deliver qualified candidates? Whatever you do, do not assume that delivering competent candidates would be instant simply because an agency has a strong pool of the same already. If you need to fill a vacancy as soon as possible, ensure that the agency would deliver. It is important to work with one that gives a timeframe and not just a vague ‘as soon as possible’. In case you usually take 60 days to find a candidate, an agency that can only produce one after 70 days would not be ideal for you. Make sure that they screen all candidates appropriately before recommending them.
Consider their fees prior to making a decision. It pays to choose among providers that guarantee outstanding services at an affordable fee. While you would be at liberty to work with any type of agency, you should be careful to respect your budget. It is also important to be careful of agencies with hidden fees. To be on the safe side, choose a provider that discloses all the fees associated with their service. You should also ensure that their contract highlights all fees and any verbal agreements arrived at over the same.