How to Partner with a Staffing Agency: Strategies for Success
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It’s challenging to find and hire employees with the right mix of skills, experience, and culture fit. That’s why many companies choose to partner with a staffing agency to help build a dream team.
But it’s not as simple as just signing up with any staffing agency and waiting for the awesome candidates to roll in. To make sure your partnership is successful, you need to choose the right service to work with, do some prep work in advance, and communicate with your staffing partner throughout the process.
We’re going to give you our top tips on how to get the most out of your engagement with a staffing agency.
Research and prepare
It starts with finding the right staffing partner. Research your options and make sure you understand the costs and terms associated with each one. Before you sign on with a firm, confirm your budget for the positions and be sure that HR and Management are on the same page.
Work with a specialist
Make sure your staffing agency specializes in your most needed or difficult to fill roles.
For example, here at Emergent Staffing we hire software engineers and other technical experts. We know these roles inside and out and have years of experience recruiting people who excel at them. That means we have connections in the industry and know where to find top talent. Our recruiters understand tech and aren’t going to be fooled by someone who’s only pretending to have the required skills.
If you’re looking for an office administrator, we can’t help you. But if you’re looking for a Microsoft cloud engineer, we will find you the best. Work with a partner that has the same level of expertise in whatever role you’re hoping to fill.
To make sure the staffing service has the right expertise, look into their clientele. Read reviews, especially any from companies in your field.
Find the differentiators
What sets this staffing agency apart from the competition?
Ask the potential partner about their specialties, how they screen candidates (for example, is it resumes and interviews only, or are there any skills tests or personality assessments?), where they’re located, and who’s on their team. Get a feel for what value they offer that other staffing services might not have.
Collaborate and communicate
Throughout the entire process, communication with your staffing agency will be key. You’re more likely to get the perfect candidate if you stay in close contact with the recruiters.
Do the groundwork
Before you can communicate your needs clearly to a staffing agency, you need to understand them yourself. Recruiters have valuable insight into the current market and best hiring practices, but they need your help to understand the requirements of your company. You should be ready to share this by the time you meet with them.
When you do this preliminary work to determine the position requirements, be sure to involve everyone who will be a decision-maker in the hiring process. There are often conflicting opinions that can be ironed out before the search begins, saving a lot of time for both sides.
Communicate regularly
The more the recruiting firm understands about your company — including the team, your goals and challenges, your tech stack, and more — the more successful the partnership will be. To make sure this information gets communicated, allow close relationships and contact between the staffing agency and your hiring managers. Communication with staffing services is sometimes left to Vendor Management or Talent Acquisition teams. These professionals can be valuable partners and effective facilitators of the process, but they’re no replacement for direct communication with the hiring manager.
In addition to communicating your own needs, listen to what the staffing partner has to tell you. Staffing agencies are experts on things like the candidate market and how to run a tight interview process. They’ll be happy to advise you on how to achieve the best results.
We recommend setting up a weekly call with your staffing agency. They’ll be able to give you real-time updates on what they’re seeing during the recruiting process. It will also provide an opportunity for you to communicate if anything has changed on your end.
When the agency starts sending you candidates, reach out to them with quick feedback on the candidates and your interviews. This helps your partner better understand your needs and recalibrate the search so they can find you the ideal person for the job.
Continued success
As you work with your staffing agency, think long-term. It’s incredibly valuable to have a long-term staffing partner that truly understands your company and its needs. Here’s what you can do to build that strategic relationship.
Ask for feedback
Continually ask for feedback from the staffing partner on what they’re experiencing and how you can be the best partner.
Keep score
We always talk about the value of having a close relationship with your staffing partner, but the most important thing is whether the partner delivers.
If you’re working with multiple staffing agencies, keep a scorecard for them to see who’s getting you the best results. If an agency you’re partnering with is struggling to fill your needs, don’t be afraid to shop around for another option. And if one agency isn’t succeeding and a different agency reaches out, give them a chance! You want your long-term staffing partner to be the one that does the best work for you.
Work with us
If you’re looking for top tech talent, we’d love to partner with you to fill your team. Since we advised you to do your research on staffing agencies, here’s some more information about us:
Or get in touch to talk about your staffing needs.