Do your homework before choosing a staffing service to assist you with your hiring needs. Although there are many services to choose from, it is important that you keep some things in mind before you hire your next associate.
Do They Understand Your Needs?
The old saying, "you reap what you sow" holds
especially true here. Before you even pick up the phone,
be sure that you understand your needs. Do you need
a long term, potentially "permanent" employee?
Or do you just need someone to cover during one of your
employee's medical leaves or vacations? Do you need
someone to do just the bare minimum or someone that
can pick up the ball and run with it immediately? Are
you prepared to pay at market wages? How many hours
do you need the employee to work? What are the required
and preferred skills that you are seeking? In order
for a staffing service to fill your position, you need
to understand the job and understand your expectations
of the employee that fills that job.
Once you determine your needs, a quality service will
ask you questions that will help them to successfully
fill your position. They may ask you about specific
equipment that you have at your company, your dress
code, the atmosphere at your company and whether or
not you frequently utilize a staffing service. The more
information you can provide the better your chances
of finding a perfect match. If you have a formal job
description, it would be great to share that too.
Are They Reliable?
Does the staffing service have a good reputation in
the community? Do they call you when they say they are
going to call you? You cannot expect to hire reliable
employees from a staffing company that is not reliable
themselves? Ask around and get referrals. Past performance
is the best predictor of future performance.
What is the Selection Process
for their Candidates?
Ask about the selection process that each candidate
goes through. Be sure that they have an application
on file for each candidate, that business/professional
references have been provided and checked,
that appropriate testing and evaluation processes
have been completed (and documented!) and that a face
to face interview has taken place. In addition,
you will want to be sure that each employee's employment
eligibility has been verified.
Are they Professional?
Is the staff professional? Is the service affiliated
with any professional organizations specific to the
staffing or human resource industries? Although some
may feel that affiliations with these types of organizations
may be unnecessary, many of these organizations hold
their members to high standards and codes of ethics.
What is their Response Time?
Ask the service what their typical "fill time"
is…that is, how long does it take them to fill
the skill set you need from the time the order is placed,
to the time they fill the position. But don't forget
to do you part - - give the staffing service adequate
notice whenever possible. Don't wait until 2:00 in the
afternoon to place your order for the people you need
at 8am the next morning. Although emergencies do occur,
don't make this type of lead-time your norm.
How do they handle Payroll Taxes and Insurance Protection?
Staffing services should be withholding all payroll
taxes from their employees' paychecks. They should also
have adequate worker's compensation, unemployment and
liability insurance. If the employee is going to be
handling valuable merchandise, cash, or even intellectual
property, you may want to find out if the service's
employees are bonded.
Do they have Recruiting and Retention Programs?
Ask the organization about their current recruiting
& retention programs. How are they different? Do
they have a dedicated recruiting staff or do they view
recruiting as an afterthought? You want to work with
an organization that is PROACTIVE. Afterall, you want
to be able to count on them when you need them. Even
more important, ask them if they have any retention
programs for their employees, such as benefits, vacation,
or other "perks." If the service cannot keep
their great employees, even the best recruiting plans
do not matter.
Do they have a Guarantee or
Quality Programs in Place?
Ask if the service offers a quality guarantee. Ask how
often and how they will follow up to assure that the
employee they placed at your business is exceeding your
expectations.
While it is often in a consumer's best interest to
"shop around" each time they buy, it may be
in your best interest to do your homework and then choose
just a few staffing firms that meet your requirements.
The company will do a better job of filling your job
orders if they understand your business and have a positive,
honest and professional relationship with you. You can't
get that kind of understanding by calling a different
company each time that you have a need.
Taking the time now will save you time in the long
run and assure you a better, quality relationship with
your staffing partners.