Why Staffing?

Let’s say, your company recently decided to partner with an employment agency. Or, perhaps you have been working with a staffing service for some time. Even if you are happy with the overall results, are there steps you can take to further improve the quality of your hires? The answer is an overwhelming YES!

Your relationship with a staffing firm should be continually evolving. Follow these steps to keep your candidate quality high and your stress level low.

Specify Your Requirements

An employment agency will fill orders as they see them. Be detailed in your requests. Include qualifications, special requirements, number of hours, and the length of the assignment. On their end, a good employment service should seek to iron out any ambiguities before filling positions.

Clarify Your Culture

Herb Kelleher, co-founder of Southwest Airlines once commented, “You don’t hire for skills, you hire for attitude. You can always teach skills.” Similarly, the most talented worker may not be the best employee for your company. Make sure your recruiting firm understands what makes your organization tick. Emphasize what you value, and encourage staffing coordinators to visit and experience your workplace firsthand. Sometimes an outsider can identify characteristics that did not occur to you.

Give Feedback

Be sure to accentuate the negatives and the positives. Is there a new recruit who is performing well? What do you like about them? Even if an employee is working out, it is important to address the qualities that would make the individual an even better match. This provides a staffing agency the chance to go back to the drawing board and make an even better choice next time.

Communicate Regularly

If things are going well, you may forget to check in. Add a “Call the Staffing Firm” appointment to your calendar at least once or twice a month. Try to jot down notes as you think of things, so you have a working agenda. And if you forget your date, it is the employment agency’s responsibility to stay in touch with you too.

Rework Problems

Despite the best intentions and planning, sometimes employees are not a good fit. Do not cope or settle! Call the recruiting firm as soon as possible and outline the problems. One of the perks of working with staffing services is the “try before you buy” policy. They should be more than willing to work with you to find a replacement as quickly as possible.

A relationship with an employment agency should be a partnership. To achieve the best results, your companies must work together. If you feel as though you are doing all the work, or your organization needs to be more proactive, it may be time to reevaluate.

Is your company having trouble finding qualified employees? Are you considering working with a recruiting firm? Read United Talent’s previous blog post, How a Staffing Agency Will Be Beneficial to My Business, to find out if this might be a good choice for you.