Volume 4

Employment Essentials Volume 4: How do I know my staffing agency is prioritizing me?

You’ve heard it many times before from your staffing representatives, “we are an extension of your HR team”, but are they really? While there are many options available as far as staffing partners, how do you know you are getting your money’s worth from your vendor? The truth is that not all staffing companies are built the same therefore not equipped to handle your business needs. 

Like any other relationship, business is a 2-way street. In today's Masterclass Monday’s, we show you the different types of agencies you might come across and what you can do as the employer to be a good partner and client to your staffing partner. 

To get the maximum return on your partnership with your agency, it's important to know what type of agency you work with and your crucial role in that relationship. 

Staffing Agency CRITERIA to evaluate Generalists’ vs Specialists 

1. Generalists

1. Depending on the type of roles you are looking to fill, not every agency has the infrastructure to attract and identify relevant talent. Agency’s that compete solely on price are usually better suited to entry level/ general labor type roles as they rely on foot traffic to their office, given their limited investment in recruiting tools. These teams often have coordinators processing candidates instead of recruiters actively building pipelines and screening candidates. They also handle multiple administrative tasks, minimizing their bandwidth even further.

2. Specialists 

1. For tough to fill roles, due to the skillset or talent scarcity, prioritize vendors who invest in the right platforms, tools, trainings, and staff. These roles require a level of delicacy due to the importance of the role as well as the financial commitment your company will be making. Operations like ours typically have well-trained recruiters that understand the best ways to identify passive candidates, how to engage them, actively build networks of similar skillsets, and present our opportunity as the best option in the market. 

 Internal Reporting Structure/Bandwidth 

1. Generalist Structure: Many operations geared towards entry level general labor by default don’t have the bandwidth to focus on geographic territories, specific industries, much less specialized skillsets. The Salesperson that you signed an agreement with may not be the same person you end up working with, much less hold accountable since these offices can’t spare enough coordinators for every salesperson. Your requisitions are allocated to an Office Manager who tends to prioritize “House” accounts, or other accounts based on factors out of your control, irrespective of your needs or urgency. 

• In order to offer you low prices, these operations cut costs at the expense of valuable yet costly resources, including trained staff, that in turn are required to help you get the talent you are looking for. 

• Specialist Structure: For roles requiring a certain type of specialty, attention to detail, and skillset, you cannot afford to rely on a generalist agency with little vested interest in your operation coupled with minimal understanding of your company’s particular needs. Specialty operations understand your local market including salaries, hiring trends, industry insights, local cultural factors, etc. These companies focus on specific types of roles allowing them to build networks of specialized talent relevant to your industry. Given the highly competitive nature of identifying those highly sought after roles, the recruiters are compensated to identify the right person the first time, allowing you to cut your onboarding and training time. 

So, let's say you have a competent staffing partner such as FLAG, does that guarantee results?

As we mentioned earlier, business relationships are a two-way street. As effective as an operation like ours can be, employers have to facilitate certain aspects of the interviewing and selecting process to optimize the process and experience for all parties including the candidates. 

What does that look like, you may ask? The TWO biggest levers that can have a positive impact are your timeliness and communication.

Timeliness

1. Feedback: 

Recruiting is a dynamic service that is in constant movement, so it needs refinement. With candidates being the question at hand, its not exact science in what the perfect candidate will be. As your partner, we need clarity as to why certain candidates may not suit your team’s needs. 

It is also crucial we provide those candidates you choose not to move forward with the courtesy an opportunity to find gainful employment elsewhere. If there is a candidate that does seem like a potential hire, you need to move at the speed of the market! If you don’t prioritize their candidacy, they have no obligation to wait for you and may choose to look elsewhere for employment, possibly a direct competitor. 

2. Interview and Onboarding: 

Consider the length of the average onboarding processes, 1-3 weeks? sometimes up to 4 weeks or more! 

Hiring Decisions need to be made swiftly and boldly. What does that require on your end? Have a clear understanding of who is “required” to be a part of that decision making process. What is the actual approved pay and target range? 

In today’s market, candidates have more options than ever before and being either “lowballed” in pay or put through a lengthy interview process may put you at disadvantage. 

Many other employers can easily come in with higher pay, sign-on bonuses, shorter interview processes, quicker start dates, etc. 

Can you afford to continuously start these lengthy time-consuming interview and selection processes? Consider your Opportunity Cost of the missing labor you need to properly produce in your industry. 

Communication

1. Expectations: Who better than your company’s managers to share the specifics of what you are looking for? 

Most staffing agencies can get in the game with just a Job Description and a Pay Range, but we don’t just want to be in the game, we want to assist you with a SLAM DUNK! Direct Hiring Managers need to be involved with the recruitment team to provide those valuable insights and nuances the recruiters need to improve your Time to Fill Ratio and improve your Employee Retention. 

2. Follow Through: Once expectations are set, managers need to prioritize resume review, calendar availability, offers consistent with details shared with recruitment team, and onboarding readiness. 

Ultimately, you will be the Onsite Employer, we will assist you with the right talent, GO AND DUNK IT!

While that may be a lot to process, it doesn’t take away from it’s simplicity. 

It is said that the shortest path between two points is a straight line. 

Let FLAG draw that straight line between you, and the talent you’re looking for! 

Cheers to your Success! 

#WESTANDFORYOU

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Employee Insights Volume 4: What are the best ways to engage in your job search while currently employed?

Looking for new work while currently employed may feel even more difficult than being unemployed given your existing responsibilities + the time you need to dedicate to your new search! 

While challenging, there are a few key steps you can take to set the foundation to a successful search without having to spend so much precious time! 

Today's Masterclass Monday teaches you the THREE steps you can take to expedite your search! 

1. Make a Decision! 

• Contrary to popular belief, your search may not take as long as you think. In today's competitive market, chances are you can land yourself an interview quickly! That’s good right? While it is good, make sure you are READY to make a move and leave your current employer within the next few weeks. 

• Be clear as to what you want in your next employer! Is it higher pay? Closer commute? A better schedule? Whichever your reason, be sure you know what it takes to make a move before engaging with employers to save yourself time and avoid any unnecessary interactions. 

1. Update and Upload your Resume!

• Giving your resume a facelift to reflect your latest experiences puts you in the spotlight showing recruiters and hiring managers you are actively in the job market. Be sure to review it in its entirety addressing grammar, dates of employment, etc. Be ready to talk about your experiences including your tenure. 

• Upload your resume to the major platforms including LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, Indeed, etc. Set up job alerts for roles that meet your needs to generate incoming traffic. This should allow you to review roles that might be relevant to you. 

1. Partner with a Recruiter! 

• One of the best reasons to partner with a recruiter or a recruitment firm that specializes in your field is that you can access their entire network! Many recruiters may have an existing relationship with decision makers in fields you may be interested in. Partnering with a specialist allows you to access opportunities you would have otherwise not have been exposed to. 

• While currently employed, your recruiter may periodically reach out to you for opportunities that may be a good fit for you. Ensure you are clear and transparent with your recruiter to make sure they only present relevant roles you are interested in. 

Don’t navigate this search alone. For a personalized world class experience and access to exclusive opportunities, partner with a FLAG and make your next big move! 

#WESTANDFORYOU