The term “staffing agency” conjures up specific notions and expectations for prospective workers and successful companies. Many of them have specific beliefs regarding what they are and how they’re useful.
Unfortunately, many of those beliefs are completely incorrect, and those misconceptions are costing both sides a valuable resource that could assist them in finding the right IT employee and the right company.
What it is Not
Because staffing agencies are thought to be so many different things, it might be helpful to narrow down what they aren’t and discard antiquated ideas or incorrect assumptions.
Staffing agencies are not limited to temporary positions. The term “staffing agency” is not synonymous with a “temp agency”. While they can be used to fill temporary jobs, they also specialize in permanent, career positions. A staffing agency is an excellent resource for someone looking for a permanent information technology position, or a business looking to fill one.
Staffing agencies do not accept every candidate. A successful staffing agency is not a “cattle call” where anybody and everybody is recruited to fill positions. While some agencies never say no to a candidate, the best ones limit the number of contracts they work on at once, making the most out of their talent pool and offering only the best prospects.
This format works for both the agency and the company hiring them. Since many staffing agencies earn their fees as a percentage of the employee’s salary, it makes sense for them to focus on fewer and better prospective workers. They can devote their resources to matching the right job with the right candidate, filling high-level positions, and proving their value to the company that hired them. Make sure your staffing agency follows this business model, limiting the number of their open contracts and providing a clear understanding of available fee structures so you know your open positions will be given the proper attention.
Staffing agencies are not more difficult or expensive than going it alone. A job search can be a time-consuming endeavor for both sides of the process, especially in the IT field. It can easily become a job unto itself.
A prospective employee needs to ask themselves if they are utilizing their best skills by pivoting to scouring job boards and following up with potential employers. And a company should evaluate whether managing incoming resumes and communication and handling a significant number of interviews is the best use of their human resources department and management team. If a job search is a full-time endeavor, why not leave it to those for whom it’s a core competency? A staffing agency does the heavy lifting, allowing workers and businesses to focus on what each does best. That benefit should save time and money for those looking for work, and those looking for talent.
Staffing agencies do not simply try to place anybody into any position. With x number of positions to fill, and y number of candidates, wouldn’t a staffing agency simply match everyone up quickly and move on to the next task?
Anybody who has spent time providing value to customers knows the answer to that question. Nobody stays in business by ignoring customer needs, and a staffing agency has two sets of customers: Qualified candidates who are looking for good positions, and successful businesses who are looking to fill good positions with qualified candidates. If both are depending on the staffing agency to find a good fit for them, it doesn’t serve anyone for them to fall short in that effort. A staffing agency trades on its reputation, so it has every incentive to demonstrate that it understands the needs of both sides, and strives to find the right fit every time.
Just as a business with a great track record will attract customers based on its reputation, a staffing agency benefits from becoming known as a resource for businesses who want targeted candidates for their openings, and candidates who want to find their dream job in their chosen field. This information isn’t a trade secret. Staffing agencies know the importance of providing stellar service and delivering results, so the best ones go out of their way to provide that value to their clients.
What to Look For
If a business has specific criteria when filling its important IT positions, they should also have criteria when choosing a staffing agency. And when a person knows what they want in the right job, they should also know what they want in an agency that represents them.
As previously mentioned, a good staffing agency needs to have a track record of success and demonstrate high standards when vetting a prospect for a business. And it needs to not only claim it will save time and money but demonstrate exactly how it will meet those claims with specific results in a designated time period. And, like a successful job candidate, it should have references that can verify that the agency delivers on its promises for both sides of the equation.
When a staffing agency meets all of those qualifications, it becomes easy to see why they can be the answer to a job search dilemma. Using an expert in the field is usually an efficient and budget-friendly method of getting results as opposed to going it alone and spending time energy that could be used elsewhere. And with a good agency’s recommendation, there’s a natural confidence and optimism that accompanies both sides of an interview. The agency increases the odds of getting it right the first time, and avoiding the headaches of turnover, poor experiences, and having to begin the process all over again. Factoring the cost of training employees, and the time required to find a good position, staffing agencies can be the solution to a host of problems nobody wants to encounter.
Need Help Getting Started?
If a staffing agency is the answer to an important problem, it opens up a host of questions at the beginning of a search. Fortunately, both sides on that journey are already looking in the right place: Imperium Data. From the first queries to a final decision, we can help every step of the way, utilizing our resources to find the right fit for your unique needs. Use our job seekers page to get started today.
