A temporary staffing agency is not just another vendor. Businesses that rely on temporary employees also rely on their agency to serve as an extension of the HR department. The closer the partnership between agency and client, the better the outcome will be for the business—from great hires to more effective risk management and beyond.
At Connect Staffing we believe that finding the best employees for our clients begins with building strong relationships with our clients. Like any partnership, the relationship between an agency and its clients is a two-way street. In our experience a great partnership rests on a foundation of certain best practices, including these:
Regular, close communication.
Recruiters need to understand the businesses they serve to send them the most qualified candidates. A deep understanding of a business can’t come from a website or a job description. In fact, relying on short cuts and brief phone calls is sure to end in mismatched candidates and frustration.
The best kind of communication takes place where the work is done. We recommend clients invite their recruiters to observe the job that needs to be filled. Being on the ground helps the recruiter know the questions to ask so the right candidate can be identified from the beginning.
Know the culture.
Executives and HR managers don’t always have a good feel for the dynamics of the social environment where their temporary staff work. Especially at larger businesses, the missing connection creates a greater risk of hiring the wrong candidate—not because the candidate is unqualified or unskilled, but because the candidate is not a good fit for the team culture on the shop floor.
A good staffing agency helps its clients develop a deeper understanding of the cultural dynamics in the places where temporary staff work. They ask questions like:
- Is the work completed in teams or individually?
- Are procedures standardized or is the environment relatively unstructured?
- What languages are spoken?
- Do employees interact in a more formal or casual way?
By digging into these topics a recruiter can shape a picture that makes identifying great candidates much more efficient.
Accuracy.
To present the best candidates for a position a recruiter needs accurate information. Most companies save time by recycling job descriptions year after year. As time goes on, a template job description can lose touch with important details of the position.
Rather than relying on the job description alone, a recruiter should be provided with accurate and comprehensive details. The more detail, the better. Can the position be broken down into an accurate time budget? How much standing and sitting is involved? What equipment will the employee use over the course of the day? By having answers to questions like these, a recruiter can paint a complete picture for candidates so they can have a good feel for whether the position is right for them.
Connect Staffing is your agency partner.
By building deeper links with clients, Connect Staffing’s recruiters deliver better outcomes for the businesses they serve and our employees in the field. We love to help clients explore better ways of doing business with us. The results speak for themselves.
Are you getting the most from your agency relationship? Connect with us today to start a conversation.
