Selecting a Recruiter for Hiring Temporary Employees
by Larry Slusser on February 15th, 2008
If you find that you need to hire some temporary or seasonal help for your business, you may want to consider enlisting the services of a recruiter. Selecting a recruiter can be daunting, particularly if you have never had a need before. What is the best way to find a reputable agency? Are all staffing companies the same? Are their pricing structures similar? Below are answers to your questions to help guide you in locating a staffing agency that meets your organization’s staffing needs at the price you can afford.
The first step is to determine what type of employee you need and for how long. Figuring out your needs before you start contacting agencies will give you a more accurate quote, leaving you less frustrated and ensuring you get the employees you need. For instance, how long will you need temporary workers? If they are seasonal employees, are the positions potentially temp-to-hire positions? Once you have determined your requirements, the quotes that you receive will more closely match your needs.
Next, it is important to determine how much time you want to spend looking for a staffing agency. Staffing agencies are not a dime a dozen, therefore it is imperative to do your homework-know the type of agency you desire to partner with, the agency’s reputation in the community and what types of services is included in their fees.
When narrowing down the agencies, use your resources. Contact your network to find out who they use and why; what types of services they receive and the quality of the temporary employees for the money. If their use of an agency is different from what you need, comparing would not give you an accurate picture; however, word of mouth is very powerful. If your network recommends an agency, or has had a bad experience, then you can determine if moving forward with getting a quote will be a good use of your time.
Other research is to check out the agency’s website. Being in a sales and service industry, the agency should provide you good information about their company and the services they provide on their website. The information outlined on their website can be very telling about the services you can expect from their agency. More specifically, if they are vague about the type of services they provide, then you should question the quality of employees they send to you, or the integrity of their business dealings.
Another piece of information to ask the agencies is what their values and culture are like; specifically, the average tenure of their own employees and what makes these employees stay with their agency. This can help you determine if their values and culture closely match those of your organization, which will help establishing a good working relationship.
Once you have determined the agencies you would like to receive quotes from, ask the agencies to submit a proposal based on your organization’s needs and requirements. Do not forget to ask for references – agencies that are proud of their services will provide you with whatever you need in order to gain your business.