Hiring employees becomes nothing more than a numbers game when search firms present companies with as many potential employees as possible. While this may seem like a legitimate practice, a professional staffing firm should not be playing the numbers game with you. Sure, it’s necessary to bring in an adequate number of professional candidates for your pool of potential employees, but it’s also important to focus on quality. You should be dealing with a handful of professional, qualified candidates as opposed to an army of unqualified ones.
Quality And Quantity: Can’t I Have Both?
Realistically, you’d prefer to have quality and quantity: an ample amount of qualified candidates who fulfill all of your company’s criteria. But based on your past experiences with search firms, it may seem as though you’re always faced with the same choice: get your candidates fast or get the best candidates possible. Why is it such a struggle to secure both?
Although your staffing agency may not remind you of this, securing a reasonable number of qualified candidates in a timely manner is their responsibility. Searching is their responsibility. Many agencies put diligence on the backburner when it comes to placing candidates, opting instead for speedy turn-around and quicker commission checks – the age-old numbers game.
You, however, have no time for toying with a number – no matter how large – of unqualified candidates thrown your way. You want a variety of employee options, but you need them all to be qualified and match your company requirements. If you don’t get this from your staffing agency, you are wasting valuable time sorting through stacks of fruitless submittals, adding to the strain of having an important role unfilled, and increasing your company’s risk of turnover.
Next time you’re looking to partner with a staffing agency, refer to these guidelines to gauge its focus on satisfying all of the essential responsibilities – guaranteeing both quality and quantity.
Search Firms That Search
An effective and professional staffing agency ensures the following measures before sending candidates your way for screening.
- A search firm gains keen insight into exactly what type of person your company is looking for, including industry-specific knowledge and experience.
- A search firm streamlines the application process, making it easier for the top-notch candidates to apply.
- A search firm effectively highlights a resume to provide a snapshot of relevant achievements or experience as well as uncover the more intangible qualities of their jobseekers.
- A search firm understands the company, the culture and the hiring team, so they train and advise candidates before sending them off to an interview.
- A search firm helps with interview preparation and assesses candidates’ strengths and weaknesses.
- A search firm has a strong network of candidate connections through past successful placements.
- A search firm only puts well suited and fully vetted candidates in front of you.
The bottom line is that a search firm must search. It’s not enough for an agency to sit back and play the numbers game, simply matching resumes to requirements. An effective search firm digs a little deeper and gathers more information on both the company and the candidate.
So slow down and determine whether your search firm is just pushing volumes of candidates your way or actually taking the time and energy to perform an extensive and effective employee search.
Ready to move your business forward with the best employees? Click below or call 888-459-9922 to start the conversation about your staffing solutions with one of The Performance Group’s professional staffing strategists.