A staffing agency’s job is to search through a pool of potential employees and produce the select few it deems the best matches for your company. This process involves equal interaction with both company and candidate, but where some agencies go wrong is forgetting the candidate aspect of the equation.
A staffing agency always has its clients’ best interests at heart, but what differentiates a truly effective placement firm is its ability to fulfill both the clients’ and the candidates’ needs.
If your staffing agency is only satisfying one end of the deal (the client), but neglecting to pay any mind to the candidate and his or her needs, it ends up perpetuating a high turnover rate. And that is something neither company nor candidate wants.
A staffing agency shouldn’t be just staffing – it should be digging into the process, attempting to make the perfect employee-workplace match every time, so your company retains the passionate employees that want to be there and filters out the ones that will increase your turnover rate. Here’s how:
Setting Expectations
Staffing agencies should be working with companies to establish initial expectations prior to the start of any assignments. Candidates are expected to study the job description thoroughly so that they have an in-depth understanding of what the company wants from them and what their professional responsibilities will entail. Many candidates even have the option to tour the company prior to the beginning of the engagement. They are more likely to persevere through difficult adjustment periods when they understand what is expected of them from the beginning.
Agencies not only establish company prerequisites, but also work with candidates to assess their hiring requirements. For example, are they looking for direct-hire or temp-to-hire positions? A dedicated agency is going to take the plans of both the company and the candidate into consideration. Doing so helps to reduce turnover rate, and it gives candidates a greater sense of importance. They feel that they are very much a part of the hiring process and that their say is just as important as the client’s.
- Knowing The Company
A staffing agency should be familiar with your company’s wages and benefits policies. In addition to providing more value to your company, doing so helps give your candidates a clearer picture of the prospective position.
- Knowing The Candidate
A series of in-depth interviews are typically conducted before the candidates are sent to your company for possible employment. Staffing firms ensure detailed knowledge of candidates and their qualifications before recommending them. At this point, staffing firms should already possess a deep understanding of your company, allowing for a much clearer view of the cultural fit between you and the candidate.
Maintaining Communication
A staffing firm should stay in contact with both your company and the candidate following the initial meetings. If there are any minor issues that have the potential to escalate, agencies identify them before the company-candidate engagement begins. Staying in contact with clients and candidates also allows firms to stay abreast of attendance and productivity.
Making the perfect company-candidate match requires in-depth knowledge of both parties. A professional placement agency should understand this two-part equation and do everything in its power to make their clients and their candidates happy. Satisfying both translates to higher employee retention rates and less company turnover.
Ready to move your business forward with the best employees? Partner with a placement firm that believes in matching company and candidate – every time. 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.