You might think that recruiting and hiring candidates in the twenty-first century is a simple process. With all the technology at your fingertips, you can simply post an ad online and have a qualified candidate start within days, right? Many people underestimate the time, money, experience and additional resources that recruiting requires. Yet employees are at the heart of every business, so it’s important to invest in attracting and retaining the best. You hire a lawyer to handle legal issues and an accountant to manage finances, so why not let a staffing company handle your recruiting?
Recruiters at staffing companies have a wealth of experience gained from sourcing and hiring candidates all day, every day. They do much more than just put ads on craigslist, including:
» Working with companies to understand their cultures and the types of candidates that will be the right fit.
» Staying in contact with qualified candidates and having a ready pool of candidates at all times.
» Asking the questions that matter during candidate interviews.
» Managing screening procedures such as background checks and drug testing.
Let a staffing company handle your recruiting during these three times:
1. Your HR department needs a break.
Your HR department may already be stretched thin by tight budgets and adapting to changes brought about by the Affordable Care Act. You may consider delegating recruiting and hiring to someone outside of HR with little hiring experience, but this decision can have risks. Just one bad hiring decision can cost your company thousands of dollars. And someone with little hiring experience may be unfamiliar with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and other employment laws.
2. You have a time crunch.
Maybe you need employees for a last-minute project. Or there’s just not enough time in your day to spend hours sorting through resumes and interviewing. A staffing agency recruiter takes on the time-consuming recruitment process and is accustomed to finding employees at the last minute (though as much notice as you can give is always appreciated). You might think the cost of staffing is prohibitive, but when you consider how much time you’ll save, and how much unfilled positions cost your company, staffing is a very cost-effective solution.
3. You’ve experienced significant hiring mistakes and/or turnover.
Perhaps you’ve had a new hire who just didn’t work out, or experienced significant turnover that has left remaining employees working lots of overtime. Up to 20% of employee turnover occurs within an employee’s first 45 days. While a good onboarding process is essential, you can avoid much of this turnover by reaching and hiring the right candidates.
