Running a business has never been an easy task. It requires proper strategy, dedication, and relentless foresight. One thing that’s echoed in just about anything you read concerning business is the fact that having the right employees can make or break your business. Sobering thought, but true. Unnecessary employee turnover can be costly (even deadly) to your business.
This is why you should take great effort to make sure you have the best from the get-go. The trick is to not spend all your time and resources doing so. Remember, successful business lies on delegation. This is where finding a great staffing firm comes in.
Finding the right staffing firm can be like a science, so it’s important to know what you’re doing and what you’re looking for. Ultimately, you want this valuable relationship to work. Here are a few tips to help you locate a good one.
1. Find a staffing firm your business is compatible with.
Sometimes business people run out and just go with any recruiting firm, usually because they need quick help. But that’s a no-no. You want to select a firm that specially specialize in your industry.
If you want the best employees for your company, find an industry specialist, a staffing agency that has already gathered the best candidates for what your company does (or need). If you choose the correct industry specialist, you won’t have to frequently remind the recruiter about your business and employee criteria.
2. Always try to skip the long-term contract.
A lot of staffing firms require long term commitments from the companies they’re working with, although there is no surety that they will offer you the best candidates. And that’s why you need to avoid the long-term contracts. Go with a firm that offers you flexibility just in case they’re not a good fit.
3. Get references.
No business can run on simply promises. Glowing website content doesn’t count either. Many staffing firms will promise you the moon and back, but don’t base your decision to contract them on simply that. To get the best one you should ask for references from current clients.
In other words, check the reputation of the staffing firm. What are other companies saying about the staffing firm? Through ratings and reviews, you can easily find the best one.
4. Find a firm that’s been around.
No “Johnny-come-lately” — you want to find a firm that’s established. The more established, the better their expertise. The more established, the bigger the pool of qualified candidates they have.
Again, the goal is to take the load off your back. You can only do that with a recruiting firm you don’t have to babysit, one that knows what they’re doing. So experience is important, if for nothing else, your sanity.
5. Make sure the staffing firm has a good process for choosing candidates.
This tip is self-explanatory, but you’ll want to know how your potential staffing firm chooses their candidates. Don’t just take a staffing firm’s word for it that they have “the best.” Make sure you ask a lot of questions to find out their process and how serious they take their job of finding workers. A wrong process can lead to consistently bad candidates, which can become burdensome for your relationship with the staffing firm.