RSSM Digital NPAworldwide Edition March 2020 | Page 26

FEATURED ARTICLE
INSIDE A STAFFING AGENCY
AND HOW IT WORKS
(from a client’s perspective)
By Lynn Connor, COATS Staffing Software
From a client’s perspective, if you are pay-
ing a staffing firm a direct hire fee (15 - 25%
average fee of the candidate’s annual salary)
or honoring a temp to hire policy (640 - 1000
hours on the staffing firms payroll) to hire a
new employee, you obviously expect an ex-
cellent employee. Candidates submitted to
you should be superior to the interviews your
firm can schedule on their own. Review the
candidates you recruit against the candidates
a well experienced staffing firm is able to find
and you should notice a difference. Staffing recruiters are paid on their results in
placing a good candidate and are able to work
for applicants by reviewing potential open-
ings at multiple firms. Smart job seekers uti-
lize a staffing firm to keep an eye out for the
best opportunity available, whereas corporate
recruiters represent one firm. Corporate
recruiters spend a lot of their time looking
for candidates who are available immediately.
It takes more time to convince someone to
leave their current role than to employ some-
one who is available immediately.
Keep in mind, staffing firms hire each and
every day. In one office of 3 recruiters, my
staffing firm interviewed an average of 75 -
100 candidates each week through telephone
screening, online applications, walk-ins and
referrals. You typically hire when you need
to fill an open position at your firm. A good
recruiter will have a large network of passive
candidates which will not only provide for
better applicants, but will allow them to find
top people quickly. And, with unemploy-
ment the lowest it’s been in 50 years, passive
candidates make up the majority of the talent
pool. A staffing agency recruiter is measured
first on their number of placements and then
on activity, such as resumes submitted or
number of client interviews held with mul-
tiple firms. This is a plus for the hiring firm
as you should be able to meet the top two
to three candidates from a staffing firm and
know these are the best. Recruiters focus first
on a successful placement, especially know-
ing other staffing firms may be submitting
their top candidates as well. Just as an em-
ployee can utilize more than one staffing firm
to find the best work assignments, a client
surely uses more than one agency to find the
best employees.
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