The Pros and Cons of Staffing Agencies – What to Expect?
It’s hard to keep a department, or company, running smoothly and the average business owner or hiring manager is faced with tough personnel decisions all the time. Often, one of the biggest choices to be made is whether to rely on staffing agencies to locate candidates for job openings. Most staffing agencies are designed to handle specialized staffing needs, which can often save time and resources.
Naturally, here at Expect, we have a pretty favorable view of staffing agencies. With that said, every time you choose a scoop of chocolate ice cream, you’re leaving other flavors in the freezer. Just because a staffing agency is a great option, that doesn’t mean it’s always the best hiring option at all times. Sometimes your business might need a scoop of vanilla, and some businesses might not even like chocolate ice cream to begin with.
Here’s a list of some of the common pros and cons of staffing agencies.
PRO: STAFFING AGENCIES SAVE TIME
This is a big one. When dealing with staffing agencies, recruitment is an uncomplicated, time-saving process. All you have to do is notify the agency of the caliber and qualifications that are required and the agency will interview and recruit the staff that you need. This saves the time that is dedicated to advertising the positions, weeding out prospective candidates and the time spent conducting background and reference checks.
CON: TRAINING NEW STAFF TAKES TIME
Speaking of time – a lot of it is required to train employees. A staffing agency can provide competent staff in a short time frame, but they will still need to be trained. All employees, whether temporary or permanent, need a thorough understanding of your operations, policies, safety regulations, and general rules to deliver optimal work.
PRO: STAFFING AGENCIES LOWER RISK
Trying out a temporary placement can be like test driving a car.
A staffing firm allows you to sample a candidate’s work habits and competency before hiring them permanently. The candidate stays with your organization for a predetermined period, giving you the chance to observe their ability to assimilate to your office culture alongside other employees.
PRO: STAFFING AGENCIES HAVE LARGE TALENT POOLS
Staffing agencies typically have access to large professional networks. These connections come in handy during the hiring process. On top of that, most recruiters have their pulse on industry standards and trends, which helps match the right employee to your business.
CON: YOU CEDE CONTROL TO SPECIALISTS
Businesses usually have to take a step back during the recruitment process. Because of this, staffing agencies don’t work for everyone. While many bosses and office managers like having the ability to cede control of recruitment to a qualified third party, others prefer to be more involved. Whatever the case, it is paramount that you find a recruiter you can trust and rely on; otherwise, the recruitment process can be hectic, daunting, and much more stressful than anticipated.
PRO: STAFFING AGENCIES CAN SAVE YOU MONEY
This is the big one. Using temporary employees is a great way to reduce costs and save money…and using staffing agencies is the best way to make sure that your temporary employees can get the job done to your standards.
That’s it for our list but there are many more benefits of staffing agencies. If you have any pros and cons of staffing agencies to add, send us a message or let us know in the comments below.
7 Comments;
Great analysis. Thank you for showing the value that staffing agencies offer. As recruiters and employment consultants we work hard to deliver results for our clients.
Hi Mandy, I can’t agree more! In a tight labor market working with a recruiter (or many) is essential to growing your business. Placing an ad and hoping for the best is a thing of the past, now it’s all about who knows who, and who’s looking to make a move. Please add me on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/expectdenver
CHRIS
It made sense when you said that using a staffing agency to find temporary employees ensures that their work will be up to our standards. My boss mentioned that she wants to find a few temporary workers to help us prepare for the large conference we’ll be hosting this fall. I’m glad I read your article so I can make sure we plan on using a staffing agency to find the temporary workers!
Hi Rebecca, contractors are a great option for short-term projects, and can potentially lead to them one day being a great employee! If you need help finding contractors please connect with me and I’ll be glad to help you.
Please also add me on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/expectdenver
I like that you mentioned how using temporary employees is a great way to reduce costs and save money. I was reading a the business section of the newspaper the other day and I remember seeing an article about the use of temp agencies. They seem to be quite convenient so I’d probably also try to use it if I had a business.
Hi Luke, yes in “can” be, but many contractors will ask for an hourly rate to cover their purchase of basic health insurance. If you look at the bigger picture, companies like to use contractor staffing companies like ours to avoid being the “employer of record”, which can save them on potential future costs (and lots of headaches) in case the contractor files for unemployment benefits.