From building agility into your workforce to unloading the burden of recruiting, there are many reasons for choosing a temp agency to meet your staffing needs. Here are a few questions to consider when selecting one.
1. Does the agency have a solid track record?
You’re under pressure and just want to get someone placed—but before you jump into job specs and contracts, take a minute or two to do a bit of quick research: How long has the agency been in business? What experience do they have placing candidates in your industry? Do they have any client testimonials? Do they have repeat business? If they are a reputable agency, they will gladly answer these questions.
2. Does the agency follow all legal requirements?
With the growing demand for temporary staffing, you may encounter agencies with questionable standards. Avoid any agency that overlooks employment laws, background checks, reference checks, and any other processes that are a necessary part of screening and placing quality candidates.
3. Do they respond and act in a timely manner?
One of the benefits of a staffing agency should be their ability to find and place candidates faster and more effectively than you can. If they are slow to email or call back, and/or you have to chase them for information and answers, that’s an indication of the kind of service they’ll provide long-term.
4. Do they tend to over-promise?
If their promises sound too good to be true, they will probably under-deliver. Over-promising comes from inexperience and not understanding the real-life challenges of your market or industry. A good agency will work hard to meet your needs, but they will also be honest about meeting them.
5. Do you receive clear communication and documentation?
Does the agency provide proper contracts? Are they clear about the hiring process, and all terms and conditions? Do they follow up on placements to ensure the candidate is meeting your needs? Effective communication is a strong indicator of experience and service quality.
6. Are you clearly communicating your needs?
You know exactly the kind of person who will be right for the job and will fit your company’s culture. So it’s important that you provide the details that will give the agency “the full picture”. That means not only basic job specs, but also relevant workplace rules or practices, from reporting structure and dress codes to scent-free policies. The best temp agencies will look for this kind of information in order to make the candidate search more efficient and get you better results.
7. Can your agency provide backup candidates?
Once again, if you’re working with an experienced, reputable employment agency, they will have other potential candidates to offer you if a placement doesn’t work out. The agency should be willing to support you on an ongoing basis as a recruitment partner—both when placements are successful and when they’re not.
