The best partnerships benefit everyone involved. But so many times, staffing agencies fail to achieve this kind of win/win that gains the appreciation and respect of their corporate clients. This failure often starts with miscommunications and ends with the wrong candidates being put forward for the job. There is a better way to do this. Building a career partnership with your staffing agency requires a reciprocal relationship between your company and the recruiting firm you hire. Here’s how to pick the right partner and how to improve the relationship.
Start with the Right Partner
Check out the stats from the American Staffing Association:
- There are 20,000 staffing agencies in the nation in 39,000 offices.
- More than three million temporary and contract employees are placed each week.
These stats incorporate to one important point for the hiring manager considering working with such a firm; you have choices for your partnership with these firms. Making a careful selection requires you to clearly outline your expectations when working with such a firm. While it might be tempting to go straight to price and discuss the fees associated with placement, instead, you should talk with the firm about their philosophy and approach to finding candidates. If you select an agency and consider their work “just a job”, you will likely be dismayed by the results. You’ll get unqualified candidates or candidates who end up not fitting your culture or even disloyal workers that aren’t committed to your organization.
Part of what sets A.C.Coy apart is our commitment to see our clients through their career paths. Don’t settle for a second-rate staffing firm that is in it only for the short-term gain. You will be unhappy with the end result.
Maintain Communication
We cannot stress enough the importance of communication when building a staffing partnership. Poor communication leads to wasted time and effort when the time to hire is of critical importance in the IT world.
Keep in mind that staffing agencies really have two clients; their corporate customer and the candidates that the recruiting firms represent. Look for firms with a track record of consistent, effective communication not only with the company that hires the staffing firm but also with candidates. Ask for specifics about the recruiting firm’s best practices around reporting or other updates necessary to fulfill your hiring strategies. How does the firm balance the needs of candidates and clients? What tools do they have available to help your company speed up their time to hire?
Going above and beyond with a level of transparent communication is a hallmark of A.C.Coy service. There are so many staffing agencies to choose from, and so many of them fail in what should be their mission of creating a seamless, transparent partnership between their clients and their recruiters. This transparency creates a sense of mutual respect between the client and the recruiting team. Without it, your staffing agency will simply look at their work as “just a job” and be in it for the commission—not the long haul.
Talk to A.C.Coy and find out how we develop long-term partnerships with our clients.
