Rebecca Kirkman
President
Hire Up Staffing & Healthcare Services
April 19, 2021
Partnering with the right staffing agency can be a rewarding and life-changing relationship for job seekers and organizations, both big and small. To identify whether you are working with an agency that is right for you, you must first understand what you can expect from your agency partner and what you can prepare to bring to the table to make the most of the collaborative partnership. After all, the right agency represents your best interest, and they are only able to do that based upon what you share with them about your needs.
Have you partnered with an agency before? Are you curious about it? Follow this article for tips and tricks to getting the most from the relationship with your staffing agency.
For Job Seekers:
Maybe you are an experienced professional with a background in Accounting, Administration, Legal, Management, Medical, or Clinical. Perhaps you are in between jobs and looking for a little extra cash from a temporary assignment. It could be you are just starting out and looking for an entry-level position in an organization with which you can grow. Whichever your situation, partnering with a staffing agency is a great way to find employment with a reputable company.
Here are several things you can do to ensure you are getting the most from your first meeting with your staffing agency:
- Identify your career goals: Know what types of jobs that most interest you.
- Know the types of opportunities available with your staffing agency: Check out their job board and apply to those with which you are genuinely interested in working.
- Update your resume: Research online to see how your current resume stacks up against others in your line of work. Do you not have a resume? Or the resume you do have has not been updated since the late 90s? No problem! Visit a site like fiver.com or Etsy, pay a few bucks for a downloadable resume and cover letter template that will allow your experience to shine within a professional format.
- Brush up on your interview skills (ask for feedback): Practice with a friend or family member. Create a cheat sheet for yourself with which to practice. On your cheat sheet, identify professional highlights, particular challenges you were able to overcome and how, and ways in which your skills would complement the needs of the position with which you are applying. And, then PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.
- Questions to help you identify what to expect: Create a list of questions for your recruiter. What does this specific employer value most? How can I make sure I stand out? Once placed, how will I be paid? What if I have questions about my benefits?
If you are a job seeker and interested in what a partnership with Hire Up Staffing & Healthcare Services can do for you, check out our job board, apply, and schedule an appointment with one of our recruiters. We are ready and able to help!
For Employers:
Whether your organization has worked with a staffing agency before or not, you may be surprised by the amount of support available to you when choosing the right one. It is important to ask questions and interview your agency, just as you would a high-level leadership candidate. Know about their history, their goals, and what they offer. Get a feeling for their ability to build and maintain relationships because the state of staffing for your organization’s future will likely depend upon those skills.
- Know your agency.
- Do your research and ask around.
- Once you have contacted the agency, ask questions about:
- Current trends or recruiting challenges
- Specialized support
- Client satisfaction ratings
- Any guarantees they offer
- Morale and turnover of their worksite
- Placement testimonials
- Rate comparison vs. benefits offered
- Their expectations of you for a successful partnership
Of these items list above, clients of Hire Up Staffing & Healthcare Services are most likely familiar with our track record for client satisfaction and specialized support. They know the benefits of our Hire Guarantee, wherein if an employee does not meet your expectations, we have a contingency plan in place to keep you happy and your business operating smoothly.
KNOW the support services your agency provides:
- Do they specialize in staffing for specific industries?
- What other clients do they currently represent?
- What does their background processing consist of, and how do they do it?
- Do they conduct onsite drug screening? What do they test for?
- How is payroll handled?
- How is onboarding handled?
- Do they offer Recruiting, Hiring Consulting, and Guidance?
- Will you have direct contact with your agency?
- What other services do they offer? (Employee Screening, Payroll, HR Consulting, On-Site Opportunities)
- Communicate often with your staffing agency.
- Your agency team has a wealth of knowledge within multiple industries and maintains connections around the country.
- If you are not sure, ask. If they don’t know the answer, your agency should have connections to finding the information you need.
- Unsure about what type of employee you are looking for? ASK about the different types of employment relationships your agency offers:
- Contract to hire
- Temporary
- Temporary to hire
- Payrolling
- Full time
- Executive placement
- Industry-specific specialty positions
- Assess your needs:
- What types of candidates are you looking for?
- Be direct about your needs and job placement priorities.
- Put your best foot forward:
- Sell your company to the agency so that they can help sell you to potential employees.
- Market with the strengths of your organization and have a plan to continue to strive to be an employer of choice. (For more information on this topic, check out Creating a Workplace of Choice.).
- Post-Placement-Stay Connected:
- Once a placement is made-stay connected, let your agency know what is working and what is not.
- Be honest and direct with your observations, concerns, questions. Your agency wants you to be happy with the placement. If there are any hesitations, share them!
Hire Up Staffing & Healthcare Services offers many ways to hire, and they are varied based upon the needs of your specific business. Be it temporary staffing for an immediate need; temp to hire used to test a candidate’s capabilities before permanently hired; direct hire allows for the recruitment of candidates for higher-level or more specialized positions; payrolling allows an employer an opportunity for a trial period with an employee and avoids immediately hiring a new employee directly by using a staffing service. There are countless ways in which to start a candidate.
If you are working for an organization that you believe may benefit from learning more about what a staffing agency can do, visit our website and give us a call. We would love the opportunity to share more about the many things we offer our valued clients, as well as learn about how we can begin helping you find solutions to your staffing needs TODAY!
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There is no doubt that 2021 will bring forth opportunities to leverage new and emerging employment trends. Follow the Hire Up Staffing & Healthcare Services Blog to stay connected with a variety of topics aimed to help support you! Whether you are an active job seeker looking for tips and tricks to land your perfect job or an employer looking to fill a challenging position, we are here to help you HIRE UP!
Rebecca Kirkman, President | April 19th, 2021
Rebecca Kirkman is the President and Founder of Hire Up Staffing & Healthcare Services. Rebecca’s mission is as simple today as it was when she started Hire Up over 10 years ago: Connecting great Employers with great Employees. Hire Up leads job seekers to their dream careers and employers to their dream team. The true belief in the human connection and that people hire people is a true passion for every Hire Up employee. Rebecca was proudly named the #1 Woman-Owned Business by The Business Journal.