7 Benefits of Using An IT Staffing Agency

Please raise your hand if you’re a hiring manager who has had to deal with the frustration associated with finding out your latest hire does not fit -- not to mention the resources used to recruit, interview, and onboard the once promising candidate. The challenge for hiring managers with the typical recruiting process; checking resumes, interviewing, and salary negotiations, is that it takes precious time away from performing existing obligations. Staffing agencies are positioned to take the brunt out of your recruiting and hiring.

Each year over 14 million employees receive career opportunities from contingent staffing firms, which is becoming the leading way professionals search for and locate positions within their field. In fact, 90% of growing companies do not have the time for the entire candidate process. They, use staffing firms to find the perfect candidates for their temporary, contract and permanent jobs. One misconception about using a staffing firm is that costs are higher, however, when you look at the entire cost/benefit picture, shorter time-to-fill and better candidates can erase those costs. 

7 Essential Benefits of Using a Staffing Agency

• Large talent network: Staffing agencies maintain an established and ever-growing network of available talent. Depending on the terms of your agreement, some agencies will perform background checks, and verify references and education. And In some cases, agencies provide industry specific training. Their broad database of qualified employees enables a quick response.

• Faster hiring: Because the job market has improved, candidates are now in the driver’s seat. This creates a longer than normal hiring process, because employees have more options available to them and compared to tradition, it is  more difficult to fill the open positions. Since employers are in a vulnerable position because of the IT skills gap challenge.  

• Cost effective: The process for finding a good match for your open positions is tedious and costly. If your company is like most, you will invest anywhere from 1 to 3.5 times the employee's salary by the time a full-time employee is trained and producing at optimal performance.

• Reduced liability: Being an employer is not as easy as it used to be. There were only 125 labor laws in 1980, now there over 2000 different laws and employers are responsible to comply with. The recent addition of the Affordable Care Act, adds another layer of potential penalties for employers with a certain number of employees. Using an agency shifts the potential risk away from the company.

• Quality of Hire: Using an agency helps to reduce stress by removing the element of surprise. The candidates chosen for you to interview are the most initially qualified for the open position. Despite the size of your company, few hiring managers have the time to clamor through resumes, pick out a few to interview, only to start all over because of the dismal results.

• Minimized risk: Another responsibility the staffing firm takes is to place a qualified candidate for the position. If after you have specifically trained the candidate, you can offer them a permanent position if you’re pleased with the results.

• Expertise: Staffing agencies have the time and resources to stay up to date on the latest recruiting trends. They also specialize in multiple job fields, which creates a more efficient connection between employer and potential candidate. A natural result derived from the insight gained from working with diverse personalities and company cultures.

Staffing agencies provide options to employers otherwise not available to them. For instance, the ability to scale your workforce to match demand, without the costs associated with employee turnover. This helps employers to realize the value in having a fluid workforce, allowing them to focus on leaner operations.

We recommend when deciding to hire a staffing agency to keep these essentials for a great relationship in mind. Make sure you work with an agency that view working with you as a partner and not just another client. One that prides itself in the candidates it represents and sends. Do your due diligence and confirm the agencies on your short list will bring true value to your organization. And assure the agency carries the proper worker’s compensation and liability insurance.

Phenomecloud is a full-service technology company dedicated to helping clients solve business problems, improve the capability of their people, and achieve better results.