Beyond the reputation or the seniority of an establishment, the choice of a Staffing firm for your company must be based on a real panel of criteria. These relate as much to the characteristics of the firms envisaged as to those of your company: but what are the questions to ask yourself in order to choose the right Staffing firm?
Discover six essential criteria to find the HR partner you have always dreamed of
Before even comparing the services and prices of different recruiting firms, you should consider the real needs of your business in terms of human resources. Indeed, a structure that wants to launch a large Staffing campaign does not necessarily have the same needs as an organization that is looking for a penury profile. Start by establishing the descriptions of the positions for which you wish to recruit, as well as a provisional document relating to Staffing: when and how do you wish to recruit during the coming year? All of this information will facilitate your final decision.
According to a Statista study published in November 2017, the French territory has around 3,500 Staffing agencies. However, the latter are distinguished not only by their fees and their geographical location, but also by their Staffing methods. While some firms specialize in a field of activity or a type of profile (executives and managers, fixed-term contracts), others want to be as general as possible to meet the needs of all organizations.
In addition, some Staffing firms such as Open Sourcing deploy their Staffing campaigns on digital media, while others favor channels that are more traditional. You can therefore start by refining your choice according to these different characteristics, with regard to your HR needs defined upstream. The Internet does not only allow you to recruit. It also increases the reach of word of mouth, and allows you to learn about the reputation of different Staffing firms.
Do not hesitate to take into account the opinions of customers, former and current, of the establishments to which you plan to entrust your next campaigns. You can sometimes find them on the websites of the firms; if not, a simple search on the search engines will give you all the information you need. In addition, the seniority of a firm may work in its favor. The longevity of an establishment obviously attests to the satisfaction of its customers, but also to its experience and its success rate. Do not forget to integrate this criterion during your search!
While Staffing methods may vary from one firm to another, so does the type of service and support. Some establishments take charge of the entire Staffing process, and thus allow you to delegate all the related tasks. This type of support can be useful if your company does not (yet) have an HR department to monitor Staffing. In contrast, other recruiting firms prefer to involve their clients throughout the process. Again, this method can have advantages, especially if you already have the expertise of an in-house recruiter. This person will be able to play a liaison role with the firm, and participate in each stage of Staffing while delegating the most complex tasks.
To measure the quality and profitability of Staffing, the implementation of personalized monitoring is essential. Indeed, the consequences of a bad Staffing can prove to be disastrous for the productivity of a company. It is therefore necessary to prevent them upstream, within the framework of a close collaboration with your Staffing firm. The latter must ensure the success of each Staffing, and offer you a real guarantee in the event of unsuccessful Staffing. Most firms offer this type of guarantee to their clients, and are responsible for recruiting a new profile if the recruited candidate quits their position.
To choose your Staffing firm, ask the establishments about the time limit for this guarantee, but also about the monitoring methods deployed! The rates and method of remuneration of Staffing firms vary, again, from one establishment to another. While some firms choose to be remunerated in the event of successful Staffing (success fees), others take a deposit upstream of Staffing (retainer fees).
In addition, the amount of these commissions can change from simple to double depending on the seniority, reputation or specialization of the firms. You will therefore have to integrate your HR budget into the list of your selection criteria, and make sure you find out about the fees charged by your future Staffing firm. All of these criteria should help you choose the best recruiting firm for your business. However, do not put your intuition aside: fluid contact with a recruiter, a good understanding of your expectations and tailor-made support can also prove to be decisive.
Barry Lachey is a Professional Editor at Zobuz. Previously He has also worked for Moxly Sports and Network Resources “Joe Joe.” He is a graduate of the Kings College at the University of Thames Valley London. You can reach Barry via email or by phone.
