All Staffing Firms Are Alike?
Posted on Thu, Apr 29, 2010
By Koleen Singerline
This is a common comment I hear when I'm reaching out to new companies. I can see where people that aren't connected with our industry might think this is true, but it's kind of like saying "all snowflakes are alike." Yes, there are similarities: we all recruit and we all place field employees. However, there are also major differences that you might want to consider when you are choosing a staffing firm to handle your hiring.
For example, you might recognize the name of some national staffing firms such as Snelling. Organizations like these have a corporate headquarters that drives best practices, standardized procedures and vendor contracts. These companies also tend to have more resources to put into training staff, upgrading computer systems, etc. to stay on top of the industry. National vendors can have both franchised owned offices (local business owners) as Snelling does and branch locations that report directly to corporate.
When considering multiple staffing vendors, I suggest visiting the firms you're considering. This can be an eye-opening experience. You will want to look at the professionalism of the office, the staffing managers and what recruiting procedures and qualifying procedures are in place. Does the company use a background check to screen applicants? Most companies have hiring procedures that protect their workforce and yet allow temporaries into the workplace that may not have been screened at all. Review the
staffing vendor's workers compensation insurance coverage to insure that your company is protected if a temporary is injured or sues.
The differences reflected in the staffing industry are similar to the differences reflected in the business community at large: no two vendors are really alike.