In today’s busy labor market, staffing companies (also called employment agencies or recruiting companies) function as crucial intermediaries between talented individuals and the businesses looking for their skills. Whether you are an employer needing to fill open roles or a jobseeker looking for your next opportunity, it is to your advantage to better understand what leading staffing companies in the USA do and how they function. This guide will give you a thorough and informed view of what staffing companies do, how they function and how a jobseeker and an employer can both benefit from using one.
A staffing company serves as the intermediary between applicants looking for work and employers looking to fill a job. They hire, screen and place workers in various types of jobs including but not limited to, temporary, contract and direct hire. Staffing companies can also specialize in certain industries, depending on their niche focus, such as healthcare, IT, finance, manufacturing and engineering services.
➜ Talent Acquisition and Recruitment
Staffing agencies have an expansive database of candidates and use industry-specific sourcing methods to find qualified candidates for available positions. Steps include job postings, resume screening, interviewing and skills testing.
➜ Temporary and Contract Staffing
Need to cover maternity leave or seasonal workload? Agencies can send temporary workers at short notice, usually on the payroll of the staffing firm, minimizing employment costs and administrative handling for employers.
➜ Temp-to-Perm Placement
Employers can “try out the product” by bringing a candidate on as a temporary employee, with the option of a permanent offer afterward.
➜ Direct Hire / Permanent Placement
For a permanent hire, staffing companies identify, screen and refer high-end candidates typically on a short timeline.
➜ Payroll and HR Administration
Some agencies will create employer-of-record arrangements to administer payroll, taxes, benefits and compliance issues for temporary employees.
➜ Onsite Staffing Management
Agencies will have onsite coordinators to assist and facilitate daily workforce management, reporting and training if their client requires staff services of various nature.
➜ Job Matching
Recruiters find applicants that match their skills, experience and career goals. It could be a part time job or a full time job, they’ll have some great opportunities for you.
➜ Resume Support & Career Coaching
Many companies provide career advice, resume support, interview practice and even skills training for the purpose of improving employment prospects.
➜ Access to Invisible Job Market
Some jobs never get advertised publicly and will only get taken by an agency. Working with a staffing agency will open hidden job opportunities.
➜ Flexible Employment Options
Temporary work, project-based work and gig jobs all have flexible employment options and could be ideal for freelancers, stay at home parents, students or transitioners.
➜ Faster Hiring Speed
Job candidates get employed faster through staffing agency processes than through job board advertisements or corporate HR funnel procedures.
While there may be some variation in the details, this is the general structure of the staffing process:
➜ Client Needs Assessment (the employer): The agency consults with the employer to determine the job description, required skills, culture of the company and time frame.
➜ Candidate Sourcing & Screening: The agency uses its own database and outside sources to source potential candidates, does the first round of interviews, background checks and skill testing.
➜ Interview Coordination: Shortlist candidates are sent to the employer for interviews and feedback is received from each party.
➜ Offer & Onboarding: Once a decision is made, the staffing firm may handle the offer letter, onboarding and paperwork, particularly in temporary placements.
➜ Ongoing Support: Often, staffing agencies will follow up to ensure satisfaction, resolve any issues and provide replacements, if needed.
➜ Contingent Workforce: Employees with a temporary contract.
➜ W-2 Employee: An employee that the company holds taxes towards (usually for temporary positions).
➜ Employer of Record (EOR): The company that employs the worker and manages compliance.
➜ Candidate Pipeline: A cluster of pre-screened, viable talent that is available to fill open positions.
➜ Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO): Occurs when a company has an agency take over all or part of its recruitment.
➜ Save Time and Money
Recruiting can take time. Agencies can save time by using a set of pre-screened candidates to submit.
➜ Access to Specialized Skills
Agencies typically specialize in a specific industry and often have access to niche experts that could be hard to source by other means.
➜ Minimize Hiring Risk
With temp-to-perm and trial period services, employers can test out employees before they hire them long-term.
➜ Scalability
For busy seasons or large projects, companies can quickly scale up or down, without a long-term relationship.
➜Compliance and Protection
Temporary staffing agencies in the USA can keep up with employment laws, helping to reduce liabilities while maintaining compliance with wage, hour and tax laws.
➜Free Services
Staffing services in the USA are typically free for job seekers. Employers pay the agencies.
A Foot in the Door
Most temporary work transitions to permanent roles. A staffing agency can help you get your foot in the door at great companies.
➜ Skill Development
Most agencies provide free training and certification in various skills like software, safety and customer service.
Career Flexibility
Regardless of whether you want to work in an entirely different profession or need a temporary client assignment, staffing companies can provide different opportunities.
Whether you are an HR recruiter experiencing unfilled vacancies or an individual looking for work, a staffing company can be a great friend. Their knowledge of the industry, existing connections to a larger network and its specialized technology and/or services optimize and decrease the frustration and anxiety of recruiting and looking for a job. With the employment services market changing so rapidly, speed, flexibility and proficiency are important. Staffing agencies can bring you all three, plus the human touch that can assure that the right person has a chance to be matched to the right job at the right time.
If you’re an employer, take advantage of using a proven staffing agency like Linked PS to save time, mitigate risk and find the best talent. If you’re a candidate, do contact a staffing agency like Linked PS in your profession. You could be a single application away from your next great opportunity.
Staffing firms also carry out payroll services, onboarding, compliance and workforce management services in addition to hiring.
Not at all, while they provide temporary work, some of them also place workers into long-term and permanent jobs as well.
They screen your resume, interview you, check your skills and cross-check your profile with client specifications and culture.
Healthcare, IT, finance, manufacturing, logistics and admin services tend to outsource using staffing companies.
Yes, onboarding is assisted by most agencies and job-specific training or certifications are given to candidates for success.
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