Have you been put in charge of filling a position at your company? You are experienced and more than capable, but sometimes hiring can be difficult. Hiring can be time consuming, stressful, and can distract from your normal work duties. There are more than 163 million people in the labor force in the United States. It can be overwhelming to pick from that amount and market your job opening to the best candidate. It would be amazing is someone could do the work for you right? Well this isn’t just a fantasy… Enter, staffing firm.

Staffing firms (also known as recruiting firms) do all the hard work for you. Instead of combing over resumes into the late night or looking at LinkedIn profiles over the weekend, a staffing firm will take care of the groundwork and put the best candidate in front of you for you to decide. All you have to do is decide what candidate is the best option for your company. This all seems too good to be true, but it’s not. There are many staffing firms, so how do you pick the right one?

One of the most important characteristics of an excellent staffing firm, is their track record. Ask them about the companies they have worked with in the past, the amount of years they have been in the industry, and even how long they historically take to make a placement. It is important that the firm has years of experience in the industry because that shows that they have had years of networking and experience. Ask them about their rate of successful placements and how long their placements generally stay at their new jobs. If a firm ticks all of these boxes then that is a good sign and you can have confidence that they will be able to do an excellent job.

Business is relationships as they say! It is vital to work with a staffing agency that you can have a good relationship with. Look for a firm that is professional but also fun and personable to work with. After all, if you are in the people business, you’ve got to be good with people! Your relationship with the firm shouldn’t have to feel forced. Remember that you will be working with this firm for a certain amount of time. You will be working as a team for your benefit so think about the chemistry you have with the firm you are considering. If you think you can make a great team with the firm then you have found the right one.

What is the key to a healthy relationship? Communication. From the moment of first contact with the staffing firm, you should get a good gauge of the communication skills they have. Obviously, if you are paying for their services then you always want to be hearing from the staffing firm. The worst thing that happens is when the firm goes quiet and doesn’t tell you what is going on. Ask around to past clients that they have worked with about how the firm communicated with them. Set up expectations of communication with the firm and get an understanding of where they are at and how confident they are that they can reach and exceed your expectations.

Take a close look at the Google Reviews and testimonials that people have given to the staffing firm. This is proof that they are reliable and that they can get the job done for you. Anyone can give a beautiful pitch and make all the right noises but looking at first hand experiences from past clients can give you the insight you need to choose the best firm.

Not matter what business you are in, everyone has KPI’s and certain deliverables that they need to be accountable for. In your conversation with the firm, make them explain exactly what their deliverables will be and keep them accountable. If they do not live up to what they say they will do, then let them know. It is important to explain exactly what you want from a staffing firm and then make sure they keep their word.

Well now you know they keys to picking the best staffing firm! Now it’s time for the shameless self-plug. Recruiting Connection has more than 20+ years of experience and we pride ourselves on the relationships we create with clients. Check out our testimonials and contact us and we promise to do our best to put the perfect candidate in front of you.