Beyond Staffing, The Value A Staffing Firm Should Add

All hiring managers expect certain things from their staffing firm; good customer service and quality candidates fast. Too often that is where it stops – both the expectations and what many staffing firms are able to deliver. 
 
So what should you be expecting? A lot more. However, to the defense of staffing firms, much of what they can deliver depends on how a hiring manager treats the relationship. If you keep your vendors at an arms length and never allow them to understand your greater challenges and goals, then you will only receive what you ask for. On the other hand, if you treat your vendors as true partners and have open discussions about what you’re working toward, then a good staffing firm can offer much more.
 
The areas where extra value should be delivered that separates the good staffing firms from average firms is in these four areas:
 
1. Building a pipeline for skill sets you will need in the future. If you know of a project or initiative that is planned for some time in the future, don’t wait until the last minute and then send out staffing requests for your partners. Make them aware of your plans well in advance, and they will be able to identify and cherry pick top talent in anticipation of your need. You will benefit from a better pool of candidates to choose from when the time is right.
 
A good example of this is the IFRS conversion that multinational firms will be facing in the foreseeable future. Your staffing partner can begin finding and earmarking contract and direct hire candidates long before you enter crunch time.
 
2. Advice on the benefits of using contract vs. direct hire talent. Let your staffing partner know what you're dealing with from both a budget standpoint and in terms of the long term goal for the resource you want to bring on. They will be able to advise you as to the best way to meet both objectives that will optimize your chances of getting the right talent and ultimately realizing success around your goals. This can include helping you be realistic in terms of expectations and making sure you don’t have any skills gaps with the right mix of direct hires and consultants.
 
3. Solution evaluation, selection and budgeting advice on the real cost of projects that you are forecasting and planning.  Organizations often only consider the capital costs of projects, such as selecting new software or hardware. Functionality around the business objectives might only be part of the equation. Before you commit to purchasing new solutions your staffing partner can tell you about the:
 
-  Availability in the local market of the knowledge force necessary to implement, customize and support your solution
-  Cost of the skill set you will need
-  Experience of their customers that have tackled similar projects
-  Alternative options that have been proven or might be more cost effective to reach your business objectives
 
For example, a client was recently evaluating new ERP software and informed us of the solution they were considering. Fortunately, another client had recently gone through the same process with that solution, and we were able to make a valuable introduction. “Partner went above and beyond what I have experienced with other staffing firms. Through their introduction, I was able to learn about the hurdles another client experienced with the ERP package and some of the hidden costs that were not readily apparent. This additional clarity helped me make a decision that will save our company a significant amount of time and money. Partner truly added valuable insight in our evaluation and selection of an ERP system,” says Aaron Haucke, CIO of The O’Gara Group.
 
4. Recommend the optimal organizational structure as you grow. Small and medium size companies that are growing their organizations don’t always have the most advantageous organizational structure to support that growth. As you grow, your staffing partner can recommend a structure that will help you remain efficient, effective and successful. Often roles and responsibilities need to change along with the operational and management arrangement to support the successful achievement of the organizations goals.
 
5. Help sell your company, department and position to the top talent and retaining that talent. Do you want someone that doesn’t want you? Of course not. Attracting the best people that value what your organization offers is key to retaining that talent in the long term. 
 
This starts with the job descriptions. A good staffing firm should be able to write the job description in a way that optimizes the responses you receive. This job description will let you know what other companies are looking for and it won’t be so generic or so specific to your company’s lexicon that you don’t find what you’re looking for. Remember, the job title is a big part of attracting the best talent and your staffing partner should be able to provide guidance in this area.
 
The qualification process is equally important. If your staffing partner understands your culture and is clear on the role you’re hiring for in terms of where your employee or contractor will be spending their time, then you have a better chance of success. Before a candidate sits down with you in an interview, they should have been qualified by your staffing partner to understand what is important to them and the type of work they enjoy doing. At Partner, this is a discussion we have with candidates before a position is eve introduced. This way, candidate responses are not skewed to a particular position. It’s not until our second interview with them that their fit for a role is discussed.
 
Expect creative thinking, new ideas and even pushback from your staffing firm that will help you be more successful on all the fronts mentioned here. If you only let your staffing firm act as an order taker and not a valued partner then you probably are not getting the return on your investment that you could be.