Articles - Recruiting and Candidate Dev

Selecting a staffing vendor to build out the non-employee segment of your workforce has taken on new dimensions in recent years. The problem remains the same: finding the right people at the right time and at the right price. But the solutions have evolved.

When selecting a staffing provider, you want to partner with an organization that works hard to understand the intricacies of your business and its needs, and will build a unique solution that provides value and addresses the issues you are facing.

To find a staffing vendor that can do this, be prepared to ask these three questions:

1. Does the staffing vendor post jobs or build a talent community? Job postings are necessities that will likely never disappear. We need a place to post jobs to make people aware of their availability. More importantly, we must nurture a community of talent that is predisposed to consider the opportunities we have for them.

When selecting a staffing vendor, it is important to know whether they are depending on a “post and pray” strategy, or if they are developing a community of professionals with the experience and expertise to solve your organization’s unique needs.

2. Does the staffing vendor have local abilities and national coverage? According to Staffing Industry Analysts, approximately 95 percent of all staffing firms in the United States do less than $5 million in top-line revenue. In other words, the U.S. has quite a few mom and pop staffing shops. There are benefits to using local staffing vendors like Joe’s Staffing and Ice Auger Services.

But if you’re a large corporation, you must evaluate the vendor’s ability to service your needs within the zip code and across larger geographies. Require the staffing vendors bidding for the opportunity to describe their coverage model and how they will provide local attention while sourcing candidates as broadly as necessary to ensure quality talent on demand.

3. Are you looking for requisition management or a virtual bench? What kind of staffing vendor are you looking for? Do you want a supplier that fields your requisitions for new heads so you don’t have to? Or do you want a staffing partner that understands your business and will build you a virtual bench of talent that is seemingly just waiting for your demand?

Ask prospective vendors to define the tactics they use to court candidates away from permanent full-time positions into part-time assignments. If you get a blank stare, you have a body shop on your hands, so run!

If, on the other hand, you get a detailed methodology that articulates how the vendor handles such situations, what the incremental cost of such a recruiting effort might be, and most importantly, recommendations on when to execute such a strategy … well, then you have a viable staffing partner that will be much more than a supplier of talent.

These are just a few suggestions to get you started in the search for the right staffing supplier for your business. Whatever you do, remember this key take way: Make sure your suppliers understand the issues you are facing.

Whitepaper: Evaluating the confidence in your contract labor processes is another important step to selecting a staffing provider.

------------------------------------------------------------

Biography

Joel Capperella has more than 19 years of experience developing value-added solutions that solve a broad array of workforce challenges at Yoh.  Placing the needs of the workforce management community central, he has consistently and successfully introduced innovative technologies and services into the appropriate marketplaces. Joel is frequently invited to share his insight to a wide variety of communities and publications. He holds a B.S. from the University of Delaware, and has completed graduate level coursework in philosophy and theology. Joel lives in the Philadelphia area with his wife and five children. You may also read more of Joel's posts at:  http://blog.yoh.com .
##

Comments: