Top Staffing and Recruiting Companies Have These Five Qualities in Common

Hiring managers are hesitant to outsource. In fact, 28% of hiring managers believe a staffing firm would be unable to hire the positions they need. Top staffing and recruiting companies have the potential to transform your talent acquisition strategy and candidate pipeline, but only if you partner with a reliable staffing and recruiting company instead of a churn-and-burn vendor.

To successfully pass off their staffing efforts, internal recruiters and HR teams need a partner that can:

• Effectively represent their business in the industry
• Source high-quality, retainable candidates
• Build a robust talent pipeline over time

In this post, we'll discuss what top staffing and recruiting companies have in common and how to find the right fit for your organization.

#1 Business Buy-In

When you work with an outside staffing company, the success of your recruiting efforts falls directly into their hands. Top staffing and recruiting companies won't enter new engagements looking to make a quick buck or fill job roles with the first available candidate. Instead, they'll work to balance staffing efficiency and long-term employee viability. As you evaluate potential options, keep the following questions in mind:

• Will they work with the same sense of urgency as an internal recruiter?
• Do they understand the negative impact of empty roles and the positive impact of a right-fit candidate?
• Are they willing to align their efforts with your specific business goals?

Ideally, a staffing and recruiting company should operate as an extension of your business by taking the time to understand your priorities, invest in your KPIs, and integrate seamlessly with your internal talent acquisition efforts.

#2 Cultural Alignment

Your partner will play an integral role in internal business enablement, but they'll also become a reflection of your brand and company culture. They'll likely have a hand in creating job listings, and they'll take the lead on candidate sourcing, screening, and initial evaluations.

As you pass off your recruiting operations, you're also putting a significant amount of faith in your partner, and you need to trust that they can effectively represent your brand. Assess their ability to accurately articulate your brand identity and find talent that complements your culture.

Brand identity defines your organization's core values, long-term aspirations, and internal culture. It also heavily impacts how candidates will engage with your brand, if at all. As younger generations enter the workforce, brand identity plays a primary role in talent acquisition, with 64% of Millennials claiming they won’t take a job if the employer doesn’t align with their values.

Culture awareness extends beyond messaging and sourcing strategies. It informs every interaction between your partner and your candidates. An ideal staffing company has a vested interest in candidate success and actively advocates for individuals in their network. Plus, they'll treat candidates with respect at every step in the recruiting process.

#3 Effective Sourcing

High-level business alignment is important, but it's only one aspect of a successful engagement. Before you commit to a partner, explore how they source candidates and measure success. Unfortunately, many staffing and recruiting companies simply measure performance on their ability to fill as many open roles as possible or fill empty seats in just a few days.

However, a heavy focus on quantity won't benefit your business and will likely lead to a breakdown in trust between you and your partner. Stay away from quick-fix solutions or high-speed staffing models. Instead, look for one that holistically evaluates talent and implements a multi-point approach to career matching. They should source high-quality, diverse candidates who are highly motivated and align with your company's values.

If D&I is top of mind at your organization, a staffing and recruiting company can also help streamline and unify your acquisition strategy. Instead of working with multiple non-profits to reach underrepresented communities, let your partner manage outreach and acquisition to supply you will a naturally diverse talent pipeline.

#4 Ongoing Support

To keep your organization well-staffed and build a robust pipeline over time, you need to find a staffing company that can address both urgent, time-sensitive needs and long-term strategies. Unfortunately, many staffing and recruiting companies offer attentive service for initial setup tasks and once-off acquisition efforts but seem to disappear after passing off a list of prospective candidates.

The right one will cultivate a lasting partnership and nurture your business relationship over time. They'll supply you with fast-moving connections when you need them, then stick with you as you develop your pipeline or pivot your recruiting strategy.

On a smaller scale, consider day-to-day services, like:

• What is the primary channel or platform for communication?
• Will you have a dedicated account manager?
• If so, how quickly can you expect a response from that primary contact?
• Can you access on-demand support channels, like a help desk or live chat?

Ideally, your partner will also set up regular performance reviews to address how well they're meeting your expectations and supporting your internal talent acquisition efforts. No matter the parameters of your contract, establish clear communication and support standards upfront, then hold your partner accountable as your relationship grows.

#5 Proactive Strategies

Strategic development goes hand-in-hand with long-term support. As hiring managers and recruiters strive to go beyond firefighting and reactive hiring initiatives, they need a partner committed to doing the same.

Typical staffing and recruiting companies operate on the "get a requirement, fill a requirement" model, only sourcing for new roles as they open up in your company. This reactive approach to hiring doesn't just put pressure on internal staff and hiring managers; it also limits your access to highly qualified talent, as you can only choose from the candidates the market has to offer at that given moment.

If you and your partner commit to a proactive talent acquisition strategy, you can cultivate a pipeline that aligns with your business and culture over time, which strengthens your talent pools and increases employee retention after you fill open roles.

The Right Partner Drives Long-Term Value

When you find the right staffing and recruiting company, you'll likely reap the implicit benefits pretty quickly, such as:

• X% of open roles filled
• Reduction in new recruiting costs
• Increased internal bandwidth

These metrics are essential, but the key to an effective talent acquisition strategy goes beyond the day a new employee joins your team. The reality is, every person in a job is tied directly to a business outcome, and their quality of work impacts your bottom line. Consider the value each highly motivated, well-qualified employee brings your organization.

The more often your partner matches exceptional candidates to open roles, the more value they deliver across your company — not just in your recruiting efforts. You'll gain hardworking employees that contribute to your success for years to come and love coming in to work each day.

At CareerCircle, we believe in long-term partnerships, not once-off temp. staffing projects. We'll connect you with ideal candidates from diverse backgrounds and non-traditional talent pools, with holistic candidate-to-career matching that ensures applicants are an excellent fit for your business.

Ready to turn as-needed recruiting into a long-term acquisition strategy?