- Communicate
When engaging a staffing service to help with a staffing need, communicate all the duties of the position along with the skills, experience, certifications, education/training, or other qualifications that you require in the candidate you’re seeking.
Discuss and reach an agreement with the staffing service on the compensation range and associated bill rate range when placing the order.
Let the staffing service know your selection process. Do you simply want the staffing service to select the best candidate and have him/her start on a given date, or do you plan on interviewing the candidate (or multiple candidates)?
How would you like the candidate(s) presented? This could be verbally over the phone or by emailed resume. To whom should the candidate(s) be presented?
Let the staffing service know the benefits and “perks” of working for your company (in addition to things like health insurance and vacation time off). Why do people like working for your company? This will enable them to better “sell” the position (and your company) to prospective candidates.
- Take action
Be ready to interview (or to at least make a decision on each candidate presented). When a candidate is presented to you it means that they have already expressed interest in the job, and in your company. When there is a lack of response the candidate loses excitement for the position and the company. And in a tight labor market, good candidates may not be available for long.
- Provide feedback
The staffing service needs to know if a candidate they presented to you is a hit, in the ballpark, or a complete miss. When a candidate is a miss, give the staffing service specific feedback as to why you feel that the candidate is not a good fit. Information like this will help the staffing service focus their search and help ensure that they do not waste your time by presenting similarly unqualified candidates.
Return emails or phone calls promptly. Job orders that are not given priority by you are not given priority by the staffing service. Remember that candidates presented may have multiple job opportunities. Hesitating on a good candidate could result in losing them to another employer.
- Close the order
Once the order has been filled, whether by a candidate your company hired directly or by a candidate from a staffing service, inform any staffing services that you had engaged to fill the position.
- Have the staffing service keep an open requisition for your “dream candidate”
Everyone has a “dream” candidate that they would hire on the spot if they ever came across him/her. It may be someone with a certain skill set, degree, experience level, etc. Let your staffing service know what’s on your wish list of dream candidates so if that candidate’s resume ever comes across the desk of the staffing service they will know to send it to you first.