When was the last time you had more than a five-minute conversation with your staffing agency? If you are tired of being sent temporary bookkeepers who don’t know how to run numbers in Microsoft Excel, it’s time to give your staffing agency a call and have a real conversation with them.
Before you pick up the phone or shoot off an e-mail, check out the following tips for working well with an agency:
- Treat the agency as a valued business partner. The agency is going to be working as an extension of your company, and by taking the time to explain your business to them, you will be pleasantly surprised at the quality of the employees sent to your company.
- Don’t wait until the day before you need someone to call the agency. That does not leave much time for the agency to track down the right employee for the job. The recruiting process takes time. While most temporary jobs can be filled within 24 hours, we recommend a lead time of at least one week for Temp-to-Hire or Direct Hire placements. Don’t make the agency’s job harder than it has to be.
- Specify what skills the temporary employee needs to have as well as dress code and other specific requirements. Your agency will appreciate the guidance and you will appreciate the results.
- Let the agency know from the beginning how long you might need a temporary employee’s service. There is nothing more inefficient than having to switch employees in the middle of a project. This can be avoided by keeping the agency informed of the project timeline.
- Offer the agency feedback. Let them know what you did and did not like about the person they sent you. Your feedback is critical in helping them to understand your company and its needs better so they can provide you with the best possible match on future assignments. Both positive and negative feedback is welcomed and very much appreciated.
- Have realistic expectations. Don’t expect a temporary employee to come in and do the same quality of work as the staff they are filling in for. How helpful an employee is partially depends on how well you set up the job for them. Give them good instructions and they could excel.