Two Reasons Your Competition Uses a Staffing Company

According to the American Staffing Association, U.S. staffing companies put over 11 million temporary and contract employees to work in the past 12 months. A large percentage of temps work at more than one company in the course of a year, so we're talking about a great number of small, medium, and large businesses that rely on staffing companies to fill in the gaps of their short and long term hiring needs. Sometimes, companies need replacements in a pinch, other times, it's part of a more deliberate hiring strategy. What is constant is that good companies need good people. These companies turn to agencies for any number of reasons, but there are 2 main motivations I'll discuss briefly.

1. Staffing Companies Save Time. Usually, a vacancy in an organization means more work for those who are still there. Having more work equals having less time to search for a replacement. At best, posting an ad online or in the paper will result in a flood of resumes--too many resumes to thoughtfully consider. A reputable staffing company will conduct an in person interview, reference checks, and have an understanding of your job description before sending any candidates. By the time you meet anyone they send, it's practically like a second-round interview.

2. Staffing Companies Save Money. If you sell widgets, every hour spent in decision-making meetings, interviews, or on the phone checking references is one less hour focusing on your bottom line. And in the (not so uncommon) event that you've hired the wrong person, you'll have to cut your losses and start the process again with nothing to show for it. The longer there's no one to properly answer the phones, balance the books, or do other essential tasks, the more money you will lose.

If your company had a website and no one knowledgeable enough to manage it, you'd be crazy not to hire to a professional. As valuable as web presence is these days, people are even more valuable. Thinking you can go it alone with hiring can prove even more detrimental.