HR Manager:
"Hello, this is Jane Roberts."
Department
Head: "Jane, I want to thank you. Tom Marks has been doing an exceptional
job for us. Normally, I don't get too excited about temporary employees,
but you sure did something right with Tom."
HR Manager:
"Thank you Bill, I really appreciate the feedback."
Department Head: "You're welcome Jane, just keep doing whatever
you did with Tom!"
Wouldn't
you love to hear these kinds of conversations every day? Well, it is
possiblewith a little planning. Great staffing results don't happen
by accident. They occur when smart people, like you, invest in creating
the best possible relationship with a quality staffing services firm.
If you'd
like to hear more praise and excitement about the temporaries your company
uses, consider these 10 ideas for achieving GREAT staffing results!
Staffing
Tip #1
Temps Need Job Descriptions Too!
Job descriptions
should be well-defined, prioritized, current and submitted in writing
to your staffing firm. They should include your expectations in terms
of candidate abilities and experience along with specific performance
goals and standards.
Staffing
Tip #2
More Lead Time Equals Better Candidates
Give as
much lead time as possible when placing orders with your staffing provider.
This will optimize your chances of finding an ideal candidate for the
assignment and may give you more than one suitable candidate to choose
from. And when lead time isn't an option, let your staffing vendor know
which skills and traits are most critical for the assignment.
Staffing
Tip #3
Be Mindful of Cut-rate Deals
People
are your organization's most important asset. And that should include
temporary employees. Treat temporary staffing as an investment, not
an expense. Cheaper is not better. The last thing you want is the cut-rate
service that typically accompanies cut-rate pricing. Go with a staffing
firm that takes the time to fill your needs correctly.
Staffing
Tip #4
Train Your Service Rep
Educate
your staffing service representatives on your organization's mission
statement, goals, culture, history and current performance. Tell them
what types of work styles or personalities will fit best in your organization.
Familiarizing your representatives with your company's needs and preferences
helps the staffing firm to become a more knowledgeable extension of
your human resources department.
Staffing
Tip #5
Take Full Advantage of Your Staffing Vendor's Resources
Invest
a little time to learn about your staffing vendor's full range of capabilities,
so you can take maximum advantage of their resources. A good vendor
can not only provide qualified candidates, staffing flexibility and
cost savings, but can also offer a great deal of staffing expertise
and employee relations support. To get a complete picture, request a
tour of their facility or a capabilities demonstration.
Staffing
Tip #6
Set Clear Expectations
Establish
mutually agreed upon expectations for interaction with your staffing
supplier at the beginning of your relationship. This can include development
of an order-placing procedure, appropriate quality control checks and
feedback methods. Setting expectations can ensure clear communication
and expedient service.
Staffing
Tip #7
Benchmark Performance
Find out
what type of tests candidates are required to take at your staffing
firm. When candidates are referred to you, ask what their test scores
are. Establish preferred scoring levels for placements within your company
(you might even ask to have one of your internal employees tested to
give you a benchmark for performance). In addition, encourage your temporary
employees to take advantage of training available at the staffing firm.
Staffing
Tip #8
Provide Feedback
Maintain
an ongoing dialogue and honest relationship with your staffing contacts.
Keep them abreast of changes in your company. Give them useful feedback
on their service and the performance of employees placed. Meet regularly
to obtain their input on what you can do to enhance interaction with
them and ultimately improve quality service and placements.
Staffing
Tip #9
Create a Partner in Your Success
Consider
involving a staffing firm in your company's business planning. For example,
you might include your staffing representatives in an annual meeting
to plan staffing strategies. They can offer insight regarding the possible
uses of strategic staffing to meet your needs for workload variations,
new hires, and managing attrition. They can also offer valuable market
data to help with employee retention.
Staffing
Tip #10
Reward Results
High quality
staffing firms focus on more than filling orders. They want to help
you save time, save money, and make it easier to find the qualified
people you need to get work done. While all staffing firms are not created
equally, the good ones can be worth their weight in gold. When you find
a vendor who does a great job, look for opportunities to enhance the
relationship. Invite them in. Challenge them to help you solve problems.
And see what you can do to reward their good results. Not only will
you make your top vendor happy, you'll increase their commitment to
your success.
Better Results, Right Now!
With a
6% unemployment rate and a slowly recovering economy, your company may
be feeling the pinch. There's more work to be done, yet continued pressure
to control costs. Now may be an ideal time to look at strategic approaches
to staffing. Through the creative use of temporary help, you may be
able to get more done and reduce your personnel costs.
Want to
take a look at your options? Give us a call. We can support you by:
Identifying
inefficiencies where work could be performed at a lower cost.
Providing
access to qualified and diverse candidates seeking temporary employment.
Outsourcing
candidate screening and follow-up on new hirestwo functions that
become overwhelming when an abundance of applicants exists.
Offering
the staffing flexibility needed to stay fluid during economic challenges.