Finding the right talent for your business can be tough. Even if you work out a great job description, you have to post it in the right spots and hope that your dream candidates actually find it and apply.
The difficulties of that process lead many businesses to work with staffing agencies instead. But of course, that decision comes with its own challenges. Above all, finding the right partner is crucial; the wrong staffing firm too often means an expensive but unqualified pool of applicants that don’t get you far.
Fortunately, you can take steps to ensure that this scenario won’t occur for you. To help you get to that point, here are 5 steps you can take to find the right staffing firm in San Diego.
1) Keep it Local
When looking for staffing firms, a few national agencies will always immediately begin to vie for your attention. Don’t be tempted. Especially if you operate in the San Diego area, you should focus on the agencies who are most closely connected to the local talent pool. Restrict your search to the area in and around San Diego as your first criterion to limit your options.
2) Focus on Matching Competencies
If you’re looking for administrative talent, particularly in areas like finance and accounting, you won’t get far with a staffing agency that’s either not specialized at all or works predominantly with manufacturing firms. Instead, try to find a company whose specialization matches the type of talent you’re looking for. That may mean working with a more limited set of firms, but the focused expertise you will get in helping you find the right talent is more than worth that limitation.
3) Make Sure the Budgets Match
Naturally, you won’t be able to work with a staffing firm whose rates far exceed your capabilities. At the same time, you also shouldn’t seek to cut corners at every level, simply going with the cheapest option.
When it comes to staffing firms, a simple adage continues to hold true: you get what you pay for. Considering how much a bad hire can cost you long-term, go with an affordable but not the cheapest alternative you have.
4) Ask About Success Rates
Naturally, when working with any kind of external partner, you want to evaluate the potential for success before signing the contract. A great way to do that in the staffing field is to ask about the success rates your agency has had with past clients like you.
Above all, that means focusing on metrics like turnover rates among talent hired by the staffing agency. In addition, ask for references of current clients that you can get in touch with to get an independent review of the firm. The more you know about the agency’s reputation and success rate, the more informed your decision can be.
5) Communicate Your Company Culture
Finally, you should make sure that your company culture is a good match for the talent that your agency will seek to recruit for you. Invite the agency onto your premises, and share culture artifacts like your company mission and vision.
Numerous studies show the importance of your company’s culture in finding the right talent for your needs. Your staffing firm, of course, can only accommodate that need if they know about it. Communicate your culture to make sure that it overlaps with the talent available through your potential partner.
Finding a staffing agency can be a long process. But with the above tips, you can make it more strategic, which greatly increases the chances of improving the talent level among your applicants. To learn more about partnering with us to find administrative talent, contact us.
