The most important aspect to a successful staffing partnership is good communication. Your staffing company’s goal is to make the most appropriate candidate match to your available vacancy the first time: so your company can stay productive and so the candidate can begin earning.
Things go wrong very quickly of the 3 parties are not communicating effectively about the positions requirements, the employees needs, and what it costs to recruit and retain the perfect candidate.
Follow these tips to avoid delays, mismatches and billing issues:
- Discuss the position requirements, and try to differentiate between what the “wants” and the “needs”. The staffing company wants to identify the best candidate match for your company, without over-charging you for abilities or experience that are not required. So – don’t stay at the level of job-title: it’s just a label, and labels can be misleading. One person’s idea of what an “administrative assistant” does could be different from someone else, who might be thinking of a “ receptionist”.
- Don’t place an order for “an administrative assistant”: instead, tell your staffing company “what exactly the person will be doing” and what they will be responsible for. This will allow for clear communication of the position’s requirements. The staffing company can now make sure the candidate has the skills required, without charging you for abilities you may not need.
- The staffing company should visit the workplace before dispatching a candidate. This is the best way to ensure a proper understanding of the corporate culture, work environment and work responsibilities. It also clarifies exactly where the person will need to go, who they will be reporting to and be trained by. This information is exactly what will prevent misunderstandings and misdirection on the candidate’s first day.
- Tell your staffing company how you measure success: both for the candidate’s performance, and for a relationship with the staffing company. This allows everyone to understand expectations and communication styles, which will save time, money and effort for all involved.
- Make sure time-keeping is being done accurately: use a staff sign-in sheet, punch-clock or electronic timesheet: your staffing company can help you set up your preferred method. The number 1 reason clients experience billing issues is because time-sheets were misplaced, not completed properly, not authorized, or not submitted on time for processing. Make sure there is someone designated to authorize the hours worked on the sign-in sheet or timesheet, and that they understand when the hours must be submitted to the staffing company for processing. In this way, your invoices will be billed to you accurately and on time every week.
