When it comes to accessing staffing needs, it's important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of using a recruitment agency. As recruiters, we believe that using a staffing agency has a great advantage, but we've listed some of the pros and cons of using a staffing agency to help you make an informed decision. One of the main advantages of using a staffing agency is that it shortens the time needed to fill vacant positions. Additionally, if a hired employee becomes ill and contracts COVID-19, the staffing agency (depending on size) is responsible for paying the employee under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA or Act).
Furthermore, having the addition of a temporary contract worker usually means that the learning curve is shortened, as the work must be completed quickly and efficiently. On the other hand, not all staffing agencies devote time and resources to developing and fostering deep candidate networks. In times of economic uncertainty and periods of general slowness, staffing agencies offer employers the flexibility to hire qualified contract workers to complete short-term projects and tasks. An employer has the ability to hire a contractor to complete the work and then, when the task is completed, can fire the contractor without problems.
This creates a win-win situation, as the contractor can make money from employment and the employer reduces their costs in the long run. The staffing company handles the onboarding documentation for hired employees, such as the W4, the I-9 and other documents. Filling a job vacancy is generally a quick process through a staffing agency. You let the agency know what the job entails and what qualifications you're looking for in candidates.
The agency selects candidates that it believes meet your needs and sends them to you for interviews. If you work with a responsible agency, every candidate you interview will have already done a background check and employment reference and will have the skills you need for the position. This saves you a significant amount of time, since you don't have to advertise the position, eliminate unqualified candidates, and then perform background checks and references for those who are qualified. The best staffing agencies have been creating a database of quality candidates for years to help fill positions with the best possible talent, such as a nursing staffing agency. In some cases, recruitment agencies select candidates who are best suited to the position and do not assess their cultural suitability.
As an employer, you don't have to screen hundreds of unqualified candidates when hiring available job seekers or waste time talking to uninterested candidates. A staffing agency reduces an employer's hiring time to days, rather than weeks and months, by taking advantage of its large talent networks to find candidates within the requested time frame, saving time and money. However, there are some drawbacks associated with using a job agency. Temporary workers, who work side by side with their permanent employees, may resent doing the same work without the benefits you provide to your permanent employees.
