As the War for Talent Erupts, Businesses Are Turning To Staffing Agencies
Staffing companies are thriving amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the high demand for talented candidates in a variety of industries. Employees have options, and a staffing agency can ensure that a business is attracting not only qualified candidates, but ones who are the right fit for the job.
It takes valuable time to recruit talent, (approximately 20 days on average), and a tremendous amount of expertise. Enlisting a staffing agency to do the heavy lifting, can not only equip you for battle but will place you in a position to win the war.
To compete in today’s economic climate, companies need to utilize all resources at their disposal. Now, more than ever, businesses need to ensure they are attracting sophisticated, high-level candidates with the necessary skills that organizations will need to rebuild, and come out ahead of the pandemic.
Although the competition is fierce, businesses are turning to the experts for answers.
To discuss this topic further, we asked Dave MacDonald, President of The Better Together Group to provide advice to companies experiencing challenges with recruitment. MacDonald is the owner of three staffing agencies, each with its own market niche. He has a great deal of insight on recruitment market trends and can provide hiring solutions for a wide variety of industries.
Q: What do you think the biggest challenges are for companies looking to hire during a talent war?
A: Time is the number one challenge for companies right now. Trying to find more of it, and also learning how to manage it. With companies having to pivot to new opportunities and methods organizations are struggling to find the time needed to vet new candidates. Some of these businesses have had to reshape their entire business models, which means re-training existing employees on top of trying to hire new ones.Utilizing a staffing agency who has the resources needed to obtain the right employees for you from your industry, can ultimately save you time and money.
Q: What are some of the mistakes companies make in the recruiting process during these competitive times?
A: I often find that when companies see the economy struggling they think it is a good time to negotiate lower starting wages for new hires, or feel like they have more time with candidates to string them along in the hiring process. Both of these tactics are short sighted and are detrimental to organization health, you lose credibility with candidates when you extend the hiring process and are seen to be taking a discount because you perceive an opportunity to do so. In the end the employees you hire using those tactics will likely have a shortened tenure as a result of your game play. We always say that a great employee is always a great investment, but unfortunately, we repeatedly see companies hire the wrong employees the wrong way. This is a VERY costly mistake. One that a lot of businesses can’t afford amidst the pandemic. But this can ultimately be avoided, by having the right team of recruitment professionals behind you.
Q: What are some of the strategies companies can use to ensure a quality hire when the market is so active?
A: We talk a lot about candidate experience in our industry. Consider this – if you are competing with five other organizations for the same employee, you need to make sure that you’re creating an excellent onboarding experience for your new potential hire. So, making sure you are following up with your candidate, keeping them informed of the timeline they should expect things to happen in, like the desired start date etc. is extremely important when attracting quality candidates.Secondly, having a team in place, who can work together to source talent from companies in your industry who may have recently downsized, or experienced a substantial hit due to the pandemic, can also be a great hiring strategy to consider.
Q: How can employers ensure they are ahead of the curve amidst a war for talent across all industries?
A: Well, of course partnering with a staffing firm is going to be among your best tools, but there are many factors to consider. Not only do organizations have to think of innovative ways to attract new qualified employees, but they also have to consider that their existing employees now have more choices as well. But, if you’ve provided a positive candidate experience, and have taken the time necessary to successfully screen all potential applicants, and have followed a good hiring practice you can set yourself up to have made the best decisions available at the time. You can’t guarantee perfect hires, but by following a systematic way of making decisions you can improve your success rate.
Q: Any final thoughts or advice for business owners?
A: The bottom line, is that a quality staffing agency is a company’s best asset to wage war for talent and WIN. There’s no reason you have to go to battle alone, when you have strategic partners who understand your business and who can provide qualified employees quickly.
