What
Have you got Against Staffing Companies?!
What Does It Matter Where You Get Your Next Job From?!
By Rick Gillis
Some
people would have you believe that with the advent of
employment advertising and resume posting on the Internet,
the Staffing Company, as we know it, would soon be a
thing of the past. Nothing could have possibly been further
from the truth!
Staffing
companies play a huge part in the everyday world of work
where often they are the only way for the unemployed
to find employment with some of the best and biggest
companies in the nation and beyond.
And
that leads me to the reason for this article. What have
you got against staffing companies? Why the heck do you
care where your next job is going to come from as long
as you get a next job? Many times, due to a staffing
company's efforts, you will end up in a better paying,
more challenging and satisfying position. There are a
lot of reasons why this may be the case but first lets
discuss the perceived problems with working with a staffing
company.
Perceived
problems associated with working with a Staffing company
The
truth is that in the not too distant past your local
personnel company did not have a great perception due
to, for the most part, the fact that they charged the
job seeker a significant percentage of a first year's
income on the job. A 30% - 40% commission of the first
3 months of a person's salary and sometimes the same
percentage for the entire first year was not uncommon.
This
is just not the case anymore. Nevertheless, this is a
perception that I think the job seeking market still
harbors. Current reality is that the employer is going
to pay the freight to bring you on board.
The
next problem is, for the most part, actual and you're
just going to have to get over it. In speaking to groups
of job seekers I regularly hear that it takes too long
to get in and out of the agency. Deal with it. There
are a lot of good reasons why this is the case.
The
staffing company/headhunter/personnel agency, etc. need
to spend this time with you. First, regardless of how
good your personal resume is, you are going to have to
take the time to fill out the company application. There
is more information required by the company than your
resume is going to contain. And there is also the important
information that their in-house application is going
to provide to you such as their statement(s) of responsibility
to you, your required permission to disclose your personal
information, statements of pay, benefits and more. You
are going to be signing that you read and understand
this information. It's a legal and binding contract and
immensely important to both parties.
Next
you are going to be interviewed. The staffing company
will not, in anyway, represent an individual that they
don't know or have not had personal contact with. The
recruiters that work in these agencies can be among the
best when it comes to interviewing skills. You might
pay attention and learn something to take with you to
your 'actual' employment interview because, believe me,
this is a 'real' interview. You can also expect, within
the context of this interview, to discuss any background
history or credit problems that the recruiter should
be made aware of. Don't hold anything back. It will be
discovered during background and reference checks. Staffing
companies continuously train and will have some of the
very best and most highly skilled recruiters/interviewers
in the industry.
Another
consideration of your time will be made when you are
determined to fit some opportunities the company may
currently be filling and you are asked to skill or aptitude
test.
Do
you see where all your time has gone? Just understand
that the staffing company is also spending all of this
very expensive time just to determine if you are the
right person to fill positions they have to fill. You
become their reputation when you go out on the job. You
represent their company.
The
Advantages and Benefits of Working with a Staffing company
The
most obvious and already mentioned is the fact that the
employer is going to be paying the freight. Since there
is no cost to you it my suggestion that you will go to
all the staffing companies in your area or out of your
area if you know that they will place you in your industry
of interest. Just allow that you are going to spend a
lot of good, quality time with them. Keep in mind that
the agency is not actually working for you. They have
to make their money and they do so by working for their
paying client. So even though you may feel really good
about how a staffing company interview may have gone
it is not yet time to rest from your job-seeking search.
Speaking
of working for their paying client, keep this in mind:
many of the largest, most highly regarded employers in
the nation will not necessarily post their openings in
any forum but rather assign them to staffing companies.
These companies may not be posting their positions for
several reasons. Perhaps they are "downsizing". A company,
even when downsizing will still have placement requirements
but it may not look good to be advertising openings when
other positions are being cut. They will give the job
order to a staffing company. Perhaps a company is just
overwhelmed with day-to-day matters and doesn't have
time to meet-greet and interview two or three hundred
candidates who may apply.
You
will learn that quite often, the biggest of companies
will actually have staffing companies of choice on-site.
Your interview at ABC Motor Company may actually be with
XYZ Staffing company representing the interests of ABC
Motor Company.
Many
individuals are only trained, experienced and interested
in one field (i.e. manufacturing, engineering, accounting,
etc.). Call around and find staffing companies that specialize
in your field. They are out there if you look.
Temp
Work and Free Agency
Temp
agencies can lead you to a lot of good opportunities
that you could easily miss otherwise. The term being
used today is "Free Agency". This often refers to professionals
who may be looking for full time employment but the opportunities
just may not be there at the moment. The Free Agent can
very regularly land short to long-term assignments paying
very serious money for your very serious skills and talent.
Temping,
regardless of what level, quite often include the Temp
Agency/Staffing Company offering great benefits for your
remaining with them. These can include paid vacation,
medical insurance benefits and more. You need to ask
about all of these possibilities during your initial
interview.
Some
Additional Considerations
Always
bring a few copies of your current, up to date resume.
Always have a list of your references and their contact
information Always dress as you would for an employment
interview…after all, it is! Understand that the
staffing company may not necessarily currently have a
position that may suit you. Know that, even so, they
are not deliberately trying to waste your time. (They
aren't in this business to waste your time or theirs!)
They will know their clients needs and know that a good
possibility exists that a job order could come in at
anytime for a person of your skills. Not many agencies
are just "collecting" resumes…although I won't
say that some may do so.
In
Conclusion
Call
ahead. Find out what your staffing company specializes
in or if they are a full-service agency. Ask them if
they are currently filling any positions that you may
be qualified for.
Find
an agency that suits your "position" in life…are
you entry level, middle management or senior management;
financial, manufacturing, labor, skilled trade or administrative.
All of this is important! Call on all the staffing companies
in your area if not beyond.
Plan
on spending at least an hour or two each time you enter
an agency. This is not unreasonable.
And
finally:
Great
Success to you and your Job Hunting! Having been involved
in the Internet employment business since its inception,
Rick Gillis professionally
speaks to jobseekers on a regular basis in the greater
Houston area. He may be contacted at rick@rickgillis.com.
© 2007
