3 things to ask potential staffing agencies

So many organizations right now are struggling to find, attract, and hire talent (let alone get them to show up on their first day of work!). Of course, you know that partnering with the right staffing firm can give you a leg up on the competition and can help you considerably decrease the time and costs associated with recruiting.

But, as I mentioned last month, it can be difficult to tell staffing firms apart. This is especially true when you’re busy. Although it can be tempting to give the green light to whoever calls (after all, you need help!), taking the time to ask a few questions and really vet potential staffing vendors can help improve your recruitment brand, while delivering more, better candidates and a long-term strategic edge.

Vetting potential staffing partners doesn’t have to be time consuming. In fact, you can do an adequate job while you’re on that initial call. To start, ask these questions and listen carefully to the responses (you may even want to follow up on some of them if the answers intrigue you!).

1. If I talked to a random professional from your database, what would they say about you?

You can learn a lot about a staffing firm by the way they treat their candidates and consultants. And when a staffing firm treats candidates or consultants poorly, it can negatively impact their performance for your business, their likelihood to ghost, and their potential for a longer-term contract or permanent position.

In other words, unhappy consultants can cost you more than if you had recruited them yourselves!

Watch out for salespeople who evade this or other questions. They should quickly and confidently share positive feedback with you — and even offer to share links to some written testimonials, if need be.

2. What would a current client say about you?

Conversely, the client perspective is equally, if not more, important. You should really push for recent client testimonials (especially for the types of roles you’ll be filing) here as well.

If you do get an opportunity to speak with a client, ask about timeliness, quality of communications, quality of talent — all of those factors that will make the biggest impact on their success when working with your organization.

You can even flip this question around a bit and ask a potential staffing firm to talk about what they do well, or what they could do better. A staffing firm that’s willing to talk about their what they do and what they don’t do is more likely to be honest and forthcoming throughout your relationship.

3. Tell me about your typical client? What areas do you specialize in?

This question can help you weed out staffing “generalists” who are more likely to have a massive network of talent. The problem is, how many of them are relevant to your organization and the types of roles you’ll be filling?

Specialized staffing firms have unparalleled expertise and networking within their vertical or area of expertise. Here at Tech2, for example, we live and breathe Salesforce (and have for well over a decade). We attend Dreamforce alongside the talent we recruit, we talk to hiring managers and clients about their Salesforce challenges and needs, and we understand what Salesforce developers, admins, and architects are looking for in a role or employer.

Those types of insights and that level of expertise is what differentiates between a vendor and a partner. And here at Tech2, we are able to deliver highly engaged, qualified talent that is well-suited to your openings quickly and efficiently. That expertise doesn’t come at a cost, it comes in addition to the level of speed and service the “generalists” promise.

Ask us any questions; we’re here to help.

The team here at Tech2 is passionate about delivering a great experience for our candidates and consultants, and exceptional results for our clients. We are happy to answer your questions and show you the difference that comes with partnering with a specialized, Salesforce recruiting team. To learn more, contact us today.

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