When you’re looking to expand your team, partnering with a staffing firm is an intelligent choice. You’ll get access to more talent in a near instant, as well as ample support that can streamline hiring processes, improve the candidate experience, and reduce costs.
However, not all recruitment agencies are created equal. If you need to choose a new company to partner with, here are five red flags when working with a staffing firm that you should know.
1. No Proven Track Record
When you’re choosing a staffing firm, a track record of success is essential. Regardless of how long the recruitment agency has operated, it’s wise to think twice about moving forward without a clear demonstration of its ability to meet or exceed client company expectations.
Request references from the recruitment firm itself. Additionally, connect with your network and connect independent research, such as by checking employer-provided online reviews. The goal is to get an honest assessment from several reputable sources, allowing you to see if the staffing agency can actually deliver on its promises.
2. Subpar Information Gathering
For a staffing firm to be effective, it needs to understand details about the job, how your company operates, the manager’s expectations, and the overall company culture. If a recruitment agency begins launching a candidate search without gathering pertinent details, that’s a red flag.
Whether it’s a mark of inexperience, poor organization, or subpar time management can vary. However, without the right information, your results suffer. As a result, it’s better to go with a staffing firm that spends time getting to know your company and its needs.
3. Costs Far Above Industry Norms
While every staffing firm has its own pricing structure, costs far above industry norms without clear justifications are a red flag. This is particularly true for any upfront fees, as high upfront costs aren’t common. In fact, many recruitment firms don’t charge for their services without a placement, so upfront fees of any kind aren’t typical in the industry.
Most recruitment agencies focus on accessibility, working with companies to come up with figures that align with their budgets while supporting the staffing firm’s operations. As a result, complex and cumbersome fee structures are uncommon.
4. Poor Communication or Availability
When a recruitment agency falls short when it comes to communication, that’s a red flag. While nearly all of them are eager to secure your business, reputable staffing firms also keep the lines of communication open. They’ll respond to questions quickly, follow up on interviews, find out if placements are working out over time, and otherwise work to keep you (and themselves) informed.
If you’re getting any level of radio silence or frequent claims that your recruitment team is unavailable, that’s a warning sign. As a result, it’s usually best to move on to a different provider.
5. Questionable Attention to Detail
When engaging with your recruitment team, ensuring they’re detail-oriented is essential. Whether it’s typos in contacts, forgetting a key job requirement, or anything similar, that’s a potential sign of a subpar staffing agency.
Reputable recruiters know that the details matter, so they’re diligent about collecting them. Keep that in mind when choosing a provider, as you’ll get better results if attention to detail is part of the equation.
Bottom Line
Ultimately, partnering with the best staffing firm based on your needs is a must. As a result, it’s wise to watch out for all of the red flags above, ensuring you connect with a reputable company that can genuinely deliver top-tier results.
At Essium, we help top-quality recruitment agencies bridge the talent gap and connect with in-demand candidates faster. Our onboarding technology is definitively designed with the recruitment industry in mind, ensuring staffing firms can provide an engaging candidate experience while modernizing internal processes. Schedule a consultation call with us today!
