The Doctor Will See You Now

Deciding to use a staffing firm is like deciding to go to the doctor. You ask yourself, “Do I really need to, or is this problem something I can take care of myself?”, “Will they be able to diagnose my problem?”, “Will they need to run special tests in order to find a cure?” Depending on your company’s symptoms, a staffing firm could be the cure you need, especially after a pandemic!

Do You Have an Appointment or Is This Urgent?

Some people go to a doctor preventatively for a wellness visit, some only when they’re sick, and others go only if they absolutely have to (ER STAT!) The same is true when companies use a Staffing Agency.

Companies who plan ahead use a Staffing Agency to help them with their employee needs. They see big projects, an increase in sales, or a busy season coming up on the horizon. Some companies have monthly training classes that need to be filled on an ongoing basis and staffing agencies have candidates coming through their doors on an ongoing basis as well.

Other companies wait until there is a particular need for a position to be filled: a pending retirement, promotion, or a gradual realization of increased workload. This upcoming need leads companies to collaborate with a staffing agency to search for the best candidates they can find to cure their impending staffing issue.

Still, other organizations use a Staffing Agency when they needed a candidate yesterday. A sudden vacancy or medical leave emerges and leaves a company with no time to plan. A staffing agency can help run triage to fill the emergency gap with their database of candidates who are looking for temporary work and are ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Paging Dr. Staffing Manager

The more symptoms you reveal to your doctor, the better they are able to diagnose the problem and come up with a possible cure. A good staffing firm will take a formal job description, along with specific skills and characteristics a hiring manager is looking for in an employee, and continue to ask questions:

What is the history of this position?

Has this been a difficult to fill position in the past (turnover is high)?

Why is there a need for this position (newly created, impending medical leave or retirement, etc.)?

Are there any coworker personality challenges?

Is the Supervisor for this position hands-on or hands-off?

How would you describe the work environment?

Should candidates be self-sufficient?

Work well with a team?

Doctors and Staffing Managers need to be great listeners who pay attention to what people say, what they don’t say and what they’re trying to say but can’t quite articulate.

Great staffing firms will also do a site visit if at all possible. They will want to know where they are sending their candidates and what kind of work environment they can expect. A physical examination gives the doctor much more information than just speaking with their patients on the phone.

Do You Have Any Allergies?

A doctor can come up with what they think is the best cure for your symptoms, but if you are allergic to the medicine, it won’t work at best and at worst, it could create more problems. An ideal candidate with the education, experience and skills can be presented, but if their personality doesn’t match with a company’s culture, the results will be disappointing.

This is why revealing information beyond job duties can be more important:

Is the work environment fast-paced?

Quiet? Serious, but also fun-loving?

Do coworkers break out into song when Alexa plays their favorite tune?

Does everyone burn the midnight oil to get a project done every now and then?

Is it a ghost-town at 4:59 pm?

Does the team go out for happy hour every Thursday?

Will the candidate need to be able to handle strong personalities?

Does everyone know that the boss’s tee-time is at 7:00 am, so don’t call them until NOON?

These tidbits of information about what it’s like to work at a company can be what makes or breaks a working relationship. We once had an employee tell us they would not be going back to our client after their first day. The problem? The office was too quiet. No talking, no radio, no excitement for that particular employee. The person had the skills and abilities for the position, but this particular medicine was wrong for this particular patient.

We’ll Need to Run Some Tests

Doctors order many different kinds of tests in order to collect more information for a more accurate diagnosis. Staffing companies don’t order their clients to take tests, but testing can give them a more accurate picture of their applicants. Office skills tests, reasoning and behavioral assessments can reveal information about a potential candidate that an interview just can’t. Someone can tell you they are the greatest problem solver, but until you ask them to problem-solve, you can’t know for sure if this is true. An applicant’s resume can say they type 216 words per minute, but until they can prove it, the numbers mean nothing.

Sometimes, the doctor will refer you to a specialist who will run additional tests if what you have is difficult to diagnose. Many times, staffing companies can offer specialized testing for positions when it’s difficult to determine a candidate’s skills through an interview. General Ledger Accounting tests and behavioral assessments (such as DiSC, https://www.discprofile.com/what-is-disc/overview/) for candidates or internal teams are just a few examples of tests that can be done to determine skill level or whether someone’s approach to work will work well with their internal team.

Take 3 Candidates and Call Me in the Morning (Feedback is Important)

When the doctor finally prescribes a medication or physical therapy regimen, it’s important for them to follow up with you to see how it’s working. Similarly, it’s important for companies to provide feedback on candidates they’ve interviewed. Whether you plan on hiring a candidate or not, giving feedback after an interview pays off in the long run. Not only does it help a staffing manager narrow down the type of candidate you are looking for, feedback helps to build a positive employer brand. Many candidates don’t hear back from companies after an interview and feel just as “ghosted” as if they went on a date and never heard from the person again. Candidates who receive feedback will appreciate it and still want to work for your company in the future. They are more likely to share their positive experience. Feedback is a vital component in the doctor/patient relationship.

Finding a “Cure” (Filling a Position with a Qualified Candidate)

Finding a cure depends on diagnosing symptoms to the best of our abilities. Whether performing a long-term search or filling an immediate need, it’s to everyone’s benefit to let the doctor know about all of your possible symptoms in order to make the proper diagnosis. Leaving important pieces of information out may lead the doctor down the wrong path, leading them to believe a specific cure will work, when in fact it won’t or can’t. The last thing any good Staffing company wants is to fill a position with a candidate that does not work out. In doctor lingo they say “Primum non nocere” – “First, do no harm.”

The Transplant Was a Success. There Were No Complications.

Getting help from a doctor or a staffing firm should never give you anxiety. Our business is to help your business get better – better employees, better teams, better working relationships. “Better” is not a destination – it’s a journey. Being open and upfront with your staffing firm will lead to a long and healthy working relationship.

TriStarr is consistently ranked as one of the best staffing firms in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area. Skilled in customer service and consulting, TriStarr’s teams are able to offer expertise in staffing services, recruiting, HR management, hiring needs, and temp-staffing. If your business is in need of finding top talent for open positions, TriStarr can help. Interested candidates seeking work can also apply on our website for any open positions available. Contact us today to see how we can partner together.