Finding employment can be a daunting task. One important, but sometimes overlooked resource is reaching out to local staffing agencies. To get you started, here are 5 things you should know:
#1) What Do Staffing Agencies Do?
Staffing Agencies are the matchmakers of the employment world. They recruit on behalf of businesses to find talent. And they work with candidates to match them up with opportunities based on their goals, needs, and skill sets. These positions can be temporary, temporary to hire, or direct to hire.
#2) Why Do Businesses Utilize Staffing Agencies?
From the candidate perspective, the job application and hiring process can be long and involved, and it is just as long and involved for employers. That’s where Staffing Agencies step in, handling the paperwork, screening, and onboarding process for businesses, and saving them time.
#3) What Types of Positions Do Staffing Agencies Offer?
There are different types of staffing agencies, those that focus on a particular area, for example, medical or accounting, and those that work in a wide range of of arenas such as administrative support, human resources, finance/accounting, consumer goods, and more. Find out ahead of time what type of positions you’ll be in the running for.
#4) What Are the Benefits of Working with a Staffing Agency?
Staffing Agencies provide candidates with excellent “foot in the door” opportunities. This can be especially helpful for college students to explore career goals and see if a company/position is the right fit. Staffing Agencies also save candidates time! They expand opportunities while streamlining the search process. They can also provide valuable insights into company culture and assist with resume building and job interviewing skills.
#5) How to sign up with an agency and what to expect afterwards
Most offer quick online applications. Then a recruiter will reach out to you for a phone interview. After that, you may be offered an in-person interview with the Agency and from there a potential interview with a business that meets your skills and qualifications.
The job search process can be overwhelming, and there are a wide variety of avenues you can pursue. Agencies like ours are an often underutilized resource that can offer you access to information and roles that you may not have considered previously.
Hannah Fanton, ‘06
Client Services Supervisor & Recruiter
Spherion Staffing
HannahFanton@Spherion.com