How to Compare Local Staffing Agencies

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By Lorna Faires

Topics: Staffing Services

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How_to_Compare_Local_Staffing_Agencies.jpgTrying to choose a staffing agency to work with is no small task. Whether you’re a hiring manager or a job seeker, you want to partner with the agency that can help you the most. Hiring managers want to hire the best and most talented people. Job seekers want to find the right job for them.

A local staffing agency, like Liberty Staffing, helps job seekers and hiring managers alike. Not all agencies are created equal, however. How can you compare local staffing agencies and partner with the best of the best?

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 Ask About Industries

Some staffing agencies are very large entities. They operate across the country and they serve many different industries. They may not be able to provide the best customer service.

It may be why you’re going local anyway. You want someone who knows your community, the local employers, and the job scene. If you’re looking to hire, you want their expert advice on where you can find the best candidates in your community. If you’re looking for work, you want their guidance about which employers you’d fit in with.

One thing you can do is ask about which industries your local staffing agencies serve. Some of them will serve virtually every industry in your community. Others will serve a more niche clientele in particular industries. Going with a niche agency could be the key to finding the candidates you need or the jobs you want.

Talk About History

How long has this local staffing agency been serving the area you’re operating in? If you’ve just moved, you want to know you’re working with someone who has a deep knowledge of their community!

A job seeker who has just moved in likely doesn’t want to partner with a local agency who just opened up shop. Neither of them is going to know the lay of the land. The same is true of an employer who’s hiring to staff their new office or plant. They need someone with knowledge of the community to ensure they’re truly finding the candidates they need.

Check Out the Paper

One way of checking in on local staffing agencies’ track records is to unfold your local newspaper or other local publications. Magazines and online community sites can share some insights about what it’s like to work with this local agency over another.

There are usually a few local staffing agencies in any community. Most newspapers run Readers’ Choice Awards and there’s very often a category for staffing agencies. Check out who’s leading the pack in the latest polls. Chances are these are the best local staffing agencies to work with.

Other publications may also have similar insights into who’s leading the pack when it comes to customer service.

Survey Your Colleagues

Job seekers may be able to get this information more easily than hiring managers, but you can also ask around. Job seekers: ask your friends, family members, and colleagues about which local staffing agencies they’ve worked with in the past. Chances are they’ll recommend one over another.

Hiring managers can also ask around, perhaps a bit less obviously, to see which agencies their colleagues have worked with or will recommend. Another local company may not give you the name of the agency they work with and the agency may not name its clients. Nonetheless, you may be able to determine who is working with whom.

Ask About Results

Any staffing agency worth its salt should be able to show you some case studies about how they’ve helped either job candidates or employers. They should have a proven track record of making great matches between job seekers and the companies looking to hire.

If you do your research, a clear winner should emerge. Comparing local staffing agencies doesn’t need to be difficult, so long as you keep these tips in hand. Partner with Liberty Staffing Services today!

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Lorna Faires

I have over 15 years of experience in the staffing industry, in a management role. I possess a strong background in recruitment, screening, and connecting candidates with the right employment opportunities. I love all animals, but especially my 3 dogs. Hiking and canoeing are my passions, and getting out into nature and being unplugged is my favourite way to spend my vacations.

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