Applying Through a Staffing Company

I got my first two jobs through a staffing company, then was hired on by a staffing firm where I have worked for over 20 years.

Some agencies are great and others suck - you will probably want to sign on with a few, as another poster mentioned. Don't be deterred by the sucky ones.

Ours is a smaller, "boutique" agency, not one of the big nationals, so I think we tend to give more personal service. You might want to try a couple smaller firms, who frequently have a lot of small business clients, and a couple big nationals, who tend to work with the bigger companies.

Come in dressed professionally for your interview - that will be a huge plus in your favor. And don't be late - staffers and recruiters definitely notice these things.

I usually advise applicants to check in with their recruiter/staffer once a week when trying to get a position - not more or less. More and you are considered kind of pushy. Less and you might get lost in the shuffle. You might even want to ask your interviewer what would be a good day to call or email in.

Contrary to what another poster said, staffing companies actually operate on a very thin margin. It might seem like the spread between the bill rate and pay rate is huge, but we have massive payroll taxes (particularly unemployment), liability insurance, workers comp insurance, disability insurance, and background checking costs, among other things. On top of that, so many of our clients pay us very late - often 3 to 6 months out, and yet we have to pay all of our employees weekly. Sometimes I wonder how we stay in business.

Best of luck in your job search!

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Yup. Worked for a few of them. I LOVED the flexibility and really didn't want a permanent position. I was offered a permanent position at almost every office I was placed. Some of them I was tempted to accept. Others, there's no way on earth I would have worked for them permanently! It's great that you get to try them out as much as they try you out. As another poster said, they will test you on relevant (and sometimes not relevant) skills, so brush up on anything you are interested in doing or listing as a skill on your resume. Good luck to you!

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There are some VERY reputable staffing companies...

i have worked with them and for them in the past. It was great because I got to "test the waters" of the company...it was like I was interviewing them while doing the job....then I could decide if I wanted to stay or not...you have control...you don't like the environment or job? you can ask for a new slot...

GO FOR IT!!!

You will get tested on typing, book keeping skills, etc. depending upon what you do. so be prepared for that! GOOD LUCK!!

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I have. It worked out well for me. That's how I ogt into my current field. They sent me on an assignment. I ended up getting free training, licensing, and accredation though that assignement. That license makes me a commodity, in demand. I will always have job opportunites because of it. I know if I lose my job and want a change, I'll go back to a temp agency.

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I have used staffing or "employment" agencies. In fact, I used to work for one.
There are two in my area. With so many people out of work right now, many employers use staffing agencies to sift through applicants and then send them on to the employer so the employer isn't getting 200 applicants for one position, especially if 90% of them aren't qualified for the position in the first place. The good thing about going through an agency is that they know of open positions for many employers so although you might not be a fit for one, you might be a great candidate for another.
One company, the one I used to work for, is direct hire, meaning if an employer hires you, they pay the agency a fee and then you are the employee of the new employer.
The other agency retains you as THEIR employee for x amount of time. Both agencies do that for temp positions.

The staffing agencies in my area are legit. Employers use them a lot. They see LOTS of people so you want to make a good impression, you want to come across as someone who is confident and comfortable with being sent on multiple interviews with varying types of employers.

I wish you lots of luck with your interview!

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Laura, I hired a good amount of people in the 9 years I managed. Using staffing companies, some were for short-term stints, and some ended up becoming full-time employees. I really LIKED hiring this way. I had hired from ads that were run in the paper, recommendations from people I knew, the gamut. But some of my best people were found through the staffing companies.

The reason I liked it so much was because I got to try the person out. If I didn't really see that person fitting in with the office, or if the task we hired for was truly temporary, I just told the staffing company that we would no longer need them, and that was that. OR, if the person was really a problem, I called and said to send me someone else, and why.

There were several people who I offered full positions after the staffing company's time frame for placing them ran out. Then I just switched them to our payroll, instead of paying the staffing people. In fact, the woman who took my place when I resigned to relocate with my husband, was one of the ladies I hired this way. She stayed in that job until she retired a year ago.

From your perspective, I would think that you would like this because you get to try out the business you would work in, just like they get to try you out. If you like the place, like the work, and like your boss, work really hard to show that you are value-added, and they may ask you to stay!

Good luck!
D.

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I have. I think it's great because I never had to have an interview with the company just the staffing agency. They know what your skills are and they will place you in a company that needs those skills so it works out. I've had 3 good jobs through a temp agency and I had one job that only lasted a week. I refused to work there. It was a family business brokerage company and I was confused on the way they did things from day 1. Very unorganized and unprofessional. But other than that, I loved my other jobs. I don't know how they do it now a days because I'm talking about 10 years ago or so....but I hope it works out for you Good Luck!

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I actually managed a staffing agency for awhile. How it works is you go in, fill out the basic application and the staffing agency interviews you. My advice, treat it as a real interview, dress nice, spit the gum out etc... We take down what you are qualified to do and go from there. Sometimes, companies would contact us and look for us to staff a full/part time permanent position for them. Other times, companies called us to have temp jobs staffed for as little as a couple of hours or up to three months. If we staffed anyone at a job that was to go longer than 3 months, we then have an agreement with the company that says they must hire you on as a permanent employee. For all the odds and ends jobs that came in, we always called the people first who were the most willing to go, rarely turned us down and were on time to the job. For people who always had excuses, didn't show to a job they accepted or were too picky we stopped calling. If we know you are serious, we gladly call you first.

My hubby and I ended up moving to a new state and I had to quit that job, but when we got to the new state, I signed up with a staffing agency myself and did some very decent (sometimes dreadfully boring, but manageable) office type jobs. After about 3 months the staffing agency found me a permanent full time job which I was originally looking for in the first place. So it works:)

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staffing places are great - i have been on both ends of them. the nice thing about looking for work through them, THEY communicate with the employer, so you don't have to go through all of the explanations about lapses in work, etc. as an employer, i don't know what a temp's past is. when/if we get to the point of hiring them on, it's entirely based on what they've done with US in the time they've been a temp. by the time you fill an app with us, the decision has been made and you've been offered a job. so i really like that. it's based on so much more than just a faceless application.

i don't really see a downside, from the temp's side. it's a LOT better odds at finding something. sure it may not be a job as a harvard professor, but it's not usually mcdonald's either. it's honest work and if you have a good work ethic, even if you don't love it, you can work while you find something else. i started out doing data entry as a temp and now 6 years later i am a supervisor and loving the company i work for.

also the agencies we use won't place you if you are currently working a job for them (i.e. you call them and say, "I hate this, would you find me something else while i keep working so i can get paid?" they don't do that) so applying at several might be a good idea, then you can have one or two looking, while you still work. just a thought.

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For my last 3 jobs I've found 2 of them through staffing agencies. I've always done "temp to perm" where I work through the staffing agency for 12 weeks then the company officially hires me. When I got laid off last month, I signed up with 5 staffing agencies, and ended up with a couple of interviews through them. I ended up finding my current job through an old coworker, now I work for her mom, but in my experience, staffing agencies can be helpful.

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I went through a similar company but it was for temp. work. It worked out because I was four months pregnant. The job was originally supposed to be for three months but ended when I had my daughter. I know through the temp work you don't get any benefits or anything because you're not considered an "employee". You have your supervisor sign your time card and turn it into the staffing company. You also go through testing and such as Cheryl mentioned. The only thing is it was confusing because the staffing company stated to call THEM if
I were going to be running late or calling in sick or whatever and I would just tell my supervisor (I temped at a bank), I had to go to dr. appts since I was pregnant to I figured it was just easier like that. Good luck!

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I am not a huge fan of staffing companies and I am on the employer, hiring side. I always interview candidates using a staffing company. It's a layer of protection for the employer. We can try an employee for any period of time and call thenagency that sent them and say were done with Sally, please stop sending her. not that we do that. It's also very expensive to the employer to hire through agency. The employer will pay 25-30% of one yr salary to hire that person, with little guarantees. Thats a big risk on an employers part plus You lose negotiating power if you allow someone else to send you on a job. It works for short term employment but ive never
seen anyone get a decent long term job out of an agency. maybe it will work out but I am skeptical of staffing agencies, they are all about making money for themselves!

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What your describing is a temporary agency. Yes, I've used them several times throughout my career. Depending on what type of field this is for, expect not only to have an interview, but also to be put through a testing process.