By Marc Poirier, General Manager of Abbey Placements LLC

Eary had been working through us for four and a half years. She was reliable and well known by our staff because she stopped by the office weekly to pick up her paycheck and chat about her job. Then one day, as sometimes happens, she was laid off. The first thing she did after being laid off was come to our office. Within minutes, we had another job for her. It was a temporary, but it kept her working until a second temporary job came up. Two months after the second temporary job began, Eary was hired a third time into a more permanent position. She has been there nearly a year since. Her employment never faltered and her benefits remained the same throughout all the jobs she worked.

There are many reasons to work with a staffing agency and sometimes their value is not obvious. From a job seeker’s standpoint, staffing companies may be an effective way to get a job and keep working because they have inside information about companies and offer personal help to individual candidates.

This week, we will explore the not-so-obvious benefits that job seekers receive from working with a staffing company. Next week, we will look at not-so-obvious benefits that employers receive from working with a staffing company.

Staffing Agency Benefits for Job Seekers

1. Knowledge of Unadvertised Jobs – Some companies only hire through their staffing agencies. You won’t find their job postings anywhere other than the agency. Also, because of their close relationship with their client companies, staffing agencies may know of job openings before they officially become available even if the company does post them separate from the agency. By working with staffing agencies, you’ll get early access to some jobs.

2. Knowledge of Key Decision Points – The recruiters within the staffing agencies often know the preferences and key decision points of their client company’s hiring manager. This inside information may allow you to address their concerns, even if the hiring managers don’t explicitly tell you their concerns during the interview. The recruiter may tell you things about the hiring manager like:
   • Bob wants someone planning to stay long-term and willing to train
   • Robin will only hire someone who can demonstrate they’re detailed
   • Jason disqualified the previous candidate because she hesitated when he asked about her comfort with computers

3. Previewing the Company – Talking to the staffing agency allows you to ask questions about the company and get answers from a more unbiased source than the company itself. The recruiters will often help you identify things like:
   • The people who are key decision makers in different areas
   • The temperament of the people who would be your bosses
   • What advancement is available within the company

4. Job Coaching – By working with a recruiter, you can get professional feedback on yourself as a candidate. Recruiters are often happy to provide feedback on:
   • Your resume
   • Appropriate dress attire for specific positions
   • Wage expectations
   • Your body language during interviews

5. Back-to-Back Jobs – Staffing companies often reassign employees immediately to new jobs if they’ve been laid off. Recruiters want to send good workers to their clients, so if you were a good worker they will often go out of their way to rehire you somewhere else. Keep in contact with your staffing company after being laid off and often you will find yourself employed again soon.

6. It’s Free – Nearly all staffing agencies charge the client companies, not the job seekers. This means you get all the benefits listed above and won’t pay a thing!

Working with a staffing company does not guarantee that you will get a job, but often it will open opportunities and give personalized help to your search.

Come back next week for part 2 where we will explore the benefits to employers!