Reasons Not to Work with a Staffing Agency

Traditionally, staffing agencies have been the go-to source for quick access to available job candidates. Finding the right talent continues to be a huge, time-consuming challenge for many companies. While staffing agencies have successfully helped many companies meet these demands in the past, there are several reasons why you may want to use a more modern, alternative option for your recruiting needs.

The shortcomings of a staffing agency:

IntagHire is an Austin-based “Extended Recruiting Partner” that finds hiring solutions for growing businesses. With modern recruiting methods and sourced social media hiring tools, we act as an extension of your organization to find candidates that align with your business goals and brand needs.

Time Requirement

For the same cost as hiring one senior recruiter, you will have access to an entire recruiting team and the expertise they bring. A lot of time and money is wasted on lengthy hiring processes or outdated technology. Additionally, you can bypass the time/expense of training a junior recruiter and focus on growing your business.

Quantity Over Quality

Most staffing agencies are setup on a business model that encourages them to take on a high number of clients. Their number one goal is to send over as many resumes as possible to increase the likelihood of generating a referral fee. For this reason, they do not spend a lot of time learning about the company and what it takes to be successful there. It is not uncommon that candidates do not have a complete and accurate understanding of the role or the culture before they accept a position. On the flip side, with an RPO model or a contract recruiter, they will take the time to sit down and connect on an individual level, get a better understanding of company culture, and attract candidates who are a better fit.

Too Expensive

Most commonly, staffing agencies will charge either a percentage of employee salary or an upfront fee. If the staffing agency you are considering charges an upfront fee, beware. There is no guarantee that the agency will find the right candidate, meaning they never deliver their end of the bargain. Also, if the right candidate is found and the company wants the right to hire them on as staff before the contract ends, there might be another fee charged. Depending on the role, staffing agency fees could be anywhere from $10-$25k. If your company is looking to fill multiple vacancies, or plans to use outsourced recruiting help on a long-term basis, these fees will add up very quickly. For that same amount or less, you could either use an RPO model or hire multiple contract recruiters, giving your company instant access to a full recruiting team with multiple levels of expertise.

Without a solid recruiting plan and proper training programs in place, it is very difficult to ensure that your employees are going to provide a consistent experience. Finding the right candidate is difficult enough, you want to make sure that once you’ve found them, you treat them well.

If you have worked with a staffing agency in the past and are looking for a better solution, we can help.

At IntagHire, we partner with companies ready to take the next step in their hiring efforts. Whether they are struggling to find desirable applicants, unable to recruit the right talent, or having to make tough decisions regarding unfit hires, we help them find a new approach to hiring.