In the world of staffing, only the best survives; staffing is a marathon, not a sprint. There are hundreds to thousands of competitors in this race, with plenty of time to strive for the front lines. Without endurance and drive to reach the finish line, no one will make it far. To be successful in this industry, you’ve got to work hard and get the essential things right. Staffing agencies that routinely utilize these key factors are the most successful, lucrative and long-lasting in the industry.

Respect is the Minimum

In this transformative age, do you compete or collaborate? Across all industries, having the right internal staff is a key component to your businesses success. You’d be shocked at how many stories we hear about how crudely other agencies treat their applicants and former employees. Regardless of how far the business relationship may or may not go, treating each person with respect is a necessity. Your largest applicant source is driven from your candidate searching and referrals. If you treat them terribly, the last thing they’ll do is send their friends and family your way; recruiters and sales team alike.

I’m a firm believer that sales and recruiting teams are equals. We rely on each other to achieve the same result; placing and retaining high-quality talent and unrivaled customer/client experience. At V-Soft Consulting, both recruiting and sales are on the same commission plan which drives teamwork and focuses on the success of a placement that benefits our client and the candidate. 

Quality Over Quantity

Qualifying the right candidates for openings is the key to recruiting.  While finding applicants to interview is quite easy to do all day long we must realize sending candidates to inadequate opportunities harms your company's reputation and reduces confidence in your openings. 

• Reputation is everything, be consistent and focus on the result not the process.
• Build an amazing interview process. 
• Keep in mind people never forget the way that you make them feel

I truly believe a quality over quantity approach is one of the key components that make a strong recruiting process. 

Recruiting is more than just finding qualified people, it is understanding the needs of your business meeting the goals of the candidate, which is the magic recipe."

-Kevin Haas, Director of Recruiting  

Know Your Industry

Less does not equate to more in the staffing industry. Acquiring knowledge of your industry and job openings is a priority. If you don’t understand the industry you’re recruiting for, it will be tough to find the right fit. Also in a candidate’s market, recruiters must sound knowledgeable on the industry and technology they’re recruiting for or risk losing that candidate to your competition. 

For example you have a candidate in your pool of talent that may qualify for a different job offer than the one you initially entered them in for - you don’t want to lose that candidate’s information because you may not be able to get in first base contact with them again. Streamlining your candidates based off their skill sets will keep good order to your recruiting process, not to mention eliminating extra time put into sourcing. Seek out a system that meets your requirements in parsing and streamlining resumes.

Develop a “Special Touch”

I’ve been working in the staffing industry for over 10 years and held various roles including Sourcer, Recruiter, Account Manager and have now found my passion leading a recruiting team. No matter the role, when it comes to communication, you need to adapt to each candidate. Each candidate is more responsive via a different communication outlet. Some candidates prefer text, some phone calls, while others are more receptive to LinkedIn or email messages, learn their preference and follow through, 

We are all aware of how crucial the candidate's experience is to the success of your business. Ensuring that they feel valued is a key component. We’ve developed a robust “High Touch Program” to get personal with our candidates. This program consists of first-day welcome packages for consultants, bi-weekly calls to check-in, birthday/anniversary cards and monthly candidate lunches. This program has had a large impact on our ability to consistently redeploy consultants after they finish a project. Find your “special touch” that makes your business processes better to have greater success in attracting, keeping, and gaining referral from quality candidate pools.  

About the Author

Kevin Haas has been excelling in the staffing industry and related industries for over ten years.  He has taken on various roles including Sourcer, Recruiter, AE, BDM and Recruiting Manager. Living in Denver makes it easy for him to get outside and stay active. Kevin enjoys snowboarding, hiking, and mountain biking as his weekend fun when he isn't finding amazing careers for talented candidates.

Kevin boasts that he has become quite a "foodie" over the past few years and enjoys trying new restaurants and challenges you to share a local place he hasn't tried yet. Let Kevin take you to lunch here or connect with him on LinkedIn here.