Factor to consider when hiring a staffing agent

Seeking a job can be a traumatizing experience. Whether you want assistance in securing temporary or long-term employment, sending emails, going through job listings, networking with former colleagues, and making phone calls can be discouraging and exhausting. Therefore, involving a staffing agency is an ideal option for any job seeker in that it saves time and boosts your confidence. Engaging a staffing agency ensures that you have somebody on your side to promote your skills and talent directly to hiring managers and companies who require your expertise. 

However, with many staffing agencies in the market, you need to know how to find the one that best suits your needs. Here are some factors to consider when looking for an employment agency:

Types of jobs in which they specialize

Some staffing agencies focus on jobs in particular fields such as health, construction, manufacturing, or warehousing. Others will have jobs in many several areas but might lack an area that fits your background. To know what a specific agency deals with, you should look at its job listings or website.

The geographic region the agency covers

Many large staffing agencies cover vast areas that may sound great: they can probably offer you several employment opportunities. However, it might mean that you get job offers that involve a 90 plus minute drive or jobs that need relocation, which might not be in your plan. Suppose your wish is to work near home. In that case, you should engage a local agency or ensure that the recruiter understands all the parameters of your job hunt, particularly your commuting requirements.

The ability of staffing specialist to meet directly with me 

If you have been presenting your CV online to websites or job boards for an extended period, face to face meeting with a staffing agency specialist can give you a chance to market yourself past your resume. However, if that specialist has no authority at the agency, a face-to-face meeting might not help. It would be best if you thus tried to find out whether it is possible to meet with the decision-makers. 

The agencies experience and their staff’s rate of turnover

New staffing agencies are starting up, and it is a good thing since it implies that the industry is growing. Nevertheless, if the rate of staff turnover is high or if there is a lack of leadership, it could be a red flag. 

Testimonials

Ask the staffing agency to show you some testimonials. Moreover, you can check online reviews to learn about the success rate of the agency and their previous client’s satisfaction. One occasional negative review is expected, but you should be careful if there is a pattern of troubling issues.

Fees charged for their services

Some recruiters charge candidates for the services offered, but a staffing agency's payment is often paid to the companies that hire them to recruit candidates to work for them. Therefore, it would be appropriate to confirm whether you will be charged for the services before you decide to engage an employment agency. 

While a serious job hunt always involves a high level of hustle, a staffing agency serves as your cover letter with direct access to recruiters with real job opportunities. You thus need to do proper homework and get the appropriate employment agency.

3 Things To Do When Hiring a New Employee

Hiring a new employee to work for you can be exciting and overwhelming. There are many different things you need to make sure you cover to protect yourself as well as make their onboarding process enjoyable. The best thing to do is stay organized and have a system down for all new employees that you bring on. This will save you time and money in the long run.

Run a Background Check

One of the first things you will want to do is find a background check company that you can use to run a check on your new employee. Normally this will cover any federal and state issues that the person may have had. You may also want to do a drug screening test as well. Once you know their record it is up to you to decide if you want them to work for you or not. Depending on their past, it could be a safety issue to have the employee working for you. It is important to make sure they are going to be reliable, trustworthy, and follow all the rules.

Give Them New Hire Paperwork

There are a lot of forms that need to be completed when you hire someone. Some examples include an I9, direct deposit form, and W4. Before you can pay someone or even have them start work, these need to be complete. Many employers keep a packet on file for all new workers. That way they don't miss anything and can keep themselves organized. Be sure to save all paperwork for that employee in case there is ever an issue in the future.

Start Training

Once your new employee has passed their background check and completed the paperwork they are ready to start training. Training is one of the most important things a new employer can do for their employee. In order to get the best return on your investment, you need to give your workers all the tools and knowledge they will need to complete the job correctly. The training period should last as long as needed to retain the information. After the employee has completed his or her training they will be ready to start working for you.

All of these things are just a few important steps in the onboarding process. You can add anything else that you feel is important, just always make sure to protect yourself and take care of your people.

4 Ways To Find Employees That Are Serious About Work

As tough as it is to find a good job, it's also increasingly difficult to find good employees. If you're the owner of a company, or in charge of hiring, you know it's a challenge to find good workers that are dedicated to their job. If you're considering reevaluating the way you hire, here are four suggestions that can help you locate and retain candidates that are serious about a career.

Get Help From an Agency

When you're running a business, it's hard to eke out time to review dozens of job applications, much less holding intensive interviews. Instead, find employees with the help of Boston staffing firms. When you work with this type of agency, you won't need to weed through candidates yourself. They'll already be prescreened and possess the skills you require. This works well if you're looking for just one employee or several for multiple positions.

Pay Attention to Job Histories

If you're reviewing resumes on your own, pay close attention to an applicant's prior job experience. This is one circumstance where you want to concentrate on quality and not quantity. When someone has a string of short-term jobs that weren't meant to be temporary, this could be a red flag. Be sure to follow up with past employers and get the real story.

Call on References

References are there for a reason, but many applicants seem to think nobody really calls on them. Make sure you do. It's important to verify that references are really from supervisors and bosses, not friends pretending to be someone else. Make phone calls and do your homework until you're positive you've got the right person for the job.

Always Trust Your Instinct

Above all, always trust your gut instinct. If something about the applicant doesn't sit well, or you feel like they're demanding a lot, don't ignore your feelings. Signs of something that might not quite right include a person asking a lot of questions about vacation time, or someone that appears to be setting their own rules. These are clues that the employee could be in trouble even before they're hired.

Find the Right Person

Searching for high-quality employees is certainly an involved process, but when you find the right person, it can bring incredible balance to the workplace. Valuable employees are the ones that will stick by you and become assets to your business, so make sure you search for them carefully.

Hiring Your First Employee: A Guide

One of the most significant milestones for any start-up business is the day you hire your very first employee. Larger businesses often have a dedicated HR professional or department who manages the process of onboarding new staff, but this is your first employee, so it’s unlikely you have anyone with that kind of knowledge. There are some key steps to follow when hiring and managing your employees to protect both your company and the employee. If you are about to take on your first employee, these points will help you to make sure you’re compliant with local, state and federal employment regulations.

Employee Identification Number

The IRS needs to assign your business a unique 9-digit Employee Identification Number (EIN). This keeps a record of your business entity as legally allowed to employ people. You can get this number by applying on the IRS website, over the phone, or by submitting a written application by mail or fax.

Check work eligibility for each employee

You need to check that your new employee is legally able to work in the US. You will not need to submit a form to the government, but you should complete IRS Form I-9 to satisfy U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). On the final page of the form, you will find what the list of documentation new employees must present to you, their employer, to verify they are authorized to work in the US whether they are a citizen or not.

Meet tax reporting standards (state and federal)

The amount of unemployment tax you pay will depend on whether your workers are independent contractors or employees. For example, independent contractors are responsible for filing and paying their own taxes and Social Security but you will need to pay taxes to the Federal government. If you are employing full or part-time staff, you will be responsible for withholding specific taxes depending on how many allowances the employee is entitled to. You can find out more in the Employer’s Tax Guide by the IRS.

Tell your state’s directory

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act stipulates that all employers have to report new-hire data to their state’s directory. Usually, this should happen within 20 days of the hiring date but there are exceptions to this in some states.  

Get workers’ compensation insurance

You need to ensure you have adequate workers compensation insurance to protect both your employees and your business should an employee be injured, develop an illness or die in the course of their work duties. The insurance is there to support the employee and prevent businesses from being financially liable for their medical expenses and lost income.

Display worker’s rights on the premises

Most employers in nearly all states are required by law to display the most up to date information relating to state and federal workers’ rights. This could be done by displaying posters in common areas of the business where everyone has the opportunity to see them. To find out which posters you are required to display you should consult the U.S. Department of Labor’s Poster Advisor page.