As a reminder, transactions are measured by activity. Partnerships are measured by results and outcomes.
Human resources professionals, operations managers and other decision maker engaging with temporary staffing to get work done are ultimately measured on two factors: 1) results and outcomes (production and quality) and 2) achieving corporate goals.
When choosing a staffing agency, you get what you pay for. Choosing a staffing agency based on price alone ends up choosing firms that focus more on transactions and activity instead of aligning with your firm to achieve results and expected outcomes. This is the difference between providing labor that puts in the hours vs. resources focused on getting what you need done, on time and under budget.
Choosing a staffing agency based on how well the staffing agency understands and is aligned with your company’s goals for results and outcomes builds a foundation for a long-term partnership.
Here’s three ways evaluate your staffing agency relationship.
- Do you trust your staffing agency as a partner? It could be that you think of your staffing agency as an outsider, not part of your business. Or, it could be that your staffing agency has not earned your trust, and doesn’t know their value to your operation. Either way, you need to trust your staffing agency, and they need to earn your trust. Your staffing agency needs to be intimately aware that they are trusted to deliver.
- Can you share internal goals critical to achieve? Does your staffing agency go through a regular inquiry and discovery process to understand your business, the effect of economics on your business and how you serve your customers? Your agency should have a deep interest in, and know what corporate, fiscal, operational, or other objectives you need to achieve using their temporary staffing services. If they ask “how many temps do you need?” without first understanding your business objective, you might pay for transactions, and not achieve results and expected outcomes.
- Do they ask how they can help you more? Do you ask your staffing agency to participate as part of your company? And, do they ask how they can help more? A partnership means that two parties are working together to achieve more than each could achieve alone. That means each party involves the other in developing plans, and collaborating during execution. In terms of temporary staffing, if your staffing agency is waiting for you to tell them what to do, they may be focused more on billing you for transactions, and less on ensuring you achieve.
When you consider these questions, be very honest as you ponder the answers. There’s always some firm that will tell you they will do it cheaper. Your customers won’t be customers for long, if cheaper translates into delivery, quality or experience failures down the road. If the agency you work with and the temporary staff they provide are not driven to help you achieve the same corporate objectives full time employees are held accountable, that’s an issue to address sooner, than later.
Barton Staffing Solutions strives to build partnerships with its clients. Strengthening relationships for the long-term, and in an equitable arrangement for both parties in the partnership always produced the best results and outcomes possible. Call us today to learn more how we can help your company achieve goals.
