It’s time to find that perfect candidate, the “purple squirrel” as we say in the recruiting business, but you’re not sure where to start. You’ve been told you might find it useful to work with a recruiter, but you have no idea what that means. Each time you ask yourself, “How do staffing agencies work?” you get more daunted than the last.

It’s time to change all that, friend. Your company deserves the best employees, but determining who they are from a large pool of candidates is a learned skill. That’s where recruiters come in: we’ve honed that skill to a fine point over our years in the industry. Today, we help employers with the hiring process, from start to end. If you’re wondering what it’s like to work with a recruiter, wonder no longer: here are some of your most important questions about the process, answered.

How Do You Start the Process?

The first step is to share your hiring requirements with the staffing agency. The recruiter’s job is to turn your needs into a robust job description that they can put out via their various channels, including job boards, social media, and contacts at other recruiting agencies.

Who Selects Candidates?

Both you and the recruiter will select candidates. The staffing firm’s job is to cull through the initial resumes to find the best one to three, or in rare cases, more. You will be choosing between and most likely interviewing the candidates sent to you by a staffing firm, after which it’s your job to choose the best person for the position.

For Whom Does The Candidate Work?

Some staffing agencies simply hand the candidate over to the company for immediate hire. Other staffing agencies find employees for your company on a temporary basis and therefore handle the hiring and termination, as well as wages and taxes. At the end of a specific amount of time, you have the option of hiring the person or letting them go. This is a great way to do a trial run and see if the candidate is a good fit.

There’s A Fee, Right?

Yes, there is a fee. Most staffing agencies work on a contingency fee basis, which means they don’t get paid until you find your candidate. At that point, you will pay them the fee, usually a percentage of your new hire’s starting salary. For temporary workers, the fee structure is different, so you’ll have to ask the staffing firm.

Why Hire A Staffing Company When I Can Do The Search Myself?

Good question. Staffing agencies spend 100 percent of their time honing the skills needed to find the best candidates. Even your HR department doesn’t have that kind of expertise. Plus, staffing agencies remove a lot of the burden of the search, pre-screening, and often interviewing candidates before they send them on to you. This saves you time and money, especially since you don’t have to pay a fee unless you choose to hire someone.

Now that you understand a bit better what it’s like to work with a staffing company, perhaps you will consider using one for your next candidate search. Here at Premier Talent Partners, we would love to be that company. Get in touch with us today and learn more about how we can help simplify your hiring process.