Every recruitment agency is only as good as the talent on its books. This is especially true in temporary recruitment, where the workers you provide rely on you for multiple placements, and your clients expect the best candidates.

But recruitment is a competitive industry, and those temporary workers have their pick of the litter when it comes to agencies. To stay ahead, you need to be doing everything possible to make your agency the most appealing.

Here are a few pointers to help make it easier.

 

Keep an Eye on the Industry

Both new and well-established agencies can fall into the trap of not seeing the wood for the trees. When things are going well, you don’t pay as much attention to what your competitors are doing, and when you’re busy it’s hard to keep track of upcoming changes.

But the recruitment agency is constantly evolving. If you don’t adapt, you’ll quickly fall behind. We’ve seen this many times over the years: if an agency’s competitors start offering better benefits, temporary workers will be quick to join them, leaving you struggling to catch up. It’s always beneficial to keep an eye on what other agencies offer so you’re still the best choice.

There’s also the industry as a whole to consider. While it’s rare to miss a major update in legislation, it can happen, and suddenly you’re no longer compliant. Part of our service is keeping our finger on the pulse of the industry, so we can give you a heads up before it affects you.

There are too main ways to do this yourself. First you can attend Recruitment Expos and events, where you’ll get a hands-on insight into the industry, and will get to network with peers and companies like ours to optimise the way you operate.

There’s also plenty of metrics you can track. This includes application completion rate, qualified candidate rate, cost of hire, time to hire and candidate response rate – to see what’s working well and what can be improved for your recruiting strategies.

 

Finding your Niche

As you’re well aware, temporary recruitment is more competitive than ever. Businesses are seeing the true value of hiring temporary workers, and the jobseekers themselves see the benefits of temporary work over permanent roles.

By finding a niche within the industry, providing workers for a specific sector or trying to attract a certain type of worker, you can pack your database with better overall talent.

Imagine you’re a healthcare worker with a very specific skillset. Temporary work is beneficial for you as there will always be demand for your experience, but you won’t be needed permanently. So you decide to sign up for a temporary recruitment agency. What would be more appealing to you: an agency that wants all types of workers, or one that specifically works with the clinics and hospitals you want to work at?

It’s a no-brainer, and in big sectors like education, healthcare, construction, and administration, there will be more than enough workers and clients to keep you busy. You can also use niche job boards to attract a specific type of worker!

 

Streamline the Process

Once you have temporary workers queueing up to add their profile to your database, you need to make sure the onboarding is as slick as possible.

Remember, if a candidate’s ideal for you, they’ll probably be ideal for others too – so don’t take too long to make your decision and keep in touch throughout. If you don’t, they’re likely to lose interest in your agency, move on to someone else or get a job in the meantime. There are many paid and free tools out there that can help you maximise candidate engagement and improve your communication throughout the recruitment process.

At the interview stage, make sure you put in the extra effort. Anyone who’s in demand will be looking at several options, so you’ll need to sell them the role to make sure they put your agency at the top of their list. It’s amazing how many recruiters fall down at this stage and candidates don’t take a job offer.

Another key factor is letting your workers have their say. Although they’re the lifeblood of the industry, their thoughts and feelings are often overlooked by the agencies they work with. By staying in regular contact with your temporary staff, asking for their feedback on placements and what could be improved, they’ll feel valued and will be more likely to work with you in the future.

 

How our Service Helps you to Attract the Best Talent

While some of the above might seem obvious, it is all too easy to overlook key things when you’re moving quickly under pressure. Everything we’ve talked about will help you stay ahead, but if your recruitment funding provider is unreliable, or you’re still trying to do it yourself, you can’t focus on bringing in the best talent.

Our all-in-one service includes the following:

When cash flow is consistent and we’re helping you to build a better relationship with your clients, it’s much easier to focus on what you do best. Newer recruitment agencies often try to do it all themselves to save costs, but when your team aren’t trained in admin, mistakes are more likely.

Instead you should leave it to us. And when temporary workers see that you’re a well-oiled machine with a glowing reputation, and are following the pointers we’ve talked about today, your database will soon be one of the best in the industry.

For more advice about getting ahead in recruitment, check out our other blogs, or get in touch if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!