How to Get The Most From Your Staffing Provider, Part II

1. After completing an interview, tell the recruiter what you did or did not like about the candidate. He or she has provided you with the best candidate according to the understanding of your requirements. By giving your feedback after the interview, the recruiter can refine the criteria he or she is using. If you did not select a certain person but don’t offer any explanation, the recruiter doesn’t know what to do differently in sourcing the next applicant.

2. The staffing company will offer the assignment to the associate on your behalf. Remember, the person is their employee. However, if there is information you want the employee to have prior to starting, the staffing coordinator can save you time by including that in their orientation. It’s also very helpful if the new associate knows what to expect when they arrive on the first day.

3. Expect to be contacted on a regular basis regarding the associate’s performance. By providing timely feedback, problems can be corrected before they become serious. Part of the fee you pay is for your staffing company to handle performance counseling if necessary, including termination.

4. Remember, the associate is the employee of the staffing firm, not your company. And the staffing company is responsible for all employment related activities and communications, which helps avoid any co-employment issues.

5. Give detailed information about how you want your invoice to appear. Do you need it broken down by department or location? Is the billing address different from the service address? Would an electronic invoice work better for you? Do you want copies of timecards attached? Communicating these details up front prevents issues with billing down the road.

6. Pay the invoice in a timely manner. The staffing company is basically making you a loan until you pay them. They have paid the person working for you and they are out that money until reimbursed.

7. Most importantly, stay in communication with your staffing provider. They should be consistently keeping you updated on progress toward filling your position and checking on their associate after the position is filled. No news is not good news, in either direction! Provide them the feedback they need to do a great job for you!