Most businesses reaching out to temp agencies care about who gets through their screening processes but sometimes interviewees are rushed. Or not experienced at asking the right questions and find themselves hiring the first guy that comes through their doors because they are panicked and in a last-minute panic. Temp agencies themselves sometimes also get a bad rep, but in actuality, it’s often a multitude of areas that are to blame, not a specific person or organization. Shelley, a recent Contrax client, was having the same trouble last year just before the Christmas rush hit.
“We were frantically trying to fill roles as two of our employees went on sick leave, then another handed in their notice,” Shelley says. “Given that we’re a smaller operation surviving off local talent, we ended up hiring the first people that walked through the door and we kind of rushed our suppliers through the process out of desperation.”
So, what happened next? Well, they took on three people who they thought had the right skills, but it turned out that one could barely read, the other left after two days because he couldn’t handle the stress, and the third person ended up having lied on her resume! That led to a difficult season for Shelley’s operations, so she had to start the whole process over again – talk about stress!
“After that, I knew we had to do a better job at planning for the busy season and screening the candidates that walked through the door. Contrax made it clear that we needed to make sure this busy season is well planned, and they volunteered to help screen the candidates first, then we were to have two people in on our interviews to finalize. It seems pretty simple when you have a partner looking out for your best hiring interests” says Shelley.
There’s a common misconception that staffing agencies can simply wave a magic wand and take care of all aspects of recruitment, but that’s not how it goes. Ever. A good screening strategy is about working together, communicating openly to share vital information, and shrinking the pool of ideal candidates so it’s easier to hire the best person. That way, your processes reduce the margin of error and focus on the skills workers have who come with relevant experience. Temp agencies can’t make this happen on their own, you have to work together as a team! Background screening is very important – you need to know who is coming through your doors.
As we’ve said, background screens are important. However, if someone comes back with a failed screen, get approval to see if you can find out what the failure was all about, it could have been an unpaid fine or a credential you claimed you earned but didn’t actually get, nothing that would put your business in jeopardy. Not all people who fail a background screen should be turned away, they might be your best candidate and need a helping hand. That being said, this is a relationship and like any relationship, you need to be sure you’re going with all the facts and your eyes wide open. It’s also wise to talk to your agencies and see if their vetting processes aren’t preventing the best from trickling further down the pipeline to your front doors. Keeping a close eye on vendor screening strategies, what information is relayed to applicants and how they are filtered through is essential, regardless of whether you mass-produce lollipops or clean local lawns.
Approximately 60 percent of Contrax clients struggled with inefficient ways of handling their temporary hire source to pay process before turning to a Vendor Management System (VMS). It can be hard to keep the lists of resumes under control on your own and remember which ones you’re reviewed and approved to move forward for an interview. After all, your temp agencies are following their processes and will often keep filling your inbox with more resumes if you let them. “Once we implemented a VMS, our lives became so much easier and we actually had a built-in process flow” said Shelley. At Contrax, our approach is to define internal policies, understand where the client has pain, and help them focus on the day-to-day growth and success of their company.
Whether you’re in Shelley’s position or otherwise, it’s good to be cautious about how effective your screening processes are. If you want to source the finest temps around, be sure to plan well ahead, develop an internal interview process, and work closely with your suppliers to ensure everyone is on the same page – and that the page is clear and easy to read!
Want to learn more about VMS technology or what we can do for you? Follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn!
