Human Resources Blog - Spark Hire

4 Bad Hires that Staffing Agencies Can Help You Avoid

We’ve talked a bit about how much hiring mistakes can cost your company. However, being too afraid to make a staffing decision can also cost you valuable time and good candidates. What to do? Consider using a staffing agency to help solve some of your manpower issues. Staffing agencies allow you to hire employees for a pre-determined amount of time, or on a temp-to-hire basis. This provides invaluable insight into your candidates before you put them on your permanent payroll, and helps you steer clear of bad employees. Here are 4 bad hires that staffing agencies can help you avoid:

The One Who Doesn’t Play Nice

Let’s start with the obvious: a new hire that doesn’t get along with your existing employees is a bad fit. Hiring through a staffing agency allows a new hire to spend weeks, or even months, working closely with your existing employees. If someone isn’t going to get along, you’ll find out during this trial period. This is an easy way to sidestep office conflict and discontent.

The Complainer

Hiring someone who doesn’t like the job you have available is another common hiring mistake. Many candidates, especially in this job market, feel the need to jump on any job that they are offered; even though they may really dislike the work. The trial period provided by a staffing agency will give you time to see how a candidate really feels about working for your company. They won’t be able to avoid complaining for long, and then you’ll know that you should keep looking.

The Lazy One

Candidates can talk a big game during an interview: “I was THE HARDEST WORKER at my old office.” A candidate who lies about his/her work ethic can be a big hiring mistake. During the trial period provided by your staffing agency, a candidate’s work ethic will become clear. You’ll be able to see how much s/he will really be able to contribute to your company.

The One Who Cost Too Much

Hiring a candidate for the wrong salary is a very common hiring mistake. It is often caused by the pressure to fill an opening quickly, or to reel in top talent. A staffing agency can be a big help here, as well. While employees provided by a staffing agency can be on a temp-to-hire basis, they can also simply be temporary. If you’d like the extra few months to conduct a broad and intensive job search, but don’t want to lose the productivity during that time, temporary staffing can be a big help. You won’t feel pressured to overpay a candidate, and you’ll have the time you need to make the best possible decision.

What hiring mistakes have you avoided through staffing agencies? Tell your best stories below—we know you’ve got ‘em!

IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by bgottsab

Kristin Anderson

Kristin has a B.A. in English from the University of Iowa, with an emphasis in creative writing. In her free time she enjoys long walks, kitchen adventures, and making puns.