Human Resources Blog - Spark Hire
How to Get Clients and Candidates on Board with the Staffing Process

How to Get Clients and Candidates on Board with the Staffing Process

While you know the staffing process inside and out, companies and job seekers can be reluctant to believe its benefits. Their experience with finding candidates (or landing a job in job seekers’ case) has worked with the traditional hiring process. Why should they give staffing a try?

Because working well enough to “get by” is just not good enough.

As a staffing professional, part of your job is to get everyone on board with a new and improved process. But it takes different approaches to gain clients and engage candidates. Doing both effectively requires a delicate balance as you’re dealing with both parties simultaneously.

By breaking down the needs and concerns of both clients and candidates, staffing professionals can better reach both. This will allow you to help them understand the benefits of the staffing process and put their trust in your abilities. Let’s start by looking at the client’s perspective.

Earning Client Buy-In

With potential clients, you have one overarching goal: showing them the staffing process is a better option than their traditional talent acquisition process. This means effectively making your argument without potential clients feeling like you’re judging the way their company does business. You have to show the staffing process will bring in quality talent, without breaking the bank.

Share your placement data

As a staffing firm, you’re surely tracking a wide variety of metrics to ensure the process is running smoothly internally. Everything from staffing placement times to candidate satisfaction shows your team what they’re doing right and how they can improve.

But that data shouldn’t be hidden from potential clients. Show them the numbers so they can objectively see the benefits of the staffing process. Be sure to give them context so they can accurately apply the information to their situation.

For instance, if a company needs help filling several entry-level positions at the same time. Provide specific data that mirrors this scenario. Give the client side-by-side information about how you performed and the average metrics for filling a position. Ask about their process and see if you can highlight any specific data points that help show improvement with your firm.

Walk them through the staffing process

Many companies don’t have the time or resources to use all the best practices or tools. Even larger companies have to balance what an ideal talent acquisition strategy would be and the constraints of their team, who have more responsibilities than hiring. Staffing firms, however, have the sole focus of finding talent and accurately assessing their skills and experience.

Educate clients on what you have to offer by fully explaining the steps of your staffing process. Show them the extra safety nets you have in place to ensure they are presented with quality candidates. Chances are, your staffing firm uses tools clients don’t have the time or money to implement internally.

If your staffing firm uses one-way video interviews, for example, give the client a demonstration of how they work. They’ll see they can get all the information they need about candidates in 15 minutes rather than through a week-long internal hiring process.

Earning Candidate Buy-In

The staffing process can be very disorienting for job seekers because they spend most of their time communicating with you, not their future employer. They may not understand why working with a staffing firm is necessary at all. It just seems like an extra step in an already complicated process. It’s up to you to quell their worries.

Explain what you see in them

It’s not uncommon for talented individuals to receive template emails from staffing professionals and recruiters asking if they’re interested in a new job. After a while, this annoys potential candidates, and they assume any presented opportunity isn’t right for them. You need to demonstrate you’ve done your research and understand who they are.

When you reach out to potential candidates, be specific about what stood out to you most. Was it a particular job they held in the past? Have the completed certifications that set them apart? Do they have a skill set that’s hard to find?

Use this information to craft an attention-grabbing subject line to your emails. For instance, if you’ve found a candidate who has extensive coding experience, include what coding languages fit your client’s job. Write something like ‘Let’s talk about your impressive JavaScript experience.’

Show them how the staffing process removes stress

In a 2017 survey from CareerBuilder, 73 percent of respondents said the job search was one of life’s most stressful times. While unfamiliar, going through the staffing process can get job seekers the job they want under less trying circumstances.

First, you take on one of the most time-consuming parts of the job search: finding the right job to apply to. By the time you approach candidates, you already have a job that’s a good fit. This saves job seekers time and energy searching through job boards.

Also, you’re there to support candidates every step of the way. Explain how you can help them have the best chance to shine. Give them a peek at the resources and tips you give your candidates, like any materials you have on answering job interview questions. This will build your credibility with candidates.


Staffing's Ultimate Guide to Video Interviewing

Josh Tolan

Josh Tolan is the Founder and CEO of Spark Hire, a video interviewing platform used by 6,000+ customers in over 100 countries.