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Looking for a new position is exciting because there are so many paths to take. It is also equally frustrating because the recruiting process varies from company to company. With unclear answers and rejection, it is easy to become jaded or question the information you are receiving. My answers are based on working within the staffing industry for 15+ years, with the goal of creating clarity on how staffing agencies can and cannot help you.
Here is a list of questions that I hear frequently in my position:
How are staffing agencies paid?
• It depends on the agency, but a large number of us are contingent based. What that means is that a client will pay us once a consultant is placed. This can apply both to contract and direct hire roles. The difference is that if you are a contractor, you will be receiving your paycheck from the staffing agency, who is your employer. If it is a direct hire role, the client is now your employer, so you will be paid by them.
• It is important to know that there are few occasions where you should pay an agency to assist you in your job search. If you are asked to pay an agency to assist with your search, I would do intensive due diligence to make sure that it is a legitimate company that can provide the results you are looking for.
If I become a contractor, does that prevent me from being hired directly by the client?
• Staffing agencies should have an upfront agreement with their clients that allows a path for the contractor to be hired on at any time if the client chooses. Many times, the agreements you are signing with staffing agencies state that you will work with them, and not switch staffing agencies mid-assignment. It is always important to ask questions about what you are signing. A good agency wants a great relationship with their client and a contractor being hired is a success for all parties involved.
How do staffing agencies come up with their pay rates?
• The million-dollar question! The answer: It depends. Many times, clients have specific pay ranges that the candidates are required to be submitted in based on experience. Other times, the staffing agency has more of a say. In an employer driven market (as we are currently in), it is advised to find a rate that is competitive, but still allows you to be comfortable. Staffing agencies want you to accept their role and happily complete the assignment, but there is a balance if you are competing against 20+ other candidates. At times, agencies have access to the highest rate submitted and can give you advice on what a competitive rate looks like.
• There is a difference between a consultative staffing agency advising you on your rate, and someone pushing you to take a lower rate that does not align with your goals. Take the time to think about your compensation goals and current situation before starting to speak with recruiters. If you were just laid off, starting to interview and take pay cuts within a week may not be a smart plan.
Can a staffing agency guide me from an individual contributor role to a management role? Or can they help me change careers?
• Clients are typically reaching out to staffing agencies to find someone with specific experience to complete a project or fill an internal hiring gap. Many times, candidates hope that an agency will be able to convince the client to take a chance on them. It could happen, but most of the time, clients are more willing to take a chance on an internal candidate or referral where there are no agency costs.
Can a staffing agency guide me on the current market trends?
• Staffing agencies have recruitment teams with varying levels of experience. Each recruiter has a limited scope of the market because agencies serve different industries and clients. My advice is to ask every recruiter you work with about what they are seeing as a market trend, so you get the best picture. Companies like Solving IT share market data and trends, so the individual perspective, along with that market data, can be insightful.
Should I only work with one staffing agency?
• As I mentioned before, each agency has a different client base and works with different industries. If a company has a large nationwide relationship with an organization, I would keep asking them to submit me because they will likely know what the client is looking for. In general, it is unwise to expect one agency to provide you with the full realm of opportunities available (no matter what they say).
What level of resume coaching can I expect from a Staffing Agency?
• Recruiters look at many resumes each day. They can provide tips and tricks to make your resume more attractive to the position they are submitting you to. If you are looking for in-depth help or advice on best articulating your successes, I would spend the money to hire a resume coach who can spend significantly more time assessing and helping you rewrite your resume.
Should an agency help me prepare for my interview?
• If you are working with a solid agency, you can expect to complete multiple interview preps that will guide you on what the client is looking for and give you actionable tips on how to interview well. If you are uncomfortable interviewing, we always recommend practicing with a friend or hiring an interview coach. Interviewing well takes practice and is rarely something that comes naturally.
I have not heard back from my recruiter after the conversation. Does that mean the recruiter did not like my experience?
• It is the agency’s responsibility to share the next steps with you. If there is not an immediate role available or you are not selected for the role they reached out for, there may not be next steps. Make sure you ask the recruiter what the next steps are and how often they would like you to check-in.
• In my conversations, I have started asking every candidate to text me for feedback. I usually receive one to two follow ups a month, even when I encourage them to reach out. If you are unsure of what is going on, follow-up is vital.
• Staffing agencies are usually a reflection of the market. We start slowing down sometimes even before the market shifts, so when the market is down, we typically have fewer jobs to share. This is precisely why you are annoyingly overwhelmed by recruiters when the market is good but may not be hearing back now that the market isn’t doing as well.
This is a short list of common questions. We hope this can provide clarity on any questions you have about working with a Staffing Agency. A lack of clarity can lead to unintended frustration in one of the most important times in a candidate’s life – the job search. Please reach out if you have any additional questions. Solving IT would love to be a resource to you in your job search!
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