The pathway to a full-time job doesn’t always mean sending out dozens of resumes and sweating through in-person interviews. A staffing agency acts as a matchmaker between employers and employees. An employer contacts the agency to ask for a specific type of worker to fill a temporary need, and the staffing agency finds potential candidates for the employer to choose from. The employer pays the agency a fee to find the right person—generally in the form of a percentage of the agency’s annual hourly rate, the rest of which goes to the temp worker.
According to the American Staffing Association, nearly three million Americans work as contractors and temporary employees each week. For individuals seeking work, signing up with a staffing agency offers pros and cons. Here are some considerations if you want to work with a staffing agency in your next job search.
Pro: You can try on different jobs with less commitment
One of the biggest pluses to working for a staffing agency is that you have a chance to try on an employer or work in a specific industry before taking a permanent position. Plus, you have some additional control over your schedule, with the chance to take breaks between assignments. (Twenty percent of staffing agency workers cite schedule flexibility as a reason for choosing temporary/contract work, per the American Staffing Association.)
Not every opportunity is a "temp-to-hire” position, but companies often like to hire temporary employees for full-time positions because they’re already a known commodity and will require less training. These factors typically make any sort of fee owed to the staffing agency for hiring a temp full-time worth it.
Con: You have less stability
Temporary positions are just that—temporary. In most cases, you won’t be hired as a permanent employee, and no matter how much you love your assignment, it will have an end date. You also likely won’t have the benefit of employee coaching and chances to improve your work. If the employer doesn’t feel like the arrangement is working out, the staffing agency will simply be instructed to send someone else, and you’ll be back on the bench.
Pro: You have a paycheck during your job hunt
This may be the biggest pro. You can keep money coming in during your job hunt, as well as gain valuable experience. In some instances, while working for certain staffing agencies, you may even have access to employee benefits such as health insurance. The American Staffing Association reports that most staffing employees (73 percent) work full time, which is comparable to the overall workforce (75 percent), and that six in 10 staffing employees (64 percent) work for a staffing agency while between jobs or job hunting.
Tip: Be sure to understand the requirements for ending your staffing agency work should you accept a full-time position.
Con: You may face stiff competition for placement
Let’s see: You’re earning a paycheck, and someone else is trying to find you work. That’s overall a good deal—which is why you may face stiff competition among the other candidates your staffing agency has in its pool. You’ll need to make sure your resume is in good condition and stay up to date on your interviewing skills so you emerge as the top candidate in the hiring company’s eyes.
Pro and Con: The agency’s job is to place candidates
The fact that the staffing agency only gets paid for the candidates it places is both a pro and a con. On the one hand, signing with a staffing agency means that someone will be actively seeking work for you. You may even have access to resume reviews and other job-seeking resources that will make you a more desirable candidate. On the other hand, the agency’s No. 1 priority is placing you so the agency gets paid, which means the agency may overlook red flags about a position.
The bottom line is this: You’re the only one whose top priority is you. In the right situation, signing with a staffing agency could be in your best interests.
ncG1vNJzZmiin5fAb8PArJ%2BippepvK%2B8zqyrZ5ufonyivtOimqWdX6m1pnnPq6asZZGjsW6vzqeqZqeWYsK0tc2gZJplo6mup7LIp55mmZeau6TFjK2mZp6Zo7Fuscypo6ixnZq7tXs%3D