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What separates a successful staffing agency from all others?
According to William Almonte, the founder and CEO of Titan Staffing Services, the answer is quite clear. “Staffing is a people business, and that means you must be aware of and be equipped to deal with all the frailties individuals and clients bring to the employment equation. In addition, you must pay attention to trends. Since the pandemic, the workplace, employees, and employers have changed dramatically. What was important to employees three years ago has changed. What was important to employers has changed as well. Staffing agencies must now embrace a dramatically altered hiring environment.”
For example, the pandemic forced both employees and employers to become more flexible. “Suddenly, work-at-home became the rule, rather than the exception,” Almonte said. “And those employers who needed workers to remain on site were forced to alter the work environment and work rules to ensure their continued health and safety. Incentives to work also became a priority, especially for essential workers.”
However, when the pandemic restrictions lifted, not all workers were eager to return to the pre-pandemic workplace and that led to a reduced worker pool. Suddenly, employers were forced to compete for new hires, as well as develop better worker retention strategies. It was no longer just about getting new employees in the door, it was also about ensuring that they stayed, Almonte said.
From a staffing perspective, two trends have emerged in an employee-driven market. One is the ghosting by potential employers during the recruiting and hiring process, and the other is decreased employment longevity. Lifetime employment with one company is no longer a certainty. “There was a time when showing up for an interview and committing to the hiring process was a given,” Almonte said. “If you got the job, you showed up. Now candidates ghost staffing professionals and employers at random. When a new hire shows up, it is considered a small victory. And when an employee stays on the job for longer than a year, that’s another victory.”
Almonte finds the lack of commitment and civility troubling. “There is no question that the pandemic changed how we think about life and work, but it also created a subculture of people who no longer value work or careers, and that has changed the recruiting and hiring process,” he said. “We invest a lot of time and energy in identifying, recruiting, and if necessary, upskilling candidates. When they disappear without an explanation, that wastes time and money. It has forced us to shift the hiring paradigm by placing more focus on the candidate’s intent. A candidate may have the best qualifications in the world, but if they aren’t serious about securing employment, it’s best to uncover that upfront.”
For example, Almonte said questions about the motivation behind pursuing a certain position or employment with a certain employer have become very important. Current employment, employment history, and career objectives can also elicit red flags. “In addition, we have found that a candidate’s comments and discussions on social media may boost or discount a candidates true desire for employment,” he said.
Staffing professionals at Titan have identified some commonalities among candidates who ghost, and that helps to eliminate some candidates early on in the recruiting and hiring process. “Some of those traits are also important in determining whether an individual will stay in the targeted position,” Almonte said.
However, in both situations, clear and consistent communication with candidates and potential employers is key. “If everyone is kept informed at every step, you ensure that everyone is singing from the same songbook,” Almonte said. “There will be no misunderstandings and no surprises. As with any type of relationship, good things happen when everyone communicates freely.”
Almonte said the skills required for matching employees with employers are not developed overnight. “Not only must you immerse yourself in the industries you serve, but you must also have a demonstrated strength in human resources, talent management, and relationship building. We work hard to be the staffing professionals of choice in the light industrial sector. We provide jobs to candidates and qualified employees to clients. Our culture values hard work, innovation, and teamwork, and that is reflected in the quality of the candidates we offer to our clients.”
Titan Staffing Services has provided strategic staffing solutions to potential employees and employers in industrial staffing support throughout the United States for almost three decades. The company offers strong skills in finance, accounting services, human resource development, and executive search and retention strategies. For more information on Titan Staffing Services, please visit https://www.titanstaffing.com/.
