What are staffing companies doing in a time like this?
The business of staffing is people. The pandemic impacted people in many ways from furloughs and unemployment to increased workloads, stress and isolated remote work environments. Customer businesses are also compelled to adapt, adjust and plan for the economic outcome. Rather than being less busy due to jobs in constricted markets, staffing companies are even more busy to provide support. Services include helping employees, helping those who lost jobs, and helping business partners plan for the new future.
Professional Services organizations are evolving to support the rapid changes for employers, job seekers, remote working conditions, health and safety precautions, and preparing for what is ahead of us. Staffing companies, also known as Employment Agencies, provide services for temporary employees, contingent workers, resources for Statement of Work / Work Package and Payroll services
Support and Compassion during Layoffs / Terminations
Many industries and employers have had to make the difficult decision to reduce costs that resulted in layoffs. Layoffs create a stressful transition for the employee that is released, and for the friends and former colleagues that must absorb the workload while being concerned for the welfare of the released employees, and while wondering about the future stability of their own jobs. As the employer of record for the workers, the professional staffing company manages terminations for temporary and contract employees. The staffing company contacts each person with information, instructions and to provide support. The staffing company adheres to employment standards regarding severance pay, vacation pay, and issuing the Record of Employment (ROE).
In addition to the employment standards and communication, highly responsible organizations like Belcan provide detailed instructions to the terminated employees on how to apply for benefits, like CERB and EI. Belcan prepared a detailed employment benefits manual and contacted each terminated employee to discuss access to benefits. Belcan also contacted each employee that remained on assignment to provide reassurance. Belcan gave each person someone to talk to through difficult transitions and personal concerns.
Identify Transferrable Skills for Job Seekers
The pandemic and economic repercussions have not impacted all industries in the same way. Employment agencies / staffing companies help job seekers to identify transferable skills. Experience in an industry or skill is often applicable in other industries and for other employers. A staffing company can identify transferrable skills that open more opportunities for job seekers. Staffing companies help employers to find talented employees from other industries and help connect job seekers with employers that are currently hiring.
Optimize Resumes and Interview Skills
Employment agencies help job seekers with formatting resumes and coaching for interviews. A staffing company may not change or embellish a resume, but the staffing company can help with formatting, and may help a job seeker to identify important things that are missing or should be removed in a resume. In some cases, the job seeker may not have updated a resume in many years or may be using a format that is not optimized for job boards or Applicant Tracking Software. A professional recruiter helps correct and optimize resumes.
It is not unusual for individuals to be nervous about interviewing, and a recruiter can role play, train and give confidence to someone before the interview. Professional recruiters do not charge a fee to job seekers for support to optimize a resume or practice interview techniques.
Help Employers with Workforce Planning
Staffing companies assist employers with workforce planning and strategy. Staffing agencies are continually monitoring changes in supply and demand, analyzing different employers with competing demands for similarly skilled applicants in different industries, and the rising competition for remote working skills across a greater geographic scope. The strategy may require planning for temporary or permanent employees, contracted consultants, work package or statements of work, or flexible options to rapidly increase or decrease personnel in response to changes in the marketplace. Staffing companies can be strategic partners to HR, procurement, talent acquisition and management teams by providing insights, advice and services for workforce planning.
Flexible Employment Options
Staffing companies help employers by offering different service models to support flexible workforce solutions, contingent labor options and payroll services. In times of economic uncertainty, employers need flexible options, and staffing companies enable employers to secure highly skilled individuals for short term contracts, project specific assignments, permanent employees, and temporary employees with conversion to permanent employees over time. Staffing companies can provide an alternative payroll outsource service for resources identified by the client company.
Belcan also provides resources in a Statement of Work, or Work Package, which makes it much easier for a client to manage a budget and deliverables with the flexibility to modify employees or scope of work based on deliverables and changing circumstances.
RPO to Augment and Empower Internal Teams
RPO services augment HR and Talent Acquisition teams that need flexible overflow support when hiring demands increase above current team capacity. Some HR and Talent Acquisition teams have been reduced to accommodate cost saving initiatives for a client business, or these teams may be overwhelmed with support and training for the changing work conditions, remote workers, and health measures. A Recruitment Process Outsource (RPO) service can fulfill the overflow requirements assigned by the internal teams, thereby satisfying sudden rises in hiring for permanent positions, niche skills and executive search. This helps the client internal teams to remain focused on priorities for the business and the employees while using the RPO on demand to fulfill rapid or flexible demands for permanent employees. RPO programs are intended to augment and empower internal teams, not replace them.
Remote Work Options Create More Opportunities
Staffing companies provide a conduit to outsource contingent workers, consultants and experts who can work remote / work from home, accessing quality talent from larger expanded geographic areas. The rapid adoption and integration of remote work / work from home creates an opportunity for employers to select high talented and experienced workers from more diverse geographic locations. In previous years, the location and commuting time may be been a disqualifying factor for the employer or the talented job seeker. However, with more options to work remote, employers can choose from a much bigger pool of applicants.
Job seekers are more likely to take job with a company that is a better fit or better career path, as opposed to limiting options to the nearest location. This changing dynamic means that more high skilled professionals are connecting with more highly desired employers and job opportunities, over a much greater geographic area. By reducing or eliminating the stigma of commuting challenges, more opportunities are opening for employers and job seekers. Staffing companies have software, databases, tools and recruiters that have experience with this type of matchmaking between employers and potential employees.
Screening and Matchmaking for New Conditions and Work Environments
Staffing companies provide a valuable service to client employers by screening applicants for client culture and job skills. A professional staffing organization will talk to each applicant before submitting a resume to the client manager, making sure that the applicant is a suitable match for the client team and culture, and has the proper skills and certifications for the client requirements. The staffing company also helps to match applicants with jobs that make best use of applicant experience and career path. With the changing remote work dynamics, the staffing company must assess entrepreneurial independent work skills associated with independent remote work conditions.
Screening and matchmaking are specialized skills for professional recruiters. These skills are enhanced by the number of jobs, teams, and applicants interviewed every day, and over many years. Job requirements and environments are in a period of rapid change. Professional recruiters have unique perspective and skills enhanced by daily active engagement in the changing job environment.
Virtual online interviews
To accommodate health and safety measures, and simplify the interview and hiring process, most employers have adopted virtual online interviews. Technology enables Staffing Agencies to provide options to client employers and managers, including scheduling and hosting online interviews to maximize efficiency and safety for the client and the job seeker.
Virtual Online Onboarding and Orientation
Professional Staffing Agencies have tools to support expediting the process for online Employment Agreement, Independent Contractor Contracts, background checks, security clearance and Controlled Goods Clearance processing, onboarding and orientation. Online electronic document processing expedites accurate and comprehensive processing. Online virtual orientation creates greater loyalty and reduces the ramp up time to productivity and performance. Staffing companies can educate and prepare the employee / temporary employee before the first day on the job. Online onboarding and orientation are faster, more convenient and safer. Leveraging this technology enables the employee to be productive even before the first day on the job.
Virtual Pre-employment Training
The Staffing Company can provide convenient and safe online training and testing for employers. Pre-employment training may include WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials), Harassment Training, or training required by local employment standards or client standards. For temporary and contract work assignments, the Staffing partner is the Employer of Record and responsible to retain certificates of completion and certifications in the employee records.
Deployment and Collection of Equipment
Staffing companies are often engaged in coordinating deployment of devices, equipment or accesses to new remote employees. Staffing companies may also coordinate return of equipment and termination of access at the end of an assignment. This is especially common when providing services in a Statement of Work / Work Package. This service may help client companies with managing difficult situations and may be applicable to mitigate the risk of perceived co-employment.
Environmental Health and Safety, 24 / 7 Support
Staffing Agencies are the Employer of Record for part-time employees, contract employees and employees on a Payroll service provided by the staffing partner. The staffing partner has obligations to support employees, just like the client business has obligations to staff employees. Staffing companies have responsibilities for workers much like the client businesses support internal staff. Staffing companies have had to review health and safety protocols, increase support for physical and mental health, safety precautions, track symptoms or illness, and provide a support network for questions, stress, or counseling.
A worker may be classified as a temporary employee, but a temporary employee should receive the same level of commitment and support as a permanent staff employee. There is no such thing as part-time commitment.
Mental Health and Emotional Health
Staffing companies provide access to mental and emotional health and counseling services. There are a variety of services and levels of support, and each circumstance is very personal to the individual. The workforce is experiencing a tremendous amount of stress caused by news, external circumstances, job security and working from home. Staffing companies help provide access to support to cope with change.
Tuition Reimbursement
Many Staffing companies have participated in tuition reimbursement programs to assist employees with developing sills and a career path. Tuition reimbursement options vary by geography, staffing company partner, courses that are relevant to the job or career advancement, and typically require a passing grade. Tuition reimbursement values may be subject to employee annual salary and tenure. Many client employers and temporary employees may be surprised to know that Staffing Agencies provide this service, and it is especially relevant now.
Recognition and Appreciation Awards
Recognition and appreciation are always important to reinforce the valuable contributions of employees. It is even more important when external circumstances are causing fear for job security or other concerns. Managers and client employers are increasingly recognizing the value to providing feedback to staffing companies on the performance of the temporary employees, and Staffing companies are using this feedback to reward employees.
Business Analysis and Alternative Solutions
Business analysis and planning help client partners with supply and demand planning, and options for structuring services that support changing business needs, like offering resources as part time hourly labor, or as a service / budgeted work package (not employee specific) / statement or work
MSP Services
Many Staffing partners also offer MSP services to consolidate point of contact and management of diverse suppliers for maximum efficiency for the client.
SOW Managed Budget
Many sophisticated Staffing companies are offering services in a Work Package or Statement of Work. The Staffing company and the client company collaborate on defining deliverables, measurements and types of skills or resources required to achieve a desired result. The Staffing company coordinate the resources in within a client budget. The Staffing company acts as a partner in managing the time, progress, tracking and budget. Billing is typically modified from weekly to monthly cycles, tracked against total budget. This creates more flexibility with moving or adjusting employee resources between projects and managing the budget.
Alleviate Co-employment Risks
Staffing companies help client businesses to alleviate risk of co-employment for employers with proper management of processes, payroll and documents. With the evolving workforce and modified solutions for leveraging payroll, temporary employees, independent incorporated contractors and Work Packages, it is extremely important to have a partner organization with experience and processes to navigate regulations and compliance properly.
Work Permits and Clearances
Staffing companies are responsible for confirming employment eligibility for all employees and contractors. This includes, but is not limited to, reviewing resident or citizenship status, work permits, security and controlled goods clearances.
Compassion for All Job Seekers
Staffing companies offer services to help job seekers with advice, education, instructions and referrals, even when it means referring them to a competitor that works in a different line of work or industry that may be better suited for the job seeker. Staffing companies typically have areas of expertise and specialized skills, experience and capabilities. Staffing company processes, tools, recruiters and available jobs are typically defined by client relationship experience.
Staffing companies do not typically have every kind of job or position available for every geography, but it is not unusual to receive phone calls or emails from distressed job seekers who are in search of direction and advice. Seasoned recruiters are compassionate to all job seekers and will take the time to provide advice, direction and support, including reviewing resumes or referring to a different Staffing company or client, even though there is no financial reward for the recruiter to provide this assistance. A Staffing company might not be able to help every individual job seeker to gain employment, but Staffing companies are in a service industry that demands commitment and compassion.
Support for Active Employees
Staffing companies offer ongoing support and communication to active employees on temporary assignments. Staffing companies review project progress and budgets with clients to determine job security and future workforce plans.
Belcan provided helpful reminders regarding potential tax benefits to active employees working from home for more than six months out of the year. Belcan also made payroll information available on mobile phones and negotiated several discounts for employees. Belcan and other similar professional Staffing companies continue to research benefits, tools and new ideas to support temporary and contract employees.
It is Time to Step Up
This is a time to step up. It is not a time to step back. By stepping up, we all prepare to step forward together, stronger and more flexible than before, and perhaps a little wiser and more compassionate than before.
Words of Wisdom
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired. One of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served.” —Gordon B. Hinckley
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” — Pablo Picasso
About the Author: John Mehrmann is President of Belcan Canada Inc., an IT and Engineering staffing and recruiting company that is dedicated to augmenting and empowering the internal teams at client businesses. John is author of The Trusted Advocate: Accelerate Success with Authenticity and Integrity, and contributed to 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life Vol 3, and Leading Loyalty: Cracking the Code to Customer Devotion.
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