May 21, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Healthcare IS Team

How much do you trust your staffing firm?

I realize a lot of companies have had bad experiences with staffing firms, and I am not asking the above question to prompt memories of being burned one way or another. I am asking more to find out if you have enough faith in the firm you are working with to allow them to make your life easier.

Think about the process followed within your organization when using a staffing firm. Does it go something like this..... have a need, call a recruiter, describe the position, receive a bunch of resumes, qualify those resumes, call those resumes for an initial interview, narrow your candidates, interview again, pick your finalist, make an offer.

Are there steps here that could be eliminated if you were using the right staffing firm? If you get to know your recruiter a little better on the front end and really describe what you are looking for, might you save some time weeding through the wrong candidates? Could you give them enough information on the front end that could result in them finding candidates and arranging a couple of interviews, saving you the time of qualifying resumes, screening candidates, and having phone interviews?

How many times have you made it through the whole interview process, only to have the offer turned down?

Whether the candidate chose another position, or the money didn't work, etc. you have wasted a lot of time. Do you trust your recruiter enough to send you candidates that are also deliverable? People that they have shared enough about the position with and know that they are truly interested, truly available/motivated, and in the right compensation range.

Just think how much time could be saved if you were working with a firm that sent you the top 2-3 qualified and deliverable candidates for your position. You would not have to look through 10-20 resumes, or pre-qualify people, and go through an interview process only to have an offer turned down. You simply interview a few qualified candidates, make your decision, and offer accepted.

So where it may take a little longer on the front end to get to know and develop a relationship with your recruiter, it could end up saving you countless hours in years to come.

You may also like: How to Evaluate a Firm

General, Consulting, Career Planning, Healthcare IS Team