For entry-level candidates, this can especially hamper the start to their career. Here are commonly 7 misconceptions about temp staffing agencies.
1. Staffing Agencies Offer Low-Paying Jobs
For most freshers or new candidates, their understanding of the recruitment process and HR staffing industry is from second-hand sources and newspaper advertisements. They form an opinion based on the number of vacancies and advertisements that the newspapers display.
Some might make a few calls and use that experience to make blanket judgements. That’s where they go wrong.
The thing is that most advertisements are for entry-level jobs. Staffing agencies continuously look to take in candidates into their system so that they can be placed into different companies.
Since most of these jobs are for freshers, temporary and contractual positions, the advertised packages are low.
However, the truth is much further from what's perceived. In fact, staffing agencies house teams of professional HR executives. They bring bargaining power to the table that candidates cannot.
At the interview table, a candidate can get strong-armed into a low-paying contract, but the presence of an HR team gives the candidate leverage to negotiate.
2. Staffing Agencies Provide Only Temporary/Contractual Jobs
As mentioned in the previous point, most candidates form their conception of recruitment agencies based on advertisements. Since most of these advertisements are about contractual and temporary placements, the general consensus remains that agencies do not carry permanent positions.
However, there are two perspectives on this. First, temporary and contractual jobs also result in permanent positions depending upon the performance of the candidate.
These positions are often created for seasonal profiles but well-performing candidates are almost always accommodated. These placements happen internally and are not advertised. As a result, people remain unaware.
Secondly, companies use temporary positions as a way to gauge the talent pool at staffing agencies. Announcing contractual and temporary positions indicate no mandatory commitment from the companies in case the candidates are not up to the mark.
3. Big Companies Don’t Use Staffing Agencies
One of the most common misconceptions about temp staffing agencies is that they are used by small and medium enterprises. In fact, most Fortune 500 companies use staffing agencies. They use agencies for all kinds of positions including entry-level, mid-level, contractual, and senior-level positions.
But staffing agencies are usually directed to restrain from releasing the name of the company. As a result, agencies use ambiguous terminologies like ‘reputed IT company’ or ‘top four professional services firm’ as a way to describe the placement company.
This does not allow the general public to understand which company is actually hiring. The name is only made known when they appear for the interview.
4. Temp Staffing Agencies Don’t Care For Employees
People think that recruitment agencies work mechanically and do not care for their candidates. However, the future of an agency depends on its candidates.
If an agency consistently provides good quality matches for the company’s position, it bodes well for their future. As a result, they are invested in training and creating a pool of talented and job-ready candidates.
5. Staffing Agencies Charge Candidates
Another common question that people ask is “do staffing agencies charge a fee?”. The truth is they do. However, it’s not from the candidates. These companies generated their revenue.
Companies offer a certain percentage as commission for providing candidates. As a result, genuine staffing agencies do not charge a single cent from the candidates.
6. Temp Staffing Agencies Don’t Offer Mid Level and Senior Level Positions
Staffing agencies do not advertise mid-level and senior-level positions. These hiring are performed by professional headhunters. These profiles are filled with lateral hires, meaning the candidates are already present in the industry with another company.
As a result, no advertisements are released to the public. The vacancy is intimate to their internal pool of experience candidates.
7. Staffing Agencies Provide Menial Jobs
Temporary and contractual hires are viewed as menial jobs. There are some positions which are menial, but that is just because those positions need to be filled as well. It does not mean that higher positions or better profiles are not available.
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