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7 Ways Staffing Agencies Can Cultivate a Niche and Grow

7 Ways Staffing Agencies Can Cultivate a Niche and Grow

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While it might seem counter-intuitive, staffing agencies that narrow their marketing focus could spur faster growth. Here are seven ways to carve out a staffing agency niche to grow your staffing, recruiting, or temporary employment agency.

A Niche for Staffing Agencies – Narrow Your Focus to Expand Your Client Base

With a super-competitive staffing industry and double-digit growth projected in 2021, it’s more important than ever that staffing agencies carve out a niche where they can excel and thrive. With that in mind, here are seven ways that temporary employment services firms or staffing agencies can identify a niche where they can make a name for themselves and grow.

7 Ways to Cultivate a Staffing Agency Niche and Grow

Grow with seasonal staffing opportunities

Look for businesses that have seasonal ebbs and flows. These are the types of businesses that may also benefit from outsourcing to staffing agencies or using temporary workers instead of hiring their own employees.

Seed the market with PR

You can play a part in strengthening your own agency’s reputation by using PR tactics strategically. Publishing press releases helps to position your agency as an expert resource in a given employment niche. Likewise, placing ads and advertorial articles or writing general interest articles for publication in trade magazines can help to reinforce your agency’s reputation in industries where you want to carve out a niche for your staffing services.

Put your ear to the ground

Many of the most successful businesses became so because they were able to identify and act on emerging trends early on. Make sure that you are on the look-out for emerging new industries or industries that are evolving where your staffing agency can gain ground before competitors become aware.

COVID-19 might have put a damper on staffing industry growth in 2020, but there are several industries that are growing now and which are set to grow post-COVID-19, such as:

  • Technology of all kinds – online meeting platforms, online e-education, online and remote work apps, etc.
  • Medical and healthcare staffing
  • Cloud computing and storage
  • Web and app development
  • E-commerce
  • Cybersecurity
  • Logistics, transportation and supply chain

Plant new locations for future growth

Communities and neighborhoods zoned for industrial and commercial development, or which may be expanding with tech companies may also represent locations where having a physical office for your staffing agency would give you a leg-up in booking new business.

Attract and engage with digital content

Just like consumers in general, B2B buyers often start their buying journey online and many even expect to be able to complete the buying process online in a digital self-service environment. Cater to digital B2B shoppers and buyers in the industries you most want to serve with a website that is optimized for search and blog articles that attract search and social media traffic and shares among those niche target audience members.

Dig in deep by increasing numbers of followers and subscribers

While some organizations that need temporary workers or staffing services may engage in short or only occasional buying cycles, others may need to be convinced of the benefits of outsourcing over time or may need a consistent stream of temporary employees. Gain and maintain top of mind brand awareness for your staffing or temporary employment services by constantly increasing the number of social followers and subscribers you have within your desired niche industries.

One way to do this is by consistently providing followers with added value in the form of email newsletters and social status updates that pertain to their industries. You may also be able to build your networks quickly using tactics that require online registration, such as contests and whitepapers.

Pre-seed the marketplace

Universities, colleges, vocational and trade schools, unions and even high schools are all representative of organizations where you can build your reputation within a staffing niche by pre-seeding the marketplace; i.e., introducing yourself to the people who represent the candidates and employers of the future, as well as the present.

Staffing Industry Analysts say that while 2020 staffing is down from 2019 (due mainly to temporary job losses because of COVID-19) the forecast for 2021 is bright. SIA projects 11% growth in temporary staffing revenue and 19% expansion in place & search in 2021. With increased demand for temporary workers comes an influx of new agencies among temporary employment and staffing services.

In a more competitive landscape, temporary employment service firms and staffing agencies must develop strategies that help them grow, and they must be on top of their game. One way to become more profitable is by finding a staffing agency niche that allows them to successfully attract the best candidates for placement so they can build a strong reputation among employers.

 

7 Low-Cost Staffing Marketing Ideas Can Put Your Agency on Top

7 Low-Cost Staffing Marketing Ideas Can Put Your Agency on Top

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As the job market rebounds, competition will heat up among staffing and temporary employment agencies, too. Here are seven low-cost staffing marketing ideas that can help you put your staffing agency ahead of the competition.

Land More Leads with 7 Low-Cost Promotion Ideas for Staffing Agencies

It should not come as a big surprise that the staffing industry is a fiercely competitive marketplace at present, given the rebound in the job market of the past several years. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted that the staffing industry will grow faster, and add more jobs than nearly any other industry over the next decade. With competition high for landing easily place-able candidates as well as employer job listings, here are seven staffing marketing ideas that can help develop competitive advantages for your staffing agency, temporary services firm or professional recruiting services.

7 Low-Cost Staffing Marketing Ideas for Employment Agencies

Maximize Free Marketing Channels

Web content optimized to attract your ideal candidates or employers, social media, and good old-fashioned in-person networking with local business groups, Chambers of Commerce and other civic organizations can go a long way to building relationships with employers that put position openings on your books. Likewise, they can connect you with executives and other individuals whose skills are in high demand, so that when they are ready to make a move, they already know who to call.

Fill the Pipeline – Get As Many Subscribers As Possible

Every phone, web or email inquiry is an opportunity to add a new contact to your database. Every business card collected at a networking event represents a potential new subscriber. You can also use contests or gated web content such as white papers, videos and reports to bolster the size of your contact database over time.

Cultivate Relationships with Influencers

Formal influencers like HR staff and executives aren’t the only way that you can source listings. Thanks to social media, it’s never been so easy to find people who are willing to share social posts they feel might interest their own networks. Make sure your social posts reference cities or geographical areas and encourage people to share them with their own networks.

Reinforce social shares with a thank you, retweet, tag or mention (which will also increase their reach). If influencers produce real business with you, thank them with a gift card or some other small gesture — reward behavior you want more of!

Survey Client Satisfaction

It’s vital that you take the temperature from time to time when it comes to client satisfaction. Even long-term client relationships can go south quickly with a bad placement or failure to deliver fast enough. Clients may have new leaders who want to work with other agencies. Even if you do everything right, there could be client discontent brewing for many different reasons.

Be Present in the Community

If you are waiting for business to come to you, chances are you are being out-hustled by recruiters who are willing to roll up their sleeves and participate in community events, networking groups, churches, schools, charitable endeavors, Chambers of Commerce, and other activities in order to give back and build a strong network in the process.

Beat Your Competitors When it Comes to Following Through and Following Up

Placing your star candidate or putting the right person on the job for an employer isn’t enough; it’s simply meeting expectations. Go the extra mile in your process by doing more (whether that means prepping candidates better, completing the employer’s side of the paperwork, etc.) than competitors are doing. Don’t be afraid to come right out and ask your clients what else you can do to add value to the process. And once the placement is made, follow up as though your job depends on it, because the next job listing just might!

Thank you notes, “how did we do?” type of inquiries, solicitation of feedback by email initially and a few weeks later can all be invaluable relationship builders that let the client know you truly care about whether you provided a solution that brought them the success they wanted.

Stay in Touch Longer (Well, Forever)

Candidate placement and closing of the job ticket isn’t the end of the staffing marketing process; hopefully, it’s just the beginning of a long-term relationship with both the candidate and the employer. Stay in touch by moving contacts to a staffing marketing list that will put helpful tips, cartoons, entertaining stories, items of interest or added value into their inbox every few weeks over time.

The candidate you placed today may be looking for a new opportunity a few years down the road. The employer who hired them may not have other openings now, but 6, 9, 12, or 36 months later, they might be growing so fast that they can’t keep pace. Transitioning from a sales-oriented to a relationship-building staffing marketing plan is essential for clients or candidates “after the sale.”

Whether you are looking to attract job candidates or want to land more employers onto your staffing agency list of clients, these staffing marketing ideas can help. Add these staffing marketing ideas to your agency’s strategy to grow your temporary services firm, staffing agency or recruiting services.

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Why Legal Staffing Agencies Might be the Next Big Thing

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Over the next 10 years, new jobs in the legal industry are expected to outpace many other industries.  Legal staffing agencies that master the art of filling emerging job opportunities in the legal field can grow more quickly than the rest.

Paralegal Jobs Outlook – 15 Percent Growth Expected from 2016 to 2026

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that more than 41K new jobs for paralegals will emerge between 2016 and 2026, resulting in industry growth of nearly 15 percent. The increasingly complex nature of contracts, copyright, ownership, the idea of intellectual property in a virtual world, and other legal agreements as well as the need for expertise in forming or disentangling unions of all types ensures that the services legal firms provide will be in demand for a long time to come.

Indeed, the very complexity of laws and regulations, the erasure of easy-to-define borders inherent in a digital world and many other factors are practically creating new jobs in the legal industry. As new legal specialties emerge so will firms, lawyers and a myriad of legal support roles. While some legal firms will elect to do their own hiring, some will turn to legal staffing agencies to fill open positions on an occasional or an on-going basis.

Emerging Non-Lawyer Legal Jobs Provide Even More Opportunities for Staffing Agencies

Legalcareers.about.com published a list of ten non-lawyer jobs that already exist in the legal field, and which they describe as “thriving.” Included on this list are:

  • E-discovery personnel (electronic discovery) staff who do research online and preserve and manage electronically stored information
  • Legal nurse consultants
  • Litigation support staff
  • Paralegals, both those that work in support of lawyers and who provide lawyer-alternative services
  • Trial consultants
  • Mediators
  • Jury consultants
  • Legal secretaries
  • Compliance Specialists
  • Court reporters

Related both to the legal field as well as law enforcement, forensic science techs, researchers and detectives also fall close to this list. In large firms, HR (human resources) directors often come from a legal background, or even possess law degrees themselves. The diversity of professional and support roles relative to these types of jobs is immense. Since demand for workers in these jobs can be expected to increase, staffing agencies that form divisions that specialize in staffing for these types of roles will be well-positioned to grow as well.

4 Ways Legal Staffing Agencies Can Increase Market Share

1. Become a helpful resource for legal firms and professionals before you start to sell.

Legal staffing firms that add value by turning their websites, social networks and email newsletters into a resource interesting to professionals in the legal profession can introduce their legal staffing services to both legal firms and prospective candidates alike. Building brand awareness by offering value in advance of asking for the sale often shortens the buying cycle and eliminates potential competitors.

2. Host networking events.

Networking events can act as mini job fairs, allowing employers to meet prospective placements in a social setting before bringing them on as temporary workers or regular employees. Since many legal jobs put individuals into direct contact with clients as well as internal staff at all organizational levels, getting a feel for how candidates may or may not fit within the organizational culture can reduce the chance that a candidate is placed somewhere they just don’t fit.

3. Offer a Unique, Beyond-the-Call-of-Duty Vetting Process

The attention to detail that is second nature to many in the legal field practically ensures that if you miss something critical in the candidate-vetting process, they are sure to discover it. When it comes to the way you recruit, interview, pre-screen and otherwise examine candidates for placement in legal jobs in your area, what can you do to make your process uniquely valuable to potential employers?

4. Partner with Schools and Students

Your legal staffing agency could ensure a steady stream of qualified, ready-to-place candidates coming out of law school and colleges who are looking for legal jobs right out of the gate by adding value and partnering with colleges, schools and other legal education programs. Hosting job fairs, sponsoring scholarships, providing guest lectures, paying for books or providing other student-amenities can all help ensure that you get first pick at emerging legal professionals and a chance to help them get their first job in the legal field.

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3 Innovative Recruiting Ideas for Staffing Agencies

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The recruiting and staffing landscape has never been more competitive. Agencies that want to land the best candidates need to stand out from the rest; these three innovative recruiting ideas for staffing agencies can help.

Innovative Recruiting Ideas for Staffing Agencies Can Set Your Services Apart

You aren’t likely to come across a job posting from a company or a staffing agency that says “ho-hum candidates wanted.” Without an innovative approach, however, your staffing agency runs the risk of looking just like all the rest, and that “rest” is growing quickly. The staffing industry grew by 4 percent in 2018. With the economy at full employment – and more job openings than jobs – the recruiting competition for staffing agencies in 2019 is tougher than ever before.

You might be concerned that your agency will have to spend a lot of money on advertising or gimmicks in order to become more successful at attracting top candidates. However, these innovative recruiting ideas for staffing agencies can help set your services apart, and they don’t have to break the bank to deliver a big return on investment.

3 Low-Cost Innovative Recruiting Ideas for Staffing Agencies and Recruiters

1. The Power of a Voice

Today’s technology makes it easy for everyone to see information all the time, but at the same time makes swiping information and updates away or deleting information from an inbox equally easy and immediate. Within seconds, people decide whether to read an update, comment or click on an image. Sites like LinkedIn make it possible for prospective candidates to find and connect with company and agency recruiters instantly; indeed, it’s not uncommon to see updates about position openings throughout the news feed on LinkedIn and other social platforms.

All of these voices have power, especially when updates come from people a prospective candidate knows personally, or when a “real employee” lends their voice to the recruiting effort by sharing a job post or positive reviews about what it’s like to work for their employer.

When information comes from a reputable voice a candidate will be more likely to click on the content, which then takes them to a company’s job posting or career site. The power of a voice – a real employee’s esteem for the organization they call home, can play a critical role in helping to engage and attract top talent to impact the future of the company.

2. The Impact of Personal Stories

For every job opening there is an employer, title, description and salary. While all of these can get the attention of talented candidates, it’s the culture of the organization, the growth opportunities for an employee, the neighborhoods where they might live or work, and the added perks that make life a little bit sweeter that truly engage.

Many companies recognize this is an advantage to gaining top talent, and so seek to engage candidates using short funny or inspirational videos in order to give prospective hires a peek behind the curtain. Although professional video production can be expensive, the cost to make your own short videos runs the gamut from free (using a cell phone, webcam or owned equipment) on up.

Amazon has released many videos that give candidates insights as what it’s like to be a part of the culture and what they to expect working at Amazon on a daily basis, such as this one titled What is it like to work at Amazon: Go Beyond the Badge with Janna.

This video was published in May of 2015 and since then has garnered more than 18,000 views. Another Amazon example is a video that talks about Seattle, where the company is headquartered, focusing on the e-commerce giant’s relocation package and why Seattle is a great place to live.

3. The Prove It Test

A “prove it test” is any type of test a recruiter might use to determine whether an applicant has the skills needed to succeed in a given role. When you combine the idea of a prove it test with a personal challenge, you create intrigue that can motivate ambitious, talented candidates to take action. Think of this as one of the few times “if you build it, they will come” might actually work.

In one example, when Google was recruiting engineers they put up billboards that simply had a white background with an algorithm listed. Those who responded on their website with the correct equation and then succeeded in additional problem solving online were then redirected to a final recruiting page. Giving proof to the message displayed to those who reached the final recruiting page that “One thing we learned while building Google is that it’s easier to find what you’re looking for if it comes looking for you,”

Google has continued to use unconventional recruiting techniques in order to attract the uniquely talented employees they are looking for. In another instance, the MGM hotel in Vegas put together their own version of the reality show Iron Chef to test the mettle of applicants for a top chef job at one of their best restaurants (MGM and Iron Chef Contest).

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Staffing All the Way to the Bank – 5 Benefits of Using a Staffing Agency

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Hiring costs for even an entry-level employee might be several thousand dollars. Here are five benefits of using a staffing agency that make them an invaluable resource for hiring managers.

Steep Recruiting and Hiring Costs Highlight Benefits of Using a Staffing Agency to Get Better New Hires

For hiring managers and business owners, turnover is a four-letter word. The cost of recruiting, hiring and training new staff – even entry level staff – can run into the thousands of dollars. In fact, data recently published on Investopedia.com indicates that the real cost of hiring a single employee at just $8 per hour could be as much as $3,500.

Of course, that’s only the cost of making a good hire. The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) estimates that the cost of making a bad hire could be as much as 5x their annual salary, and that number goes up the longer they remain in the position.  Among the benefits of using a staffing agency are reduced direct costs when it comes to hiring activities and the ability to get better new hires from the start.

5 Benefits of Using a Staffing Agency to Improve Quality of New Hires

1. Focus

Working with a staffing agency allows your team to stay focused on the tasks and tactics that make your business most profitable. With fewer tasks to be completed in-house, distractions are minimized. Let a staffing agency do the busy work of filling your candidate funnel and eliminating those who are not qualified or who are not likely to be a good fit for your company’s culture.

2. Expert Advice

Staffing agency recruiters are trained and experienced experts who can efficiently sift through the hundreds – or even thousands – of responses your job posting may solicit and bring you a short list for consideration. What’s more, their insights about candidates or their resumes can be invaluable in helping you decide which candidates should make the cut and move on to an interview.

3. Better-Informed Candidates

Few things are more frustrating within the recruiting and hiring process than moving a candidate all the way through the process to the point of making an offer, only to discover that they had unrealistic expectations about the job, its salary range, or responsibilities. One of the benefits of using a staffing agency is that they give candidates information about your company and the position ahead of time so that candidates who want to self-select out of the process for any reason can do so, saving you time and resources in the process.

4. Pre-Screened for the Fast Track

Recruiting and hiring processes can take months! You can short-cut the process by working with staffing agencies who have already recruited, interviewed and pre-screened candidates who can be in place within a day or two, instead of weeks or months.

5. Try Before You Buy Options

Having the ability to work with candidates on a trial basis as temporary employees placed through a staffing agency gives you the opportunity to bring in top talent and see how they fit within the team and perform without making a long-term commitment. It can be equally positive for candidates themselves as they have a chance to find out whether the job and your corporate culture is a good fit for them. If you have experienced the pain and high cost of making a bad hire, this reason alone might make the benefits of using a staffing agency preferable to doing the recruiting and hiring yourself.

Benefits of Using a Staffing Agency – Calculating the Cost of a New Hire

The cost of a new hire is far greater than the cost of posting position openings or running a new hire screening, and not all costs can be measured in dollars. For instance, how can you calculate the negative impact of turnover on an understaffed department, or time lost to productivity when new hires are shadowing other employees?

If you are trying to come up with the real cost of recruiting and hiring in your organization in order to weigh the benefits of using a staffing agency against completing the work in-house, here are some costs to consider:

  • Time spent writing job post ad copy
  • Time spent researching job boards, social networks, and publications for placements
  • Cost of placing position openings in print and online job boards
  • Time spent reviewing submissions, monitoring all placement channels, and responding to applicants
  • Resources (time, money, and materials) spent on written responses to applicants
  • Time spent doing pre-interview phone screenings and setting up interviews
  • Time spent conducting interviews and lost productivity for interview participants
  • Time spent conducting reference checks
  • Time and resources spent on pre-employment screening/s
  • Food, beverages, lodging or travel costs
  • Cost of reimbursement for parking or transportation

It’s a lot! When you begin to tally up the cost of time spent onboarding new hires, doing paperwork, setting up payroll and benefits, completing training, and lowering productivity while they get up to speed, you can begin to understand the high cost of employee turnover and better appreciate the benefits of using a staffing agency, especially when it comes to improving the cost of new hires.

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