Recently, Ryan Nouis, participated in a Career Connectors community event focused on connecting candidates with staffing firms. Ryan is TruPath’s Founder and CEO. He launched TruPath, a national staffing firm, in 2002.
Career Connectors is a non-profit organization focused on connecting professionals who are in career transition with resources and companies. To see the full details of this event, including myths about staffing firms, CLICK HERE.
Advantages to Working with Staffing Firms
Below are three questions discussed during the recent panel that TruPath recruiters want to expand on as they are excellent candidate questions!
Q: Why should a candidate looking for a new position work with a staffing firm?
A: In a tight labor market, many professionals obtain their next role through their networks. Hiring managers prefer hiring candidates who are referred by trusted sources. Often, companies turn to staffing firms, when they are unable to find the talent on their own or through their personal networks.
Staffing firms connect these companies with talent (candidates). Providing your resume to a staffing firm will ensure that you become searchable in their database. If a complimentary role becomes available, the firm’s recruiters will reach out to you to discuss the opportunity. Many staffing firms, such as TruPath, work with candidates at no charge. The charge is to the employers seeking talent. Additionally, staffing firms and their recruiters work with several employers and 100’s of candidates. So, they have vast networks. The more advocates you have during a job search, the better!
Q: What is negotiable when working with a staffing firm?
A: Staffing firms work with candidates and for candidates. When working with a staffing firm at no-charge, there is no negotiating. The negotiating comes in when you are contemplating a job offer. Do not go around your recruiter during this stage. Work with your recruiter on the best strategy. Remember, your recruiter is your advocate and will be honest with you. He/she wants you to get this role, and can also share potential negotiation pit falls that might prevent you from moving forward.
It’s important to be honest with your recruiter about your wants and needs. Often, compensation and start date are negotiable. Many benefits come standard depending on the particular company. Again, it’s important to talk to your recruiter about your needs in a very open and honest way. In turn, your recruiter will articulate the company’s benefits package and which components may be flexible. TruPath recruiters do not present candidates to clients who are out of the compensation ranges, so clarifying salary expectations with your recruiter is critical.
Q: How can a candidate best prepare for an interview with a staffing firm and client?
A: It’s important to be yourself during an interview. Know what you value, what type of role you are seeking, and where your passions lie. We never suggest altering yourself for a role or company. Being yourself will help you find the best fit in terms of company and role. However, we do recommend that you put your best foot forward. Dress the part, be polite, think about your strengths and weaknesses in advance, prepare questions to help you investigate whether or not you will like the role, and don’t be afraid to toot your own horn. That is often hard for people to do!
When you get to the client (company) interview, researching the company beforehand is critical. Additionally, we recommend being able to articulate why or how you will be an asset to the company and their culture as well.
As a trusted recruitment source since 2002, the recruiters at TruPath have a customizable process that helps partners (clients) feel comfortable in their search for top talent. Contact a TruPath team member today to tell us about your hiring needs.