Faster Isn’t Always Better for Finding Minnesota Workers

As a business owner in need of temp workers, you have many options – from local independent staffing agencies to national chains. Choosing the best one for your business can be challenging, and this isn’t a good time for trial and error. Often, it’s easy to fall into the ‘fast is best’ trap but pause a moment and consider your ultimate goal: Engaging qualified temp staff to support your current team in peak seasons, complete unexpected orders or time-sensitive projects, and fill temporary vacancies, enabling your business to continue forward.

Meeting your goal with no or minimal glitches requires thoroughly-screened, well-trained, qualified temps who understand their roles and have a great attitude. This is no small feat, and hence it is crucial to choose an agency you can depend upon to do it right – and within legal guidelines.

Why Finding Quality Employees Matters

Take, for example, background checks. On the one hand, there are industries where background checks are not only prudent but also are required by law, such as education, healthcare, government positions, and some financial and IT. On the other hand, there are also laws that protect a potential candidate’s privacy, as well as one that guards against discrimination. It is vital that the agency you partner with understands both the federal laws, state laws, and local regulations. An agency that takes a little more time to ensure they ‘get it right’ will save your company time and cost in the end.

Another area where shortcuts can hinder more than help is drug screening. In the state of Minnesota, drug testing can only be done by a certified laboratory, with documentation showing the chain of custody. In addition, positive tests must be confirmed, and confidentiality must be kept. Despite this, some staffing agencies cut corners by performing drug tests within their office. Some agencies are counting on the fact that many employees and potential employees are not aware of the laws. Others are simply unaware of the laws. But no matter how innocent a situation is, should repercussions arise, they may affect not only the staffing company but also their client.

Questions to Ask Your Staffing Provider

There are other examples, of course, but the key is choosing a staffing agency you can trust with confidence to be thorough, knowledgeable, and legally compliant is crucial to your peace of mind, long-term costs, and company success. Questions to ask and points to consider, include the following:

• Does a staffing agency specializing in your industry? what is their primary focus?
• How many years of experience does the staffing agency have? Even if they have opened their doors in the last five years, what is the level of their experience in recruitment?
• Do they hire recruiters who have a degree, certification, or at least a good deal of knowledge and experience in the industry for which they recruit?
• What is their standard recruitment process? Does it include thorough screening techniques? Testing? Training? Legally-compliant drug screenings and background checks?
• What do their clients say about them? Are current clients well satisfied with the employees the agency sends to them?
• Do they offer any kind of guarantees? What happens if a temp employee doesn’t fulfill the requirements?

Why Finding Staff Fast isn’t Best

There are more items to consider when choosing a staffing agency, but these will give you a solid basis. In the end, partnering with a staffing firm that takes the time to offer expert, legally-compliant services result in a high ROI. Sure, they may not be as “fast” as an agency, which places “immediate response” higher on the list than safety, legal background checks and drug screening, sufficient training, and discovering top clients via personal interview; but they will deliver quality and save both time and expense in the big picture.

If you need help hiring temp workers, contact Award Staffing. We will figure out your company’s exact needs and the time frame in which the temp workers would be needed. Then, we will match you with hard workers, compatible with your company needs.