Staffing Outside the Box with Spherion

There are numerous historical examples of people working in a temporary capacity, and the defined staffing model as we know it dates all the way back to the 19th century. While the essence of our work has stayed the same since its origin, staffing and recruiting wouldn’t be the multi-billion-dollar industry it is today if we simply continue to use the same tools, technologies and strategies that were used 50, 25 or even one year ago. The companies that have stood the test of time are those that staff outside the box and use new training tactics, technology, marketing strategies and more to stay relevant and competitive. The marketplace is growing and constantly changing, so in order to continue successfully servicing clients and candidates, staffing professionals must stay agile in their strategy.

Training and technology

Training is essential for every company, but it’s especially vital for staffing companies. In order to work cohesively and successfully as a unit, each employee needs to understand their role and the value of the work they are doing. There are some companies that don’t see the benefit of training or continuing to educate their employees. They worry that after investing time and money into their staff, they will leave. But research proves training has quite the opposite effect — 86% of HR managers believe training aids in employee retention (SHRM Research Institute and TalentLMS).

Role-based training

When it comes to implementing training protocols, many employers use outdated practices and make the mistake of leaving training responsibilities up to individual leaders. Instead, businesses should consider utilizing role-based training, which involves several different team members, aligns with the responsibility of each role and provides training for employees based on what’s expected of them. The opportunity to be involved in new employees’ training also gives rise to more tenured team members and further promotes staff retention.

Upskilling

Another training tactic to consider is upskilling, an approach focused on building existing employees’ skills to prepare them to fill new positions. As various industries leverage new technologies across the board, it’s important to close the digital talent gap and fill positions with candidates who have the specialized skills needed while maintaining your current workforce.

Investing in technology

Aside from creating opportunities for upskilling, technology also plays a massive role in the success of a staffing business. Small boutique firms might still run on paper ink and basic Excel or Word formats, but all they are doing is getting by. You have to invest in technology as it will bring you the greatest efficiencies that save you time and money in the long run. At Spherion, we have an entire team who stay up to date on staffing and recruiting technology and determine which systems and processes will help our franchisees and their teams operate at the highest capacity. That level of constant research can be an insurmountable task for an individual group, but is handled quite readily through a franchise brand like Spherion.

In the second part of this series, we’ll explore additional tactics and considerations that will help you stay agile in your recruiting strategy.