When working with an IT contract staffing vendor, it’s important to understand their recruitment process. Look into their screening procedures, industry affiliations, prior client portfolio, as well as the type of existing relationships they have with the technology and IT talent. Also, work with an IT contract staffing vendor that represents your company’s best interests and works hard to retain quality talent.
A successful IT contract staffing vendor provides more value with a proven track record for specialized recruiting.
We’ve compiled a few tips to look out for when hiring a contract staffing vendor. These are useful for short and long-term projects that require skilled niche talent.
Hiring a Temporary Employee (Contractor) and a Full-time Employee
Working with an experienced and reputable IT contract staffing vendor can save you time and money in the long run. Here, we break down temporary and full-time employee positions that we help fill with ease.
Temporary/Contract employees – You might want to consider hiring temporary contract employees for short-term projects. These positions are typically part-time or project-based at 3, 6, or 9-month intervals, or even years. After hiring an IT contractor, you have the flexibility and option of extending their contract. Contractors would go on an IT contract staffing vendor or agency’s payroll.
Full-time employees – Hiring for full-time positions starts with the screening process through an HR department at your company. Usually, full-time-W-2 employees are on the organization’s payroll, and not the staffing agency’s payroll.
Evaluating and Pre-screening a Prospective Staffing Vendor
Just like pre-screening candidates, it’s important to evaluate the staffing vendor or firm you’re working with. Also, you should pre-screen your vendors to make sure they can handle all aspects of your company’s recruiting needs.
Ask the right questions and understand how the staffing vendor conducts their hiring process. Also, Understanding how they recruit, interview, pre-select, and post-select will help you find candidates that meet your organization’s needs.
Look to align yourself with an IT contract staffing vendor that has a good reputation. Find someone who is well versed in your business and industry needs.
Ask the vendor about the type of companies and clients they have worked with in the past. Also, you should inquire about their general industry experience. In addition, you should find out how long the IT contract staffing vendor has been in business. Find out if they’re able to back up their success with statistics or testimonials. When possible, pre-screen IT contract staffing vendors in-person or via Zoom. This will help you better understand their ethics, values, and how they carry themselves as an established or growing firm.
It’s also a good idea to do a thorough Internet sweep of the staffing vendor. Do they align themselves with social causes that are important to your company? Do they show a sense of professionalism? Are they skilled in the areas you’re looking to fill?
Analyze the Vendor’s Recruiting Process
When you’re partnering with an IT contract staffing vendor, you want to make sure that you analyze their hiring process. This includes pre-selection, interviewing, and post-interview. Are they ironing out inefficiencies and bringing you quality hires and not just “instant hires” that aren’t qualified for the role?
At Focus GTS, we dive deeply into the references provided by candidates. We ensure that the individual has worked the jobs they stated on their resume and applications. We do a meticulous background check and thoroughly pre-screen candidates to avoid the “fake candidate” situation.
Post Job Placement Follow-Up Procedures
As a specialty agency, it’s our job to maintain and grow our vast candidate vault with quality tech talent. Plus, we keep an active approach to effectively communicate and maintain relationships with both clients and candidates. We follow-up with candidates weekly to ensure everything is smooth sailing. If any issues arise, we make sure to address them as quickly as possible. Also, we help if they are seeking new IT job opportunities that align with their long-term goals. We provide support and guidance regarding career and salary goals.
Proven Expertise Placing Independent Contractors and W-2 Employees
We recommend partnering with an experienced and reputable IT contract staffing agency. Someone that can handle all aspects of hiring, payroll, and other concerns. When hiring contractors, align yourself with specialized recruiters that are knowledgeable in emerging technologies and trends. Handling on your own can be time-consuming, confusing, and expensive.
Some candidates have been doing contracts for so long that they become career contractors and work independently. As a company, you don’t want to limit your candidate pool to agencies that can only supply W-2 employees. This might lead to missing out on great talent and drastically limit your options. We have experience placing both independent contractors and W-2 employees. You can talk to one of our tech specialized recruiters today for more information.
Vast Candidate Database and Specialization
When selecting an IT contract staffing vendor to represent your organization, make sure they have a vast IT candidate pool. Are they well-versed in multiple industries and emerging trends? Are they keeping up with the latest news in the industry? It’s important to align yourself with a tech staffing agency that has a pipeline of quality contractors available for a variety of projects. Research the firm’s specialization and check to see if they have an existing database, a social media presence, or professional certifications and other organizations they partner with.
Industry Affiliations and Overall Reputation
Ensure the firm you’re working with has a positive reputation and can meet your organizational goals. Choose an IT contract staffing vendor that is associated with the American Staffing Association or any other professional groups. This shows that the firm has a team of highly skilled specialized recruiters. That they have a team who is willing to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in staffing.
Another thing to look out for is to make sure you’re choosing an IT contract staffing vendor that can handle all aspects of recruiting. They should be able to provide you with a quality hire with a quick turnaround time. While traditional recruiters can fill positions quickly, they will not provide a quality hire. This means meeting the specific criteria you’re looking for in a timely manner.
We hope this checklist has been helpful. Always remember to do your pre-screening when it comes to researching and committing to an IT contract staffing vendor. Also, if you would like to know more about our recruiting process, contact us today!