Your experience from the moment you hit the apply button to when you’re hired is vastly different from staffing firm to staffing firm. Which makes it even more difficult to know what you should expect when working for one.
APR has been connecting people with job opportunities for over 35 years. We’ve been around to see what works, what doesn’t, and most importantly, how to treat employees that work for your agency.
When you’re applying for jobs and your considering to work for a staffing firm or agency you’re not familiar with, here are a few warning signs that you might want to consider before working with them.
Their application process is difficult and confusing
You find a job you want to apply for. After multiple clicks and having a hard time navigating their website, you now have to spend 15 mins filling out miscellaneous information that’s already included on your resume.
This should be the first red flag and you shouldn’t waste your time. This type of staffing firm clearly doesn’t have the employee experience first in mind. If you’d like to see a great example of what an application process should look like – check out our jobs page.
Their lack of social media presence is disturbing
You start to research the company on social media. You search for them on Facebook, Twitter, and even Instagram. You notice either A. it’s non-existent or B. their page isn’t engaging.
This should be your second warning sign. Social Media is a great way for agencies to stay connected with their employees. That’s why we are on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
The recruiter is unorganized, uninformative, and all around unprofessional
When you first talk to the recruiter, if they do any of the following, walk away:
- Pressure you into taking the position – They give you a deadline or say things “We need an answer in 24 hours”.
- Their cold, uninformative, and confusing – They can’t answer simple questions and give you an idea of what the job entails.
- They over promise and under deliver – They say they will send you an email in the next hour and you don’t get it until 2 days later, or they say to expect a phone call from them in 24 hours and you never hear back.
If your recruiter treats you more like they are doing you a favor instead of a human being, this should be a big warning sign. Don’t waste your time working with a poor recruiter because they won’t stand in your corner when things get rough.
They forget about you once you’ve started working
An important question to ask the staffing firm or temp agency is what they do to stay connected with its workforce. Do they send out newsletters to keep in touch? Does someone check-in with you periodically to see how your assignment is going?
Last year at APR we launched our WeCare program. With WeCare, we provide support from the very first phone call to your last day of work. We schedule periodic check-ins, support for any issue that may arise, employee recognition, and even an occasional giveaway. We also send out quarterly newsletters to keep our work force updated with any information that might apply to their job.
Keep these warning signs in mind when considering a staffing firm or temp agency to work for. If you’ve ever experienced something that isn’t on the list, let us know and comment below!
