In the year ahead, a strong economy will continue to create the need to fill open positions in a variety of industries, and that will be a positive for both employers and job seekers considering working with temporary recruiting and staffing firms in 2018. There are a few trends driving the temporary staffing and recruiting market right now.

One, the hiring market is hot, so candidates who are looking for permanent positions are finding them fast. That means employers need to act quickly, and be more transactional if they want to find qualified candidates to fill jobs. This is also serving as a wake-up call to employers. They need to be more open-minded when considering the skills and experiences of the employees they may hire. Just because a candidate doesn’t possess every skill or experience required in a job doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be a good hire, the right hire, or work out if hired for the job.

If a candidate meets most of the qualifications and credentials and seems to be a fit for the company culture, employers should give this employee a chance. Why? Because the ideal candidate is already likely working in a full-time, permanent role, and not available. By working with a temporary staffing and recruiting firm, employers can connect with recruiters who have pre-established relationships and connections with qualified employees “on the bench” and ready to work.

This, no doubt, can speed up the hiring process. It can take some companies several weeks to complete one or two rounds of interviews. By then, candidates who may be already be juggling multiple job offers have accepted those jobs, and are suddenly no longer available. Suddenly, the employer now has to start the recruiting process over. But if they worked with a staffing and recruiting firm, they could suddenly be on-boarding that new hire, versus starting to recruit and interview all over again.

Hiring temporary employees also gives employers flexibility. They can hire to fill seasonal vacancies, to help complete a large project, or on a short-term basis—giving the employer the opportunity to get to know the employee first before deciding if they should hire them permanently.

Job seekers can also benefit from seeking out temporary roles—especially those who are not working or just need a change. Staffing and recruiting firms are well-connected to top employers and in some cases, certain employers only advertise their open positions with a staffing and recruiting firm.

In addition, job seekers can continue to develop important job skills, stay on top of industry trends, and build their resume and professional connections by accepting jobs with a temporary staffing firm. The reality is employers like to hire job seekers with a consistent employment record, and working with a temporary staffing firms provide the opportunity to stay employed. The longer one is unemployed, the less employable they become. A temp job with a staffing and recruiting firm also helps job seekers be more selective when considering permanent, full-time roles because they don’t have to rush to make a decision since they already have a job.

The hiring market is hot, and these are some of the trends and reasons both employers and job seekers can benefit from working with a temporary staffing and recruiting firm in 2018.

Meet the author and Team:

Dan Soi | Managing Director

Atlantic Group
1281 E. Main Street, 2nd Floor, Stamford, CT 06902
Direct: 203.274.8205 | Email: dsoi@atlantic-grp.com