Recruiting for open positions can be very challenging, especially for smaller companies. You hear the ads all the time! “Post your job and get candidates that fit your position!” So if these online boards are so perfect, what is the benefit of using a staffing firm instead of just posting it yourself?  Well, that depends on how valuable your time is, and how much of that time you want to spend recruiting for a single position.

JOB POSTING COST

Resume databases like Careerbuilder, Indeed, Monster, ZipRecruiter, etc. use subscription plans to allow employers to post jobs and search their resume database.  Costs vary depending on the site, but range between a $199 monthly subscription plan (varies on number of job postings and/or resume searches) to a single job posting starting at $420 per post. Some sites like Facebook and LinkedIn let you set a budget based upon a performance model.  You define an average daily budget and, based on the performance, the site will charge a maximum per day. 

JOB POSTING RESPONSES

Once your job is posted, job seekers will submit resumes to apply for the position.  Hint: It does not matter how many screener questions you ask; there is no guaranteed method for prohibiting unqualified applicants from responding to your job post.  No matter how well their algorithm is written, ALL jobs get hits from people who DO NOT actually qualify for the position.  This means you and your recruiting staff will have to go through hundreds of “qualified” candidates individually to determine if they are truly qualified.  Which brings us to time.

TIME SPENT

According to American Staffing Association, the average time spent from interview to offer is 22.5 days. After your recruiters have screened candidates and reviewed their resumes, the next step is to set up a quick phone interview.  Phone interviews range anywhere from 10 minutes to half an hour per candidate.  This process could take days depending on the number of responses, how long it takes to actually make contact - which may mean waiting days on return calls - and actually conducting the interview, all the while filtering through the responses still coming in from your job post!   

Next step is face-to-face interviews, background screening, employment verifications, etc. This too could take several days to process.  Then, once you have gone through this whole process and chosen the perfect candidate to fill your position, you call to make the offer, and your perfect candidate has taken another position!  So, now what? You can go to your 2^nd or 3^rd option, or start the process all over again.

PARTNER WITH A STAFFING FIRM INSTEAD

Staffing firms, like Lofton Staffing Services, have a pool of qualified and screened candidates ready to work in various positions and with a variety of skill sets. This gives your recruiters the flexibility to either: interview a handful of qualified candidates, or start right away! Lofton Staffing Services can set the schedule, job responsibilities, dress code or PPE requirements, time-line and manage the entire payroll function, which frees your staff to concentrate on other aspects of the business.  

Additionally, staffing firms, like Lofton Staffing Services, provide you with a cost per hire analysis, and offer financial guarantees to support the quality of their talent, since the contracted employee falls under the staffing firm’s unemployment and workers’ compensation claims. This can quickly decrease costly overhead due to injuries and employee turnover. In addition to the normal function of cutting payroll checks, Lofton Staffing Services handles employee retirement plans (401K), direct deposits, management reports, calculate employee tax obligations, and prepare year-end W2 forms. 

So what are your time and resources worth when hiring new talent for your company? Lofton Staffing Services puts qualified people to work.  Let us go to work for you.

About Lofton: Founded in 1979, Lofton Services offers clients the best of all worlds. We provide the responsive, personal service and flexibility of a small local firm while having the technology, resources, and infrastructure to deliver the benefits of the biggest players in our industry. Lofton Staffing can deliver the right people, with the right skills, right when you need them. Contact us today.