Hiring. Onboarding. Training. What’s worked for managing these critical staffing components in the past may not get you successful results today. While the passage of time and improved technology are part of the reason traditional labor practices may not be as effective, what’s really at play is a confluence of needs and environment. Hiring expectations and the labor market are becoming increasingly complex. Historical human resource practices cannot sufficiently keep pace. To that end, you should consider evaluating and selecting external, third-party staffing solutions/vendors to support your hiring, onboarding and/or training needs. Doing so may help you close any staffing gaps, and free up time and headspace so you can focus on your business and your customers.
Finding the right staffing solution
As you consider various staffing providers, keep in mind that’s it not about settling for anyone who can get the job done, but about finding the one(s) that best meet the needs of your business. First and foremost, they should have a life-cycle approach to staff management or support one of the three major roles in staff management, which are finding the right candidates (hiring), acclimating new hires to their role (onboarding) and turning them into a contributing member of your staff (training). Specifically, here’s what to look for:
Hiring
The hiring solution you select, whether an individual provider or a company that handles talent acquisition alongside other staffing needs, should use at least one of the major job search engines. Posting job openings on a far-reaching career site will help your available positions reach the broadest base of potential candidates.
Onboarding
In terms of onboarding support, you want a staffing solution that can manage all of the paperwork that comes with hiring and maintaining your workforce. It should also integrate with your current payroll system and/or offer export capability, to simplify accounting and help you monitor your labor spend. Also, look for a solution that manages the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), to ensure you’re getting as much as you’re entitled to based on your workforce and level of participation in the program.
Training
Training in general, and how you train specifically, helps you reach your employees in different ways. The goal for training is to find a solution that is easily accessible to employees, so they can self-serve. Generally, this means a library of training videos that are available 24/7, can be assigned based on an employee’s job or role and are customizable to fit the varying needs of the staff.
As you evaluate potential staffing providers, keep in mind these key hiring, onboarding and training attributes. The strongest provider(s) will offer you the right level of support for your business needs and streamline a majority of the traditional managerial tasks.
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