1. Get hired for jobs quicker: Staffing agencies can get you in front of employers faster than traditional job searching and allow you to bypass the long application process.You apply once with a staffing firm and can work multiple assignments with a staffing agency, accepting and declining assignments as you desire.

Be forthright and honest in your job search to ensure the assignments you are offered will meet your expectations. Be transparent with what you are looking for to not waste your time or the staffing agency’s time.

2. Gain experience: Working with a staffing agency is a great way to gain on-the-job experience and build your professional network. Being able to list more than one employer that you have been assigned to work for will show that you have continued offers of work and therefore are reliable and have a good work ethic.

When you do list the job assignments you have worked and want to list each client company of the staffing agency, list the staffing agency as your employer (as they are) and show the companies you were assigned to work below as a subset of the time you worked for said agency. This is a clean and comprehensive view of your work experience.

3. Get higher pay: Staffing agencies generally have access to higher paying positions than those a person can find on their own. If clients call upon a staffing agency, they have to pay the staffing agency more for the employee’s work and therefore can typically afford to pay the temporary employee more when they are hired permanently if the role is temp to hire. Don’t forget that you can also negotiate your pay rate for each job assignment before or during a work assignment through a staffing agency. The client company and agency would much rather pay you more, than have you end your role and have to replace you.

4. Variety of work available: A staffing agency can help discover different kinds of roles and industries at the same time. This can help you develop a better understanding of the job market and what to expect in different areas.

Research the staffing agency, their clients and positions they fill so you can demonstrate depth of knowledge in your interview with the staffing agency and with their client, should an interview be required before starting your assignment. If the role is permanent, or temp to hire, an interview is typically required with the client before you will be confirmed and a start date will be provided.

5. Get temporary and contract positions: Staffing agencies offer job seekers the chance to find temporary and contract positions that fit their needs. Some employees may like the flexibility working on a temporary basis for a staffing firm offers. You are able to decline and accept positions that suit your schedule and type of work desired. You can also let your staffing agency know when you are not able to work for any period of time throughout the year.

If you desire a temp to hire, permanent role, you can also inform your staffing agency that you will only accept positions that lead to permanent or that your goal is permanent. There is also a benefit in taking more than one assignment before you accept a permanent position in order for you to understand what type of company and job suits you best.

6. Learn new skills: Working with staffing agencies can give job seekers a chance to gain new skills and build their resume. Develop a portfolio and gain marketable skills. Gain new skills by taking on a variety of positions and get the chance to showcase your abilities and experiences that future employers may be looking for.

Obtaining new skills and experience can grow your confidence. A sense of accomplishment with each temporary assignment completed with your staffing agency can give you motivation to further yourself and continue to strive for a better position with each offer.

Your resume should clearly outline your skills and experience so that it is concise and easily understood by each new employer reviewing it. Working for a staffing firm where you can accept multiple job assignments will provide you with a variety of experiences and new skills in different areas and industries.

7. Get a feel for certain industries or companies: Working with a staffing agency gives you the chance to accept or deny job assignments. Recruiters contact more than one job candidate to determine who is the best fit, most experienced and they continue to call until they find an employee who will accept the role.

A staffing agency affords their employees the ability to work for a variety of industries and businesses that they would not be able to experience when accepting one, permanent role. After you have held multiple job assignments, you are much more likely to know for certain where you would like to remain on a permanent basis.

This “try before you stay” ability alleviates you from having to job hop from one role to another, quitting when you determine you don’t like the role or industry. It is much easier to accept and complete an assignment and then move on to a different field on your next assignment by indicating to your recruiter what you have found you like or dislike after each job assignment completed. This also keeps your resume clean and alleviates listing an employer where you’ve stayed for only 6 months or less.

As a job candidate, it is important that you are aware that you can decline any job offered. If you are looking to work for a specific industry or company, you can share that information with your Recruiter at your initial interview and remind them of the same when they contact you.

There are many variables of a job assignment to consider before you accept the assignment. Length of the role, pay per hour, job duties, job location, job title, industry, company size, reputation and culture are just a few to consider.

8. Network and build relationships: take advantage of human resource industry networking events, for example. Staffing agencies often attend industry events to create pipelines of potential candidates. Take advantage of these events and build relationships with recruiters at staffing agencies so you can make yourself known to them in the future.

COATS Staffing Software provides a fully integrated front and back office system for our staffing agency clients to manage all of their employees, client and job orders. If you are a staffing agency and seek to better organize your operations, give us a call today. We grew up in the staffing industry, owned our own staffing agency and learned exactly what our clients needed most.