Choose your temporary staffing agency carefully
Don’t consider cost as the only factor
There are a lot of variations in the services that temporary staffing agencies offer. That is why you should shop around before finding an agency to fill your case management vacancies, says Brian LeCount, director of marketing for HPO Healthcare Staffing, a Cincinnati-based staffing company that offers temporary local staff in five cities and traveling nurses nationwide.
He warns against using cost alone as a basis for hiring temporary staff or when you choose a staffing agency.
"Employers should weigh the benefits of having someone to fill a gap and the costs of not having staff as well as considering the cost of a supplemental staffing solution," adds LeCount.
While you may pay temporary staff a higher hourly rate than your employees, you save the "soft costs" such as employee benefits programs, recruiting costs, and other costs.
When you’re filling case management vacancies, it’s particularly important to choose an agency that knows something about case management, suggests Dia Moore, RN, director of clinical and technical services for The Compass Continuum, a case management professional staffing agency covering the Denver metropolitan area.
She suggests choosing a company that specializes in case management placement or at least has someone on staff who is familiar with the duties of a case manager.
"It’s one thing to deliver a body. It’s another to deliver a qualified person in a timely manner," LeCount adds.
Here are some other tips for finding a company to fill your temporary staffing needs:
- Look for a company with a proven track record. Ask for references and check them.
- Look for a company that gives you the opportunity to look at the resume of potential temporary employees and interview them in advance.
- Start small. Give a company you are considering a few assignments at first to make sure the people they send meet your expectations.
- Ask how long it typically takes to fill a position. It might be better to pay a higher fee to a company that can fill your needs quickly.
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