Employer Survival Kit

Hiring Challenges? Meet Them Head On

Your staff is the heart of your business. It defines your company culture and is the foundation of productivity, innovation and development. Whether your business is in growth mode or scaling back, hiring and retaining top quality staff is a critical part of its success.

Of course, economic uncertainty only makes hiring decisions more complicated. Even with a job market characterized by slow and steady growth, regional challenges in Maine and New Hampshire, such as a stagnant population, a dearth of younger workers, and a much-publicized skills gap, can plague local employers. And, when jobs are in demand, hiring can feel like looking for one qualified fish in an ocean of applicants, overwhelming and overburdening human resources departments. How do employers make intelligent hiring decisions and cope with limited HR capacity?

Staffing Companies Lighten the Load

Businesses often turn to support to shore up their HR processes and lessen the pressures of hiring and maintaining staff, whether permanent or temporary. Enlisting a staffing company means creating a new partnership, and choosing the right partner can increase productivity, boost a business’ bottom line, and invigorate an organization over the long haul.

Staffing companies take care of many of the resource-sapping processes, such as screening employees, conducting background checks, verifying references, and interviewing. They also have rich resources for tapping the just right skilled worker for a project. Beyond the hiring process, staffing companies also take care of payroll, invoice employers for payment, and because they serve as the employer of record, are responsible for withholding taxes, providing insurance protection, including worker’s compensation and unemployment benefits. They often provide supervisory services as well, taking additional burden off of company employees.

Employer & HR Local Resources 

• When staffing decisions are being made, HR support is paramount. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is organization of human resource professionals with chapters in Maine and New Hampshire that provide information and support on a variety of HR topics HR strategies, best practices, conferences, legal issues and more. Find Maine chapters or find NH chapters.

• Resources for employers including hiring, unemployment insurance and workers compensation, and safety and training resources can be found at Maine.gov.

• For support with financing and growing a business in the state of New Hampshire, visit the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center. In Maine, get the help you need at the Maine Small Business Development Center.

• Maine Career Center provides employer resources including recruiting, labor market information and hiring support. And, if you are a Maine employer looking to hire quality workers with strong leadership and teamwork skills, find a CareerCenter Veterans' Representative.

Adding Value

In addition to basic hiring services, value-added services and specialized programs offered by staffing companies can mean return on investment that extends beyond just HR relief. For companies with challenging needs due to volume, timeframe, or skill set, staffing companies collaborate to find creative solutions. Top-tier agencies offer a variety of staffing options such as temporary workers, direct-hire workers, and engage in strategic hiring when specific skills are necessary. For example, as part of maintaining a valuable partnership with clients, BONNEY Staffing Center offers employers robust skills and assessment training (a great predictor of worker productivity), insurance protection, 24/7 availability for urgent needs, and employees benefits that translate into better quality recruiting and better retention.

Employers can also tap into the latest hiring technologies. BONNEY also offers the latest in job search technology, with their “Say Something Great” video resumes. The ultimate in streamlining the hiring process, BONNEY’S SSG video interview system allow employers to virtually meet candidates from their desk. Learn more about BONNEY’s Say Something Great Video Resumes.

Whether your goal is to take advantage of specialized programs and services, to boost to your bottom line, or simply to find that one fish in Applicant Ocean, consider a brand new partnership – with a staffing company. It’s an investment that can pay dividends far beyond the HR office.

Staffing Company Checklist

Looking for a HR support for your business? Ask your staffing company if they have these value-added services before you commit:

✓ 24/7 Availability. If you have emergency staffing needs or employ shift workers, 9-5 service from your staffing agency could leave you in the lurch when you most need help.

✓ Complete Insurance Protection. If you employ workers in the field, don’t take risks. Make sure your staffing agency offers insurance that is complete, comprehensive and above industry averages. 

✓ Complementary Skills Training.  Have a project requiring specialized on-the-job training? Ask your agency about charges for orientation and training to make sure they are taken into account. 

✓ Geographic reach. If your company has multiple offices, single-locations agencies can be inefficient when it comes to recruiting. And don’t discount local staffing agencies for nation needs – BONNEY Staffing, for example, is part of collective of independently-owned staffing companies across the country, giving them national reach. 

✓ Onsite Management. Some agencies offer services that include complete project coordination and management of temporary staff so you can focus on other core job duties. 

✓ Employee Performance Tracking. Make sure your agency has a solid track record of performance tracking, evaluations and quality control. 

✓ Benefits for Employees. Robust benefits for employees support an agency’s retention and recruitment efforts, ensuring the best employee for your project.

Questions about how staffing companies work with businesses? View FAQs about hiring, staffing and billing, or see if BONNEY’s specialized programs fit your needs.