As the employment rate dropped to record lows in 2018, talent recruiting and retention became the top concern with staffing firms according to the American Staffing Association’s 2018 Staffing Industry Playbook¹. Finding enough qualified candidates remains difficult for recruiters across the country. With the continuation of a tight labor market, chances are good that 2019 will present similar recruitment challenges for temporary staffing agencies.

If you’re looking to ramp up your recruitment game, here are three statistics that reveal missed opportunities for temp staffing recruiters to attract and retain qualified candidates.

Where does your staffing agency stand on these pieces of candidate engagement? All three of these missed opportunities for engagement require an easy fix by your recruiting team:

1. Communicate with candidates between the acceptance date and the start date.
2. Offer feedback and coaching during placement.
3. Find small ways to create an overall positive candidate experience to generate more good reviews.

These are simple ways that your staffing firm can overcome the recruiting challenges in 2019. If you’re looking for more tips on recruiting and retention, read: How to Attract and Retain Employees: Recruiting and Onboarding Tips to Increase Employee Engagement

Sources:

1. American Staffing Association, 2018 Staffing Industry Playbook
2. CareerBuilder, Optimizing Candidate Experience through Technology
   • 35% of staffing firms make no attempt to engage with candidates in the time between accepting the assignment and their start date
   • 54% of candidates say they were not given feedback or coaching throughout their assignment
3. CareerBuilder, The Impact of Online Reputation to Your Overall Business
   • Nearly 75% of candidates say a staffing firm’s negative reviews has a negative impact on their likelihood to apply to an open position