The rise of this on-demand talent, sourced outside of the traditional staffing firm model, uniquely allows enterprises to engage and source talent directly, typically through private or public talent pools. And while this sourcing model is considerably cheaper than paying staffing firm margins, it is not a silver bullet and likely only going to apply to a small percentage of your total talent needs. A key principle of private talent pools is that enterprises can benefit from staying connected to known talent (e.g., retirees, alumni, former interns) who can be contacted for potential contract opportunities in the future for just a little more than traditional payroll rates.

It’s not to say the self-sourcing model is irrelevant or doesn’t merit cost savings on its own, but what are companies doing to hold on to already known non-employee contractors or consultants to redeploy them proactively within the organization before they leave?

And while proponents of self-sourcing often tout that former employees and retirees are what make up these private talent pools, talent that originally came from a staffing firm is likely to be proactively redeployed to assignments at another customer. All of that internal knowledge, training and investment has been lost.

PREMIUM CONTENT: Direct Sourcing Platform Landscape

The redeployment of contract labor is arguably a much more powerful lever when it comes to benefiting from the proven quality of known resources while also gaining efficiencies in the onboarding process and cutting costs in training, management and possibly agency fees. There is also a key diversity and inclusion aspect that we cannot ignore. Rebecca Perrault, VP of diversity, equity and inclusion at Magnit, highlights this importance. “We are working hard with our clients to develop diverse contingent talent in their organizations, investing in the development of inclusion knowledge and enabling their success.  When we lose highly skilled talent at the end of their contracts, we are continually forced to start over. We need to do our best to redeploy our talent, both individuals from diverse demographic groups and all the talent we have developed, to contribute to the inclusive cultures our clients are creating.”

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But understanding who is onboard, when assignments will actually finish and a contingent worker’s capabilities is often difficult — even if a company has technology or services to help bring headcount and spend to light. It can be challenging to consistently understand who and where they work (especially if they are on an SOW or are project-based workers), what projects are they working on, whether these projects being delivered on time and within budget, and whether targets are being met.

As perplexing can be determining whether an assignment is actually going to be completed on the original contract end date, with close to 65% of all assignments being extended — often a week or so before the assignment is set to terminate.

But there is tremendous worth, both from cost and value to the business, in the redeployment of resources who are already familiar with your organization — people who have a proven track record of success, require little to no onboarding or training, and can add immediate value.

In part two of this series, I will explore ways to drive redeployment as a core strategy.

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The post Candidate Reusability – A New Approach to Direct Sourcing: Part One appeared first on Paragon Strategic Staffing.

However, we all know that downturns and economic slowdowns are inevitable, and cycles happen.  We must prepare now to retain our clients before a decline happens. How do we create a customer retention strategy that keeps them engaged and loyal? Let’s explore in a two-part series how we can build a loyal client base if market dynamics shift and we enter a recession.

Analyze client turnover metrics. You can’t correct a problem if you don’t know you have one. You should be tracking and analyzing the number of customers who leave and the reasons why they no longer buy your services. Evaluate the data and feedback to better understand the reasons for the churn rate and to increase retention. It is critical to spot the trends and weaknesses in your organization.

Conversely, sometimes we proactively part ways with a client because they don’t match our model, rates, capabilities, process, etc. We need to track these scenarios as well. A client that wasn’t a fit for us years ago may now be a viable source of business. Company dynamics and employees change, so don’t assume — stay connected and follow up!

Collect customer feedback. It’s hard to improve your business if you don’t know how your customers perceive it. To enhance retention, you need a process for obtaining client feedback and sharing that information with the rest of your company. A customer feedback loop provides a system for collecting, analyzing and sharing reviews or surveys. There are a few ways to collect this feedback, and the most common way is by using one of many survey tools that are available. You should evaluate your results looking for trends in customer behavior and other opportunities to enhance your service. Make sure you understand what is important to the client and their business. Further, share this information in your organization and create an action plan to correct shortcomings and capitalize on new business offerings.

PREMIUM CONTENT: Industrial Staffing Growth Assessment: June 2022 Update

Communicate directly with clients. Even if your customers aren’t contacting you, your team should be proactive in communicating with them. Speak to them in person and via video/phone, and engage at in-person events — build the trust and rapport. Nothing replaces one-on-one communication, so don’t solely rely on email, texting, LinkedIn or the like. Utilize a communication calendar to create opportunities to check in, cross-sell and follow up. All staffing companies have a tool or system for this, so it is easy to set up the actions. Send press releases, articles and information about laws and regulation that are of interest to the client and their specific industry. Additionally, read their website/Google to engage in meaningful conversation about their business. A company newsletter is also a cost-effective way of staying in contact, and it doesn’t have to be long and tedious. Out of sight is out of mind, and staffing is a business where you need to be visible and present.

Become a specialist. The days of being a staffing generalist are gone. Become a student of their industry and a specialist by understanding the challenges, regulations and nuances to the industry. For example, businesses like healthcare, manufacturing and federal/defense have unique needs and specific business processes. Assume they are a DOD integrator. There is nothing more powerful than being able to convey to them how your company can find and hold clearances or that you have a process to handle government FAR requirements. Also, give them examples and case studies of where you have done this before. A track record of delivering in their industry makes you an indispensable business partner.

Minimize the churn. While there’s excitement that comes with obtaining new customers, keeping existing customers will result in a greater ROI. Client retention costs at least five times less than new client acquisition. Churn is not only costly; it can stretch internal resources thin. While we don’t know what economic headwinds with blow, strive to become a trusted advisor and not a generic staffing supplier to retain clients for the long term.

In part two, I will discuss more strategies for client retention.

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Why is it important to qualify leads?

Only 21% of leads turn into sales opportunities, according to MarketingSherpa. In a study by Implisit Insights, the gathered data suggest an even smaller number of conversions, with just 13% of leads converting to opportunities. Despite data and intuition showing that some leads are better than others, it is likely your sales force struggles to prioritize good leads over bad ones. When your team pursues leads that aren’t a fit for your organization, they squander energy and resources.

Qualifying your new business opportunities often involves asking a series of questions to obtain the data you need. Nearly three out of four prospects feel their needs aren’t met on the first phone call because the salesperson is eager to qualify the opportunity. A sales professional must determine how to obtain the qualifying information they need while ensuring the potential buyer is a legitimate prospect without alienating them.

PREMIUM CONTENT: The Global Gig Economy 2021

By prioritizing leads, you can focus your efforts on contacting the most “likely to buy” ones first. How do you find customer pain though? One of the most important interactions a salesperson can have with a potential customer is the discovery conversation. You and your prospect are at a crossroad: Either they are a match for your service that merits taking the next step, or it’s time for you both to part ways. Unfortunately, no staffing company is a fit for all prospective clients.  This realization is difficult to recognize if you don’t have the internal capabilities to develop a successful sales qualification process and train employees on ways to use it to achieve their productivity goals.

While most teams are aware of the sources of their best leads, without proper training, process and structure for sales lead management, employees spread their effort equally across all leads. It’s counter-intuitive to give up on a prospect that has shown interest in your company, but you need to execute a disciplined technique and only work on qualified leads. When you ask the right questions and uncover prospect pain, you will be able to determine whether or not the relationship should continue and what the appropriate next steps are if a deal is ultimately feasible. An experienced learning and development resource can train on the fundamentals of sales qualification, show the sales force the different frameworks to use and provide pointers on disqualification and conversational tip-offs.

Taking the next step

The workforce has likely changed forever. Once your viable prospect has turned into a client, it is important to coach the client to be flexible on candidate skill sets, rates, experience and the interview process. As we come out of the pandemic, we have to learn a new way of doing business. Candidates are less tolerant of outdated expectations, but at the same time, many companies are resisting the inevitable changes. A learning and development resource can align your teams’ expectations with the market and help them achieve results within the boundaries of the market conditions.

How will you leverage learning and development to propel your sales team to new heights?

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Provide your team with details on why the contract went to someone else. In many cases, a client wanted to save money or have a family member or friend complete the work. Or, perhaps the client wasn’t completely satisfied with your output. In any case, assure your team the client appreciated their efforts. Help them manage their emotional response as you manage your own.

Let your team know whether the client agreed to keep the door open about giving you the contract down the road. Perhaps the company that received the business gives a price increase beyond what your company was charging. Maybe the family member or friend who took over the work isn’t reaching expectations. Keeping the lines of communication open means you may secure the business again in the future.

PREMIUM CONTENT: https://www2.staffingindustry.com/Research/Research-Reports/Americas/US-Pay-Rate-Rangefinder

Collaborate with your team to create notes about what you learned from working with the client and facts about why you lost the contract. Spend time reflecting on the experience and use it to guide your decisions moving forward. Before taking on new clients, think about how you can avoid losing one down the road. Include your team’s unique combination of talents that differentiate them from the competition and make them irreplaceable. Encourage your teammates to visualize a future where they deliver significant results for new clients who remain with your company long-term. Be grateful you got to work with the client.

Talk about how losing the contract frees up time for new opportunities. Reframe the loss in a manner that respects both the client and your company and brings your team excitement about the future. Remind your team of the value they provide clients and how that will continue long into the future. Your track record is full of significant wins and will continue to grow and diversify to include even more big contracts.

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Hays, the owner of South Sound Staffing, is just one of many enthusiastic, enterprising staffing business owners who are optimistic about the future. In fact, according to a recent survey of staffing firm owners nationwide, 70% said they are predicting double-digit growth while 43% predict growth above 20%. Staffing Industry Analysts recently projected an 11% growth by December, which mirrors the accelerated GDP growth prediction of 6.5% by S&P Global Economics.

But like anything, too much of a good thing can be bad for staffing firms. Growing too quickly can cause real pain, and there are dozens of cases where staffing owners burned themselves out, spread their finances too thin, or saw negative word of mouth begin to spread because they could no longer deliver exceptional service.

Before you tackle the upcoming staffing boon, take the time now to prepare yourself by ensuring you have the following four key elements in place:

1. Knowing when to say no. Like a lot of staffing firm owners, Hays admits she has a hard time saying no. Fortunately, she understands that agreeing to every opportunity is a recipe for disaster.

“I don’t want to grow too big too fast to the point that I can’t service my clients,” she explained. “If I have too many open orders, I’m not giving them enough attention.”

It’s that sort of restraint that has allowed Hays to be so successful over the last year. Knowing when not to overextend yourself and recognizing when that is about to happen is as crucial to success as finding opportunities in the first place.

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2. Access to capital. The worst thing that could happen when you are in the middle of a staffing boon is that you do not have the working capital in place to take on all those new opportunities.

Start now to secure your funding source, and make sure they can be a long-term partner that will help you grow as much as you desire. If you have a bank loan, find out how difficult it will be to raise your credit line should the need arise. If you are with a factoring company, determine how big you are allowed to grow before their risk tolerance expires or their level of service starts to diminish. Finally, if you are funding yourself, determine whether using your own money is preventing you from growing as big as you want.

3. Having the right team. Growth often requires bringing on new team members. Be sure to define the roles in advance and hire the people most qualified and attuned with company culture.

The key to success is having the right people in the right roles. In a highly competitive industry, people and culture are what set you apart.

Hire with an eye toward someone who not only has experience in recruiting, or whatever role you’re trying to fill, but who could also be comfortable juggling multiple duties as the business continues to grow over the next year.

4. Understanding yourself. Every staffing firm has to draw a line in the sand and declare not only who you are, but perhaps more importantly, who you are not.

Do one thing and do it well. Are you really great at serving one or two verticals? Great, hire people that have experience in those spaces so they can solidify your expertise. Are you really great at customer service? Awesome, develop a training program and invest in solid hiring practices to maintain that edge. The quickest way to lose is to try and be something for everyone.

A Brighter Future

As we emerge from the pandemic into a brighter future ahead, now is the time to make sure your firm has the foundation and plans in place to take full advantage of the expected growth. Everyone wants to be a success, but you’ll have higher achievement over the long haul if you think carefully about the opportunities you’re taking on, your own ability to manage new clients, and if your funding partner can accommodate your growth.

MORE: Top trends in staffing now

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4 Elements That Can Help You Land Larger Accounts

1. (Actually) be different. OK, I know that every staffing firm says they are special, but it’s important to actually be different. Unless you work in general staffing and are after large customers, you need to bring something different to the table (and it should be noted that even general staffing firms can stand out by offering something that sets them apart, whether it’s customer service or speed to hire).

So, what can you offer? It’s got to be something that you have in your mission statement so that your sales team and your marketing team — whether in-house or outsourced – can use it to give a consistent, positive message. Think about your special sauce.  Do you deliver great candidates, do you excel at customer service, can your associates and your team deliver? After all, no one wants to go into the staffing industry just to be second-rate. Figure out what you do best and communicate this to your customers and your associates.

PREMIUM CONTENT: Introducing Programmatic Job Advertising

2. Deliver on your promises. It’s been said that 80% of success is showing up. In the staffing world, this means having your candidates show up on time, having them trained and ready, and offering full support to your customers. If you can back up your sales pitch, you’re going to gain credibility and renewed business with a large customer.

3. Hire top sales people and recruiters … and keep them. Of course, the salesperson you hire, or your sales staff, is key for a first impression. You need to find people who are well versed in the industry that you’re covering. One of the top complaints from staffing customers is that the sales team changes every other week. Find the right people, keep them, and reward them for their success, which directly affects your company.

The same is true on the recruiting side. You’re only as good as your candidates. Sure, you might have a top recruiter leave, and perhaps your customer may stick with you out of loyalty, but can you really trust that scenario? Hiring a top recruiter, or a team, who know the market will help you deliver on your promises.

4. Customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction plays a crucial role in getting, and staying with, large customers. You can enhance this by expediting payroll, billing correctly, and using automation as a means to efficiency.

When you land larger accounts, it’s great for your bottom line.  Stay focused on what sets you apart from your competition. Always deliver on your promises to gain credibility.  Also, investing in the right sales people and recruiters and keeping them should be a top priority.  This will ensure customer satisfaction is met and will help you hold on to large customers for years to come.

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The post How Do You Sell Your Staffing Services to a Large Company? appeared first on Paragon Strategic Staffing.

1. “We’re different.”
2. “We have a proprietary database.”
3. “We have a cultural fit with our clientele.”

To which you as a business owner or hiring manager might say:

1. “If every agency says they’re different, what is your differentiator?”
2. “If that’s true, why am I getting the same résumés from your competitors?”
3. “Give me an example of a cultural fit.”

Underperforming staffing firms don’t understand their clientele, their competitors, the business landscape they are operating in or the loyalty of their candidates. And this doesn’t even take into account the feeling a hiring manager must have when they get a résumé from a staffing firm that they’ve already found via their own Monster account.

But take heart. This provides an excellent opportunity to truly differentiate your business. Let’s examine the ways:

Find a niche. Finding a niche is a great way to specialize and differentiate your company.

With a niche, you can target specific customers and specific candidates, you can screen more effectively, and you can research the particular business challenges in your area, whether they are geographic or skills-based.

If you’re a startup, this is an easy call. If you’re an existing firm, it’s more difficult to transition. Look for compatible niches in your field of expertise (for example, if you are a healthcare staffing firm, you may want to look into a locum tenens specialization).

PREIUM CONTENT: Most Complex Contingent Markets Globally

Research your (potential) customer. This is so much easier these days with online tools at your disposal, from researching the customer on its own website to Glassdoor and Yelp. See who they are trying to hire, and what employees say about them. In short, try to understand their culture before you call or meet. Network with colleagues here as well.

Emphasize your recruiting process. This is a key differentiator. If you’re finding good people in interesting or original ways, this is guaranteed to make a customer sit up and take notice.

Do you have special outreach programs? Do you have unique training models? Specialized recruiters? Candidate assessments?

Maybe you do extra background screening? How about an on-boarding process (which, as an added bonus, makes you more of a partner)? All of these are valid differentiators in your process, and help you stand out.

Brand yourself to candidates. At the end of the day, your reputation depends upon the candidates you place. Remember that today’s job seekers are more interconnected and tech-savvy than ever before. They talk with one another, and they’ll be talking about you if you do a good job (or a not-so-good job).

So, treat candidates with the respect they deserve, and differentiate yourself here as well.

For example, you can develop blogs and think pieces devoted to candidates as well as clients.

Speed to placement. This can be tough to do without sacrificing quality somewhere in the mix. But a great way to ensure it is to automate as many steps in the process as you can. For example, use an ATS/CRM to manage appointments, harness mobile technology, and stay in touch with both customers and candidates 24/7.

In fact, automation is a solution that can help with every aspect of customer service and differentiating your business.

The next time you make that phone call to a business that needs to utilize a staffing firm you can gain their trust by telling them exactly how you are different from every other call they have received.  You have a niche that specifically fills a need for them, you can ask insightful questions because you have done your research, you have a solid recruiting process and you have outstanding testimonials from happy candidates.

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1. Stay true to your brand. Too often, email campaigns are generic and fail to convey the solicitor’s branded message. While it’s important to tailor your message to the reader and address their needs, your brand still needs to come through loud and clear. Even if your email is short and to the point, it should always be created in your brand voice and reflect your messaging strategy.

2. Learn how to get and direct attention. The subject line of the email is certainly important, but getting them to go beyond that will require a purposeful design and compelling content. How can you use design to direct the reader’s attention? By using the elements of motion, size, color, and positioning, you can subtly yell at the reader — “HEY, LOOK AT ME!” Here are some specific ideas:

• Placing an element higher in the email is more recognizable than a lower one.
• An element that is in contrast with its surroundings is more recognizable than one which blends in.
• A larger element is more recognizable than one that is smaller.
• Bold and/or italicized font stands out when used sparingly.

3. Never forget that conversion is the primary goal. You should always be asking yourself “what do I want the reader to do?” Ideally you want them to respond to your call to action – to click on the CTA button. That’s what we mean by conversion. The ultimate end of your sales process is undoubtedly more involved,  but the immediate objective of an email or ad  is always to motivate the reader to want to learn more. You need to open that door.

4. Triple check everything. Have you ever clicked on a CTA (converted!) and actually wound up on an “Error 404 – the requested URL was not found?” Or, the click actually did nothing? It is imperative that you check all of your links to make sure they all work as promised. This is your first opportunity to deliver on something you promised and a poor impression here takes you out of the running.

PREMIUM CONTENT: US Staffing Industry Pulse Survey Report: March 2021 Selected Highlights

5. Make use of urgency. It’s well known that we tend to want what we can’t have. When something is rare, exclusive or limited, it immediately makes it more desirable and more in demand. Use this same approach in your email marketing efforts. Limit your offer. Make it clear that immediate action is necessary, whether it’s due to a timeline you set or a seasonal/business cycle. Convey a sense of urgency.

6. Get to the point. The best lead generation emails are written understanding that the reader’s  time is scarce and you’re competing for their attention. No one will take the time to search for your message. It’s your job to package and present it.

• Use bullet points to highlight key ideas. This will help the important takeaways easily stand out from the rest of the text.
• Strategically utilize imagery (a picture is still worth 1,000 words).
• Most important is a clear and inviting Call To Action. It should be just that – a “call” to the reader to do something.

7. Use landing pages. To get the most from leads you generate, you should use a unique landing page designed specifically to convert the lead to the next step and move them into the lead funnel. A well-designed landing page will prevent the lead from being distracted by other messages or information that reside on your website and will focus them specifically on what the next step is.

Given the significant shift towards digital marketing and automated marketing solutions, getting a message through to a prospect is becoming increasingly more difficult. With deliberate focus and attention, you can optimize your email marketing results and more easily turn leads into satisfied customers. And that is the ultimate goal.

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1. Passion for the Staffing Industry and Helping People

Staffing is a tough business. If a sales rep doesn’t genuinely love the industry, he or she is going to get burned out fast. Passion breeds enthusiasm. It makes someone eager to get up in the morning and willing to do whatever it takes to be successful. A passionate sales rep is likely to be more engaged, motivated and productive than a sales rep who’s just in it for the paycheck.

In staffing, passion translates into a sincere desire to help customers find the right talent. Some sales reps derive job satisfaction from knowing how many people they are putting to work. Others get it from helping their customers to solve problems and ensuring their company delivers an awesome customer experience. Regardless of what gets them going, a person who is legitimately excited about their job will give it their all, which tends to translate into success.

2. Strong Interpersonal and Communication Skills

Staffing is a relationship business, and it almost goes without saying that sales is an inherently social job. Staffing sales professionals need to be expert communicators on many different levels. They must be:

• Comfortable presenting strategic solutions to business owners and senior level decision makers.
• Confident and calm in dealing with HR managers who can be very “pushy” on pricing issues.
• Empathetic in dealing with recruiters and candidates.

Successful staffing sales reps have outstanding interpersonal and communication skills. This doesn’t mean that they need to be raging extroverts, a staffing sales rep should be able to communicate effectively and develop relationships with many different types of people.

PREMIUM CONTENT: Best Practices in Remote Working For Staffing Firms

3. Exceptional Organizational Capacity

Many people don’t perceive that sales and organizational skills go together. After all, many top sales reps are “influencer” personality styles with a natural distain for paperwork. But top staffing sales professionals are highly organized. While no one loves paperwork, real sales pros will:

• Create an organized and repeatable sales process.
• Follow company systems for managing sales leads – putting appropriate time and effort into each prospect based on their potential.
• Complete background research before calling – staffing is a highly competitive business and the most successful sales reps are also the most prepared.
• Document their work to ensure critical information is transferred from sales to recruiting and keep follow-up activities well planned.

Sales in any industry is tough. In staffing, it takes a person with just the right skills and talents. Having passion, exceptional relationship-building abilities, and strong organizational skills is essential for success. Find people with these talents, and they will have a big impact on your firm.

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