How do you onboard a contractor?

Before they arrive, arrange for orientation paperwork such as the I-9, W-4, or W-9. You may also want an employee handbook for contract workers, along with any benefits information. Also, set up team introductions, share the company vision, and then begin with specific training on the tasks that are needed.

What is contractor onboarding?

This is the process for temporary employees, contract workers, and freelancers to get acclimated to your company, culture, and priorities. It should cover the tasks they will be working on in addition to access to software, compensation paperwork, and other considerations to help them do their job well.

Is onboarding important for staffing and contract employees?

Onboarding helps improve employee retention . Gallup cites SHRM, the society for human resource management, on the statistic that employee turnover can be as much as 50% in the first 18 months. It’s important for your contract employees to get a glimpse of your culture and priorities so they can be productive while working for your company.

Are staffing agencies worth it?

Staffing agencies are all different. They can specialize in certain placements, such as tech or medical or general office. They can focus on direct placements or short-term projects or some combination of both. They have the potential to save you time and money during the hiring process. It all depends on the agency you use, their past history of success, and if they attract the type of contractors you need.

What are the benefits of staffing agencies?

Staffing agencies provide short-term and seasonal work to lessen the burden of employing full-time workers who may only be needed for a few short months. Staffing agencies also mitigate the risk of making a bad hire, and gives you greater access to talent, allowing you to fill positions faster.

What are the cons of staffing agencies?

When you use a staffing agency, the incoming contract worker may not fit your company culture, and very often, no one has spoken to the candidate before they appear for work. Companies often do not know the full work background of a staffing employee. And because of the short-term nature of staffing, the training may be incomplete.

What questions should I ask when choosing a staffing agency?

Ask about their experience, interview-to-hire ratio, their certifications and their onboarding process. Ask for any referrals or case studies from other clients to judge the staffing agency.

How can you review the staffing agency’s record with previous clients?

If you ask the agency, they will refer you to testimonials on their website—which they have already curated—or put you in touch with a previous client that they know had a fantastic result. This can be helpful, but you may also want to contact those past clients directly. Sites like Glassdoor, TrustRadius, or other review sites, like Best Staffing Agencies , may also help.

Find the best staffing agency in Houston

There are more than 20,000 staffing agencies in the United States. We've developed a free ranking algorithm to grade staffing agencies on a wide set of factors. You'll find the very best staffing agency in Houston to help you, and reduce your risk of an unsuccessful hire.

The Top 11 Staffing Agencies in Houston in 2024

Professional and business services continue to increase year over year in the Houston area. From the fall of 2018 to the fall of 2019, Harris County and the surrounding areas realized a 6 percent increase in the number of employees in this sector, making it a steady driver of growth in the region.

What does this have to do with staffing agencies? Professional and business services are the core of contemporary staffing agencies, servicing white-collar workers across a range of fields and industries, from management to accounting and marketing.

Because of the rapid growth of the Houston area, smart companies use staffing agencies to fill key positions. It is difficult to keep the talent pipeline updated, but staffing agencies do exactly that.

Our team has researched the best staffing agencies in the area and recommend these to fill your talent needs.

Here's our selection of the top staffing agencies in Houston:

1. Toptal

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Toptal boasts a wide array of the industry’s elite tech and business talent, but it is unlike many other staffing agencies. Most of their talent work remotely from across the world. Initially conceived as freelance marketplace, Toptal has evolved as a preferred staffing destination for leading Fortune 500 companies to bring in the very best. Toptal began with only tech experts, but, over the years, they expanded their network to include finance experts, designers, and more. Companies are paired with a talent matcher who then finds the best talent for that company, working on hourly, part-time, or full-time contracts.

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YEAR OF FOUNDATION:

2010

CEO:

Taso Du Val

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Served Regions:

Global

2. Robert Half

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Robert Half offers businesses a full spectrum of specialized staffing and consulting solutions. They also help candidates find career opportunities where they can fit and thrive.
The company is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: RHI) and is a member of the S&P 500 index. It has been recognized nationally for its work.

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YEAR OF FOUNDATION:

1948

CEO:

Harold Messmer Jr

Areas of specialities:

General

Served Regions:

Global

3. Express Employment Professionals

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Express Employment Professionals is a privately held internationally franchised company with hundreds of franchised locations all over the world. They help companies and candidates find good fits for their staffing and career needs. The firm offers a full range of employment solutions including temporary staffing, evaluation hire, professional search, and human resources for businesses across borders. The team at Express helps its clients meet a wide range of positions including industrial, administrative, professional, and more.

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YEAR OF FOUNDATION:

1983

CEO:

Robert A. Funk

Areas of specialities:

General

Served Regions:

Global

4. Aerotek

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Aerotek began as an engineering staffing solution for aerospace and defense industries. These roots are what gave the company its name. Aerotek is ranked as one of the largest staffing firms in the U.S. for engineering and clinical/scientific industries. Staffing Industry Analysts has named Aerotek as one of the largest staffing firms for accounting and financing.

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YEAR OF FOUNDATION:

1983

CEO:

Todd M. Mohr

Areas of specialities:

General

Served Regions:

Global

5. Snelling Staffing Services

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Since 1951, Snelling has offered innovative staffing and recruitment solutions. Their commitment to both client and candidate success is the driving force behind their longevity. By combining award-winning history with industry-leading technology, their experts have what it takes to solve your complex staffing challenges.

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YEAR OF FOUNDATION:

1951

CEO:

Lee Elkinson

Areas of specialities:

Healthcare, Human Resources

Served Regions:

U.S.-only

6. Insight Global

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Insight Global is a premier provider of employment and staffing solutions to several Fortune 1000 customers across the United States and Canada. They provide long-term contracts, short-term contracts, temporary-to-permanent, direct placement, and enhanced staffing services.
Insight Global specializes in placing contract job seekers into information technology, accounting and finance, engineering (non-IT), and government jobs. Since their inception in 2001, they have experienced growth within their industry, rapidly expanding from an Atlanta-based start-up to one of the most successful staffing firms in America.

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YEAR OF FOUNDATION:

2001

CEO:

Bert Bean

Areas of specialities:

General

Served Regions:

Global

7. Aquent

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Aquent is known for assisting some of the world’s largest, most innovative brands and is a team ready to tackle any challenge with speed and determination. They work diligently to understand your specific goals and to help you hire permanent, temp to perm, freelance, embedded, or outsourced help that delivers breakthrough customer experience.
By aligning their account services team by industry, Aquent delivers quick, effective solutions by identifying the talent who will already understand your exact needs. Their network of high-quality, innovating talent covers dozens of digital marketing roles, including UX, digital marketing, and more.

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YEAR OF FOUNDATION:

1986

CEO:

John Chuang

Areas of specialities:

Design & Creative, Human Resources, Marketing

Served Regions:

Global

8. Kforce

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Kforce provides excellent results through strategic partnership and knowledge sharing. As a leading staffing services firm specializing in technology, finance, and accounting, Kforce fully engages its network of professionals. They have successfully fulfilled contract jobs and direct hire needs for thousands of employers, including a high number from the Fortune 100.

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YEAR OF FOUNDATION:

1962

CEO:

David Dunkel

Areas of specialities:

Finance, Healthcare, IT

Served Regions:

Global

9. Randstad

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Randstad has earned a reputation for combining innovative HR technology with human insight to power solutions like on-site management, RPO, and outplacement services. They take a personal approach to technology consulting and deliver solutions for the projects and challenges your IT organization is facing.
Randstad provides independent studies of employers and employees and gathers objective workforce data to help you understand the workforce and propel your business.

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YEAR OF FOUNDATION:

1960

CEO:

Jacques van den Broek

Areas of specialities:

General

Served Regions:

Global

10. Vaco

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Vaco provides expert consulting, permanent placement, executive search and strategic staffing for organizations across the globe, in various industries. Vaco has been recognized by national organizations and publications for their growth. In over a decade, Vaco has grown to multiple offices across the globe, hundreds of employees, and thousands of consultants.

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YEAR OF FOUNDATION:

2002

CEO:

Jerry Bostelman

Areas of specialities:

Finance, Human Resources, Marketing

Served Regions:

Global

11. Frontline Source Group

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Frontline Source Group works as a strategic partner providing organizations with top-notch candidates freeing up with staffing time and resources. Depending on the client’s needs, the team provides high-quality temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct placement candidates. Their team of certified staffing professionals ensures that the clients receive the best customer experience in the industry. Frontline Source Group has been honored by top industry firms for their work.

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YEAR OF FOUNDATION:

2004

CEO:

Bill Kasko

Areas of specialities:

General

Served Regions:

Houston

Houston Staffing Guide

Finding quality staff is an involved task. Companies of all sizes need competent staff to handle day-to-day tasks. But how can business owners dedicate the time and energy to finding employees when they must focus on running the business?

The truth is that savvy Houston business owners don’t hire staff themselves. Instead, they rely on staffing agencies to recruit skilled and professional employees for all types of positions. Whether you need to fill part- or full-time roles, require seasonal, temporary help, or are hiring for a leadership role and need the perfect person for the job, temp agencies in Houston can help.

A staffing agency in Houston can assist your company with sourcing quality talent to ensure your business runs flawlessly. At the same time, you can invest energy in other aspects of business, leaving the resume sorting and pre-screening to reliable and professional employment agency personnel.

Here, we’ll discuss everything business owners need to know about staffing in the Houston area. From the current business climate to job trends and demand, here is the information companies depend on to navigate hiring and using employment agencies in Houston.

Business Climate in Houston

Employment rates rose in Texas throughout 2019, while job growth rates continue to keep up. Houston’s annual job growth rate exceeded national averages, while the city tied with Dallas and Phoenix for the second-highest annual growth.

What this means for employers is a wealth of worthy applicants for open positions. But the high growth rate also means that potential job seekers are feeling more confident about their prospects. Business owners might find the market competitive as qualified applicants have more choices than ever.

Competitive Hiring Is Crucial in Houston

With so many professionals—and so many jobs—available in Houston, hiring can become a challenge. Some industries are experiencing more growth than others, with the professional and business services sectors adding the most jobs. Among these roles are architectural and engineering jobs, making this a competitive area to be in.

Health and education service jobs are the next most popular of Houston’s emerging employment sectors. Employers like Memorial Hermann Health System and the Methodist Hospital System are significant competition for smaller health organizations.

However, hiring projections note that energy, retail trade, and information industries may see job losses. These roles may be easier to fill for employers as demand decreases for experts in those areas.

At the same time, businesses in the more competitive industries can use additional support with recruitment. Businesses in health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services, construction, and administrative support benefit from the expert advice of temp agencies that can fill vacant roles quickly.

Crucial Details On The Job Market In Houston

Many businesses are hoping for exponential growth around Houston. But understanding the details of growth patterns and trends around Houston and nationwide can help provide perspective on hiring practices today. Here we’ll look at the details of Houston’s job market.

The unemployment rate in Houston dipped to 3.7 percent in March of 2019, significantly lower than 2018’s 4.5 percent. With employers adding many jobs per month, unemployed professionals have more options than in previous years. That said, countless job seekers remain unemployed and are seeking opportunities.
Of all the employed workers in Texas, over 1.5 million gained employment through a temp agency. With over 3,000 staffing agency offices throughout the state, many Houston employees utilize such services to find gainful employment.
As far as corporate competition in the employment market, Houston offers a lot. The largest employers in the city include companies like Walmart, H-E-B, Memorial Hermann Health System, the University of Texas MD Anderson, McDonald’s Corp, United Airlines, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Kroger Company, Shell Oil Company, Chevron, and ARAMARK Corp.
Among the larger corporations in Houston are also some of the top-rated companies to work for based on employee reviews. From that feedback, corporations like H-E-B and MD Anderson Cancer Center (University of Texas MD) rank highest. Both healthcare and customer service workers report high satisfaction with many employers in the Houston area, making for more competition for new and incoming businesses.
Houston, Texas is a fast-growing city. The population may exceed 7.1 million people by the end of 2020 if projections are accurate. With hundreds of thousands of new residents joining the urban area each year, that means a large talent pool for local employers.
Houston ranks second for the most expensive commute in the United States. In general, the business hub of Houston is the central area, while employees often live farther out of the city center. Workers commute an average of 24 miles round trip per day. For employers, that means location may be the key to attracting dedicated talent.

However, competitive wages and benefits packages may provide the balance that job seekers need. Therefore, navigating the recruiting and hiring process can be complex—which solidifies the need for staffing agency assistance for many organizations.

Staffing Agencies In Houston

As your company navigates the competitive job market in Houston, having expert help can prove invaluable. Whether you are eager to begin working with a staffing agency or still have questions about how temp agencies operate, there is more you need to know.

Here, we’ll look at the top qualities of Houston staffing agencies. We’ll discuss how to select a temp agency and provide an overview of the payment process and how things work. Finally, we’ll list the Houston staffing agencies with the best offerings for local businesses.

How To Find the Best Staffing Agencies In Houston

For companies that decide to hire a temp agency in Houston, there are many options available. Finding the right fit can prove challenging, especially if you are on a deadline for filling a position. Fortunately, we can point you in the right direction.

Consumer Reviews: The best staffing agencies in Houston have a solid reputation. Their online reviews may not be 100 percent positive, but they will be balanced. In fact, overly effusive positive reviews can indicate a problem—real companies are constantly striving for improvement. For that to happen, they need honest feedback from people who use their services.
Credentials: While staffing professionals may not need a specific degree or education, professional credentials are always a plus. The American Staffing Association, for example, offers a Certified Staffing Professional credential. Applicants must complete a rigorous program that teaches them employment and labor laws—so a credentialed staffing agency has in-depth knowledge and expertise that non-credentialed businesses don’t.
Area of Expertise: Not every staffing agency can fill positions from administrative roles to engineering jobs to medical positions. Depending on your industry or niche, you may need to find a temp agency that caters to your field. This way, you can ensure you’re getting well-vetted applicants with the skills you need.
Range of Staffing Options: Not every company wants to onboard a full-time staff. Whether you need seasonal support or a host of part-time employees, finding an agency with the right offerings is crucial.

How To Choose An Employment Agency – Things To Ask

While reading reviews on employment agencies is a necessary step in the process, you also need to interview them. Taking such precautions can help avoid a poor working relationship at crucial points in the hiring process.

Pay attention to how the staff interacts with you as well as their service offerings. Ask about the policies they have in place and the techniques they use to recruit and hire potential employees.

Consider whether they have staff available for emergency issues or accelerated hiring processes. Often, after-hours consultations are necessary, whether for severing an employee-employer relationship or filling a warehouse or other fast-paced role.

Dig deep into how they operate, screen applicants, and ensure that prospective employees are a good fit for your company culture and values.

How Are Staffing Agencies Paid?

An important question for companies is: how much do staffing agencies charge in Houston? There’s no set fee for all temp agency locations in Houston, so it can be challenging to compare rates without requesting a quote.

You may also see fee fluctuations depending on the industry, difficulty of placement, and market conditions. But in general, businesses don’t pay until the staffing agency has successfully placed a suitable employee in the vacant role.

Final Thoughts

Choosing an employment agency in Houston can be a daunting task. But employment agencies know how to navigate the recruitment, screening, and hiring of employees across a range of unique industries and niches.

Putting your staffing needs in the hands of a Houston employment agency is a smart decision—and it allows you to focus on other pressing tasks. Staffing agencies can save you time, frustration, and trial-and-error hiring that often results in expensive firing later.

With this comprehensive guide and recommendations for the best employment agencies in Houston, it’s easier than ever to find the right fit for your company and team. Once you find the right fit, you can relax while your companion in staffing recruits and places your dream team.

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