Finding the right staffer to onboard into your team is one of the hardest tasks facing employers today. Personality, skills, education, and relevant experience are difficult to decipher from a simple resume. On top of that, it can be time-consuming to sift through hundreds of resumes received through one simple online post. Of course, the vast amount of legal laws and guidelines surrounding this is no easy feat to understand and navigate, either.
So, how do successful companies keep top-notch talent at their doorstep without going overboard on recruiting measures and countless interviews? For many, turning to a marketing or creative staffing agency is the key to their success.
What Is A Marketing & Creative Staffing Agency?
Designed to connect industry leaders with motivated employees, creative staffing agencies interview, screen, and connect potential employers and employees. By doing the heavy lifting of getting to know a variety of candidates, these businesses are the best matchmakers out there.
Creative staffing agencies have a pool of quality candidates that they have already screened and interviewed. By establishing relationships with a multitude of candidates, these agencies can connect just the right person with the right job.
By analyzing the personality, work ethic, examples of their craft, and an in-depth interview, a creative staffing agency quickly connects an employer with a fantastic freelancer or a full-time hire.
On top of the job search process no longer burdening your HR department, ongoing support during the first week of a new hire can be a huge benefit of working with a staffing agency. Most have programs where if either party does not fit, they can step away without any hard feelings, and a new candidate will slide in.
This allows for risk-free hiring and minimal loss of resources. With this, staffing agencies try to make the perfect match every time to boost their success rates and become a leader in their industry.
What Positions Do Creative and Marketing Staffing Agencies Hire For?
Creative staffing agencies specialize in finding the best talent for any and every artistic or creative job. These include jobs within the realms of social media, web design, front end development, as well as director and managing roles in these fields.
Here are just a few of the jobs that creative and marketing staffing agencies hire for:
If there is a need for a forward-thinking artist, technological guru, or creative manager, a marketing staffing agency can find the perfect fit for your company.
Choosing a staffing agency specific to what you are looking for is key for success, though. If you are looking for a blogger but go to a staffing agency specializing in web development and IT, you may not find the right fit.
How Do I Choose The Right Creative & Marketing Staffing Agency?
A quick search will show you that there are more than a few staffing agencies working nearby. With plenty to choose from in almost every city, it is difficult to know where to start.
Many of the most recognized and successful staffing agencies have been doing this since the 1940s when more women entered the workforce. While these companies have plenty of experience, there are newer staffing agencies that are on the cutting edge of finding quality candidates through artificial intelligence. With a diverse set of agencies and offerings, it is important to know the differences and which one to choose.
First, take note that if your competitors are all using staffing agencies, they are constantly getting the best talent delivered to their doorstep. You should, too. Often, different agencies advertise who their clients are. Look at their client lists and see if there are companies whose culture, product, and employees are similar to yours. This could show you a great fit in a staffing agency.
This being said, just as potential employers interview with the agencies, you will want to interview them as well. Here are some questions to consider when reaching out:
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Do you screen and interview all your candidates in person?
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Where do you have candidates located?
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What makes you better than another agency?
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Do you do background checks, screenings, or any technical assessments of candidates?
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How quickly can you find me a candidate for this job?
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What happens if the candidate provided isn’t the right fit for us?
Each of these questions can help paint a picture of both the staffing agency and the potential candidates you could connect with. With different specialties, fees, and talents, each creative staffing agency will have a different feel. Just like picking the right candidate, picking the right agency is a big task.
What Is the Best Marketing Staffing Agency To Work With?
Biggest doesn’t always mean best when it comes to talent pools. Even the largest staffing agencies, such as Aquent, may not be able to provide the right niche talent as quickly as others. So, which one is the best?
One of the most successful staffing agencies is Robert Half. With a multitude of accolades from industry leaders, Robert Half is a great place to start for general staffing needs all over the world. However, they do not have many unique skill sets in their applicant pool if you require rarer skills.
Meanwhile, companies like Adecco have won awards for their ethics, diversity, and service for women and veterans. They could be a great choice if those are also qualities your company admires.
These are just a few places to start on your search for a stand-out staffing agency.
How Does It All Work?
When you choose to let a professional recruiter bring the right candidate to your door, you are opening up a world of possibilities. Let’s go over what to expect.
First, staffing agencies will connect with you about the types of jobs you need to hire. During this initial phase, you both will be interviewing each other to see if you can make a good team. They will ask you about your company culture, pay, benefits, and other company quirks so they know what talent to bring you. Traditionally, you are connected with a specific marketing recruiter within the company who will be your bridge and liaison to get the right candidates.
Whether you need a temporary hire, a contract-to-hire, an occasional contractor, or a full-time in house person, most agencies will work with your needs.
New technology has many agencies offering portfolio search engines that allow employers to look through designer portfolios with a few easy clicks. This introduction of AI into staffing will revolutionize the industry in the next few years. With this, you can pair up with the recruiting agency to find the perfect fit together.
Without a doubt, these services do come at a cost. When hiring a salaried position, most staffing agencies will charge a percentage of their salary, usually around 20%. For access to portfolios, agencies may charge a monthly fee to look at potential candidates, and an extra charge if a hire is made.
What Marketing Jobs Are In Demand Now?
Currently, there are quite a few creative marketing jobs that, without fail, have a multitude of qualified applicants apply for them. Social Media Specialists are in high demand, but there are plenty of solid applicants to fill these jobs as Millennials continue to work their way up the ladder.
Working closely with social media workers are Content Specialists. Also, in high demand, they help websites look great. They are often managing editors, writers, and designers, so many applicants are seeking these managing roles.
Additionally, here are a few more hot jobs currently in the marketing field:
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Graphic Design Specialist
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Marketing Director
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Product Specialist
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Director of Growth Marketing
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Marketing Analyst
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Machine Learning Engineer
As technology, social media, and online experiences continue to grow, jobs will also grow in both demand and qualified applicants. It is essential to find a marketing staffing agency that thoroughly vets applicants before sending them to you. You are paying them to do the heavy lifting of sorting through applicants to only find the best of the best.
Choosing the Best Staffing Agency for You
Staffing agencies have grown in popularity and usage immensely in the past few years. While the way people connect continues to grow and shift, it is important to stay on the front lines to get the very best candidate for the job.
Before you select a marketing staffing agency, consider these factors:
- Type of role
- Technical skills needed
- Desirable soft skills
- Experience needed
Depending on the role and the candidate pool from a marketing staffing agency, you may need to try different staffing agencies before settling on the right one. Or if you have many positions to fill, you may need several agencies.
Who is better to do this than the top-performing creative staffing agencies?