For staffing agencies, planning for the future is a never-ending process that has to be constantly revised as new information becomes available. 2022 will be no different, and if you want to stay ahead of the competition, then it’s on you to ensure your agency is fully prepared for the coming challenges and opportunities.
Below, we’ve outlined some tips on how you can grow your staffing agency in 2022.
1. Listen to Jobseekers and Adapt to their Needs
The last two years have been quite the whirlwind for staffing and recruiting agencies. For many months it was very touch-and-go for employers as they dealt with widespread layoffs and economic turmoil. Even now, as things start to improve, there’s still a lot of uncertainty about what the future holds. As a staffing agency, one of your most crucial tasks will be understanding how your clients have changed over the past year and what other changes they are planning for in the year ahead.
The most important thing for a staffing agency is developing and maintaining a strong relationship with its clients. You need to be able to listen to and understand what their needs and goals are. Doing so will ensure you retain their loyalty and trust. Based on current trends, here are some things that employers may be looking for going into next year:
· Clear, honest, and timely communication from their staffing agencies
· Agencies that have clearly defined missions and values
· A robust and efficient recruiting system that can be relied on for quality hires and effective placements
2. Invest in the Right Marketing Strategies
This is hardly a new concept but looking into and implementing marketing strategies for staffing agencies still remains one of the best ways to find new clients and candidates. It’s a constantly changing practice, but online searching remains the top method used by job seekers and employers. During the height of the pandemic, we saw marketing budgets hit a new all-time high.
Renewed efforts should be made to put your staffing agency on the front page of search results in your locality. This can be achieved through tried-and-true methods such as social media campaigns, blog posting, and carefully tuned SEO strategies to increase your online visibility. Some key things to keep in mind as you develop your marketing strategy include:
· Focus on conversion and being the number one supplier in your market niche
· Stay aware of hiring trends through 2021-22 by knowing what your clients and candidates are looking for and motivated by
· Develop your brand presence to enhance credibility
· Determine how you can stand out from the competition and offer something better
3. Reaffirm Your Values and Business Goals
Recruiting has always been a competitive industry and to stay ahead of the pack you need to differentiate your agency from your competitors. Ask yourself why you started this business and what your hopes are for it? Do you want to be the very best in your local niche or are you satisfied with remaining where you are? What are the values you want your agency to be known for? Right now, the most important values that both employers and job seekers are looking for are diversity, flexibility, remote work opportunities, and automation to simplify the recruiting process.
A strong emphasis also needs to be put on training and development to ensure you’re building out your skills to remain the top option in your chosen field. While developing expertise in a niche market is important, sometimes branching out into new markets can make a world of difference. It can be a tough line to walk between following market trends and staying true to your company’s values, but by staying flexible you find can success in new areas. Much of this can be achieved by:
· Building the right infrastructure with solid back-office support
· A client-focused approach that ensures you deliver on what you promise
· Having a process in place to mitigate crises and periods of insecurity
4. Evaluate How Well Technology is Working
Technology has revolutionized the recruiting industry, making it more efficient through data collection, analytics, and reporting. Investigate your current setup and see if there is any room for improvement. Be prepared to answer challenging questions like how long does your team spend searching the database before advertising a new role? Are your records tagged correctly and easy to sort by job category, qualification, experience, and location? How many business leads did your website generate last quarter? Without clear answers, you won’t be able to determine how effective your current setup is.
Combined tracking systems like those provided by Timerack can make much of this more streamlined and efficient. By integrating your time and attendance system, payroll process, and recruiting system you can better manage your employees and cut out costly processes. Keep the following in mind as you seek to improve your technology setup:
· Ensure it is agile, responsive, and doesn’t waste money or time on features you don’t need
· Ensure your clients know how your setup works and can use it effectively
5. Evaluate Your Pricing Structure
Without an effective pricing structure that takes account of changing trends, you will not be able to maintain profitability and competitiveness. Look for fresh ways you can improve your current structure. For instance, is your current pricing model both effective and in line with your business goals? Is there room for growth and tapping into new markets? Which clients are bringing in the most money? Getting your pricing model right goes beyond simply knowing what to charge your clients. It’s also critical to know when to charge them and how to do so in a way that maximizes profitability. This is something that’s worth evaluating at least once a year, especially when your chosen market is going through a period of change and uncertainty. Some things to keep in mind include:
· Seek to cut overhead costs while streamlining things more effectively
· Analyze which sectors, clients, and locations have the most growth potential
· Look for ways to increase your margins
Final Thoughts
The staffing industry is now a lot less about paper-pushing and more about using modern technologies to streamline services and adapt to sudden change. To succeed nowadays requires not just finding the perfect fit but also using the latest tracking and recruitment software. Always try to think long-term where you can and see the bigger picture.
While it’s not possible to predict everything you might face in 2022, you can better prepare yourself by maintaining an agile and flexible business model.