Indianapolis native Karl Day knows what it’s like to be in search of employment. He’s had his fair share of jobs, and for that, he is grateful to staffing services.
“I would recommend anyone in search of a job to seek out a staffing or temp agency,” Day says. “They definitely offer good employment options.”
Those employment opportunities include a variety of industries such as manufacturing, marketing, accounting, information technology, engineering, health care, science, law and other professional services, in addition to the more traditional office services assignments.
There are many types of staffing services, ranging from independent local, regional and national; regional and national franchised operations and corporate-based services. Using a staffing company can often be a more efficient way to find a new job.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the American Staffing Association staffing firms operate some 857 offices throughout the state of Indiana, each contributing to the vitality of Indiana’s economy. In 2007 Indiana staffing firms generated $1.2 billion in annual payroll.
Jane Brown, territory lead for Kelly Services, a staffing agency in Indianapolis says job seekers and employers reap tremendous benefits through their services.
“For employees, the benefits are schedule flexibility, access to both personal and professional training, networking with many of the companies and most importantly, working on a short-term or long-term assignment can also be an excellent bridge to a permanent job,” she said.
Many companies that are cautiously optimistic rely on staffing services to find qualified candidates not only because of the flexibility to hire employees on a temporary or temporary-to-hire basis, but also because the core competency of a staffing company is recruiting, hiring and retaining a pool of highly skilled employees.
“A staffing company can ensure that a business enjoys uninterrupted productivity to keep pace with their business needs, not only during times of economic fluctuation, but also during peak workloads, vacations, illnesses and permanent employee turnover,” adds Brown.
Although currently a bio-med technician, Day says if he were not employed he would go to a temp agency in a heartbeat even though he’s experienced the negative aspects.
“There are a lot of positives in getting a job through the agency. However, the negatives would be that it’s an easy way out for the employers not to hire you, unreliable benefit packages and if you have a temp job and a better match comes along you’re normally unaware of it,” Day said.
He went on to say that in no form were staffing agencies a hindrance, but were helpful to his job search. Nevertheless, Day advises job seekers to be smart during their search for employment.
“Although the staffing agency is great at placing you with a job,” adds Day, “Make sure you still look for a permanent position on your own. Don’t just depend on the agency.”
