What is Direct Placement Staffing?

Direct placement staffing (also referred to as direct hire staffing) is a service provided by a staffing agency to a company that is looking for specialized assistance in recruiting a full-time employee. Staffing agencies play a crucial role in the hiring process for companies of all sizes. Many executives prefer to rely on the expertise and extensive resources of a reputable staffing agency rather than using an internal human resources team.

A company typically outsources their direct hire process when they do not want or are unable to tie up their valuable resources with the time-consuming and costly recruitment process. The staffing agency they enlist handles the recruitment process, including curating job ads and ad placement, sourcing, screening, interview scheduling, following-up, negotiating, and beyond to ensure they find the ideal match between the employee and organization. 

Benefits of Direct Placement Staffing

1. Save Time

Sorting through and qualifying resumes, conducting pre-screens, scheduling interviews, and following-up with candidates can be time-consuming and daunting. HR or department heads are often overwhelmed with their current tasks, so adding on recruitment isn’t always feasible. Staffing agencies relieve that burden, leaving managers with more time and energy to focus on their day to day.
 

2. Save Money

Turnover can be costly, and studies have shown that 84% of new hires don’t live up to expectations. Direct placement recruiters have experience identifying red flags and company culture mismatches that reduce the likelihood of a bad hire. When looking into an agency, be sure to ask about replacement guarantees. We can’t speak for all agencies, but JWilliams Staffing guarantees client satisfaction by replacing a hire at no charge if the company determines they are not a good fit within 60 days.

Keep in mind also, if you work with a contingency firm, a great benefit is that you only pay a fee if the agency finds the candidate you hire.

3. Recruit for Hard-to-fill Positions

Positions that companies struggle to fill are often hard to hire for because the most qualified candidates already have a job and aren’t actively on job boards. These are referred to as “passive” job seekers. When hiring internally, you are limited to your own networks and channels, making it difficult to connect with the right candidates. Dedicated recruiters have spent years developing large personal and professional networks and maintain expansive ATS databases to find both active and passive job seekers for your organization. 

4. Attract Top Talent

Direct placement staffing agencies utilize their extensive knowledge and expert strategies to find and attract top talent. They have experience identifying strong candidates and company culture matches, increasing the quality of the candidates presented to you. Direct hire recruiters are tapped into the top recruitment methods and candidate motivators to appeal to even the most difficult to impress job seekers. With a dedicated strategy, they know how to find the right match for your team and can identify talent that traditional hiring platforms or methods may have never found. Then, through expert interview and pre-screening practices, they are able to determine the best fit, pinpoint the motivators, and successfully negotiate your terms. 

Direct Placement Process

When you are in need of direct placement services, you would reach out to a staffing agency and a recruiter who would start working towards finding your ideal hire by:

1. Consulting: Getting to know you, your organization, and your hiring needs in detail to set parameters for the job description and the ideal candidate.
2. Marketing:  Marketing your position to individuals in user groups, trade associations, and online communities related to the role that's being recruited for.
3. Sourcing: Accessing extensive networks to search for and find passive job seekers, including candidates who may already have a job.
4. Parsing: Analyzing hundreds of resumes and profiles to identify skill and experience matches to narrow down the talent pool.
5. Screening: Vetting and conducting phone screens, asking the questions that experienced recruiters know to ask to identify top candidates so you’re only presented with the best.
6. Presenting: Providing you resumes and personalized insight and recommendations on how each candidate would be a great fit for the position.
7. Negotiating: After you interview the top candidates and identify the best fit, the recruiter makes the offer, negotiates if needed, and facilitates the process and communication as you bring them on as a full-time employee.
8. Follow-up: Dedicated recruiters will stay with you and the candidate even after the offer of employment is made to ensure a harmonious fit.

In the case that the client does not find any of the candidates to be a good fit, the staffing agency would then present more candidates until the position is filled. In some cases, such as that with JWilliams Staffing, the staffing agency may not charge any up-front costs or fees, allowing the client financial freedom to choose the perfect candidate for the position. 

Should You Use Direct Placement Staffing Services?

Oftentimes, conducting the hiring process in-house can cost your organization time and money. Partnering with a staffing agency to fulfill your direct placement staffing needs allows you to save your resources and find the perfect fit for the role. Agencies have expert recruiters who conduct the recruitment process while providing you with valuable insight, advice, and recommendations.

Working with the right staffing agency for your direct placement needs can be crucial to your recruitment success.

JWilliams Staffing has been offering Direct Placement Staffing services for over 20 years and will always put your needs first. We take the time to get to know you, your company, your culture, and your goals to help you find the perfect fit for your team without any up-front costs or fees.    

By JWilliams Staffing