If you’ve ever read the book 'Meet You in Hell,' you must be obsessed with the bitter partnership between the two legendary men 'who built America': Andrew Carnegie, the king of steel, and Henry Clay Frick, the king of Coke. The fact that David got Frick on the bus, and it was the rise and almost fall of his business, should highlight for you how important it is to choose the right partnership in every aspect of your life.
This is also true in the staffing industry. 'How can I find the right staffing partner?' is obviously harder to answer than the question 'Do I need a staffing agency?' Most of the time, a 'yes/no' question would be less tough because you will know when you see the urgency to fill positions, the complexity of roles, and the availability of in-house expertise in recruitment.
Escape the matrix trap of massive staffing agencies dominating the market. Talents don’t disappear; they just move from one company to another. So, what makes things more challenging when choosing your right staffing partner is that staffing agencies are likely to have the same talent pool, but the efficiency, productivity, retention rate, turnover rate, etc., are a whole different ball game. These metrics decide the rise or fall of your business, no doubt.
In this blog, we will not discuss how to choose the right staffing agency in general, but we will share our different stories about the way we have been doing business for nearly 20 years. Then, you may have the answer to whether you should get us on your bus.
1. READINESS - WE ARE ALWAYS READY WHEN YOU NEED US
In the world of manufacturing, readiness involves many things. It is obviously the ability to fill immediate job openings or respond to sudden fluctuations in demand within manufacturing facilities. An inquiry in the night or an urgent order that needs to be filled in a few hours - we are all familiar with these scenarios after two decades in staffing.
For us, readiness means more than that; it involves making significant decisions that could affect our entire business. A phone call from one of our clients a few years ago significantly shaped where we stand today. They secured a contract with a fast-growing electric car company and asked us to accompany them to California.
We agreed simply because they needed us. However, the practical situation wasn't as simple as our quick decision with the client. To meet the production demand, we put all our chips on the table and bet the life of the company. We utilized all our recruitment strategies and retention tactics, endured many sleepless nights, and even slept on the factory floor. Fortunately, our efforts paid off. That phone call marked the beginning of our presence in California.
2. RETENTION - WE CARE ABOUT OUR PEOPLE, SO THEY TAKE CARE OF YOUR BUSINESS
Back to the story of Henry Clay Frick and Andrew Carnegie that we mentioned at the beginning of this post, it illustrates how having a partner who doesn't prioritize the well-being of workers can seriously harm your business. Frick was known for treating workers harshly, while Carnegie, despite being seen as pro-worker, clashed with Frick due to their different approaches. Despite this, Carnegie allowed Frick to handle labor issues, even if it meant being more aggressive than Carnegie would have liked. This decision led to violent conflicts, including the infamous Homestead Strike, one of the deadliest labor disputes in American history. We love retention topics. Dive deeper.
In our staffing industry, it's all about people. In your manufacturing industry, despite the increasing presence of AI, digitization, and concepts like the metaverse, humans remain the backbone of the business. There's no better way to retain high-performing individuals within our organization than by treating them well. This is what we do every day.
One key factor that sets us apart from other staffing agencies is our commitment to ensuring that all our staffing employees are classified as W-2 workers, providing them with necessary protections. By safeguarding our employees, we ensure the protection of your business as well. (Working with staffing companies that misclassify workers could potentially harm your business; click here to learn how and why.)
If what we say is not persuasive enough, Jack Welch (The former CEO of GE) 's advice might make it more powerful. He said, 'Get rid of people who do not live your values.' You deserve to work with a partner that shares your values.
3. SAFETY - WE LOOK OUT FOR YOU
Each year, we allocate $300,000 toward compliance measures.
While it may seem like a significant investment, It's not a burden in our point of view. it's a necessary and worthwhile expense. Ensuring compliance not only protects our people and our business but also safeguards the interests of our clients. It's a commitment we take seriously, understanding its importance in maintaining trust and integrity in our operations. (Click here to learn how a staffing agency's poor documentation compliance could potentially affect your business).
The average cost of compliance came in at ~5.5 million dollars in 2018, but not meeting compliance standards cost at least 2.7X more.
Keep in mind that when you and a staffing agency are in the same boat, if they don't abide by compliance, the worst result is not losing money; these are legal exposure and your reputation.
WHAT NEXT?
What's next? Next is getting Timpl on board with your bus. Then, we will ensure we have the right people on our bus and place them in the right seats. One thing we're certain of is that our relationship will not end up like the one between Henry Frick and Carnegie.
And if there were a book about your business and Timpl, it should be titled "Meet You in Heaven".
