Each year, LinkedIn puts together their Global Staffing Trends report. This report is compiled through surveys of 1,600 staffing professionals across 19 countries, asking questions such as what are their top priorities, biggest challenges and greatest opportunities in 2016.
These results help staffing agencies set their agenda’s for the year ahead. Understanding the importance of this report, we decided it would be helpful to take the top three priorities–as determined by LinkedIn–and do a deeper dive into the trends to provide our readers with even greater meaning.
Let’s take a look at the top three staffing agency priorities for the year ahead:
- Secure new clients: LinkedIn found that about 46 percent of professionals surveyed said that securing new clients is a top priority when looking to grow their business. This makes sense. As the Gig Economy grows in popularity, a greater number of organizations will begin to look toward staffing agencies to increase their contingent workforce, so securing new clients with needs for temporary talent will absolutely help a staffing agency’s bottom line. According to LinkedIn’s survey, many feel that greater brand awareness will help land these new clients. However, a recent Washington Post article points to new concerns from the Department of Labor surrounding staffing agencies. The article highlights new guidelines laid out by the department which put more liability on staffing agencies. Therefore, new clients will be seeking staffing agencies with excellent compliance records. With that said, advertising campaigns centered around an agency’s compliance record should aid in landing new clients and help boost brand awareness.
- Be a strategic partner: The staffing industry is booming. According to data compiled by the American Staffing Association, the industry was worth $130 billion in 2014 (the most recent year on record), the most lucrative year for staffing agencies since 2007. This, of course, is fostering greater competition amongst staffing agencies. So, then, how do you keep your clients from jumping ship? LinkedIn’s data suggest that 40 percent of staffing professionals believe the best way to do so is by becoming a strategic partner. Staffing agencies will primarily accomplish this by using internal data to prove their worth (43 percent of professionals agreed in LinkedIn’s survey). However, data alone won’t do the trick. Staffing agencies that really want to be a strategic partner for their clients will have to do so by providing more than just talent. Rather, top staffing agencies will also be able to provide managed services, and provide payroll and benefits for contracted workers.
- Source Smarter: The point here is pretty obvious. Nearly 30 percent of staffing agencies want to source smarter because finding better talent will help them land better clients. Although LinkedIn points to social sourcing as a top tool for agencies, social networks alone won’t get you the talent pools that big clients covet. Rather, successful staffing agencies will find their best talent by becoming ingrained in their communities, and working with local organizations that attract the top talent client’s seek. Furthermore, the ability to deliver passive candidates will help garner greater recognition amongst potential clients as well. Since passive candidates are already employed and not actively seeking a new job, they’re considered highly coveted because their current employment is proof of experience and are most likely not interviewing with the competition.
As you can see, clients will be looking for a lot out of staffing agencies in 2016. They’ll expect your agency to be compliant, strategic in your efforts–offering more than just talent–and will want you to have your ear to the ground, as well as on social channels.
At Onward Search, we are already excelling in these categories and are looking to continue our growth and improvement for 2016. Need talent now? Contact Onward Search today to speak with an industry specific recruiter today.
