Best Practices /Flexible Staffing

Are you working with a Vendor or a Partner? Why it matters!

by Sara Bennett | February 20, 2023

0 About Staffing Agencies, Agency Pricing Practices, Author-Jeanne, Best Practices /Flexible Staffing, FEATURED BLOGS, Lead Gen Campaign - "Selecting Managing Your Staffing Partner", STAFFING AGENCIES - SELECTION & MANAGEMENT

We don’t like to brag, but one of the things we think is special about PACE Staffing Network, is our track record of success when it comes to retaining clients.  In fact in an industry where client relationships are uniquely fickle and client turnover can sometimes exceed 50% a year, the fact that so many PACE clients have been with us 20 years or longer is something we think is worth talking about.

How we do it?

I think it starts with how we view ourselves – as partners not vendors – avoiding all those mistakes we see so many vendors making that can’t help but lead clients of recruiting staffing services to look elsewhere for more/better.

Here are 6 things we do differently than most of our competitors that makes us a partner, not a vendor….

  1. We work in teams which creates a predictability in service outcomes!    At PACE how you experience our services is not dependent on you being assigned a staffing super heroe!   When someone on one of our client teams is absent or, god forbid, gets hit by a mack truck, there is always another teammember who can slip into their spot - so your service from PACE doesn't miss a beat.   As a PACE client you'll never get one of those “Hi – Im your new Account Manager and would like to get to know you” e mails – first of all because we have very low levels of internal staff turnover, but more importantly our clients already know their team - people already familiar with who they are and what they do.  Our team approach purposefully creates a better and more consistent service for our clients!
 
  1. We don’t sell anything - we help our client's solve problems. And there is a big difference.  Our interactions with clients are all about uncovering what's unique about them - their pain points, the solution that fits them, not us.   If that solution happens to be one of the services we offer, we’re all in.  But even if it isn't, we don't stop until we know there's a solution in place.  That's why we built the network in PACE Staffing Network, which refers to the partnerships we’ve formed with other staffing agencies and companies, who, in aggregate can offer our client’s solutions that PACE doesn’t personally provide.   We’re serious about providing solutions even if those solutions aren't something we sell! 
 
  1. We’re really good with feedback.  While a lot of vendors ask for feedback, very few actually make changes based on that feedback.    It’s a big deal for us to get a suggestion from a client and can turn that idea into something new and different that works better not just for that client but other clients as well.  Many of our best partnerships started with a problem that our vendor level competitors wouldn’t or couldn’t solve because they couldn't move out of their "cookie cutter" mindset.  It is no mistake that we have made it our mission to be considered “world class” at customization.
 
  1. We are always transparent – particularly when it comes to pricing. Our pricing models are rationalized based on one thing – the costs we incur to deliver something our client’s value compared to the costs of alternative solutions.  And for us transparency is all about at least once a year laying out all the costs we incur to "provide that temp" or that new employee and asking  our client’s if we are delivering the value promised.   One of our most popular blogs was one we created to help potential clients understand all the elements that get factored into a temporary staffing bill rate.  Check out - Taking the Mystery Out of Staffing Agency Bill Rates!   And we've even created a blog to help you negotiate more effectively with your staffing vendor....Negotiating Staffing Agency Bill Rates – the Inside Scoop!  Now that's transparency!!!!!!
 
  1. We do our homework. When we help a client find that “just right” employee for either a temporary, direct hire, or temp to hire staffing model, our order entake process is anything but one and done.  We go in depth into any facet of your work environment or needs that we know from experience that will impact the success of the person you hire!  While many vendors in the staffing industry sound like “do you want fries with that burger”, when you ask us to find your an employee our order taking process is more like a discovery, a peeling back of the onion so to speak, to reveal what matters really.  Yes, it takes longer, but that’s an investment in a partnership we know has big payoffs both short and long term.
 
  1. We keep a diary. Yep, we’re like the FBI when it comes to taking careful notes and turning those notes into something actionable…either now or in the future. Every interaction is captured; every nuance about how a recruiting project developed is documented.   When we say “we keep an up to date profile” of each client, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
  The difference between a vendor and a partner couldn’t be more obvious than when it comes to your decision to work with a third party staffing or recruiting service.   PACE clients have come to “experience the difference” of the way we do partnerships that they could never expect from a staffing or recruiting vendor.     For more information about what PACE does, how we set ourselves apart from our competitors, and our focus on the unique needs of small to medium sized Northwest business, we’d love to have a personal chat. You can reach us by using the contact form below, emailing us at partnerservices@pacestaffing.com  or calling us at 425-637-3312.[gravityform id="56" title="false" description="false" ajax="false"]

The Search for the “Right Fit” in a Tight Candidate Marketplace

by Jeanne Knutzen | April 15, 2021

0 Best Practices /Flexible Staffing, FEATURED BLOGS, HIRING. EMPLOYEE SELECTION, Hiring.Best Practices, Lead Gen Campaign - "Fit", RECRUITING/CANDIDATE SOURCING

What a great question! Once you’ve decided that you need to hire, there is always time between when you make that decision and when you actually put a new hire in place. … Read More »

6 Ways the “Temp to Hire” Recruiting Model Saves $$$$!

by Sara Bennett | June 1, 2020

0 Author-Jeanne, Best Practices /Flexible Staffing, FEATURED BLOGS, HIRING. EMPLOYEE SELECTION, LOCAL NEWS, EMPLOYMENT AND STAFFING TRENDS, Temp-to-Hire Staffing, Temporary and Contract Staffing get connected, main whats happening

There are many reasons why the “temp to hire” recruiting model has remained popular in all economic environments. An opportunity to cut costs is one of them! … Read More »

The Length of Assignment for Temporary Employees is Expanding!

by Jeanne Knutzen | December 26, 2019

0 Author-Jeanne, Best Practices /Flexible Staffing, FEATURED BLOGS, HIRING. EMPLOYEE SELECTION, Temporary and Contract Staffing get connected, Whats Happening

With 1-2 day or week temporary assignments all but vanishing from the Northwest marketplace, the trend is to keep temporary employees on assignment longer for more strategic reasons. … Read More »

Learn HOW Temporary and Contract Workers Can Make a Difference!

by Jeanne Knutzen | September 25, 2018

0 Author-Jeanne, Best Practices /Flexible Staffing, HIRING. EMPLOYEE SELECTION, Hiring.Best Practices get connected, main whats happening

As the "gig" economy picks up steam, finding smart ways to utilize short term or interim employees is a business necessity. … Read More »

Do You Have the Right Partner for Your Next Temp to Hire Recruit?

by Jeanne Knutzen | April 15, 2018

0 Author-Jeanne, Best Practices /Flexible Staffing, HIRING. EMPLOYEE SELECTION, Temp-to-Hire Staffing, Temporary and Contract Staffing get connected

Temp to Hire is one of our favorite things to do but we know that to make a difference for our clients, it has to be done right! Here's why (and how).... … Read More »

Temp-to-Hire Recruiting Strategies are Here to Stay!

by Jeanne Knutzen | April 26, 2016

0 Best Practices /Flexible Staffing, Call Center Staffing, Employer Reviews, HIRING. EMPLOYEE SELECTION, LOCAL NEWS, EMPLOYMENT AND STAFFING TRENDS, Temp-to-Hire Auditions!, Temp-to-Hire Staffing, Temporary and Contract Staffing

PACE Staffing Network knows this trend first hand. Over 65% of the “temp orders” we fill are being tagged by our client as “possible hires”. Over 35% of the employees we place into “temporary roles” end up being hired by our clients directly. … Read More »

When Does a Temp-to-hire Staffing Model Not Work?

by Jeanne Knutzen | March 16, 2016

0 Best Practices /Flexible Staffing, HIRING. EMPLOYEE SELECTION, Hiring.Best Practices, RECRUITING/CANDIDATE SOURCING, Temp-to-Hire Staffing

Question - PACE often suggests a “temp-to-hire” staffing model. When does that model NOT work? Answer – That is a great question. … Read More »

How long can I keep a temporary or contract employee on assignment?

by Jeanne Knutzen | March 1, 2016

25 Author-Jeanne, Best Practices /Flexible Staffing, HIRING. EMPLOYEE SELECTION, Temporary and Contract Staffing

How long can I keep a temporary or contract employee on assignment? The short answer is, there are no “hard stop” boundaries for how long a temporary or contract employee can remain on assignment. … Read More »