Temp or staffing agencies specialize in recruiting pre-screened workers to fill current job openings. But working with an agency is expensive and at times slow. It can take 3-5 days to get a worker on-site, and once you have that worker, you’ll end up paying a 45-60% markup on their hourly wage. This is a luxury that many companies cannot afford.
While the hiring and management of temporary labor can be expensive, it doesn’t have to be. There are alternative ways to bolster your workforce without breaking the bank. Here’s a run-down of alternative staffing solutions for finding temporary, part-time, or hourly workers.
1. Craigslist
From furniture finds to car sales to job placements, Craigslist has a reputation as a high-risk, high-reward option. Craigslist offers an easy way to post jobs online. Depending on the city, a 30-day job listing can range from $7 to $75 per job post. Now, this is still significantly cheaper than a staffing agency, however the affordability is often not worth the time required to sort through the flood of unvetted, non-standardized applicants. It is also important to note the workers are not insured or reviewed.
While this may be an affordable, fast alternative to staffing agencies, job listings on Craigslist are notoriously unreliable, filled with fake job ads or scams, due to the lack of regulation. You’ll come to realize the burden of getting someone to actually show up and complete jobs is left on you and candidate quality and fit is not always a guarantee.
2. Job Boards
A job board is a streamlined search engine for job listings. These are well-known and widely used, therefore your job ad has a wide reach and can be viewed by hundreds of potential candidates. Pricing on job boards ranges widely – between Monster and Zip Recruiter you can spend anywhere from $249 to $325 per month for one active job post. You can also often promote or sponsor job posts (at a price) for better visibility to attract the best candidates. Job boards help you to screen for fit, connect with candidates, and manage jobs saving you plenty of time.
3. Social Media
Social media can spread the word about your job openings anywhere you or your company has a social presence – LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter – for free. If you’re looking to quickly hire someone based on the advice of your network, LinkedIn provides you with an easy way to quickly ask for help. There’s some social proof, but you’re also left relying on your own network’s referrals. Depending on who in your network is making the recommendations, you might find the perfect fit. But if it’s a friend of a friend of a friend, you might find yourself with an unqualified or unreliable applicant.
4. GigSmart
GigSmart’s Get Workers app provides an easy way to source local candidates with the exact skill sets you need. Get Workers instantly connects you to qualified and insured workers who can work across a variety of positions, from line cooks, to construction workers, and commercial cleaners. Gig posts are free and connect you to workers who have detailed profiles outlining their previous work history as well as community-vetted ratings and reviews. With over 250,000 active workers on the platform you gain fast access to applicants. With zero up-front commitment, Get Workers helps you find your next worker fast — even for same-day shifts! Starting at 18%, GigSmart can help you hire workers at a fraction of the cost of other staffing solutions.
Ready to break up with your staffing agency? There are great alternatives to staffing agencies available to you. Try them out to see for yourself, casting a wide net has never hurt a job search and it’s worth exploring multiple avenues to ensure you get the staffing help you need, when you need it.