If you’re a business owner, you know that hiring new employees is an expensive and time-consuming process. In fact, for an $8/hour job, hiring a new member of staff can cost a business around $3,500.

All the time you spend recruiting and training employees for janitorial roles is time spent away from your core business. But all that changes when you delegate the process to a staffing agency in Columbia, SC.

Read on to find out why using a janitorial staffing agency can help you focus on what you do best.

What Does a Staffing Agency in Columbia, SC Do?

A janitorial staffing agency helps you to find new and/or temporary employees to take care of cleaning in your business.

Maybe you’ve had a few cleaning staff leave the company unexpectedly. Or maybe someone is away having a baby or recovering from surgery and you need staff to cover. You may also have a higher demand at certain times of the year, such as during the summer.

Whatever the reason for needing janitorial staff, a staffing agency can do all the heavy lifting for you. They’ll quickly find great candidates that can work with you on a temporary or permanent basis.

How to Use a Janitorial Staffing Agency

Staffing agencies work by having dedicated recruiters who work with clients to help them find the right people for the job.

Before you contact the staffing agency, gather as much information about the role as possible. This includes:

Hours
Work schedule
Duties involved
Overtime/projects
Start date
Duration of contract

Also, be ready to provide the recruiter with some information about the company. This will help them to narrow down the field to the ideal candidates for the position.

Once you’ve provided the staffing agency with all this information, they’ll begin the search for candidates. They maintain databases of candidates. They’ll contact suitable applicants to discuss their interest and availability.

They will also advertise the position to attract new candidates. Once people start to apply for the position, the staffing agency will review their applications. They’ll then schedule and conduct interviews and prepare a short list of the most appropriate candidates.

Finally, the agency will arrange final interviews with your company’s hiring manager. This ensures that your company makes the final hiring decision.

Once you’ve decided on the janitorial staff you would like to hire, the staffing agency will do the rest. They will prepare the contract and taxes and add them to the agency’s payroll.

Can You Hire Permanent Staff from Staffing Agencies?

If you’re happy with the janitorial staff you have recruited through the staffing agency, you may want to turn them into permanent hires. That’s absolutely fine.

In your contract with the staffing agency, there will be a clause covering this situation. This will set out the fees to pay to the agency. After that, your company will be responsible for the employee’s contract, payroll, and taxes.

How Do Staffing Agencies Get Paid?

Staffing agencies charge a percentage of the employee’s wages as their fee. There may also be recruiting fees and, as discussed, buyout fees if you wish to hire an employee on a permanent basis.

The recruiter will discuss the terms of the contract with you before the process begins. You will be given time to review the contract and ask any questions before you sign.

The Advantages of Using a Janitorial Staffing Agency

For many businesses, janitorial services are not their main focus. They may feel confident hiring in their specialist field, but struggle when it comes to refreshing the janitorial team. Having the ability to recruit trained staff without having to go through the arduous hiring process is a huge relief.

Fast Turnaround

South Carolina ranks in the top ten states with the most job openings right now.

That means that finding the right staff has gotten harder. There are lots of jobs for people to choose from, and if you’re not a specialist in recruiting janitorial staff it can be tough to know where to start.

But if you work with a staffing agency in Columbia, SC, you get the benefit of their exclusive database of contacts. They will also review all the applications on your behalf, saving your business a huge amount of time.

Because they are dedicated to the job, they’ll be able to quickly find qualified janitorial staff for you to choose from. You will always have one point of contact at the agency, simplifying communications throughout the process.

Stay Agile

We’re operating in unpredictable times. You may be a little reluctant to take on more permanent hires at this time. Working with a janitorial staffing agency gives you a level of fluidity in your workforce that is otherwise hard to achieve.

You can increase staff when things get busy and reduce them during quieter times.

Fewer Responsibilities

There are a lot of responsibilities that come with being an employer. You need to provide insurance, arrange taxes, and follow local and federal labor laws. But if you work with a staffing agency, they take care of all of that on your behalf.

During the entire process, the staffing agency remains their employer. They take care of everything and maintain full legal responsibility. This only changes if you decide to hire the employee on a permanent basis.

Can Save Your Business Money

Some companies may be put off working with a staffing agency because of the fees involved. But remember – having open vacancies can get very expensive. Aside from recruiting costs, there’s the additional workload that falls on others on the team.

This can lower morale and productivity. Filling vacancies quickly using staffing agencies helps to keep the show on the road.

Ready to Hire Janitorial Staff?

Janitorial staffing agencies can help you find the staff you need, quickly. They continue to be the employer, keeping your responsibilities to a minimum. Whether you need temporary staff or a long-term solution, they’ll find the staff for you.

Defender is a staffing agency in Columbia, SC that has helped countless companies find the right janitorial staff. We’ve been in business since 1958 and employ over 3,000 associates across 11 states.

Ready to discuss your company’s staffing needs? Call us at (803) 776-4220 or reach out online today!