Making a good first impression is crucial if you don’t want to lose qualified applicants who are going through your hiring process. It’s a two-way street. You aren’t just interviewing someone to work for you; they are looking at everything about your company as well, starting with your online presence. Make sure you have a stellar hiring process. 49% of job candidates actually declined a job offer due to a poor recruiting experience. Can you afford not to if you are in the staffing industry? 

And while discussing the hiring process, onboarding is part of your new hire experience. 52% of new hires are actually looking for another role within 3 months of starting their new one. According to Lattice, a leading people platform, “ In the US, 52% of employees with tenures of 3 months or less are looking to leave. Nearly 60% of employees with 3-6 month tenures are trying to do the same. The trend is even starker in the UK, where 65% of employees with 3-6 month tenures are looking. “ Ensure your onboarding process is appealing and gauge your new hire’s satisfaction before they have an opportunity to become disenchanted. 

With 30% of workers actually leaving their job within the first 90 days of work, it’s important to know why. Employ, a firm that surveys U.S. workers for an annual Job Seeker Nation Report, shares the top 4 reasons why employees leave their position: the role was not as expected (41%), a bad experience or incident occurred (35%), the company culture was not as expected (34%), and employees were unhappy with the firm’s leadership made up 32% of the workers who left within 90 days. 

Employ also shared that almost one in three workers would quit a job without having another, and almost half are looking now for a new job or will within the next year. 62% are satisfied with their role, but about 50% are open to other prospects. 

When looking to hire, remember that advertising jobs on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram is not as optional as it used to be.  39% of job applicants search for their next position on social media. Using social media also helps ensure your company’s marketing and branding is consistent. 

Friends make up 46% of how workers find out about job openings, professional connections 25% and career fairs account for 23%. Other statistics about the job hiring application process: online job boards make up 59% of where candidates go to seek jobs, which is down 13% since 2020. Finding job openings on employer websites is up 7% from 2021 at 33%.  

Who is working and how old are they? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median age of an employee is 42 years old and rising. Ensure your company is a place older millennials will want to work. And many people are working later into their lives. Make sure your company has a good working environment as those employees are key to making the right hiring decisions.  

Screening job candidates by video interviews has become increasingly common over the last several years. It’s convenient, saves time for both the interviewer and the interviewee, and saves money. This type of technology continues to be paramount to the success of a staffing agency, as 37% of job seekers have had a video interview conducted by a recruiter. 

As a staffing agency, passive candidates and their thoughts are very important to consider. With limited numbers of active job seekers, staffing firms need as much hiring leverage as possible. Career Arc shares that passive candidates value work-life balance more than salary. This differentiates them from active job seekers and non-job seekers (those who aren’t seeking a new job in 2021), both of whom rank lower pay as a bigger deal-breaker than lack of work-life balance.

What passive job candidates want most, when pay and benefits are equal: 33% seek these three items in order of importance: remote work policies; a more recognized brand and/or positive reputation; and diverse hiring goals. Remember, before candidates apply to your firm, they are going to look into your brand, review your website, check your firm’s reviews, and get to know your culture to ensure it’s a good fit. 

“Reading between the lines of survey data, CareerArc shared a webinar revealing the complete results of the 2021 study, that today’s passive candidates are likely the overworked top performers in the organization who have had to shoulder the weight of reduced staff or increased workload from adjusting to a year of volatility. For these employees, a healthier, more balanced work environment defines their dream job. “

As CareerPlug shares, “Applicants who applied directly to a company’s careers page were four times more likely to be hired than applicants from job boards. But the real winner was referrals: Applicants who applied from referrals were eighteen times more likely to be hired than applicants from job boards.” Those are powerful statistics and also why employee referral programs should without a doubt be every staffing firm’s top source for hiring new job candidates.

It’s interesting to note that referrals were one of the best sources of high-quality job candidates, but at the same time, they were also the most unused source. It would be wise to note that the data tells the story, and it is worth your time and effort to make sure your recruiting strategy at your staffing firm not only includes looking at referrals but targets this as a top new hire resource. 

One additional benefit for hiring referred employees is the retention rate. Not only did referred employees stay longer when hired by the company than those hired by other sources, but the referring employee had a longer than average tenure as well.