With so many job seekers flooding the job market today, employers are seeking assistance from staffing agencies to help them sort through the market and fill open positions. When you apply for a job online, you are likely responding to a posting from a staffing agency or a recruiter. It’s more important now than ever to understand your options and knowing how to apply to a temp agency.
When using a staffing agency during your job hunt, you should make an effort to impress staffing agencies. To do so, you need to know what to say when calling a temp agency and how to treat the person on the other end of the line. Considering questions to ask a staffing agency beforehand can be the difference between an impressive interview and a misfire.
Because the market is saturated with job seekers, employers are choosing to use staffing agencies to hire more temporary or temp-to-hire employees than to hire permanent employees directly. While staffing agencies can operate similarly to a typical human resources department, they specialize in finding the right person for the right job — and weeding through all the wrong resumes. Make sure you have what it takes to impress a staffing agency with these expert temp agency tips!
1. Speak With Respect
If you’re wondering what to say when calling a temp agency, you should let respect be your guide. Job seekers tend to believe that since they are not speaking directly with a hiring manager from the company they want to work for, they don’t need to turn their A-game on for their contact. Yet staffing agency interview questions can make up the bulk of interviewing experiences. To impress staffing agencies, you should treat every interaction like an interview.
A recruiter at a staffing agency serves as the initial screener for an open position. If you want to be considered for a job with their client, strive to make a good impression on the recruiter. When coming up with questions to ask a staffing agency, feel free to ask for clarity on any parts of the process you may be unsure about. Make sure you speak professionally, honestly and politely with any representative you encounter from a staffing agency. Treat them as you would any other hiring manager in a job interview. If you can’t impress the staffing recruiter, you’ll never get to turn your charm on for the hiring manager.
2. Follow Instructions
This is one of the most underrated temp agency tips and the most important. Hundreds of people can apply to the same job posting daily, so staffing agencies typically try to screen candidates before even viewing their resumes. For example, a job posting might say that all interested candidates must include a cover letter or a salary requirement with their resume. If you don’t include the requested paperwork or information, you could be immediately disqualified without your resume even being viewed. Following instructions is the bare minimum requirement to impress staffing agencies. If you have any questions about how to apply to a temp agency, it’s better to ask than risk making mistakes.
Whether you receive a response to your resume requesting more information or a recruiter asks you to call them at a particular time, the best temp agency tips dictate that you do your best to follow all the instructions you receive. Temp agencies and recruiters are busy — the best way to impress staffing agencies is to show respect for their time by following their instructions. Staffing agencies usually won’t waste time talking to someone about a position if they have proved they cannot follow basic directions. If you are choosing questions to ask a staffing agency, do not ask for information they have already provided in their application request.
3. Be Enthusiastic
For job seekers planning on how to apply to a temp agency, our next temp agency tip is to be enthusiastic. If you receive a call from a staffing agency and you are interested in the position they have, show them! Passion and excitement for a particular role are easy ways to impress staffing agencies. Staffing agencies won’t want to send a candidate on a job interview with their client if they don’t sound enthused about the position.
Some staffing agency interview questions are tailored to gauge the enthusiasm of potential applicants for positions. While you don’t want to be overly eager, what you say when calling a temp agency lets them know whether you want a position — passion will usually impress staffing agencies. Enthusiasm shows you are willing to commit to the interview process and would accept an offer if you received one.
It’s also a vital temp agency tip, to be honest with a recruiter if you aren’t interested in a position. They won’t want you to feign enthusiasm only to turn down an offer at the last minute. This may result in difficulty getting interviews if you plan on applying to a temp agency in the future. All staffing agencies prioritize trustworthy candidates who follow through. If you hope to impress staffing agencies, consider what questions to ask them to help you know if an offer or organization would fit your circumstances. Be straightforward with the staffing agency about precisely what you want and need in a position. The more honest you are with them, the more they can help you.
4. Be on Your Best Behavior
If you do end up temping with a staffing agency while you wait for a full-time position, treat each temp assignment as you would a permanent position. A positive attitude and taking initiative are two temp agency tips that go a long way towards impressing the staffing agency and employer you’re working for. You could potentially be considered for a full-time position should one become available.
Even if this temp assignment doesn’t help you gain a full-time position, you might do well enough on the job to impress the agency that placed you. As a result, they’ll want to continue working with you and put you on more assignments, saving you from having to keep planning on how to apply to a temp agency. The staffing agency will be more inclined to consider you for any permanent opportunities they have, emphasizing the importance of impressing staffing agencies.
On the other hand, if you treat a temp assignment as just a way to make money, and have no respect for the client or the agency you’re working for, they will be less inclined to work with you in the future. Take that opportunity to formulate questions to ask as you deepen your relationship with the staffing agency you are currently employed.
5. Making the Most of Staffing Agencies
Staffing agencies aren’t just an excellent tool for employers; they also help job seekers with successful employment. You can explore temp agency tips, guides to impress staffing agencies and employers, and tons of advice to help you find and keep a job. Ensure you take full advantage of an agency’s services because they could be the key to helping you find your dream job.
Santana graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration. While at Kent State, she was a Student Manager at Starbucks, her favorite coffee shop. She was also a board member for KSU’s Focus on the Future for two years.
Jeff has worked with various nonprofits, companies, and an association in D.C. Originally from upstate New York, Jeff graduated from Columbia University in New York City with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 2019. After graduation, he moved to the D.C. area and worked as a legislative intern for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer.
Meron has been working as an Operations Temp at a D.C. philanthropic association since September 2021. She graduated from Stony Brook University with a Bachelor of Health Science, Public Health in 2014 and a Master of Public Health – Community Health in 2017. GO SEAWOLVES!!!
C hails from New Hampshire and graduated in May from Georgetown University. In their free time, they enjoy sewing, reading, and cooking with friends. Although C does not know what the long-term future holds, they are excited to see what path they choose.
Claire moved to Washington, D.C. and joined the Whitman team after graduating with a degree in Marketing. While working in commercial property management, she is pursuing an MBA with a concentration in Data Analytics.
