Any person who operates a successful business knows that their greatest asset is the team they have around. When it comes to developing effective and efficient business operations for your SaaS, hiring goes directly to the top of your to do list. The hiring process, whether you’re bringing on board a full-time employee, a part-time specialist or an outsourced teammate, is an essential step in any business.
To expand and grow your operation, you need more hands on the deck. Certainly, you want those new hires to be talented and the right fit for your SaaS team. Usually this means hiring in-house team members. That’s the old way of doing things. Now, your SaaS business also has the option of staffing outsourcing. And this is on its way to becoming the next big thing of the next decade.
To have a better understanding of the whole story, let’s debug some concepts from scratch.
What is staffing
There are quite a few definitions for staffing and the most detailed one says this. Staffing is the function of employee recruitment, screening and selection performed within a company to fill job openings. Other areas of employment which may be handled by a staffing department or agency are orientation, training, retention and termination. This function is sometimes handled outside of an organization by using contractors at various levels of the staffing process.
What is staffing outsourcing
To find out what is staffing outsourcing let’s see first what is the definition of outsourcing. According to Investopedia, outsourcing is the business practice of hiring a party outside a company to perform services or create goods that were traditionally performed in-house by the company’s own employees and staff. Outsourcing is a practice usually undertaken by companies as a cost-cutting measure.
This brings us to the next explanation. Staffing outsourcing means contracting third-parties to take care of your staffing needs. Outsourcing staffing services can help you access a pool of talent you have never thought of. The beauty of staffing outsourcing is that you have the chance to work with experienced recruitment consultants who will save you time and money.
How to choose a staffing outsourcing company
Whatever your staffing requirements may be, here are a few important questions to be asked to make sure you are choosing the right outsourcing staffing agency for your SaaS business.
Will the staffing company be able to fill the position I am looking for?
Many staffing agencies are specialized in particular industries or business domains. So it’s very important to know if the staffing company you’re taking into consideration is able to fill up the job opening you have in your SaaS. Agencies with specific focus in a domain or industry appeal to better or more highly qualified candidates than generic staffing agencies.
For how long have they been in this business?
Experience, knowledge and a good network always count. Ensure that the staffing agency you are outsourcing for your recruitment needs has a track record of this criteria.
Do they really understand your business?
While choosing a staffing outsourcing company, ask them open-ended questions about your business, industry or about the particular job opening you are targeting to fill. Their answers should give you enough clues of their level of knowledge and expertise.
What is their fee structure or the rates?
Do they charge differently for skills evaluation, background checks or are all such services included in the placement or hiring fee structure? Select a staffing outsourcing company which is very clear and transparent with its fee structure and schedule. In this case you’ll know precisely what you’re going to pay for a service that fulfills your staffing and HR outsourcing requirements.
Determining the right decision for your SaaS business operations comes down to an in depth evaluation of your needs. For modern businesses constantly searching for flexibility and cost efficiencies, shifting duties to third parties can be a smart way to reduce your company’s investment in an area while boosting its effectiveness.
However, before you start looking for a staffing outsourcing partner, you need to set your expectations, needs, requirements, and priorities in order. After carefully studying the pros and cons of staffing outsourcing, the search for a trustworthy partner can begin here.