Retaining employees in staffing is not always an easy task, especially when it comes to contract workers. With today’s gig economy and mass virtual network, contract workers can access numerous job opportunities at their fingertips.

In a recent issue of the American Staffing Association’s Staffing Success magazine, a Pew Research Center survey found that Blue-Collar Workers are markedly less satisfied with their jobs than other workers in the U.S. The study also found that blue-collar workers are more likely than other workers to say they expect to look for a new job soon.

This is just one sector of contract work but proposes an interesting challenge for staffing companies. What steps can staffing companies take to retain contract employees to keep them happy and retain them for future opportunities? In this article, we will look at 5 simple ways to build trust among contract workers, while incorporating technology into their employee journey to keep them engaged and satisfied!

1. Make it Easy to Find and Apply for Jobs

Offer a Mobile App

Contract workers move from one assignment to the next and are always looking for their next move. A mobile app is a fantastic way for candidates to be able to search, apply, and even self-assign themselves to jobs. Whether at lunch or watching TV on the couch after work, they can easily scroll through your mobile app to find their next opportunity. Job seekers want easy applications, the easier you can make it for them to find assignments and apply, the more engaged they will be with your staffing agency. Why work for anyone else if they can easily find assignments with your staffing agency?

The ability for candidates to self-assign themselves to jobs is also a possibility with some mobile apps. If a recruiter knows a candidate is coming up to the end of their assignment, they can automatically push out another job opportunity to that candidate to accept on the spot.

Your ATS may already have a mobile app that you can take advantage of. It will be a great first place to start when exploring mobile opportunities for your staffing agency.

Other Self-Service Tools

If a mobile app is not an option for your staffing agency, there can be other ways for candidates to search for jobs, such as through a candidate portal. Candidate portals allow candidates to login to view specific jobs tailored for them. Again, if a recruiter knows a candidate is coming to the end of the assignment, they can push new assignments out to the candidate to accept in the portal. Your ATS may even offer a mobile optimized web portal, which would be the next best thing if a mobile app can’t be offered.

Overall, self-service tools for candidates can make a big difference in the employee experience. When you think of your everyday life, it’s much more convenient when you can complete steps easily and on your own. Convenience is the name of the game and makes a big difference in staffing.

2. Smooth and Quick OnBoarding Process

Your Job Application

Your OnBoarding process is like your first impression on a date. You want to make a good first impression right off the bat. This starts with your application. The simpler you can make your application, the better. If the application process is cumbersome, then you can lose quality candidates right off the bat. To experiment, you can go through your job application yourself to see how long it takes and how easy it is to fill out. If you get frustrated along the way, then surely it will need to be modified.

Communication

The next step for an applicant is the interview process. There is no such thing as over communicating during this process. “The company over communicated with me during the application process” – said no one! Candidates long for strong communication with companies they are working with and often they don’t receive that. By keeping them informed during the interview process, it will once again make a strong first impression and you will be a company they hope they can work for. During this step you can also see what the most convenient way is to keep in touch. Surely, phone calls will be necessary, but for some little updates a text is probably the way to go. It is a convenient form of communication and candidates will most likely see it almost instantly.

OnBoarding the Candidate

The last step before a candidate’s first day is all of the onboarding materials, such as background checks, drug tests, onboarding paperwork, training, and more. Often onboarding tasks can be cumbersome, but the simpler and more convenient you can make it for a candidate the better. The most convenient way to complete some of these tasks is not going anywhere at all and completing them from the comfort of their home. Some candidates might not have a laptop or smartphone to access such documents from home, so this is something you might want to ask ahead of time and they can come in-person if necessary.

For any items that need to be completed in-person, see if you can do it all on one day to once again ensure a smooth and quick onboarding process!

3. Check-In Texts

Throughout the assignment, check-in texts are a great way to stay engaged with the employee. Check-in before the assignment to confirm they are all set for their first day and throughout their assignment. If you can incorporate an automated tool for this, such as Sense®, it will save a ton of time. Through automation, once an assignment starts, you can schedule automated check-in texts to go out to candidates. This lets them know you are thinking of them and genuinely care. Candidates like to work for people they can trust. Check-in texts can build a relationship with the candidate they might not receive anywhere else.

In one of the latest American Staffing Association’s Staffing Success magazines, it was noted that light industrial typically has a 50% loss ratio, meaning 50% of people either get fired or quit before the assignment is done. This stat makes check-in texts even more important, especially for light industrial. If you can sense an employee isn’t happy, you can try to help the situation before they up and leave the assignment.

You can also think about sending a check-in text as their assignment is coming towards an end. Send a text to remind them to check your current opportunities or better yet, you can push out opportunities for them to accept on the spot.

Congratulate and Give Accolades

If you heard good things about the candidate during their assignment, take the time to send a text congratulating them. Recognizing the employee for their work will give them a confidence boost and increase their happiness with the job. When someone feels a sense of success in their job, they will enjoy what they are doing even more. It will also inspire them to work harder as they want to continue to do a good job. A small moment to recognize an employee can go a long way!

4. Know Their Career Aspirations

Contract employees also have career aspirations. Often though it’s not a conversation that takes place. Knowing if your contract employees have specific career aspirations can help you take them to the next level. If an employee feels like they can’t grow with your staffing agency, then they will leave. On the upside though, if you are aware of their career aspirations, they might feel like their best opportunity is to stay with your staffing agency as you already know them, have built a trusted relationship, and understand where they want to go.

Additionally, as we have touched on a few times already, a big part of retention is placing candidates on their next assignment when the current one ends. Do you think they are ready for the next stage in their career? If so, do you have an opportunity for them that matches what they are looking for? If you can find them their “dream opportunity” before their current assignment ends, they won’t want to leave!

5. Understand Why Employees Leave

While we wish we could keep all employees that begin working for us, it’s inevitable that some will always leave. There is a lot of knowledge that can be gained though by knowing why employees leave. Did they not like their assignment? Did they not enjoy the process with your staffing agency? Did they find a better opportunity somewhere else? Track the reasons employees leave to see if there is a common theme. If there is, are there steps you can take to prevent more employees from leaving?

A New Future with Contract Employees

Retaining contract employees can help drive growth for your staffing agency. The time and costs associated with finding new candidates can be eliminated. Your quality of hire can also increase. You know the employees that are working for you, so there will be no surprises. The candidates will also be easy to sell to the client if you have experience working with them. Retaining contract employees is a win for many—you, your clients, and the employee. By focusing on ways to improve the employee experience, you will be able to build a strong long-lasting relationship with your contract employees.

Want to learn more about building trust with contract employees? Contact Automated Business Design s to see how you can leverage technology to improve your employee experience.

Written by Jennifer Roeslmeier Mikels

Jennifer Roeslmeier Mikels is a Sr. Digital Marketing and Brands Manager at Automated Business Designs, developers of Ultra-Staff EDGE Staffing Software. Jennifer regularly publishes articles about key topics surrounding the staffing industry with both local and national staffing associations.

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