The digital transformation of companies specialising in temporary staffing and recruitment is accelerating. But beyond the hype, what are the advantages for agencies? And what can they gain from it?
Reduced risk of error, increased profitability, instant responses, data security, rejuvenated brand image, improved customer experience: the benefits of the digital transformation of a staffing agency are numerous and concerns all aspects of the company.
Indeed – and regardless of their size – temporary and permanent staffing agencies have started their digital transformation. Some of them are late, others are more comfortable, and others are doing it backwards. But just as you can’t stop progress, you can’t resist the march of time for long.
Where does your staffing or recruitment agency stand in the digital shift?
The trend in staffing agencies to go digital has been going on for the last twenty years. And it will continue to do so in the coming years.
Dematerialisation, digitalisation, digital transformation: the digital shift can be a bit overwhelming. But don’t worry I’ll help you understand these buzzwords. .
The digital transformation of temporary and permanent staffing agencies began in the late 1980s, but the health crisis has given it a major boost!
Indeed, the impacts of the confinements and other health measures since 2020 have pushed agencies, candidates, and clients alike to turn to digital solutions.
However, this does not mean that all agencies have gone ‘all digital’. On the contrary, it would be unwise to rush headlong into a completely cloud-based solution. As Kaelig Sadaune reminded us on LinkedIn in April 2021 when he was still director of Randstad Direct (link in French).
” Temporary work remains a highly regulated service, where 100% digital distribution models are still theoretical. In practice, the provision of services requires a high level of human operations and expertise […]. We are still a long way from a platform model where all transactions take place online, without human support to carry them out. “
But is digital transformation a side effect of Covid-19?
No.
The digital transformation of temporary and permanent staffing agencies is a fundamental movement that began long before the virus arrived. And it will undoubtedly continue after it.
But what had been a slow, discrete, and fragmented evolution has suddenly found itself in the spotlight. Suddenly, an urgent need to digitise all business processes has pushed all business to transform. Including in the staffing industry.
This need was felt at all levels of the chain:
- enable teleworking of temporary and permanent agency staff
- stay in touch with the millennial generation of candidates, who are hyper-connected and use the Internet exclusively in their job search
- appeal to clients who prefer to search for potential candidates themselves.
Why does digital transformation simply not replace the human with a machine?
For example, temporary staffing agencies are accelerating their digital transformation, but they are not completely discarding the physical ties that bind them to their employees. These ties are essential to the human relationship.
We can therefore agree that dematerialisation and human intervention coexist and complement each other. And good judgment allows for a balance between these two notions, as we pointed out in a previous article.
“ In the face of the digitalization of our society and the ever-increasing demands of companies, the place of the individual in the field of investment seems to be shrinking. And to think that it takes more technology than people in the investment world is surely not a good idea. The reverse will not give optimal results either. A well-balanced mix of the two would be ideal, that is, both technological efficiency and human judgment are needed. ”
So, what are the advantages for a temporary or permanent staffing agency to make the digital transformation?
Forget the days of misfiled files. Put an end to piles of paper overflowing the office. Forget the days of lost documents. Administrative procedures, which are numerous in the temporary staffing sector, are now automated, thanks to solutions such as PRIM Logix.
Indeed, when used properly, a complete software package quickly becomes as indispensable as a Swiss Army knife. Whether it’s managing client information, viewing candidate information, or filing key documents such as contracts, it’s all done with a few clicks. And the allocation of different security levels among the agency’s employees ensures the confidentiality of information.
Savvy agency managers understand the time and productivity gains from effective software, when mastered, are indisputable. Even more so when the software in question also enables productivity gains across the entire spectrum of operations. From the creation of the request to the verification of hours worked, including the assignment of candidates according to personalised criteria. Even the monitoring and export of invoicing data by PRIM Logix can be done in a few clicks. This can sometimes take a whole day when done manually.
The time saved can be used for more value-added activities: recruiting and training candidates, conducting skills assessments, annual interviews, sales meetings, etc.
At the same time, the offices remain open and the employees available to greet clients and candidates for one-off meetings, which are essential for quality communication.
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