Professional Employment References: A Job Seeking Guide 

A solid employment reference can make a significant difference when seeking a new job.

This article explores the pivotal role references play in shaping employers’ perceptions and influencing hiring decisions. From the different references to selecting the right people, we’ll delve into the nuances of creating a compelling professional narrative.

 

Understanding Professional Employment References 

Professional references are your way of providing proof that you can do a job and that people like and respect you. As part of your application, a prospective employer might ask for these references. Contact details such as your phone number, email address, job title, and possibly even your work address will be requested from you.

 

Do people still check references? 

A SHRM survey found that 92 percent of responding employers conduct employment background screening and reference checks, where 87 percent conduct checks during the pre-employment stage and 10 percent screen their employees when someone is promoted or switches jobs.¹

Additionally, education organizations and competitive, specialized professional fields are more likely to rely on references. Even if not all employers check references when requested, the SHRM survey suggests it’s advisable to assume they will. Employers may even attempt to contact references multiple times, depending on their policies and preferences.

 

Personal vs. Professional: What’s the Difference? 

Personal references provide insights into an individual’s character, ethics, and interpersonal skills from a non-professional perspective. It offers a holistic view beyond the workplace since it’s typically sourced from friends or acquaintances.

On the other hand, professional references focus on an individual’s work-related competencies, performance, and reliability. Colleagues, supervisors, or mentors often serve as professional references, offering potential employers valuable insights into an applicant’s work history and qualifications.

While personal references contribute to a comprehensive understanding of an individual, professional references carry significant weight in gauging job-related suitability. A well-rounded endorsement combines both to present a comprehensive and authentic representation of an individual’s capabilities and character.

If you don’t have work experience, you can use references from volunteering, teachers, professors, or respected community members. Avoid using family members, as they may not be seen as credible.

 

Providing References to Potential Employers 

Only provide references when asked. Job seekers often mistakenly list references on resumes they send out, but it’s best to avoid over-sharing contact information.

Avoid adding ‘references upon request’ on your resume to save space for employment history, education, and achievements. Some application forms offer designated spaces for providing your references’ contact names and/or information at the initiation of the process. Make a separate list of references if the employer asks for it and the application form doesn’t have a specific section.

Related Reading: 6 Tips for Resume Writing 

Occasionally, employers may request a reference letter. If a reference letter is preferred, it is customary for your reference to send it directly to the company. In cases where your reference entrusts you with the letter, they should sign or stamp over the envelope seal, demonstrating that it was delivered unopened.

 

Preparing Your References: How to Find the Right People 

Ensure effective reference requests by adhering to these guidelines.

1. Carefully select references who can speak highly of your qualifications for the position, emphasizing those who know you well and can effectively communicate your skills, character, and ethics. Choose people you shared a good relationship with, those you think knew you best during your stay in the same organization.

2. Initiate the request whenever possible. Schedule an in-person meeting, send an email, or make a phone call to seek their assistance in your application process formally.

3. Remind them of your relationship and what you did in your previous work. Provide a brief update on your current activities if it has been a while since you last interacted.

4. Craft your request to allow them to decline if necessary. Use a polite inquiry such as, “Would you be interested in providing a reference?”

5. Offer a detailed job description to help your reference prepare for potential inquiries from the hiring manager. Specify the skills, traits, and experience relevant to the position.

6. Share copies of your resume with your references. This lets them understand your professional skills, career progression, and recent projects.

7. Tell them about the position you are applying for. This gives them relevant information to discuss with the employer or hiring manager. This is most important if you have various work experience in different industries.

8. Allow your references sufficient time to consider your request. Provide a timeframe for when you need their information, ensuring they have time to review your resume and the job description.

9. Confirm their contact details, including their preferred email address and phone numbers. Verify the accuracy of their information and confirm their preferred contact method and current job title.

 

Remember to Ask for Referrals 

If you’re asking people to be your references, don’t forget to ask them for referrals to people and companies they know who are hiring. A personal reference is more valuable if the person or company knows the other person.

 

Professional References Help You Advance 

Strong professional references are crucial in establishing credibility, showcasing capabilities, and securing opportunities. A well-prepared list of references bridges your qualifications on paper with your character and competence. Placed at the end of the job-seeking process, they boost your credibility, affirm your suitability, and leave a lasting impression on employers.

 

PEAK PERFORMERS CAN HELP YOU IN PURSUING NEW CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Searching for a new opportunity can be exhausting, especially if you want to find something meaningful. You must exert more effort to find the best opportunity to match your skills and experience.

Having the right references to support you can make things easier, but a better solution is partnering with experts like Peak Performers to help your job search journey be more efficient and worthwhile.

Our team at Peak Performers can help you land a job you’ll love. We have job openings for Office/Professional, Accounting/Finance, Information Technology, and Engineering roles.

Let us help you access your best job match. Contact us today!

 

References 

1 “Conducting Background Investigations and Reference Checks.” SHRM, www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/conductingbackgroundinvestigations.aspx. Accessed 18 Dec. 2023.

2022 Peak Performers Employee of the Year

Employee of the Year

Peak Performers is proud to announce our employee of the year award. This year we’re recognizing Vincent H.

Vincent has been a dedicated Peak Performers associate for three years. He has been recognized by multiple clients for his personal initiative and can-do attitude.

Feedback from the clients:

“Vincent is an exemplary associate…a top performer doing great!”

We’d like to say a very special thanks to Vincent and recognize the hard work he does every day.

Did you know:

Peak Performers has an employee of the month program as well? We are looking forward to re-starting this program to recognize the hard work all our associates do each day.

People with invisible disabilities are everywhere

Empathy for invisible disabilities

Not all disabilities are visible

The other day, I was having a conversation and a person. The conversation turned to our mission and they said “I don’t see your disability–it can’t be that bad.” To which, I wanted to reply “Well, that’s great but I have to live with it.”

Some people without disabilities struggle to recognize the significance and impact of invisible and hidden disabilities. After all, if we can’t see it, can it really be all that bad?

Invisible disabilities are very real

The first thing to realize is that invisible disabilities are very, very real and they do impact people’s lives. Furthermore, each person will be impacted differently. To further complicate things: each individual person will be affected differently at different times!

Sometimes the impact of invisible disabilities will be tangible. For my own part, I cannot hear you in a crowded restaurant without assistance. Also, I can show you my audiogram that looks like a downward ski slope.

However, if you were, for example, autoimmune compromised the impact might be less tangible. Perhaps you are sick more often than most people and your illnesses lasts longer. Perhaps the indirect impact of this disability leads you to be less likely to go out in public and constantly anxious about your health.

Or if you had ADHD, the impact might affect how you are able to work and communicate with other people. It might affect your attention span. People with ADHD sometimes struggle in school or work environments due to their shifting attention or hyper fixation.

Or if you have PTSD, the impact might be fear, sense of dread, or generalized anxiety. It might affect your sleep and how comfortable you feel in social situations or in public.

Each of these conditions is complicated and diverse, as are the people who carry them. For your part, listen to people’s experiences and feelings. Don’t rush to judgements and acknowledge their feelings and condition as real and impactful.

For more examples of visible and invisible disabilities, make sure to check out our disability re-defined page.

Be kind and watch what you say

The second thing that you can do is change the way that you talk about other people. Don’t make assumptions, don’t make fun of people, and don’t make little of any other person’s experience. (Especially don’t engage in any of these activities around other people.)

You never know who around you has an invisible disability so don’t diminish any person or any condition. You may be speaking to someone who has that condition or one similar to it! Like chameleons, people with invisible disabilities are often camouflaged and hiding around you.

Furthermore, having an invisible disability is often a minimizing and socially isolating experience. Many are afraid to talk about it, even to their close friends and family members.

Don’t make their life any harder. Remember to be nice 🙂

Asking People About their Disability

Curiosity is Not the Problem

Asking People About Their Disabilities

Have you ever wondered:

– How a wheelchair user drives a car?
– What it’s like to experience a panic attack?
– How a diabetic knows how to regulate their blood sugar?

It’s natural to have questions. Having a disability means that you adapt to the world and this makes your experiences different and interesting! Any one of these questions are not inherently problematic, and many people with disabilities will gladly tell you about their lived experience. However, what can be problematic is the WAY we ask these questions.

Advice for Asking Better Questions

1 – Consider the Intention of your Questions

If you’re asking a question with the intention of confirming your biases or to validate your judgement of a person, your question is not going to be received well. On the other side of the coin, while we may want to help, they might not need your help–don’t ask questions with the intention of “rescuing” them.

2 – Set Your Tone Carefully

Asking someone “what’s wrong with you?” is not a great tone to set. Be polite.

3 – Consider Your Timing

Would you walk up to a stranger and immediately ask them personal questions? Or would you ask a co-worker personal questions in a public space or in front of others? Carefully consider when you ask someone these kinds of questions and in what environment.

4 – Ask Permission

Disability can be a guarded topic that we may not want to talk about, or a person with a disability may get asked about their condition so often they’re sick of talking about it! It’s important to realize that someone may not want to talk about their disability with you–so give them space to opt out. To start a conversation, I recommend starting with “Do you mind if I ask you about XXXX?”

Let’s Talk About It

If you have questions, we’re happy to talk about it! Also, did you know we recruit people with disabilities?

Time is money while job searching

Even if You’re Unemployed…

Your time is still valuable

We all know the adage: “time is money.” But it’s easy to forget this if we’re not employed and not currently making any money. Furthermore, it’s painful to think about spending money/time on job seeking activities that don’t pan out. However, it’s critical that you approach your job seeking as though your time has a monetary value. 

Why This Matters:

1) Focus and productivity

Thinking about your time as money means that you will focus harder on job seeking. Each time you submit a resume, scroll Indeed, and drive to an interview, you’ll think to yourself: is this activity worth $XXX / hour? And while much of this activity will not actually yield results, thinking of it this way will help ensure that as little time is wasted as possible. The pain of money lost and the sunk cost focuses us and drives us to do better.


2) Professionalism

If you’re at work and making money, you are more likely to behave professionally. This means proofreading emails, connecting with people on LinkedIn, sending thank you notes, and even making small talk with the people you meet. When we don’t treat ourselves as “on the clock” we might let our guard down–but don’t! Remember: everyone you are interacting with is at work and they expect you to behave the same way.


3) Self worth

When you lose your job, a small part of your identity goes with it. Many of us are at least partially defined by “what we do” and when we “don’t do anything”…who are we? When you think of your time as valuable, you are protecting your self worth. You may not have a job right now but your time and your attention is still valuable and you are still valuable.


4) Business decisions

All of us are a small businesses. We are renting ourselves and our time out to our employer and expecting fair compensation and treatment in return. Sometimes we can get lost in the emotional roller coaster of job offers. Perhaps we find out the compensation will not be as much as we expected? Or maybe we discover the benefits are lackluster? Maybe we meet a few future co-workers and realize that they’re not excited about working there? Thinking of yourself as a business cushions the emotional highs and lows boils these decisions down to a math equation. Furthermore, it helps you be able to engage confidently in offer negotiations if you already know your hourly worth.

 

We Value Your Time

Are you looking for work? We’d like to talk to you about our open roles.

About Disability Pride Month 2022

What is “Disability Pride Month?”

On July 26, 1990, George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act. This laid the legislation groundwork for protecting the rights of people with disabilities and making the world more accessible. That’s why this July we’re celebrating “Disability Pride Month.”

Significance of Disability Pride Month

Here’s why you may want to care about Disability Pride Month:

  • The idea that you can be proud of yourself AND have a disability is still a novel idea.
  • Disability rights legislation is relatively new and has already had a dramatic impact on millions of people’s lives.
  • It’s about time that people with disabilities had their time to celebrate!

Holidays only develop significance through the meaning we collectively attach to them. These range from somber (MLK day and Memorial Day), to goofy (Halloween and Valentine’s Day), to historic (4th of July and Juneteenth), to religious (Easter and Hanukkah).

Eventually, these holidays develop a life of their own. Who would have thought that Valentine’s Day would turn into an excuse to exchange chocolates and send love-themed cards? Who knew that 4th of July would become inextricably linked to hotdogs and potato salad? Meanwhile some holidays lose their significance—who really “celebrates” Columbus Day any more?

Disability Pride Month doesn’t often have parades or exchanged presents or fireworks. We don’t even get a day off to celebrate it.

But it can have significance. Happy Disability Pride Month, y’all!

About the Disability Pride Month Flag

“The black background represents the suffering of the disability community from violence and also serves as a color of rebellion and protest…the five colors represent the variety of needs and experiences: Mental Illness, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Invisible and Undiagnosed Disabilities, Physical Disabilities, and Sensory Disabilities.” –Dr. Charlie Roads

Evolution of this flag: originally the had a large lightning pattern running through it to symbolize “how individuals with disabilities must navigate barriers, and demonstrates their creativity in doing so.” More modern versions of the flag, such as the one pictured in this article, do away with the lightning pattern because the design can cause epileptic episodes.

Celebrations in 2022

While still relatively uncommon, you can find celebrations in several major cities:

Employment of People with Disabilities

Did you know that people with disabilities experience an unemployment rate double that of the national average? That’s why we exist. Whether you have a disability and are looking for work or you want to hire someone with a disability, Peak Performers Staffing Agency can help.

Learn more about our mission here!

#disabilityidea #disabilityinclusion #disabilityemployment #peakperformers #disabilitypridemonth #disabilitypride

Don’t have a perfect resume?

Advice for getting a job (without a perfect resume)

I’m a little jealous of my wife’s perfect resume. She’s known she’s wanted to be a children’s librarian since high school. When you look at her resume, she is the obvious choice candidate since all of her experience is applicable. When she first was applying for jobs as a children’s librarian in Austin, she got an interview for every two jobs she applied for.

Most of our paths are not that linear. Most adults will switch careers 5.7 times according to Zippia. This can leave us feeling unqualified for the positions that we’re applying for or force us to make some pretty tricky career transitions with regularity.

What can you do if you don’t have a perfect resume?

Network like it’s your job.

It’s estimated that 75% of all jobs are NOT posted online. You can often make these career jumps thru the networking you do. That way, they see your resume but know the story behind it and make you less embarrassed by your resume.

When networking, focus on making both peer-to-peer connections as well as hiring manager connections. Your goal is to know multiple people in the company who can advocate for you if your resume isn’t the most obvious choice.

Follow up after you apply.

Yesterday I attended a job fair/career panel with 100+ job seekers in attendance. I had 1 person follow up with me afterwards. One.

Following up allows you to connect with people and share your story to overcome barriers, such as not having the perfect resume.

Do some creative writing.

That experience in fast food was not wasted. It probably taught you customer service skills, to work on a team, manage inventory, and even cash handling. You might have even managed people! Sometimes, it’s all about how you frame your experience.

Have someone else look at your resume.

We’re not all strong writers and sometimes our embarrassment comes from grammatical and spelling mistakes. You can have someone else read your resume and provide editing and feedback–this is a great way to help perfect your resume.

If you don’t have someone who can read your resume, at least read it out loud yourself. This forces you to slow down and catch more mistakes.

Seek out resources.

You don’t have to do this alone–there are many local resources to where you’re at (here are a few Austin resources).

Austin Community College offers a free job skills and strategies class where you can work on your resume and interview skills. Workforce Solutions Capital Area offers free job coaching and various other services to help you get working fast. And join a job club such as Launchpad Job Club where you can meet with peers who are also looking for work–use this to grow together and overcome your embarrassment with a support group.

Own your experience.

What inspired this post is yesterday I was talking with a job seeker who seemed to be embarrassed because of her many years of experience working for a multilevel marketing company. While many may not agree with MLMs business practices, that’s not a reflection on you, the “employee.” I think most of us have experience in an industry that gets a bad rap (I used to work as an email marketer.) Also, you still gain valuable skills in sales, marketing, and recruiting–you’re running your own small business! Own your experience and speak positively about the skills and experience you gained from it 🙂

Need help looking for work?

We’re happy to help and are actively hiring! Check out our many jobs here!

Competitive, Integrated Employment for People with Disabilities

Sheltered Workshops vs Competitive, Integrated Employment

When you hear hear “employment for people with disabilities,” what do visualize? The first picture that enters many people’s head is a sheltered workshop. In sheltered workshops, groups of individuals with disabilities work side-by-side. Often these people with disabilities have similar disabilities to each other. Sheltered workshops help many people but are not competitive, integrated employment situations.

Sheltered workshop image
Light assembly work being performed by people with disabilities in a sheltered workshop
  • Sheltered workshops are often run by nonprofits to employ people with disabilities.
  • Employment in sheltered workshops is often based on their disability.
  • Their work is often light assembly.
  • Pay to people with disabilities in sheltered workshops is usually very low, sometimes even below minimum wage.
  • People who participate in sheltered workshops can often only earn up to a certain amount before they become ineligible for state assistance.

My great aunt participated in a program like this. Due to the extent of her intellectual disability, this was a good environment for her to do something during the day. Also, it gave time back to my grandparents, who were her full time caregivers. For this reason, I would argue that these programs do have an inherent value in our society and are appropriate for some people with disabilities.

Competitive, Integrated Employment Matters

When sheltered workshops are the only thing society envisions when they picture “work for people with disabilities,” we are discounting the abilities of many people.

Every person with a disability also has a unique range of abilities. We cannot make assumptions about a person’s ability because many people with disabilities are capable of competitive and integrated employment in the regular workforce.

Competitive and integrated employment means:

Competitive: Their employment is primarily contingent on their ability to perform the work.
Integrated: They are working side-by-side with people who do not have disabilities.

Peak Performers Staffing Agency was established to help people with disabilities find competitive, integrated employment. This means:

  • The most qualified applicant who has a disability gets the job. (We cannot help every job seeker with a disability find work.)
  • Some if our employees we have to terminate for failure to meet expectations.
  • Our employees are paid competitive wages and offered competitive benefits.
  • Some of our employees will work for Peak for multiple assignments.
  • Many of our employees will go onto get hired by the client or find other competitive jobs.
  • Sometimes a client will know an employee of ours has a disability (since it is visible) and sometimes they won’t (if it’s an invisible disability).

People with disabilities are a large group of people with varying abilities and also varying limitations–just like people without disabilities! If you are ready to hire people with disabilities, first look at the person and then at the disability. If you utilize this mindset, you’ll be surprised by what they’re capable of.

If you’re not sure how start but are interested in employing people with disabilities, we can help!

Best Staffing Agency Pflugerville

Finding the Best Staffing Agency Pflugerville

Picking a top rated staffing agency in Pflugerville is important  for both job seekers and employers. Staffing agencies are important partners to finding talented personnel. Here are some of our tips for picking a top rated staffing agency in Pflugerville, Texas.

Staffing Agencies: What to Consider

Specialization of Staffing Agency

Industry specialization is important for picking the best staffing agency. Many staffing firms will specialize in particular kinds of recruitment. Staffing firms often have experience recruiting for that industry and many connections in the industry. Furthermore, the search process for an administrative assistant or enterprise architect may look very different than recruiting for a groundskeeper–the staffing firm will need to look different places to find those workers.

And if you’re looking for work, seeking out a staffing firm that specializes in your area of expertise means you’re more likely to find a job faster.

You may also want to pick a company that has the kinds of recruitment service offerings you’re seeking. Peak Performers, for example, offers temporary, temp-to-perm, and direct hire opportunities in Pflugerville.

Key Metrics: Retention and Re-deployment

Some staffing firms, even top-rated ones, have a “revolving door” reputation.

As a job seeker, you don’t want a company that doesn’t value your hard work and company loyalty. And as a business, having employees constantly turning over costs you time and money.

Ask the staffing agency about their retention and re-deployment rates. Both are key to Peak Performers success and our nonprofit mission. We have a turnover rate that is half that of the industry average!

What Benefits are Offered?

Benefits keep employees happy, retained, and happy. Many staffing agencies have little-to-no benefits that they offer, or their benefits are poor. Obviously, their employees will keep looking for other work and ultimately the staffing agency will struggle to hold onto talet.

We offer health, dental, and vision insurance after 60 days. We have an Employee Assistance Program. Finally, we recently rolled out a 403(b) retirement program to help employees save for retirement. This helps keep our workforce engaged and committed to their current assignment.

Ratings and Reviews of Staffing Agency

Every staffing business in Pflugerville is rated online (you can find our Google ratings and reviews here). If you are looking for work, this is important so you can hear honest feedback and gain insights into the company. It’s equally important for businesses to use in evaluating potential staffing agencies. Staffing agencies are acting as an extension of your brand and representing your open jobs–so their reputation rubs off on you.

It also might help to ask for referrals from your network.

Costs for Staffing Agency in Pflugerville

If you’re looking for work, a staffing agency should never, ever charge you to consider you for employment. This is probably a scam.

If you are an employer, consider staffing agency cost through multiple lenses: hourly bill rate, conversion cost, direct hire fees, and other add-on fees. Also ask about their “placement guarantee,” which is basically insurance on your direct hire employees. Keep in mind that you may not want to pick out the “cheapest” staffing agency–sometimes you get what you pay for if you pick out a cheap staffing provider!

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Are you a job seeker? If so, browse our jobs or join our talent pool. We’re happy to consider you for one of our many open jobs.

Are you looking to hire a top rated staffing agency in Pflugerville? Peak Performers has temp, temp-to-hire, and direct hire staffing solutions. We service both government customers and private companies.

Best Employment Agencies in Austin

Picking the Best Employment Agency in Austin

If you’re looking to work with an employment agency in Austin, you have many to choose from. ResumeSpice lists at least 100 of them!

So if you’re looking to compare agencies, here’s our tips for doing so:

Tips for Comparing Employment Agencies

Look at their jobs

An employment agency isn’t going to do you much good if they don’t have a job that aligns with your skills and career goals. Also, many employment agencies will specialize. For example, we don’t often staff for warehouse or janitorial roles and many of our positions are office and professional jobs.

However, as opposed to taking one look at the company’s job board and moving on, it’s important to get an assessment of the kinds of jobs they have and check back in periodically if it looks like they may have jobs in the future.

Look at reviews online

Fortunately, many people are eager to tell you about their experience with an employment agency. Less fortunately, you have to take this feedback with a grain of salt–people will be inclined to leave bad reviews for many different reasons, especially with something as important as employment. Read the five-star reviews as well as the one-star reviews.

That said, these reviews can give you a good benchmark. I recommend looking on multiple platforms such as Google, Glassdoor, and even Facebook to assess how positive people are about working for an employment agency.

Look at the culture

Employment and staffing agencies can get a bad reputation. Sometimes, they fail in taking an interest in looking out for their employees’ well being and growth and are more interested in just making a profit from their human capital. You can often get a sense for the ethos and culture of a company by its mission statement and social media.

As a nonprofit employment agency, we help professionals with disabilities find careers. We encourage a transparent and agile culture and a commitment to treating all clients, employees, and future employees with respect. We encourage employees to keep in contact with our staff and also issue an employee of the year awards. Furthermore, we have a redeployment rate of about half of our personnel, about 5X the national average for employment agencies.

Look at their clients

While you are an employee of the employment agency, often it will feel more like you are an employee of the client. Therefore, it’s important to partner with an employment agency who has refutable clients for whom you would be happy to work.

This may not always be obvious since many job descriptions leave it off. But you can often get a general idea from reading the job description and reading online reviews.

For our part, most of our clients are government agencies, nonprofits, and corporations who are committed to disability hiring as part of their DE&I efforts.

Look at their benefits

Benefits are expensive. Sometimes, evaluating an employment agency is a simple as asking them to “put their money where their mouth is.” Some employment agencies skimp, offering little or no benefits. (Especially avoid companies where you are “independent contractors” and not actual employees.)

Peak Performers offers health, dental, and vision insurance covered at 80% by the employer. We also have an Employee Assistance program and just launched a 403(b) retirement program.

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Are you looking for the best employment agency in Austin? We would be honored if you considered Peak Performers employment agency! You can find our open jobs here.

Peak Performers launches retirement program

New Benefit: 403(b) Retirement Program

Peak Performers is excited to announce that they are now offering a 403(b) retirement program for all employees!

  • This program is similar to 401(k) programs–employees may voluntarily contribute a percent of their paycheck; the annual maximum contribution limit is $20,500
  • All employees, no matter how long they’re employed with us, are eligible for the program
  • 403(b) programs are “pre-tax” programs
  • This program is administered through T. Rowe Price
  • Upon starting work with Peak Performers, employees will get a series of automatic emails giving them information about how to opt-in to the program

We are excited to offer this opportunity for our employees to save for their future! New Peak Performers employees can opt into the program when they sign onboarding paperwork. If you are a current associate and would like to opt in later, you can request the paperwork by contacting benefits@peakperformers.org.

Note: Peak Performers is unable to provide financial or investment advice. Current employees should defer questions to T. Rowe Price or their financial advisor.

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Media contact: myles@peakperformers.org – (512) 453-8833 X 116

Top Rated Staffing Agencies in Austin

Picking the Best Staffing Agency

Whether you’re a job seeker or an employer, picking a top rated staffing agency in Austin is key to your success. Staffing agencies are key partners. Here are some considerations to keep in mind to help you pick the top rated staffing agency.

Staffing Agency Considerations

Staffing Specialization

When considering the best staffing agency, consider first your industry specialization. Many staffing firms will specialize in particular kinds of staffing. The leaders of these staffing firms often have experience recruiting for that industry and plenty of connections. Furthermore, the search process for an accountant or information technology professional may look very different than recruiting for a warehouse worker–the staffing firm might have to go to different places to find those workers.

And if you’re a job seeker, seeking out a staffing firm that specializes in your field means you’re more likely to find a job faster.

Finally, you may want to pick a company that has the kinds of service offerings you’re looking for. Peak Performers, for example, offers temporary, temp-to-perm, and direct hire opportunities.

Retention and Re-deployment

Unfortunately, some staffing firms, even top-rated ones, have a “revolving door” reputation.

As a job seeker, you don’t want a company that doesn’t value your loyalty. And as a business, having employees constantly coming and going costs you time and money.

Ask about the company’s retention and re-deployment focus. For our part, both are key to our success and our nonprofit mission and we have a turnover rate that is half that of the industry average.

Benefits Offered

Key to keeping employees happy is offering them benefits. Many staffing agencies have little-to-no benefits that they offer, or their benefits are substandard. It’s no wonder then that their employees keep looking for other work and they struggle with retention.

For our part, we offer health, dental, and vision insurance after 60 days. Also, we have an Employee Assistance Program. Finally, we recently rolled out a 403(b) retirement program to help employees save. This helps keep our workforce engaged and committed to their current job.

Ratings and Referrals of Staffing Agency

These days, every staffing business in Austin is rated online (you can find our Google ratings and reviews here). As a job seeker, this is important so you can hear honest feedback and insights into the company. But it’s also equally important for businesses to use this evaluate staffing agencies. After all, staffing agencies are acting as an extension of your brand and representing your jobs.

What’s also valuable is asking for referrals from your network.

Recruitment Costs

If you’re a job seeker, a staffing agency should never charge you to consider you for employment. This is most likely a scam.

If you are a client, consider staffing agency cost from multiple perspectives: hourly bill rate, conversion cost, direct hire fees, and other add-on fees. Also ask about their “placement guarantee,” which is like insurance on your direct hire. Also, keep in mind that you may not want to pick out the “cheapest” staffing agency. (Sometimes, you get what you pay for.)

—

 

Are you looking for work? If so, browse our jobs or join our talent pool. We’re happy to consider you for employment.

Are you looking to hire a top rated staffing agency in Austin? Peak Performers has solutions temp, temp-to-hire, and direct hire staffing needs. Also, we service both government customers and private companies.