5 things Hiring Managers should be aware of before buying IT staffing services

1. Is your provider the right choice for specific skills you are looking for?

It is very common for Hiring Managers to buy from providers whom they have a relationship with rather than investigating who the right provider for a specific skill set is. For e.g. a provider might be an expert in identifying statistical programmers while being weak in JEE Architects. A hiring manager who is constantly required to hire diverse skill sets should invest into identifying right sourcing partners for different skill sets.

2. Team or individual sourcing
If there are multiple consultant positions to be filled in a single project the Hiring Manager should focus on creating a team sourcing plan rather than having individual requisitions. This approach has 2 advantages:

• Ability to negotiate better rates with this approach.
• Team sourcing enables the staffing provider to take into consideration the team dynamics that is required for effective project delivery.

3. Are the rates right?
It is very important for Hiring Managers to have an understanding of the market rates for various skills. Rates can be a meaningful guideline for Hiring Managers in shortlisting the right consultant. Too low or too high rates should raise a flag as either the consultant will not have the right experience or will lack the technical and functional depth required to perform the job. Hiring Managers can utilize his/her relationships with providers to understand the prevailing market rates.

4. Are the Background and Reference Checks done?

5.Strong Vendor/Provider Relationships
Build strong relationships with select Staffing Provider representatives with a consultative/solution sales approach. Few and strong relationships can reduce the cost of doing business as they will be attuned to your quality requirements, cost constraints, soft skill requirements etc.