Using a staffing firm can be a good option for people seeking a short-term temporary job. It is possible to be placed in a company within a week or even the same day, according to recruiters.
Given the situation of nearly full employment, temporary positions are more difficult to fill than permanent positions. If your profile matches the needs of an agency client, there is a good chance you will be called back!
Applicants have the upper hand
“The market is saturated and it is difficult to find manpower,” starts off Alexandre Caccia, recruiter at Excel Personnel, which operates in the industrial and manufacturing field.
For certain positions, such a general maintenance work, no experience is required. “If a good candidate comes to our offices, he can be placed the next day,” he points out. He admits, however, that this type of job is often paid at minimum wage.
Other clients require more experience and skills, in the administrative sector, for example. But even there, there are not many candidates relative to the demand, says Marie-Pier Cyr, employment counsellor at the Adecco placement agency.
For temporary positions, demand is even higher, which leads recruiters to approach candidates themselves, on sites like Indeed and LinkedIn, for example.
The right candidate for the right client
Personnel agencies such as Adecco publish job offers on their website, without necessarily naming their clients.
It is nevertheless relevant to adapt your application to the offer, as would be the case if you were offering your services directly to the company, notes Ms. Cyr.
“We are going to look at the relevant experience for the job,” she explains. “It can be very short experience, or as part of an internship… Mastery of the Office suite and bilingualism are also very sought-after skills in the administrative sector.”
Using an agency can limit the job search process, she says. “If your profile does not quite match the offer, it may be that it suits another client’s needs and you could be called the following week.”
At Excel Personnel, candidates are sometimes placed close to home. “It’s one of the big advantages of agencies,” Mr. Caccia concludes.