Staffing – The self abasing industry
“We are not a staffing company. We are a consulting company.”
I cannot describe to you how many time I have heard this lame line. If your primary purpose is to deliver talent to your clients then you are a staffing firm. You may not like some terms that are associated with a staffing company such as agency and body shop, but it does not change what you are.
When does a staffing agency become more then a staffing agency? This happens only if the solutions that the agency is selling to its clients do not solely revolve around staffing. For example, a company that claims to be a solutions company but concentrates on collecting individual requirement from managers is a staffing firm no matter how hard they try to persuade everyone of the contrary.
On the other hand, if a company has a specific solution that addresses a particular business need of the client, say a data warehouse, then that company is a true solutions company.
When did staffing become a dirty word? Is this self flagellation a result of clients not needing staffing services or is it an attempt by staffing agencies to take market share away from solution firms such as Accenture and CSC?
Everyone needs staffing. Name one Fortune 500 company that at one time or another did not employ temporary workers or retain a search firm to find a C level executive. You will not be able to because everyone uses staffing agencies and there is nothing to be ashamed of if you do staffing.
After all, if they didn’t need us, there wouldn’t be a multibillion dollar market for the service.
