There are many apps for talent acquisition, applicant tracking, candidate sourcing, recruitment funnels and candidate relationship management. But staffing agencies that also offer leased employees are often responsible for a large and diverse contingent workforce – temps, contractors, and freelancers. And managing people in a staffing agency setting is very different from corporate HR needs.
Here’s where staffing agency apps come to play. These are often internal job boards, scheduling apps and employee communication systems.
Already know what you’re looking for?
👉 Jump straight to our list of the best staffing agency apps!
What is a staffing tool?
A staffing tool is software designed to help organizations and agencies manage their workforce more efficiently. It assists in tasks such as recruiting, scheduling, and assigning employees to different roles based on their skills and availability. This tool streamlines the process of onboarding and deploying employees, so it is easier for businesses to meet their staffing needs and optimize their operations.
Different staffing agencies need different software.
Different types of of recruiting and staffing agencies specialize in specific areas of recruitment and employment.
- Temporary Staffing Agencies: These agencies provide businesses with temporary workers to fill short-term positions or to cover peak workloads. Temporary staffing agencies are commonly used in industries like hospitality, retail, and administrative roles.
- Permanent Staffing Agencies: Also known as direct hire agencies, these firms focus on matching candidates with full-time positions. They help companies find long-term employees for roles ranging from entry-level to executive positions.
- Temp-to-Hire Agencies: These agencies offer a trial period where candidates are employed on a temporary basis with the potential to be hired as permanent employees based on their performance during the trial period.
Permanent staffing agencies and temp-to-hire agencies are more likely to put their main focus on a good applicant tracking software system. Because each placement can be a long-term career choice, it’s important that the recruiter has a very helpful app to help manage candidate profiles, track applications, and streamline the candidate selection process.
Temporary staffing agencies are more likely to focus on the operations side. These staffers are more likely to spend their days scheduling temporary workers for various assignments. These apps need to keep good track of multiple factors like availability, skills, and client requirements to ensure optimal staffing for each each job posting.
How staffing software can help your temp agency overcome challenges
Managing a temp staffing agency is definitely a challenge due to the nature of temporary work.
It can be difficult to predict the number of temporary workers you need at any given time. The demand for temp staff can really vary. Factors such as the economy, the season, and the specific needs of the agency’s clients can change quickly. Temp staff scheduling apps can provide you with better data to make better predictions in the future.
Staffing agencies must constantly work on talent acquisition and retain a talent pool of qualified temporary workers. Otherwise it’s hard to meet the demand from clients. But temporary workers often have many options when it comes to finding work. They most likely aren’t keeping their calendars open for your agency either.
If your staffing agency software has a clear procedure or a branded app for worker interactions, the workforce will prefer working with you. Not the other agency that keeps pestering them with phone calls and long e-mails.
There are a lot of legal and regulatory requirements related to the hiring, payment, and working conditions of temporary workers. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in fines, penalties, and other legal consequences. The better you document all workforce placements, the easier it is for you to navigate these waters.
Is staffing software just… scheduling software?
No, not all scheduling software is cut out for a staffing agency.
Great staffing software should let you communicate with workers quickly, easily, and at scale. Most workforce management apps are good enough for the quick and easy part, but they rarely scale to support volume. And volume is exactly what staffing agents deal with every day.
Most task management apps can send out alerts and updates about new or job openings and assignments. But what about the communication after? Getting free-form messages in real time is not a dream come true for a busy staffing agent.
For actually upgrading your productivity, you need an app that is able to match jobs with worker availability and schedules. You need to quickly check which workers are available for assignments and confirm them to jobs accordingly. Placing right workers in the right jobs is the core job, and agency software should support this.
You might additionally need staffing solutions that help with tracking and managing worker performance. This can be keeping track of hours and attendance, as well as performance on the job. Excellent staffing apps let you also evaluate worker performance and identify areas for improvement.
Easily tracked hours turn into easy worker payments. Processing payroll will be a walk in the park when the hours have been submitted and checked by the workers themselves.
Best staffing software for temp staffing agencies
Zelos Team Management – best for operations
Zelos Team Management is a modern staffing app that focuses on live communication. While you can create a schedule and confirm it with your staff, the power of the platform lies in on-demand job postings and dispatch. It is easy to notify temp staff members about open shifts through the simple employee app, and have them sign up for relevant jobs in an instant.
Zelos also comes with a live chat feature, so you can communicate live with your temp staff members. You can easily connect the app with your payroll and billing through open API or Zapier and automatically update worked hours on all other platforms in your stack.
Bullhorn – best for recruitment
Bullhorn combines cloud-based applicant tracking system and customer relationship management software. It is designed specifically for staffing and recruiting firms.
It allows staffing agencies to manage a large pool of candidates in a centralized system. streamlines the entire hiring process, with features like resume parsing, automated candidate screening, and interview scheduling. This saves time and ensures that the agency can quickly identify the most suitable and qualified candidates.
Workforce.com – best for predicting demand
The Workforce.com platform uses machine learning algorithms to create optimized schedules, if you have your workforce availability data. There are many types of alerts that can be put in to place to automatically avoid overtime or other possible issues. Workforce will also forecast your possible shifts and revenue based on historic data, so you can make sure your schedule-planning is at its best.
The employee app is very simple and allows staff members to not only access their schedules, but also request shift swaps.
Zoho – best for analogue workforce
Zoho is a comprehensive HR management software for staffing, that includes features for employee scheduling, time and attendance tracking, and shift management. The communication features include email and text messaging, making it accessible for all temps, regardless of their digital devices
Workforce can access their schedules through an online portal, post their unavailability and interact with their shifts.
Shiftboard – best for traditional scheduling
One of the key features of Shiftboard is its ability to automate the scheduling process. The software uses advanced algorithms and machine learning to create optimized schedules based on employee availability and skill set. Of course there are all the necessary features for tracking employee time and attendance, managing compliance, and monitoring employee performance.
The platform does have a self-service portal, but it’s not very interactive or engaging. Staff members can still easily access their schedules, submit time-off requests, and communicate with their managers.
Connecteam – best for workforce engagement
Connecteam has a very user-friendly interface, and the features are interactive. You can allow staff members to swap shifts and communicate – with managers or each other.
The feature list continues, so there are many ways to set up interactions for your workforce on this platform. You can create custom forms, surveys, quizzes and checklists to interact with your staff and keep them engaged.
Ubeya – best for client engagement
Ubeya offers a comprehensive workforce management solution specifically designed for staffing agencies. The app lets managers assign shifts, set recurring schedules, and quickly adapt to changing staffing needs.
Real-time communication include notifications, updates, and reminders to temp workers about their shifts. Clients can approve timesheets and expenses directly through their devoted portal, and leave worker reviews.