Some have after-hours backup, with calls going to their help desk when yours is closed. A staffing agency can also get a new call center staffed in as little as 45 days, or in less than half the time that you can do it yourself, especially if you are opening a center in a new city. Sifting out prospects is the firm's core competency, not yours. Their business and reputation depends on successful operations and placement. Staffing agencies administer tests in areas such as software, typing and language skills before putting their workers into the pool.
Agencies often have training and certification courses for keyboard or computer skills, for example.
Some perform several tasks, like meeting your staffing needs or setting up your entire center, but not every agency can do everything. Some firms do placement while others offer a temp to perm option, which allows you to select top-performing people for direct hiring. Staffing agencies were once used by companies to avoid paying benefits, but because the labor market is so tight, that rationale is much less important today, explains Boyd. The big advantage of going to them now is timeliness. Boyd recommends that you carefully look at where your call centers are before doing business with a staffing agency.