How Working with a Staffing Firm Actually Works

Hiring the right person takes time, focus and a deep understanding of the market. For many organizations, partnering with a staffing firm helps simplify that process while expanding access to qualified talent.

But if you’ve never worked with a staffing partner before, you might be wondering what actually happens behind the scenes.

How are candidates identified?
What does the recruitment process look like?
And how does a staffing firm ensure both speed and quality?

Here’s a clear look at how the process typically works when you partner with a staffing firm.

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The staffing process

Step 1: Understanding your hiring needs

Every successful search starts with a conversation.

Before sourcing candidates, an account manager and/or recruiter takes time to understand the full picture of the role and your organization. That includes the technical requirements, the team environment and what success looks like in the position.

This stage usually covers:

• Role responsibilities and required skills

• Team structure and reporting relationships

• Workplace culture and communication style

• Timeline and hiring priorities

• Salary expectations and market alignment

Taking the time to get this right early helps avoid wasted time later. When recruiters and account managers clearly understand what you need, they can focus their search more effectively.

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Step 2: Identifying potential candidates

Once the role is defined, the search begins. Experienced staffing firms rarely rely on a single sourcing method. Instead, they combine several approaches to reach both active and passive candidates.

For example, our team typically utilizes several channels, including internal and external tools, to help identify potential candidates.  

Existing Talent Network

Over decades of recruiting, staffing firms build large talent networks.

For example, Altis maintains a database of more than 1 million candidates across Canada, with thousands of new candidates interviewed each year. This allows recruiters to quickly identify individuals who have already been vetted and may be a strong match.

Professional Referrals

Referrals remain one of the most effective ways to identify strong candidates.

Professionals often recommend colleagues they trust, and these introductions frequently lead to successful placements. In many cases, referrals represent a significant portion of successful hires.

Professional Platforms and Sourcing Tools

Recruiters also use specialized sourcing platforms and tools to extend their reach. These may include professional networks, job boards and market intelligence platforms that help identify individuals with specific experience or credentials.

Targeted Outreach and Marketing

Recruiters actively promote opportunities through digital channels, industry networks and professional communities. This can include targeted outreach, job postings and participation in industry events or networking groups.

Using multiple sourcing strategies helps ensure the candidate pool is both broad and relevant.

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Step 3: Building an initial shortlist

After identifying potential candidates, recruiters begin narrowing the field.

This involves reviewing resumés, evaluating experience and assessing how closely each candidate aligns with the role requirements. Recruiters also consider factors that may not appear directly on a resumé, such as career trajectory, communication style and long-term alignment.

From there, the recruiter develops an initial shortlist of candidates who appear to be strong potential matches.

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Step 4: Screening and validating candidates

A key part of working with a staffing firm is the additional validation that happens before candidates are presented.

Recruiters conduct structured screening to ensure candidates meet both the technical and professional expectations of the role.

This may include:

• Initial interviews conducted virtually or in person

• Verification of education and professional credentials

• Technical or competency testing where appropriate

• Language proficiency screening when required

• Background or security checks through third-party providers

• Reference checks before an offer stage

The goal is to confirm that candidates are not only qualified on paper but also well prepared for the role.

This extra layer of validation helps save employers time during the interview process.

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Step 5: Presenting a curated candidate shortlist

Once candidates have been thoroughly screened, the recruiter prepares a curated shortlist.

Instead of sending dozens of resumés, the focus is on presenting a small group of highly relevant candidates who closely align with the role requirements and organizational culture.

Recruiters typically provide additional context alongside each candidate profile, including:

• Key strengths and experience highlights

• Interview insights and recruiter feedback

• Availability and compensation expectations

This allows hiring managers to move directly into meaningful interviews rather than spending time filtering through large volumes of applicants.

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Step 6: Supporting the hiring process

A staffing partner continues to support both sides of the process after candidates are introduced.

This may include coordinating interviews, gathering feedback, advising on market compensation and helping navigate offer discussions.

Because recruiters stay in close contact with both the employer and the candidate, they can help keep the process moving smoothly and address questions early.

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Step 7: Post-placement support

The relationship doesn’t end when a candidate starts their new role. For many staffing firms, post-placement support is an important part of the process.

At Altis, we maintain close relationships with both our clients and candidates, and we continue to check in after each placement to ensure the transition is going smoothly for everyone involved. These conversations allow us to gather early feedback, answer questions, support onboarding and address any concerns before they have a chance to become bigger issues.

This ongoing connection reflects how seriously we take every placement. We pride ourselves on matching the right candidate with the right role and organization the first time — which is why we maintain a 98% first-match success rate — and we remain invested in the long-term success of both the individual and the team they join. Because hiring doesn’t happen in isolation.

We also look for ways to support our clients beyond individual placements. That can include sharing practical resources such as stay and exit interview guides, hiring trend insights, compensation data, webinars and more, designed to help leaders navigate evolving workforce challenges.

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Why employers partner with staffing firms

Organizations partner with staffing firms for many reasons, but most often it comes down to three core challenges: time, access to talent and hiring confidence.

A strong staffing partner helps address all three.

Access to a Broader Talent Network

Many of the best candidates are not actively applying to jobs.

Recruiters spend their days building relationships with professionals across industries, often connecting with individuals months or even years before a role becomes available. This means staffing firms can reach both active job seekers and passive candidates who may not be browsing job boards.

Over time, these conversations build large talent networks that employers can access when they partner with a recruitment firm.

Faster Hiring Timelines

Hiring internally can be time-consuming. Posting roles, reviewing resumés, coordinating interviews and screening candidates requires significant effort from hiring managers and HR teams.

Staffing firms handle much of that burden.

Initial sourcing, screening and credential validation are completed before candidates are presented, meaning hiring teams spend their time speaking with qualified, relevant candidates rather than filtering through large volumes of applications.

Specialized Recruitment Expertise

Recruiting is a specialized skill. Experienced recruiters understand how to assess qualifications, evaluate career progression and ask the right questions during candidate screening.

They also stay closely connected to hiring trends within their industries. This includes understanding what candidates are looking for, how compensation expectations are evolving and where talent shortages may exist.

That insight can help organizations make better hiring decisions.

Support for Hard-to-Fill Roles

Some positions are particularly challenging to fill due to specialized experience requirements or limited talent availability.

Recruiters often have access to niche candidate networks and sourcing strategies that help uncover professionals who may not be easy to find through traditional job postings.

Flexibility for Changing Hiring Needs

Many organizations experience fluctuations in hiring demand.

Project work, seasonal demand or parental leave coverage may require short-term hiring support. In these cases, staffing firms can help organizations bring in qualified professionals quickly without committing to permanent roles.

If you’re exploring flexible and contract hiring options, read more HERE. If you’re looking to learn more about fractional hiring, click HERE.

A More Structured Hiring Process

Working with a staffing partner often creates a more structured hiring process overall.

Recruiters help coordinate interviews, manage communication with candidates and ensure expectations are aligned throughout the process. This helps reduce delays, miscommunication and candidate drop-off during hiring.

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Why work with Altis

Choosing a staffing partner is ultimately about trust.

Our approach has always been relationship-first. We focus on understanding the organizations we work with and the people we represent so that every introduction is thoughtful and well-aligned.

With more than 37 years of recruitment experience in Canada, we’ve built long-standing relationships with both employers and professionals across industries.

That experience allows us to move quickly when needed while still maintaining a careful and thorough approach to candidate validation.

Our goal is simple: to help organizations hire confidently and help professionals move forward in their careers.

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Ready to hire?

If you're planning to add to your team and want to elevate your hiring process, our team is always here to help. Start your hiring process here.

Altis is a Canadian-owned staffing firm supporting organizations across the private and public sectors. We focus on relationship-driven recruitment, clear process and consistent delivery, helping employers hire with confidence and professionals build meaningful careers.

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Frequently asked questions about staffing firms

How do staffing firms find candidates?

Staffing firms use multiple sourcing methods to identify potential candidates. This typically includes existing talent databases, professional referrals, sourcing platforms, industry networks and targeted outreach through professional communities.

Because recruiters are constantly building relationships with professionals, they often have access to candidates who are not actively applying to jobs.

How long does the recruitment process take?

Hiring timelines vary depending on the complexity of the role and the availability of talent in the market. Sometimes it can just be a matter of hours and sometimes it can be months.  

However, because staffing firms already maintain active candidate networks and handle early screening steps, the process is often significantly faster than traditional hiring.

Do staffing firms only fill temporary roles?

No. Many staffing firms support permanent, contract and project-based hiring.

Contract roles can be especially helpful when organizations need short-term support, specialized expertise or coverage during leaves or peak workloads.

How are candidates screened before being presented?

Most staffing firms conduct multiple screening steps before introducing candidates to employers.

This often includes recruiter interviews, credential verification, reference checks and technical or competency assessments depending on the role.

The goal is to ensure employers are meeting candidates who have already been carefully evaluated.

Is there a cost to employers to use a staffing firm?

Staffing firms typically charge a fee when a candidate is successfully placed. Fee structures vary depending on the firm, the type of role and whether it’s for permanent placement or contract staffing.

Recruiters and Account Managers will walk you through how this works before beginning a search.

What is the difference between a staffing firm and an employment agency?

The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a small difference.

Employment agencies traditionally focus on helping employers fill permanent roles. Staffing firms typically support a wider range of hiring needs, including contract, temporary, project-based and permanent positions.

Many modern staffing firms also act as ongoing talent partners, helping organizations adapt to changing workforce needs rather than simply filling a single role.

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