By Catherine Lang-Cline
You call a staffing company, you tell them what you want, they send someone over and you are invoiced. Done! Or is it? Do you know if the company you work with has a team that is up-to date on employment law? Can they work with people professionally and ethically? Can they help you stay in compliance regarding issues of taxation, virtual employment and discrimination?
Employment law is far more complicated than it used to be. There was a time when you could just call an individual and pay them for completed work. But laws of discrimination, harassment and entitlement have all gotten more complex. In many cases, the law favors the individual over the company, making it more challenging to address staffing needs properly.
You may not know that within the staffing industry there is a designation that separates the true professionals from everyone else. It’s called certification. Certified staffing professionals can help you well beyond placing a person in your office. They can avoid missteps that result in costly legal proceedings, help clients understand their employment responsibilities, and add value to the overall process.
That’s why our staffing company has found it very important to have members of our team be certified. Our certification of choice is CSP or Certified Staffing Professional and it is obtained from the American Staffing Association. Certification starts with passing a 100 question exam that covers both state and federal employment laws, ethical issues and professional practices.
The process doesn’t end after passing the exam, either. Individuals must then maintain their certification through continuing education programs. They must complete at least 30 hours of approved continuing education every three years with at least six of the 30 hours pertaining to employment law. Other programs consist of finding better candidates, offering better service options and staying up on current trends in the industry.
This knowledge not only helps us stay legal, ethical and professional in how we talk to the people we employ, but it also helps our clients avoid pitfalls when bringing in new people. We are able to guide them to make better decisions and we are able to answer questions they may have regarding how employees need to be handled. Not to mention, offer ideas and suggestions in how to find the candidates needed to serve the client better.
Having our team be Certified Staffing Professionals is a very small investment to have current, educated people speak for our business and it also allows us to deliver a valuable additional service to our clients. It is definitely a quality to look for when selecting a staffing partner for your company.
