7 Questions to Ask Your Leasing Firm

There are various benefits the average business can expect to gain from leasing staff on a temporary basis, rather than committing to full-time hires, such as:

• Avoiding the time and costs involved in evaluating, onboarding and training permanent staff
• Having flexibility in the workforce to respond to sudden changes in demand or to complete short-term projects
• Being able to hand over time-consuming administrative tasks such as payroll and tax compliance to a third-party leasing firm

To make these advantages a reality for your organization, you need to find the right partner to handle your staff leasing.

Here are some of the most important questions you can ask to make sure you find the best leasing firm for your business:

1.    How long have you been in business?

One of the key reassurances you should be looking for when evaluating a leasing firm is that the business has been around long enough to gain some good knowledge and experience. This will help you make a decision about their stability and longevity, which is important if you're looking for a viable long-term partner.

Firms that are relatively new to the market shouldn't be discounted entirely, but you might want to look for clear evidence of their ability to deliver on their promises. Ask them directly why you should choose to team up with them, rather than one of their more experienced competitors.

2.    Have you worked with businesses like mine before?

Knowing that a leasing firm has past experience working with companies similar to your own will give you confidence in their ability to understand your needs and to deliver exactly the sort of people you're looking for.

Ask prospective partners to provide details of the services they've delivered to past clients whose needs or priorities were comparable to yours. You can then consider if a similar approach from this supplier would work for you, or if you would expect them to tailor their methods and come up with a bespoke solution to reflect your objectives.

3.    What's your knowledge of my industry?

As well as wanting any supplier of temporary staff to have a solid understanding of your business, you should expect them to have a good working knowledge of your industry.

A firm that is already familiar with your sector and its current trends and talking points will be able to make a well-informed guess about your biggest HR challenges and goals before even talking to you. They’ll also be better-placed to help ensure your workforce is fit for the future, based on their insights into how the industry is likely to evolve in the coming years.

4.    Are your rates and costs transparent?

When starting a new working relationship with a leasing firm - and indeed any third-party service provider - you should feel confident that the costs you're quoted upfront are a true reflection of what you'll actually end up paying.

It's important to look for assurances of complete transparency in the company's billing and invoicing process. This means you'll always know exactly what you're paying for and your accounts payable department won't be getting any unpleasant surprises.

5.    How do you vet and assess workers?

Your final decision on whether or not to work with a particular leasing firm is likely to depend on many factors, but arguably the most important of all is the company's ability to supply staff who have the skills, experience and work ethic you're looking for.

Quiz any potential partner on the processes they use to screen and vet candidates to ensure they find people who suit your business. There should be an emphasis on sourcing individuals who have the right core competencies and attributes and an attitude that will fit in with your company culture.

6.    What assurances can you give on wages and tax compliance?

One of the biggest benefits of working with a leasing firm is the ability to outsource tasks such as managing payroll for your temporary staff and ensuring compliance with tax law. However, you can only have peace of mind that these jobs are being done properly if you have complete confidence in your staffing partner.

It's vital, therefore, to look for assurances of a firm's ability to take on these responsibilities before starting a partnership with them. Failing to do so could put your employer brand and reputation at risk.

7.    Do you offer services beyond hiring?

Many leasing firms offer a range of services and extra support that could help you get maximum value out of your workforce, such as onboarding, training and performance reviews.

If you're interested in outsourcing other elements of your HR function beyond temp hiring, it could prove financially efficient to look for a single supplier that can do a range of jobs to a high standard. Taking this unified approach can help you ensure you're making the most of your relationships with trusted providers.