10 Essential FAQs to Add to Your Staffing or Recruiting Website

In the staffing industry, there’s a lot that you can do to educate your visitors. Recruiting and staffing agencies are often misunderstood by the general public, but you can use an FAQ page to make sure that’s no longer an issue. FAQ pages are just one important part of the customer self-service portal that every business needs today. In fact, 89% of customers expect it, and more than 79% of consumers say they’ve used a self-service portal and liked their experience. 

• Plus, FAQs and other knowledge bases are the most commonly used self-service tools.

• And it’s estimated that by 2022, 85% of all customer support interactions will start with self-service. 

The answer is clear: people want easy answers, instant information, and an independent way to get it all. As a bonus, check the business studies that show how some companies are saving as much as $3 million per year by using self-service instead of employing in-house agents or taking care of the services themselves. 

The caveat, of course, is that you still have to deliver that personal, and more so personable brand image that’s engaging, informative, and here to help. Anyone can rattle off some questions and answers to give people quick content. It takes real passion to create an FAQ page that not only offers answers but represents your staffing or recruiting firm well. 

In this industry, there are a lot of different FAQs to consider. In fact, there are so many different areas within the industry that you might even want to think about setting up multiple FAQ pages for different areas. For example, you could have a page for clients, employees and people looking for work, for your partners, and even for the general public. You could create a page about careers and working for your company, too, to help paint a picture of what it’s like to work at your staffing or recruiting firm in a way that people appreciate. 

There are so many things that you can do when it comes to setting up an FAQ for your website. The important thing is to do it in a way that works, that’s organized, and that gives customers everything they need and more. 

Tips for helping customers help themselves with FAQs

People want to help themselves. It’s quicker, easier, and often saves the stress of trying to deal with some random customer service interaction. The more information that you give people without requiring engagement, the more likely you are to garner their interest. People do want to be engaged, but only when they’re ready. Until then, they want everything at their fingertips, including the most common Q&As from the staffing and recruiting firm. 

To help your audience, decide first on a solid FAQ strategy. Ask yourself (or your team):

• If you’ll have one FAQ page or multiple pages
• What topics/subjects you want to cover
• How you should display the content (for ease of reading)
• What you want to gain from this page

This will give you a good start in the right direction when building your FAQ page. Remember to avoid generic questions and answers, unless you find that they’re relevant to your industry. For example, questions like “what are your business hours” and “where are you located” would be relevant for people who need to come in to do job applications, interviews, or other tasks. However, in a 24-hour business like e-commerce, asking business hours might be irrelevant. 

Keep it relevant and keep it informative. If you want, you can even put out your feelers with your current audience and see what they’re dying to know. And of course, make sure that you do a little research to see what the competition is doing in their own FAQ efforts. This is a great way to find inspiration. And speaking of inspiration, here are 10 FAQs you should consider to get you started. 

The 10 FAQs your staffing or recruiting firm needs

1. What types of clients/assignments do you work with?

Not all recruiting and staffing companies work with all industries or types of businesses. Therefore, one of the first questions that you need to answer for your potential candidates (and clients) is what kind of industries and companies you do work with. This will help you not only define your brand but provide people with insight and give you a chance to pitch your expertise in the areas that you do serve. 

You’ll also want to use this to discuss whether you offer long-term contracts, temp work only, or other types of assignments and jobs. People may have a preference or specific interest when working with staffing and recruiting agencies. Let them know whether you meet their needs or not. Even if you don’t, they might stick around just because you do have a lot to offer and you didn’t waste their time. 

2. How long are your typical contracts?

Again, all staffers and recruiting companies are a bit different and may have different terms or offerings. Therefore, on your FAQ page, you’ll want to cover everything that your audience needs to know about temporary work or recruiters. Contract jobs are tricky and come with their own terms. Some people will still expect you to be able to answer this question, though, so be sure to include it so that you can explain how it’s just not reasonable. 

You could list that you offer positions with 30- and 90-day assignments, 6- and 12-month contracts, and even the potential for ongoing work or an in-house full-time position if you work with clients that offer that. Whatever you provide, this is the place to list it, but advise people that there’s not really a “typical” assignment or contract. 

3. Why should I work with a staffing agency?

Several different people want to know what the benefit is to choosing a staffing or recruiting agency as opposed to finding their own jobs. Fortunately, this is where you excel—selling your business to others. Here’s your chance to show employees all the perks that come from working with your staffing or recruiting firm. You can point out things like the potential for long-term employment, easier access to jobs without having to do all the searching, and more. 

There are several different perks you could list here, but make sure that you highlight the biggest selling points to show people that you’re on their side in helping them find the best work, no matter what industry they’re in. 

4. Don’t temp jobs all end after 90 days?

This is a common misconception that needs to be dispelled. A lot of people assume that staffing agencies only work with temporary positions that only last 30, 60, or 90 days. In reality, there are all kinds of staffing and recruiting firms with all kinds of positions and jobs available. Help people get a better understanding of the industry and explain that there’s a lot more to staffing and recruiting than the “temp agencies” of decades past. You can also advise people that if they are interested in shorter contracts, you offer those options. It’s just not all that you do, and it’s certainly not all that the industry is, so you need to make that clear. 

5. Can I get a permanent job through your firm?

Many staffing agencies today work with companies that offer temp-to-hire contracts or the potential for long-term employment. A lot of employees are looking for this, specifically, and will not want to waste their time with agencies or firms that don’t provide those connections. Make sure that you explain not only how your permanent placements work, but also the various options you have for them, including the fact that sometimes, a placement just goes so well that the company outright asks to hire the employee on, so there’s always the potential for those who seek it. 

If you really do only recruit for temporary jobs or short-term contracts, make that clear for people, as well. 

6. What if I’m not happy with my temporary placement?

Candidates don’t want to work in positions where they aren’t appreciated. Some people might outright just not fit into the position where they were placed. If this happens, you need to provide people with options and alternatives. Make sure that you have an open-door policy that allows workers to come to their recruiter or representative and discuss how well their placement is going or whether something needs to change. If people feel “stuck” or put in the wrong place, they’re not going to benefit from what your agency offers. 

7. What industries do you recruit/staff for?

This is another important answer to provide to people on an FAQ page. In addition to your services or “industries” page on your website (and yes, you should have one), you’ll want to list out every type of staffing solution that you offer here. If you’re a company that works with just about anyone, explain that here. The idea is that you’re giving people easy access to the answers that they need to help them decide whether they want to work with your agency. 

8. How does your agency find talent?

Some clients will want to know where their candidates are coming from. In the case of executive positions or those that require specific training and education, it helps to know that the candidate pool is sourced from a good place. Employers often don’t want to work with staffing agencies that hire anyone off the street, or who don’t try to place people with companies that fit within their skills and experience. As much as you’re selling to your candidates, you’re also selling to clients, so make sure they know you have effective methods for finding top talent. 

9. What pre-screening do you use?

Again, companies want to know that they are getting candidates that are well-screened and going to perform well for the position. Having recruiters or staffing agencies pre-screen candidates can save companies a lot of money when it comes to in-house onboarding costs. Candidates may also ask this question wanting to know what to expect, so provide an answer that everyone can appreciate and benefit from. 

If you handle things like background checks and drug testing, list that here because many employers will appreciate someone else handling that for them. 

10. How long does the process take from candidate contact through to hire?

This is another one that’s important for both employees and employers alike. Time. Everyone wants more of it and no one seems to have enough of it. When you are working in this industry, you need to have streamlined processes for getting candidates from the starting point to a placed position. Your clients and candidates alike will appreciate it when the process is quick and simple. It may also help people learn when to post jobs, when to apply to jobs, and what to expect throughout the process. 

Staff your calls and chats with Smith.ai so that you can focus on your clients 

You’re in the business of recruiting. Sure, that includes fielding calls and taking care of things like scheduling and lead intake, but what happens when you’re an agency that doesn’t have the resources to do it all? 

Fortunately, we’re here to answer that question by providing the solution. When you hire the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai, all your calls, chats, messages, and other needs will be managed professionally and promptly, and it won’t be your responsibility. We can handle everything from live website chat and after-hours answering to appointment scheduling, intake, and more. 

Plus, we’ll even work with you to craft the perfect strategy to manage all of it. Our experienced team knows what it takes to keep your business running while you’re taking care of the rest of your agency and we’ll make sure that we deliver it for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so that you never miss a beat. 

To learn more, schedule a consultation to discuss what the 24/7 virtual receptionists from Smith.ai can do for your staffing and recruiting agency, from chats and calls to admin tasks and more. You’ll also find us at hello@smith.ai or (650) 727-6484.