Staffing Agency vs. Staffing Partner: Key Differences
Healthcare facilities across the U.S. continue to grapple with the challenge of nursing staff shortages. If you’re a facility leader, you may have considered finding a staffing agency to help you combat this industrywide issue. But while an agency might offer a quick-fix, a long-term staffing partner, vested in your ongoing workforce stability, may be a more value-added solution.
While agency and partner are often used interchangeably among staffing companies, there are some key differences between the two. To help you make the most informed business decisions possible, let’s cover these differences in detail.
Staffing Agency vs. Staffing Partner: Meaning and Overview
A staffing agency, or staffing vendor, is a company that provides temporary nursing services for healthcare facilities needing to fill vacant shifts. A facility will typically notify an agency of any openings that need to be covered. The agency will then send qualified nurses (often working as contractors) available to work in these placements.
A staffing partner elevates the services of a staffing agency by providing a devoted partnership rather than a one-time staffing fix. Beyond supplying nurses to cover shifts, a partner will get to know your facility and offer ongoing support that is uniquely tailored to your needs. They’re more invested in the long-term growth and success of your workforce (helping you build and maintain a talent pool, for example).
So, you may be wondering, does that mean a partner can also be an agency? Yes, but an agency doesn’t always provide the right resources to be a reliable partner. Certain staffing companies are designed to fill shifts as more of a transactional service, while others truly want to serve as a business partner that is invested in your continued success.
How Can I Differentiate Between an Agency And a Partner? 3 Key Questions To Ask
While finding a collaborative and value-based working relationship may sound ideal, it can be difficult to discern between companies that want to align with organizations as partners vs. transactional, service-based arrangements. As you scope out different staffing companies, these three questions can help you make the distinction.
1. Is this company interested in our long-term goals?
Nursing is a field where turnover is rampant, and tackling staffing issues goes well-beyond temporary coverage. A partner will understand this, offering long-term guidance to help you maintain a strong and stable workforce.
When you work with a partner, solutions to understaffing and other challenges will feel like a shared effort. A partner will essentially see your long-term goals as their own, working toward lasting solutions for short-staffing and retention challenges, while an agency or vendor will be interested in temporary deliverables. The table below offers some clues that signal whether a company is ready to act as a partner.
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| Your Facility’s Distinct Needs Are Known and Prioritized | A partner will take an early and active interest in the specifics of your improvement measures and make an effort to stay updated about your progress. |
| Resources Are Readily Available and Accessible | A company that is invested in your goals will want to provide resources aimed at sustaining your workforce. Examples include facility updates that provide the latest policy briefs and research takeaways, or offering staff training opportunities. |
| Proposed Solutions Are Comprehensive and Ongoing | Partnered solutions should comprehensively address staff coverage and retention issues, whether you’re hiring full-time staff or seasonal help. This may involve assisting implementation of long-term strategies, such as identifying pathways to full-time employment or developing data tracking metrics to help identify turnover patterns. |
2. Is the nursing staff properly credentialed and trained to meet our needs?
Since staffing agencies are designed to fill shifts as quickly as possible, they may assign nurses licensed to work, but not appropriately trained to your placement standards. This is not to say that the nurse lacks skills. More-so, there may be a mismatch between the nurse’s experience and the type of facility they’re sent to.
For example, a critical care nurse is equipped with a different skill set than a home health nurse. A partner in staffing will take these differences into account, using evidence-fueled decisions to help you avoid a bad hire (temporary or not).
Beyond finding available nurses, a partner will ensure that staff are:
- Properly credentialed and trained.
- Incentivized not to cancel or show up late.
- Equipped with relevant experience.
Additionally, many staffing agencies commonly hire 1099 contractors, which can come with legal and financial risks for facilities looking to meet their staffing needs. If it’s determined that they’re actually working as employees, and misclassified as contractors, you could be considered the employer of record and be on the hook for unpaid overtime, tax violations, and other such claims.
A staffing partner that hires W2 nursing professionals (i.e. employees instead of contractors) can help alleviate these risks, while better supporting your facility with a well-trained, well-supervised, and legally compliant temporary workforce.
3. Does this company regularly and reliably communicate with us?
How a company communicates indicates a lot. You may only hear from an agency when it’s time to fill an open shift or pay a bill. On the contrary, a partner will regularly follow-up after your shifts are filled. They’ll take an interest in what works and what doesn’t as a continued effort to meet your shared goals.
Reliable communication also means being present when things go wrong. A partner will share accountability if an incident arises with nursing staff and offer professional resources to carry out investigations. These resources may include:
- Credentialed, legal auditing staff.
- A quality assurance team of nurses.
- Clear protocol for incident reporting.
Looking for a Staffing Partner You Can Trust?
Finding the right partnership can be an overwhelming process. At IntelyCare, we understand the importance of providing transparent, reliable staffing services that are tailored to your needs. Reach out to us today to see the wide range of staffing and management solutions we have to offer.