Everyone is aware that productivity has been a challenge these last few years for businesses and people alike. With consumer confidence now picking up, more people are getting back to work. In some cases, the best people were never out of work. Now you may find yourself in a position to finally add some headcount. That headcount could be in the form of temporary staffing or full time staffing. You place some ads and talk to people about who is looking for work and it seems like everyone is already working. Where did everyone go?

Some really, really good people never were let go. That left a lot of great people completely out of the job market. Others took it upon themselves to start their own businesses when no one was hiring. Consultants have popped up everywhere. A lot of those people have stopped looking at job postings because they are really invested in making their new situation work. Then there are a number of people that moved into some other field. When it comes to paying bills, they were willing to try something completely different, and now they are moving in a new direction.

So if no one is looking at the job boards or filling out applications, how can you get great people to work for you?

Here is where a temp service or recruiter can help. If they are connected, they know where to find the people that are looking and the ones that are not looking. They know the ones that are not happy, deserve to make more money, are looking to make a move, or are ready to get back in the game as a full time person. In some instances, they can be found and lured away from your competition with a compensation package that you are comfortable with.

The “go it alone” approach to hiring may have worked in the past, but the marketplace is more competitive than ever. A battle is upon us to find and hire the very best talent. People are being picked up quickly and a better strategy is needed. When you consider the impact a high quality hire can add to a department and its goals, using a professional to locate that person makes sense.

This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included. ©2012 Catherine Lang-Cline, Portfolio Creative, LLC.

Author's Bio: 

Catherine is co-founder and owner of Portfolio Creative, an Inc. 5000 fastest growing firm for the past three years. Portfolio Creative connects clients with talent in all areas of design, marketing, communications and advertising and was ranked the 16th fastest growing staffing firm in the U.S. by Staffing Industry Analysts. More information is posted at http://www.portfolioiscreative.com.