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Robert Brennan
Robert Brennan has over 20 years experience in back office management with a focus on business development, recruiting strategies and back office infrastructure practices. His company, ARG has been delivering back office solutions for independent recruiting & staffing professionals since 1998.

How to Choose the Best Back Office Partner? By Robert Brennan

  By Robert Brennan  |    Tuesday April 26, 2017



Legislative and economic forces in the marketplace over the last few years have pushed the demand for contractors across many verticals. This is a great opportunity for independent recruiting and staffing owners who are realizing that it’s not only growing but it’s here to stay. 

So what are the benefits for direct hire recruiters to add contract staffing to their desk or to accelerate their current contract staffing book of business?

· Increase sales revenue

· Overcome hiring objections

· More consistent cash flow (especially in economic down turns)

· Protecting your client base from competition

· Building greater equity in your business

As an independent recruiting owner, you have a choice between managing the back office yourself or simply outsourcing it to a professional back office provider who will handle everything from A to Z. We agree with the growing numbers of independent recruiters who are choosing to outsource their complete back office solution therefore eliminating the risk, liability and headache so they can stay focused on growing their business. So how do you choose the right back office partner for your recruiting business?

Guaranteed Highest Profit Per Hour.  Sounds kind of obvious but many recruiters unknowingly over pay for back office services losing thousands in revenue every year. All back office providers have their own unique formula for selling their “rate” but that’s not what you want to focus on. The bottom line is the “profit per hour” which is what you earn as the result of the formula the back office provider is using. 

Look for a partner who offers a transparent instant online calculator so you can figure out your profit on the fly when negotiating with clients. You shouldn’t have to haggle or wait longer than a few seconds to get a great profit per hour quote. Also, make sure that 100% of the fee is based off of the pay rate and not any portion of the bill rate which penalizes you when you sell a larger bill rate. Don’t forget to inquire if there’s any additional per hour fees on top of the percentage fee.

Featured Branding.  Your clients and candidates should be considered your domain therefore your company brand should be featured on all communications. Your back office partner should play a more silent role when it comes to branding while being positioned as a back office extension of your recruiting business.  The right back office partner will build a back office solution centered around your brand not trying to promote theirs. 

100% Exclusive to Independent Recruiting Owners.  As an independent recruiting and staffing professional, it is critical that you work with a provider who caters exclusively to the needs of the recruiting and staffing industry. Why? Only a back office partner that is exclusive to not only the recruiting industry but to independent recruiters will be strategically designed to implement all the unique aspects of a staffing business. Wouldn’t you prefer a partner who can accommodate your unique professional needs and operate in synchronicity with your business? The right back office partner should be creating a robust and dedicated recruiter experience.

Complimentary Tools & Training.  Most established back office services deliver the standard EOR and payroll funding services so not much sets them a part. Wrong! Gone are the days of offering just payroll funding services. A cutting-edge back office provider will deliver a complimentary suite of feature-rich tools, services and training designed to propel your bottom line. If you’re not getting complimentary value added services, then you need to continue your search for the right provider.

When you conduct your due diligence, you’ll uncover stark differences in back office providers and their services. Finding the right back office partner can save you time and needless headaches while adding a significant value proposition to your bottom line and fostering your entrepreneurial spirit.


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