Aviation Recruitment Agencies: How to Choose the Right One for Your Staffing Needs

All organizations may encounter the need to fill vacant positions or meet increased demand at some point, and the aviation industry is no exception. When an aviation company finds itself in such a situation, it can engage the services of an aviation staffing agency to assist in the recruitment process for a variety of positions, including baggage support, technicians, and flight attendants. While some recruitment agencies may specialize in specific talent areas, their overarching purpose remains the same.We spoke with Account Executive Jason Gross to explore how aviation and airport operations employers can benefit from working with employment agency.

 

Aviation Staffing Solutions

Aviation recruitment bears resemblance to recruitment processes in other industries, although it encompasses a wide array of diverse roles. Specialization within aviation recruitment agencies can vary, focusing on specific aircraft types such as jet engines, helicopters, or military aircraft. Furthermore, agencies may concentrate solely on staffing for private or commercial aviation sectors. Additionally, some agencies specialize in recruiting flight crew members, such as pilots and flight attendants, while others cater to technical and maintenance personnel. Gross has seen an aggressive push from aviation companies to acquire technicians.

“There is a national shortage for technicians in the U.S. currently and there are eight openings to every one technician. We have more contacts and a recruiting team that’s sole responsibility is to find top talent,” says Gross. 

In their customary services, aviation recruitment agencies undertake the responsibility of promoting available positions to the target audience, managing the application process, conducting candidate interviews, and presenting suitable candidates to the client.

Beyond the core staffing functions, aviation recruitment companies may provide a range of supplementary services, contingent upon their individual offerings. These services might encompass handling onboarding paperwork and administrative formalities, or even temporarily placing the newly recruited employee within their own organization, while contracted to the client during the recruitment phase. They can even hire a worker to meet an employer’s immediate needs and offboard the worker once their assignment ends. To differentiate between various recruitment agencies, it is advisable to inquire about these additional services, as they can significantly impact the selection process.

How to Choose Between Aviation Recruitment Agencies for your Staffing Needs

There are many different aviation recruitment agencies out there. If you’ve started doing a little research, you might be feeling overwhelmed by all your options.  We’ve compiled a list of things to keep in mind to make your search more efficient.

Do you want a general or specialized recruitment agency?

This is often the best question to start with and can really help you pare down your search from the beginning. If you’re looking for a specialized or niche form of talent, you’ll likely get the best staffing solution from that type of agency. This is because specialized recruitment agencies will likely have the better contacts and connections, given their experience in that field as opposed to generalists. 

Do you want a temporary or permanent solution?

Another factor that divides many aviation staffing agencies is whether they provide temporary or permanent staffing (some may provide both). If you’re only looking for an extra set of hands during a particularly demanding season, you might want to consider a temporary employee. 

In this arrangement, the staffing company will be the technical employer. The agency will then contract the worker for your company, and then after the employment agreement ends the worker will return to the staffing agency until their next project. Some staffing agencies will have deals where the temporary employment can become a permanent hire. It’s another important thing to keep in mind during your search. 

Does the recruitment agency have its own portfolio of talent? 

Most reputable recruitment agencies will be able to find quality talent. But are they finding the employee for you, or directly pulling them from their own portfolio of talent? Because there are some advantages to the talent coming directly from under their own umbrella. It can be speedier process if they already have the employee waiting in the wings. Some agencies may already have some of the necessary paperwork completed for certain candidates. 

What additional services does the recruitment firm offer? 

A recruitment firm’s collection of services serves as a significant point of differentiation among their competition. Beyond specialization and temporary staffing solutions, these agencies provide a variety of services tailored to meet the unique needs of their clients. Understanding these supplementary offerings is instrumental in making an informed decision during your search for the most suitable aviation recruitment agency.

Aviation employment agencies may also offer the following services:

Mass Hiring Campaigns

Certain recruitment firms excel in managing large-scale hiring campaigns, making them an optimal choice if you require a substantial number of new employees within a compressed timeframe. By leveraging their expertise and resources, these agencies streamline the recruitment process, ensuring efficient candidate sourcing, screening, and selection. If your organization faces a sudden surge in staffing requirements, identifying an agency proficient in executing mass hiring campaigns will expedite the process and minimize disruptions to your operations.

Onboarding/Offboarding Assistance

Many recruitment firms extend their support beyond the initial hiring phase by offering comprehensive onboarding services. This encompasses handling crucial paperwork, such as employee taxes, background checks, and other administrative formalities. By entrusting the onboarding process to the recruitment agency, you can focus on core business operations while ensuring a seamless integration of new hires into your organization. Additionally, these agencies often provide orientation programs, familiarizing new employees with your company's values, culture, and policies, thereby promoting a smooth transition, and fostering early engagement.

In addition to assisting with the hiring and onboarding phases, select recruitment firms extend their expertise to managing the offboarding process. They can guide you through the necessary paperwork and legal requirements, ensuring compliance with relevant employment regulations. By leveraging their knowledge and experience, these agencies simplify the often complex and sensitive task of employee offboarding, mitigating potential risks and providing peace of mind.

During your search for the most suitable aviation recruitment agency, consider the range of supplementary services available, as they can be instrumental in streamlining your staffing processes, optimizing operational efficiency, and ensuring a successful talent acquisition strategy.

“We offer different levels of services when it comes to their specific needs depending on if it’s a short-term contract, a long-term contract or contract-to-hire. We can give employers more options than their own internal recruiting team or a standard job posting and can help attract top talent with our diverse recruiting team and connections within the industry,” says Gross. 

When you’re ready to learn more about how Aerotek can help you overcome your aviation workforce challenges, Contact Us.