Staffing agencies are contracted on behalf of companies to do recruiting and talent acquisition for them. Staffing agencies often have a large pool of candidates to draw from, giving them access to more talent than an HR department may have on their own. The staffing agencies want to make a great match with qualified candidates and the company, boosting their own success rates and becoming a trusted partner for the company and worker.
Staffing agencies are all different. They can specialize in certain placements, such as tech or medical or general office. They can focus on direct placements or short-term projects or some combination of both. They have the potential to save you time and money during the hiring process. It all depends on the agency you use, their past history of success, and if they attract the type of contractors you need.
When you use a staffing agency, the incoming contract worker may not fit your company culture, and very often, no one has spoken to the candidate before they appear for work. Companies often do not know the full work background of a staffing employee. And because of the short-term nature of staffing, the training may be incomplete.