Are you looking to scale your healthcare facility? Then you’re most likely aware that ramping up your workforce isn’t a simple endeavor — especially with the ongoing shortage of healthcare workers. According to Forbes, by 2020, there will be a shortage of 154,018 registered nurses. Fortunately, a staffing agency can help you overcome this obstacle so you can find the qualified staff you need. Here are the top five reasons you should consider working with a staffing agency to scale your operations:

1. A staffing firm has access to a greater talent pool.

Staffing firms have vast pools of both active and passive candidates whose skills, experience and work preferences they have on file. They can target only those candidates who are a good match for the open positions, which results in a much more streamlined process than having to place job ads, waiting for candidates to respond and then performing a lengthy selection process.

2. A staffing agency will hire for a good culture fit.

When you partner with a good staffing firm, it will aim to understand your organizational culture so it can determine which candidates will be a good fit. In fact, Forbes reports that more than 80 percent of recruiters believe culture fit is one of the most important factors to consider when matching candidates to organizations. And when new hires fit into your organizational culture, they stand a much better chance of doing well in their new positions — and as a result, staying for the long term.

3. A staffing firm can hire quality candidates quickly.

As Business points out, a good staffing agency has all of the resources and processes in place to quickly select quality candidates and move them through the hiring process. This results in a shorter time to hire and helps you scale up your operations as soon as you need to.

4. A staffing agency can unburden your HR team.

When you expand your workforce, there’s a significant amount of administrative work that needs to be completed — and that’s on top of HR’s everyday tasks. A staffing agency can assume all the responsibilities of the hiring process so that your HR team remains free to focus on its core tasks.

5. A staffing agency can help control costs.

A staffing firm can provide the expertise and manpower you need to source and hire additional workers — which means you don’t have to expand your own HR team. At the same time, if you’re only looking to scale up your operations temporarily, working with a staffing agency means your facility isn’t responsible for the temp workers’ taxes and benefits.

Clearly, partnering with a staffing agency offers significant advantages when you’re looking to expand your operations and workforce. However, not all agencies are created equal. For this reason, it’s advisable to do your research and speak with multiple staffing agencies to ensure you select one that truly understands your needs and can help you achieve your objectives.