Six questions to ask a staffing partner before you sign anything
Most staffing pitches sound identical. Six questions separate a partner who screens properly from one who forwards CVs and hopes.
Every staffing company says the same four things: large candidate pool, fast placement, thorough screening, personal service. None of it is falsifiable, which is why it all sounds the same.
Here is what we would ask if we were sitting on your side of the table.
1. “What are your rejection criteria, in writing?”
A partner who screens has rules: age limits driven by visa reality, permit status, language level, physical requirements, availability window. A partner who does not screen forwards CVs and lets you do the filtering.
We run ours as configured rules per role, and the candidate answers them before they ever reach a shortlist. If a role needs B2 German, the candidates who reach you have B2 German.
2. “Who speaks to the candidate, and in what language?”
Placement failures are usually communication failures. A candidate who did not understand the shift pattern, the accommodation deduction, or that the late shift ends at 02:00, leaves in week three.
Ask which languages your partner actually operates in — not which languages are listed on the website.
3. “What happens in week two?”
Week one is easy; everybody turns up. Week two is when the accommodation disappoints, the work is harder than described, and the candidate goes quiet.
Ask what the follow-up process is after the start date, and who owns it by name.
4. “How do you handle a candidate who is not eligible?”
The answer tells you everything. A partner who says “we put them forward anyway and let the client decide” is describing a process that wastes your time by design.
5. “What is the realistic start date, by nationality?”
EU candidates — Romanian, Croatian, Bulgarian — need no visa. Weeks, not months. Non-EU candidates depend on consular processing and it is honest to plan in months. A partner who quotes the same timeline for both has not done it.
6. “Who pays you?”
You should. German law forbids charging the jobseeker for placement, so a provider also taking money from the candidate is both operating outside the law and structurally conflicted — they get paid whether or not the placement works for you.
If those questions are useful, use them on us too. Tell us what you need and we will answer all six before you commit to anything.
Häufige Fragen
What is the difference between Personalvermittlung and Arbeitnehmerüberlassung?
In Personalvermittlung (placement) the candidate is employed directly by the client company, and the agency is paid a one-off fee for the introduction. In Arbeitnehmerüberlassung (labour leasing) the worker stays employed by the provider and is assigned to the client, which requires a permit under the AÜG. B&G Projects works as a placement partner: your new colleague is employed by you.
How quickly can international candidates start?
EU nationals — Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria and others — need no visa and can typically start within weeks. Non-EU candidates depend on visa processing and are measured in months, which is why a realistic date belongs at shortlisting rather than after.
Who pays the recruitment fee?
The hiring company. German law forbids charging the jobseeker for placement, so any provider taking money from both sides has an obvious conflict of interest.