By Kathleen Hurtubise
4 min read
If you’ve ever relied on a staffing agency and felt disappointed, you’re not alone.
Contingent staffing is a smart workforce strategy and one of the easiest ways for things to go sideways if the human side isn’t handled well. The industry reputation exists for a reason.
You’ve probably lived some version of this:
• A worker ghosts before day one
• They show up late
• Wrong attire (or “I didn’t know” attire)
• They’re physically there… but not actually prepared
• They vanish in the first couple of weeks
It’s disruptive for your operation. It impacts your team’s morale. And it creates extra work for your managers.
The good news: a big chunk of this is preventable, not by “trying harder,” but by choosing a staffing partner that designs a better day-one experience.
The problem isn’t contingent staffing. It’s what happens around it.
Ghosting isn’t rare anymore; it’s become part of the modern hiring landscape. SHRM’s 2025 research found that 41% of organizations are seeing candidates “ghosting” during the interview process.
And while that stat focuses on interviews, the same behavior pattern shows up in contingent staffing assignments too. If people feel unclear, unsupported, or overwhelmed, the easiest move is to disappear.
Week one isn’t just a time period. It’s a stress test.
How to vet a staffing agency (the questions most employers forget to ask)
Most employers start with speed:
“How fast can you send someone?”
That’s a fair question but it’s incomplete.
A better question might be: How do you prepare the staff before they walk on-site?
If you want reliability, professionalism, and longevity, these are the areas to vet.
1) Ask how they prevent ghosting before day one and during week one
A solid agency should be able to answer this clearly, not vaguely.
Questions to ask:
• What do you do to prevent ghosting after someone accepts the assignment?
• What does your confirmation process look like the day before and day of?
• Who is accountable for follow-up in the first week?
If they can’t explain their system, they probably don’t have one.
2) Ask about preparation (and ask for examples)
Not “We remind them to be professional.”
Real preparation includes specifics:
• What “professional attire” means for your site
• When to arrive (and what “early” means)
• Who to ask for when they show up
• What to bring / where to park / how breaks work
• What success looks like on day one
Clarity reduces anxiety. Less anxiety means fewer no-shows.
3) Ask if they coach
A text reminder isn’t coaching.
Coaching means confirming the person truly understands expectations and can follow them. It means addressing obstacles early: transportation, schedule conflicts, nerves, confidence gaps, communication standards.
4) Ask how they handle day one
Some agencies escort. Others do a structured day-one call/check-in. Some do neither.
What you’re looking for is simple: a real day-one connection so the worker doesn’t walk into your site blind.
5) Ask what “week-one follow-through” looks like
This is where many agencies fall short.
The first week is where small misalignments become exits if no one checks in, coaches, or corrects course.
Questions to ask:
• Do you check in with the worker and the client during the first week?
• What do you do if the worker is struggling or unclear?
• What is your process if the manager reports an issue?
Practical ways employers can reduce ghosting and early exits
Whether you’re partnering with an agency or managing contingent staffing internally, the goal is the same: prevent ghosting and enable longevity. That starts with asking the right questions up front.
When partnering with an agency, make sure to ask:
• How do you prevent ghosting before day one and during week one?
• What does your follow-up and accountability system look like in the first 30 days?
• How do you support workers, so they stay and succeed long-term?
Then, operationally, these basics make a measurable difference:
• Assign a clear on-site point of contact (and introduce them)
• Set expectations plainly (timing, uniform, pace, phone policy)
• Give feedback early; fast correction beats silent frustration
• Make contingent workers feel oriented, not “temporary”
People stay where they feel clear, capable, and welcomed.
What works
What AlohaHP has found over the last decade supporting contingent staffing in hospitality, events, light industrial, and administrative roles is this: outcomes improve when preparation and follow-through are consistent.
When vetting the right staffing partner, check to ensure these unsexy (but critical) drivers of reliability are actually on their checklist:
• Live screening (not just resume collection)
• Clear expectations around attire and punctuality
• Transportation/logistics confirmation
• Coaching on how to show up and communicate professionally
• Day-one clarity
• Follow-up during the first shifts with both the worker and the client
It’s what AlohaHP has seen drive success again and again. Not “extra”, just the work that reduces predictable failures and increases longevity.
The bigger point
Contingent staffing is still a human system.
Technology can source faster. Software can schedule smarter. But consistency still comes down to preparation, accountability, and follow-through.
Week one decides everything.
Vet your staffing agency based on how they design week one and you’ll dramatically increase the odds that the assignment actually sticks.
