Work from home staffing agencies make it easier to find remote work. In fact, staffing agencies are regularly used by both small and large companies to help fill vacancies with great talent (like you).

But, are staffing agencies really remote-friendly? Yes, for the most part.

Keep reading to learn more about 21 work from home staffing agencies. One just may be your ticket to a new remote role. 

What is a Work from Home Staffing Agency? 

First, let’s go over what a staffing agency is. Staffing agencies are the middleman between employers and job seekers. They are also called recruitment, search, or staffing firms. 

For example, let’s say Company PDQ Inc. regularly has wfh jobs. Currently, it needs to hire an online bookkeeper. However, PDQ does not want to go through the recruiting process on its own. After all, hiring is costly and time consuming. In fact, it averages out to about $4,129 and 42 days to fill a single position, according to ADP.  

So, PDQ decides to work with a staffing agency instead. Now the staffing agency sets out to find candidates to fill the bookkeeper position. To do this, they might advertise on popular remote job boards or post on LinkedIn. Additionally, many work from home staffing agencies have an existing pool of candidates they turn to also.

How Do I Get Hired? 

First, you provide your basic information to the staffing agency. This includes your work history and job preferences. Then a recruiter works with you to find a role that is a good fit. Eventually, there are interviews to complete as you go through the hiring process. Finally, you receive an offer of employment or a fixed-term contract. 

Generally speaking, staffing agencies streamline your job search. You hand your resume to them and your recruiter uses it to find multiple open roles on your behalf. 

What Remote Positions Can I Find? 

Some staffing agencies work in specific industries. For example, let’s say Staffing Solutions RUS specializes in placing legal staff. Others offer broad staffing services across all industries. 

Regardless, you can find just about any remote job vacancy via staffing firms. Common remote roles regularly promoted by staffing agencies include: 

• Customer Service
• Administrative Assistant
• Payroll 
• Recruiter
• Marketing Specialist 

And, that’s just a short list! 

What Types of Employment Do Staffing Agencies Offer?

Typically, staffing agencies are known for temp jobs. 

And, yes, there are definitely temporary jobs available. However, it doesn’t stop there. There are different types of employment you need to know about before registering with a staffing agency. 

Temporary 

Often, companies use staffing agencies to fill short-term vacancies. A common example is when an employee takes maternity/paternity leave for a few months.

Another scenario is when companies periodically require extra help. For example, an online retailer needs all hands on deck during the holidays. 

In both scenarios, these companies use staffing agencies to fill roles temporarily. These assignments typically last for just a few months. 

Temp to Hire 

Temp to hire is like a trial run. In other words, the company is open to hiring a temp worker permanently but wants to test the waters first. So, there’s a short-term contract in place with an option to hire at the end of it. 

Direct Hire 

Finally, there is direct hire. This is when a company turns to a work from home staffing agency to place a full time employee. Once a person is placed via the staffing agency, they are officially an employee of that company. 

Work From Home Staffing Agencies: The Top 5 with the Most Remote Jobs

Now you have a good understanding of what a staffing agency is and the types of employment you can find. It’s finally time to look at firms that have tons remote openings available. 

1. Kelly

Kelly has been in the recruiting business for more than 75 years. Today, they work with 90 of the Fortune 100 companies to place top talent in open roles. In fact, Kelly places nearly 500,000 workers every year. Even more impressive is that a whopping 72% of openings at Kelly have a remote work option. 

Recently Listed Remote Roles at Kelly:

• Outbound Customer Care
• Recruiter
• Test Scorer
• Interpreter
• Payroll Specialist 

Please visit the Kelly Job Openings page for more information and next steps. 

2. Randstand 

Currently, Randstad is the second largest staffing firm in the world! For the most part, Randstad provides top talent to companies across all industries, including many Fortune 500 Companies. At this time, 81% of all roles are remote-friendly. 

Recently Listed Remote Roles at Randstand: 

• Customer Service Representative
• Accounts Receivable
• Mortgage Underwriter
• Insurance Agent
• Medical Billing

Randstand’s Job Seeker page has detailed information about signing up to join its talent pool.

3. Robert Half

Robert Half International was founded in 1948. Today, it’s often listed on FlexJobs’ 100 Top Companies with Remote Jobs. Additional Robert Half awards include one of the Best Places to Work by Human Rights Campaign and one of the Happiest Companies in America by CareerBliss. 

Robert Half places talent across in-demand remote industries like legal, human resources, accounting, IT, finances, and more. Roughly 86% of its listings are remote. 

Some recently listed roles include: 

• Accountant
• Administrative Assistant
• Sales Representative
• Paralegal
• Project Assistant

Head on over to Robert Half Hiring to learn how they can help you find a remote job. 

4. Kforce

Kforce mostly places workers in technology and accounting/finance roles. In fact, it works for 70% of Fortune 100 companies to provide short-term and long-term support in these areas. Go ahead and check out my Kforce review to learn about the ins and outs of recruitment there.

Today, Kforce has 4,000 clients and places 23,000 candidates in open roles each year. Approximately 73% of all listings are for remote work!

Past openings include:

• Payroll Accountant
• Tax Accountant
• Technical Manager
• Project Manager
• Technical Support

To join one of the better work from home staffing agencies, visit Kforce to submit your resume. 

5. Ajilon 

Founded in 2011, Ajilon is a newer staffing company. Even still, it’s able to place nearly 15,000 professionals every year! Ajilon specializes in marketing, administration, customer service, human resources, and nonclinical healthcare roles. 

For example, recent listings include: 

• Medical Biller
• Customer Service Representative
• Administrative Assistant
• Payroll 
• Medical Coder

An impressive 85% of these roles are remote. To start, job seekers, like you, work with recruiters to get placed in the perfect position. There’s more detailed information about the recruiting process over at Ajilon. 

Even More Work from Home Staffing Agencies

The five staffing agencies mentioned above are those with a high percentage of work from home jobs. Additionally, each of them appear on the FlexJobs’ Top 100 Companies hiring remote workers. This means they routinely post and hire remote candidates. Needless to say, there are hundreds and thousands of remote-friendly positions using those staffing agencies. However, there are even more work from home staffing agencies to choose from.

6. Solomon Page

Works with companies within industries like Fashion & Beauty, Hospitality, Media, and Healthcare. 

7. Belay

An entirely remote team started in 2010. Common remote jobs at Belay include Virtual Assistant, Bookkeeping, and Social Media Manager. 

8. Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH)

Helps job seekers find jobs with companies that align with their values. Also brings temps on as LHH employees which come with benefits like health insurance, PTO, and bonuses. 

9. Staffmark

Places an astounding 41,000 people in jobs every week. https://video.digi-me.com/staffmark/expectations/CIYM0001

10. Beacon Hill Staffing Group

Named one of the best staffing firms by Forbes. Has jobs available in legal, project management, administrative, and research industries.

11. Michael Page

Recruitment expertise in accounting, legal, human resources, information technology, sales, and marketing. Provides career advice for job seekers to help build their careers. 

12. Aquent

Firmly believes that work should be flexible and inclusive. Provides career coaching and benefits to its talent. 

13. Working Solutions

Places agents as independent contractors in various work from home programs. Must pass assessments to receive an assignment. 

14. Manpower Group

Works across all industries. Offers resources for job seekers to change careers and develop skills. 

15. HealthCare Support

This is a niche recruitment firm that focuses exclusively on the healthcare industry.

16. Medix

Serves workers and businesses within healthcare, life sciences, and IT throughout the US. Additional offices located throughout Canada.

17. FlexProfessionals

Next up is FlexProfessionals. As you might have guessed by its name, this work from home staffing agency recruits professionals for flexible work arrangements! Previous remote roles include Accountant, Human Resources, Project Coordinator, and Operations Manager.

18. Hired by Matrix

Although headquartered in NJ, Hired by Matrix hires professionals across the US. Remote roles it fills are mostly temporary and freelance, so keep that in mind before applying!

19. Profiles

Since 1998 Profiles has provided staffing services for creative technology and marketing industries. Some examples of remote roles its hired for include Marketing Coordinator, Content Strategist, and Content Editor!

20. BuzzCo

Another small, family-owned work from home staffing agency is BuzzCo. Most roles are full time, contract, or freelance. In the past BuzzCo has placed remote workers in roles like Account Executive, Designer, and Illustrator.

21. Stage 4 Solutions

Marketing professionals can turn to Stage 4 Solutions for help finding a remote role. Currently, the company has more than 10,000 professionals in its talent pool. Example of roles include both short-term and long-term projects like Event Marketing, Administration, and Social Media Management.

What Else Should I Know About Work From Home Staffing Agencies? 

Many work from home staffing agencies have in-person and remote roles available. However, some (like Belay) are entirely remote. Always tell your recruiter you’re interested in remote work only. 

Keep in mind, a lot of remote job openings have location requirements. This holds true for staffing agencies too. So, as you work with a staffing agency, don’t be surprised to see jobs that require candidates to live in select states and even specific cities. It’s completely normal.

Lastly, be open and honest with your recruiter. Their job is to find you a job that aligns with your career ideals and goals. Tell them what you’re looking for and the types of companies you see yourself working for. Only accept a placement if it’s a role that actually interests you. 

In the end, work from home staffing agencies are a reliable source of remote jobs. However, keep in mind that staffing agencies do not guarantee placement.

Finally, visit the work from home staffing agencies on this list. After you get established with one (or two) you’ll have a steady stream of remote jobs coming your way. Pro tip: Focus on a few agencies within your desired industry!

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below. I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction. You’ve got this! 

Happily, 

Ashlee

The post Work from Home Staffing Agencies: How to Get Placed in a Remote Job appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

And, I get it. Remote job searches (like all job searches) are draining. It’s incredibly frustrating to find the *perfect* remote job only to realize the company doesn’t hire in your state. Cue sad trombone noises…

Fortunately, you quickly brush off this setback only to find even more remote jobs that exclude your state. What gives?

Doesn’t “work from home” mean just that whether your home is in Iowa, Florida, or California? 

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. In fact, just 5% of remote jobs posted on FlexJobs have no location restrictions.

Clearly, these location requirements are there for a reason, and that reason isn’t just a dislike for your state and the people within it. Instead, the answer boils down to money and state laws.

State Registration Requirements

First, a company must register its business in each state to legally hire there. With 50 US states (plus D.C., Puerto Rico, and other territories) registering is time consuming, complicated, and expensive. 

Registration Rules

For example, Arizona asks companies to provide certified copies of its articles of incorporation and a certificate of good standing. Both documents must be dated within 60 days. Plus, there’s a filing fee as high as $365 (not to mention obtaining certified copies of business documents costs money too). It all adds up quickly.

In-State Address

Additionally, most states require a local physical address (not a P.O. box) for out-of-state companies. To comply, companies hire registered agents in each state to receive mail, subpoenas, tax notices, and other important documents from state agencies. 

That’s a lot of moving parts for a single company to handle. Some states make it a bigger hassle to hire locally. Often, remote-friendly companies opt out of registering to hire in those states. 

State Taxes

Next up, a company opens itself up to tax implications with each new state they hire in. For starters, employers need to register with the correct state agencies and follow state-specific tax rates. As you know, taxes are never fun to deal with. This holds true for companies, too!

Tax ID

A state-provided tax ID is needed in addition to a federal tax ID or employer identification number (EIN). Why? A state ID is used by companies to legally take money from paychecks to pay state taxes (called withholding).

The amount and type of withholdings varies by state.

Some states don’t withhold income taxes at all. Others require companies to tax employees based on the employee’s location and not the company’s home state. There are select states that require companies to pay both local AND home state taxes. 

For example, if a company headquartered in California hires you remotely in North Carolina they have to pay California and North Carolina state taxes.

Of course, companies prefer to hire in states with favorable tax rules. 

Hiring Laws, Rules, and Regulations

Even after a company files to hire and set up taxes, there are more rules to follow during the hiring process.

First, the content of applications has to comply with state-level laws.

Non-discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity 

Each state has rules banning employment discrimination based on marital status, sexual identity, and gender identity/expression. Plus, some states offer additional protection for whistle-blowers. There are even state specific laws that regulate an employer’s rules about off-duty conduct (smoking, posting on social media, etc.). 

Criminal History 

 At some point, you’ve likely filled out an application that asked whether you’ve been convicted of a crime. Today, some states have regulations that prevent employers from asking about criminal history during the application process. However, this rule doesn’t apply once a conditional job offer is given. 

Background Checks, Drug Testing, and References 

Many companies require background and reference checks for potential employees. Of course, every state has unique rules covering when companies can ask for screening, which positions need to be drug tested, and who will pay for the background check and/or drug testing. There are also rules regarding running credit checks on applicants. 

Also, there is a long list of employment regulations each state has regarding topics like: 

• Child labor
• Immigration
• Interview questions
• Lie detectors
• Public records 

Some states have many rules to follow throughout the hiring process. Others take a more relaxed approach. Either way, companies will consider each state’s regulations and employment laws before they decide to hire there. Highly restrictive states often get passed over for those that are more employer-friendly. 

Payroll 

Last but certainly not least, states have payroll rules in place (try saying that five times real fast) that companies have to follow. Payroll, of course, is the important process of paying workers. Understandably, there are plenty of statewide payroll restrictions to protect workers’ paychecks.

Minimum Wage

Minimum wage in the US is a hot topic. Currently, the federal minimum wage is a measly $7.25/hour. This rate hasn’t increased since 2009!

In response, many states have their own minimum wage – some higher and some lower than the federal standard.

For example, Wyoming & Georgia have rates at just $5.15 an hour. However, many states have higher minimum wage rates (as of 01/01/2022) including: 

• Florida: $10.00
• California: $14.00
• Washington: $14.49
• Arizona: $12.80
• New Jersey: $13.00
• New York: $13.20 

Remember, companies have to follow the state rules where its employees live.

For example, a company located in Wyoming must pay remote employees living in Washington $14.49/hour – a whopping $9.34 lower than Wyoming’s minimum wage.  

Unfortunately, restricting hiring in states with higher minimum wages saves companies plenty on payroll. You might see fewer remote jobs if you live in a state with better than average minimum wage.

Paycheck Frequency 

Most companies choose to pay workers weekly, biweekly, or semimonthly. However, when hiring out-of-state, companies must meet that state’s guidelines. 

For example, Florida doesn’t have pay frequency rules. However, a Florida company that hires in New York must pay remote New Yorkers weekly to comply with state law.

And, running payroll isn’t exactly cheap. According to Cost Owl, companies pay about $5 per employee for each pay cycle. Of course, more pay cycles = more money.

Companies looking to save cash might forgo hiring in states requiring weekly pay. Check out your state’s payday requirements to see how it stacks up against others. 

Overtime

Overtime compensates employees at a higher pay rate when they work longer hours. Per Federal rules, overtime pay of time and half is given to employees who work more than 40 hours in a week.

For example, an employee who earns $20/hour will be paid $30/hour for any overtime worked. 

• Half of $20 = $10
• Time ($20) + Half ($10) = $30 

Some states are more generous with overtime than Federal Laws. Alaska, California, and Nevada require overtime pay whenever an employee works more than 8 hours in a day.

In these states, remote companies default to the rule that is most favorable to workers.

Additional Payroll Rules

Pay is important to the workforce. It makes sense that states have strict rules to protect their workers.

Honestly, I could write ten blog posts on payroll restrictions by state. But, that would be incredibly boring for most to read.

Instead, I’ve condensed major payroll rules down to a readable list. Below are state payroll rules that complicate hiring for remote companies.

• Fair scheduling with predictable schedules and adequate time between shifts
• Check deductions for uniforms, office equipment, and drug tests
• Meal time and breaks for eating/resting/nursing during work hours.
• Final pay determining how quickly a company must pay and whether it includes unused vacation days
• Sick days to pay employees when illness prevents working

Of course, companies are in business to make money. Part of that includes saving money whenever possible. States with high minimum wage, strict tax laws, and frequent pay cycles are less attractive to employers. As a result, its often easier (and more affordable) to skip over these states.

How to Find Remote Jobs in Your State

By now, you’ve learned way more than you wanted to about remote hiring rules. Hopefully, your excess knowledge explains why companies might not hire remote workers in your state.

Ideally, remote-friendly companies open up virtual doors to all applicants regardless of location. However, this isn’t the current state (no pun intended) of remote work in the US. 

Does that mean you’re out of luck if your state is often excluded from remote jobs? Of course not. You just need to fine tune your job search. 

Look Into Startups 

First, consider startups. Typically, a startup is a young company (less than 5 years old) that was founded to disrupt an industry. Airbnb, Angry Birds, Uber, and Instagram are all well-known and extremely successful startups. 

These newer companies want to hire the best talent to help fuel growth. To do this, startups often hire remote workers from around the world. Global hiring provides access to a much larger talent pool.

In fact, many startups build remote work right into their company culture. It’s really a win-win: The startup has tons of options to hire and candidates enjoy the perk of working remotely from almost anywhere.

Freelancing

Don’t want to rely on companies to hire in your state? No problem. Freelancing is a good solution. As a freelancer, you sell services to clients. Then, you bill the client for your services. 

Popular freelance skills include writing, editing, proofreading, transcription, and virtual assisting. This is a short list. Honestly, if you’re proficient in a computer-based skill you can sell it as a freelance service.

Freelancing is great for digital nomads or anyone who wants the freedom to work where and when they want to. This remote work type is also attractive to parents who need flexibility to work from home with kids. 

Self-Employment 

Today, it’s easier than ever to start your own online or home-based business (without resorting to MLM or direct sales). In fact, you can get a money-making website up in a matter of days!

Examples include e-commerce, Etsy shop, job board, and blog – to name a few. 

Plus, you can even start an online business. For example, bookkeeping, coaching, author, creator/crafter, content marketer, and consultant are businesses easily conducted entirely online.

As a bonus, self employment allows you to work anywhere with an internet connection. After all, you are your own boss!

Resources to Overcome a State Restricted Remote Job Search

Finally, I want to share resources to improve your remote job search – especially if your state is holding you back. The more tools you have in your pocket, the easier your remote job search becomes.

Remote Job Search Sites

Remotive – A go-to site for remote startup jobs with a free webinar and a remote companies list

FlexJobs – A membership site with hand-screened remote jobs and filters you can use to exclude jobs not hiring in your state (Save 30% with FlexJobs Promo Code SAVE30)

Freelance Job Boards

Upwork – Create a profile and pitch your services to gigs posted by clients

Fiverr – Get creative and set up a profile with services laid out for people to buy directly.

Work from Home Staffing Agencies

Kelly – Find freelance, part-time, full time, and temporary remote jobs here.

Kforce – Tons of remote jobs in tech, finance, and accounting. Options include short-term contract, 100% remote, and temporary roles.

Robert Half – A global staffing agency consistently ranked as one of the Top 100 companies with remote work.

Remote Job-Ready Skills Training

Transcribe Anywhere – Free mini course to introduce you to transcription work as a remote worker.

Proofread Anywhere – Free 76-minute webinar for learning about working online as a paid proofreader.

LinkedIn Learning – Quickly learn job skills and share your completed lessons directly on your LinkedIn Profile.

Coursera – Learn in-demand work skills from top universities.

Online Business Building 

Wandering Aimfully – An amazing coaching program I used to grow my blog and career coaching business. I highly recommend it if you already have an online business you want to build up intentionally.

Bookkeeper Business Launch – Start (and scale) a bookkeeping business from scratch. Sign up for free training series first!

SmartBlogger – Turn a love of writing into a thriving online content marketing business. Read the free roadmap first!

Edit Republic – My friend, Phon, started and scaled an amazing editing and proofreading business. Now, she teaches others how to do the same.

Location Requirements in Remote Work

You can’t control whether a company hires remote workers from your state. And, that’s okay.

Remember, companies can’t just decide to one day start hiring in a certain state. Instead, they have to go through long and expensive processes just to get set up. After, companies must continue to follow employment laws based on the state each employee works in!

Fortunately, your location doesn’t necessarily need to hold you back in your job search. Consider freelancing or self employment instead. Plus, there’s staffing agencies, startups, and job boards to help you find remote work in your neck of the woods.

Happily,

Ashlee Anderson, CPCC

PS This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure statement for more details.

The post Why Do Remote Jobs Have Location Restrictions? appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.