By Brian Harding, President of TES Staffing
When you trust a staffing agency with your hiring needs, you’re not just asking for resumes — you’re asking for peace of mind. At TES Staffing, we understand that every person we place represents your organization. The way they communicate, show up, collaborate, and contribute reflects directly on your workplace. That’s why our screening process goes far beyond matching job titles to resumes.
Employers across Rochester and Western New York have relied on TES to provide candidates who are not only qualified, but dependable, professional, and aligned with workplace culture. Our process is designed to ensure each placement is thoughtful, intentional, and set up for long-term success.
What follows is a closer look at how we evaluate talent — from the moment we first engage with a business to the follow-up support we provide long after someone has started.
It Begins With Understanding Your Organization
A successful placement doesn’t start with the candidate — it starts with the employer. Before recruiting begins, our team invests time in understanding your goals, environment, expectations, and daily realities. This initial discovery phase allows us to define what a “good fit” looks like beyond technical requirements.
We look closely at workplace culture and team dynamics, communication and leadership styles, schedule demands, and the type of personality that will thrive in your environment. Whether we are staffing a busy medical office, a growing manufacturing facility, or a school district supporting students with diverse learning needs, this foundational understanding guides every hiring decision that follows.
Recruiting and Pre-Screening Built on Decades of Local Connections
Because TES has served the Rochester region for decades, we maintain a wide network of active and passive job seekers — individuals who trust us to guide their employment journeys. Our team recruits through a combination of our internal database, job boards, professional networks, referrals, and community partnerships.
But we do not simply move resumes forward. During pre-screening, we verify work history, availability, and authorization, and we look for early indicators of reliability, professionalism, and consistency. Our goal is not just to find someone who can do the work, but someone who will show up well while doing it.
Structured Interviews That Go Beyond Skills
Every candidate we consider participates in a structured interview designed to reveal how they communicate, solve problems, collaborate, adapt, and approach work. We use behavioral interviewing to understand real experiences — not hypothetical answers. For example, we’ll ask candidates to describe past challenges, team interactions, and situations that required initiative or resilience.
When appropriate, we administer job-specific evaluations, such as typing assessments for administrative roles or situational response exercises for customer service and clinical environments. These conversations and assessments help us understand who the candidate is — not just what they’ve done.
This step supports the most important goal of all: placing people where they can succeed.
Reference Checks That Confirm Character and Performance
Before presenting a candidate to an employer, we speak directly with former supervisors to verify past performance, attendance, teamwork, and professionalism. These conversations provide insight into reliability, communication style, and the qualities that don’t always show up on paper.
We document this information thoroughly and transparently so our clients understand exactly who they are bringing into their workplace.
Background Checks and Compliance With Care and Consistency
Safety, liability, and trust matter. Depending on the role, TES conducts criminal background checks, employment verification, drug screening, fingerprinting, or driving record checks. All screenings comply with Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) standards, and all results are handled confidentially and respectfully.
We approach compliance with consistency — but also with empathy and fairness. Our goal is to ensure safety without dehumanizing the process.
The Relationship Doesn’t End After the Placement
Placement is not the finish line. It is the beginning of the working relationship.
After a candidate starts, our account managers maintain ongoing communication with both the employer and the employee. We check in during the first week, during the first month, and at regular intervals after that to ensure expectations are aligned, support is in place, and the match is working as intended.
When adjustments are needed, we address them early. When expectations evolve, we communicate proactively. And when additional training or redirection is appropriate, we provide it.
This ongoing support — not just the placement itself — is a major reason employers continue partnering with TES year after year.
Why This Process Matters
A thoughtful, thorough screening process reduces turnover, improves workplace stability, and leads to more confident hiring. By investing in understanding both employer needs and candidate strengths, we help ensure placements last — and teams thrive.
Employers benefit from stronger retention and reduced recruitment strain.
Candidates benefit from clarity, stability, and meaningful work environments.
Communities benefit from workforces that are supported and respected.
The TES Promise
We don’t send stacks of resumes.
We send the right person.
To the employers we partner with, that means transparency, communication, and candidates we truly believe in. To the candidates we serve, it means respect, guidance, and opportunities that support growth — not burnout.
Because when the match is right, everyone succeeds.