Why I Should or Shouldn’t Use a Staffing Agency: ASA Reflections

Author JOE NGUYEN

Posted on Dec 05, 2022Jul 17, 2024

I recently had the privilege of attending the American Staffing Association (ASA) conference, and I’ll be the first to say: I left with renewed excitement for the work that we’re doing at Party Staff. The staffing industry as a whole is brimming with possibilities with true potential to make a positive impact on lives around the country.

Perhaps as a job seeker, you’ve had these questions: Why should I use a staffing agency? And why are staffing agencies so excited about their line of work? Valid questions, and precisely why I’m sharing these insights with you. My aim is to provide a firsthand account of what I learned from this year’s conference, and hopefully paint a crystal-clear picture of how a staffing partner (like Party Staff) can be the helping hand in your profession.

The Magic of Winning – Building World-Class Teams

Our keynote speaker was none other than Magic Johnson. You know him for his achievements as a professional basketball player, but did you know he’s a highly successful entrepreneur and motivational speaker? He has a strong passion for encouraging leaders and team building.

What impressed me most was his heart for the community. He has committed much of his time to supporting inner-city nonprofits, and as business leaders, we have opportunities all around us. The question is, are we pushing our own boundaries to make our investment (whether time or money) count where it means the most? He gave us short, sweet, and to the point pointers on how to embrace this kind of mentality:

Want to win

Know your role
Embrace change
Push your own boundaries
Keep working until the job is done
The team always needs to over-deliver

This fits Party Staff’s culture through and through. Why? Our recruiters are invested in finding a win for you. That is the whole goal of their role! And as an event staffing company, we are pushing to find just the right combination of events for our people. Maybe you can only work the weekends or certain nights – that’s no problem for us. We work hard to over-deliver, to give you option after option until you have the schedule that fits for you. A win for you is a win for us.

Insight From a CEO Roundtable Conversation

This conversation was facilitated by an all-star cast of CEOs in the staffing world. They discussed new opportunities for growth, diversity and inclusion efforts for corporate culture, disruptions on the horizon, and more.

These conversations are foundational because they build a company’s brand, and at Party Staff, our aim is to create a fun culture that provides career experience and support for all our employees.

We are always striving to be better for you! That means we are constantly having these kinds of discussions as a leadership team to provide an inviting culture that supports an individual’s needs, in and out of the office. If you come in to visit us in any one of our offices like Orange County or San Diego, our team is ready not only to help you find a job but also hear your feedback. A healthy company culture is one that listens, whether the thoughts contain encouragement or constructive criticism.

Find Your Self-worth – Overcoming Fear with Optimism, Resilience, and Courage

Anyone struggling with self-confidence? If so, then singer-songwriter Val Vigoda was playing your tune. She started off by explaining that the human brain is like Velcro for negative experiences and like Teflon for positive ones— our natural state is easily skewed toward pessimism, fearfulness, and an abundance of caution.

However, achievements are charged by bravery, optimism, and—sometimes counterintuitively—playfulness. With her six-string electric violin, Val demonstrated the joy of using her musical talent. Her life stories offered a buoyant experience for the audience, especially as she faced her fear and let go of perfectionism. Time and time again – as an awkward student, rebellious daughter, struggling Army cadet, anxious backup musician, and self-critical theater artist – Val showed the power of perspective when overcoming challenges. Her story inspired us all.

Finding your way, especially in a career, can be challenging. But that’s why I dearly love the event business because we have FUN in our jobs. From serving drinks at the Emmy Awards to cheering on your favorite quarterback at NFL games, our jobs give you the opportunity to discover your talents and encourage a spirit of playfulness as you build your career.

Change – Does It Have to Be So Hard?

This topic grabbed my attention from the start because, as you know very well, change is all around us. In this session, Daniel Masata, founder and CEO of Volonte, addressed this relevant topic head on.

He started off by explaining that 72% of people are stressed by change daily. And then his following statement really stuck with me: Change readiness is your new superpower. The more I thought about this, especially post-pandemic, the more it resonated. Good change always starts with your most valuable asset, people (NOT technology!)

This got me all fired up because we are in the people business! Now don’t get me wrong, Party Staff is constantly trying to improve the way we do business, including technological efficiencies. However, we are in the people business. That means you matter most.

In addition to offering the most entertaining jobs you’ll ever have, we provide paid trainings to sharpen your skills in a variety of capacities, encourage referral bonuses, match 401k plans, and more! Life will be full of changes, but we can roll with the punches and take care of you every step of the way.

Should I partner with a staffing agency? – I hope I answered that question for you. This year’s ASA conference reminded me of why I love my job and this line of work. Every day our company helps hard-working individuals like yourself find fun opportunities that make a lasting and positive impact. I hope you’ll join us on this adventure!