Compare your options

Caregiver Recruitment vs a Staffing Agency

A staffing agency employs caregivers itself and bills you a marked-up hourly rate for every shift. A caregiver recruitment service finds and screens candidates for your agency to hire as your own employees. Here is how the two compare.

Updated October 2, 2026

Our Recruitment Service

Side by side

How does a staffing agency compare with recruitment services?

A staffing agency employs the caregivers and bills you a marked-up hourly rate for every shift, which can be fast for an urgent gap. A recruitment service finds and screens candidates your agency hires onto its own payroll, with no markup on care hours. Staffing agencies vary; this describes how they typically work.

Home care staffing agency compared with HCSG caregiver recruitment
Factor	Staffing agency	HCSG recruitment
Who employs the caregiver	Staffing agencyThe staffing agency. Caregivers stay on its payroll and can be moved to other clients.	HCSG recruitmentYour agency. HCSG finds and screens candidates; you make the hiring decision and they join your team.
How you pay	Staffing agencyAn hourly bill rate for every shift worked, which includes the staffing agency’s markup.	HCSG recruitmentA service fee for the recruiting support you choose. Caregivers are paid through your own payroll.
Cost over time	Staffing agencyThe markup applies to every hour, for as long as you use that caregiver.	HCSG recruitmentOnce hired, a caregiver costs you their wages and your normal employment costs, with no markup.
Speed for an urgent shift	Staffing agencyCan be fast, when the staffing agency has an available caregiver nearby.	HCSG recruitmentBuilds your own pipeline rather than filling tonight’s shift; HCSG’s 24/7 scheduling team handles call-outs.
Screening	Staffing agencyDone by the staffing agency, to its own standards.	HCSG recruitmentPhone screening and reference checks against your agency’s own hiring requirements.
Local fit	Staffing agencyDepends on which caregivers the staffing agency has available in your area.	HCSG recruitmentJob postings targeted to the towns and counties your agency serves.
Continuity for clients	Staffing agencyCaregivers may rotate between agencies and clients, so continuity is harder to keep.	HCSG recruitmentCaregivers are your own employees, trained in your procedures and building relationships with your clients.
Paperwork	Staffing agencyHeld by the staffing agency as the employer.	HCSG recruitmentHire-ready candidate files and background-check paperwork prepared to your onboarding requirements.
Scope	Staffing agencySupplies caregivers only.	HCSG recruitmentCan be combined with home care scheduling and care coordination from the same HCSG team.

Which is right for you?

Which option is right for you?

A staffing agency fits a short-term or seasonal gap when you have no time to hire. Recruitment services fit if you want caregivers on your own payroll, are hiring constantly because of 65–75% turnover, or want to stop paying a markup on every care hour. Some agencies use both.

A staffing agency fits if

You need to cover a short-term gap right now and have no time to hire.
The extra demand is temporary or seasonal.
You don’t want to employ more caregivers directly.

You want caregivers on your own payroll, loyal to your agency and your clients.
Turnover of 65–75% a year means you’re hiring all the time.
Your office spends too many hours on phone screens and reference calls.
You’d rather not pay a markup on every care hour for the long term.

Or use both. Cover short-term gaps with a staffing agency while HCSG builds a steady pipeline of your own caregivers, so you rely on staffing less over time.

FAQ

Recruitment vs staffing questions

What is the difference between caregiver recruitment services and a staffing agency?

A staffing agency employs caregivers itself and bills you an hourly rate, including its markup, for every shift they work. A caregiver recruitment service like HCSG finds, screens and prepares candidates for your agency to hire as your own employees, so you pay a service fee for the recruiting support instead of a markup on every care hour.

Is HCSG a staffing agency?

No. HCSG doesn’t supply caregivers from its own payroll. Our virtual recruiting team posts jobs, screens applicants by phone, checks references and prepares hire-ready files, and your agency makes the final hiring decision.

Who makes the hiring decision?

Your agency. HCSG manages the top of your hiring funnel and passes you screened candidates; you interview and decide who to hire.

Can we use a staffing agency and HCSG together?

Yes. Some agencies use a staffing agency for short-term gaps while HCSG builds a steady pipeline of their own caregivers, so they rely on staffing less over time.

Can HCSG fill an urgent shift tonight?

Recruiting builds your caregiver pipeline; it isn’t a same-day fill. For tonight’s call-outs, HCSG’s home care scheduling team provides 24/7 coverage and finds a replacement from your existing caregivers.