Staffing

There have been many signals lately that the worst of this economic maelstrom is really behind us. While we’re all glad to hear that the recovery is at work, it is also clear that it’s going to take quite some time before unemployment levels get back to normal in America. The result of having so many Americans unemployed or under-employed is that staffing departments around the country have more applicants than ever before to each of their open positions. If dealt with correctly, this huge influx of candidates can enable a company to significantly increase the quality of their workforce.

The New Year is here and for the past few months we’ve continued to have little bursts of news that indicate the worst is most likely behind us as an economy. While nearly every expert agrees that this recovery will happen in fits and starts and over a longer period of time, many companies are beginning to make plans for future growth once again.

The employer/employee relationship is evolving at a rapid pace. PEOs take over responsibility for administering entire workforces and lease employees back to business owners. Third party consulting firms fill the requirements of positions traditionally handled by in-house experts in Accounting, IT, and HR. Temporary and contract workers are expected to make up an increasing percentage of the average employer's staff in coming years.

Please send us your ideas and suggestions for Staffing products.

Thank you.

Human resources executives are constantly setting goals to push their companies forward and bring strategy and focus to their teams. However, it’s far too common for these high level strategy goals to get pushed aside by the HR department’s most common cycle: focus on recruitment, focus on retention and then repeat. Human resources leaders understand the value and importance of breaking this cycle.

Downsizing and layoffs have become a fact of life for many companies across the U.S. over the last couple of years. This doesn’t mean the “survival” trend will continue indefinitely. One of the sure signs of recovery for an individual organization is the resumption of hiring. The next step toward actually thriving occurs when the workforce begins expanding due to the creation of new positions and opportunities.

As a recruiting professional in HR, you know that good job candidates prepare feverishly for their interview with you. However, they aren’t just studying a list of questions you might ask them. The smart ones are also compiling a set of queries they expect you to answer. This means you need to be prepared to respond with accurate information on a number of topics.

Now don’t get too excited. Before I start talking about today’s topic I should clearly state that while there have been some exciting market improvements lately we still have a lot of long hard work in front of us before we can start breaking out the term “recovery”. That being said, it does seem like the worst is behind us. So while it isn’t time to pop the champagne, it is definitely time to take stock of how prepared your company is to take advantage of the turnaround once it arrives.

This podcast features Pam Finnell from the Morgan Hunter recruiting firm. Finnell is a corporate recruiter who matches employers with HR professionals. In this phone discussion, she talks about her specialty with Brenda Perkins. Pam has worked in management, sales, and HR, and brings a well rounded perspective to the needs of employees and the businesses that hire them.

In this podcast, Brenda Perkins asks Amy Hoppenrath (president of AccelerAction) to explain the benefits of social networking tools. Have you have ever wondered why LinkedIn is making such a big splash in the business community? This interview makes it crystal clear why the site has over 40 million users including managers from all the Fortune 500 companies.

We’re starting to see some serious stabilization in the marketplace these days.  The Dow hit a 13 month high, first time filers for unemployment are down month over month as well as in the rolling average, and companies all over are starting to release funds to begin projects that have been on the backburner during the downturn. Nobody wants to be the company that waits too long to consider growth again and misses out on part of the recovery.

So, should your company consider beginning to hire again? Maybe, maybe not.

We all know the key to effective recruiting is to make sure you hire the right candidate. The question we’re always asking ourselves is “how can I be sure that this candidate is going to be a perfect match for the job?”

Many organizations have volunteerism or community activism as integral parts of their mission statement. It isn’t difficult to determine that helping support volunteer causes is a great way for your company to give back for some of its success. It’s also a good lesson on the importance of ethics and involvement. What may surprise you is that volunteering can also prove to have an incredibly effective business ROI.

It was recently announce that unemployment in the U.S. has reached double digits at 10.2% nationally. The worst we’ve seen in about three decades. While this isn’t good news by any stretch, it also doesn’t have to have a negative impact on your business.

As with any challenging market, the impact this unemployment situation will have on your business will be determined by how you react to it. Here are some thoughts about the pros and cons of the current climate – and tips for how your company can navigate the situation the best way possible.

With the “baby boomer” generation finally heading into retirement, today’s workplace is seeing a sharp increase in the need to find suitable candidates for top level positions. Human Resource managers are scrambling to handle this talent management crisis. As the workplace and the marketplace continue to change rapidly, organizational development needs to catch up. The leaders who are selected over the next 5 to 15 years will be critical in accomplishing this task.

In April of 2009, Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano announced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will finally focus on addressing the main source of the illegal immigration problem. Immigrants without legal status will still be subject to deportation. However, ICE has been instructed to concentrate on prosecuting employers who engage in the criminal behavior of knowingly hiring individuals who are not eligible to work in the U.S.

The E-Verify seems like simply a useful tool for electronically checking employment eligibility for new hires. However, the concept has many opponents. Since its inception, the use of this web based identity verification system (designed by the DHS) has been fraught with disagreement.

In most mergers and acquisitions, an atmosphere of combativeness develops as two companies are streamlined into one. This is because there is a general preception that one side is winning and the other is losing. Unless a takeover simply consists of acquiring a company and keeping all personnel in place (this is rare), there will be a lot of jockeying for position over retention.

Obtaining a working knowledge of the latest networking tools may well become a standard part of professional development for all HR employees. With a shift away from traditional print advertising, recruiting specialists are seeking new ways to connect with potential job candidates. Social media may seem confusing at first. However, once you have learned how to use one version it is easier to figure out the others.

Retention problems during downsizing can ambush a company if it is not prepared. Many businesses use hiring freezes to streamline their organization. Such a strategy reduces workforce size without the need for unpleasant layoffs. Of course, this can work a little too well if your best employees start quitting along with everyone else.  The goal of a reduction in force should be to trim the less productive areas and leave the core intact. However, when smart people sense that a company is having trouble, they are likely to start looking for other employment options.

Small businesses face a number of compliance challenges that can result in errors and legal liability. Becoming aware of these potential problems and taking steps to address them is important. Although some corrective measures may be taken immediately, others are ongoing processes that will take time to fully develop. Here are some areas to review in HR so that future difficulties will be minimized.

One critical aspect of a company’s communications strategy is handling employees who have survived a reduction in force. When people see their coworkers and friends laid off, this can trigger a guilt reflex. Logically, employees know that they are not responsible for these lost jobs. However, they may also feel that they are the recipients of undeserved good fortune at the expense of others. After all, if there are a limited number of jobs to go around, employment can seem like a zero-sum game.

The benefits package you offer your employees has a major impact on their willingness to stay with your company for the long term. Concrete items such as adequate health coverage and low prescription drug co-pays make a big difference. So does the ability to put away funds for retirement. However, employee retention also hinges on more intangible benefits as well. Work/life balance is one good example.

Cutting staffing levels may seem to be the most straightforward solution to a cash flow problem. Meeting payroll can be stressful when profits are down. Simply reducing the size of this monetary commitment may relieve some immediate pressure. However, a reduction in force is often merely a short term solution to underlying issues surrounding overall profitability. Long range planning is crucial to weathering economic fluctuations successfully. If your company hopes to recover quickly from a recession, there are a number of steps you should consider taking now.

It may seem that in today’s well connected world recruiting should be easier than ever. The internet makes posting job openings quick, efficient, and inexpensive. However, anyone who has actually waded through Monster or CareerBuilder lately knows that these sites are filled with what can only be termed spam. Work from home schemes and get rich quick “sales” positions make up a significant percentage of the posted opportunities. Job hunters can get burnt out pretty quickly trying to figure out which companies are actually hiring.

Employees who are thinking long term are more likely to stay with your company if they understand the advantages of doing so. The opportunity to build a strong foundation for retirement is one benefit that your company may offer through 401(k) plans, pension plans, profit sharing, and stock options. However, retirement is not the only eventuality workers should keep in mind when reviewing their benefits package. A disabling accident or illness, the need for long term care, and death are all possible outcomes for each individual.

Oddly enough, stressful times can actually offer a golden opportunity for you to increase employee motivation. During a time period when layoffs are on the rise, many people start feeling like expendable pawns. They fear they may be sacrificed at any moment to help the bottom line. If you can create an atmosphere of teamwork, your workforce will become more cohesive in response to the difficulties your company must face. Encouraging creative problem solving offers employees a chance to deomonstrate their true capabilities. This is a great self esteem booster.

Corporations with a high employee churn rate face expensive recruitment/training costs, loss of productivity, and a remaining workforce that ends up overworked and therefore more likely to quit.  Recognizing the most common causes of employee turnover allows a company to take steps to hire and retain qualified personnel.  

High retention rates have a number of benefits.  Reducing employee turnover allows your company to minimize recruitment and training costs.  It also provides you with a stable, knowledgeable workforce.  These experienced workers have fewer accidents.  All of these factors lead to increased profitability for your business.  Here are some ways you can help keep your best and brightest on the job.

A recruiter’s goal is to provide a steady stream of qualified new hires to fill open positions. All HR departments occasionally make mistakes in their recruiting decisions.  They end up with employees who are incompatible with the job or with the work environment.  Sometimes they have difficulty finding enough people to fill the available positions.  Review these 5 phases of the hiring process and see if you notice any tips that will help your company.

Downsizing, restructuring, permanent layoffs – all these terms for reduction in force point to one inevitable truth.  There are fewer jobs to go around and people are going to be unhappy about it.  This is not a minor concern.  Act now to reduce the anxiety your employees go through during these stressful times.  This will have a huge impact on the success of your newly reorganized company.  

Some companies tend to cut short the initial acclimation period provided for new hires.  This wastes a valuable opportunity to bring workers fully on board.  Employee orientation doesn’t have to stop after the first few days or weeks on the job.  Keeping track of new hire progress should be an ongoing process.  This may involve trainers and supervisors working together to ensure that each employee is settling in to his/her role.  Checking in with workers regularly over the first several months is one way to increase employee engagement and long term satisfaction. 

Some employers can’t seem to convince staff members to stay for more than a couple of years before they move on.  Other companies experience very low rates of turnover.  Is there something to be learned from workplaces that demonstrate excellent employee retention?  Absolutely!  
Companies that consistently attract and retain high quality workers all pay attention to 3 key areas.  Here is what they are doing right.

Losing one employee after another can be very discouraging.  If several of your best workers leave the company within a short time, there is usually something wrong.  It may take some investigating to find out what is going on.  Once you know what the problem is, you can work to reduce this type of employee turnover in a couple of ways.

The mistakes companies make during employee orientation are difficult to undo.  Workers who get started off on the wrong foot are likely to become discouraged.  This keeps them from fulfilling their true potential at your company.  If you are involved in the new hire intake and training process, the following pointers may help you avoid common pitfalls.

Employee on-boarding is an alternate term for the new hire orientation process.  A worker’s first few hours and days on the job set the tone for the rest of his/her employment experience.  Job transition is a very stressful time for most people.  This is true even if they left their old job by choice and will be receiving better pay and benefits at your company.  People who feel welcomed and comfortable during this time will settle in quickly and become productive members of your workforce.