Overqualified Candidates – Are They a Good Fit?

People often think that because they spent years in college or worked for a long time in a particular industry, they should be qualified for any job they apply for. This may be the case for quality candidates looking for their specific education or training, but this doesn’t mean a candidate with a college degree can merely walk in and get any job.

Generally, entry level positions are right for entry level employees. However, if you’re currently hiring for a lower level position and get higher level candidates, how do you know if they are a good fit? There are actually a few reasons why you shouldn’t hire overqualified candidates for entry level assignments, but sometimes it can be a good option in the right circumstances.

The Problem with Overqualified Candidates

On the surface, it may seem like a great idea to hire employees who have more qualifications than what you’re looking for. More work experience shows they have had substantial training that will help them do their job well.

The problem is that with being overqualified for an entry level job is that candidates may require comes higher salary. They may also find themselves getting bored or disgruntled with their position more easily. They may ever be more willing to change jobs as soon as they find another position more suited to their education or qualifications. With this in mind, you can better prepare for hiring employees who are considered overqualified.

Salary Conflicts

The first issue with overqualified candidates is the fact that they often demand higher starting salaries. Many of the salary rates for professionals in the U.S. are based on education and experience. Even if someone is applying for an entry level job, they generally expect higher starting pay than someone who has half their education, as they should. But as an employer, it is your job to determine if this is worth it or not. Yes, you are getting someone with loads of experience, who has a shorter learning curve and doesn’t need as much supervision. But you should also expect to pay them more for hiring them.

Willing to Stick it Out

Next, the overqualified individual might not be willing to stick it out at your company. If you are wanting to hire someone for a position who has many more qualifications and training than you were looking for, there is a higher risk of them leaving you shortly. Retaining employees is essential as it reduces time and money spent hiring and training new employees, time and time again. Ask the job candidate how long they are wanting to work for you. Be sure they’re willing to give you an extended period of time for their employment.

Targeting the Right Candidates

To prevent too many overqualified candidates from applying, be as specific and detailed as possible in your job description. Be detailed not just in what the job and its duties are, but what education and experience you’re looking for. If you are adamant in hiring entry level employees, mention you only want entry level candidates. This not only prevents overqualified individuals from applying, but gives someone with less experience the opportunity to work for your company and get adequate experience.

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It’s Scary – How to Build Confidence Before Your Job Interview

If you have been called in for a job interview that is a great first step. Just having your resume chosen over dozens of other candidates is a good sign. But now you have to get through the interview. This is usually the most nerve-wracking part of the hiring process.

In order to build your confidence before the interview, you need to take some important steps to prepare. The better prepared you are, the more comfortable and confident you will feel during the interview.

Research the Company

Your first step when you get an interview should always be researching the company. The more you know about the company, the better your interview is going to be. Most likely, the interviewer will ask you what you know about them. The last thing you want to do is tell them you don’t know anything. This is going to look bad when they’re deciding between you and someone who did their research, and the remainder of the interview will be very stressful. Take time to look at their website and research the company as much as possible.

Practice Answering Interview Questions

Look up a list of the most commonly asked interview questions and practice answering them. You can practice them while you’re alone at first, but it is helpful to practice answering them in front of someone else. Hand a friend or loved one the list of questions, and tell them to ask you them at random. By practicing answering questions, you get a handle on what you’re going to say and feel much more confident when it comes time for the actual interview.

Do Your Own Background Check

You aren’t going to pay for a background check on yourself, but you should find out if you have any skeletons that might come up. If you have a printout from a previous background check an employer ran, look through it so see what is there. Consider things the employer might do to learn more about you, such as looking at any public social media accounts you have. Remove anything that isn’t appropriate for a prospective employer to read.

Drive to the Site Beforehand

If you have never been to this company before, drive or get a ride to their business beforehand. Make sure you know the easiest route and are aware of what traffic might be like on the day. If you take public transportation, always arrange a ride on the day of the interview. Be sure you arrive plenty early, without having to rely on buses or trains that might get you there late.

Be Prepared

Have everything you need days before the interview. Get your outfit out and have it cleaned if you have not done so already. Make sure to print multiple copies of your resume and bring with you a paper listing your references for their job application. Wake up earlier than necessary to have everything ready before you leave.

If you are looking for jobs in southeastern Michigan, contact the staffing experts at Advance Staffing Solutions today!

Developing Core Values and Company Culture as One

As a general rule of thumb, a company’s leader is the key person to turn to when it comes to developing a set of core values for the company. In fact, this will ultimately make a difference in the company’s culture.

What are your company’s core values? For that matter, do you know what your own are? To find out, ask more questions and get to the heart of what makes your business operation. A good way to do this is to consider what makes the leaders of the company tick.

Feeling Alive

One of the key questions to ask leaders is when they feel the most alive within the scope of the business. For example, in some settings, the thing that drives a young company is the determination and the push to grow that is present in the leaders. They want the start-up to succeed and that is why they work so hard at it. In other words, ask, “What makes this business culture come to life?” You want to address the specific factors driving the company.

What Brings Up the Negative?

It is also important to determine what brings up the raw, negative emotions so common in some business environments. What gets under your skin as a business leader? For example, if one leader is arrogant, this can affect the remaining team members. Sometimes, a sense of failure that is looming could put the brakes on the successes you feel. Identifying this could help you to refocus the business, as you need to do so.

What Can You Borrow From?

Another way to look at the core culture of your business is to consider other systems you can borrow from. For example, there may be various narratives to use to help you create a value system. No matter if, it is religious or not, you need to have a set of standards that employees and leaders follow. You may practice displaying the worth of the employee. You may be focusing on avoiding instrumental behavior. The key here is to have some set of rules, written or not, that help to demonstrate where your business’s core values stem from. This can make the biggest difference in if everyone is focused on the same thing.

As you consider your business and core values, ask yourself if you, as a leader, are doing everything it takes really to be the best example for your company. Your company culture may be dependent on the way you interact and respect each other in the workplace. Take some time to consider these factors. Consider them at a personal level as the leader of your company and again at the company level. Your business culture could be founded on these, whether you realize it or not.

Advance Temporary Staffing Solutions can help you find the right employees to help you build your company culture based on your core values. Learn more about the benefits of hiring temporary workers to build your team focused on your corporate culture, by reviewing our previous articles on this topic.

The Secrets to Being a Great Leader

Ways Teams are Built for Long Term Success

Lean Manufacturing Advice | Real Time Data Benefits

The use of real-time data management has vastly improved processes in the manufacturing field of business. With advanced technologies made available to all, a preeminent industrialization using real-time intelligence has emerged. This has become a realization of the vision of businessman, Taiichi Ohno, often referred to as a father of Lean Manufacturing. The aptitude of “The Toyota-Style Information System”, which is now evident as a proof of real-time information effectiveness, has long become the standard in manufacturing efficiency. Learn more how one can maximize these benefits in manufacturing.

How to Take Advantage of Real-Time Information

1. Be influenced with secondary data.

Outstanding information like updated and secondary changes are made available for application to kick off improved works and contained procedures. The specified information may be in turn be the foundation of Six-sigma development and can enhance the precision of dominant info in every preparation procedure (set lead time, set expenses, etc.)

2. Prolong evidences of inclusive processes needed for entrepreneurial system aid.

This is no way similar to group-rooted entrepreneurial matters or result analyses. Data on real-time allows immediate resorting that is human-oriented, which aims on letting managing personnel to take over and customize the manufacturing processes. Despite the fact that higher members of the company do not see the need to supervise keenly on these proceedings, this potential is observably important when it comes to a crucial need for supplication matters.

3. Allows procedures to provide for connected alliances and consumers.

Putting distributors and product profit in order is a vital point to Lean benefits, despite the idea that many of Lean enhancements are centering on four foundations of manufacturing dexterities. The only means of accommodating the use of real-time information with external and internal associates is through producers that face the maximum abilities of Lean routines.

4. Maintain Kaizen

As it is known, Kaizen urges several minute procedures to alter in a Lean venture. The result of these little modifications in bordering merchandising plan, labor order, tools, strategies and human resource are all capable of being attained and turned into a ready-to-use real-time milestone. It paves a way for ready and prompt calculations of functional KPI’s throughout several dexterity to push same objectives.

5. Promote procedures and manufacturing system adjust-ability.

When partnered with an excellent potentiality of actions, real-time intelligence results in fresh and advanced stages in the procedures and distributing system adaptability. Industries these days are equipped with data that are essential for them to resort into specific business conclusions in regards to increasing suppliers, turning into other procedures and modifying supply systems to be on the call for inconsistent situations.

Taking control of real-time intelligence in the manner mentioned is guaranteed be attainable and is turning out to be increasingly useful and efficient. For a few industries, it appears to be necessary for issues concerning finances and opposing fields of the business. Effects and flourishing results of real-time intelligence for manufacturing fields are sure to come and can be evident for even years after its occurrences.

If you are looking to land top manufacturing talent, contact the experts at Advance Staffing Solutions today!

 Enjoy a previous related post on this topic

Demand Response Can Lower Cost for Your Manufacturing Facility

Boost Your Line’s Performance Today – Manufacturing Workforce Management

The manufacturing industry is not dead; it’s thriving despite predictions from economic sources. However, there has been slower than normal growth in this market due to the higher than average cost of materials and transportation. Manufacturing staffing has also suffered somewhat, with less than 9,000 factory jobs added last summer and approximately 3.5 million job openings being advertised as of the beginning of 2013 according to a US News report. That’s in sharp contrast compared to the 11 million unemployed people currently saturating the job market. On the other side, experts are also predicting a sharp rise in consumer spending this summer which should drive up demand for a wide variety of manufactured goods.

Yet, with all the uncertainty right now for this year, there are still some ways to develop your manufacturing business strategy to maximize the staff you have on board now. This will have a positive effect on your production rates and additional revenues that can help support the addition of new temporary and permanent manufacturing workers.  Here are some suggested ways to boost your line’s performance, to reach these goals.

  1. Streamline all of your manufacturing and inventory systems into one well-managed computerized product.
  2. Cross-train and mentor your current employees so that they can support peak production cycles and improve their efficiency and skills.
  3. Look to employee incentive programs and wellness campaigns to improve motivation and overall morale.
  4. Partner with vendors to provide integrated ordering, shipping and receiving of goods to reduce time and costs.
  5. Carefully manage your staff to spot signs of burnout or stress, then promptly provide support or paid time off.
  6. Contract with a staffing service onsite to manage all your recruitment, screening, hiring and training needs at a cost savings.

While the summer’s manufacturing trends are yet to be seen, preparing now can help you to boost your overall performance and raise productivity levels in your lines. Advance Staffing Solutions can help you design a staffing management plan that includes the use of temporary workers, trainers, and employee recruitment and screening services. Look to our recruitment experts for ongoing manufacturing staff support.

How to Have a Proactive Interview this Spring

Are you ready for your job interview? Whether this is your first interview or you have had dozens of them before, you need to be well prepared and proactive. Getting chosen for an interview is a great first step, but it doesn’t guarantee you the job.

The next process is preparing for and going through the interview stage. During this time, you should be proactive and take the initiative, in order to stand out and give the interviewer a reason to consider you above others.

Get the Details Right

Being proactive with your interviews starts before you even have the interview. You should always call or email ahead of time to verify the interview details. This means confirming your interview date and time, making sure you have the interview person’s name and contact information, and that you can arrive on time.

If you have a car, drive to the company before the interview to make sure you get there without getting lost. If you usually take public transportation, ask for a ride on the day of the interview so you don’t risk not having proper transportation.

Ask Intelligent Questions

Not only should you be answering questions in the right manner, but asking questions as well. This is one of the best ways to be proactive during your interview. Think of intelligent and insightful questions to ask the company. It shows you have more interest in the company, and that is isn’t just a “job.”

When the interviewer ask if you have any questions, be sure to have a few lined up in wait. Avoid questions about benefits or salary. Instead, ask questions about the company itself.

Show Your Interest in the Company

To further show interest in the company you may be working for, request a tour of the facilities. Even a small office has several areas to be shown. This is great incentive toward showing your honest interest in their establishment.

While on the tour, ask questions about their products or services, or even offer your own insight into what you have learned so far about their company. Researching them beforehand gives you the upper hand when you go on your tour.

Send a Thank-you letter

You should always send a thank-you letter within 48 hours of your interview. It can be a professionally-worded email sent to the person who interviewed you, or a handwritten note send to their offices.

Now that you know how to be proactive, you’re giving yourself the opportunity to be noticed and recognized as someone willing to go the extra mile. While these may seem like small things, every detail and initiative you take, is one step closer to the job you want.

 

Time to Hire Can be Seen as a Poor Recruiting Metric – Focus on Candidate Quality

One of the long standing arguments that have gone around in the recruitment community for quite some time is the issue of time to hire as a recruiting metric. Time to hire is literally how long it takes for a recruiter to source, screen, interview, and place into an assignment for an open assignment. The shorter this time to hire, the more “successful” the recruiter is viewed.

Why is time to hire used as a measurement of success in recruitment?

There are a couple of reasons why time to hire has been considered an important metric in the recruiting business. First, the more efficiently a recruiter can manage candidate selection and placement, the less time and cost are incurred. This means more money for the recruiter for a short period of work. Second, to clients, the sooner a candidate can be located and starts working, the sooner they too can realize productivity levels and eventually, profitability.

However, there are some critics of the time to hire metric as an actual proof of good recruiting practices. These are some of the points made that point to flaws in this old school method of evaluating recruitment efforts.

  1. It puts speed before quality. Sure, you can staff open assignments at the speed of sound, but just how much time did you spend confirming that the candidates have the right stuff for the job? In many cases, the faster you place candidates, the more you compromise certain quality standards. Quality is always more important than time to hire – focus on quality candidates!
  2. It doesn’t factor in retention. Once you’ve placed all your emphasis on quickly placing candidates into assignments, time to hire is done. You are no longer concerned with any other recruitment metrics, such as employee retention rates and candidate advancement. These are serious matters that the best performing recruitment firms factor in.
  3. It takes out the human factor. Sure, having a great time to hire number seems great, but you cannot fit just any candidate into any assignment. Attempts to beat the figures can result in poor fitting hires and major problems later on down the road. Again, carefully look at the human factor and get to know each candidate better to make sure the job fits their unique skill sets.
  4. It doesn’t work with specialists. Certain industries require highly educated and trained specialist candidates, therefore the time to hire metric just doesn’t work that well. In fact, you need to spend at least 30-45 days searching for the right candidate for a specialist assignment vs. trying to get in under that percentage. Time to hire just goes out the window.

The rule of thumb for successful recruiting is to stop worrying so much about metrics and focus instead on quality of hire. Take the time to carefully assess each candidate and open order. Don’t rush to fill assignments, rather find the best person for the job. This will help you grow as a company and increase your success rate as a recruiter.

We hope you enjoyed this post and share it with your networks! Also, we look forward to your comments and feedback!

Want to learn more? Explore important recruitment and employment topics by reading a few popular posts from Advance Staffing Solutions!

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The Candidate Experience – Why It’s Important | Recruiting Best Practices 

Ways Teams are Built for Long Term Success 

Attract the Best Talent to Your Business with a Defined Brand

Your business thrives because of the good people you employ. But have you given much thought to how your company brand may be affecting the experience of candidates who walk through your doors? This is something you must plan for because of several factors taking place in the job market.

  1. Specialized skill sets are getting harder to find in the candidate pool.
  2. Baby boomers are retiring at the rate of 10,000 employees per day.
  3. Industries need talent with advanced technology skills to maintain innovation.

A brand is the message that you communicate to the rest of the world about your business, what it stands for, and the culture of the workplace. Do this right and your business can attract top performance candidate. Do this wrong, and you’ll encounter an overflow of unqualified candidates.

In a special report released in the third-quarter of 2012, LinkedIn ‘s The State of Employer Brand indicated that many employers are concerned with their employer brand as a way to attract better talent. The figures in this report, gathered from over 3,000 global employers, revealed a recruitment brand strategy.

  • 83 percent of the polled employers said that a well-defined corporate brand can attract higher quality candidates.
  • The leading factor in the decision to invest in corporate branding is efficient candidate acquisition 61 percent of the time.
  • More than half of all employers in the report are actively taking steps now to improve their corporate brand strategy to attract candidates.

There are several ways to define your brand so that it becomes an effective candidate magnet. These social branding methods can give you access to the cream of the crop in terms of future employees, which can give your business a leading edge in your industry.

Create consistency with your brand – Your brand should be the same across all outreach methods and online marketing campaigns. Keeping a brand message consistent proves that you are in touch with candidates and the objectives of your company.

Establish your brand as the best – A well-defined brand also speaks volumes about your company leadership as the experts in your industry. Make sure all corporate communications reflect this to impress high performance candidates.

Demonstrate your corporate culture – One of the ways your brand influences targeted talent pools is by giving a glimpse into what daily life is like within your business. This is especially important as new generations of workers are looking for fun and collaborative workplaces to build a career.

Demand Response Can Lower Cost for Your Manufacturing Facility

As a manufacturing facility in a struggling economy, you may be finding it challenging to meet expenses on a regular basis. It’s not uncommon with fluctuating costs in materials, shipping and transportation, and even the costs of recruiting manufacturing personnel. Yet, there is a way you can bring in extra revenues this year. Joining a demand response program can improve your cash flow, lower your facility costs, and help to maintain a thriving manufacturing business. Here’s how.

A demand response program is one that asks manufacturing companies to reduce their electricity use during certain peak times, in an effort to protect the electricity grid. To be compensated as a manufacturing company, it’s required to reduce electricity usage in return for financial compensation. This can be significant, considering that a large manufacturer may receive a grant payment of as much as $50,000 during a single demand response event, simply by cutting power usage by 1,500 KW.

On the back-end  the company will also save money by reducing electricity utility bills. For the average manufacturing plant, this can be in the thousands of dollars. This is money that can be invested in other aspects of running a business, such as staff training, equipment upgrades, and building maintenance. The rewards and incentives of demand response program participants are many, including the ability to be a leading sustainable company in the manufacturing industry.

Additionally, it’s possible to reduce damage and wear to costly manufacturing equipment during power grid down-times  During unexpected power surges and voltage fluctuations, these electrical pulses can cause damage to equipment and even internal computing systems. However, as a participant in the demand response program, your company will instead be alerted to potential brownouts and surges in the power grid, giving you the ability to shut down beforehand.

Be prepared to participate in a demand response program by understanding that your facility will have to be wait listed for a time before acceptance, and you must be flexible in order to meet each program. This means also having access to temporary contract workers who can manage second and third-shift working hours, when your manufacturing plant will be encouraged to be at full operation. However, the rewards for participating in a demand response effort can far outweigh the requirements.

Get more information about Emergency Direct Response programs in Ohio and Michigan !

 

Taking a Closer Look at Employee Performance Management

Employee performance management systems have long been considered a foundation for successful human resource management in the business world. Yet, some critics argue that performance metrics are not always the most accurate way to measure human capital ROI.

An interesting study, conducted in the summer of 2012 by Ed Lawler, George Benson, and Michael McDermott at the University of Southern California – Center for Effective Organizations, pointed out that, “Performance management systems are effective when they are based on goals that are jointly set and are driven by an organization’s business strategy.” The study revealed that as few as 10 percent of the 100 organizations surveyed for this study had updated their performance management systems in the last five to ten years. That means, there was a clear breakdown between the performance of their employees and the ways in which they are evaluated. In fact, some of the performance measurements were so outdated and inaccurate, they could not be relied upon to give a true picture of success.

Performance management is only as good as the way in which it delivers results in the increased engagement and productivity of employees. When employees are carefully recruited during the selection and interview process, they will be one step closer to being able to productively contribute to the organization. Likewise, when these new hires are trained well and provided with all the tools they need to succeed, they can perform up to organizational expectations. Herein lies the real issue.

Over-reliance on any performance management system will not motivate or inspire any employee. In fact, it will likely have the exact opposite effect. Negative feedback can seem like a stab in the back to employees who work hard and sacrifice personal time every day. Performance systems that are overly generic lack meaning to employees. Perhaps the worst case scenario is a performance management system that is not delivered in a consistent or fair manner, but instead is a tool used by managers to avoid rewarding employees who have demonstrated a commitment to the business. Favoritism still exists and it’s damaging to any business.

Despite these challenges, performance review systems are not going away. Rather, they are being viewed as one of many different tools that HR departments can use to measure the success and growth capabilities of their staffers.

If you are looking for top talent to manage your work force or join your team, contact the staffing experts at Advance Staffing Solutions today!

Do You Have a Healthy Employee Recognition Program?

If you were to take the temperature of your current employee recognition program, would it end up hot or cold? In many workplaces, the addition of employee recognition programs become an afterthought – most often spurred by production challenges and falling retention rates. Yet, an employee recognition program can be a boon to your business for many other reasons.

When well-managed, an employee recognition program can support a workplace that is actively engaged in the betterment of all employees. This leads to higher levels of productivity, innovation, and collaboration. All of these factors help make a business grow strategically with the best employees who are on board for success.

To develop a healthy employee recognition program, here are some steps your company can take right now.

Evaluate the current incentive and recognition program.

Before you tackle the challenge of updating your employee recognition program, take the time to review what has been in place and what is being taken advantage of by employees. This should give you a good basis for developing an improved recognition program.

Conduct a 360 degree survey to find out what drives your employees.

Another way you can develop a healthier employee incentive plan is to ask your employees in a confidential way. Use a 360 degree survey to do this and you’ll be sure to get to the core of the incentives that your employees are looking for. After all, if incentives don’t mean anything to your staff, then they are not worth the time to implement.

Work with a staffing agency to improve your incentive plan.

If cost and time are factors in your hesitation to add more items to your employee recognition program, you can find support from a quality staffing agency. Ask what perks or bonuses can be obtained for contracting a temporary workforce. Ask for more ideas that will work well given your current employee population.

Look for low cost, easy to manage employee recognition ideas.

The best employee recognition programs are easy on the budget and your schedule. Find those that are simple and manageable. Focus on value and consistency rather than on dollar figures. Remember, employees like to be appreciated so make sure your management team is thanking them often in many different ways.

 Learn More from Advance Staffing Solutions: 

What is Your Competitor Doing? | Employee Compensation 

 

Ways Teams are Built for Long Term Success

Success is the name of the game in the world of business today. It’s more important than ever that companies do their hiring with serious team building in mind. However, companies that are just beginning to embrace a team building atmosphere have to work with the tools they have on hand. It is up to team leaders to pull their teams together and help them realize their potential. Here are a few critical steps that can make your efforts to build a stellar team infinitely more successful.

Take the Time to get to Know the Players

You have to know the players on your team in order to figure out how to motivate them, encourage them, challenge them, and play to the strengths while minimizing the weaknesses of each individual on the team. You also need to know the areas wear a little additional attention and guidance may be needed so that you can give it to them. Don’t rush in and start making plans and setting goals until after you’ve taken a moment to find out what kind of players you’re dealing with—and you know that you’re all playing the same game.

Understand How You Work Best

The most important person on the team for you to understand is yourself. You have to figure out how to do all the things to motivate, cajole, and, sometimes, castigate yourself just as you do for all the members of your team. But you also have to understand how you lead best too. Here are a few of the things you need to know about yourself and your role as the team leader before you even think about trying to lead your team.

  • How well is your team likely to accept your leadership attempts?
  • How qualified are you to lead this team?
  • How do you plan to hold yourself accountable for any problems that may arise with your team?
  • What do you plan to do to correct these problems?

It might not look like much in black and white but these questions can mean a lot as you’re working to build a stronger team and become the leader you need to be to keep them motivated.

Motivate and Reward

Even small praise can mean a lot to the team members that are working so hard under your leadership. It doesn’t take much to let them know they’re appreciated and the reward for doing so is well worth any effort you might have to expend. Acknowledge their contributions, praise their good work, and keep them motivated to continue their successes.

Building a team that will enjoy long term success isn’t always easy. There are tough decisions that will need to be made along the way. However, if you do these things you’re doing your part to make your team work as a formidable and effective unit within the company.

Ready to start improving your team structure with augmented talent? Have a need to build a new and effective team? Advance Staffing Solutions has highly-skilled contract professionals in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan ready to improve your long term team success.