Raza Rauf - The Advance Group

Are You Fishing in the Right Candidate Pool?

Raza Rauf on February 27, 2015

With the spring season right around the corner, now is the perfect time to throw the fishing metaphors into the fray. When it comes to searching for potential employees, companies must fish in the right candidate pool if they want to be successful with new hires. Here, we will discuss the best places to find the right candidates when jobs become available at your company.

Offer Value to Communities

Companies need to not only join industry communities, but should also provide valuable information for others. This is especially true on LinkedIn and other networking resources. Groups on LinkedIn are an excellent place for candidates and companies to mingle within the same industry. Companies cannot use the communities simply to post open jobs and then disappear. The companies need to provide content and discussion that impresses candidates and motivates them to apply for jobs.

Use Social Media Wisely

Companies must also use social media, but not in a fleeting way. Get involved in Twitter chats, Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups, or forums. Also, browse blogs within your company’s industry and see if you can provide a guest post or create a member account to enter the discussion at the end of a post or article. Create a positive culture around your company to lure great candidates to your company, and also take advantage of the already active social networks of a well-known staffing company like Advance Staffing Solutions.

Get More Employee Referrals

When companies utilize an employee referral system they are fishing in the right candidate pool. The reason for this is that employees will not put their necks on the line for just anyone because their reputation is at stake each time. Even though employees will be rewarded for successful referrals, it does not mean they will take advantage of the system.

Target Skilled Tech Candidates

Candidates who know technology make some of the best employees today. Technology is such a major part of our lives, and jobs, that it can no longer be overlooked, no matter the type of job your company has available. A pool of candidates with tech experience makes it easier to fill some of your open jobs and that they will be of excellent help to your company’s goals if they remain on the staff for a prolonged period. Work with Advance Staffing Solutions to secure some of the best technical candidates in the Detroit MI area.

Remove Barriers for Passive Candidates

Some of the strongest job candidates are passive candidates because they are already displaying how well they perform their job functions at high levels. A major issue with passive candidates and getting them to look at your job opening is the fact that they are always busy. Your company needs to work around the passive candidate’s schedule in order to fish them out of the pool. This includes offering them a first-round job interview via video. It allows them to schedule it during their free time and they do not have to take time to travel either.

Finding the right pools to fish for candidates can be difficult today for companies, but it can be done if the tips outlined in this post are put in place.

Your Total Resume Overhaul Made Simple!

Raza Rauf on February 24, 2015

It is a good idea to perform a total resume overhaul every couple of years whether or not you are looking for a new job. The reason for overhauling your resume is to improve it and make it more attractive to potential employers. Another reason is the fact that the items that should be included on a resume can change quite often. Here’s how to give your resume a do-over without being too complicated.

Examine Resume Above the Fold

Even though most job applications are completed online, you should still perform the resume fold test. Print out a copy of your resume, fold it in half and then examine the resume prior to the fold. The area above the fold, or the top third of the resume, will be what the employer sees first when opening the document you send them digitally. You need to make sure that this portion of the resume sells you as an employee.

Submit Resume to an Unknown

An excellent way to perform a total overhaul is to give your resume to a qualified career coach or a career counselor at your university. This means that they do not know your personal work history or anything else about your life. Have them look at the resume for only 30 seconds. Once the 30 seconds are up, ask the person three things they remember from the resume and what type of story it tells readers. Take their feedback and use it to update the document.

Edit the Header Section

The header of your resume can make the document stand out from the rest of the pack when put in front of employers. If you are not a design expert, you can still make this happen. Simply change the font, size and color of the print of your name at the top. If you do this on your resume, make sure you match it on your cover letter in an effort to have your personal brand match.

Add All Types of Experience

If you feel your resume is lacking in substance, there is nothing wrong with adding all types of experience to it. This includes any part-time work, volunteer work, or even blogging you have done on the side. Any experience is an important one, so make sure you include it if your resume is lacking in substance.

Quantify Your Accomplishments

Make it a point to quantify as many of your accomplishments as possible when overhauling your resume. You need to tell employers how many people were impacted by your success or by how much of a percentage you exceeded your sales goals last quarter.

The next time you sit down to overhaul your resume, follow the tips outlined in this post to help make the process as simple as possible.

Simple and Free Ways to Motivate Your Workforce

Raza Rauf on February 23, 2015

Let’s get motivated! You hear this phrase among a lot of work teams, but it can mean different things to different people. From an HR perspective, finding ways to motivate and inspire employees often affects the company’s ability to generate revenues. Therefore, it’s critical to find ways to incentivize the workplace so that employees are continually working at their highest capacity and staying motivated on the job.

The good news is that there are some simple and even free ways to motivate even the toughest workforce. Read on to learn more.

It goes without saying, thanks that is

Too often, employee efforts go unseen and unrecognized in the workplace. How about motivating employees by saying “thanks” for a job well done? This simple tip can help transform grumbling employees into highly engaged and happy ones. Teach your management team to offer thanks as often as possible and share this in a public way so that all employees understand their value to the company.

Make the workplace fun

Going to work daily doesn’t have to be dull or impressive. In fact, any company can change the workplace into a fun and inviting environment where employees can feel inspired. Remove cubicle jungles and replace them with open collaborate workspaces. Replace stuffy meeting rooms with open conversational areas with comfortable chairs and great lighting. Institute a more casual dress code (if possible). Take the time to celebrate achievements more and focus on the positive.

Offer performance-based incentives

Take the stress out of annual reviews that make employees nervous and instead set up progressive salary increases and incentives that are doled out year-round for employees who demonstrate a commitment to excellence. Get rid of the status quo and get your managers out on the floor observing and recognizing employees with regular bonuses, gift cards, and cash incentives based on their performance — not popularity.

Give employees the chance to learn

One of the ways to create a stronger workforce is to develop a learning program that enables everyone to boost their knowledge and skills. Make sure you have a mentoring program in place to transfer information from one generation to another. Create a variety of learning programs to inspire everyone who works for you to be their best, rewarding for participation with certificates of achievement and incremental salary increases for those who complete them.

As you begin adding these cheap and free incentives to your workplace, you will start to see a boost in employee morale, team building and better performance over time. Keep adding to these campaigns and make sure your people know how much they mean to your organization with regular celebrations and recognition efforts.

How to Address Resume Gaps in an Interview

Raza Rauf on February 20, 2015

Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for candidates to walk in for an interview presenting several resume gaps in their employment history. The recession took a toll on many good people, who lost their jobs and then spent months or even years trying to find gainful employment. Some headed back to college and lived at home with parents or other family members while trying to get back on their feet. It’s also possible that candidate resume gaps come from brief periods of being stay-at-home parents or when caring for family members.

Whatever the case may be, if you are a candidate facing an interview and need to explain resume gaps, this article will guide you in this process.

Focus on a Functional Resume Format

Instead of creating a resume that shows the chronological order of all your jobs by month and date (calls out your resume gaps more), try a functional resume format that highlights your skills and talents instead. Use your resume to develop a smart-looking career history that’s focused on career achievements and how you’ve used your amazing array of skills, education, and knowledge to progress. If the resume gap is brought up in the interview by the interviewer, you can talk about it then.

Be Honest and Upfront About Resume Gaps

Believe it or not, human resource and recruitment professionals are people too. They appreciate honesty from candidates. Don’t try to cover up lags between jobs, fake employment dates or lie about resume gaps. They will be discovered sooner or later. Instead, just simply include a reason for these gaps on your resume and on applications. If you were laid off or if a company closed down, let the recruiter know.

Indicate What You Were Doing During Resume Gaps

Make sure you provide some indication of what career efforts you were engaged in during resume gaps. For example, if you were attending classes through your local workforce development office, state this so that the recruiter knows you were actively working towards employment. Talk about any volunteer, educational, and other worthy pursuits you were participating in during these gaps in employment.

Get Your Reference Letters in Order

While you are preparing for your interview, be sure to reach out to all your previous employers and get those reference letters written up. Even if you have to write them yourself, take them there, and get a former supervisor or colleague to sign them. This will help you to demonstrate your value to the interviewer and remove the emphasis off your resume gaps.

Once you have done these things, you should be more confident about sitting in front of a potential employer. Work with a staffing agency to find ways to work on temporary assignments while you are looking for a long-term career. Who knows? You may even land a great job sooner than you can imagine and not have to talk a lot about resume gaps in the future if you go this route.

Have Two Great Candidates? How do You Decide Whom to Hire?

Raza Rauf on February 17, 2015

It happens in every hiring manager’s life: two great candidates present themselves for a single job opening. This can be quite the dilemma because it’s growing ever more difficult to find the best people for certain positions and so if two come along it’s like striking a goldmine. But, the company must make a decision and hire the best person for this particular job.

Here’s how to decide whom to hire, when presented with this type of scenario.

Review the Actual Job Needs

After you’ve conducted the interviews, go back and review the actual needs of the job itself. Are there any special skills or experience that one candidate has a little more than the other? It’s easy to hire general candidates to fill jobs, but you don’t want to hire another “warm body” in this case. Make sure you carefully weigh each candidate’s unique skills, knowledge, and past career achievements against the job you are hiring for.

Get a Second Interview Lined Up Now

If you are unsure of which candidate to hire, ask each candidate back for a second round of interviews – onsite or through your preferred staffing agency. This time, however, ask another member of the work team or a staffing manager to be present so you can get another person’s feedback on the candidates. This can help you to avoid hiring someone based on emotion or first impressions only. Base your interview on a short, fun behavioral activity following some more in-depth interview questions.

Conduct a Thorough Background Check

Things can often be revealed with conducting past employment reference checks and background screenings. Take the time to do this well, carefully asking questions that probe a little more into each candidate’s suitability for the job. Write down your notes and go over them privately to make a better decision. You also have the option to let your staffing agency handle this part of the process so you can hire the best candidate.

Test the Candidates with a Contract Project

If you are still at a conundrum after going through the above steps, then you could up the ante by offering a paid contract project, afterwards you will decide on who to hire based on the results. Try to find a project that will challenge each candidate and enable them to show off their skills, while being related to the actual job they are vying for. Work with the management team to come up with a suitable project and offer a generous payment for the project once completed.

Hire Them Both if They are Perfect for the Company

If you are still not sure which candidate to hire for the singular job, why not create another position so you can hire them both? This could be a win-win for your business, because you get two amazing candidates at once. Develop a plan for onboarding both candidates with your staffing agency. One candidate may be willing to consider a slightly different assignment that will meet your business needs so they can get a foot into your company. Be open to this option, or at least consider one for a later hire.

Want to Be Successful in Your Career? Here’s How!

Raza Rauf on February 13, 2015

It’s a given; everyone wants to find their way to success in a career. Yet, the pathways to success often takes its own twists and turns along the way. It seems that some people get luckier in their careers than others. Some just happen to be in the right place at the right time. Some work harder to achieve success, while others seem to have it handed to them.

The truth is that anyone can achieve a successful career if they are smart, hard working, and strategic. Here, you will find sound advice on how to experience career success of your own.

#1 – Understand your true talents as soon as possible.

Take the time to get to know your unique talents and gifts early in life. To do this, take advantage of personality and career assessments, often offered by staffing agencies, college career advisors, and career coaches. You can also take one for free online at Career Test. Uncover what strengths and weaknesses you have, then design a career around these factors so you will achieve more success in any job you take on.

#2 – Grow a strong professional network around you.

As the old saying goes, “It’s not what you know, but who you know that matters.” Get busy and start developing a foundation for career success by connecting with the right people in your field of interest. Join professional industry groups and attend local chapter meetings. Get online and participate in social networking and online industry forums to find mentors in your industry.

#3 – Register with a solid staffing agency now.

As soon as possible, head to the best staffing agency in your area and get registered as a candidate. You will give yourself two distinct advantages. First, you will eligible for assignments that frequently come only through staffing agencies. Second, you will be able to take advantage of all the benefits of working with the capable recruiters at the staffing agency, such as interview prep and resume reviews.

#4 – Be a lifelong learner.

The most successful people in the world never stop learning. From job skills to education and industry certifications, make sure you always keep learning something new that you can put to use in your career. Employers often support this effort, so be sure to ask about educational assistance.

#5 – Stay healthy in your lifestyle.

The quickest way to burn out in a career is to endure ongoing stress and have not outlet, which can cause health issues that can prevent you from achieving success. Instead, find ways to reduce stress and stay healthy. Make clean eating and exercise a part of your daily life at work and at home.

By following the above tips, you can be successful in your career, and your life in general. Focus on the things that matter the most, and leverage your skills and knowledge to land a rewarding career.

Bickering Co-Workers? Here’s What Employers Can Do

Raza Rauf on February 10, 2015

One of the most difficult situations a manager has to deal with occurs when there are co-workers fighting while on the job. The healthiest of workplaces can be destroyed when two or more co-workers fail to get along. Managers need to find new ways to keep the peace between co-workers and know how to resolve conflicts when they arise.

Don’t let bickering among co-workers turn into a dangerous incident of workplace violence! Use these tips to nip arguments in the bud now.

Meet with the Individuals Involved

The first step in solving the issue is to sit down and meet with the individuals involved in the disagreement as soon as possible. The longer you let the issue fester, the worse the outcome will be for the company. Have a meeting with all those involved and find out what is the root of the issue and how you all can go about solving it. If there is a supervisor who works above you, alert him or her to the problem and the fact that you are working to resolve it so your boss is not taken by surprise if the issue explodes.

Include Human Resources Right Away

Depending on the severity of the issue, you must consider involving human resources as a possible mediator. The representative from the human resources office will be unbiased since he or she works in a separate department. Other reasons to include human resources are to begin the transfer of one employee to another department, to put an employee on probation or to file a written notice for the employees involved.

Give Employees a Chance to Resolve on Their Own

In some instances, the disagreement can be so minor that the employees involved will be able to resolve the issue on their own. If this is the case, encourage the employees involved to sit down with each other and discuss their problems. Let them know that it is in the best interest of the company and the employees to resolve the issue quickly and without getting anyone else involved.

Remove Trouble Employees from Common Assignments

If all else fails, but you do not want to or cannot have employees reassigned to other departments, consider removing them from common assignments or projects. This will make it easier on all those involved who have been arguing and will hopefully return the department to a normal working environment.

Be Open with Employees

An excellent way to deal with fighting co-workers is to always be open with your employees as a manager. The more open and honest you are, the easier it will be for your employees to come to you with any problems they are having with their co-workers. This will help to nip any problems early so they do not grow into a major problem.

Dealing with fighting co-workers as a manager is a difficult process. Have a plan in place to handle such issues when they arise so you can defeat them quickly. Work with Advance Staffing solutions, a Southgate OH Recruitment firm, for ways to reduce bickering between your employees with temp staff who can take some of the pressure off existing employees, and replace those who are constant trouble.

Can LinkedIn Recommendations Help You Land a Job?

Raza Rauf on February 6, 2015

Millions of people are on LinkedIn these days in an effort to improve their reach within their industry and to find a new job in Sylvania OH. The best way to do this is by having a complete profile, which means that it must include recommendations from previous employers, co-workers, mentors or college professors. Recommendations from those who know you best will help you land a job.

Find out how to leverage LinkedIn to land a job sooner, with these tips below:

Identify Your People Who are the Best Fit to Recommend You

The first step in landing a job via a LinkedIn recommendation is by identifying the people within your network who are best fit to recommend you. Instead of sending out a mass email to the hundreds of people in your network, identify who knows you best from college, a previous job or a current job. Send out five recommendation requests per week until you receive a set number of recommendations you think is best for your profile.

Recommend First, Then Ask

Instead of directly asking a connection to recommend you, consider recommending them first. They will either reciprocate without having to be asked or will kindly write you a recommendation after you nudge them just a little bit. It is never a good idea to ask for a recommendation without offering something in return first.

Create a List of Accomplishments

Make sure your LinkedIn profile features the best accomplishments from your entire career. When you put all of this on one list you will make it easier for those recommending you to write their letter. It will not be generic or boring. Instead, it will be specific to your career and the accomplishments achieved with those who recommended you. Use the space near the top part of your profile page to include your best features and accomplishments.

Request Recommendations Early

It is a good idea to request the recommendation while still employed with a company that also employs your endorser or to do so not long after you have left that company. This will ensure that the endorser does not forget who you are or what it is you did for the company while employed. If the endorser does not respond right away, do not worry as everyone is busy. Wait a week or so and ask again, but this time send a personal email request or make a quick phone call.

Tell Endorsers What to Write

Many times, a connection wants to recommend someone on LinkedIn, but does not know how to ask or what to write. This is not a problem. Ask that person for the recommendation and then tell them what it is they should say. Many endorsers will ask what to say, whether it is the generic “He performed well,” or will ask if they should be very specific with the letter.

The bottom line here is that LinkedIn recommendations can go a long way towards helping you land a job in Sylvania OH or a new client. It is best to have at least one per client or employer that is featured on your profile.

Can You Spot Potential in Lower-Level Employees?

Raza Rauf on January 29, 2015

Do you have the ability to spot potential in your lower-level employees? If not, you need to find ways to spot potential in lower-level employees immediately. It is better to hire in-house candidates for management positions than outside candidates for many reasons. These can include:

Lower cost to promote vs. hire new people
Succession planning with a reduced learning curve
Creates a more positive and productive workplace

We will discuss the best ways to spot potential in lower-level employees, so you can effectively hire new managers from within your ranks.

Assess Talent During Annual Performance Review

One of the first things you should do in spotting potential in lower-level employees is by assessing talent at your company during their annual performance review. Determine what the qualifications are for employees to finish current projects and if they have the skills and traits to move up in their career within your company. Also consider mentor evaluations, employee assessments, peer reviews and even surveys to determine which lower-level employees have management talent.

Match Talent with Requirements

The next step in spotting potential in lower-level employees is to match talent at your company with future requirements. You must layout the time for replacement, the readiness of the candidate and the assignment of individuals. A team of management employees from the company need to discuss all potential candidates for promotion and determine a slew of factors. Those factors include the promotability of the candidates, ratings based on performance, readiness for other roles in the company and any other strategy used to analyze talent within the organization.

Measure Regular Progress

Step number three in identifying potential in lower-level employees at your company is to measure regular progress of employees. This begins by figuring out which candidates are up for promotion and which jobs they are being groomed for so your candidate pool at the company does not get stretched too thin. Measure the progress of your current employees with how they complete projects, meet deadlines, deal with clients, handle issues in the office and much more.

Ask Employees What They Like

Another option is to ask employees what they like to do at work, what their strengths and weaknesses are and what type of role he or she thinks they would succeed in within the company. These questions need to be asked at annual performance reviews so you can add the information to their employee file for future reference.

Allow a Test-Drive

Our final step is a little outside the box, but it involves allowing the employee to test-drive the position. This does not mean promoting an employee into a new role and then removing him or her if it does not work. Instead, create an internal internship program that allows current employees to shadow managers within their department for a day or two to see what gets done at the higher levels. This will let you know if the person likes the idea of working that job and if he or she has the experience to work the position.

How to Create a Cover Letter – Free Template

Raza Rauf on January 27, 2015

Many people dread writing a cover letter when they begin a job search. What makes them stress even more is the fact that different cover letters should be written for every single job applied for, no matter the similarities between them. With 2015 in full swing, it is time to revamp the cover letter sent to prospective employers. Here, we will discuss the best ways to create a cover letter and provide you with a free cover letter template for reference.

Use the Opening to Your Advantage

The opening of your cover letter is the most important part because hiring managers typically have time to scan for roughly 20 seconds due to their busy schedules. You need to make as much of an impression as possible right off the bat. If you know a little bit about writing for the web, use that knowledge when writing your cover letter. You need to make an impression within the first 20 seconds worth of content.

Follow All Instructions!

As you read a job application, make sure you follow all of the instructions to the letter. If the employer directs you to write something specific in your email subject line or in the body of your cover letter, be sure you do it, or you will not receive a return call or email. Hiring managers do this as a simple test to see if applicants can follow easy instructions. If they cannot, then what is the use in scheduling them for an interview?

Always Provide Contact Info

No matter how many different cover letters you write, all of them must include your contact information. Your cover letter might be the best one a company has read in a long time, but if you do not give them all of your contact info, they will not be able to schedule an interview. Tell them exactly how to contact you in the cover letter. Whether this is via phone or email and the time of day that is best to reach you.

Proofread the Cover Letter

It is very important to proofread your cover letter prior to hitting send on an email or online application. Hiring managers do not want to have to figure out what it is you are trying to say in your cover letter because of too many typos or grammar mistakes. Your enthusiasm for the job must also shine through in your cover letter so the hiring manager knows how interested you are in the job.

Avoid Desperation

Do your best to avoid coming across as desperate in your cover letter. Even if you have been searching for a job for months on end, desperation should never show in your words. This will scare the employer as they wonder why you have had so much difficulty finding a job.

The cover letter is just as, if not more important, than your resume and portfolio. This is the first line of attack when trying to land a new job. So, be sure it sparkles as much as possible.

Download a FREE COVER LETTER TEMPLATE here (Microsoft Office).

What Candidates are Looking for in 2015

Raza Rauf on January 23, 2015

Candidates routinely change what it is they are looking for when applying for jobs. Whether it has to do with the work environment, the culture of the company, or the benefits offered, companies need to be up-to-date when it comes to the wants of job candidates. With 2015 in full gear, we will discuss the top items candidates are looking for this year from employers.

Positive Culture

The most important thing candidates want in 2015 is a positive culture. When companies have negative cultures, it makes for a difficult work environment for everyone. Employees will not get along, management will struggle with keeping employees motivated and many employees will have a high rate of callouts on their schedule. The more positive your culture, the easier it will be to attract the top candidates within your industry.

Strong Work-Life Balance

Candidates also want a strong work-life balance in 2015. This means that they will have time to finish their work at the office and then enjoy time with family and friends outside of the office. Candidates do not want to work 40 hours in an office and then go home and sit in front of their computer or take part in conference calls. They want to leave work at the office and enjoy their time off as much as possible.

Honesty from Employers

In 2015, honesty from employers will be a hot topic. Candidates want employers to be straightforward when it comes to what it is like to work at the company, what will be expected of them, and what the hiring process will be like. The more honesty from employers, the easier it will be to attract top talent within your industry.

Easy Application Process

Job seekers do not want to spend 30 minutes or more applying for jobs at your company. They want the easiest application process you can provide. They want it to take 20 minutes or less so they can move on to another job application or return to their regular daily routine. Applications with a host of questions, multiple document upload sections and open-ended responses are a thing of the past. Make the application process easy and ask all those questions during the interview sessions.

Regular Updates

Job candidates want to be updated as often as possible by employers during the job search process. If candidates have been brought in for an interview, they will want to hear from the company at least one week later to be updated on the process. Whether the candidate has been eliminated from competition or has been chosen for a second interview, they will want to know what is happening.

Companies need to use the New Year to change how they deal with candidates who are looking for a new job. Take into account the items mentioned in this post the next time you deal with job candidates.

3 Job Search Tips Manufacturing Candidates Need to Know

Raza Rauf on January 20, 2015

Searching for a job has always been difficult, but with social media, networking and references, finding that perfect job gets a little bit easier. Working in the manufacturing field is a calling for most employees, so when it comes time to find a new job within the industry, you need to know the best ways to go about the search.

Here, we will discuss the top three job search tips manufacturing candidates need to know to be successful.

List Target Companies

One of the first things you must do in order to be successful is create a list of target companies in the areas you live. When you take time out of your day to research some of the best companies in the manufacturing industry, you will be able to pick which ones you like the most and which ones you should not waste your time with when sending in applications.

Your list needs to be based on where it is geographically you would like to work, at what level within the company and what type of culture you would like to be a part of if hired. You can build this list based on information found on the company websites, by talking to people who work at those companies and by asking for an informational interview.

Talk to Those Who Have Been There

The second job tip for those searching for a job in manufacturing is to speak with people who have worked in the position in the past. These people will be able to tell you everything they liked and disliked about both the job and the company.

This type of research is invaluable because you will be able to find out what a typical day would be like on the job, what type of tasks would need to be completed and how management handles itself when it comes to dealing with subordinates.

Learn the Company

The third tip on our list is to learn the company. There are multiple ways to make this happen, including scheduling an informational interview, browsing their corporate website, talking to former employees, following the company on multiple social networks and attend any career events the company hosts.

The more you learn about the company, the easier it will be to decide if you want to submit an application with them or not. It will also make it easier if you receive multiple job offers from different companies to make a decision.

Finding the right job in the manufacturing industry does not have to be difficult. You can make it as easy as possible by implementing all three of the tips outlined in this post. One final tip: never ask for a job when on an informational interview with a company.

Advance Staffing Solutions has a wide range of temp to hire, part time and fill time jobs with manufacturing companies hiring in Monroe MI, Southgate MI, and Sylvania OH. We encourage you to check out our recently added jobs and submit your qualifications for consideration.