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Standing Out at a Manufacturing Interview – 5 Tips You MUST Follow

Raza Rauf on September 5, 2014

Interviewing for a manufacturing job in Detroit, MI is stressful, especially when you are in dire need of work. Prevent the process from overwhelming you by preparing for the interview ahead of time. Preparation is key to any type of job interview. As you go on various interviews for manufacturing jobs, be sure you follow the five tips in this post to stand out from the rest of the pack.

  1. Learn about the Company
    One of the first things you must absolutely do is learn about the company. The more you know about the company, the better off you will be during the interview process. Your research should include the yearly numbers of the company, the executives at the company, and even the names of some department heads in case you run into them while on a tour of the manufacturing facility. Make sure you also know the company’s goals and mission so you can pull from your background to show how you would fit.
  2. Prepare Questions to Ask
    Prepare questions of your own to ask during the interview session. This will help you impress the interviewer and anyone else you meet along the way. Your questions should be ones that piggyback off questions asked by the interviewer or ones that you think of on your own that discuss things about the company. Ask the interviewer what types of problems the person hired for the job will need to solve, what type of person will be perfect for the job and much more.
  3. Offer a Conversation
    An important tip for standing out at a manufacturing interview is to be conversational during the meeting with the interviewer. When you provide rehearsed answers to interviewers, you are not showing them your complete personality. One way to do this is by offering them a conversation. When you are conversational during a job interview it allows you to show your personal side, something that the interviewer will want to see so they can gauge if you will fit the culture of the company.
  4. Exceed Expectations
    When you are sitting in a job interview for a manufacturing position, it is best to ask the interviewer how you can exceed their expectations. Make it known to the interviewer that you are not looking to do just the bare minimum if hired. Let the company know how far you are willing to go to perform job duties and get the projects done on-time and correctly.
  5. Recap Your Thoughts Upon Leaving
    As you prepare to leave the interview room, have a 30-second speech prepared for the interviewer. This should be a speech that thanks the interviewer for their time, reiterates how interested you are in the job and why you are the best candidate for the job.

As you prepare for a manufacturing job interview, be sure to follow the five tips outlined in this post so you can stand out from the crowd. Connect with Advance Temporary for manufacturing jobs in Detroit and other local areas.

Make Your Summer Temp Job a Career

Raza Rauf on July 8, 2014

Every year, hundreds of thousands of adults turn to summer employment opportunities to gain on-the-job experience, while earning much-needed extra cash. However, a summer job doesn’t have to end with the final summer breeze. Instead, you can take advantage of a seasonal opportunity and turn it into a full-time career path. Summer jobs are the perfect time to earn new skills, make important professional connections, and propel your career to greatness.

If you follow the tips outlined in this article you will be able to transform just about any summer temp job into a long-term career.

Do Not Quit Your Day Job, Yet

The first thing you need to do is keep your day job (if you are currently employed full-time elsewhere). If you work a summer temp job to bring in extra cash because you are a teacher and have the summer months off, you should definitely not quit your day job. Even if you work a summer job at night to supplement daytime income, do not quit that job either. You want to keep the money flowing while you examine your full-time summer options. Aside from the income, you need to figure out how to acquire health insurance, if you need coverage.

Browse Your Options

You do not want to limit your options when it comes to finding a temp summer job that can turn into full-time, permanent work. Consider working a different summer temp job each year to see what is best for you. One summer you can work as a retail manager while another summer you can work as a surfing instructor, if this is a hobby of yours. Just because you have worked your entire career in the banking industry, it does not mean that you have to continue to do so in the summer.

Employ Your Creativity

When trying to turn a summer temp job into a full-time job, be sure to use your creativity as much as possible. Think about your dream job; is it within reach? Can it really be done? If so, why not give it a shot one summer? Spend time thinking about some of the most interesting jobs you would like to work and go from there. If your dream job is within reach, figure out how much money you can generate from it, what the schedule would look like and work your other job around it.

Work Special Projects

Depending on when your summer job begins, it might last anywhere from one month to three months, so you need to make an impression as quickly as possible. This can be done by taking on special projects every now and then. Make sure those projects can be completed prior to the end of your temp work so you make a lasting impression on the management and ownership. Any special projects you complete can be included on your resume, which will help you impress potential employers.

If you are able to take all of these tips and put them to good use, you will find yourself turning a temporary summer job into a permanent, full-time position. Look to Advance Staffing Solutions in the Toledo Ohio and Detroit Michigan areas for part time and full time summer jobs.

Looking for jobs in Toledo OH? How a Toledo Staffing Firm Can Help!

Raza Rauf on June 27, 2014

As you sit in front of your computer and read this post, you might have another tab open in your Internet browser that has a big name job board loaded on it. Not finding many jobs for the Toledo Ohio market there, are you?

Let’s face it: sifting through the millions of job postings on various boards can be time consuming, frustrating and disappointing. Instead of spending your time searching endlessly for a job in Toledo Ohio, take the time to work with a Toledo staffing firm.

Benefits of a Staffing Firm

A staffing firm in Toledo, OH will be able to save you time, energy and a lot of hassle during a job search. You do not have to pay a cent out of your own wallet either. How is that for efficient and affordable? The staffing firm will be paid by the company that hires you as a temporary, or temp-to-perm hire. Some of the benefits of a staffing firm in Toledo include the following:

  • A staffing firm will schedule interviews with potential employers for those looking for a job. They will also be the point of contact between the job seekers and the employers during the entire process.
  • Staffing firms will make it a point to ensure that the job seeker is prepared for an interview by offering advice, resume help and help writing a cover letter.
  • A job seeker will have more time on their hands when working with a staffing firm because he or she no longer has to spend hours on end searching for open jobs. The staffing firm will ask the seeker what he or she wants to do in their career and contact them when jobs matching their interest and expertise become available.

Experts in the Industry

When you are looking for a job in Toledo, OH, a staffing firm will be able to provide you with expertise in the industry in which you work. You can sign with a firm that has expertise in the technology industry if those are the jobs you have worked in the past and the education you received. There are recruiters who work in each firm that have expertise in almost every industry and they are paired with job seekers based on the industry in which they wish to work.

Staffing Firms Learn Who You Are

Working with a staffing firm in Toledo means that those at the firm will get to know you as a person and a professional. This helps them find you the best job possible within your search. They will learn your work history, your skills and your experience so they can talk you up to potential employers as soon as jobs become available. The best firms in Toledo will spend time on the phone with you and in-person prior to scheduling you for an interview so they can get to know you.

Ready to take your job search to a new and better level? Get in touch with Advance Staffing Resources in Toledo, OH and find out why were are one of the top staffing agencies in the area. We have plenty of temp to perm jobs, flexible work hours, and benefits to offer the best candidates out there.

How Much Does it Cost to Work with a Michigan Temp Agency?

Raza Rauf on June 20, 2014

Working with a Michigan temp agency can be very beneficial for any organization looking to fill vacant jobs. Temp agencies help companies recruit and hire temporary workers on an ongoing basis, making it easier to keep jobs filled. Temp workers are very helpful to companies because they might be able to perform some services that current employees do not have or can work just enough hours where the company does not have them counted against their employment numbers for the Affordable Care Act.

Hourly Temp Workers

When a temp agency places hourly temporary workers with your company you will be paying the agency that placed them with you a fee. For the most part, you will be paying that worker by the hour, so you also pay the agency in Michigan by the hour. For example, if your hourly worker is paid $10 USD per hour, you might be paying the temp agency a percentage rate slightly higher than the hourly rate paid to the worker.

Now, keep in mind that you only have to pay the temp agency when the employee actually performs work for your company. On average, a markup for salary can range from 15 to 30 percent of the worker’s hourly wage. This more than makes up for the benefits of working with a temp agency. Consider these factors:

  • The temp agency does all the recruiting, screening, assessments and background checks.
  • The agency manages areas such as benefits, payroll, overtime, and bonuses.
  • The agency is partnered with your company to ensure that the temp employee performs well on the job.

Temp to Perm Employees

Many temporary employees can find themselves being offered permanent, full-time employment at their companies after being placed by a temp agency. When this happens, the temp agency will charge the hiring company a fee that comes from the employee’s starting salary. The fee will be in the range of 25 to 75 percent of the employee’s starting salary. In this scenario, the company will need to pay the temp agency whether or not the employee winds up working out for the company. This means that temp agencies will need to scrutinize their candidates a lot more so they provide companies with top talent that will stay with the company for the long haul.

Executive Searches

Temp agencies in Michigan are also able to provide companies with executive searches. This is an easier way for companies to bring in new vice presidents, presidents and financial officers for various departments throughout the company. You can sign a retainer fee with the temp agency, which could be a portion of the fee you will pay the agency when they find an executive to work at your company. For the most part, the retainer fee will be half of the expected fee.

Working with a temp agency in the state of Michigan is beneficial to companies of all sizes. Many temp agencies will have set rates to help companies fill open positions, but will be open to working with companies when it comes to negotiating rates. As a company, all you need to do is ask what their lowest rates are and what services you will get for those rates.

10 Interview Questions That Take into Account Cultural Fit

Raza Rauf on May 14, 2014

One of the most important aspects of running a company is having a strong corporate culture. If the culture at your company is positive, your employees will love coming to work each day, will work their hardest to get results, and will recommend the company to clients and potential employees.

Cultural Fit Interview Questions

If the culture is negative, your bottom line will suffer, you will have a high turnover rate and it will be difficult to come to work each day. Here are 10 interview questions that measure the candidate’s fit into your corporate culture.

  1. What is the work environment or work culture in which you are the happiest and most productive?
  2. What are the strongest traits of the best boss you have ever had or wanted to have?
  3. Which management style will help you produce the most and help you give the best effort?
  4. How does a good company encourage its employees to go the extra mile to get the job done right and on-time?
  5. What are the best roles a manager plays in dealing with his or her employees?
  6. Would you ever have a best friend at work? If so, do you think this is appropriate?
  7. What is the most important factor for you that will make you happy and productive in the workplace? Now that you have answered this question, what are the other two factors you thought about mentioning, but did not?
  8. What do you like right now about your work environment?
  9. How would your current co-workers describe your role when working with them on a team project?
  10. What is one scenario when you went out of your way or above-and-beyond to please a customer?

 

Where to Go Now?

This is not an exhaustive list of questions, but just the start for interviewers who are looking to bring in the candidates who match their company’s culture the most. Make a point of having at least one follow-up question to each of these 10 questions so you can really gauge what the candidate has in terms of character and work ethic.

Make sure you also write down the answers provided by the candidate and monitor their body language and reactions to the questions. Should the candidate shrug-off some questions or make noises in response to some questions, you have a problem on your hands and should not move any further with the candidate. Candidates who are always a strong fit in a culture will have no trouble answering these questions.

When it comes down to it, hiring based on cultural fit is very important today. Make sure your company is doing it with every single hire.

Want to learn more? Explore important recruitment and employment topics by reading a few popular posts from Advance Staffing Solutions a premier Detroit MI temp agency. Please feel free to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and be sure to subscribe to our free newsletter for industry news, job leads and featured updates.

How Temp Work is Affected by the ACA

Raza Rauf on April 23, 2014

In 2010, the Affordable Care Act or ACA went into effect across the USA to provide employees with health care insurance coverage options. As part of an initiative to boost the health and wellness of the average American, so far the ACA has enrolled millions of hard working people into qualified health care plans. Yet, there are some concerns that the ACA may be having a negative effect on the job market as employers look for ways to cut costs by reducing workforce numbers.

How the ACA Affects Hiring Trends in the USA

One concern is that the ACA has resulted in fewer employers hiring temp and full time workers because of the new requirement to provide health care coverage for all full timers (for employers with 100 or more employees). A trend that is happening across the nation is employers who are offering more part time assignments to avoid having to pay already astronomical health insurance premiums. While there have been a few workforce studies indicating a slight dip in the number of full time hires for last year, this fear is unwarranted at this time.

ACA Good for Full Time Temps or Not?

It has been widely debated whether or not the ACA gives employers the incentive to cut work hours below the 30-hour per week threshold that constitutes full time work hours. This includes full time temps who regularly receive health care benefits through the staffing agencies they work for. The real problem is when a temp is working at full time status is then offered perm placement at a lower hourly rate to avoid providing them with continued health care coverage. Both employers and staffing agencies need to tread carefully when it comes to ACA guidelines in order to avoid any potential issues like this that may come up.

More Employers Hiring Temp to Perm Employees in 2014

A surprising benefit that has come out of the ACA mandates is that more employers turned to temporary workforce options than ever before. According to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder, a leading career search portal, nearly 42 percent of US employers plan to hire temp workers in 2014. This is as compared to 40 percent of employers in the year before. Additionally, 54 percent of employers anticipate hiring the same if not more temps and full time workers than previously. 40 percent of the companies polled in the survey stated that they planned on transitioning their temp workforce into permanent full time roles in 2014.

We are hopeful that the ACA will continue to only offer good things to the American workforce, including the growing temp market. Hiring through a temp agency can provide your company with a cost effective method of staffing without the worry of meeting ACA mandates. Consider that you may want to talk with one of our experts at Advance Staffing Solutions, a Detroit Michigan staffing agency leader.

5 Steps for Optimizing Your Online Job Description

Raza Rauf on April 3, 2014

When candidates start looking for work often times the first place they will begin is on the Internet. Online job descriptions created by human resource and recruitment teams are generally how candidates find out about the qualifications and requirements of each job type. Sometimes job descriptions are included as part of job advertisements themselves or they may just be found on the company career portal.

Writing Better Online Job Descriptions 

In either case, job descriptions must accomplish the following factors in order to be effective at attracting top talent. They should:

  • Have compelling and accurate job titles that stand out from other similar jobs advertised.
  • Make sense given the duties and responsibilities of each assignment and the scope of the company.
  • Include enough information to help candidates make an informed decision whether to apply or not.
  • Add value by shedding light on the company culture, compensation, and objectives of the company.

Getting online job descriptions right can take extra research and practice, but over time the HR team should have a fairly good idea of how to write them well. Here are some steps for optimizing your online job descriptions so they can become a powerful recruitment tool.

Step 1 – Know the job goals well.

Before you launch into the writing of an online job description, it’s time to understand that the job has specific goals. Look over the history of the job previous employees, and what has worked and not worked for this job. Re-write the description based on the duties that are aligned with company objectives.

Step 2 – Understand what kind of candidate you want.

It is impossible to write a job description without knowing what kind of candidates you’d like to attract and eventually hire for the position. Create a candidate avatar, with the qualities you are looking for. This will help you to determine how to write the job description to accurately reflect your recruitment focus.

Step 3 – Write for the search engines.

Today all recruiters must be up to speed with candidate job search behaviors, which includes looking for career opportunities using keywords typed into search engines. Include industry keywords in your job descriptions, referring to the US Department of Labor and O*Net descriptions of job types.

Step 4 – Avoid writing too much, but not enough.

Your online job descriptions need to include a good amount of information, but not so much that it becomes tedious to write and publish. Limit the first paragraph which describes the basic job details, the company, and how to apply. Include a short bulleted list of job requirements, including skills and educational level. Wrap it up with EECO information and a link to the career application center.

Step 5 – Include great incentives to attract candidates.

Your job descriptions are not only a basic listing of the kinds of work your company offers, but also a sneak peek into why people work for you. Include information about the company compensation and benefit program educational incentives, and corporate culture perks.

Use the above tips to write online job descriptions and advertisements that will attract the best candidates. For help with evaluating your job descriptions, reach out to Advance Staffing Resources a knowledgeable employment agency in Michigan and Ohio to talk with one of our recruitment pros.

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