Industry Trends - The Advance Group

Where Will Talent Acquisition Head in Q4?

Raza Rauf on September 19, 2022

Today, many companies are still reeling from the Great Resignation. Additionally, they’re facing challenges related to labor shortages and a candidate’s market. Overall, talent acquisition in the current landscape isn’t easy, and many organizations are wondering whether Q4 2022 will continue with more of the same or if there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

Ultimately, certain recruitment trends can provide some clarity. Some impact how companies are approaching talent acquisition, while others reflect shifts in candidate sentiment. By considering them as part of a singular talent acquisition whole, employers can increase their odds of success in 2022 and into 2023.

Here’s what you need to know:

Automation and Lead Nurturing Join Hands

Automation in the talent acquisition landscape streamlines many recruitment processes. However, they have a tendency toward being depersonalized, which can prevent certain aspects from resonating with job seekers, ultimately harming candidate engagement.

Maintaining automated practices – such as resume screening through an applicant tracking system (ATS) – is wise, as it can help expedite hiring. However, lead nurturing is also vital. Companies should embrace technologies that simplify recruitment while seizing opportunities for personalization.

For instance, while an automated email stating that a resume was received is fine, future communications should be customized to the candidate. By using technologies as notification resources – effectively prompting hiring managers to reach out instead of sending automated emails directly – can make the experience feel more personal, leading to higher engagement.

Combining Culture and Compensation

Whenever it’s a candidate’s market, competitive compensation is a must. If your company fails to meet or exceed what’s available from competitors in regard to salaries, benefits, and perks, both recruitment and retention will be increasingly challenging. Today, job seekers know they have options, so many aren’t afraid to look elsewhere if they feel an employer falls short in this arena.

However, candidates are also prioritizing company culture. Having a supportive, inclusive environment that focuses on recognition and provides opportunities for growth is often viewed as a must. As a result, in the world of talent acquisition, employers need to bring both to the table if they’re going to connect with top talent.

The Rise of the Employer Value Proposition

Positioning your company as an employer of choice is impactful when it comes to talent acquisition. Organizations that fall in that category are considered highly desirable by candidates, which can lead to more interest and generate more applications, boosting a company’s talent pool.

Often, the first step to ensuring your company is viewed as an employer of choice is having a compelling employer value proposition. Along with providing your workforce with everything they need to thrive and ensuring your culture is strong, knowing how to articulate these benefits to candidates outside of your company can cement your reputation.

Additionally, showcasing your employer value proposition in any vacancy announcements is essential. That can set the right tone, ensuring job seekers who aren’t familiar with your organization know what you bring to the table, making your opportunities more enticing.

Ultimately, the talent acquisition landscape will remain challenging in Q4 2022 and will likely stay that way for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, by having a skilled recruitment team by your side, accomplishing everything above and more is far easier.

Contact The Advance Group Today

If you need to augment your team, the staff at The Advance Group wants to hear from you. Contact us to see how our services can benefit you.

Need Help Networking for a Marketing Career? Use These 3 Tools

Raza Rauf on July 5, 2016

Networking is a vital part of a marketing career, no matter the years of experience the candidate has. Those who do not network will find it difficult to obtain new job opportunities throughout their careers. Smart marketing candidates have cast a wide net to reel in the best career opportunities, using technology to their advantage.

Networking does not have to bog you down, nor take up a ton of your time. It is something that can be done a couple hours per month or more, if you feel the need. Just remember one thing: Networking makes all the difference throughout the life of your career. If you need to improve your marketing career, use the three tools discussed in this article.

Spiceworks 7.0: Free Mobile Device Management

One of the most recommended networking tools out there today is the Spiceworks 7.0. This is a free mobile device management system that lets you take it wherever you go. It is perfect for the marketing professional who is always on the go, traveling from city to city for events and gigs hosted by their employer or employer’s clients. This software allows you to manage the smartphones and tablets of employees around the world. If an issue ever arises with their devices, the software will allow you to fix that issue without having the device in hand.

GlassWire Network Monitor

GlassWire Network Monitor is another free network tool that many professionals use today to help their marketing career. The software provides a graph for you to view that shows the activity of your network as well as the apps being used by computers on your network. The program keeps a log of network activity for up to 30 days at a time. If malware or other suspicious activity is detected, GlassWire will monitor the activity and send the user alerts.

Netwrix Account Lockout Examiner

What is more frustrating than getting locked out of an account? It’s so hard remembering all the different login names and passwords one has for their variety of social media accounts, personal accounts, work accounts and more. This is a free tool that every marketing professional should have on their devices. The software allows you to troubleshoot locked accounts after receiving an alert from Netwrix.

If you are having trouble networking in your marketing career, then it is time to make a change. There are plenty of free networking tools out there today that can help anyone in the marketing field take charge. Give one or all three discussed today a try. And if you still need help finding a new marketing career, click to browse our open positions today!

Are You Missing a Mobile Recruitment Strategy?

Raza Rauf on May 13, 2016

Does your company have a mobile recruitment strategy in place? Perhaps it should. A recent workforce survey conducted by IBM Smarter Workforce Institute indicated that 70 percent of high-potential candidates prefer and are drawn to companies that have a mobile recruitment options. Around 12,000 workers representing organizations around the world said they use mobile devices for job-searching activities. If your company doesn’t have a mobile recruitment presence, that’s a lot of potential candidates you could be missing out on.

How to implement a mobile recruitment strategy.

Thanks to technology resources that make mobile recruitment cheaper and more readily available, any organization can create a mobile-friendly recruitment plan. Here are some ways to get started:

Create a mobile-enabled career website.

Set up a website with a career portal that is easy to access via mobile devices. Your website should be responsive to every type of mobile device available from the smallest smartphones to the largest tablet. Keep the content simple and have a search function prominently featured on the page so candidates can quickly search for jobs.

Develop an interactive brand.

The optimum content to share across the mobile recruitment platforms are videos and images. Use this space to create a powerful introductory video explaining the corporate culture and the benefits of working for the company. Recruiters can create personal videos to introduce themselves and the different job types that may be available. Your career portal can also be setup to share important announcements such as Career Fairs and other recruitment events.

Use a one-page application form.

Since mobile devices use a simple interface, you will want to have a one-page application form for candidates to complete. Several social media tools such as LinkedIn recruitment offer this option which can simplify candidate acquisition. You may also want to include an opportunity for candidates to upload a short introductory video or to link their social networks to the application.

Mobile messaging.

When developing a mobile recruitment strategy, it’s also important to keep in mind that you will want your application to include text messaging opportunities. Create short job titles and appealing headlines that can be broadcast out to all candidates in your system. Automate the process. Make sure to include an opt-in box so that candidates can choose to receive text messaging via their mobile devices.

Need help creating a better recruitment process? Partner with the recruiting experts at Advance Staffing Solutions! Contact us online today.

How to Create a Better Workforce for Top Millennial Talent

Raza Rauf on April 29, 2016

As we mentioned in a previous post, millennials are the largest generation of employees who are making an impact on the workforce today. Most recent figures put them at 53.5 million strong, and they have even outpaced the baby boomers (Pew Research, 2016). Therefore, any employer that wants to attract the best talent in the coming years needs to find ways to appeal to millennials.

At the same time, we are in a talent crisis as baby boomers are leaving in droves for retirement, at the rate of 10,000 per day, and the unemployment rate is also down – meaning less available talent looking for work.

How can a company create a better workforce for top millennials to keep them on board, get them trained well, and away from the competition?

Provide rewarding work experiences.

Millennials need instant gratification. They are used to this because of the environment in which they grew up. Everything is within reach of a mobile device these days, so if they are not feeling excited about the work they do, they are probably searching for something else.

Instill the value of loyalty.

Make the idea of loyalty a part of your core corporate culture. How? Provide a unique environment with plenty of millennial-friendly perks that they cannot get elsewhere. Use strong branding and messaging to create cheerleader employees. This is effective at attracting new candidates too. When they see how happy your employees are, they want in.

Give them a chance to learn.

Millennial talent places a high value on learning through nontraditional means. This is because they are smarter about college loan debt and don’t want to get stuck paying for this like their parents did. Bring learning and development opportunities to your employees, to both encourage participation and skill building. This enables your organization to create a structured advancement plan that’s linked to learning.

Set up a mentorship program.

Younger employees generally enjoy learning from more seasoned ones, mostly because they want to have these higher-level jobs sooner. Match your leaders and mentors with millennials and watch them blossom. If you hire temp-to-perm employees, give them a chance to work under the guidance of a team lead for a time until they prove their worth.

These ideas are just the start! Partner with a staffing agency like Advance Staffing Solutions to support long-term millennial talent placement and that company goals are met as the youngest generation revolutionizes the world of work.

Is “Blind Hiring” Good For Your Workforce?

Raza Rauf on April 15, 2016

In the quest to improve diversity in hiring, companies are turning to “blind hiring” practices, which seeks to eliminate the unique characteristics of candidates before they are considered for employment. The goal of blind hiring is to bring people on board who have the skills to perform certain tasks, and not because of other protected factors such as gender, age, nationality, or region.

Why is blind hiring popular?

In the past, research has shown that managers tend to select candidates who have similar demographic backgrounds as their own. A Fast Company article highlights several university studies that showed that humans are nearly always biased towards their own kind, and this happens on a subconscious level most of the time. Even the mention of a similarity during an interview can elicit warm feelings towards a particular candidate, and the person is chosen even if they are not the best fit for the job.

In blind hiring, these factors are all stripped from candidates.

The following elements are removed or hidden during the initial application phase:

The candidate’s full name and educational background are hidden
The resume may be masked or certain elements of the work history
The candidate’s face may be hidden and voice-altering technology is used in phone interviews
Assessments and skills testing is reserved for hiring purposes
Lower-performing candidates are never presented to decision makers

All of this may seem a bit extreme, but companies that are growing rapidly or expanding operations need to be able to comply with Equal Employment Opportunity and other laws that require fair and diverse hiring.

When determining if blind hiring may be right for your company, ask yourself the following things:

Does your company have an EEOC hiring process in place to hire for diversity?
Over the last six months, has your company tracked the hiring of women and minorities?
Is your company active in closing the gender wage gap and improving hiring transparency?
Are you hiring the same kinds of people or do you hire people based on their unique skills and qualities?

Working with a temporary staffing agency can help your company to get a better grip on hiring for diversity. It takes the responsibility off the company and places it on the staffing agency for securing workers from diverse demographics and backgrounds. If you’re looking for highly qualified candidates, click here to contact Advance Staffing Solutions today!

Want to Improve Your Career? Try These Simple, Cheap or Free Classes!

Raza Rauf on January 5, 2016

Let’s consider the job profile of a salesperson. As an effective salesperson and one who is very well versed with the product or service being sold, he or she would have some catchphrases and some really convincing arguments. Over time, these would get stale and people will no longer respond positively to the same sales pitch. The respite will be new sales pitches, new methods of convincing and a redefined approach to sales. Unless one is an amazing salesperson, one can only learn of new ways through coaching or professional training.
The same reality applies to everyone. Managers will run out of anecdotes, rhetoric and inspiring stories to motivate their teams if they don’t keep honing their skills and expanding their knowledge base. Technicians will be stuck with old mantras and would not get exposed to new secrets to get things done. These realities make ongoing learning, enhancing skills and knowledge imperative for any and sundry. Only then can anyone improve their career. Doing what you are doing now will only get you to a certain platform. Beyond that, you need to transform and better yourself.

If you wish to improve your career, then you should consider some of these simple but helpful, free or cheap classes.

If you need some tips to develop your career or increase your prospects, then you can use Lynda, which is a course on career development. You can opt for Udemy which helps you to build your personal brand. Muse University can help you to get that ever elusive promotion. Eat Your Career will also offer you strategies that can assist you to climb up the corporate ladder.

If you wish to improve your communication or get better at public speaking then you can opt for CreativeLive, Mediabistro, Lynda and Udemy. You would get to learn the art and science of public speaking. You can get better with your audiovisual presentations. You would also learn the various body postures, swag and overall attitude that you should develop to improve your career.
Depending on your expertise or specialization, you may opt for some design classes like Skillshare, Lynda and CreatorUp. From web design to using design in branding, you would learn a lot through these courses.
There are many such courses, including some on entrepreneurship, management, marketing and productivity that can help you to get better at your job and you can improve your career, either at the same company or in another organization.

Need help finding a better career today? Click here to browse through our latest open jobs!

Are You Missing Out on LinkedIn Endorsements?

Raza Rauf on September 10, 2015

LinkedIn has so much to offer its users, especially when it comes to finding jobs. One feature of the social networking site that has become very popular is the ability to endorse connections. Endorsements are something that almost everyone does nowadays on LinkedIn. The point being to “endorse” — or vouch for — a connection’s skill or trait they have listed on their profile, and often, to have them endorse you for yours as well.

Issues with LinkedIn Endorsements

As with every social network, there are some issues with LinkedIn endorsements. For example, many users of the site are encouraged to endorse some lesser skills of their connections instead of skills those connections are actually known for. For instance, let’s say that you are known for your sound editing skills. LinkedIn will likely encourage your connections to endorse you for something along the lines of Microsoft Word or Communication. Because of this, you are not being endorsed for your best skills.

Being able to endorse connections you truly know makes it easier for users to expand their profile, because it gets posted to the profile page when a user offers an endorsement. Many users reciprocate when their receive an endorsement from a connection, which also shows up on their profile.

An issue with this is that many users simply endorse anyone they want if they are connected to them on LinkedIn. This means that the person who filed the endorsement does not really know if the recipient has those skills, or is even somewhat decent when performing those skills.

Use LinkedIn Endorsements

Despite the issues with LinkedIn endorsements, it is still a good idea for you to use them, but at your discretion. Whenever you log into LinkedIn and endorsement suggestions are presented, only approve the ones that are well known to you. Do not endorse connections who you have never met in person or whom you have never worked. This does not help you and you truly cannot speak to their skills.

The great thing about LinkedIn is that you can circumvent the issue with endorsement suggestions appearing on your login screen. If you truly want to endorse someone you know, go to their profile page. Here you will be able to choose the skill you want to endorse instead of endorsing the skill suggested by LinkedIn.

The next time you log into LinkedIn and are greeted with endorsement suggestions, visit the profile pages of those people and endorse the skills you know that person is truly great at performing.

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.

Implement Company Policies Now – Before It’s Too Late!

Raza Rauf on November 20, 2014

When an incident occurs at the office, it is too late to discuss implementing a policy to govern such a problem. All company policies need to be implemented right now, before it is too late and something happens that can affect the entire workforce and the success of the company. In this post we will discuss the best ways to implement new company policies and how to activate them immediately without confusing or overwhelming your employees.

Policy Must Solve Problem in Best Way Possible

One of the most important things you need to take into consideration when implementing a company policy is that it must solve the problem in the best way possible. This means that whatever the issue is within your office, it must be solved using this one policy. There should never be more than one policy created to solve the same issue. When this happens, the culture of your organization can take a hit because employees will be confused with the overlap of the company policies.

Policy Should be Reviewed by Multiple Teams

When implementing a new company policy, it should be reviewed by upper management, a select group of employees and the company’s legal team. All three of these groups will have different views about the policy and will be able to determine if it follows employment laws in the country. They should also review the policy and offer any changes, should they be deemed necessary.

Implementation Deadlines Must be Met

As you add new company policies to the employee handbook, it is important that implementation deadlines are always met. If you set a deadline for a new policy, do not push it back to a later date multiple times. This will only frustrate your employees and give them the sense that you are not comfortable with the policy that was created. You want to show confidence in the new policy and that you mean business when putting it into action.

Mandatory Meetings for Staff are a Must

Mandatory meetings must be held for your staff when implementing new company policies. If employees are absent from work when these meetings are held, you must provide make-up dates for meetings. Information about the new policy should be presented at the meetings and employees should be allowed to ask questions and express their concerns at the same time.

HR Must be on Same Page as Management

Another important aspect of implementing a new company policy now, before it is too late, is that the human resources department must be operating on the same page as the management team. No matter which department created the policy, everyone needs to work as a cohesive team in order to ensure success in rolling out the new policy.

Want more information on how to implement new company policies, or how to find candidates who fulfill company requirements? Contact the staffing experts at Advance Staffing Solutions today.

5 Reasons a Temp Agency can Boost Your Candidate Search

Raza Rauf on September 12, 2014

Companies routinely recruit new employees so they have someone to contact when positions become available. Waiting until the last minute to fill open jobs can hurt your chances of finding the strongest person for the job. Here, we will discuss the top five reasons why a temp agency like Advance Staffing Solutions in Detroit MI can boost the candidate search for your company.

Try Employees Prior to Hiring Them

One of the most popular reasons for working with a temp agency for companies is that you can try the employees out before hiring them. This means that you can bring them into your office for a couple of weeks or a couple of months and then make a hiring decision — whether you end their assignment or extend an offer for a full-time position. They are considered temporary employees until you make an offer of full-time employment. This is an excellent way to determine if they will fit within your corporate culture.

Increase Productivity of the Office

When your company works with a temp agency, it makes productivity at the office increase. By hiring temporary workers, you can take some of the load off your full-time workers. This will prevent them from suffering burnout while on the job. Employees’ schedules can become overloaded with projects; when this happens, it is best to consult a temp agency so you can bring in a couple of temp workers to lighten the load of the full-time staff.

Avoid Unemployment Claims from Employees

When you hire temporary workers from an agency, you will be able to avoid unemployment claims when their time on the job comes to an end. Temporary workers are employees of the temp agency, so when they are let go from their jobs with a company, the company does not have to file unemployment claims. This will help keep the unemployment rate of the company at the same levels it was prior to hiring the temp workers.

Reduce Operating Costs

Working with a temp agency can help a company reduce its operating costs. This happens because the temporary workers do not have to be provided benefits or health coverage by the company using them since they are employees of the temp agency. The company will also be able to save money on overtime for full-time employees when temp workers are hired. The more temp workers you have in your office, the less overtime regular employees will need to work during the week.

Flexibility is Important

One of the most popular benefits of a company working with a temp agency is that it offers the company flexibility with their staff. Companies can bring in temp workers when large projects come in and can let them go when all the work is complete. This can be done during busy seasons for companies or every other week, it all depends on the needs of the company.

Working with a temp agency can benefit a company in multiple ways, especially the five outlined in this post. If you want to learn more about how your company can benefit from temporary employees, contact the staffing experts at Advance Staffing Solutions today.

Lean Manufacturing Trends for 2014

Raza Rauf on May 28, 2014

Thousands of companies across the country are trying to move towards lean manufacturing in 2014 in order to save money on operating costs and much more. The principles of lean manufacturing have always played a significant role in Michigan’s economy, and will continue to do so this year. Leading companies are employing a lot of different factors to turn their operations into lean ones and we discuss them all here in this post.

Reduction of Budgets

A lot of companies are reducing their budgets in order to go lean or ‘green’ in 2014. This includes laying off employees and cutting costs in other areas of the company. When layoffs are performed, the company saves money not only on salaries, but also the benefits it has to pay to those employees while they are employed. It seems as though recovery is occurring within the manufacturing industry right now.

Improving Processes

Manufacturing companies have also taken to improving their processes that occur on a daily basis. This helps the company improve its use of existing resources so the company does not waste valuable time or money on processes that just do not get the job done anymore in this high-tech world.

Adding a Green Touch to the Company

Companies all over the country, not just in the manufacturing industry, are going green in an effort to save money and go lean. This includes installing light fixtures that have timers or sensors, reducing waste produced by the company, new package design, better travel plans and much more. Going green is an initiative taken on by millions of companies and individuals each year.

Reducing the Company’s Footprint

Another option for lean manufacturing is for the company to reduce its footprint on the environment. This is a part of going green and it involves the company using less resources. On the other side of things, this is primarily concerning the use of less physical space. Companies are employing the use of a better supply chain management system and inventory management system in order to reduce its footprint on the environment.

Technology

The innovations in technology have helped companies move into leaner manufacturing practices. There is software in place now that helps companies monitor processes, supplies, equipment and other aspects of the company. These programs also help to automate and control processes that the company uses on a daily basis. This software can help the company save money in these areas and then put that money to good use in other departments.

When companies move into lean manufacturing, they must put more than one policy into effect in order to be successful.

Advance Staffing Solutions is a premier Detroit MI Temp Agency, giving employers access to temp staff to compete on a global market and maintain len manufacturing processes. 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.

Operations Manager Salaries in Michigan. What to Offer Candidates

Raza Rauf on May 21, 2014

Perhaps one of the most difficult decisions for a company to make, besides which candidate to hire, is what to offer their candidate of choice in terms of compensation. The state of Michigan is one of the best places to live and work, and many residents enjoy working as operations managers for great companies. These positions are available in many different industries, requiring a broad range of skills and experience. Therefore, offering a fair compensation is vital to successful recruitment.

Before you offer a salary to a potential operations manager candidate in Michigan, here are some things you need to know.

Range of Compensation

Salaries for operations managers working in the state of Michigan range greatly depending on the level of employment and the company where the positions are held.

Glassdoor has reported three operations manager positions in Michigan that have an average annual salary of $73,750. Another great place to work in Michigan as an operations manager is a company called Stryker, a medical supply manufacturing company that has operations managers working in Michigan for an average annual salary of $84,625.

Another excellent annual salary for operations managers in Michigan comes from Best Buy, where managers are making an average of $61,312.

Two of the lower range operations manager salaries in Michigan come from Staples and Old Navy. Managers who work at Staples find themselves earning an annual average salary of just over $41,000. Managers from Old Navy can earn a little over $31,000 per year in their position.

Duties of an Operations Manager

You might be wondering what an operations manager does on a daily basis while at work. Well, we have that information for you in this post. Operations managers are regarded as senior-level management officials within their companies. They are responsible for providing services or overseeing the production of goods.

Operations managers are responsible for analyzing budgets, monitoring reports, reporting to stakeholders, managing employees, reporting to upper management teams and much more. An operations manager must be able to multi-task as much as possible while working in this position. If they cannot, they will find themselves struggling through their daily operations and possibly out of a job.

Some of the best operations managers have worked their way up the chain of their current company, learning each department along the way. This enables the manager to know the ins-and-outs of the company and how it operates on a daily basis. They are able to troubleshoot issues and take care of problems quickly without involving others.

Working as an operations manager in the state of Michigan is a lucrative job if you have the right level of experience and are at the right company.

Looking to hire operations managers in Michigan? Get in touch with Advance Staffing Solutions — a top Detroit MI temp agency.

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