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HIRING EVENT

Raza Rauf on February 4, 2016

Monroe Service Center

1531 N. Telegraph Rd. Monroe, MI

 

Wednesday, February 10th, 2016

1pm-4pm

 

             Bring 2 valid forms of ID and a resume

Must be at least 18 years of age

Have a Diploma/GED

Verifiable work experience in the last 12 months

Below are just a few of the positions we are accepting applications for: 

  • Press Operator/Packaging, 1st shift, Dundee, $9/hr
  • Press/Production workers, All shifts, Monroe, $9/hr
  • Janitor, 1st shift, Dundee, $9/hr
  • Customer Service/Packaging, All shifts, One week in Feb, $9/hr
  • General Laborers, 1st & 2nd shifts, Carleton, $9/hr + Overtime
  • Skilled Assembly, 1st shift, Dundee, $14+/hr
  • Welders, 1st shift, Carleton and Dundee, $10-$15/hr
  • Warehouse/Forklift/Quality, 1st/2nd shift, Monroe, $10.60/hr
  • Delivery/Warehouse, 1st shift, Monroe, $10-$12/hr
  • Part-Time Sales/Customer Service, Flex schedule, Monroe, $12-14/hr
  • Assemblers, 3rd shift, Monroe, $13/hr
  • Production, 1st/2nd shift, Blissfield, $10/hr
  • MIG Welder (FCAW/GMAW), Monroe, $14/hr
  • Quality Inspector, 1st shift, Blissfield, $10/hr

 

New Year, Same Old Hiring Mistakes!

Raza Rauf on January 29, 2016

January_2016_mistakes

As the saying goes, “Old habits die hard”. This is very true when it comes to many aspects of business, including recruitment practices. Oftentimes the HR team or the recruitment team goes into a New Year wanting to do things better, but keeps falling into the same old ways of doing things. The problem is at this takes away from the effectiveness of the recruitment team and can actually put your company at risk. In order to improve processes this year, here are some recruiting and interviewing behaviors to leave behind.

Not conducting a thorough background check

One of the biggest hiring mistakes that companies can make is not conducting a thorough background check for every single applicant. You cannot take a candidate at face value no matter how professional they look or act during the interview — they could be hiding things in their history. Take the time to call all career references and verify work history and character. Criminal background checks are a must. Failure to do so can put your company at risk and it also caused harm to other employees.

Forgetting to follow up with candidates

Another bad habit to shake in the New Year is forgetting to follow up with candidates. Whether they have applied for a job online or they have been screened by phone for a particular job, please take the time to follow up with candidates at least with a courtesy email. It’s not fair to leave people hanging and it is a measure of goodwill when you respect candidates enough to follow up with them and give them a status update. This goes for sending out rejection letters too.

Selecting candidates based on skills only

It can be tempting to just hire people based on the skills that they list on their resume and those that are proven through assessment tests, but this leaves out a large chunk of candidates who may be otherwise qualified and perfect for a position because of their personalities. Work with a staffing agency to assess the personality and culture event of every candidate before you toss them into the rejection pile.

Hiring under pressure instead of planning staffing needs

Human resources is not meant to put out the fires in our organizations. But often times we find ourselves in the position of having to scramble around to replace a lost employee or to find a large number of workers to cover busy seasons. To make better use of our time and energy it’s important that we develop the habit of planning out our staffing needs by staying in touch with our point of contact managers. By planning ahead it’s possible to augment current staff with temporary workers and create a true succession strategy.

 

 

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Can You Answer This “Off-the-Wall” Interview Question?

Raza Rauf on January 19, 2016

January_2016_Off-the-Wall

Going into any interview, it’ expected that you will be asked a series of common interview questions. Things like: “what are your weaknesses”, “why should we hire you”, “why do you want to work here”, “what are your goals”, “why did you leave your past job”, “what can you do for us that other candidates can’t”, “what are three positive things your last boss would say about you”, “what salary are you seeking” and technical questions relevant for the job or to your profile. But, as a smart job seeker, you can also expect and plan for some of the more unusual interview question you may be asked.

Examples off the wall interview questions

There are many odd questions that some interviewers like to pose. You may be asked what would you do if you were the one survivor in a plane crash, what’s your favorite 90s jam, if you woke up and had 2,000 unread emails and could only answer 300 of them how would you choose which ones to answer, who would win in a fight between Spiderman and Batman, if you had a machine that produced $100 dollars for life what would you be willing to pay for it today, what did you have for breakfast, describe the color yellow to somebody who’s blind, if you were asked to unload a 747 full of jelly beans what would you do, and how many people flew out of Chicago last year, among others.

While preparing for a job interview, you need to be ready to face all kinds of odds. Every question being asked has a specific reason and you need to focus on that. The trick is not to answer the question “correctly” but to use it to your advantage, so you can present a certain trait of yours while answering.

For instance, here is an off the wall interview question that can be quite puzzling but it is extremely simple to answer.

“If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?”

Many job seekers get perplexed and they start imagining Superman, Batman, Iron man, Spiderman, Hulk and Thor or perhaps the more realistic Hawk Eye. The question doesn’t pertain to fictional superheroes but real life superheroes. The question basically pertains to the most special quality you have. Tony Stark may be infamous for his idiosyncrasies but he is Iron Man and it is the suit that makes him the superhero, of course along with his grasp of technology.

If you were a superhero, your superpower has to be your biggest strength. For some people it could be enthusiasm while for some it could be curiosity. For some, it could be knowledge and for others it could be experience. Anything that you think is your most important attribute or strength is the answer.

Want help preparing for your next interview, or need help even finding an interview? Contact the staffing pros at Advance Staffing Solutions today!

 

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3 Questions Candidates Always Forget to Ask

Raza Rauf on December 3, 2015

3Questions

Lіkе thе fine art оf conversation, interviewing іѕ а two-way process. An interview isn’t intended solely tо hеlр thе employer find thе rіght person fоr thе job; it’s аlѕо аn opportunity fоr thе job seeker tо decide іf thе company аnd position are a good match.

Mоѕt companies wіll give уоu аn opportunity tо аѕk questions during interviews, in fact, уоu ѕhоuld bе inclined tо walk аwау frоm а company if they do not аllоw уоu tо аѕk any. Oftеn, а lot оf questions а candidate hаѕ prepared аrе already covered durіng thе interview, but thеrе аrе bound tо bе оnеѕ уоu саn ѕtіll ask. Whаt уоu choose tо аѕk іѕ vital, аѕ уоu wаnt tо sound intelligent аnd show thаt уоu hаvе bееn listening tо еvеrуthіng thе interviewer hаѕ ѕаіd аbоut thе role, company, services аnd products, аnd team.

Onсе thе interviewer hаѕ finished аѕkіng thеіr questions, don’t breathe а sigh оf relief јuѕt уеt. It’s important tо adopt а positive tone аnd sound enthusiastic, еvеn іf аѕkіng tricky questions ѕuсh аѕ inquiring about management style, аѕ nоt аll interviewers аrе experienced аnd mау find thеmѕеlvеѕ lost fоr words. Thіѕ rarely happens, but уоu nееd tо bе ready tо manage thе situation іn а positive way.

Thе mоrе advanced thе position is, thе mоrе important іt іѕ tо аѕk complex аnd tough questions. Recruitment managers wіll judge уоu аѕ muсh оn thе inquiries уоu mаkе аѕ оn thе responses уоu provide. If уоu don’t аѕk sufficiently detailed questions, іt wіll demonstrate а lack оf initiative аnd leadership qualities thаt а senior-level position demands.

Hеrе аrе three questions thаt уоu саn use fоr уоur nеxt interview (that most candidates forget to ask!):

1 – If I wаѕ gіvеn thе job, hоw dо уоu ѕее thе role evolving?

Thіѕ іѕ а great question bесаuѕе іt helps thе interviewer envisage уоu personally іn thе role. Aѕ thеу explain hоw thе role mіght develop оvеr thе nеxt fеw years, they’re thinking аbоut уоu developing аlоngѕіdе it.

2 – Whаt dо уоu ѕее аѕ thе priorities fоr thіѕ job іn thе fіrѕt thrее months?

Thіѕ аllоwѕ thе interviewer tо gо іntо mоrе detail аbоut whаt thе post асtuаllу requires wіthіn thе fіrѕt couple оf months. It’s а chance fоr уоu tо agree (if appropriate), lооk enthusiastic аnd іf роѕѕіblе еvеn explain whу thоѕе priorities аrе ideally suited tо уоur background.

3 – Hоw dоеѕ mу role fit wіth thе оvеrаll vision аt уоur company?

Nоt оnlу wіll thе answer tо thіѕ question give уоu аnоthеr chance tо outline еxасtlу whу you’d bе perfect fоr thе role, іt аlѕо shows tо thе interviewer уоu аrе aware оf thе bigger picture аnd уоur part іn it. A great question tо аѕk fоr mоrе senior-level travel roles.

Remember tо close thе interview bу summarizing уоur key skills аnd hоw they’re relevant fоr thе job іn question. Alwауѕ find оut thе nеxt steps аnd whеn you’re lіkеlу tо hear bасk. Don’t forget tо thаnk thе interviewer fоr thеіr time аnd kеер smiling!

 

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Waiting to Hear Back from a Recruiter? There May Be a Reason Why…

Raza Rauf on November 27, 2015

WaitingForRecruiter_11-2015

Imagine a scenario where you are unhappy with your current job, and are contacted by a recruiter who tells you that the company they represent is interested in hiring. They fill your head with a list of job benefits that far outweigh what you are currently receiving, and you naturally say that you are interested in getting involved in the interview process. It may sound like a pipe dream, but this is actually something that happens on a fairly regular basis. It’s all rather exciting, but what do you do when it happens to you and it suddenly seems as though the recruiter has dropped off the face of the earth?

There is always the possibility that you simply didn’t make the cut, or that the needs of the company changed during the interview process.

They may have chosen to go in another direction completely, or they may even have decided that the position that they were trying to fill was not as essential as they had first imagined. It’s also worth noting that it can take as long as six months for the search and interview process to be completed. If you were among the first wave of potential candidates, you could be waiting a long time to hear from the recruiter again.

The job is still up for grabs but is in the negotiation phase for the moment.

Another reason why the recruiter may not have gotten back to you just yet is because they may be in the negotiation phase with another candidate who interviewed first. They will not call and inform you of their decision until that negotiation is complete, as it may end up falling through. If that is what happens, they will either abandon the search, which happens quite often, or they may turn to their second candidate, which may well be you.

While your natural instinct will be to call to find out what is going on to get recruiter updates, this may not be the best approach. Believe it or not, recruiters are very busy people who simply don’t have time to regularly update every person that they contact. When you talk to the recruiter, do all that you can to make a positive impact, as that will make them keep you in mind if this particular opportunity falls through. Most recruiters will eventually call you to make you aware of the final decision made by the company, so just remain patient until that call arrives.

 

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Do You Know What an Employer Will Find When They Google You?

Raza Rauf on November 20, 2015

GoogleYou_11-2015

It’s natural to do some research on the company before you go in for an interview. But did you also know that the company is doing plenty of research on you too? Recruiters regularly conduct online searches on candidates before deciding whether or not to offer them the chance to interview. A research report from ExecuNet revealed that 77 percent of recruiters use search engines to find background information about candidates, and 35 percent admitted they would eliminate a candidate from consideration based on information found online.

What will a recruiter find if they do a Google search for you? Will they find positive information about you? What about your social network profiles — will they find out anything interesting about you there?

What employers may find when they Google you:

  • Any articles or blog posts or graphics you’ve published under your name (may not be a bad thing);
  • Photos that have been tagged with your name (by you and other people – even the embarrassing ones!);
  • Social media posts going back years (they are archived forever) including the negative ones;
  • Those videos you posted on YouTube when you were in college (uh oh); and
  • Public records that include driving records, judgments, civil and criminal records, property tax information, divorce and marriage records, and more.

Here are some tips for cleaning up your online image so that when a potential employer searches for you online, what they find won’t damage your chance for a job.

Do a thorough search for your own name and aliases

First and foremost, think like a recruiter and do a search for yourself online. Make a list of everything you find. Pay close attention to anything that could be damaging to your reputation, such as derogatory social posts, images, videos, and records. Search under your aliases too (nicknames and former maiden names for women).

Remove any harmful content that you can

Take matters into your own hands by logging into your profiles and deleting any and all harmful content. Un-tag yourself from compromising photos and videos. Ask your friends and family to stop tagging you on photos and other content. Set all your social media profiles to the strictest privacy settings, or delete your accounts altogether.

Request records older than seven years to be archived

In some cases, you can request your state or county to take down public records that are older than seven years and archive them. This can include driving records, judgements, and court cases that have been dismissed. You may be eligible for expungement of your records, too.

Be prepared to discuss anything found online

It’s impossible to erase everything about yourself online, but you can be prepared to discuss it in a positive and honest way if it comes up in the hiring process. Most recruiters know that people make mistakes, so as long as you are willing to talk through any potential online reputation issues, and they don’t affect the company in any way, you should be clear.

 

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Should You Hire Someone Who Doesn’t Give Their Two Weeks’ Notice?

Raza Rauf on November 10, 2015

TwoWeeksNotice_11-2015

 

In the course of an interview, you (the hiring manager) asks the candidate when they can start. The candidate responds with, “When would you like me to start?” In a perfect world, you could request that this perfect candidate start right away, but realistically the candidate is currently working for someone else and must follow some rule about giving two weeks’ notice. But, what if the candidate says that they don’t mind not giving this standard notice? Should you still hire someone like this?

Why not. You want the candidate and you know that you can offer this person a much better career opportunity. They know it and that’s why they are willing to bend a little to get in the door faster. Besides, is the two-week notice even the standard anymore?

Um, not so fast. You want to hire a professional, someone who demonstrates this with ethical decisions and actions. Not giving a proper notice could be viewed as being somewhat unprofessional or hasty. It could also be that the candidate is eager to come work for you and leave the other job behind – for a variety of reasons.

What to do?

First, ask the candidate if not giving a proper notice will burn any bridges with the former employer. After all, they want to use them for a reference in the future, right? This is ultimately up to the candidate to decide, so don’t judge them. Keep in mind that the candidate may have already advised a current employer of departure, or may have some vacation time to use up — so it’s not that big of a deal.

Second, advise the candidate that the start date is flexible, so you can wait if they need to give a two-week notice. This helps the candidate to see you value them in this process. It also gives the candidate the chance to adjust to a new job offer, take care of wrapping things up with a former employer, and get the background screening processing out of the way before the official start date.

If the candidate is still interested in starting soon, let them know you can accommodate them. You want the candidate to be comfortable and have a positive onboarding experience with your company, so be adaptable and work with the candidate to make this a smooth start.

 

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What To Do With “Out of the Box” Job Candidates

Raza Rauf on October 15, 2015

What-To-Do-With-Out-of-the-Box-Job-Candidates

 

As a hiring manager, you’ve probably seen a wide range of candidates who vary from underqualified to perfect for the company. But, every once in a while, a candidate comes across your desk with skills and experience that fall outside of the box. This is someone who could potentially add a great deal of value to your company, even be considered as a future leader, but you don’t have a position available at this time. These people are:

  • Creative thinkers who bring a lot of energy to their careers
  • Extroverts with above-average leadership and communication skills
  • Highly respected and recommended by past employers and colleagues

What do you do with a candidate like this – put them in a pile for later consideration and risk losing them to a competitor, or giving them an opportunity at your company? Read on to learn what you can do with these rare candidates.

Get them on the phone for a screening interview fast

Don’t miss out on the chance to talk with a candidate who has the above traits. Get on the phone and introduce your company and the opportunities there. Find out what the candidate is looking for. Arrange for an in-face interview as soon as you can.

Offer them a contract project

If you don’t have a position already available for a candidate like this, create one with a contract project. Tap into the candidate’s strengths and experience to come up with a project that will challenge the candidate. Let them know successful completion of this project may lead to a permanent job. Offer a generous contract rate to get them on board.

Bring the candidate on as a consultant

An alternative to offering a paid project is to offer the candidate the chance to share their unique knowledge as a consultant to your current team. Set a meeting and introduce them to your leadership team, then come up with an agreement to have them come in for a nice fee to direct your team on certain issues they may be having. When the time is right, offer this candidate a job.

Refer them to a complimentary firm

If you cannot do the above, the very best action you can take is to refer them to a colleague at a complimentary firm. In the future, you can still offer a position or work positively with this person, who will be forever grateful, and your colleagues will thank you for sending a great candidate along.

 

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Your Interview Isn’t Going Well…Now What?!

Raza Rauf on October 13, 2015

Your-Interview-Isnt-Going-Well-Now-What

 

When you get invited to a job interview, it’s natural to want the best possible scenario to happen. But in reality, sometimes things can and do go wrong with interviews. Before you panic, here’s how to redeem yourself from several common problems that occur with interviews.

Running Late/Got Lost

Despite the advantages of directional apps found on most mobile devices, life can get in the way causing one to be a few minutes late to an interview because of poor directions or traffic problems. While it’s always a good idea to leave extra early for an interview, it’s not always possible if you are trying to do so around another job or personal responsibilities. The best course of action is to pick up the phone as soon as you suspect you may be late or lost and inform the company. Try to give an honest estimate of when you will arrive for the interview. The hiring manager will appreciate this gesture, which shows you have a strong sense of being punctual.

Not Getting a Warm Fuzzy Feeling

While most recruiters try to make an effort to create a friendly environment to conduct interviews, not all take the time to build rapport with candidates – instead getting down to the business of things. This can be uncomfortable and awkward for anyone. If you find yourself faced with a cold interviewer, you can make the most of it. Be professional, friendly, and use positive body language. It’s possible the recruiter is doing this as part of a test to see how well you function under similar circumstnces with clients and vendors.

Stuck on an Interview Answer

Nearly every job seeker has encountered a bad interview question or one where there could be several possible answers. Or worse yet, one that stumps us completely. This happens to even the most prepared candidates. Take a deep breath and let the interviewer know you are stumbling to find the right answer to this one. Then ask them if you can think about this for a bit longer, but in the meantime you can answer another question to jog your memory. This shows that you are careful about your words and the way you do things, which should impress anyone.

Above all else, don’t panic. Not all interviews will seem positive, but they can result in a job offer even if you think you bombed it.

 

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Referral Contest – Win Thanksgiving Dinner on us!

Raza Rauf on October 5, 2015

Refer a friend and when they complete our application process

You will be entered in a drawing for a Thanksgiving Dinner Gift Basket that includes a gift certificate for a turkey & all the ingredients for side dishes and dessert!

Applicant must register at one of our Branch Offices between the dates of October 5th – November 13th.

(apply on-line or call branch for appointment time)

Drawing will be held on Monday, November 16th

turkey

** In addition to this referral bonus you will also be eligible for our regular $25 referral bonus**

(To qualify for the $25 referral bonus the applicant or employee must complete 80 hours of work)

 

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How to Stay Off a Recruiter’s Blacklist

Raza Rauf on September 28, 2015

How to Stay Off a Recruiter's Blacklist

Trying to find a job today is not easy. Even with the help of the Internet and social media, landing a job you want can take months because hundreds of people apply for the same jobs as you. Turning your job search into a success can be done by working with a recruiter. One thing you must know when working with a recruiter is that you need to stay off of their blacklist. Being on a recruiter’s blacklist can ruin your job search, so follow these tips to stay off this list!

Exaggerating Skills or Claims

One of the biggest reasons why a recruiter will put you on their blacklist is because you have been caught exaggerating your skills or claims on your resume. It is understandable that people exaggerate a little bit on their resumes, but it can be very detrimental their job search. Recruiters will be able to see through lies on your resume because they read thousands of resumes per year. Avoid exaggerating about your skills or claims on your resume to stay off a recruiter’s blacklist.

Self-Employed Viewed as Unemployed

Even though this seems a little harsh, many recruiters view self-employed job seekers as unemployed job seekers, even if the job seeker has been running a successful business independently. It is difficult to change this perception in front of recruiters, but it can be done. Make sure you include some stats about your independently owned business that proves you have been working for the past five-to-ten years, and not just sitting around the house.

Aggression Does Not Work

Even though being an aggressive job seeker can be better than being a passive one, it can get you blacklisted by a recruiter if you work with one. Contacting a recruiter multiple times per week via phone or email will get you blacklisted for sure. There is no need to constantly bother a recruiter about an open job or an interview you had with a company. If the company liked you, the recruiter will reach out to you when necessary.

Failure to Fit the Culture

Job seekers could have an incredible resume and all the references in the world, but not fitting in with a company’s culture could cause you to hit the blacklist. This can be determined through screening processes, an interview with the company and much more. If this happens more than once, a recruiter might have to blacklist you to avoid wasting anyone else’s time.

Stay off of a recruiter’s blacklist by keeping aggression to a minimum, avoiding exaggeration on your resume and by fitting into a company’s culture.

 

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All Resumes Must Answer This One Question

Raza Rauf on September 22, 2015

All Resumes Must Answer This One Question

The next time you sit down to write a resume, you need to look at one important question and see if it answers the question. In fact, instead of waiting to write a new resume, edit your current one to make sure it answers the important question discussed here. If you can answer the one question all resumes should answer, it will help you stand out from the rest of the crowd, and this is important in such a tough business world.

Goal of the Resume

The ultimate goal of your resume, no matter which version, is to entice a company to contact you for one of their open jobs. You can put as much work experience and skills as you want on your resume, but these alone will not get a company to contact you about their open job. You must be able to turn all of your work experience and skills learned in previous jobs into the reason why companies call you. You must paint a picture.

The Question That Must be Answered

The question that all resumes must answer is, “What makes you a better candidate than all others who have applied for this job?” As mentioned above, you need to paint a picture in order to answer this question appropriately. The picture you paint must tell the company why you are the best pick for the open job and not someone else.

What Answers This Question?

So, what is it about you that can provide a stellar answer to this question? You need to think past the mundane tasks you perform each day, from the minute you arrive to the minute you leave. You need to think about your biggest career accomplishments, achievements, accolades, articles and awards. When you put all of these items on your resume, in an appropriate manner and location, you should have no problem answering the question and getting a company to contact you about their open job.

Hundreds of people apply for the same open jobs at companies across the country. Because of this, HR managers and recruiters come across mediocre resumes and applicants who are not worth a second look. This means that you will need to work extra hard to get your resume noticed. Make sure you answer this question as thoroughly as possible to get noticed.

 

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