management - The Advance Group

How to Land an Entry-Level HR Career

Raza Rauf on May 4, 2016

Ready to take on the world of people management? Human resources is perhaps one of the most rewarding and challenging career paths out there today. Every day, human resource practitioners are making big decisions that impact the organizations that they work for. Human resources professionals are tasked with making sure their organizations are compliant with employment laws and updates that affect the bottom line.

If you believe you have what it takes to walk the line between employees and the best interest of the business, then here are some tips for landing an entry-level HR job.

Get the right training.

It is absolutely vital to your career in HR to get the right training and education. Enroll in an accredited Human Resource Management program through a local university or college. Human resources is an ever-changing industry, therefore it is important that you get the correct information and instruction so that you can be highly knowledgeable about this field. Consider that as an HR professional you will be tasked with ongoing learning throughout your career.

Develop your leadership skills.

Human resources professionals are more than just payroll clerks and benefits administrators. They are skilled professionals who are leaders in terms of workplace policies and improvements. Take the time to learn how to be a solid leader before you look for an entry level job, because you will be tasked with proving your worth to other leaders in the real business world.

Consider HR certification.

It is always a good idea to pursue additional training and certification in human resources. The Society for Human Resource Management has guidelines for what every HR pro should be studying.

Try recruiting as an entry point.

Recruitment can be a great way to get involved with human resource efforts. This very vital role can help you to learn quickly how to be effective managing people, understanding employment rules and regulations, and getting the most from human capital in any organization.

Accept temp-to-perm HR opportunities.

Be open to working in temp-to-perm jobs in human resources. This can fast track you into a more permanent entry or mid-level role. Staffing agencies that have recruitment and HR jobs often look for people who have potential and then put them through additional training and even college to learn more.

Looking to land an entry-level HR career? Click here to browse our open job opportunities in Michigan and Ohio, or contact us today!

How to Get Your Workforce Engaged this Spring

Raza Rauf on April 21, 2016

A workforce that’s disengaged poses a huge threat to your company’s livelihood. According to research from The Economist, around 87 percent of executives believe that employees who lack engagement bring down businesses. Therefore, it’s up to company leaders to create a workplace where people feel valued and can look forward to their jobs.

It’s time to shake off the cold of the winter months in the central states and get your workers actively engaged in the company objectives again! The springtime is ripe for new opportunities and energy.

Conduct an employee engagement survey.

Where does your employee engagement stand now? If you are not sure, this can be the perfect time to conduct an employee engagement survey of your entire organization. Find out where there are problems, where there are positive factors, and where things can be improved over the course of the next few months.

Hire some new people.

The spring can be a good time to bring in some fresh new employees too. Many times, employees become disengaged because they have far too much work on their plates. Give them a break by hiring some temp-to-perm help in Detroit to alleviate this stress.

Schedule a workplace celebration.

An effective way to bring life back into a dull workplace, lift spirits, and increase employee engagement is to host a fun springtime celebration. Create a spring themed week of events, complete with contests for the best spring fashion, the best-decorated workspaces, and more. Have an outdoor cookout if weather allows!

Organize a community event.

The spring can be a good way to get everyone out of the office for some sunshine too, an action that immediately lifts the mood of employees. Look for some community causes that need attention, such as a city beautification program, a homeless women’s shelter, or a walk to raise money for a local pet shelter. Just make it fun and get everyone involved in some way.

Issue promotions.

Instead of waiting until later in the year to hand out promotions and raises, why not issue them now? Give employees credit for their hard work, and they will stick around and be more engaged.
Need more help getting your workforce engaged this spring? Contact the staffing experts at Advance Staffing Solutions today!

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!

Are Your Workplace Policies Ready for new Legalized Marijuana Legislature?

Raza Rauf on April 8, 2016

2016 has seen the legalization of marijuana for medical use in 23 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, and recreational use in four states, prompting the update of human resources policies surrounding drug use. A Society for Human Resource Management survey from earlier this year indicates that 90 percent of organizations still do not have a substance abuse policy in place that addressed legal pot use. It’s as if the HR community has been slow to recognize these changes and how they impact the workplace.

Is your workplace prepared with an updated policy on legal marijuana, whether your state is affected or not? Here are some things your company needs to do now.

1. Update your substance abuse policy for the workplace.

As an employer, it’s your responsibility to maintain a safe workplace for all employees, and this includes cracking down on employees who either use drugs during work hours or bring drugs into the work environment. Make sure to clearly state what your company’s stance is on drugs at work, and that the only exceptions are for medical marijuana use only with an approved doctor’s note. In states where recreational marijuana use is legal, it is still advisable to have a policy on screening employees who have been in accidents or injured on the job.

2. Set up a relationship with a staffing agency or pre-employment drug-testing vendor.

The drug policy should also include recruitment factors, such as the company’s effort to hire drug-free employees. Therefore, a vendor needs to be in place, ready to handle all pre-employment drug screens for new hires. A staffing agency can easily and inexpensively handle this matter as they already have a relationship with drug-testing facilities.

3. Become knowledgeable about updates to marijuana legalization.

The laws around the legalization of marijuana are continually changing and they may continue to be confusing and complex for the immediate future. A trusted HR advisor or consulting agency can support your workplace by keeping your HR team abreast of current laws. Take the time to educate managers on this topic, and use staff meetings to educate employees about the drug-use policy. Remember that you do not have to allow drug use in your workplace, whether recreational use is legal or not.

Need help to build a strong workforce policy, or hiring employees who can comply with company policies? Let the staffing experts at Advance Staffing Solutions help!

How to Tell When Your Employees Are Wasting Time at Work

Raza Rauf on March 16, 2016

You may remember the CBS News story about a report detailing the work habits of employees. It turns out that as much as 60-to-80 percent of the average adult workforce is engaged in non-work activities when they are at the office. These activities include checking in on social networks, texting on mobile devices, and surfing the Internet for personal enjoyment and even job search reasons. All this slacking leads to millions of dollars in lost revenue every year. Since when is stealing company time ok?

Are you concerned that you employees are wasting time like this at work? It can be hard to tell sometimes, especially when employees are great at hiding their covert activities. Some may even be wasting so much time that they are creating other bad habits, such as eating lunch at their desks and staying late on the company dime.

Here are several signs that your employees are participating in “cyberloafing” on the job.

Employees find it difficult to meet project deadlines.

Do you have a number of employees who consistently struggle with meeting their deadlines for work projects, don’t keep their commitments to clients, or just don’t manage their time well? This can be a big red sign that they are spending their valuable working hours to goof off.

Employees seem distracted or irritated often.

Have your staff meetings turned into grumbling from a group of employees who are set on looking at their mobile devices moreso than paying attention? Or maybe every time you call one of your subordinates they act like you are annoying them? This can be a sign that employees are being distracted by other activities that they cannot seem to pull themselves away from long enough to actually get some work done.

Employees update their social networks frequently.

Take a moment to locate the social profiles of your employees – on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Are they updating their profiles more than once a day? Check the times that they are logging notes into their social accounts too, are they happening throughout the day (not at lunchtime)? This can be a real problem.

Employees aren’t interacting with team members.

Another sign of employees who are not focusing on work during work hours is that they tend to disappear from the rest of the team. Or they just don’t make an effort to interact or socialize with peers. This happens during peak work hours when they should be an active part of the team. Observe these employees and find out what has caused them to become disconnected.

If you need help managing your workforce, or finding new talented employees to add to your team, contact the staffing experts at Advance Staffing Solutions today!

5 Apps That Can Make You a Better Boss

Raza Rauf on March 9, 2016

Have you ever wondered how you can learn how to be a better boss when you have so much on your plate all the time? Turns out, there’s an app for that. Here’s a rundown of the best apps for management skills development on the market today.

Dispatch

As a boss, are you continually weeding through hundreds of emails each day, only to find yourself buried in responses? You are not alone. The average manager gets around 150 to 300 emails a day. Luckily, there is an app called Dispatch that can help you chop down those emails and get back to actually being around your people — instead of sitting behind a computer all day. Dispatch “lets you get rid of mails by swiping, respond faster with snippets, and process your mails with other apps.” It’s available on Apple iTunes.

EasilyDo

Always forgetting important tasks, employee birthdays, ordering office supplies, setting up travel, and other critical team-building activities? EasilyDo is an app that can help you stay on track with daily reminders of what’s priority as a boss, and executing some of these things for you. It’s akin to having a personal assistant to help you stay above water. It can even integrate with your email and contacts for smooth transitions between tasks, and sending alerts and reminders to others.

Flow

Managing a team, tasks, and projects can be the bane of every boss’ life. The Flow app makes it easier by creating a collaborative task management space where managers can allocate tasks, communicate with team members, and stay on top of deadlines. Use the Flow app to separate tasks into teams and individuals who have the right skills to achieve them.

TimeTrade

Tired of the back and forth emails asking you to schedule meeting times and get phone numbers and other contact info in place? TimeTrade is a perfect management app that helps you to streamline meeting schedules for yourself and your team members. Powerful analytics also let managers see where they are spending the bulk of their time. The best part is that there is a free version.

Talkboard

If you have a creative team or employees who spend a great deal of time working in silos, why not bring them together during meetings using the collaborative whiteboard of Talkboard? It’s simple to use, and interfaces with Apple iPads. Integrate video and images, social networking, and more to make presentations and meetings fun again.

How to Quantify the Real Value of Your Workforce

Raza Rauf on February 27, 2016

In the world of human resources, it’s hard to put a number on certain aspects of the personnel management game. Typically, businesses can be slow to adopt HR metrics and it can be difficult to quantify certain strategies in HR. But as HR professionals, it is up to us to make a case for the decision that we make each day in the office. Here’s how to quantify your workforce.

Experts advise that it’s best to focus on three core areas of the workforce that impact the bottom lie the most – all related to hiring and retaining the best possible employees.

Where are you sourcing the best employees for your company?

Where you are finding your new hires is a major factor in quantifying your workforce. The source of your hires needs to produce a good track record of placing high-quality employees with the right skills into the right jobs. Part of the problem with doing recruitment on your own is that decisions can be made out of haste during employee replacements or rapid growth cycles. A temporary staffing agency partner can drastically improve the quality of your workforce, and reduce the time and cost of staffing the company.

What areas or departments have the highest turnover rates?

Turnover among employees can be a sign of trouble. In fact, is can be the only sign that things are not going well with the workforce. Quantifying your human resources means nailing down the problems that are causing employee turnover. Sometimes they can be related to poor management or outdated business practices. A strong workforce is one that is actively engaged and loyal to the company. This is a valuable asset to have, and worth the effort.

Who is tracking or managing the departing employees?

Just as your company needs an onboarding program for bringing new hires in, it also needs a strategy for dealing with off boarding of departing employees. This very critical time when an employee is leaving the company can be the only opportunity to capture certain information that the company needs to quantify its workforce goals. Exit interviews are a must. Find out who is handling employees who are leaving and if there is any correlation with certain departments or managers where there is high turnover. This could be an opportunity to retrain managers on ways to keep good people instead of losing them to the competition.

When your company can quantify the value of its workforce, it will be well on its way to being a better place for employees to thrive and the company to meet its earnings goals. Partner with Advance Staffing Solutions today, and let us place top-quality candidates in your workplace!

New Year, Same Old Hiring Mistakes!

Raza Rauf on January 29, 2016

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.

Advance Staffing Solutions Can Help You Succeed in the New Year

Raza Rauf on December 31, 2015

Employers in the northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan regions – listen up! 2016 can be an outstanding year for your staffing and recruitment goals. Maybe last year wasn’t so stellar and you have discovered some skill gaps, have lost a few great employees, or are ready to expand operations now. There’s no need to go it alone. Advance Staffing Solutions has the solutions to help your organization succeed in the New Year.

Here’s a rundown of the recruitment services and support we offer at Advance Staffing Solutions:

• 24/7 live staffing support from a team of experienced and committed recruitment professionals. Your business doesn’t top at 5 pm, so why settle for anything less?
• On-demand staffing support for short term and long term needs. Got a staffing emergency or need last minute help for a special project? No problem – just get in touch!
• Let us send a staffing coordinator to work onsite to manage your temporary workforce. No more worry over how to augment your current team with temps – we can handle all the responsibility for you.
• Strategic support for your human resource functions. When you outsource to Advance Staffing Solutions, you can count on us to help you streamline your HR operations so that you get the maximum ROI.
• Human resources consulting is just a phone call away. Advance Staffing Solutions offers HR consulting and guidance on any area of your personnel department. From workforce training and optimizing skills to recruitment, retention and employee engagement support – we can handle it all.
• Candidate screening is our specialty. Advance Staffing Solutions pre-screens all candidates using a secure system and we have risk management in mind. Our process includes resume screening, interviewing, personal background checks, skills testing, reference checks, criminal check, and drug and alcohol testing. We can even coordinate your interview schedule.
• Outplacement services for departing employees are simple. Advance Staffing Solutions offers career counseling, testing, assessments, training, interview coaching, and referrals to help employees who are leaving to prepare for their next career adventure.
• Professional Employer Organization (PEO) and payroll management is a snap. We can provide payroll and benefit administration services to your company, so that the liability is shouldered by our company and not yours.
• Flexible staffing solutions include direct placement, temp to perm, and temporary assistance. Let us source and screen the perfect candidates for your company so that you can reach corporate goals this year.

Get in touch with the caring staffing professionals at Advance Staffing Solutions today for more information about these services and more.

Can You Become a Respected Leader Overnight?

Raza Rauf on October 29, 2015

Do you dream of being an industry expert and someone who others look up to for leadership? If so, it won’t happen overnight. These things can take time. But there are some ways to fast-track your way to success. Here’s how to become a respected leader in your career.

Become a subject matter expert

Everyone is good at something, but the better you are at your job and the more knowledgeable you become, the more others will look to you for direction. Take the time to learn as much as you can about the processes and products that help you do your job, the industry updates and trends, and the people who make your industry great.

Align yourself with other leaders

As soon as you can, associate yourself with other thought leaders and become one of the pack. Attend industry association meetings and networking groups in the local business community. Network on social media groups. Elevate yourself through credentials and partnerships. Most of all, gain a mentor who you will be like someday.

Demonstrate leadership ability

If you want to be seen as a leader, then you must act like one. Find ways to stand out among your peers at work. Rise up to challenges and take on new responsibilities. Take the time to teach others what you know, when they ask. Demonstrate that you have what it takes to be a leader on your team. Learn to be a powerful speaker and presenter. Think about ways to solve problems and make your boss and co-workers look good.

Think beyond the four walls of your workplace

True leaders have a strong sense of community and the impact they are having on the rest of the world. Find a cause you believe in and support it. Volunteer once in a while and see how good it makes you feel and how you stand up for something good. The world needs more leaders, and it’s time to take your place.

By using the above methods, you can elevate yourself to leadership status in very little time. Be strategic and consistent with how you present yourself.

What To Say to Your Workforce, Instead of “I Don’t Know!”

Raza Rauf on October 8, 2015

There are times in a manager’s career when a lack of enough information may leave no other answer but “I don’t know” to subordinates. However, this is not a good phrase to use because it takes away from the management role. How? Employees need strong leadership, so a wishy washy answer that implies the leader is really not in control of the situation leaves them feeling confused and worried. In order to maintain your status as a leader, you need some other ways of expressing yourself without saying you don’t know. Here are some other things you can say.

“This is what I know, and I will have more information for you soon.”

When employees know that an immediate supervisor has their best interests in mind, they are often good with this kind of response. It shows that you are going to share what you know (and maybe share some managers-only information) and that you are going to update them as soon as possible. This conveys you have things under control and they will be the first to hear when anything new develops.

“I’m not the right person to ask about this, let’s find out who can answer your question.”

As a manager, you will never have all the information and you may not always be the go-to expert on a particular subject. This is OK. Employees are simply following the chain of command when they ask a manager about something. It’s up to you to direct them to the right resources and experts in the company for more clarity on some subjects. For example, if an employee has a benefits-related question, you will use this phrase and then walk them over to the human resource office for more support.

“I hear your concern, so give me an opportunity to get the right answer for you.”

Being a good listener and using reflective phrases like this can go a long way towards fostering good relationships with subordinates. By stating that you hear what the employee is saying, you acknowledge their concern and want to do something to help them. However, if you don’t have the right answer, which is reasonable, you are asking the employee to trust in you as a manager to get the correct information for them – something they can respect.

Use the above phrases to demonstrate your ability to lead others, without leaving them scratching their heads.

Exit Interviews: Do you know why your employees are leaving?

Raza Rauf on September 24, 2015

Employees leave companies for many different reasons, but sometimes the HR team won’t be able to explain why past employees left. In some cases, employees leave for better advancement opportunities or because they are not happy with their current employer. The only way a company can know or learn why employees are leaving is by taking advantage of the exit interview, and then learning from this feedback.

Encourage Honesty

The next time you hold an exit interview, make sure you encourage honesty on the part of the employee who is leaving the company. Few employees will be brutally honesty during an exit interview, especially when leaving smaller companies, because they do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Try to encourage honesty as much as possible so the employee explains the exact reasons why they decided to leave.

Ask These Questions

The following questions should be asked of the employee during an exit interview:

What will you get from your new employer that you didn’t get from us?
How do you feel things went here for you?
How are your career goals being fulfilled at your new job?
Can you give us any suggestions for improvement?
Would you like to be notified of any opportunities here in the future?
Is there anything we could have done to prevent you from leaving?
In what areas did we come up short?

Reveal Undiscovered Problems

For all you know, there could be some major problems hiding at your company. The only way you can find out about these problems is via the exit interview. The questions from the previous section could help to reveal these problems, which could include issues with the culture and competition that continues to aggressively recruit your talent. An outgoing employee will be able to shed light on these issues and much more if you ask the right questions and encourage honesty.

Make Appropriate Changes

Once you conduct the exit interview, you should begin to make appropriate changes to the company. This could include improving the company’s culture, offering better benefits, increasing salaries and offering more opportunities for advancement.

Companies need to know why their employees leave for other opportunities. They also need to know if an issue at the office led to the employee searching for a new job. The exit interview is the perfect time to find out this information.