The cold weather is behind us and the springtime is bringing warmer temperatures and lots of sunshine to Michigan and Ohio … finally! Many workers have been cooped up in their offices, cubicles, and plants for far too long. It’s time to bring the springtime into the workplace with these creative ideas.
Dejunk the office.
Spring is the perfect time to clean up any office space, and this comes down to assigning work teams for some sprucing up. Start by clearing any clutter that’s developed, especially in common areas, hallways, and break areas. Then, wipe things down. Bring more sunshine in by cleaning windows and blinds too. The office should feel light and bright now.
Bring in the green.
Give your office more life and improve the air quality by investing in some beautiful greenery. Work with a local greenhouse to secure fresh plants for every office area. Encourage your employees to bring in their plants too. Hold an impromptu Earth Day celebration and plant some trees on the property around your offices.
Boost spirits.
Schedule some outdoor events to help get employees outside and into some fresh air. Have a picnic in a local park, or invite the families of your employees for an ice cream social at the office. Give out fun prizes and corporate swagger in bright pastel hues. Have a May-Pole dance outside and invite the children of workers to participate.
Encourage some time off.
Your springtime workforce also signals a time to encourage employees to find more work-life balance by taking some much needed time off. Partner with a staffing agency like Advance Staffing Solutions to bring in some temporary employees so your regular employees can schedule vacation time.
Improve incentives.
The spring months often need a little help to increase the morale of the workplace, especially after the brutal winter we had here in Michigan and Ohio. Review your current employee incentive programs and see if you can make them better. Create some fun competitions in the office that allow employees to shine in front of their peers, then assign incentive to performance goals.
Host a wellness event.
Many times, employees are hoping to shed some weight and get fit as they head into the summer months ahead (and bathing suit season). Support this effort by introducing a wellness program at the office. Launch it with a wellness event held on campus.
Work on a cause.
In the spring, companies can also start focusing on community causes that need support. Nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity, local pet shelters, and even nearby schools can always use a helping hand. Organize a team of employees to spend a day building a new home for a deserving family and see how this experience brings people closer.
Need help creating a workforce that shines this spring? Click here to partner with Advance Staffing Solutions today!
Millennials are taking over the workforce, as one of the largest group of workers since the baby boomers. They tend to bring with them unique values, including the idea that they can do anything they put their mind to. Many have pretty clear ideas about what they are interested in and what they want to be “when they grow up.” This is a generation that wants to move up the corporate ladder faster than their counterparts, and they are willing to do what it takes to get there.
While most believe that if a person works hard enough, people can live their career dreams – there is some practical wisdom to be gleaned from the experiences of others. Before you quit your day job to live out some fantasy career, read this advice first.
1. Find your passion first.
The sooner you identify what you are most passionate about, the clearer your career dreams become. In other words, get to the heart of your values before you select a career. Take a look back at your life and what you have been most interested in. What are your natural talents? What are things that are important to you? Take a personality and career assessment to dig deeper into your passions because from this place you can build a dream career.
2. Be realistic.
Learn as much about yourself as possible before you choose a career. During the personality and career assessment, which you can take through a staffing agency, you will learn what you are all about. Consider what your personality type says about the kind of career you realistically can handle. If you are a people person, for example, you will likely want to work with people. If you are not as outgoing, you may find yourself more suited for technical work behind the scenes.
3. Kiss a lot of frogs.
Just as you would in the dating world when you are trying to build a dream career you will encounter jobs that you are not well-suited for. Your first job after college, a job that you got through a family friend, an internship you had to complete – these are good experiences but they may not have been perfect for you. Try some temporary assignments to learn about what you like vs. what you don’t like as you create your best career path.
Need help chasing your career dreams? Contact Advance Staffing Solutions today, and let us place you with a great new career today!
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!
Ever wanted to work as a paralegal? If so, there are a couple of different ways you can go about landing your dream paralegal career. You will obviously need to go to school first. You can’t just walk into a law firm and apply for a paralegal job. You need to have some form of formal training and maybe even a little experience, too. In this post, we will discuss the best ways to beat the competition to your dream paralegal career.
Unlock an Opportunity for Someone Else
One of the best ways you can land your dream paralegal career is by unlocking an opportunity for someone else. Now, you might think this is crazy, but the best way to make an impression on someone is by helping them out without wanting anything in return. When you do this, you make an impression not only on the person you are helping but also their employer and other people within your network who could offer you a job in the future.
Consider doing this for someone who works at your dream company. Connect with them on social media, possibly LinkedIn, and message them about an opportunity you know they will love. It opens the door for possible reciprocity down the road.
Become a Fan of the Company First
The first thing you should do before applying for any paralegal job is to become an all-out fan of the organization. Paralegals don’t just work in law firms. They can be found in major corporations that have in-house legal departments. Learn about the company in and out. Sign up for newsletters, “like” them on social media, and stay up-to-date on their blog. Once you are a true fan, you can then write your cover letter. Let your enthusiasm for the company shine through on the cover letter. Talk about your favorite product or service offered by the company and show how emotionally invested you are. This can only benefit you in the long run.
Create an Audition for Yourself
Not every job out there allows you to audition for it. If you work as a chef or actor, you are set. You can audition instead of really sitting down for a job interview. But, as a paralegal, you really can’t audition your skills or experience. Despite this, you need to find a way that you can audition for a potential employer. Call the interviewer before your interview and find out what recent problems the company has been having. Come up with a solution or two and turn it into a presentation you can make during the actual interview. It can’t hurt your chances!
Landing your dream paralegal job is not as out of reach as you might think. Take the time to plan ahead and consider different ways to make an impression, and you will be able to land the job. If you need help landing a paralegal job in Michigan or Ohio, click here to browse our current openings!
Being a first-time job seeker can be daunting and nerve-wracking, but it doesn’t have to define who you are. People become a first-time job seeker by graduating from college and entering the workforce, by heading to work for the first time in life or by leaving a life-long job that was earned while still in school. If you are a first-time job seeker, be sure to read the advice below so you can make the most of this opportunity.
Don’t Make Resume Mistakes
The first killer of a successful job search is making mistakes on your resume. These mistakes include spelling and grammar issues, the resume doesn’t stand out from the crowd and the resume has not been tweaked to target each job. It has been said so much, but it is important to have others review your resume. You also should tweak each resume for the job for which you are applying.
Failure to Prepare for the Interview
A first-time job seeker typically has zero job interview experience. They might have just a little bit if they interviewed for an internship while in school, but that’s about it. You can’t count interviews for summer jobs or jobs worked in high school because those questions are too easy to answer. If you fail to prepare for the job interview, then you will surely have trouble landing a job. Prepare by practicing answers to potentially difficult questions, practicing your positive body language and more.
Inappropriate Dress Attire
Another job search killer is inappropriate dress attire at the job interview. First-time job seekers tend to make this mistake more often than not. Please dress for the job you want. If you are interviewing for a job in a business setting, wear a suit. If you are interviewing for a job in a warehouse, wear business-casual clothes, but not a suit.
Lack of Company Knowledge
One of the most important things you must do as a first-time job seeker is learn about the company where you applied. If you know nothing about the company, it will show in the interview in how you answer questions and in the questions you ask the interviewer. Take 30 minutes out of your day and learn about the company and its services. It will go a long way in the end.
First-time job seekers need to follow the advice outlined in this post if they want to be successful in their search. For more support, and help with finding an entry-level job, get in contact with the caring staffing agents at Advance Staffing Solutions.
Currently, the unemployment rate in Ohio is sitting just below 4 percent. While this is a bit above the national average, that doesn’t necessarily spell good news for employers. Overall, there are far more open jobs than available workers, creating challenges for any organization that needs to fill vacancies.
While companies may assume that there’s little that they can do to gain an edge in the current market, that isn’t the case. By partnering with a skilled recruiter, employers can secure much-needed talent in less time. Plus, they can get access to higher-quality candidates, ensuring they don’t have to sacrifice quality even when the labor market is tight.
If you’re wondering how a recruiter can help your company overcome challenges relating to the current Ohio job market, here’s what you need to know.
When you work with a local recruiter in Ohio, you gain access to recruitment expertise from a professional that also understands the local labor market. Recruiters know what candidates want to find in opportunities, making it easier to navigate a candidate’s market. Additionally, they’re well aware of what the competition is offering, which can help employees seize advantages and stand out from the crowd.
Recruiters know how local candidates look for open positions. Ultimately, job seekers don’t approach job searches the same way, causing some to turn to specific resources to learn about opportunities. This expertise allows your recruiter to meet candidates where they already are, increasing the odds that they can reach the right kind of job seeker based on the skills you’re after.
Additionally, a talented recruiter focuses on candidate engagement. Along with solid communication, recruiters ensure that skilled job seekers feel valued along the way. Not only does this increase the odds that they’ll view employer recommendations from recruiters favorably, but it also makes it more likely that they’ll remain connected throughout the entire hiring process. As a result, companies aren’t as likely to lose out on a top talent.
When a recruiter finds a candidate with potential, they go the extra mile. Recruiters will spend time getting to know the job seeker. Along with ensuring they have the right skills, this approach can help with culture fit. The candidate’s personality, workplace preferences, and other factors are taken into account, leading to stronger matches.
Additionally, recruiters can tackle other pre-screening steps as required by the employer. For example, they can conduct reference and background checks before making any recommendations, ensuring the candidate has a solid reputation and meets any eligibility requirements.
In turn, companies get access to talent that’s highly likely to meet their needs, all while allowing hiring managers to focus on other responsibilities during the initial screening phases. That makes using a recruiter a significant time-saver.
Ultimately, a recruiter can find you top-tier talent in less time, allowing your company to fill openings fast even when the labor market is tight. If you’d like to learn more about how a recruiter can benefit your organization, the team at The Advance Group wants to hear from you. Contact us today.
Currently, the unemployment rate in Ohio is sitting just below 4 percent. While this is a bit above the national average, that doesn’t necessarily spell good news for employers. Overall, there are far more open jobs than available workers, creating challenges for any organization that needs to fill vacancies.
While companies may assume that there’s little that they can do to gain an edge in the current market, that isn’t the case. By partnering with a skilled recruiter, employers can secure much-needed talent in less time. Plus, they can get access to higher-quality candidates, ensuring they don’t have to sacrifice quality even when the labor market is tight.
If you’re wondering how a recruiter can help your company overcome challenges relating to the current Ohio job market, here’s what you need to know.
When you work with a local recruiter in Ohio, you gain access to recruitment expertise from a professional that also understands the local labor market. Recruiters know what candidates want to find in opportunities, making it easier to navigate a candidate’s market. Additionally, they’re well aware of what the competition is offering, which can help employees seize advantages and stand out from the crowd.
Recruiters know how local candidates look for open positions. Ultimately, job seekers don’t approach job searches the same way, causing some to turn to specific resources to learn about opportunities. This expertise allows your recruiter to meet candidates where they already are, increasing the odds that they can reach the right kind of job seeker based on the skills you’re after.
Additionally, a talented recruiter focuses on candidate engagement. Along with solid communication, recruiters ensure that skilled job seekers feel valued along the way. Not only does this increase the odds that they’ll view employer recommendations from recruiters favorably, but it also makes it more likely that they’ll remain connected throughout the entire hiring process. As a result, companies aren’t as likely to lose out on a top talent.
When a recruiter finds a candidate with potential, they go the extra mile. Recruiters will spend time getting to know the job seeker. Along with ensuring they have the right skills, this approach can help with culture fit. The candidate’s personality, workplace preferences, and other factors are taken into account, leading to stronger matches.
Additionally, recruiters can tackle other pre-screening steps as required by the employer. For example, they can conduct reference and background checks before making any recommendations, ensuring the candidate has a solid reputation and meets any eligibility requirements.
In turn, companies get access to talent that’s highly likely to meet their needs, all while allowing hiring managers to focus on other responsibilities during the initial screening phases. That makes using a recruiter a significant time-saver.
Ultimately, a recruiter can find you top-tier talent in less time, allowing your company to fill openings fast even when the labor market is tight. If you’d like to learn more about how a recruiter can benefit your organization, the team at The Advance Group wants to hear from you. Contact us today.
Being a first-time job seeker can be daunting and nerve-wracking, but it doesn’t have to define who you are. People become a first-time job seeker by graduating from college and entering the workforce, by heading to work for the first time in life or by leaving a life-long job that was earned while still in school. If you are a first-time job seeker, be sure to read the advice below so you can make the most of this opportunity.
Don’t Make Resume Mistakes
The first killer of a successful job search is making mistakes on your resume. These mistakes include spelling and grammar issues, the resume doesn’t stand out from the crowd and the resume has not been tweaked to target each job. It has been said so much, but it is important to have others review your resume. You also should tweak each resume for the job for which you are applying.
Failure to Prepare for the Interview
A first-time job seeker typically has zero job interview experience. They might have just a little bit if they interviewed for an internship while in school, but that’s about it. You can’t count interviews for summer jobs or jobs worked in high school because those questions are too easy to answer. If you fail to prepare for the job interview, then you will surely have trouble landing a job. Prepare by practicing answers to potentially difficult questions, practicing your positive body language and more.
Inappropriate Dress Attire
Another job search killer is inappropriate dress attire at the job interview. First-time job seekers tend to make this mistake more often than not. Please dress for the job you want. If you are interviewing for a job in a business setting, wear a suit. If you are interviewing for a job in a warehouse, wear business-casual clothes, but not a suit.
Lack of Company Knowledge
One of the most important things you must do as a first-time job seeker is learn about the company where you applied. If you know nothing about the company, it will show in the interview in how you answer questions and in the questions you ask the interviewer. Take 30 minutes out of your day and learn about the company and its services. It will go a long way in the end.
First-time job seekers need to follow the advice outlined in this post if they want to be successful in their search. For more support, and help with finding an entry-level job, get in contact with the caring staffing agents at Advance Staffing Solutions.
Ever wanted to work as a paralegal? If so, there are a couple of different ways you can go about landing your dream paralegal career. You will obviously need to go to school first. You can’t just walk into a law firm and apply for a paralegal job. You need to have some form of formal training and maybe even a little experience, too. In this post, we will discuss the best ways to beat the competition to your dream paralegal career.
Unlock an Opportunity for Someone Else
One of the best ways you can land your dream paralegal career is by unlocking an opportunity for someone else. Now, you might think this is crazy, but the best way to make an impression on someone is by helping them out without wanting anything in return. When you do this, you make an impression not only on the person you are helping but also their employer and other people within your network who could offer you a job in the future.
Consider doing this for someone who works at your dream company. Connect with them on social media, possibly LinkedIn, and message them about an opportunity you know they will love. It opens the door for possible reciprocity down the road.
Become a Fan of the Company First
The first thing you should do before applying for any paralegal job is to become an all-out fan of the organization. Paralegals don’t just work in law firms. They can be found in major corporations that have in-house legal departments. Learn about the company in and out. Sign up for newsletters, “like” them on social media, and stay up-to-date on their blog. Once you are a true fan, you can then write your cover letter. Let your enthusiasm for the company shine through on the cover letter. Talk about your favorite product or service offered by the company and show how emotionally invested you are. This can only benefit you in the long run.
Create an Audition for Yourself
Not every job out there allows you to audition for it. If you work as a chef or actor, you are set. You can audition instead of really sitting down for a job interview. But, as a paralegal, you really can’t audition your skills or experience. Despite this, you need to find a way that you can audition for a potential employer. Call the interviewer before your interview and find out what recent problems the company has been having. Come up with a solution or two and turn it into a presentation you can make during the actual interview. It can’t hurt your chances!
Landing your dream paralegal job is not as out of reach as you might think. Take the time to plan ahead and consider different ways to make an impression, and you will be able to land the job. If you need help landing a paralegal job in Michigan or Ohio, click here to browse our current openings!
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!
Millennials are taking over the workforce, as one of the largest group of workers since the baby boomers. They tend to bring with them unique values, including the idea that they can do anything they put their mind to. Many have pretty clear ideas about what they are interested in and what they want to be “when they grow up.” This is a generation that wants to move up the corporate ladder faster than their counterparts, and they are willing to do what it takes to get there.
While most believe that if a person works hard enough, people can live their career dreams – there is some practical wisdom to be gleaned from the experiences of others. Before you quit your day job to live out some fantasy career, read this advice first.
1. Find your passion first.
The sooner you identify what you are most passionate about, the clearer your career dreams become. In other words, get to the heart of your values before you select a career. Take a look back at your life and what you have been most interested in. What are your natural talents? What are things that are important to you? Take a personality and career assessment to dig deeper into your passions because from this place you can build a dream career.
2. Be realistic.
Learn as much about yourself as possible before you choose a career. During the personality and career assessment, which you can take through a staffing agency, you will learn what you are all about. Consider what your personality type says about the kind of career you realistically can handle. If you are a people person, for example, you will likely want to work with people. If you are not as outgoing, you may find yourself more suited for technical work behind the scenes.
3. Kiss a lot of frogs.
Just as you would in the dating world when you are trying to build a dream career you will encounter jobs that you are not well-suited for. Your first job after college, a job that you got through a family friend, an internship you had to complete – these are good experiences but they may not have been perfect for you. Try some temporary assignments to learn about what you like vs. what you don’t like as you create your best career path.
Need help chasing your career dreams? Contact Advance Staffing Solutions today, and let us place you with a great new career today!
