Are You Conducting Post-Interview Reviews?

Companies are always looking for new ways to improve their hiring decisions because the cost of a bad hire can be astronomical. Companies also do not want to waste the time of the candidates they interview. This is why some companies have begun conducting post-interview reviews. More companies should take part in this exercise in order to improve how the interviews are handled and which candidates are hired. Learn how to conduct post-interview reviews the right way.

Include the Entire Team

One of the most important parts of conducting a post-interview review is to include the entire team. This means that every single employee who took part in the interview process should be involved in this meeting. This team should meet after each interview is conducted. So, if three different employees interviewed each candidate, they should be part of the team. If the HR head first scheduled the interview based on the resume submitted, this person should also be part of the team.

Discuss Impressions

Each person who took part in the interview process should be allowed to share their impressions of each candidate they met. The impressions discussed should be based on the notes taken by each employee who had the chance to interview candidates. Talk about any questions the candidates asked about the job or the company. Also talk about how the candidates answered the questions posed to them.

Allow Honest Discussion

When conducting such a review, you need to allow for honest discussion. This means that all employees should be honest in their opinions of candidates without worrying of repercussions from management or co-workers. If the members of this team cannot be honest, then you will not be improving your hiring process or interview process.

Rank Candidates

The post-interview review is the perfect time for your team to rank the candidates that have been interviewed to this point. Encourage each member of the team to rank each candidate he or she has interviewed from most likely to hire to least likely to hire. The ranking should be done based on the information gathered from the interview. The team members should conduct their rankings based on who they feel should be hired for the open job.

Build a List of Second Interview Candidates

Another goal of this team should be to build a list of candidates who will be contacted for a second round of interviews. It is possible that all of the candidates might be asked back for a second interview, but most likely it will be a shorter list. Even if members of your team are not going to take part in the second interview, they should still be notified of which candidates are being asked back.

Conducting post-interview reviews helps a company improve their hiring process and how the interviews are conducted. Implement these reviews today to hire the most qualified people for your open jobs.

Referral Contest – Win Thanksgiving Dinner on us!

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)

 

www.advancestaffingsolutions.com

5 Ways To Find Hardworking Millennials

5-Ways-To-Find-Hardworking-Millennials

 

Millennials are overtaking the workforce as baby boomers continue to retire, which is why companies are trying to find new ways to land hardworking millennials. Some are incredibly easy to find because they work internships with a company before receiving an offer of employment. Others might not be so easy to find because they do not want to be found, or are not actively looking for a new job. Use these five tips for finding hardworking millennials.

 

Check Their Hunger for a Job

 

One of the best ways to find a hardworking millennial is to check their hunger for a job. There are millennials out there who accept an entry-level job and then walk away from it two weeks to one month later because they feel that they are above the work they are doing, simply because of where they went to school. In order to avoid this type of behavior and attitude, you must perform a hunger check. Tell the candidate up front that they will be doing entry-level work, and if the conversation ends, so be it. If it doesn’t, you might have someone hungry for the job.

 

Brutal Honesty During the Interview Works

 

The second method to finding hardworking millennials is to be brutally honest with the candidate during the job interview. Explain to the candidate exactly what the job entails, what you don’t want at your office and what you do expect at the office in terms of behavior and attitude. If the candidate is still sitting there at the end of your speech, they must really want the job.

 

Be Open to Shaking Things Up

 

There are companies out there that love employing millennial workers because they know how to handle them. They are open to shaking things up at work. There is nothing wrong with being a fair boss who is also tough on employees. It is one of the best ways to get strong work from employees. In some instances, you have to be like a tough parent with millennials in order for them to perform at the levels they are truly capable of.

 

Candidates Show Themselves in Interviews

 

Whether you know it or not, candidates will show their true selves during job interviews. Even if you think they are putting on an act simply to impress you and receive the offer, at some point they will show you who they truly are. If this is the case, and it scares or frightens you, do not hire that candidate. You will only live to regret the decision.

 

Help Millennials Advance

 

Do your best to help millennials advance when you find strong ones, even if it means they climb the corporate ladder at a different company. This will help your company build a strong reputation for taking care of employees, which will make it easier to recruit top talent in the future.

Try to use all five of these methods in order to bring in the best talent possible for your company. If you need more help finding and bringing talented millennials or other employees into your workplace, contact Advance Staffing Solutions today! 

 

Advance_CTA_WhatAdvanceStaffingCanDoForYourFirm

 

Is Your New Hire Your Next Superstar?

Is Your New Hire Your Next Superstar

It’s every hiring manager’s dream to place someone in a new job and then, weeks later, discover that he or she has star potential. When a new hire is driven to success early on, it means that they not only make themselves look good, but your company does too. High performance candidates can be hard to spot, and they are rare indeed, but the person sitting across from you at the interviewing table could be your next superstar employee. Here’s how to find out.

Know what a superstar employee is

The definition of a superstar employee is someone who provides an above average ROI once you bring them on board. Mitchell Harper co-founder of Big Commerce defines superstars as, “someone who will generate 5x the important performance indicator of a normal person. For example, a superstar engineer will crank out 5x as much quality code as a normal engineer.” In other words, a superstar consistently outperforms other employees and rises to the top of the team quickly.

Choose the candidate qualities you want

When hiring, its critical to understand what factors will make a candidate become a future rock star employee. Make a list of the top 5 characteristics of your top performance employees, then focus on this as you read through resumes, meet with candidates, and evaluate their skills and abilities. It’s not always a certain personality type, but it’s the desire to make a difference in the industry that sets these candidates apart from others.

Use an assessment to weed out the “talkers”

One way to cut through the chatter when trying to identify your best prospects in stellar candidates is to use candidate assessment tests. People generally will say and do just about anything to get a job, including stretching the truth about their experience and skills. Give candidates a chance to prove they have what it takes to be on top.

Look for a progressive career advancement

Highly-driven candidates are concerned with career advancement and their work histories will show this. Unless they’ve been laid off in the past, you will usually see a progression of personal and career growth, including ongoing learning activities and advancing areas of responsibility. Look for candidates who have a mind and heart for business, as the entrepreneurial spirit is a sign of a superstar candidate.

If you see these characteristics in your candidate, take the time to dig deeper to see if he or she may be a good fit for your company. Need help recruiting amazing candidates? Look to the support of Advance Staffing Solutions today.

 

Advance_CTA_ContactAdvanceToday

 

When is the Right Time to Start Planning Your Hiring?

When is the Right Time to Start Planning Your Hiring

Running a company is incredibly difficult, and one of the most important parts of it is hiring new employees. Many companies tend to wonder when the right time is for planning the next round of hiring. The simple answer is … now! Companies need to put together their hiring plans as soon as possible in order to prepare for unexpected staffing needs. The sooner you have the plan created, the easier it will be to implement the plan when the times comes. Below, we will discuss when the right time is and how to create that plan.

 

Look at the Present Workforce

 

When you begin to put together a hiring plan, take a long look at your present workforce. There is nothing written in stone that you need to find a new employee from outside the organization. In fact, there might be some diamonds in the rough within your current workforce. Give a current employee a chance to improve their skills by promoting them to an open position that you might otherwise fill from outside the company. Invest in the job satisfaction of your current employees in order to put together a plan that helps you find future employees based on collaboration.

 

Develop a Plan That Meets Two Needs

 

Your hiring plan must meet two different needs for your company. Those two needs are staffing for the present and staffing for how you see your company growing in the future. When you have a hiring plan in place, you make it easier to deal with the risks and costs of hiring part-time, full-time, permanent, temporary or temp-to-hire employees. Your hiring plan will be able to ensure that hiring is consistent across all of the departments within the company. The plan needs to have a process for hiring in the present and in the future when you need to expand.

 

Perform an Analysis of Jobs at Your Company

 

An important part of putting together a hiring plan is to perform an analysis of the jobs at your company right now. Even though a job might open up, does it need to be filled immediately? Take a look at how it might fit into your company’s plans in the near future. How did the job fit into the company’s plans in the past? Was the job more effective in the past? Will it be more effective if it is altered in the future? Take a long, hard look at all of the jobs at your company and analyze them when putting together a hiring plan.

The definitive answer to the question posed in the title of this article is that now is the right time to start planning your hiring. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to find new talent.

 

Advance_CTA_WhatAdvanceStaffingCanDoForYourFirm

 

 

Why You Should be Recruiting More Passive Candidates

Why You Should be Recruiting More Passive Candidates

 

In the recruitment market, there is always a push for hiring the highest quality of candidates, and placing them in the jobs that are the best match. But this often poses as a huge challenge, because these great candidates are hard to find in high-demand industries. This is when recruiters turn to passive candidate recruitment methods to seek out professionals who may not be currently looking for a job right now, but whom have the right qualities for placement in an upcoming job order. Here are several reasons you should be recruiting more passive candidates for your organization.

What is it about passive candidates that is so appealing to recruiters?

You may be asking yourself, “Why would I want to put any energy out trying to recruit passive candidates, if they are already employed by someone else?” This is a valid question, but it goes much deeper than this. Passive candidates often represent the cream-of-the-crop in terms of the types of candidates you want to build a relationship with. They have several key advantages over active candidates, including:

  • They’ve already earned the experience and accolades that are desired by top companies, so their value is greatly elevated.
  • They have excellent references and backgrounds that are desired by companies, so you can leverage this for negotiating higher placement fees.
  • They are well connected with other leading candidates, so once you have won a passive candidate over, their colleagues will follow – making your job as a recruiter easier.

These are just a few advantages you will find when working with passive candidates. How can you start attracting and building a nice pipeline of passive candidates? Read on for some tips on finding and recruiting passive candidates.

3 ways to find and recruit passive candidates

Use these tips for finding those top passive candidates and getting them on board.

1. Use a personalized recruitment approach

Instead of sending out canned email messages that sound “salesy,” why not take a more personalized approach to meeting passive candidates? Connect with them on social networks and at local business networking events. Introduce yourself, what you do, and how you can help them reach their career goals. Then follow up in a non-threatening way, maybe over a cup of coffee.

2. Find out what passive candidates want

As early as possible, get to know what each passive candidate is looking for in terms of the next level of their career growth. Maybe they are already at the top of their game and are looking for a change? Be open and just ask them outright what they may be looking for in the next three-to-five years.

3. Offer passive candidates what they want

Now that you have an idea of what a passive candidate wants, stay in touch and offer them opportunities to get to know some of your best clients. Work out a strategy to get them a position that meets their needs with one of your companies. Go one step beyond what other recruiters are offering with a sweet compensation and career growth package they cannot resist.

 

Advance_CTA_WanttoKnowMore

Are You Giving Killer Customer Service to Your Candidates?

As the old saying goes, “The customer is always right.” Even if some of your employees or managers might not believe this, it must be practiced by everyone at your company in order to be successful. Companies that find themselves struggling to hold onto clients/customers should look at the customer service being provided. If you give killer customer service to clients/customers and job candidates, your company should be highly successful. Here’s how…

Happy Employees Lead to Happy Customers

An important thing to remember here is that happy employees lead to happy customers. Because of this notion, you need to do everything possible to make your employees happy. This includes treating them fairly at work, offering benefits and perks, rewarding employees for their hard work and much more. When you do not keep your employees happy you run the risk of them not providing strong customer service to clients.

Use Guidelines and Not Rules

Companies establish policies and rules because they might not trust their employees to do the right thing. But, when it comes to providing customer service, try to use guidelines instead of rules. Guidelines will help employees better do their jobs when it comes to dealing with customers. Guidelines allow employees the opportunity to make decisions on their own when it comes to helping customers. The worst thing an employee can do is tell a customer he or she cannot do anything for a customer because of a company rule or policy.

Treat Candidates Like Customers

You also need to treat your job candidates like customers. They are choosing your company as much as you are choosing one of them for the open job. If you do not treat them well while they are in your presence, it is likely he or she will turn down an offer of employment, remove themselves from the running or badmouth the company to friends who might apply there. Make sure you welcome candidates to your office at the front door, offer them water, show them around, give them a tour of the office, introduce them to everyone they see and much more.

Turn Customer Complaints Into Opportunities

Make it a point to turn any and all customer complaints into opportunities. These opportunities should be learning opportunities for everyone involved. Do not be the company that views customers complaints as problems. When you do this, nothing is gained from it or fixed and your company’s image will suffer. Tell your employees to look for learning opportunities in every customer complaint so they can improve their customer service skills and keep customers happy.

Go Above and Beyond for Customers and Candidates

As a company, you must do whatever possible to go above and beyond for customers and candidates. This should be done on a regular basis in order to keep both factions happy. You don’t have to spend a ton of money to make this happen either. Consider offering customers upgrades to products or services either for free or for a percentage off the price.
Providing killer customer service to clients and candidates is important in today’s competitive business world because it can mean the difference between success and a poor image.

5 Reasons Why Happy Employees are Better Employees

5 Reasons Why Happy Employees are Better Employees

 

Is a happier workforce somehow better? Many workplace experts believe so. A recent PayScale report indicates that as many as 70 percent of American employees currently working are unhappy and unfulfilled at work. This leads to several problems, including high employee turnover rates and low productivity levels. This is costing businesses billions of dollars in lost revenues.

In this article, we will talk about the matter of employee happiness and give five reasons why a happy workforce adds up to better employees.

Reason 1. Employees produce 10 percent more work when they are happy

A University of Warwick (UK) study showed that when workers were happy and satisfied with their jobs, productivity increased by as much as 10 to 12 percent over previous levels of job performance. This means that if your workers are happy, they are more engaged and probably working harder to achieve their goals. The company ultimately benefits from this effort.

Reason 2. Happy employees tend to stick around longer than unhappy ones

As stated earlier, the PayScale report indicated that happy employees are getting to be harder to create. When employees are given the right compensation, rewarding tasks, and opportunities to shine, they are more apt to stay in there for the long haul. Loyal employees equate to greater employee retention rates and the chance to get some ROI from recruitment efforts.

Reason 3. Engaged employees create more sales revenues for the company

A Gallup poll published in a popular psychology journal indicated that employees who are happy and engaged in their jobs tend to generate more sales revenues over time for the companies they work for – as much as $300 billion in the year studied. The very perception of working for a great company creates more favorable attitudes towards promoting the company, and this includes backing up company offerings to get more sales.

Reason 4. Happy employees tend to infect the organization with more happy employees

When employees are happy and they show it at work, this tends to reflect on the corporate culture. Humans are more apt to follow their peers. A positive attitude and performance of even a single employee encourages others to feel the same way.

Reason 5. Happy employees help to bring in other happy employees through referrals

If employees are truly happy in their jobs, they are usually willing to refer their colleagues to the company. This means your company can gain access to some of the best passive candidates out there, without as much of the work that goes into sourcing them.

Take steps to find out what makes your employees happy, put effort into creating a better corporate culture, and your organization can benefit from the above perks.

 

Advance_CTA_CheckOutTalentShowcase

Be Careful What You Tweet! Job Seeker Tips to Avoid Social Sabotage

Be Careful What You Tweet

 

It’s been said many times over – be careful what you share on social media sites. Social networks forever archive the comments and posts of people who own these accounts. What may appear to be a harmless post can land anyone in legal hot water later on.

But, people still think that it’s ok to vent on social networks about their bosses, their co-workers, and more. Before you open up that Twitter app to share the latest complaint, stop and think about how this could cost you a job.

Consider your image on social networking sites

When is the last time you checked out your social media profiles from an objective stance? Consider that in a recent workforce survey, some 93 percent of all recruiters polled said they turn to social networking sites to learn more about candidates before hiring them. This means, a recruiter for your dream company is going to be poking around your Twitter feeds, your Facebook timeline, your LinkedIn profile, and more before asking you to come in for an interview.

Never talk about drugs on social networks

The number one no-no that recruiters say they don’t ever want to see on a social media profile is a reference to drugs of any kind. Even if you live in a state that allows the legal use of some drugs, leave this off your profiles. Drugs, drinking, partying, and other juvenile behavior is not something that recruiters care to see in potential hires.

Don’t re-tweet or share offensive content

Just because a friend posts something you think is funny or cool means it should be shared. Much of the social media content out there today borders on illegal and offensive, so just pass it by. Imagine if you re-tweeted a post and then a recruiter saw this on your profile? Not a good idea at all.

Stop talking badly about your company

Everyone has heard a story about someone who has talked negatively or abusively on a social network and ended up getting fired over this. It’s a very real thing that happens all the time. If you are upset about something that has happened at work, take the time to talk offline with someone you trust or your HR department – but leave it off the social networks.

Eliminate negative and offensive content

While you are avoiding the sharing of offensive and negative content, do a quick audit of your past tweets and delete those that could paint you in a wrong light. These can include offensive imagery, references to drugs and drinking, photos of partying with friends, and anything that includes violence, illegal activities, and discrimination towards other people.

Never make threats on social media

If you have had a bad experience with someone in your circle of friends or co-workers, whatever you do – never ever make threats on social networks. Not only can this come back to haunt you in a job search, but you could face criminal charges from the targeted person.

If you are employed, be discreet

Many people search for jobs while they are currently employed, about 60 percent of all adults do. But you want to use discretion while using social networks for this purpose. Don’t announce you are available for work when you are working for someone else. Don’t use the company computer to search for jobs online. These activities raise red flags and you could wind up getting fired from your current job.

 

Advance_CTA_LookingforWork

Massive Mistakes to Avoid While Job Seeking

Massive Mistakes to Avoid While Job Seeking

 

No matter how much of a “veteran” you are of the job market, a job search can still be filled with worries. Not only are you fighting possibly hundreds of people for the same job, but you could also be fighting against yourself. Those who make mistakes while searching for a job will find it difficult to land an offer. Today, we will discuss massive mistakes you should avoid while job seeking so you can be successful.

Providing Too Much Information Too Soon

One of the biggest mistakes you can make during a job search is to provide too much information. No matter how long you have been in the professional world, you do not need to provide every single detail to potential employers. This goes for writing your resume, your cover letter and answering questions on job applications. Employers want to know what you can do to help their company, so focus on how you helped previous employers when providing information. You need to make sure each piece of information on your resume tells employers why you are the right person for the job.

Failing to Have a Digital Footprint

Even though it has been discussed in the past that a digital footprint can be detrimental to your job search, because of what is included in it, it is still important to have one. You need to have a digital footprint, which includes Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. You should also search for your name online to find out what is posted about you on the Internet. You might come across content posted by you that is unsavory or content posted by others that is unsavory. Failing to clean up your social media profiles is also a massive mistake that can hurt your job search.

Treating a Job Search as a Battle

Another major mistake you need to avoid during a job search is treating it like a battle. How do people do this? They turn a job search into a battle by trying to outsmart recruiters or hiring managers during interviews or other discussions. Even though it might be a fight to find a job, you do not want to battle with a recruiter. A recruiter is someone who is looking out for you and trying to get you placed in a job that matches your skills and experience. This means you need an open mind to accept part-time and temporary assignments, if needed to get your foot in the door with a great company.

Failing to Request Help from Networks

Professional networking is very important today, so why would you fail to request help from your network when searching for a job? This is a massive mistake that must be avoided at all costs. Your network is there for a reason; to expand your professional knowledge and help you with career moves. Remember, your network also includes the temporary staffing agency that you choose to work with. Select one that is geared for your industry and ask for a recruiter who knows about the companies you are targeting in your job search.

If you avoid making at least some of the massive mistakes outlined above, you should have fewer troubles with your next job search.

 

Advance_CTA_SearchOurOpenJobsToday

Can You Spot the Signs of a Bad Hire?

Can You Spot the Signs of a Bad Hire

 

Being responsible for making hires at your company can be stressful because of the weight of making a new hire. You need to sift through hundreds of resumes, conduct multiple interviews with at least a handful of candidates and then whittle the crop down to a final two candidates. Then, you need to make a final decision and hope the candidate you choose turns out to be a successful hire.

The sad thing here is that the hire could turn out to be a bad hire. How do you spot a bad hire? Here are some signs to note:

I Just Want a Job

One of the biggest signs of a bad hire is a candidate who just wants a job, any type of job. The candidate might convey that he or she does not care what type of job they work simply because they need a job. But, in the long run, this can turn into a major problem. The employee will become disengaged because the pay is too low or because the job tasks are too tedious. When this happens, the employee could begin to affect the office culture in a negative way.

Lack of Flexibility

When you come across a candidate who has very little flexibility, you could be running into a bad hire. Someone with a lack of flexibility will fail to adjust to suggestions made by HR or management and continue to operate using tactics they are comfortable with from earlier points in their career. A person who does not have flexibility will also be closed-minded towards new ideas, which can result in a negative impact on your culture.

Expanding from a Small Role to a Large Role

Another sign of a bad hire is when you hand the reigns of a larger role to a candidate who worked in a smaller role in the past. The candidate might have had success in a smaller role at a previous company, but it does not mean that success will translate to a larger role at your company. These candidates tend to use strategies from their smaller role that wind up not working in their larger role. The employee might become frustrated, angered or develop a poor attitude because things are not working out well.

The Prima Donna

The prima donna is a common type of bad hire in today’s professional world. This person is typically a go-getter, highly motivated and competitive in everything they do at the office. But, this can also turn into a problem if the candidate is hired for a management position. The prima donna candidate will either force subordinates to conform to their way of doing things or have them removed from the picture.
Spotting bad hires before you offer employment helps cut back on the money spent and the time wasted. If you can spot any of these in a candidate, be sure you dig deeper into the candidate before offering employment or removing the candidate from consideration.

 

Advance_CTA_WhatAdvanceStaffingCanDoForYourFirm

3 Good Reasons to Turn Down a Job Offer

As a job seeker, it can be easy to jump at a job offer as soon as possible. After all, you’ve been applying and interviewing everywhere and it’s taking a long time to get one. However, not every job offer is lined in gold. Some may lead to disaster for your personal life and for your career.

It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of every job offer before you accept it. Why is this important? There are several reasons, and today we will talk about the three valid reasons you may want to turn down a job offer that you’ve received.

#1 – The company has a history of failing

A job offer may seem wonderful at first, until you dig a little deeper into the company itself. A huge red flag would be a company that has a history of failing in many ways. This could be a high turnover rate among employees due to no work life balance, or it could be a company that has a shoddy financial history of layoffs and being bought out by other companies. If the company has posted financial earnings and stock reports in the last quarter or two, you can review this to see how the company is performing. Take the time to review company ratings online and you may see a pattern of problems.

#2 – The money isn’t even close to being enough

If the job offer has come with a very disappointing salary attached to it, take the time to negotiate for a higher compensation now before you accept it. Failure to do so could lock you into a job that pays a lot less than you need to support yourself and your family. This will lead to resentment and financial stress. It’s possible to go online and research salaries before walking into an interview so that you can discuss this before the job offer comes. Follow your gut on this and do not accept a job offer that pays far below what you deserve. A better job that pays more is out there.

#3 – The job is another dead end road

When people get desperate for any job they often accept a job offer that does not offer much room for advancement. Don’t get caught in this trap. Find out from the recruiter what the career path looks like for this job. Get the job description in writing during an interview or when the offer is made. Let the recruiter know that you are looking for long-term career success and the opportunity to learn more in the industry. Find out how this job will enable you to grow in your career. If it looks like it will be a dead-end job, run in the other direction.

Perhaps one of the best ways to get a great job offer is to work through a staffing agency with caring representatives who will be focused on helping you land a job that is well matched to your skills and aspirations. Often times, a staffing agency can negotiate a much better job offer then if you tried to do this on your own. You can even work temporary assignments until a better job offer comes. So, never settle for a bad job offer – instead connect with Advance Staffing Solutions for career support.