When to Say “No” to Qualified Candidates

As a hiring manager, HR executive or recruiter, there comes a time when you need to say no to qualified candidates. The reasons will vary, but the situation will always be difficult because of their qualifications. Who ever thought that companies would need to turn down qualified candidates for open jobs?

The truth of the matter is that this actually happens in today’s business world. So, when does this type of situation arise – when do you know to say “no” to a candidate who is otherwise qualified?

Position Has Been Filled

One of the most common reasons why you will need to say no to qualified candidates is that the position has been filled by someone else. You might receive 50 or more resumes for your job opening and you will likely have a handful of them turn into qualified candidates. This means that one person will be chosen and three or four of them will receive disappointing news. You must have tact when informing other qualified candidates that someone else has been chosen. Be honest with them and thank them for applying.

Position Has Been Eliminated

It is quite possible that open jobs at companies could be eliminated even after a search to fill them has already begun. Reasons for eliminating the position will vary, but you should never string along candidates if you know the position is going to be cut from the payroll. Maybe the job duties have been distributed to current employees. Maybe there isn’t enough room left in the budget for the position. Or, maybe there isn’t enough work for the position to be filled right now. Whatever the reason, be sure you tell the candidates as soon as possible so they can look elsewhere for work.

Position Has Been Changed

It is also possible that the position could have changed between the time it became available and the time you began vetting potential candidates to fill it. If this is the case, you might have a couple of qualified candidates who no longer will be in the running for the job. This means you will have to say no to them. Make sure you explain that the position has been altered and that even though they were qualified previously, your company is moving in another direction.

Candidate is Overqualified

Another reason for saying no to a candidate is the fact that he or she might be overqualified for the position. Companies tend to shy away from hiring overqualified candidates due to one major issue; the candidate, once hired, could become bored with the job and begin causing issues at the workplace. This is when a company’s culture could take a major hit.
As you can see, there are a few common reasons why you might need to say “no” to a qualified candidate. Just make sure you handle the rejection with tact and professionalism so as not to create a bad image for your company. Keep the candidate in mind for future opportunities and if you can, offer them another position that’s suitable for their skills, or refer them to a staffing agency that can place them into a position sooner.

Have a “Quirky” Company Culture? How to Find the Perfect Candidate Fit For You!

Have a Quirky Company Culture-How to Find the Perfect Candidate Fit For You

 

Is your company highly creative when it comes to the recruitment process? In today’s world, it’s becoming increasingly more popular for companies to come up with unique and sometimes even hilarious ways of recruiting people. Weird and unusual interview questions, activities, and quirky corporate cultures often come into play.

However, in some cases an unusual hiring process or corporate culture can create challenges when it comes to identifying candidates who are the right fit for the organization. The quirky company culture that you love can backfire. Some candidates may be taken aback by the process that you use to select and interview them. They may even refuse to apply for jobs out of fear that they won’t fit in well with the set of values and ideas your corporate culture embraces.

Your company may be quirky if:

  • You have an elaborate application process that uses humor in many places
  • You use odd or silly interview questions and tasks for candidates
  • The work environment is highly creative and filled with lots of playful features

So, if you identified your company as unusual or different in terms of the type of culture you embrace, it’s possible that it’s becoming difficult to find the right candidates. Here are some ways that you can get around this and hire the best talent with the right candidate fit.

Be upfront about your corporate culture

When thinking recruitment, the last thing you want to do is spring a surprise on a candidate – not the least of which should be your corporate culture. Have access to some marketing materials that highlight your corporate culture with visuals and audio tools. Slowly introduce candidates to your corporate culture. Watch for their reaction. If a candidate reels back suddenly upon learning about your corporate culture, there’s a good chance they will not be a good fit

Focus on the candidate experience

There is a lot of research around the impact the candidate experience has on the long-term success of an employee. This should be your ultimate focus when you are interviewing prospective employees. Try to put yourself into the candidate shoes for a moment. Is the application process intuitive? Is the candidate exposed to a positive impression of your company? Is the recruitment team proactively reaching out and then following up with each candidate? Make sure to zip up all of these things in order to improve the candidate experience.

Assess candidate skills with industry testing

It can be very difficult to determine if a candidate is right for the job within the span of just a few moments of reviewing a resume and meeting with them in an interview. Do not expect some quirky or challenging project assigned during an interview to accurately define a candidate’s suitability for your company. Instead, work with your staffing agency to use candidate assessment testing to validate their work-related skills, personality, and corporate culture fit.

Use a multi-layer interview process

Sometimes, creative companies do not spend enough time evaluating the behavioral aspects of candidate interviews. This is why a multiple interview process that includes several layers of team member participation is often a great way to determine a candidate’s fit for the company. People often have different perspectives when meeting someone, therefore, take the time to have at least a few of the team members present during initial interviews. Gather objective feedback and use this for making your hiring decision.

Hire temps first, employees second

Perhaps one of the best ways to recruit for a quirky company is to start everyone out as a temporary employee. This gives your company a chance to benefit from pre-screened candidates who will then have to prove themselves within the first few months on the job. Most staffing agencies have very strict pre-screening requirements and will only send candidates who they believe will be a good fit. If you have a problem with a candidate you can then easily replace them with someone more suitable. This reduces the risk of hiring the wrong person.

Want to learn more about how your company culture could affect your hiring process, or find temps to fit in with your quirky company? Contact Advance Staffing Solutions today!

 

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Choose Staffing as a Career and Love What You Do

Our mission at Advance Staffing Solutions is to become a true resource to our client and candidate partners for general hiring and recruiting, and executive search recruitment. We work hard to provide innovative staffing services to our employers and opportunity to our candidates. We create a fun and challenging workplace where we continue to learn daily, achieve success and grow our business.

As a growing business, Advance Staffing Solutions has internal positions available.  If your are looking for a meaningful and rewarding career, please email your resume to stacey@advancestaffingsolutions.com.  We have opportunities in sales and recruiting in NW Ohio and SE Michigan.

Learn more about an exciting career in the staffing and recruiting industry.

 

 

 

 

Should You Consider Relocating For a New Career?

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If you’ve been looking for a new career in Detroit for a few months, you may have noticed a great many opportunities in other regions and states that appeal to you. But, some of these locations are many hours away from where you live now so it may seem impossible to even consider jobs like this – or is it? Is relocating for a new career something you should do soon? Here’s how to evaluate where your life is and if a cross-country job relocation is in the picture.

Would the career offer you a substantially improved path to career growth and a better lifestyle?

One of the main reasons you would want to even think about relocating for a new job is because you will be able to fast track your career growth, and your lifestyle in the process. For example, does the company offer progressive promotions, employee training and development, and does the region end itself to a more comfortable or convenient daily life?

Is the salary and benefits reasonable given the cost of living in that region?

You will want to carefully evaluate any type of job out there based on the cost of living for the area vs. the salary and benefits offered by companies. Sure the salary might be twice what you are earning now, but if you cannot even make your rent payments, then there’s no use. Large metropolitan areas tend to be a lot more expensive to live in than the suburbs.

How would a move like this impact other people in your life?

Are you married, have children, what about parents or grandparents you care for? Before thinking about moving to another area, you have to consider what this kind of move could do for them, or if it may make things more difficult. If you can justify that you and your dependents would be better off in a new region (better schools, health care, safety, etc.), then this could be a good move.

Does the company offer support or reimbursement for a relocation?

It’s very important to read all the fine details of any job listing or offer before agreeing to relocate. Any decent company will offer to pay for moving and relocation expenses, including providing access to affordable temporary housing while transition. If a company says that they will reimburse you, plan on spending a great deal of your savings to move.

Are there comparable jobs available in your current region?

Before you think about relocating for a new job, take the time to register with a Detroit staffing agency in your industry and see what opportunities that they can place you with. Many companies avoid direct hiring, which is why you may not be hearing about job opportunities. It could be a better ideas to use a staffing agency to try on a few jobs before you settle on an expensive and life altering move across country.

 

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Use a Personal Brand to Start Attracting Top-Tier Candidates

It’s common for companies to think that their corporate brand is more important than their personal brand. Well this might be true for a large well-known brands, for a smaller company the personal brand is part of the corporate brand.  Therefore, it’s up to every business to develop a strong personal brand in order to attract high performance candidates.

Here are some ways to start building an outstanding personal brand that will help your company reel in the best employees.

Understand what your brand is about

Your personal corporate brand is essentially what your company stands for, what it’s known for, and how the company is unique in the market. It’s not about being the best, but about being recognizable to the world. Keep this in mind when developing your brand for recruitment purposes.

Why would anyone want to work for your company?

The goal of a personal brand is to convince top tier candidates to get excited about coming to work for you. Think of what it will take to get people thinking about your company as an employer of choice. Could it be the great career opportunities, the above average salaries and benefits, or just the unique work environment you offer?

What kind of impression the company makes

From the moment that candidates are checking out a company for a potential job, they are subtly being exposed to the brand. Verify that your brand makes a positive impression on candidates as they review job openings, the career portal, news and marketing content, and more.

Personal branding with a partner

It’s possible to give your personal business brand a boost by partnering with a company that has an outstanding brand already. A staffing agency, like Advance Staffing, can elevate your business brand because we have a great reputation that thousands of candidates already know about. When we represent you as a client to our high performance job seekers, your business will shine.

Use the above tips when developing a strong brand that will impress the most desirable candidates for your company.

Advance Staffing Solutions Can Help You Succeed in the New Year

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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.

 

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How to Hire the Best of December’s New Grads

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New grads don’t have a uniform approach to seeking jobs. Some grads would prefer to work for large companies while some would be happy enough if they get a job. Usually, the best grads will be selective and they wouldn’t have to reach out to many companies because the companies will reach out to them. If you want to hire the best of December’s new grads, then you must have a strategy. You cannot expect the best grads to walk in for interviews, unless your company is a brand that is high on the list of preferred organizations to work for.

Here are a few strategies that can help you to hire the best of December’s new grads:

  • Roll out an internship program for undergrads. This is the best policy to hire talent at affordable wages or stipends. You would be able to assess the potential of undergrads. There are many grads who have otherwise done well in their exams and may have some accolades from their colleges or universities but whether or not they are ready for the jobs being offered is a different context altogether. By having interns and then hiring them when they graduate, you would know exactly who you are hiring, what their strengths and weaknesses are. Grads too would prefer this as they can have some continuity in their career. There is an increasing difference between educated youth and those who are educated and ready for the professional challenges.
  • Campus placements or onsite job interviews are instrumental if you wish to hire the best of December’s new grads. Every year, major companies fan out across the length and breadth of the country and try to tap the best talent in respective niches. As a company, you must target the relevant universities and conduct campus placements. You can work with the career center at a college or some students associations to facilitate such arrangements. You can conduct job fairs at colleges to generate some interest.
  • There are many staffing agencies or recruitment companies that specialize in hiring graduates. You can contract such recruitment firms that will send you a select collection of resumes of new grads who have the potential to work in the specific jobs you have to offer. These recruitment firms know exactly where to source the best grads from and will tick the checkboxes or criteria you have. Advance Staffing Solutions keeps a pulse on the top graduates and helps them find matching careers in the fields of their choice.

Need help hiring new grads, or any new candidates? Contact Advance Staffing Solutions today and let us place your next superstar employee tomorrow.

 

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New Year, Same Old Hiring Mistakes!

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

Not conducting a thorough background check

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

Forgetting to follow up with candidates

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

Selecting candidates based on skills only

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

Hiring under pressure instead of planning staffing needs

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

 

 

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Is the Candidate Your New Soulmate?

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You stare across the desk into the dreamy eyes of a well-dressed and attractive individual. Then, suddenly your heart and mind starts to race, you get sweaty palms, and you stumble over your words, giggling nervously. Uh, oh? Are you in love?

Sounds a little like dating, right? Sadly, no…this isn’t another Nicholas Sparks movie scene. In reality, you are just another recruiter engaged in an interview with a job candidate.

It can be funny to think about recruitment in terms of the dating game, but it also makes sense. You are presenting a certain brand to try to impress a person you’ve never met before. You smile, shake hands, make small talk, and try to make the other person feel comfortable. You even selected a small, intimate office space where you can get to know the candidate on a deeper level.

How can you know if all of this effort will be worth it? Will you do enough, say all the right things, and get the person to take an interest in what you are pitching – in this case, an opportunity with your company? And then, is this the right person for the company? Do they have the perfect qualities for the job? Will others like this person when you introduce them?

Finding the right hire is like finding your soulmate.

Think about the concept in practical terms. This has to be someone who connects with you and the company brand. An interview is not just a meeting. It’s a chance to exchange meaningful words and energy between you and the
candidate. How well you do this can make a big difference in the way the candidate views the career opportunity. If you are not on your game, the candidate will sense this. If the candidate is turned off, not feeling it, or finds that they are not all that interested – things are bound to end up not working out.

When you interview candidates, think about the interpersonal skills you have. Can they be improved upon? Are you seeking that perfect candidate with every work order you try to fill or are you merely hiring based on shallow traits? Don’t settle. Hire the best person for every job and think about this as a start of a new and beautiful relationship.

 

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Is “Blind Hiring” Good For Your Workforce?

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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!

 

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40 Immediate Openings in Rossford!!!

Advance Staffing Solutions has 40 Immediate Openings!!!

We are having open registration Friday June 3rd from 8 a.m.  – 2 p.m. 

We have immediate openings for a Rossford company on 1st and 2nd shifts. 

These are full time positions Monday – Friday with occasional overtime on Saturday’s. 

Qualified candidates must have steel toed boots! 

Starting pay $8.10/hr. with possible pay increase after 90 days!

Other positions also available! 

Applicants must bring 2 valid forms of identification. 

Registration will take approximately 1 – 1 ½ hours to complete!

Save time by completing our online application before registering at: www.advancestaffingsolutions.com

Already Registered? Call our office for details at 419-882-7646.

5800 Monroe St.  Building F.

Sylvania, OH 43560

 

Facing a Talent Shortage? Here’s How to Improve Your Recruiting Strategy

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One would think with all the latest technology that recruitment as a whole is more efficient. However, it is a candidate-driven market currently and therefore, the recruitment process has actually gotten longer. A recent Forbes report issued by Glassdoor.com estimated that the average length of an interview has actually doubled in the last five years, going from 12.6 days to 22.9 days. At the same time, top candidates are only on the market an average of about 10 days. This makes it a big challenge for most recruiters.

One of the reasons that recruitment has slowed down is because employers are now demanding more assessments and interviews before they even consider candidates for entry-level employment. New screening methods such as group interviews, personality tests, security screens, skills assessments, and advanced background and drug tests all tend to drag out the hiring timeline. Companies are more careful about the people they hire because it is a large investment.

However, it is possible to speed up the hiring process so that you can go after the best candidates before another competitor gets them. Consider the following tips to improve your recruiting strategy.

Candidates who are in high demand will probably be interviewing with several companies at once. You’ll want to make your compensation package and corporate culture very attractive in order to capture their attention.

Develop a reputation for being efficient in your hiring practices. When candidates know that if they deal with your company, they can expect to hear back quickly and your job recruitment process is responsive to their needs, they’re more apt to stay loyal to your company until a job offer is made.

Make the application process simple. Consider the use of mobile apps in your recruitment practices to quickly gather the information of your candidates and respond to them in kind. Think about candidates who may be remote to your company as well, and use video technology to handle the initial screening interview.

Let a staffing agency handle all the upfront details of a hiring process. Staffing agencies are very efficient when it comes to screening and evaluating candidates for employment opportunities. In fact, they probably already have candidates ready to go by the time you call the office.

By speeding up your recruitment processes, there’s a good chance that you will be able to acquire the talent that your company needs to be successful. Partner with Advance Staffing Solutions to improve your recruiting strategy today.

 

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