Hidden Skills to Look For in Marketing Candidates

Raza Rauf on December 12, 2016

Success in marketing is driven by more than a college education and experience working in the industry. While those can be important, there are numerous other skills that are just as essential, and they are harder to identify. Being able to look beyond the resume for these hidden skills may help you separate the good candidates from the great.

Before you begin recruiting for your marketing position, here are the hidden talents you need to find to uncover the best applicant out there.

Creativity

Marketing is an art; it requires creative thinking and innovation to continuously come up with new ideas for current and future campaigns. Whether the candidate is skilled in the areas of design or concept development, being able to see the product or service in new ways that will appeal to your target demographics is a crucial skill to succeed in the position.

Writing

To create powerful campaigns, marketing employees need to be articulate. Ideal candidates will have a strong grasp of formal and informal writing choices, as well as the ability to adapt the style to the product or service that is being promoted. While writing does involve creativity, it also adheres to certain structural norms. Candidates who do not use proper punctuation or include grammar errors in their materials will not reflect the level of professionalism you may require.

Public Speaking

If you need your marketing employees to pitch ideas to other members of the business or outside customers, then public speaking skills are essential. An ideal marketing candidate will be comfortable speaking to large crowds, as well as handling questions on the fly. They need to be calm under pressure and able to manage the unexpected.

For times when a preset presentation isn’t functioning properly, you need an applicant who can engage the audience and keep them interested, even in the face of technical difficulties.

Negotiation

A surprising amount of business involves negotiations. Marketing employees may need to coordinate budgets and timelines while managing expectations regarding deliverables. When working with outside clients, all of these tasks fall back on negotiating skills.

Work with vendors and suppliers also requires a deal be made. Negotiating helps ensure your business gets the products or services it needs at the best price available. When purchasing en masse, competent negotiators can save your company a notable sum.

Technical

While some technical skills are easy to identify – such as whether a candidate is familiar with a particular program – having a solid relationship with technology in general is actually much more useful. Someone who is tech-oriented understands that changes in that sector can impact their strategies and may require them to learn something new quickly.

Remember, Twitter didn’t exist until 2006, and Facebook was founded in 2004. Both of these mechanisms provided new avenues for marketing efforts, and some companies had the vision to take advantage before others.

Stress Management

Positions in marketing are often high stress. To be successful, a candidate needs to demonstrate that they can manage the pressure effectively, even when caught off-guard. This field of work can have short deadlines, change priorities, and little innate room for error. An employee working under those conditions need to be able to adjust quickly without panicking.

If you are looking for your next marketing candidate, the professionals at Advance Staffing Solutions have the knowledge you need to help you locate the best applicants available. Contact Advance Staffing Solutions today and see what they can do for your business.

When to Bid Farewell to a Flakey Job Seeker

Raza Rauf on November 25, 2016

More often than not, a job seeker will be accommodating and appreciative of your taking time to meet with them, even if they do not end up with the position. However, there are times when a candidate becomes a problem. While unexpected things happen to us all, if it seems that all of the unanticipated issues are happening to one applicant, or they are showing other signs of being disrespectful to the process, it may be time to remove them from contention.

Here are some signs that it is time to say goodbye to a flaky job seeker and move forward without them.

Issues Making Contact

Not every candidate will be able to pick up the phone when you call or answer an email within the first five minutes of receiving it. However, applicants should be getting back to you in a reasonable amount of time. While most candidates will return contact as quickly as they can, often the same day, others may seem to be MIA.

Hiring is a multi-day process, so top candidates will need to be reached at different points throughout the process. If your emails repeatedly go unanswered, your phone calls all go to voicemail (and you have already left more than one message), or their phone doesn’t have service at the time, there is only so much you can do.

If an applicant seems to be unreachable, there is no need to overextend your efforts. For example, if you leave a message on Monday (and Wednesday) to schedule an interview for Friday, and they don’t return your call until late Friday, you are not obligated to squeeze them in at another time.

Failure to Meet as Scheduled

Candidates who do not arrive for their scheduled interview, or do not call at a designated time to which you both agreed, you do not have to give them another opportunity. While the occasional emergency may require any candidate to reschedule at the last minute, failure to make any contact to explain the situation before the scheduled time is not a great sign.

Similarly, if the candidate waits to the last minute to reschedule, and does so more than once, feel free to remove them from the process.

Lack of Flexibility

While the applicant’s schedule may not be wide open, that doesn’t mean you need to adjust your schedule to them. If they are actively interested in securing a new position, they will make reasonable efforts to conform to your schedule. Granted, there may be extenuating circumstances that prevent a particular time for being workable, but if you offer multiple times and none of them will work, you do not have to make changes to suit them.

This is particularly the case if they are requesting you meet with them after traditional business hours. Even if they have current employment, they should be able to make arrangements to attend something as important as an interview. If they aren’t prepared to do that, they may not be a great fit for your organization.

If you are looking for your next job candidate, let the professionals at Advance Staffing Solutions help remove the flakey applicants from the equation for you. That way, you can spend time managing things that matter. Contact Advance Staffing Solutions today.

What’s So Hard about Hiring Good IT Talent?

Raza Rauf on November 21, 2016

Hiring can be a difficult task in and unto itself. Couple that with the unique challenges in finding top IT talent and you can find yourself in a sticky situation. But the question is, why has it become more difficult as of late?

Here, we explore the hiring landscape as it specifically relates to the IT field and what you can do to up your odds of finding the new employees that your business needs.

Supply and Demand

At this time, it is a job seekers market when it comes to IT positions. The available supply of skilled IT talent is not able to meet the demands of the marketplace. It is estimated only three percent of IT workers are currently unemployed. This means that recruiters and hiring managers have to work even harder to identify candidates who are both willing and able to fill the needs of a particular position.

These challenges may be even more dramatic when examining individual skill sets. Since the ideas around Big Data management are relatively new, it can take longer to find a candidate with the necessary skills to perform the work. Developers for software and the web are also in high demand, along with those specializing in IT security. Certain legacy systems, though still used in many workplaces, are not being taught to recent graduates, making suitable applicants in these areas a rarity as well.

Increased Costs for Recruitment and Hiring

To help locate suitable applicants from a shrinking pool of IT talent, most businesses are forced to spend more on their recruitment efforts. It can take longer to find the candidates you need, which means advertising runs have to go on longer and be placed using multiple mechanisms. With the broad range of job posting sites, LinkedIn profiles, and direct recruitments, businesses have to cast a wide net to find the people they need.

These costs are coupled with the need to offer higher starting wages and more benefits. Since job seekers know they are in the pilot’s seat, they aren’t afraid to make more demands. And, with competition so high, they will likely get them. Technology hotspots, like Seattle and Minneapolis, have seen wages rise faster than other locations as talent in the region becomes difficult to find, and competing businesses have no choice but to hire at higher rates.

Candidates who are receiving competing offers also drives prices higher. Since job seekers rarely apply to only one new opening, it isn’t uncommon for a bidding war to begin as companies duke it out to win the applicant over. This process can also lengthen the time required to complete a hire.

Freelance Markets

Freelancing is an attractive option for job seekers who are looking for increased flexibility. Not only can they stick with the IT areas they enjoy most, but they can also charge a premium for their services. Schedules can be created to suit their needs and obligations, instead of having to force their lives around your schedule. This shift in the workforce dynamic has led companies to be more open to hiring freelancers, further fueling the fire.

How to Compete

To attract the best talent, your business needs to make sure your compensation packages are competitive for your area. Other benefits, like flexible work schedules or remote-worker options, can also be enticing to candidates.

If you want to cast a wider recruitment net, consider working with a staffing company like Advance Staffing Solutions. We have the skills and resources necessary to actively find the candidates you need to fill your vacancies. Contact Advance Staffing Solutions today and put their recruitment skills to work for you.

How to Improve Productivity Among Middle Managers

Raza Rauf on November 11, 2016

Improved productivity throughout the management structure is a goal for many organizations. While a significant amount of information tends to focus on the needs of employees, it can be challenging to find tips for improving the productivity of middle managers. With that in mind, here are some tips that will help those who bridge the gap between frontline employees and upper management succeed in their unique space.

Trust and Honesty

Building trust between employees, regardless of their position within the organization, is always important. Middle managers require honesty from upper management to help coordinate their teams and ensure they are focused on the correct goals. When upper management is open about the current state of the business and any associated expectations, middle managers will feel better prepared to succeed in their work. It also avoids any sense of secrecy from those at the top and helps middle managers feel as though their contribution is valued.

Consistent Feedback

By keeping communication open, you enable your middle managers to be more effective. Keep them apprised of changing goals and priorities, as well as provide feedback on completed tasks. This helps remove the mystery as to how upper management feels about their work and the work of their team. It also provides them with valuable input that can be shared with those they supervise. It creates a cascading effect and can provide productivity benefits at every organizational level.

Make sure that any criticism is constructive and don’t neglect to highlight accomplishments. The idea is to help mold middle managers into more effective employees and leaders. Since their job involves a bit of both, presenting information in the proper way helps middle managers address their direct reports in a way that promotes better outcomes. This can help their morale stay high. They will feel more confident in their work and can help them become more effective leaders.

Reward Throughout Projects

Most reward-based systems focus on the end of the project. Often, there are multiple stages that must be completed to consider the entire project a success. Instead of simply focusing on the result, consider connecting important tasks and milestone to desirable activities.

Projects have some degree of drudgery to them regardless of the purpose. By integrating something enticing into the mix, you can combine the less desirable tasks with more enjoyable ones through a tactic called temptation building. Since the activity that is perceived as enjoyable is connected to one that is less so, it can help you limit the need for pure willpower to get through difficult challenges.

A simple example of temptation building is allowing yourself to enjoy your favorite music while doing a tedious task, like cleaning. While the example is not directly applicable to the business world, it does convey the general principle. Allow them to team an enjoyable task, even if it doesn’t expressly forward any goal, to a job duty that needs to be completed. By allowing them to work together, the job duty is more enjoyable by association.

Looking for More Productivity Tips

If you are looking for more information about how to increase the productivity of your teams, or are looking for someone to fill a middle management position, Advance Staffing Solutions is available to assist. Contact Advance Staffing Solutions today for a more productive tomorrow.

Improve Your Technical Employees Satisfaction! Use These Tips

Raza Rauf on October 21, 2016

It is well known that happy employees are better for a company’s bottom line. Employees represent the company in public and are more productive when they are actually working. During the height of the recent recession, many employees understood when company’s had to tighten their belts, and they made a number of sacrifices. Now that the economy is recovering, employees have begun looking for the benefits they once had.

Hiring in the technical sector has become highly competitive. This means it will take more effort to keep your top performing technical employees around. To increase their job satisfaction, consider the following tips.

Reevaluate Your Benefits Package

When the recession hit, many companies stripped down their benefits packages to help make ends meet. Now that things are stabilizing, it is time to see how your benefits package compares to the competition. If employee contributions for health insurance were raised during tough times, see if they can be lowered now. This includes the introduction of high-deductible plans as well as the cost of monthly premiums. Bring health insurance costs down is always well received.

Similarly, retirement packages need to be examined. Now may be the time to increase the company match for a 401(k), or look into providing employees with stock options with the company. If retirement adjustments can’t be made, promote a healthier work/life balance with additional paid time off.

Increase Flexibility

Allowing employees to assert some level of control over their lives will increase their overall job satisfaction. Whether this involves creating alternate or flexible work schedules, or the ability to work remotely, providing options on how work can be accomplished will help employees better manage the demands of their work and life. Every employee has different scheduling needs. By promoting a method for working with these difference, and not forcing every employee into the same schedule, can provide relief to a variety of stress points.

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

Many businesses blindsided employees during the last recession. Those working in the trenches often didn’t know the full extent of the trouble their company was in until people were being shown the door. With those memories still very clear in the minds of anyone working during that time, being open and transparent with employees can go a long way. This means telling them to good and the bad, regardless of what it may be. Informed employees may be more likely to rally behind a company that treats them well, and is open about the current situation, allowing them to work towards solving your problem by your side.

Provide Opportunities for Growth and Advancement

Your best technical employees will relish the chance to learn new systems and advance their knowledge. Many top performers want to be able to keep growing within their field. By providing built-in mechanisms to support that idea, you can keep the more talented interested.

Consider creating a training budget to help employees explore new technologies. You can also create a mentorship or cross-training plan for internal development. If you want to promote furthering their educations, consider tuition reimbursement programs.

Want More Ways to Keep Employees Satisfied?

If you are looking for more ways to increase employee satisfaction, the professionals at Advance Staffing Solutions have the knowledge and expertise to help you develop a new plan. Contact Advance Staffing Solutions today!

Does Your Workplace Make Itself Transparent?

Raza Rauf on October 3, 2016

We live in a world that revolves around information. People expect to be able to look up what they want to know, when they want to know it, regardless of what it is. Your employees are no different. They want to understand the company’s mission, and how their work fits in. They want to be in the loop when changes are on the horizon.

If you want to cultivate a more transparent workplace, consider the following key areas.

Be Open and Honest

While you can’t keep everyone apprised of everything, make sure you are transparent about important changes that are on the horizon. And when you talk about recent developments, make sure, to be honest, and clear. If there is bad news, be forward about it. Trying to downplay a serious situation may be seen as disrespectful, or that there is something worth hiding. Openness and honesty are signs of respect and may encourage employees to rally behind a cause instead of letting their imaginations run wild.

Let Them Be Honest with You

Conversations are a two-way street. You employees should never feel that they cannot express an opinion on a matter that is important to them. That doesn’t mean you have to take every suggestion and run with it. Simply, it means you should make an effort to hear out their concerns and ideas. If something will not work in the current environment, don’t just turn them away. Offer information to help them understand what barriers are in place, and if those barriers are within your power to move.

An open dialogue will help employees feel more comfortable, and can lead to wonderful developments and innovations. It also shows that you value their input, and respect what they have to say. If regular conversations are not an option, as can be the case with upper management, consider creating an online forum where employees can ask questions, voice concerns, share accomplishments, and list ideas. This will keep you up-to-date on what is happening in the trenches, and gives everyone an opportunity to express themselves when time allows. Further, management can craft answers carefully, making sure that all relevant information is included in a clear and concise manner.

Embrace Remote Employees

If your business hires remote employees, make an added effort to keep them connected with the team at the office. It is easy to forget remote employees since they are not physically present in the office. This can make it challenging for them to feel as though they are part of the team. This only gets worse if they are left out of the loop, even accidentally, as certain changes you saw coming may blindside them.

Make Expectations Clear

Employees will feel more secure in their work if they understand what is expected. This includes quality standards and deadlines, as well as communication and updates. Make sure your employees know what you want, and when you want it. That way, they have a clear goal to focus on, instead of an ambiguous assignment without specific guidance.

Want More Information About How to Increase Transparency in Your Organization?

Here at Advance Staffing Solutions, we have the experience and knowledge necessary to help you create a more transparent workplace. Contact us today.

It’s a Candidate Market – Speed Up Your Hiring Process to Hire the Best Ones!

Raza Rauf on September 26, 2016

Hiring processes have lengthened over time. Many businesses have expanded their requirements to include more than a simple interview. Some have introduced group interviews, candidate presentations, multiple interview rounds, skills testing, and various skills or personality tests. As of 2015, the length of the average interview process was estimated at over 22 days.

If you think your lengthy hiring processes may be costing you, you could be right. With unemployment generally falling and the current candidate market, you can’t afford to wait, and here’s why.

The Best Candidates Don’t Wait Around

While shifts to a more thorough process may seem to make sense from a business perspective, these longer wait times can mean missing out on your ideal candidate. Those with the most talent likely have multiple opportunities in the works, and being late to the game, or dragging your proverbial feet, can mean that candidate won’t be there when the decision has finally been made.

You May Have to Offer Higher Pay

If the candidate is still there, it may cost you more to get them onboard if they are currently considering other offers. This can result in a bidding war, putting the candidate in the best negotiating position, and forcing two, potential rival, businesses to have to up the ante to keep the candidate interested.

Lengthy Hiring Processes Cost More Money

Not only do lengthy hiring processes require more time and energy, and could result in a bidding war, there are other costs in play as well. The longer the position remains vacant, the longer your business is operating without a person in a key position. If the position is in sales, then the effects may be very easy to see. For other positions, other staff members are having to work harder, or shift their priorities, to make up for the work that would traditionally be completed by another employee. If remaining employees are pushed too hard for too long, there may be damaging effects to morale and overall performance.

How to Speed Up Your Hiring Process

You do not have to sacrifice quality in order to speed up your hiring process. Begin by creating clear job requirements for the official posting. Focus on those requirements which are more concrete in nature, such as specific software experience, to help quickly remove any candidates who will not make the cut. Contact any other stakeholders in the business in advance to set aside interview times and dates before candidates are even reviewed. Avoid scheduling unnecessary interviews with candidates you know will not be suitable in order to fulfill some imaginary minimum.

Once you identify the ideal candidate, contact references and perform any background information quickly. If it is permitted, inform your prime candidate that they are currently on top and that certain formalities are the only items pending. Get a contract or formal offer ready, so it can be presented as soon as all required checks are complete.

Consider Outside Support

If your hiring process is still too lengthy, consider working with a staffing firm to help speed up your process, such as the professional at Advance Staffing Solutions. Not only can they perform prescreening duties on potential candidates, they can also speak with references and run other checks before referring the candidate to the position. This means, as soon as the right candidate comes along, you can make an offer immediately.

Contact Advance Staffing Solutions today and get your hiring process moving through the candidate market!

Beware These Common (And Expensive!) Workplace Injuries

Raza Rauf on September 9, 2016

Workplace injuries and illnesses cost companies an astonishing $170 billion per year in treatment costs. By taking the time to develop proper safety procedures, you can reduce your annual costs by approximately 20 to 40 percent, leaving more money to be used for development, growth, or other key business areas.

If you are looking to get serious about preventing workplace injuries and illnesses, start with these key areas.

Proper Materials Handling Techniques

The most common cause of workplace injuries revolves around the improper handling of various workplace materials. This can include receiving shipments, moving products, or carrying various items. While many people believe these sorts of injuries are more common in industrial work, they are also quite common in other environments. This risk is present in manufacturing, retail, construction, shipping, and many other industries. Issues can even present in traditional office environments when employees must move pieces of equipment, shifting office furniture, or carrying a box of files.

Improper lifting and carrying techniques can lead to a wide variety of injuries, ranging from strains and sprains to contusions and fractures. Even the smallest workplace injuries of this nature can set a company back over $15,000, while more serious injuries can easily cross $50,000.

By educating employees on proper materials handling techniques, you can lower the risk of injury. Provide onsite training on a regular basis and keep accessible reading materials available at all times. Include injury prevention in your new employee orientations, and make sure to review the information often.

Avoiding Slips, Trips, and Falls

Slips, trips, and falls are another common source of injury with a wide range of potential consequences. Along with all of the risks that can exist with materials handling, injuries of this nature can also lead to more serious injuries including, but not limited to, concussions and joint dislocations. If employees work at elevation, the risks increase further. In certain circumstances, a fall can even result in death.

In order to protect employees from the risks associated with slips, trips, and falls, make sure all walkways are clear at all times. Do not allow cables and power cords to cut across walking paths without being properly covered or secured. Make sure any spills that can cause a walking surface to become slick are marked immediately with appropriate warning signage and cleaned up as quickly as possible.

If employees must work at elevation, make sure proper safety procedures are reviewed prior to the activity taking place. This can include anything from ladder safety to the proper use of harnesses and other safety equipment.

Falling and Flying Objects

Falling or flying objects can also occur in any environment. A heavy item placed on a high shelf can fall if not properly secured, and workplaces with moving equipment may see items accidentally thrown across spaces. The risks associated with being struck by a falling or flying object vary greatly depending on the size and weight of the object, and the portion of the body being struck. While some contact may result in cuts or contusions, others may result in fractures, injuries associated with being crushed, dislocations, and even death.

As with other safety areas, proper training is key. If certain items should not be placed on upper shelves, support training efforts through the use of signage attached to the shelving in question. Make sure that any items that have the potential to become a falling or flying object are properly secured, or that safety equipment is worn if necessary.

By following the tips above, you will be well on your way to ensuring your employees are better equipped to avoid workplace injuries. If you are looking for more information about how you can make your workplace safer, contact Advance Staffing Solutions today for a consultation today.

Why Your Workforce Needs More Diversity – And How It Helps Your Bottom Line!

Raza Rauf on August 22, 2016

Diversity in the workplace is often lauded, seen as a necessity for business success, but many hiring managers neglect to look into why diversity matters.

Understanding Diversity

The term diversity is used to reference the differences between individuals, as well as how those differences are perceived. Whether in regards to race, gender, age, or other factors, diversity is seen as a way to promote inclusion within an environment. Not only can diverse hiring practices improve a company’s image, it also brings with it certain benefits.

Focus on Talent

By being open to diversity, you can better align your business with talent. The most qualified or effective employee may come from any walk of life. Understanding that knowledge and skill can exist within any applicant, regardless of their background, opens your company up to additional hiring opportunities.

Diverse candidates may also bring additional benefits that were not initially sought during the hiring process. For example, certain employees may be bilingual which can be a benefit when a company’s customer base is wide. Additionally, they may have connections to communities that were previously disconnected from your business, bringing new opportunities for expansion within the market sector.

Promote Creativity

A diverse workforce may be more creative overall. Along with different backgrounds comes different life experiences and perspectives. Each member of the team has something unique to offer which can result in previously undiscovered ideas coming to the table. Coupling diversity with a sense of inclusion allows those who have ideas to contribute freely and may lead to an increased level of innovation.

Increased Globalization

As the world becomes a more interconnected place, those with a diverse workforce may be more adept at adjusting techniques to fit the needs to a wider customer base. This could apply to businesses looking to participate in an international marketplace, as well as those with a wide range of clientele in their home area.

Learning Opportunities

Those with different experiences have the opportunity to learn for one another in a way that may not be possible in more academic pursuits. Older workers may be able to provide knowledge, cultivated over years, to those just entering the field while younger workers may bring knowledge of the latest industry techniques and a fresh point of view.

Employees can benefit from understanding the unique strengths each person brings to the table, as well as how to balance out weaknesses.

Advance Staffing Solutions understands the value of diversity. With over 25 years of experience in the staffing industry, let the professionals at Advance Staffing Solutions help you find the employees your workplace has been missing. Contact Advance Staffing Solutions today!

Should You Be Asking Candidates About Their Long-Term Career Goals?

Raza Rauf on August 15, 2016

Whether you ask candidates where they see themselves in 10 years, or directly inquire about their long-term career goals, a form of this interview question has been around for ages. While it may feel like a platitude, understanding where a candidate would like to be can provide valuable insights. Even if an interviewee fails to articulate their career goals well, there is still a lot to be learned for this interview standard.

Do they know where they are trying to go?

First, this will let you know if they even have a goal in mind. Candidates who can clearly speak to their goals have thought about where they are and where they want to end up. It demonstrates that they have a plan in place, even if it is only in the most basic sense, and provides insight into their motivations.

Those who have a challenge describing where they are trying to go may not actually know what path is right for them. They may be testing a particular field to see if it is a good fit, or may have limited interest in the field, but have not had many other opportunities. While not all positions require an employee to be deeply passionate about the subject matter, those who appear disinterested may not be in it for the long-term.

Is This Job a Step Along the Path?

When a candidate has a clear goal, you can determine if the position for which they are interviewing is a logical step down that path. For example, if a recent graduate has aspirations regarding gaining experience in the field and advancing in their area of expertise, you can see how this position may work with their goals.

Alternatively, if they have a long-term goal that doesn’t seem to align well with the position, you would be reasonable to have concerns. For example, if a person is applying for a software analyst position, but states a long-term goal of opening a restaurant, it is possible the candidate’s true interests lie elsewhere.

While those being interviewed for an entry-level position likely have goals beyond the position in front of them, it is important to see if the position you are offering aligns with those goals in some way. If not, the candidate may not be likely to stay with the company long-term should an opportunity that works with their long-term goals become available.

Can you offer ways to help them get to where they want to be?

If the candidate’s goals work with the position, are there additional ways in which you can help them get to where they want to be? If so, this can help entice a desirable candidate to choose to work with your company. By not only expressing your interest in them for the position in question, but explaining how your company can help them work towards their goals, you can put your company in a position to be more desirable to the candidate.

In cases where you cannot currently help a candidate progress along their path, consider your company’s capabilities to offer opportunities in the near future. Not only can this provide insight into how to retain employees now and in the future, it may also give you information on what today’s candidates really want.

Looking for more ways to gain insight into what motivates candidates?

If so, the professionals as Advance Staffing Solutions have the knowledge and expertise to help you understand what motivates talented candidates to select the positions they do, and what you can do to attract strong candidates, as well. Contact Advance Staffing Solutions today!

How Can Hiring Temp Workers Improve Your Workplace?

Raza Rauf on August 8, 2016

Are there times when you wish you had one more set of hands around the workplace?

Maybe an employee is on extended leave, or your business experiences seasonal fluctuations in demand? Maybe there is a large project looming and it will be difficult to integrate these duties amongst the other day-to-day tasks that must be completed?

No matter the reason, the answer is the same.

Hiring temp workers allows your business to bring in an employee when you need them, without the hassles involved in hiring an employee on your own. If you aren’t sure this is the right move for your business, consider these other benefits of hiring temp workers.

Temps Have Competitive Skills

A temporary employee can be just as skilled and experienced as your other employees. Staffing firms are just as rigorous in determining if an applicant’s skills match your needs as you would be. All applicants go through interviews and screening processes to ensure they meet the same level of standard as the business with which they work.

Temporary workers may be college educated in their field of expertise and may hold significant on-the-job experience. Just because a worker is temporary doesn’t mean they are not the type of employee you would hire yourself.

No HR Burden

Not only does a temporary not need to be put through your hiring and onboarding processes, they will not ever be on your official payroll. Temporary workers are employees of the staffing office for which they work. This means that you will never bear the burden of payroll processing, unemployment insurance, or any other cost traditionally associated with managing personnel. Instead, the staffing firm will handle all of those requirements while all you have to worry about is paying an invoice.

Here When You Need Them, and Not When You Don’t

As a business, you have few specific time obligations to the temporary worker. If a project is completed ahead of schedule, you can end the assignment early. If the need continues past the original end date, you may be able to continue working with the same temporary employee you have been, or you can choose to work with a different temporary worker if your needs shift.

Can’t Live Without Them? You Can Hire Them!

In cases where you can’t imagine operating without the temp workers, they may be eligible to become a full-time employee. If you both feel it is a good fit, and all proper processes are followed per your contingent staffing agreements, then you can bring them on to your payroll as a new employee.

Want More Information About How Temporary Workers Can Help Your Business?

Here at Advance Staffing Solutions, we have the experience and knowledge necessary to help you figure out all of the ways temporary workers may benefit your business. Contact us today!

Hiring Remote Employees? Don’t Forget to Ask Them These 5 Questions!

Raza Rauf on August 5, 2016

While most interview questions remain the same from position to position, there are unique conditions that apply to applicants for remote employees. In order to better assess the candidate’s ability to successfully work as a remote employee, be sure to cover these five questions before you make a hiring decision.

“Can we discuss the position over a video conference?”

When hiring for a remote position, it may be helpful to complete the interview face-to-face, especially if attending video conferences will be a requirement for the position. Not only will this give you an opportunity to interact with a candidate in a more natural way, it will also provide insight into their workspace, communication style and basic technical ability.

“Can you describe your work environment?”

This functions as an opener to assess whether remote employees are properly setup to accomplish the tasks necessary to work successfully. For example, if the remote employee is going to be responsible for a large volume of calls, it may be necessary that they have a dedicated home office that prevents extraneous noise from coming through on the call.

It also gives you the opportunity to find out other pertinent information, such as the speed of their internet connection, current access to required software, and if they have a dedicated phone line.

“If a technical issue arises, how would you go about addressing it?”

Since a remote employee will be responsible for troubleshooting equipment and network connectivity, understanding how they would approach these tasks is critical. While high-level technical ability is not always necessary, being capable of handling common issues is imperative to their success. If there are no technical support resources offered through your company, or if the remote worker will be performing the majority of their duties outside of traditional support hours, this is even more imperative.

“How do you plan on arranging your day to meet the requirements of the job?”

While not all remote employees will need to clock in and out as specific times, it is important to understand the timeframe in which the candidate intends to perform their assignments. This allows you to evaluate their availability, ensuring it includes times when they need to be available for contact. Additionally, it provides insights into other obligations they may also need to meet that could cause conflict.

While someone responsible for compiling a report may be able to complete the work at any time, it may not be efficient if you cannot reach them during core business hours to communicate changes. Not only can this cause frustration for you, it can lead to wasted time and money if the employee continues working with the wrong priorities or inaccurate information.

“Have you ever worked remotely for another company?”
This question allows you to find out if they have served a similar function under similar circumstances. While previous experience working remotely may not be required, it can provide insights into how they have previously prioritized work and handled deadlines when not under direct supervision.

It also allows for follow-up questions to determine if they are currently working remotely for another company, and, if so, whether they intend to stay with that company as well. While holding two positions is not inherently wrong, conflicting priorities between multiple employers may arise.

Would you like more information?

If you are looking for insights into remote hiring, or assistance locating your next employee, the experts at Advance Staffing Solutions offer free advice to clients and candidates. Reach out today!