Advantages of Choosing a Staffing Firm Over Your Corporate Recruiter

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“Why should we utilize your staffing services when we already have a corporate recruiter?”

This is a question we get frequently from potential clients. When comparing corporate recruiters to those who work for staffing firms, neither is superior from a professional standpoint. They all have the ability to get the job done. However, utilizing a staffing firm, utilizing a good staffing firm, can open up your company to stronger candidates, quicker. Here’s why:

External recruiters’ focus is on making placements, not logging activity.

The best external recruiters are going to be working with and providing fewer, but higher quality, candidates because their success depends on sinking the placement. They manage the process from beginning to end and will only send you the best of the best.

Your business will have a brand new, extensive network to utilize.

Experienced staffing firms have developed deep networks of passive candidates that you would not necessarily be able to tap into otherwise. In our competitive industry, third-party recruiters are forced to use creativity when networking and assessing candidate and customer expectations. Staffing firms have an advantage for this reason – they not only have the ability to source top candidates from more areas, but they’ll be able to do it faster than an internal recruiter.

The best candidates want to work with staffing firms.

Hardworking recruiters and their staffing teams establish reputations with the best talent out there, simply by doing their job well. Experienced, passive candidates know they can go to staffing firms for information regarding new opportunities. Corporate recruiters who only work with one company are not going to have that widespread visibility.

They have credibility with hiring teams.

Third-party recruiters are used to building trusting relationships over time with the same hiring managers. They know the most essential questions to ask and how to communicate effectively with companies in order to understand their unique hiring needs. Corporate recruiters on the other hand tend to work with different hiring managers more frequently, and may not have the time required to settle in and build valuable partnerships like staffing firms do.

Using an exceptional recruiting firm that meets the criteria above should be a strategic part of every business’ hiring initiative. When you can find a great staffing resource, trust them and their methods; let them leverage their abilities to deliver their services with processes they’ve perfected.

If you are looking to grow your team and need assistance finding the talent your business needs, give Diverse Staffing a call at (317) 813-8000.

Secrets of the Successful: How Influential Business Leaders Choose Their New Hires

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With the chaos of the holidays behind us and budgets set for the new year, many employers are looking to build upon their team. Hiring a new employee is exciting but by no means is an easy feat. Bringing on the right person requires a lot of thought, time, and money (the average ROI of a bad hire is -298%. No pressure). Choosing the best candidate and the best fit in some ways never gets easier, so whether you’re a hiring manager for a small start-up or an experienced CEO at an established company, one should always jump at the chance to reflect and improve upon their hiring strategy. Need some inspiration? Here are a few insightful ways in which some of the world’s most famous company leaders pick their winning candidates.

Disney’s Chief Executive Bob Iger is drawn to people who exude optimism- “When you come to work, you’ve got to show enthusiasm and spirit. You can’t let people see you brought down by the experience of failure. I believe in taking big risks creatively. If you fail, don’t do it with mediocrity- do it with something that was truly original, truly a risk.”

David Brown, founder and managing partner at Techstars, relies on making his needs crystal clear from the very start- “Have a great job description. Make sure your candidate meets it. Don’t just rely on cultural fit.”

LinkedIn’s Russell Glass, however, prefers to put culture first- “The right culture fit is easy to train on the right skills, but the wrong culture fit with the right skills will never be successful.”

Thomas Schranz, CEO of Blossom, believes in milking your connections and your team members’ networks. Pursuing the referrals of your colleagues leads to building a group that works well together- “A lot of hugely successful companies got started by friends, fellow buddies from university and previous coworkers. Check for cultural fit. A-teams consist of extraordinary people who work well together.”

Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue Anna Wintour seeks individuals who don’t let intimidation stop them from sharing their ideas and personality- “I look for strong people. I don’t like people who’ll say yes to everything I might bring up. I want people who can argue, and disagree, and have a point of view that’s reflected in the magazine.”

As one might expect for such a trailblazer of a company, Apple CEO Tim Cook says you need to have the passion to change the world if you want to join his team- “You look for people who work for a different reason. People that see things and know that it should be different and they sit and focus on it until they find the answer. People that can’t be told that it’s impossible; they don’t accept it.”

For PepsiCo’s CEO, Indra Nooyi, the importance lies in investing in each candidate’s personal interests and professional goals- “The only way we will hold on to the best and brightest is to grasp them emotionally. No one may feel excluded- it is our best to draw the best out of everyone. That means employees must be able to immerse their whole selves in a work environment in which they can develop their careers, families, and philanthropy, and truly believe they are cared for.”

How to Establish an Optimistic Work Climate

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Creating an enjoyable workspace involves a lot more than adding some windows and popping flowers on tables. Bringing about true improvement to your company’s work climate requires multidimensional effort and commitment. As an employer, you hold the power to influence the atmosphere by how you manage your team. Here are some ways in which you can introduce positivity into your company’s work climate.

Showcase your values: Understand and define who you are as a person, and make it clear through your leadership style. Let your personal values shine through the way in which you conduct daily business. Be clear in what is important to you from the start.

Cultivate community: Strive to build more than a cooperative team- build a sense of community so your staff members confidently support each other in reaching their individual and collective goals.

Support collaboration: Create groups of individuals who can learn from one another on a frequent basis. Employees will build dependency and create their own support systems. People can pinpoint their value when working together. Letting employees contribute to something bigger than themselves will help them realize their purpose.

Manage meaningful work: Know what your employees find most meaningful in their role and emphasize its importance. Supporting your staff to excel in the areas they value the most will create a more positive and passionate environment. If they are struggling to find meaning in their current role, work together in shaping meaning in what they do for your company.

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Managing a Multigenerational Workforce

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As more and more millennials join the workforce, managers are faced with an increasingly critical issue: managing a multigenerational workforce. As millennials join the workforce, baby boomers and Gen Xers stay working longer than previous generations. In the past, managers may have faced the challenge of managing one or two generations, but today, it is more likely to have a workforce that is spanning multiple generations.

Why is this so difficult? The different generations currently in the workforce have different styles of working, desire different things from employers, and have all-around different expectations of work situations. Because managers are faced with this challenge, their job can become increasingly difficult. Here are few ways to make this challenge a little less taxing:

Make It Personal

As you manage multiple people and multiple generations, you will discover that the best way to interact is to make it personal. You need to treat each employee as an individual because that is exactly what they are. When you go out of your way to learn names, hobbies, interests, and career goals, you will find that your workforce is more productive and motivated.

Offer Mentorships

If you find your employees are not working well together, it could be because older and younger employees work differently and view things on different terms. In order to help bridge this work gap, pair older workers with young ones in a mentor setting. Do not force the mentorship on anyone and be sure you are selective of who is paired with who, but a mentorship could be exactly what is missing.

Engage Employees

Keep your employees involved and stay involved yourself. When you take the time to engage employees, you take the time to show them you care. Engaged employees are typically better workers because you show interest in their work. Engaging employees goes beyond saying, “hello.” It is taking the time to listen to their ideas and to their goals within your organization.

Keep Things Open

As a manager, you might be tempted to set standards for things like communication. When you do this, you could be limited certain employees preferred styles of working, which means they could end up being unhappy employees. Instead, keep an open mind and allow employees to work the best way they know how.

Don’t Box Employees In

Managing employees who span multiple generations is difficult. In dealing with this difficulty, you might be tempted to treat everyone in a specific generation the same way. However, doing this will box employees in. By doing this, you are assuming that everyone in the same generation is the same, which is not the case. Instead, engage employees and treat them as the individuals they are.

 

Photo Credit: freedigitalphotos.net 

Why Do Workers Keep Leaving?

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As an employer or manager, you may find yourself asking “why do workers keep leaving?” For some organizations, high turnover rates are a real issue. For others, retention is a lot better, but still leaves something to be desired. No matter where you are at with retention rates, it is important to ask yourself why employees are leaving. Do you offer enough benefits? Do you provide enough salary incentive? Is your managing style to blame? There are many factors to consider, but some of the top things to ask yourself include:

Am I paying my employees enough?

Unfortunately, as an employer, you may not be able to do much about this question. Sometimes, what you can afford to pay employees just won’t be enough. However, before you lose great employees because you cannot pay them what they want, you should sit down with them, explain the goals of the company, and how you see them fitting into your future. By including employees in your company goals, you can provide them with a real sense of value.

Do I provide enough benefits?

Benefits are another tricky issue when it comes to employees leaving. Like salary, your hands may be tied with what you can offer and you cannot really do more than what you provide. For things like insurance, that may be the case. However, you can offset that by offering non-traditional benefits like an extra personal day, lunch once a week, or even allowing some employees to work remotely. When it comes to benefits, think outside of the box.

What is the work environment like?

One thing to examine when it comes to why employees leave is the work environment. This includes things like culture, organization, and cleanliness. Do you provide a comfortable place for office workers to take their lunch? Are warehouse workers have access to a clean space wherein they can take breaks? These are the types of things you should consider when it comes to the work environment you provide for employees. You may be surprised just how many of your employees are leaving because of these issues.

Is my managing style working?

This one may be tough for many to face, but some employees just do not mesh well with certain managing styles. If you find that you have a high turnover rate, then maybe you need to examine the way you are managing. Are you to hands-off with your employees? Maybe you micro-manage your employees? While there are many different ways to manage, you also need to be adaptable to what your employees’ needs are.

Keeping Top Talent

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As an employer, manager, or HR representative it can be a real struggle to find top talent, but more than that, it can be difficult to keep that top talent. As someone who oversees employees, part of your job is keeping top talent working for and with your company or organization. This issue goes beyond trying to retain your employees. The issue is retaining the right employees.

In the past, we’ve discussed how employee retention is crucial to your company’s success, but you also need to make sure that you’re keeping the right talent, not just all talent. Here are just a few tips on making sure you retain top talent:

Employee Engagement

Employee engagement goes beyond just internal communications. Yes, employees want to know what is going on at the company but they want more than that. Many employees, especially top talent employees, want to feel like they are a valued part of the company. This means taking the time to hear them, speak with them, and actually get to know them.

Benefits and Perks

In the past, offering employees more money or better benefits might have been enough to keep them around. However, benefits and perks, in today’s workforce go beyond money and basic employee benefits. For example, if your employees do most of their work online or independently, consider letting them work away from the office for at least part of the time. By offering less traditional benefits, you can keep top talent engaged in their work and happy working for you.

Company Culture

Employees want to work in an environment where they are comfortable, valued, and can feel like they belong. As a manager or business owner, part of your job is to create a company culture. You get to help steer your company into the right direction and into the culture you want for your office or work environment.

Training

If you really want to keep top talent around, then provide them with training opportunities. Whether it is leadership training or the opportunity to go to an industry-specific conference, these training opportunities allow employees to grow in their careers. Employees will improve which will in turn help your organization.

Keeping top talent around will not only improve your business, but it will increase productivity and decrease your costs of hiring new employees who may not be right for the job.

Eliminating Productivity Killers for Employees

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No one wants to be the boss or manager who isn’t fun or doesn’t know how to have a good time, but you do need to know how to motivate your employees to get work done. There are distractions all around us, even in an office and warehouse environment. When we allow these distractions to keep us from our work, productivity decreases. Eliminating productivity killers in the workplace can lead to increased productivity and overall company success.

In order to make your work environment a more productive one, you must eliminate productivity killers.

Socialization

People talk. People have phone calls and they have meetings. You cannot ask those in your office or place of work to stop talking. Doing that would be unproductive. However, you can encourage employees to keep socialization to the break room or places where they are less likely to distract other employees. For example, if two employees are talking next to the desk of someone who isn’t involved in the conversation, then they are probably being a distraction. Encourage employees to be mindful of where they are socializing.

Technology

From social media to text to emails, technology constantly interrupts our lives. As a boss or manager, you should establish some rules when it comes to using mobile devices. Your company may already have policies in place for mobile devices and Internet usage. If this is the case, remind employees about the policies and after providing some time for adjusting to the policies, start enforcing them.

Scheduling

If you’re managing or running an office, encourage your employees to take advantage of calendar applications. Whether in your email application or another format, these apps don’t only keep track of your day, but they can help keep you productive. Encourage your employees to not take non-scheduled appointments. By keeping to your schedule, you can avoid becoming distracted and stay on target.

Organization

Office clutter and desk clutter can actually greatly hinder our abilities to be productive. In order to help your workers eliminate their own productivity killers make sure the office or work environment is always organized and be sure you are encouraging employees to keep an organized workspace. Doing this will not only allow them to be more productive, but it gives them ownership over their space.

How to Attract Top Talent

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One of the biggest issues that many companies face is attracting top talent. Putting a job positing online isn’t going to guarantee the best applications. It won’t even guarantee any applications. In order to attract top talent, you have to know how to properly engage, communicate, and find job candidates.

While there are many strategies to attracting top talent, some of them are more beneficial and more successful than others. Knowing which ones are right for your company is crucial, so before you start any new programs, make sure you have found the right strategy. As you weigh your options, keep these tips in mind to attract top talent:

Use Videos to Engage Candidates

You might be wondering how you can use video to attract top talent, but it really is as simple as interviewing employees about why they love the company. Show job seekers what it is like to work at your company, what benefits you offer, and anything else you think they might find helpful. Video is a fun and engaging medium you can use to reach a broader audience.

Create an Easy Application Process

Are you having trouble finding candidates for your jobs? No one qualified is even applying? If you are having these issues, it could be because your application process is too complex. Reevaluating your application process could not only attract more candidates, but it could attract the right candidates. Many job seekers will not go through the hassle of a job application that is too long, too complicated, or too difficult to understand.

Showcase Your Work Environment

We mentioned using videos earlier, but photos are also a great way to show off your work space. When candidates can see the environment they are going to be working in, they will be much more likely to apply to jobs. If you do not want to use videos or photos to showcase the environment, then describe it in detail through written words. Don’t just say it is a fast-paced work environment. Describe what makes the environment click and how coworkers interact with one another.

Build a Company Culture

In the past, we have talked about how company culture is a big deal, but did you know it can also attract top talent to your organization? When you are conscious of your company culture and making it strong, then those outside of your organization will recognize that and want to be a part of it.

Do you have any tips for attracting top talent? What has worked for you in the past? Leave your stories and suggestions in the comments below!

5 Things Job Seekers Want In Job Postings

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As a recruiter or anyone looking to hire a new employee, it can be difficult to know what information you need to put on a job posting. As you start crafting job responsibilities, benefits, and company biography information, keep in mind these five things job seekers want in a job posting:

Understandable Job Titles

A complicated and random-sounding job title will turn candidates off. Instead of listing internal job titles like Sales Representative Title 2, simply list the job as Sales Representative. Using job titles that are easy to understand not only set a great understanding of what the description for the position will be like, but candidates are much more likely to click on the job posting.

Ability to Apply with Mobile Devices

More and more candidates are turning to smartphones and tablets to apply to jobs. If you are not currently allowing candidates to apply through a mobile device, then there is a strong probability that you are losing out on job seekers.

Detailed Descriptions

As you begin typing out the description of your open position, be sure to include as much detail as possible. Job candidates like to know everything about the position for which they are applying. This is not a time to be selective of the information you provide. Instead, provide a detailed description of the position and what will be required of the successful candidate.

Unique Postings

If you are hiring for the same position(s) all of the time, try to avoid stock job postings. If a candidate is searching for a job and finds that all of your postings read exactly the same, they may be turned off from applying. As you write a job posting, think about ways in which you can make content unique and exciting for candidates who may come across it.

Simple Process

One thing you should always keep in mind is how simple your application process really is. For example, if candidates have to fill out page after page after page of information, then they may just give up before reaching the end. Make the process engaging and as simple as possible to generate more potential hires.

What do you make sure to include in your job postings? What’s worked for you in the past? Leave your stories and suggestions in the comments section below!