You are hiring new or temporary staffers. You need great people to step right in and get the work done. The first few days on the job are critical to successful new hire orientation and productivity. How can you ensure that your new employee, temporary or not, is getting the right start in your business?

Making It Work from the Start

When it comes to hiring that new employee, getting them in the door is one thing. Getting them on the floor and ready to make money for you is very different. These tips can help ensure that first day goes perfectly.

• Make sure the employee gets to know your company’s culture in a positive manner. He or she needs to know what’s expected of them. Be sure there has been a session that introduces the individual to the company, including an orientation. Even if this is a temporary employee, he or she should feel good about entering the position.

• Set up a time later in the day to chat with the individual. Even on the first day, by stepping in for five minutes to check in with the new hire, he or she feels good about the job. This short meeting, which could even happy over lunch, is not meant to be a review, but just a “how is it going?” type of setting.

• Be sure the person training the individual is mentor-quality. Is there someone who is going to mentor this individual for the first few days? Even once they get the hang of it, does that individual feel comfortable going to that mentor with questions? This creates a fantastic connection for the individual. As a temporary worker, he or she may feel alienated naturally, but with the aid of a mentor, that’s less of a concern.

• Set goals even for the temporary worker. Set some goals about what they will learn and what you would like to see in terms of productivity. Even when the individual is just there for a short time, this can help with motivation, productivity, and even creating a respectful workplace for all involved.

• Treat them fairly, too. It is a good idea to keep the lines of communication open with other employees. Introduce the new person. Be sure that the staff knows that this person is here to help not to take over their hours or position.

Making that first day a success means less need to rehire over and over again. It means that you will find a positive experience from this process. Keep in mind that not every temporary worker will come back for you. If you foster a positive first day, they will want to. Take the time to check out your current first day protocol. What does it provide to your new hires? What message does it send? Most importantly, it needs to foster the firm foothold that these individuals need.

Need new staff who are pre-screened, evaluated and ready to get to work for your company? Consider how Davis Staffing can support your need for quality new hires in a wide range of skill sets and industry backgrounds. Find candidates in the Chicago and surrounding areas from our expansive staffing support services.

Summertime is often the time when HR departments are actively searching for new candidates to fill temporary and permanent assignments. Additionally, as current employees are more frequently dreaming about taking vacations at the beach, supervisors are trying to maintain staffing numbers by boosting employee morale. Knowing what workers want from their employer this summer can help to retain greater numbers of employees, and help make the workplace more productive.

So, what are many employees looking for this summer? A recent employee poll revealed that 78 percent of working parents value flexible work arrangements to care for their families, while another 62 percent of all workers agreed having a flexible schedule is a major perk. In fact, many employees reported they would take a pay cut in order to have more flexibility in their work schedules.

Having the ability to work from home at least part of the week, or being able to leave early on Fridays is another factor that employees want to have more work-life balance. There are certain job tasks that are more friendly to telecommuting, and this is something that all employers should look at closely. In some cases, it can even save your company money by reducing office use.

It’s clear that in order to keep employee happier during the summer months, employers need to be thinking outside the box in terms of offering incentives. Here are some suggestions:

• Give all employees the option to work remotely during the summer, if their job duties allow.
• Provide a work environment that is casual and flexible so employees look forward to coming in.
• Have fun corporate events like catered lunches and after-work parties to let employees relax.
• Develop an incentive plan for employees who achieve their goals in the summer months.
• Offer employee development classes and training on-site to encourage skill and team building.
• Encourage employees to schedule their summer vacation times in advance.
• Design flexible work plans to allow remote employees to set their own schedules.

Your workplace can be a fun environment in which to encourage productivity and attract more talent to your team. Use the above tips to make your company a place where your employees will want to spend their summer.

Get help with your summertime staffing needs in the Southland Chicago area by working with the Davis Staffing team today!

Temporary workers are those who come in, do the job at hand and leave. They go from one position to the next, from one company to the next, filling in where there is a need. What you may not realize is that many employers are turning to these individuals and hiring them on instead of letting them go. This could be a sign that employers are gaining more confidence in the recovery of the economy and are more willing to open the door to new employees.

Test Temporary Employees Out

While employers are hiring, many are turning to temp agencies as a way of vetting those they do bring in. Instead of bringing in fresh, off the street talent they have to vet and feel out on their own, they are letting temp agencies handle that process on their time. As a hiring manager, you may be realizing the true benefits of doing just this.

• Instead of going through a lengthy interview process and hiring process, some employers are cutting to the chase and hiring employees from temp agencies after those temps come in and work for them.
• Employers can thus save money by not wasting it on employees who may look good on paper, but don’t work out in person. They can simply let the temporary go without any repercussions on their side.
• All of the time doing background checks, interviewing and screening these applications is done for the employer, on the dime of the temp agency. That makes it far more affordable to bring on new employees without having to do all of the leg work themselves.
• Often times, employers can pay temp staff lower wages than they would have to pay someone who was coming in for an interview off the street. Flat wages continues to be a big factor in the hiring market, but some are happy to just land the job.
• Temps allow companies to expand and contract as they need to. This is often due to the increasing or struggling economic factors many businesses are experiencing. They can bring on staff and let them go easier without putting too much at risk.

Hiring is broadening as more employers are willing to take on new employees. According to some reports, the staffing sector added 45,000 jobs in February, after good January and December numbers. 1.86 percent of the US labor force is made up of temps, according to Reuters.

As a hiring manager, the use of temp agencies may be necessary to ensure enough staff is on hand at all times. Hiring through temp agencies is not anything new, but it is an opportunity for some companies to find key workers without as much risk. That’s what many employers are counting on.

A social candidate is a professional who is able to interact within many social networks properly. A person who can work well with others is often times more valuable than the individual who has all of the technical skills, but lacks the ability to communicate his thoughts, needs and ideas with others. From the overpowering individual who does not realize working as a team is better to the shy person unable to communicate with the group, this lack of social skill can affect any work environment. You should be hiring a candidate who is stellar and that often means that his or her skills off the paper need to be just as good if not better than what their resume has to say.

How to Choose a Social Candidate

If you do not select a social candidate, you could be missing the best person for the job. Some equate hiring a candidate with all of the technical knowledge and no social skills like designing a racecar with all of the power possible but not putting in an effective steering and braking system. Rather, choose a candidate with the right skills – skills that can help the candidate to perform his or her job better. You will need a candidate with the skills to work with others.

What does a social candidate really offer? How can you tell he or she is the right person for the job?

• He or she is self-aware. The candidate understands how the actions taken by the candidate affect others around them.
• This person has a social intelligence. He or she understands the various methods for influencing other people’s perceptions and behaviors.
• He or she has self-control. Even under a significant amount of stress, the candidate does not lose his cool. Rather, emotions and actions remain under control.
• The candidate is sensitive to others. This indicates that the candidate can show sensitivity to others.

To find a social candidate for the job, you will need to ask questions and determine how the person reacted in the situations he or she was in. Is the candidate sensitive to others? You can often tell by discussing the influences on his or her career. Those that answer by including others around them during their career development are more sensitive to others.

You can often see the differences in the social skills of a candidate, too. Set up a luncheon for a group of candidates. Note how each individual interacts with others. Are they engaging or standoffish? Another option is to use personality tests or role-play to get a better ideal of the individual’s social skills.

When hiring a candidate for a job in which the candidate will represent the company, it is critical to choose an individual with social skills. One that is lacking could in fact hurt the company’s image or at the least reduce the productivity of the staff. Choose someone that can better the company through his or her ability to work with and through other people.

As an HR manager, it’s important to know what really motivates workers to be their most productive. In fact, managing productivity is one of the more important roles you play within your organization. You know it’s important to keep them happy. You understand that employees are generally more productive when they are happy. But, do you know why the happiness of employees in your company makes such a huge difference to efficiency? Here are just a few of the reasons why it’s a good idea to keep your employees happy.

Happy People Tend to have a Positive Outlook

This is double good news for your organization. Do you know why? It’s because the old saying about attitudes being contagious is true. If you have people who are happy with their jobs, happy to come to work, and happy in general. It sparks an entire wave of happiness within work groups that will spread like wildfire to the rest of the company.

Optimism is definitely something you want spreading through your company. It makes it a better place for everyone to work and keeps negativity, complaints, and overall pessimism at bay.

Happy People are Problem Solvers

Your organization doesn’t have time for people to stir the pot or create problems. We all understand that time is money. That’s why it’s great to work with people who are content, or dare I say, happy, in their work environments. They are not only less likely to complain and join in the controversy but they are also the ones who are most likely to seek solutions to problems rather than allowing the problems to slow them down.

People Who are Happy at Work Want to be There

This means they are less likely to call in sick or stretch the limits of their paid time off each year. That doesn’t mean that they don’t need to take their vacations and use that time to rest, relax, and recharge. It does mean that they are much more inclined to plan the time they need off ahead of time and give you plenty of notice.

Happy People are Healthy People

In addition to not taking sick time because they are sick of work, people who are happy with their employment situation also tend to be healthier people. There is less stress over the work situation. There are fewer instances of employee burnout.

Happy employees are not only productive members of the company but they are also generally pleasant people to be around. It’s worth going out of your way as an HR manager to make every possible attempt to keep the people who work for your company as happy as possible and to constantly strive to find new ways that are not overly disruptive or cost-prohibitive to keep employees happy.

The New Year brings a great many good things for millions of small businesses around the nation, as well as some challenges in terms of employment laws and reform taking place now. These HR and employment laws can and will affect your business in 2012 in both positive and negative way. The best course of action is to be prepared for these changes and keep informed through resources found here at the Davis Staffing blog. To help you stay on top of employment law trends, here is a short breakdown of the most important things you need to know going into Twenty-Twelve.

9 Employment Laws Impacting Business in 2012

Employment Wage Laws – Many US states are being backed by the US Department of Labor to create new employment laws that will clarify and set standards in the overtime and minimum wage requirements. These laws are to help employers better explain to workers what they are owed.  Now may be a good time to update your minimum wage and overtime posters company-wide.

Employee Classification – Now is the time to review your employee classification system, because several US states are enacting stricture guidelines and fines for companies that misclassify workers, or appear to use disparaging wage tactics to cut costs. Take the time to review job descriptions, salary vs. non-salaried workers, and employee vs. contractor, mandatory work hours, and overtime rules.

Health Insurance Reform – The Affordable Care Act of 2010 got things changing in terms of how health care insurance works, including how businesses provide access to group benefits. Be aware of these laws by visiting http://www.healthcare.gov/ for updates on these laws. This includes the new dependent care laws that require insurance coverage for young adults up to age 26. Additionally, employers filing 250 or more W-2 forms in the past year will need to include the cost of employer-sponsored health coverage on the 2012 W-2 form.

Hiring Incentives and Entrepreneurialism – As President Obama continues to focus on bringing tax credits to small businesses as well as tax cuts to ordinary working citizens, we will keep seeing legislation geared towards job creation in America. Consider making some of your temporary workers into permanent employees to see these benefits. Also, there will be more funds available for those who wish to start their own businesses in 2012.

Unemployment Insurance – Congress is working on reinstating the federal unemployment surtax, which could cause businesses to see increases in unemployment taxes going into 2012. This is to offset the burdens of a national average of just under 9 percent unemployment nation-wide, and to cut down on unemployment insurance fraud.

401(k) Retirement Savings – In 2012, employers will also have to provide additional fee disclosures to employees who participate. Reforms in 401(k) laws will also restrict how many loans employees can take from their funds for emergencies and hardships. Look for alternatives to 401(k) plans to give employees more options when it comes to saving for retirement.

Immigration Reform – This is a big one with many states and the federal government, that will be cracking down on the hiring of illegals and employers who don’t pay minimum wage or provide benefits to green-card carrying immigrants. More use of E-verify will become mandatory in the USA as a way to identify illegals.

Debt and Deficit Reduction – Going into 2012 be aware that Congress has a focus on reducing the national debt in big ways, starting with tax reform for businesses and individuals. While the recent extension of payroll-tax cuts for an additional two months  benefits many, expect that some of the tax credits you enjoy now may be gone by the end of this election year, and plan accordingly.

Business Security and Privacy – With  cybercrimes on the rise in recent years, many businesses are ramping up privacy and security in a big way going into the New Year. This means you may need to review your current safety and security policies to make sure they comply with state and federal laws, including the way you store data about your employees.

If you are looking for more ways to stay on top of HR and employment laws for your company, be sure to come back often to the Davis Staffing blog for up-to-the-minute advice and resources. We encourage you to reach out to us if you have questions about temporary staffing or employment updates.

There is a debate among many HR departments about the actual value of performance reviews and if they actually increase productivity in the workplace or not. Some view performance reviews as somewhat of a system of rewarding only those who are favored by upper management, while many good deeds go unnoticed the rest of the year.

As employees and employers everywhere begin to dread upcoming performance review time, here is what the research says about how they are productive (or not). You decide.

Critics of performance reviews say that when only done once a year, they are ineffective at producing any real change in employee behavior the rest of the time. A Wharton University professor of Management, Matthew Bidwell, indicated that reviews tend to produce competing goals between employee and employer. Employees often do not get the kind of feedback they need to make honest assessments of their worth, and they are only focused on getting a raise. Employers on the other hand are focused on limiting raises and dishing out more work duties to already discouraged employees. The two nary meet in the middle.

To do performance reviews, they must be done correctly. The evidence is stacked up against doing performance reviews, but when done the right way they can be highly effective for a number of reasons. Sadly, only less than 40% of companies actually do performance reviews well, according to senior VP, David Insler, at Sibson Consulting in New York. This means the results are not valid and they do not accurately reflect the development needs of workplaces around the world. Employees at the bottom half of performing teams may feel like they are not heard, while other employees are not challenged enough.

Another concern with performance reviews is that oftentimes those done in a short time frame have the added pressure of just getting done, not getting done right. A WorldAtWork survey conducted in 2011 indicated that as many as 58% of HR managers give their own company performance reviews a grade of “C” or below because they don’t receive adequete training. The survey further revealed that there is an overall dissatisfaction and disconnect among US employees regarding performance reviews – with only 25% of those polled ever having received a positive review and 24% dreading their annual review significantly.

So, what can an HR professional do about the massive negative attitudes towards performance reviews? First, the performance review should be managed as part of an ongoing effort to improve workplace practices and performance. Managers should be conducting them as projects are completed, and at regular intervals. Secondly, the company can benefit greatly by implementing an outsourced, unbiased performance review system – so that all information is secure and accurate.

Over time  and better management of all your performance reviews, your employees will dread them less and will be able to get the feedback they need to be better on the job.

Photo Credit: Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net HR

When a candidate is offered employment by an organization and accepts, an informal type of legal contract is created. The employee is providing work to the employer and the worker is paid for his or her service. However, there are other issues in the workplace that expand on this concept. New employees need to be made aware of what is expected of them and the rules and procedures of the employer.  A comprehensive new hire information packet serves this purpose.

Read on to learn what should be included in every new hire packet:

Introductory Letter

Most new employees are usually informed in writing that they have received an offer of employment. Sometimes, this may be in the form of a phone call or email. New employees when they first start should be given a letter of introduction. It should welcome them to the organization It should give information about the company and what they do so new employees have a feeling of inclusion in the workplace.

Employee Handbook

New employees should be given a company’s employee handbook to understand the policies and procedures of the organization. Information like this may or may not have been included in the interviews for their job. Information should include vacation policy, scheduled holidays, dress code, and other policies such as flex hours. A part of the handbook should be signed by the employee verifying they read and understood it. Individual companies can decide if these books need to be signed in the presence of a company representative.

Benefits Information

New employees need to be made aware of what kinds of benefits may be available. Health insurance programs should be presented in writing. The rates of different plans should be given based on rates for single individuals and families. If companies have policies for open enrollment periods, these need to be included. New hires should be advised when they are eligible for medical benefits.  If a company offers options like flex spending, this needs to be explained. Even if an employee is new retirement programs should be described.

Legal Employment Forms

There are forms that need to be completed as part of being an employee. Forms for tax purposes like the w-4 need to be filled out to see if the employee is single, married, and has dependents. People may have certain backgrounds that can benefit them and the employer. If a new employee is a veteran, federal benefits may be available to the employer. People with disabilities may need special accommodations that need to be explained.  This information needs to be treated with confidentiality.

A good introductory packet helps new employees understand what is required of them. It also helps them feel part of an organization. A comprehensive set of information backed up with knowledgeable staff that can answer any questions helps employees at the start of their career.

Having a highly skilled workforce can be the mark of a great organization. Most employees enjoy learning new things and having the opportunity to apply what they learn in their employment.  Workers do not like to become stagnant doing the same thing each day without being challenged. Offering educational benefits can help enrich employees and make better workers. This translates to higher levels of workplace productivity — a win-win situation for everyone.

One of the key advantages of offering educational assistance is that it enables all employees to learn new skills. These skills can be applied within a short period of time directly to their work. More companies are facing competition and challenges both domestic and international. Having that extra edge helps to sustain business. Having an educated workforce provides a company the means to stay in business. Workers in education programs are always learning new things. They may be involved in projects that can be applied to their work. They can offer new sales techniques, new accounting procedures or new technology that an employer can utilize.

Educational programs can also help maintain loyalty and commitment among employees. College has become expensive with tuition rates increasing faster than inflation and the cost of living. Education assistance gives employees in college programs financial help to get their degrees. Employees will be more likely to stick with that employer.

Some employers find that providing educational benefits helps save money with changing requirements in certain industries. In the medical field there are regulations that facilities have to abide by in the care of patients. Employees have to meet certain professional criteria to maintain employment. Some positions require yearly trainings to remain certified. Other positions may find certification requirements increase. Education helps to maintain these requirements and employers who provide benefits help employees retain certification.

In some professions, it is necessary to offer education benefits to retain employees in key jobs. At a time of high unemployment there are some jobs that are difficult for employers to fill. Occupations in the skilled trades, sales and certain engineering and technical disciplines have a skill set that hiring authorities have difficulty meeting. Promoting educational benefits with existing employees who know the industry and the employer can provide them the chance to move into positions that a company needs. Organizations can find it easier hiring quality people from within.

Offering educational benefits can assist with career succession. Baby boomers are beginning to retire and with them are going the skills and knowledge they obtained through experience. Employers can overcome this problem with a progressive program of education benefits and hiring from within. Mentorship programs can be added to enhance the abilities of employees in these key jobs.

For more ways you can increase the success of your workplace environment, consider choosing Davis Staffing for all your temporary and perm staffing and benefit needs.

Source: Vlado / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Even with the increase in available candidates due to higher than normal unemployment levels in many regions, recruiters still often have trouble finding the right person for each assignment. There are some clear benefits of hiring unemployed candidates over employed but looking (passive) candidates – mainly that unemployed people are readily available to start work.

Unfortunately, there is still somewhat of a social stigma associated with being unemployed for long periods of time, which is often the case with today’s job seekers. Choosing not to hire unemployed people is an outdated attitude, and not a productive way to find the best candidates. In fact, in the near future it will be illegal to discriminate against people based on their employment status, due to an EEOC backed bill in Congress currently.

While making the right hiring decision should be handled on a case-by-case basis, there are some ways to determine if hiring an unemployed vs. a passive candidate is the way to go. Read on to review the plusses and minuses of each choice.

Hiring Unemployed Candidates

On the plus side, making the decision to hire unemployed candidates is somewhat easier than hiring someone who is still employed. These candidates are generally ready to start work right away, have possibly spent some time getting new training, and have positive attitudes about going to work. On the negative side, some people who are unemployed will become difficult when advised about an assignment that may not provide them with enough financial reward to exceed their unemployment benefits. They may also be looking for a temporary solution for their situation, and accept a job simply to get a paycheck until a better job presents itself. Be sure to screen unemployed candidates well to find out what they are truly looking for in a new assignment, to avoid these issues.

Hiring Employed but Looking Candidates

It may not seem obvious, but the plus side of hiring passive candidates is that they are up to date on work skills and possess work related credentials, which makes them valuable to other companies. Additionally, those that are employed but looking tend to have more stable work histories and progressive responsibilities as a result, a factor that is also appealing. The negatives of hiring people who are currently employed include requiring a time period of notice before working a new assignment, a resistance to change, and heavy salary negotiation. Again, carefully evaluate a passive candidate before making any offers to eliminate issues that can stand in the way to a good hire.

Need high quality candidates for openings at your company? Contact the staffing specialists at Davis Staffing to find your next great employees!