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.

Social media is all the rage these days – for many reasons. Businesses, of all shapes and sizes, need to incorporate social media into their business plans. With that in mind, however, there are certain things you should and should not do with your social media efforts. This is especially true if you plan to use social media as a means to reach out to new and highly qualified candidates for jobs you have available. Here are a few things you should consider when using social media if you want to appeal to a wider audience of potential employees.

What Candidates Wished Employers Posted on Social Media Pages

MiracleWorkers.com conducted a survey of healthcare workers which revealed that 40 percent of workers in the healthcare industry wished companies would post job listings on company pages. They’d also like to see more information about various career paths in their organizations posted on these pages.

WorkInRetail.com conducted a similar survey of retail employees and discovered they would like to similar information on job openings. But they had an additional request. 18 percent of retail employees responding to the survey also want organizations to list something fun about working for them as well as employee testimonials.

IT employees, according to Sologig.com are also looking to learn something fun about working for the company and hearing employee testimonials. 39 percent of workers in the IT industry are also interested in seeing job listings go social by appearing on company’s social media pages. They also want to know what types of products and/or services the company is working on too.

What Companies Should Not Do with their Social Media Efforts

There were several things that workers across the board (in all the industries surveyed above) agree companies should not do. Companies should not be sporadic in their social media updates. Businesses should not fail to respond to questions that are asked of them. They should also avoid company communications that read like advertisements.

The filtering of comments was another thing that really bothered job seekers in these industries. People would much rather hear the good, the bad, and the ugly about a company before deciding if they can live with the perceived negatives.

More importantly, they want to see how the company responds to the negative. An aggressive campaign to respond in a positive manner to the perceived negatives shows that the company is interested in resolving the situation while filtering the content or removing the comments completely will make it look like the company is more interested in pretending it never happened than solving the problem.

Social media can be a real boon for businesses today – especially when it comes to attracting the ideal candidate. But using social media for recruitment requires consistent work and a consistent message to really attract the best of the best job candidates. Be prepared to make social media a key player in your company’s plan for recruiting today and in the future.

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.

Social media is on the rise in businesses today…for companies both large and small. In fact, if you want to compete, whether on a local or global scale, you almost have to embrace social media marketing in order to solidify your brand as a business and as an employer. Of course for most businesses, large and small, getting started with social media is the hardest part – especially when it comes to shape the perception of your business organization as one that is an attractive employer for 2012 and beyond.

Find Out What People are Saying about Your Business

Before you can get a conversation started with potential employees about the benefits of working for your organization, you need to know what others have to say about your business and how you conduct your business. Fortunately for you there are several social media tools in place that help you do that already. One of these resources, Glassdoor.com, deals specifically with what former employees are saying about your business. Google Alerts is another great way to gauge what people have to say.

Come up with a Solid Plan of Action

You have a plan for almost every aspect of how you operate your business. Your social media campaign should be no different. It’s important to have clearly defined objectives and a step by step plan of action to help you achieve those objectives.

When you’re trying to attract employees to your business that represent the cream of the crop, your mission needs to be to come up with a social media strategy that makes your company stand out as an employer. You want to play up the benefits of working for your organization. Do you have a relaxed corporate culture? Do you promote personal as well as professional development in your organization? What is it about your company that potential employees will find attractive?

Finally you need to have a plan for the specific social networks you intend to utilize as part of your strategy. There are many social networks out there at the moment and new networks are cropping up every day. Some of the most widely used for business purposes at the moment include: YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. These are the bare minimum you’ll want to utilize as part of your overall social media marketing strategy to attract new employees to your company.

Using Social Media Wisely

There are right and wrong ways to use social media when you’re trying to project an image of a professional environment that will attract modern workers with modern attitudes about work and which work environments are most positive.

Some of the tools you might use to show the world what life is like as an employee in your organization include videos, photographs, and tweets about events, awards, etc. that are happening for your employees. Things like company picnics, family days at the office, bring your pet to work day, birthday parties, awards ceremonies, etc. are ideal photo and video opportunities to show just how well you treat the people who make your business the success it is.

Finding a job is difficult. That is something that has not changed. What has changed is the number of ways you can now find jobs. Consider the mobile app, for example. There are now numerous job apps available that you can access from your smartphone. That means that the next time you playing Angry Birds, you could be looking for a new job.

Top Mobile Job Apps – You Should Be Using These

Mobile job apps can help you to get your resume in faster. They can alert you to a new posting or help give you ideas of where to send your cover letter. If you are not using your phone to find jobs, consider using the following top rated mobile job apps.

• Monster.com’s Mobile Monster – This app is simple to use and highly effective for anyone with an account on Monster.com. You can use it to search for jobs or manage your resumes. You can also use it to fill out job applications no matter where you are with this app on your iPhone or iPad.

• LinkedIn’s Mobile App – LinkedIn is a popular professional network. It has an excellent app that works on most smartphones. With this application, you can create a profile that allows you to have a virtual resume online. This allows you to connect with others easily and from anywhere. You can do virtually anything on the mobile app you could do on the site directly.

• Bump – This application works on most smartphones. It is a unique product and worth checking out. What makes it fun to use is that it allows you to network anywhere. Simply bump your phone against another person’s with the same app to exchange phone numbers and contact information. It’s safe to use, too.

• TweetMyJobs – Use this on any phone with text messaging. You can use your current social network connections to help you to find jobs. It allows you to connect with others easily through the networks you already have in place. Hiring managers also benefit from using it since they can let others know they are hiring.

• ResumeBear – As its name implies, this tool is one of the most effective for managing your resume. You can track and send your resume using this app. It works on iPad, iPhone and Droid devices. A nice feature about this particular app is that once you send your resume to a potential employer, it will track it and alert you through a text message when the resume was read.

With these mobile apps, you can begin to market yourself just about anywhere. Applicants today are more social than ever, but doing it on the go is also getting easier. You still need to be aware and that means participating in social networks. Keep up with these apps and you may find you are applying to jobs more readily. For more support with your job search, be sure to sign up with Davis Staffing today!

The importance of using social media and social networking to land a job is easy to see. More employers are using these networks to find key employees. Rather than big job boards, many employers want to network to find the candidate that is right for them in the employment pool. However, there is a very fine line here. If you do not take the time to walk that tightrope properly, you could end up annoying your connection so much, so that they “de-friend” you.

Where’s the Balance?

Social media websites and tools do help candidates land jobs. You should use sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and even Twitter to find positions and to network with companies you would like to work with in the future. Social media does have some rules you will need to follow in order to make it work for you.

• Realize that anything you say in social media because an element of your relationship with a prospective employer, even if they legally cannot use it to not hire you. If you sour a relationship because of the bad language or behavior on a social site, do not expect that connection to think highly of you.
• Offer something of value rather than just saying, “Hi” all the time. If you find a news piece you think is valuable to the business or you want to congratulate a contact about an award, do so. Do not make small talk without any value over the social media wires, though.
• Get to know your social contacts at the level they wish to get to know you. Do not force yourself on them. For example, you may be able to meet for drinks or lunch but do not insist on doing it every month. By meeting for a quick coffee, you will still be fresh in their mind if a position opens up, but you are not trying to sell yourself in the process.
• Do not force yourself on those who are your enemies. Not every network connection is going to be someone that you like or get along with in person. If you do have a problem with someone, keep it professional. Do not use social media as a way to convince them that you are a good guy. If they do not like you already, networking with them will not lead to a good recommendation for you in the long term anyway.

Staying connected through social networking is a fantastic way to ensure you remain fresh in the minds of those who may have a job position open for you down the road. In many situations, the goal here is not to consistently ask for the job. Rather, it is just to keep your name in their mind’s eye so that when a position opens up, they think of you first.

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After a job interview, candidates should generally provide some follow up to the hiring authority. It shows professionalism and makes a good impression.  Hiring decisions may not be made on qualifications alone, but also on the impression made on the hiring authority. Effective follow-up shows persistence and enthusiasm for the company.

Here’s how to handle the interview follow-up process, and improving your chances of landing a great new job.

Initial Response 

For a first follow-up, write an email or make a phone call within 48 hours after the interview. It should be presented in a professional matter and show that you are committed to the job opening. The way it is conducted could be based on the tone of the interview.  If the interview was serious and straightforward, the first follow-up should reflect this. If it was light and conversational, be that way in your response, but still remain professional.

Written Follow-Up

Within a week after the first interview, a formal notice can be sent thanking the employer for the opportunity to be interviewed. It should state the interviewer’s name and reiterate your ability to do the job.  The letter does not need to go into detail or mention specific points.  The most effective way to do this is by e-mail especially if there was more than one interviewer.

Major Points

There are important ideas to express in the first follow-up. If you forgot something of interest at the interview, this provides the opportunity to present it. Provide recognition of what was covered in the interview. Reinforce interest in the position by stating you still want the job. Phrase your response in a way that shows confidence, enthusiasm, and motivation.

The Second Round

If a candidate is fortunate enough to advance to the next round of interviews, follow up contact is still necessary and is similar to follow-ups from the initial interview.  However, these contacts can be more brief than previous follow-ups,  as you become more familiar with the interviewers and the company. Too much contact can come off as being overbearing. While this expresses confidence in the early stages of the interview, it gets old after a while.

The Finish Line

You have made it to the final round of interviews! The interviewer may state that it is between you and one or more other candidates. Most hiring authorities will give a day by which a final decision will be made and you will be contacted either way. Sending a brief correspondence two or three days before decision time stating you are excited about the opportunity and what you can offer can still make an impression. Measure this response based on the tone of the whole process.

Want to find a great new career this year? Contact the professionals at Davis Staffing for part time and full time opportunities!

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.

Looking for a new job can be a stressful process for anyone. The fear of the unknown and the feeling of not being in control can cause anxiety. Some people worry they may not be able to find employment especially in an economic downturn. Job seekers may become frustrated with continual rejection from employers. Recognizing the signs of anxiety can help to deal with them.

Stress can be produced by job seekers in different situations. For people employed, anxiety can come from trying to find a job around work hours without having their employer find out. For people just starting a job search, uncertainty of how to approach the process can cause tension. People out of work for a lengthy period of time may grow frustrated and discouraged.

There are many warning signs of anxiety caused by job search activities.  Some of the signs are physiological and others are caused by behavioral and socialization issues. By recognizing these warning signs, job seekers can learn how to deal with them and improve their job search.

Some of the signs are physical in nature. People experiencing stress through a job search may experience a depressed mood due to a lack of positive results. Insomnia from worrying about the loss of income and how to support a family can produce additional physical anxiety. Stress can also induce weight gain or weight loss in individuals as they become less affected by proper eating habits.

The effects of anxiety may negatively affect interactions with others and their normal lifestyle. People may withdraw from normal activities as anxiety causes them to become more insular. They may be less involved with family as they become preoccupied with issues of not finding employment.  People may feel increased weight on their shoulders and be set off by things that did not upset them before. Long term unemployment can even lead to alcohol and substance abuse.

Personal negative feelings may also start to develop. People can start to have feelings of shame by not being able to accomplish their goals. Helplessness can set in when people feel a lack of control in their lives. Hopelessness can also set in as the job search progresses over a period of time with no discernable results.

But there is hope. By first recognizing these common job search anxiety symptom and then taking steps to minimize them, you can improve your overall job search. Start by changing the goals of the job search. It may be necessary to adjust for more reachable goals. Reflect on what works and does not work in the job search and try to improve areas that are deficient. Keep an open mind so you are prepared for any opportunity. Recognize that some positions were not meant to be. Treat each setback as a learning opportunity to improve the job search.

For support in your job search, and access to a wide range of career opportunities, please visit Davis Staffing today!

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