Maintaining Communication With Candidates In A Crisis

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Communicating with your candidates is always important, but maintaining strong communication with them during a crisis can set you apart from your competitors. Thanks to COVID-19, our economy came to a grinding halt in March, and businesses are facing unique challenges. On one hand, millions of businesses were deemed “non-essential” and were forced to close their doors, putting them in danger of shutting down permanently. On the other hand, some employers in industries deemed essential are having problems attracting candidates amid the crisis.

Whatever your struggles are now, there are real benefits that come with staying in touch with candidates throughout this crisis.

Your Company Will Stand Out

Many companies aren’t thinking about their candidates right now, which is completely understandable. But when they come out the other side of this crisis and the economy begins ascending again, companies that need talent will struggle to find it if they went completely dark during the crisis.

So, even if you aren’t hiring, send out updates, advice and other communications to candidates throughout this crisis. This shows that you are still open for business and that you are planning on ramping up hiring again in the future, even if you can’t today.

If you are in need of people and can’t seem to find them, regular communication  – especially communication focused on how you are keeping employees safe – can help you show candidates that your company is on solid ground, that you value your workforce, and that you are ready to hire people who need great jobs.

Candidates Have Real Questions

One of the themes of the world we are maneuvering through is that uncertainty rules the day.  People have a lot of big questions about the long-term impact of COVID-19, but they also have very specific questions like, “Is ABC Company still open,” “Is ABC Company doing remote interviews or will I be expected to come into the office,” “What precautions is ABC Company taking to protect employees?”

Questions like these are common, and they deserve answers. By addressing those questions and keeping in touch even if you aren’t hiring right now, you show your human side at a time when things seem very cold to many workers.

If you are hiring, answering these questions can help ease fears at a time when many people are choosing between trying to get back to work and potentially exposing themselves or staying home and collecting unemployment. Regular communication can help ease fears and encourage people to choose the workforce.

You Will Still Need to Hire People

COVID-19 has us all focused on government-forced job losses, but every company will have to deal with people who resign, employees who must take a leave of absence to isolate, recover or care for a sick family member, or you may still have to fire people throughout this crisis. By keeping in touch with candidates, you can much more quickly fill roles as they come open to maintain peak productivity.

How Can You Stay In Touch With Candidates

There are lots of ways to keep in touch with candidates throughout this crisis. Find the channels that work best for both you and your candidates. They might include:

  • • Company blog posts
  • • Email newsletter
  • • Social media posts
  • • Live broadcasts on social media that include Q&A at the end
  • • Text messaging

Remember, right now, people need connections and information and crave any sense of normalcy they can find. You might not have a lot of open jobs – or any – right now, but by keeping in touch with candidates you stand out as a leader in your community, a business that genuinely cares about people, and you will be poised to hire up quickly and efficiently when the time comes.

In these uncertain times, Award Staffing is here for you. We can help you keep in touch with top candidates, fill job openings quickly, and help you develop a plan to come out of this crisis ready to seize the day. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you navigate these challenging times.

Guidance to Keep Your Workers Safe from Coronavirus

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By now, you’re probably familiar with coronavirus, the global pandemic that’s causing towns, counties, states and even entire countries to issue “shelter in place” orders to prevent the spread of the disease. Coronavirus, or COVID-19, is a highly contagious virus that produces flu-like symptoms and can be deadly to the elderly or immunocompromised.

As business leaders, this requires reevaluating and restructuring everyday operations to keep employees safe.

How coronavirus spreads

Coronavirus is transmitted through the air, usually on droplets from coughing or sneezing. This illness is characterized by an upper respiratory infection, which can be deadly if you’re over age 65 or have underlying health issues. The most common symptoms include fever over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, a dry cough, and shortness of breath.

Symptoms may not appear until 2-14 days after contact, and it can be spread even if you don’t get sick. That’s why so many states are limiting contact between people and “social distancing” has become the nation’s new buzz phrase.

Health and safety guidelines to stop the spread of illness

If your business requires employees to be on-site to perform their job duties, it’s imperative that you take measures to ensure each person’s health and safety. Experts have offered the following tips:

  • • Promote good hygiene. Let your employees know that handwashing or sanitizing is a must, and provide sufficient breaks and facilities to keep up.
  • • Require sick employees to stay home. Since the virus spreads so easily, sick employees must stay home to avoid infecting other people—even if they don’t think they have coronavirus. They should not return to work until they’re fully recovered.
  • • Require traveling employees to stay home. Anyone who has traveled recently, whether for work or pleasure, is at increased risk of carrying the virus. It’s important that those employees stay home for two weeks in order to ensure they are not contagious.
  • • Promote social distancing. If you’re still working on-site, do your best to keep employees six feet or more from each other and customers whenever possible.

Other considerations

As the pandemic continues, savvy management will start making plans now to mitigate the financial burden on the business. Many companies, once resistant to allowing employees to work from home, are finding it’s the best way to keep their business alive. With today’s technology, it’s easier than ever to stay connected to your workforce, even if you can’t come face to face.

If you’re looking for great remote employees to get your business through the coronavirus pandemic, Award Staffing can connect you with candidates who have the skills to succeed. Reach out to us today to find out how we can help.

Days When Your Employee are Most Likely to Quit

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We spend a lot of time talking to job seekers who aren’t happy with their current work. We hear a number of factors that can cause employees to look elsewhere. They might be unhappy with their compensation package; they might believe they are deserving of a different role; or, they might be looking to relocate to another city.

Most employers are aware of these reasons but may not realize that there are actually certain dates that can prompt an employee, even a seemingly happy one, to start looking elsewhere. These dates can vary in significance, but all serve the same purpose: they can cause employees to rethink their futures.

Know these days

Essentially, there are three major days that hiring managers should be on the lookout for if they are monitoring internal happiness:

  • • Class reunions
  • • Significant birthdays (such as turning 40 or 50)
  • • Work anniversaries

These dates all prompt measurable spikes in job hunting activity. The dates make sense when you think about it. Class reunions can prompt competition and networking with old peers. Significant birthdays encourage reconsidering life paths. Work anniversaries can indicate the easily missed passage of time.

It should come as no surprise that employees re-evaluate their status at these times and start considering their options. They may begin actively searching for a new opportunity. Fortunately, there are some easy and simple steps diligent hiring managers can take to ensure that they are keeping their talented workers with their own organization for the foreseeable future.

Pay attention to your teams

First, make sure that your HR team has dates like birthdays and work anniversaries on their radar. They have easy access to this information so it should be at the tops of their minds throughout the year. Creating a shareable online calendar specific to employee birthdays and anniversaries could be a good way to get everyone on the same page.

Additionally, your HR team should have an internal recruiter on staff, or have internal recruiting be one of the responsibilities of one of your team members. Companies that employ internal recruiters who inform existing employees of new opportunities within the organization report less turnover and significant savings, thanks to fewer searches that consume time and money at rapid rates. It is always far more efficient to keep existing employees on staff rather than seek new ones.

Show your appreciation

You want to make sure that you are expressing appreciation for employee contributions on a regular basis, not just in the face of notable anniversaries. Making this more consistent will make employees feel more comprehensively valued, as will emphasizing their progress in their roles over their time spent in them. Highlighting their skills and achievements rather than how many times the calendar has turned over will make them consider their own growth rather than just “time served” at a job.

Significant milestones in a person’s life can cause introspection, and your employees are no different. However, you can make sure that they spend this time appreciating their own achievements by emphasizing their progress and paying close attention to their needs and goals.

Are you looking to find the best talent for your company? Contact Award Staffing today to learn how we can help you reach your staffing goals.

5 Ways to Meet Your Employees’ Needs

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While we help companies to meet their staffing needs, we also hear a lot from companies about how they want to retain the great employees we help them find. Retention can sometimes be trickier than recruitment. Ultimately, retention is about meeting employees’ needs. The better you can meet an employee’s needs, the more likely you are to retain that employee.

Here are the most important needs you need to meet for your employees, ranked from most necessary to most fulfilling.

Basic needs

The purpose of employment is receiving money. People like to talk about all the other rewards they gain from their careers (more on that below), but at the end of the day everyone wants a paycheck. They rely on that paycheck for shelter, food, clothing and other necessities.

How can you better meet your employees’ basic needs? Reevaluate the pay scale. Consider whether what you’re paying could reasonably support an individual – or even better, a family – living in your area. Regularly examine your benefits package and who receives it to see if you can better support their health care. Healthy, well-fed employees with secure housing will perform much better for your business and your community.

Safety needs

While many jobs pay more for riskier jobs, employees work better when they can trust that their employer’s top priority is worker safety. There are many federal, state and local conditions that employers must obey, but workplaces should create a culture that puts safety ahead of profit.

Safety can also be psychological. Employees should feel safe to voice their feedback and needs without repercussions. No employee should not feel that they are at risk of harassment because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, disability status or any other reason.

Social needs

When you ask your employees what their favorite part of working for your company is, what’s the answer? Hopefully, they say that they love their coworkers. Social networks are hugely important in improving job satisfaction. A positive work environment creates a feeling of belonging and trust that goes beyond helping employees do their daily work; it creates a positive feeling about their employer.

Employers should encourage employees to form positive relationships not just with each other, but also with clients, vendors, and management. Team building activities help employees blow off steam and bond with each other in different ways. Any negative interactions should be handled swiftly and directly to show employees that you encourage a positive culture.

Recognition needs

Recognizing employees for their hard work is a strong motivator. People like knowing that their hard work is noticed and appreciated. A regular award or campaign to highlight your best workers shows everyone that you value employee contributions. Titles, status, and raises are an even better way to show employees that you are invested in keeping their talent at your company.

Development needs

Employees who value professional development are the best kind to have at your company. These people will grow into your middle and upper management. It’s more cost-effective to train your employees from the ground-up rather than outside hiring. It can be challenging to meet this need if you aren’t well-suited for growth, but if you can you’ll be pleased with the results.

Curious about more ways you can recruit and retain the best talent? Talk to Award Staffing. We’re here to help you with all of your staffing needs.

Human Resources vs. Recruiting: What’s the Difference?

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Unless you’ve spent time working in either field, it can be hard to realize the differences between human resources and recruiting. Whenever you started or left a new job, you’ve likely worked with an HR representative. Many people assume that because HR personnel are handling these tasks, they’re also equipped to find new employees – right?

Not so fast. Human resources and recruiting are two separate jobs that require separate skillsets. At Award Staffing, we’re a company of recruiters – and we love it! We also have our own HR staff to support our team. A business looking to grow needs both to succeed.

Whether you’re planning to add more employees to your business, or you’ve had your HR person pulling double duty, it’s important to understand the differences between both roles. Doing so allows you to allocate the appropriate resources into both tasks to meet your staffing goals.

Recruiters find new employees

Recruiters work like marketers for your company, except that they’re marketing to job seekers. Their job is to tell job seekers what an awesome place your company is and why they want to work there. They will write persuasive job descriptions and create materials that attract the best talent.

Recruiters work either directly for a company or on behalf of a client who has outsourced the recruiter’s services. Recruiters do the footwork sorting through applications, contacting candidates and conducting initial interviews. This saves companies a lot of time that would have been wasted on candidates who were clearly not right for the job. Instead, only the best candidates are forwarded to the company.

A term you might hear interchangeably with recruiting is ‘staffing.’ They are similar jobs, but staffing tends to involve meeting a company’s short-term or job-based needs.

HR manages existing staff

HR handles compliance with employment law, payment and benefits, employee development, organizational design and more. HR managers are heavily involved in an employee’s experience starting at and leaving a company, and perhaps more throughout their career depending on the culture.

HR managers are not just focused on managing employment-related tasks but are also focused on improving the existing workplace culture. Many companies are looking to convey this shift in thinking by giving their HR staff titles like “Chief People Officer.”

Why you need both

Many companies, including large ones, assume that one person or one team can do both tasks, but they are distinct workflows. Once a recruiter has found a candidate and that candidate is hired, a handoff takes place from recruiter to HR.

Putting both roles on one person could hurt your company. If an HR manager is busy tracking down applicants, they have less time to focus on existing employees. If a recruiter is trying to handle employee performance reviews, they cannot focus on finding the right candidates for open positions. Companies need both roles to succeed.

If you’re worried about hiring an in-house recruiter to help with your staffing needs, the good news is that you can outsource this task. Award Staffing is here to help. Contact us to learn more about how we can support your staffing needs in the Twin Cities.

How to Appeal to Women for Skilled Trade Jobs

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We hear from our clients all the time that skilled laborers are in high demand. Companies in Minnesota and beyond have had difficulty finding enough skilled laborers to fill their positions, positions that will be in high demand for at least the next decade.

While companies are struggling to staff for skilled laborers, a powerful statistic may reveal part of the reason why. While 51 percent of the population is women, only 3 percent of people working in the skilled trades are women. We see this first-hand in the applications we receive and the staffing we do for our industrial clients.

Encouraging more women to enter the skilled trades is a win-win for employers and job seekers. Encouraging more people, in general, to learn a trade boosts the available talent pool. Hiring more women and increasing workforce diversity helps bring a variety of different strengths and viewpoints to the company. Working in skilled trades offers women a steady career with strong wages and development opportunities.

Here are three steps we’ve seen Twin Cities businesses take to encourage more women to join their workforce.

Design a pre-apprenticeship program

A major reason why women aren’t taking skilled labor positions is because they aren’t being trained to do so. Many women simply aren’t introduced to careers in electrical, welding, HVAC and construction. A pre-apprenticeship can help to make that introduction.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a pre-apprenticeship is a program or set of services designed to prepare individuals to enter and succeed in a Registered Apprenticeship program. These are designed to be starting points for underrepresented workers to help prepare them for a successful career. It can help you to identify candidates for the apprenticeship program, and eventually a full-time job.

Promote job security

It takes commitment to learn a trade. Let women know that their training will be worthwhile by promoting the job security in skilled trades. The high demand for skilled workers means that knowledgeable employees will be in-demand for years to come.

Many trade jobs are union jobs, which offers additional workplace protections. Union workers are less likely to experience the pay gaps they might in other industries. Some skilled trades boast equal pay. Even in those that don’t, women still earn a whopping 91 to 96 cents for every dollar that their male counterparts earn on other trades, compared to the average 81 cents per dollar. It’s important to strive for parity, and skilled trades are leading the way.

Partner with an organization

There are plenty of other organizations who share your interest in encouraging more women to enter skilled trades. Labor unions, federal/local/state government and nonprofit organizations are all eager to diversify the workforce. Find out if there are local organizations you can partner with on marketing efforts. For example, the Minneapolis/St. Paul chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction has excellent resources and events.

Hiring more women in skilled trades is good for the economy and good for your business. To learn more about how you can find the best-skilled trade employees for your Minnesota business, contact Award Staffing today.

What to Expect from Your Candidate Pool in 2020

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Change is the only constant in life. After more than 30 years of staffing Minnesota companies, we know this all too well. This will be a big year for employers as they look to staff their companies amid changing technologies, geographies and politics.

Here’s what our staffing team predicts the hiring process will look like in 2020.

It’s an employee’s market

Talented and skilled employees are in charge. They have the power to select the jobs that are right for them. Companies will have to up their offers to compete and to recruit the most talented candidates. Competition isn’t just about building an attractive benefits package, but also advertising a strong culture. Companies need to present themselves as places where people want to be. These companies value their employees by promoting work-life balance and investing in education and training.

Candidates want a clear process

Job searches are tough. Candidates hate to spend a lot of time and effort applying without so much as an acknowledgment whether their materials were reviewed. The most competitive companies will have a clear hiring process that they relay through their staffing firm to ensure communications are clear and frequent. The clearer you are about your expectations and process, the more likely you are to find the right candidate.

Candidates are flexible with how they do their work

The assumption is that everyone wants a full-time job that comes with strong benefits. While that is ideal, it doesn’t fit everyone’s current situations. Some of your best candidates may only be interested in part-time work, freelancing or project-based assignments. They may want the flexibility to take other jobs or to manage other responsibilities like childcare. You might also be deterring candidates by not clarifying whether a job can be done remotely. Being flexible about how work is performed can help broaden your candidate pool.

Pedigree is less important than potential

Job postings are notorious for having impossible-to-meet requirements. Oftentimes entry level jobs demand college degrees and five years of experience. This eliminates perfectly capable candidates who could quickly learn the skills needed if the company invested in on-the-job training. Instead of focusing on finding a mythical ideal candidate, consider how you can train current and new employees to create the workforce your company needs.

Salary history is off-limits

Although there is no law on the books in Minnesota (yet), more and more states and cities are passing laws making it illegal to ask about a candidate’s salary history. This question can lead to companies underpaying candidates based off of their previous income. It can also eliminate qualified candidates who previously earned more but are willing to take the pay cut to work for your company. While this is technically still legal, you may want to reconsider how you structure your applications and interview process. What’s most important is the value the candidate could bring to your company right now.

If you’re curious about how your company can stay competitive with its hiring in 2020, Award Staffing can help. Contact us today to learn more.

Why Outsourced Staffing is the Answer to Hiring

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Your business relies on attracting and retaining the very best talent. When done correctly, recruiting and staffing talent for your company is a full-time job (trust us, we know). If you are relying on your human resources staff to also manage recruiting and hiring – thinking that these are the same responsibilities – you’ll be ineffective both at finding new employees and caring for your current workers.

Curious about outsourced staffing? Here are some of the benefits our clients enjoy.

You control the hiring process

Working with a staffing agency doesn’t mean that they handle the hiring for you. Your company has complete control over who you ultimately decide to hire. The staffing agency helps to narrow the field. They will pour over resumes and do preliminary research to ensure that you spend your time on only the best candidates. You dictate what you need for each position and what kinds of candidates you’ll hire. The hiring decision is always yours.

You’ll attract candidates you may not have otherwise found

Your business is successful because you’re knowledgeable about your industry. You know where talent is coming from, what their experience is and what their interests are. While this is important knowledge, it may be limiting you from finding the right person for the job. The best candidate may have training in a different but related field or may have experience in another industry but has met similar challenges. The people working at staffing agencies are experts in finding the right pieces of a person’s background that will help them perform good work. Because the staffing agency isn’t entrenched in your industry, they can think outside the box and provide a creative solution.

You’ll recruit someone for more than just their skills

Education, training and skills aren’t the only components that make up a good employee. A person can be an excellent line operator, but if they don’t get along with the team those skills won’t do you much good. A staffing agency will get to know you and your company, what your culture is and what you’re looking for beyond the couple of bullet points in the job posting. They can help you to find a truly perfect fit.

You save money

Just because staffing is a full-time job doesn’t mean that you have to come up with the funds to hire more staff just to staff your company. Outsourcing is a common way for companies to retain expert knowledge in a variety of fields without having to pay for a full-time employee or entire departments. Hiring a new employee is costly, so you want to make sure that you’re being thorough and strategic every time. Enlist the help of an expert who can offer you not only great candidates, but also peace of mind and cost savings.

If you’re curious how a staffing agency can help your business, contact Award Staffing today. Our business is your talent!

Use Matchmaking to Find the Perfect Employee

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Finding the perfect employee can be like finding the perfect romantic partner. However, instead of finding them once, your job is to find them over and over again. If you’re feeling burned out on candidate search, it may be time to get creative. Don’t worry, there are plenty of fish in the sea! Every day, we match employers with the perfect candidate to help them reach their staffing goals.

Here’s what you can learn from Cupid to help you attract the best candidates.

Meet your candidates where they hang out

When it’s time to find qualified candidates for a job search, you likely have your reliable resources. Whether it’s your favorite staffing agency (we’re blushing!) or an industry jobs list, you’ve learned where you can find reliable candidates. To find your perfect match, consider taking things to the next level with your resources. Connect with the staffing agency on social media to see which job seekers are also on the page. Attend a local networking event or job fair to meet your contacts and potential applicants in real life. If you want to add quality candidates to your network, go to places (online or in-person) where you know they’ll be.

Learn more about their interests

As a hiring manager, you likely have a lot of experience with topics like human resources, business administration or psychology. How much do you know about the industry you work in? While you may not be certified as a heavy equipment operator, you should strive to keep up with the latest in your industry. Join listservs for industry organizations. Make an effort to read the trade magazines in the break room. Research your competitors to understand what they’re doing differently. The better you understand the job and the industry, the better you can talk to potential candidates about their experience, interests and goals.

Present your best foot online

Savvy candidates will look for clues about your company in your job post and will research your company before applying. Make sure they like what they find. Work with a copywriter to create job postings that present your company’s personality, whether it’s traditional, funny or relaxed. Have marketing create web content and/or social media that highlights what employees do and what they like about working at your company. Rewrite the description of your company so that it appeals to qualified job seekers. Don’t let candidates Google you only to find outdated or unhelpful information – or worse, nothing at all.

Hire a matchmaker

Staffing agencies are the matchmakers of the professional world. We listen to what you’re looking for in an employee, then turn to our database of job seekers to find candidates who match. We do the hard work weeding out the less-than-eligible candidates so that you only spend your time with the best applicants.

When you need help finding your perfect match, Award Staffing is here to help. Contact us to learn more about how we help can staff companies like yours.

How to Improve Your Skilled Worker Recruiting Strategy

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Demand for skilled workers is still high in Minnesota, and positions are becoming harder than ever to fill. Hiring managers can easily get discouraged by the inability to find the right candidates to fill their roles. We’re currently working with our clients to ensure that they remain staffed with the best skilled workers to meet their goals. Here’s how we’re helping those clients reevaluate their hiring strategy and get their hiring process back on track.

Mind the generation gap

Millennials are those born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s. This generation is fully of age and looking to start families and take the next steps in their careers. Hiring managers need to be acutely aware of young adults’ changing expectations for their professional lives. Many members of this generation have been taught that college is their best chance at success, but blue-collar jobs can set themselves apart in this regard.

Meanwhile, Generation Z is entering the workforce. The prospect of apprenticeships, immediate pay and on-site training can help lure high school students into the productive and fulfilling trades. The student debt crisis is something that young people should be considering as they think about career prospects, and the trades offer a great option to make good money at a secure job immediately – without owing money for years to come.

If you want proactive workers, be proactive!

Throwing up an ad and waiting for the right applicants is no longer the path to recruiting success. You should be thinking about your company and what it can offer employees, not just the reverse. Workers today are more likely to want to work at an organization that has a clear mission and values, so be ready to define these qualities. It will give you the inside track on potential employees who value working at the right place.

On this same note, you want to be proactive about promoting training opportunities. Employees feel valued if they know that their employer is willing to invest in them. Apprenticeships and on-site training are enticing offers, and you should be taking full advantage of them by making all potential hires aware of their benefits.

Empower your current staff

Too many hiring managers assume that employees are set once they’re hired. You need to continue on a path of offering positive feedback and tangible rewards to employees throughout their careers with you. This will not only result in higher morale and loyal staff, but it will create long-term benefits as word of mouth spreads that you are a desirable employer that values its people. This will only serve to benefit your recruiting efforts in the short- and long-term.

Minor tweaks can go a long way in recruiting and hiring skilled workers. Companies should be ready to describe their own company’s strengths, of the appealing benefits of trade work and how they can create happy and empowered workers.

If your business is looking to recruit more skilled workers, Award Staffing can help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can create an effective staffing strategy for your business.

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