Hiring Long-Lasting Talent in the Twin Cities

/in

If it’s your task to hire long-lasting talent, you may feel a bit of internal pressure. Finding great talent to represent your company is hard, and more often than not, jobs are disposable to people as they circle through different phases in their lives. Building a team made up of long-lasting talent has its benefits, however, so here are some tips we have about hiring talent that stays.

Gauge Their Future Plans

One of the easiest ways to figure out whether or not a recruit could be long-lasting talent is to assess their plans and interest level. First, ask about their plans. Are they just looking for a job while they’re in school or do they plan to move across the country in a few months? They’re not the best bet for a long-term hire. However, if they have plans to stay indefinitely in the area because of family commitments or other personal reasons, this could be a good indicator that they could be long-lasting talent.

Gauge Their Interest Level

Another easy way to see whether or not talent would be long-lasting is to gauge their interest level. If someone shows up to an interview with a glazed look in their eyes, sloppy attire, and no resume – it’s safe to assume they’re not necessarily interested in the job. Or, maybe they are, but they would jump ship if the right opportunity came up for them. Contrast that with an individual who came into an interview dressed nicely and prepared with a list of questions about your specific interview. Which employee would you hire for long-term talent? The second one, obviously, because they showed a vested interest in your company.

Send a Consistent Message to Your Recruits

If your job listing is for a “Summer Sales Associate,” but you want to find someone who will work long-term for your company, you’re not sending a consistent message as to who you want to hire. Before you can hire long-lasting talent, you need to make sure the positions for which you are hiring lend themselves to being long-term. If they don’t currently, what steps can you take to make sure you attract long-lasting-minded individuals as opposed to those looking for a short summer gig?

If you are looking for long-term talent for your company but are having a hard time finding them, contact Award Staffing. We will be able to help you figure out which of the potential recruits are in it for the long haul and which of the potential recruits only want a short-term gig.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Why Your Employees Should Provide You Feedback

/in

As an employer, you should be asking your employees to give feedback regularly. You can do this in a variety of different ways or during different time periods, but it’s important that they can do so. Here’s why your employees should provide feedback:

You Can See Problem Areas

If you’re running the company and focused on the bigger picture, it can sometimes be hard to drill down to what the actual problem areas of your company are. If your employees provide feedback for you, you will be getting real insight into what the problems your employees are facing on a daily basis. This information and intel is absolutely crucial to you, helping you to run your business effectively.

You Can Reward Employee Honesty

If your employees are providing helpful feedback by being honest, you can reward employee honesty. It would be hard for you to do so in any other forum other than one in which they were providing feedback. If you want to incentivize your employees being honest, you can give them the option to provide feedback anonymously, so they aren’t worried about repercussions. Of course, this would negate employee-specific rewards, but you can always reward departments who give the most effective feedback.

Make Necessary Changes

The biggest reason why your employees should provide feedback is so you can make necessary changes. If you aren’t learning from your employees and adjusting your strategies, you aren’t doing it right. Feedback is meant to be taken in, thought about, and new strategies implemented.

If you are looking for new employees who will be able to give you valuable feedback, contact Award Staffing. We will be able to help you identify and hire these employees.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

How to Reduce Costly Hiring Mistakes in Minnesota

/in

Make no mistake: making hiring mistakes can be incredibly costly. Not only are you taking on the cost of training for someone who won’t use the Intel afterward, but you risk losing out on valuable company assets and/or secrets. Here’s how you can reduce expensive hiring mistakes:

Hire Temp Staff

Before you invest in long-term staff, try hiring temp staff members who can do the job. The biggest benefit of hiring temp staff is that you aren’t responsible for all the initial onboarding costs you would have with a full-time, long-term employee. It’s your opportunity to “try before you buy.” 

Establish a Probationary Employment Period

If you are committed to hiring long-term employees, you establish a probationary employment period. This employment period could have a reduced amount of financial implications (such as basic training) to protect your company and costs. If the employee isn’t performing to your satisfaction after the probationary employment period is complete, you can let them go knowing you didn’t lose money on the entire situation.

Incentivize Extended Employment

No matter what protective measures you put into place, it’s always going to be the least expensive option to hire someone and have them stay with the company. The way you can incentivize this is to put an extended employment clause or contract into place for your employees. This clause or contract would give your employees a bonus for every year (or six months) they’ve been at the company.

When you need additional employees, contact Award Staffing. We are committed to best-fit matches. We work hard to help you find and hire staff members who stay because they are the right fit for your business.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Why Minnesota Businesses Phone Screening Candidates

/in

If you are currently in the middle of hiring new employees for your company, but discovering that the entire recruiting process takes a long time – too long. Pre-screening candidates by phone can help reduce the time factor. Here’s why:

You Won’t Waste Your Time

Holding in-person interviews is an extremely time-consuming process. You need to have someone on-site directing the candidates, one or more additional employees conducting the interviews, and another managing the paperwork. Don’t spend the time and cost involved only to discover the candidate is ineligible when you could have easily determined that via a phone interview. Narrow the pool to a few great choices before you begin in-person interviews.

They Can Gauge Your Level of Commitment

When you conduct a phone interview with a potential candidate, they can gauge your level of commitment. Not all companies take the added step of pre-qualifying candidates before they get to meet the team, so it will be a good indicator for your applicants that you take adding members to your workforce very seriously. They will also be able to ask you questions so they don’t waste their time applying for a job that wouldn’t be a good fit for them.

You Can Prepare Them for the In-Person Interview

If you conduct phone interviews with potential candidates, you can easily prepare them for the in-person interview. For example, you can use the phone interview as a basic screening, but employ more advanced interview tactics and hypothetical situations during the actual interview. Doing the phone pre-screening allows you to get the essential questions answered so you can focus on whether or not that candidate is a good fit for your company, specifically.

Pressed for time even with pre-screening by phone? It’s time to connect with Award Staffing. We have deep candidate resources. We pre-screen and conduct in-person interviews before sending you the top matches for each open position. Contact us today and discover the Award Staffing difference.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Finding Long-Term Workers Through A Staffing Agency

/in

Is there a great candidate or associate that you are looking to hire long-term, but know they have had a history of hopping from one assignment to another? Here are some tips on how you can convert an associate that is used to short-term assignments to stay on a long-term assignment with your company by using a staffing agency.

Staffing Companies Ask About The Associates Long-Term Goals

We are able to pre-vet candidates by asking about their long-term goals. If their long-term goals involve making a career change, moving out-of-state, or not wanting to work, we can safely assume that they wouldn’t be a serious long-term temporary associate for your company.

Look at Their Employment History

Past behavior is a strong predictor of future behavior, so we carefully study each candidates’ employment history. If they seem to jump from job to job every few weeks or months (and it’s their choice), we may have reason to believe that they may not be looking for a long-term assignment. To make sure that isn’t the case, we ask associates why they may have hopped from one assignment to another. They may just be looking for the right fit and that could be with your company.

Foresee Why They Wouldn’t Stay Long-Term

If we don’t see any glaring red flags why they wouldn’t be a serious long-term associate, we always come right out and ask them: “Is there any reason why you wouldn’t want to stay at this company longer than six months?” Hopefully, they will be honest enough with us so we can gauge whether or not they’re a good fit for placement at a company like yours.

Tell the Associate Why They Would Want to Stay Long Term With Your Company

We want to make sure the associates understand why our clients’ companies are a good fit for them. Make sure you let the staffing company know what benefits your company may have for their associates that work for you through a staffing agency. Do you have free snacks, generous breaks, large break room, growth opportunities, or great work environment? Make it known why it’s a great place to work long-term and if there is a future for the associates there.

If you’re looking to hire associates from a staffing agency, contact Award Staffing. We have the experience to help place associates on an assignment that are both long and short term.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

How to Have a Successful Hiring Event in Minneapolis

/in

Need to hire several employees at one time? Consider having a hiring event. These events will let you compare multiple candidates at one time, which is extremely cost-effective and time-effective. Here are tips for a successful event.

Spread the Word-

You can do this through social media marketing, making the event free, connecting with a staffing agency, word-of-mouth referral system, etc.  Taking time and effort beforehand to encourage attendance will bring payoff on the day of your event.

Make Immediate Connections-

The whole point of having a hiring event is to make immediate connections with potential recruits. Collect their contact information and resumes on the spot. If an attendee interests you, put their resume in a designated file. Attach a few notes to remind you who the person was when you go through the resumes after the event.

Conduct Brief Interviews-

Learn the art of the 3 to 5-minute interview. At-the-moment interviews will help separate the best from the rest when you are ready to call in people for more in-depth interviews following the event.

Display Your Company Culture-

Hiring fairs can often be a little frustrating for recruits because they feel as though they don’t get to see the company culture. You can remedy this issue by bringing some of your company’s culture to the hiring fair. For example, you could staff your booth with your current employees as opposed to brand ambassadors. You could also have informational displays about the benefits of working for your company versus any other companies.

If you’ve decided that you want to have a hiring event, contact Award Staffing. We will be able to send potential recruits who would be a great fit for your business and turn into amazing employees.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

When Do Minnesota Company’s Give Pay Raises?

/in

If you have employees who have been working for your company for a while, you may have encountered the question of when you should give them a raise. Whether they have asked or you have thought about this question on your own, there are some general rules you should follow. Here’s how you can tell whether you should give your employees a pay raise or not:

How Long Have They Been Working for You?

The easiest way in which you can determine whether or not to give someone a raise is to see how long they’ve been working for you. If they’ve been working for you for a year or longer, without a raise, it’s time to step up and reward their dedication and loyalty.

What Are the Comparisons in Your Industry?

When determining whether or not you should give someone a raise, always take the time to do some comp research in your industry. Knowing what employees are being paid for similar positions in your area will help you ensure that you are paying fairly. If you fail to give raises and fall below the bar, you may very well start losing workers.

How Much Do You Value Them?

Sometimes, you don’t need a specific reason to give an employee a raise (such as time on the job or meeting the local standards). When you place a high value on an employee because they arrive on time, fulfill their tasks, do great work, meet deadlines, inspire a positive attitude among co-workers, etc. it’s time for a merit raise. These are the most enjoyable raises to give.

Of course, the best way to find workers who stay on the job, meet employee standards, and are worthy of merit raises, is to partner with a staffing agency, such as Award Staffing. We help companies hire new employees who fit within your company’s payroll budget and build your workforce successfully. Contact us today.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Train Your Employees to Maximize Customer Service

/in

Customer service is imperative in almost every line of business; therefore, it makes sense that your employees should know how to maximize their customer service skills. Here are a few of our favorite tips for training your employees to maximize their customer service skills.

Encourage Smiling-

Smiling is a universal way of being friendly. In almost every culture, a smile can show another person that you’re friendly, ready to help, and perceptive of their needs. Therefore, you need to remind your employees to smile when they’re interacting with your customers, even if they aren’t necessarily “happy.

Encourage Positive Reinforcement-

Another pinnacle of customer service is ensuring that the customer feels like they’re being heard. One way in which your employees can accomplish this is by practicing positive reinforcement. For example, if a customer is complaining about something, your employee can repeat what they’re saying back to them and acknowledge it.

Encourage “The Customer is Always Right”-

No matter what, the customer is always right. You need to train your employees to adopt this mindset – even when interacting with particularly difficult customers. It will reduce conflict and encourage customer loyalty. Employees who tend to be impatient are not a good fit for customer service roles.

If you need to hire a new employee to handle customer service relations, contact Award Staffing. We will be able to match you up with someone who is friendly, engaging, outgoing, and driven.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

How Minnesota Companies Maximize Their Referrals

/in

Referrals are an extremely important part of the job-seeking process because they give employers confidence that they are about to make a good decision in hiring you. When an employer calls a reference, they are likely wanting to know more about your character, work experience, and passion. Here’s how you can maximize your referrals.

Ask Permission-

One big mistake a lot of individuals make is failing to ask permission of their referrals. You want to ask permission because you want your referrals to know you’re considering using them in your job search, obtain their permission, and give them time to be prepared. Otherwise, if you don’t, your potential employer may run into some very awkward phone calls.

Keep Your Referrals Updated-

Keep your referrals updated on your job search. If you receive a job offer, let your referrals know that you won’t be using them for the next several months (or however long you expect to be employed). They will appreciate the courtesy, and it will keep you fresh in their minds for the next time you need to use them.

Choose Referrals Who Will Speak Highly of You-

This is common sense, of course, but you need to choose referrals who will speak highly of you. There is no point in choosing a boss who fired you as opposed to someone who highly valued you as an employee.

Choosing wisely can have a great impact on your job search. Bring your referrals to Award Staffing. We will help match you up with a company that notes your positive references and puts your skills and educational experience to good use.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Why Let a Minnesota Staffing Agency Handle Temp Hires

/in

Hiring new employees is never fun because it’s a time-consuming process that doesn’t necessarily guarantee the results you want. We would recommend letting a staffing agency handle hiring temporary employees, and here’s why.

Save Time-

Looking for new employees is extremely time-consuming.  Creating and posting a job description is only the first two steps. Then you have to field candidates, interview them, and make final decisions. If you outsource to a staffing agency, you can use all that time to focus on your business instead of searching for employees.

Access a Wider Candidate Pool-

Staffing agencies have a wider candidate pool than you do as a potential employer. Therefore, it makes sense to work with a staffing agency so you can increase your chances of hiring the perfect fit for your company.

Allow Creative Input-

By working with a staffing agency, you are introducing a third party into your business. This can often be a very positive thing because that third party can provide creative input. For example, you may have never thought about hiring a “junior-level” employee to do a “senior-level” job, but a staffing agency might have just the right candidate who can do both for multiple reasons.

If you’ve determined that you want new employees but don’t have the time or manpower to do it in-house, contact Award Staffing. We will be able to pool together our resources to help you find the finest talent for your workplace.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.