Hiring For Small Business

Operating a small business comes with its own share of benefits and struggles. According to a recent study by Robert Half Inc., finding skilled workers is one of small business owners greatest struggles. The recent study reports that 60% of small business owners and managers listed finding skilled workers as their company’s greatest challenge with hiring and managing staff. What makes this such a difficult struggle in small business?

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Most small businesses fall below the average job seeker’s radar. When seeking career opportunities, top talent typically is chasing career opportunities with larger organizations who have a strong employment brand in their line of work. So how does a small business owner compete? Simple. Build an employment environment that top talent wants to work for and market it.

Many small business owners do not invest a lot of money into career marketing, online job boards, and other tools that get their name in front of candidates. Here are a few great ways to gain exposure for your organization in a cost effective manner:

  • Build group and company pages on social media. Market who you are as an organization and why candidates should desire a career with your company.
  • Offer referral bonuses to your current staff. No one knows better than a current employee, the benefits of working for your organization.
  • Network. Participate with your local chamber of commerce and other business networking groups to let others know the great things happening with your company and what type of talent you are in need of.
  • Partner with a staffing firm. An established staffing firm can market your organization to their existing pool of top talent and do direct recruiting for your positions. They often have their own job board and are experts and marketing the benefits of working for one of their client companies.

Many top level talent candidates are seeking a career with increased flexibility, advancement opportunities, and room for creativity. Small businesses are usually some of the best environments for these types of workplace benefits. Embrace your flexibility as an organization and the limitless growth opportunities, it’s likely candidates will notice and want to join you!

Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

The Applicant's Investment In The Interview

Generally speaking, most hiring managers have a good idea of what they have invested in an interview considering time and resources. Have you considered your applicant’s investment? If your recruiting efforts leave you struggling to book interviews, now may be a good time to reconsider what your applicant is being asked to commit to.

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Whether you are overbooking interviews or struggling to book them at all, take a moment to consider what an applicant has invested in the interview. With many hiring managers and recruiters targeting passive candidates or finding that many of their qualified applicants are currently employed, your applicant may be investing more than you have initially considered. Here are just a few of the investments an employed candidate may have made in order to interview with you:

  • Hourly compensation
  • Vacation or sick time
  • Time away from their current workload that they’ll likely have to make up another time
  • Jeopardized their current employment
  • Made arrangements to have others assist with their duties in their absence

Even if the applicant is a salaried employee and has been able to use paid time off to participate in the interview they have given you valuable time that they could have used for other occasions. Now consider the likelihood of them landing the position.

If you already have hesitations about their qualifications for the position, you may want to reconsider asking them to commit to the interview considering their investment in doing so. If you are struggling to attract candidates to attend an interview consider alternatives such as phone interviews, off-site interviews, after hours interviews, or video interviews to accommodate their schedules.

Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Have You Mastered Recruiting But Not Hiring?

If you haven’t learned the difference between recruiting and hiring, now is the time. While recruiting involves the process of locating, identifying, screening, attracting, and evaluating talent; hiring involves the conversion of candidate to employee. Unfortunately, many companies are unable to close the deal in time to convert an applicant to an employee before they are recruited away to other opportunities. How can you protect yourself from losing valuable talent?

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While the hiring process involves crucial steps and processes, building a smooth system can eliminate costly downtime and turnover. Studies have shown as many as 58% of employees who take part in a structured hiring process are more likely to be with the company three years later. Here are just a few tools that can help you build a structured hiring program!

  • Online applications
  • Strong applicant tracking system
  • A streamlined onboarding process
  • A structured training program
  • Regular performance reviews including in the new hire period

Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Job Postings That Work!

Are you frustrated with the number of job postings that you’ve posted only to find you still don’t have qualified candidates? Are your monthly charges to job boards beginning to look like they need a P&L of their own? Now’s the time to fix it!

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With online job boards including millions of job postings each year, standing out among the competition is essential. The days of simply putting an ad in the newspaper resulting in stacks of resumes are gone. Today’s job postings must include several key components including:

  • SEO Value: If you aren’t familiar with SEO, you’re already behind in the game. SEO or Search Engine Optimization, refers to the content or structure of online content so that it will be prominently displayed by a search engine. Making sure that your job posting is rich in SEO value is the key to making sure that your job posting is even located by candidates. SEO value can be gained through strong and prominent keywords, exact location matches, and relevance between the content in your posting and what the job seeker is searching for. The more you have in common with their search statement, the more likely they are to find your posting.
  • Content is the key. No matter how great your SEO value is or how many candidates land on your posting, if the content in your posting doesn’t sell the position it won’t matter. The posting should include industry buzz words, specific qualifications, and enough information for a candidate to determine whether or not they are qualified for the position.
  • Is your job posting visually pleasing? According to HireRight, 75% of job seekers say the look and feel of a job posting influences their decision to apply. Make sure that your job posting visually appeals to the audience. Is it free of errors, includes important details, and is it easy to read through quickly? Most job seekers will not take the time to read a full length job description, make sure your posting includes the important details and nothing more.
  • Sell your job! Why would someone want to work for you? What sets a career with your organization apart from your competitors? This may be your only chance to sell a career with your company to the candidate, make sure you do it well! Include valuable information about your benefits, employment brand, and enough information about your organization that a candidate can see why a career opportunity with your organization is something they should be interested in.

The battle for top talent is becoming increasingly harder in most industries. Maintaining a strong employment brand, a great employee retention program, and a proactive recruiting strategy are all great ways to stay ahead of your competition in the recruiting field.

Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Finding A Recruiter Who Works For You!

Whether you are seeking a new career path or are seeking to hire the newest talent for your organization, finding a recruiter who works for you, not with you will make or break your experience. A recruiter should work as your agent and should exhibit the same qualities that a sports agent provides their talent.

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Not sure how to qualify your recruiter?

Here are some simple steps to get you started.

  • Determine their qualifications. The recruiting industry has the highest turnover rate of any industry with approximately 90% turnover within the first year.  Recruiters makeup a large majority of the profiles on LinkedIn, if your recruiter does not have an active and complete profile with a large number of connections take caution.  A recruiter’s LinkedIn profile is an excellent place to pre-qualify them. Do you they specialize in your line of work? How long have they been in the industry? The longer they have been in their role the larger the network and career opportunities or top level talent they can connect you with.

 

  • Conduct a mutual interview. A proven recruiter should be confident, almost arrogant about their abilities. If they aren’t able to sell themselves how can they sell your qualifications as a candidate or sell your position and organization to the industry’s top performers? Simple, they can’t. Be perfectly clear about what your priorities are and what items would make or break the perfect match for you. Inquire as to what their network in your industry looks like and what types of similar positions they have filled in the past.

 

  • Make sure their greatest strength is listening. If the recruiter is more focused on talking than listening, they’ll likely miss important details that are crucial to making the right fit for you. Make sure they ask you great questions, take notes, and have an attention to detail. Finding the perfect match can’t be done if they don’t have the details needed to make the match.

 

  • They should be busy. Especially with the recent surge in staffing, if your recruiter is available to take your every call that may not be a good sign. The staffing industry has seen a consistent surge since the economic recovery, if your recruiter excels in their field they should be extremely busy balancing candidates and clients.  While they should be busy, they should also set clear expectations of when they are available and how best to reach them.

 As with any business partner, if you feel that you are not connecting well with your recruiter it may be time to look at other options. Often times the best way to locate a top notch recruiter is to seek referrals from others in your line of business. As many as 90% of companies have partnered with a staffing agency in the past for recruiting support, therefore it’s very likely that you know someone who has hired a recruiter in the past for recruiting services or that you know someone who has located a position through a recruiter.

Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Job Demands Increase with ACA

Have the changes coming forth with the Affordable Care Act impacted your career? If so, you are not alone. Here are a few careers in which job demands have and will continue to increase, as a result of the ACA.

  • Human Resources
  • Payroll
  • Legal Professionals
  • Nurses
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Personal Trainers
  • Customer Service Professionals
  • Insurance Consultants
  • Medical Billers
  • Medical Coders
  • Computer Programmers

Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

IT Job Growth Reaches Another Record High!

Are you seeking IT talent? If so, you join most of the country! IT jobs in the U.S. rose again in June to reach another record high of almost 4.5 million jobs according to TechServe Alliance.

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While the growth of IT jobs has remained consistent over the past few years, it appears the end is not in sight. The growing demand for top level IT talent stems from a multitude of factors including the increased use of technology in manufacturing, the downsizing of entry level administrative positions, and the increased use of the internet for marketing, research, and development.

Employers nationwide are scrambling to fill entry level to management level information technology positions, allowing candidates to be in the driver’s seat of their career path. In order to attract the experienced IT professionals needed in today’s employment market, employers must offer a competitive salary and benefits package that may differ greatly from what they are accustomed to offering in the past.

IT professionals are leading the surge with remote or virtual employment. Naturally, the nature of their work allows more flexibility and is better suited than some other roles for working outside of the traditional workplace. As many as 65% of companies are now allowing at least some remote work, a number that appears to grow with the size of the organization.

In addition to working remotely, IT candidates appear to be attracted to sign on bonuses, technology allowances, and flexible scheduling. If you are struggling to locate IT talent, you may consider offering additional benefits or perks to attract today’s top talent or partnering with an industry experienced recruitment firm. One thing remains clear, the recruitment of IT professionals is going to only increase in difficulty in the foreseeable future.

Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

 

Hiring Administrative Professionals?

Are you hiring administrative professionals? Hiring managers across the country are finding difficulty in hiring administrative assistants, executive assistants, and administrative coordinators due to several factors. Are you one of them?

stockxpertcom_id8597492_size3Employers are who facing increased difficulty in recruiting qualified administrative professionals are often finding the following factors as obstacles:

  • Pay rates. Have you experienced sticker shock when viewing candidates’ desired pay rates? It may be time to re-evaluate your pay ranges. Many administrative professionals have taken on additional duties with workplace shortages resulting in more qualified and skilled administrative staff than what was often available in the past. With budget cuts, staff reductions, and attrition, many employers were forced to have their administrative staff cross trained and responsible for duties that were previously covered by multiple individuals in the office. The great news is the talent available today for administrative positions is more qualified, experienced, and diverse in their skills than ever before.
  • Candidate drive. Are you finding a decreased level of interest in entry level positions? You’re not alone. Today’s technology has contributed to building a workforce that is less likely to be content with positions that do not offer a wide variety of duties and may experience an increased amount of down time on the job. Technology has resulted in individuals multitasking  throughout their day both on and off of the job, resulting in a pool of candidates who prefer to be busy, engaged, and moving forward. As employers, we should take this opportunity to see what additional duties, functions, and responsibilities could be integrated into our more entry level positions to attract and maintain a more driven administrative workforce.
  • Overqualified candidates. Is there really such a thing? Not really. As long as a candidate meets the qualifications for the position and is willing to work in the pay range that your organization has established is appropriate for the workload, you should not overlook them. Experienced candidates can bring valuable insight to the position, assist with process improvement, and often require less time and resources during the training and on boarding process. Keep in mind that regardless of the amount of experience a candidate has or their previous pay scales, there is no guarantee that any employee will remain with your company for an extended period of time. Ruling out valuable talent based on your fear of them leaving you, will likely cost you more in the long run.

Often times our recruiting struggles can be offset with some assessments of what we are requiring of candidates for the position and what we as employers are willing to offer to obtain the right talent for the position. Remaining flexible and open minded about the opportunities for your clerical and administrative positions can greatly assist you in finding the right fit for your organization, often times providing more value than you had originally hoped for in the role.

Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

 

Hurricane and Disaster Cleanups Slowed By Talent Shortages

The impact that a natural disaster can have on a community is profound. Consider the short and long term effects of Katrina and Sandy on not only their local areas, but nationwide as the valuable services that are provided by these communities are cut off. Unfortunately natural disasters usually wipe out the local and regional resources, making recovery time longer and causing additional hardships on those involved.

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Hurricane Sandy brought to light the need for experienced skilled trades and environmental workers that are available to mobilize to different areas quickly. With many local contractors without equipment, personnel, and communication devices outside contractors were a critical part of the recovery and restoration process.

With hurricane season upon us, now is the time to consider your resources before disaster strikes. Most environmental and construction restoration contractors do not employ enough personnel to take on projects of this magnitude without adding to their workforce. In addition to the need to quickly mobilize, contractors should ensure that their additional project personnel are qualified, trained, and appropriately certified to be performing the work. Having skilled workers available at the moment that disaster strikes, can be invaluable to your business and allow you to take on additional project loads quickly and efficiently.

When considering a staffing partner for remediation and restoration work be sure to verify the following:

  • The staffing partner specializes in your line of work.
  • The staffing partner is well established and is able to demonstrate their previous abilities to hire for these roles.
  • The staffing partner has a pool of pre-qualified candidates.
  • The staffing partner is experienced in disaster related projects.
  • The staffing partner specializes in mobile workforces.

Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of experienced skilled trades workers? Contact us today!  If you are a stand out skilled trades worker seeking short or long term career opportunities, visit our job seekers section for more information!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

How To Be Successful In Marine Staffing

Whether you are searching for Marine Electricians, Shipfitters, or Pipefitters, the search for qualified skilled trades people with marine industry experience can be difficult. In our niche market, marine staffing has it’s own set of diverse challenges that can be difficult for those inexperienced in the industry to overcome. Let’s face it marine contractors across the world are able to find talent and get in forward motion, so the questions remains how do they do it?

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