Category: Staffing Strategies

Getting America Back to Work

A door with notes that read "Sorry we are closed. Covid-19."

“There are seldom, if ever, any hopeless situations, but there are many people who lose hope in the face of some situations.” – Zig Ziglar

We are certainly all experiencing Covid-19 fatigue by now, and the accompanying uncertainty of when we can all return to life as we once knew it is yet another quandary without a clear answer. If we adhere to the idea that the one single constant in life is change, then dealing with a new normal will be easier to accept. As Zig’s quote above reminds us, we are not in a hopeless situation, but the loss of hope is what can drag some people down.

If you’ve lost business, been laid off, or if your company has gone under completely, then it’s understandable that you’d be less than hopeful at this point. Couple that with the fact that shelter-in-place orders are being extended nationwide, and it gets all the more frustrating.

But, we all need to face the facts and deal with these realities in an effort to bounce back and overcome these challenges. If this includes a long look in the mirror and a frank gut check, so be it. No one said life would be fair, but a very wise person once said, “it’s not what happens to us, it’s how we deal with what happens to us that matters.” Not sure that person was Zig Ziglar, but it’s a phrase that bears strong consideration.

Here are some other things to consider, and plan for, as we all get to the task of getting America back to work.

The road less traveled by

If you’ve lost your job, now’s the time to do some soul searching and determine how you’re going to start working again. Your industry may now have an entirely different look and feel as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. Are you prepared to make those adjustments? If you have successfully been able to work from home, is that something you may want to continue? Can business function effectively without face to face meetings and handshakes? Can we use Zoom or Microsoft Teams to conduct all of our meetings? Should you take this opportunity to get into an entirely new line of work? The point here is that we’ve all been pushed into a crossroad and need to choose a path or navigate the direction our particular industry or company will head in. This is a time for self-reflection in terms of leveraging your particular strengths in an effort to determine what your work life is going to look like as we all move forward.

Mask, check. Gloves, check. Hand sanitizer, check.

What will going out in public look like? Will you be required to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at work? Have your temperature checked? We all need to be prepared for changes in this area, and we all need to be prepared for interacting with others who will rely upon their own individual choices concerning the use of some, all, or maybe no PPE, despite the advice of noted medical experts. Being prepared for this will be necessary, along with continued guidance on what’s recommended to protect yourself and others in the workplace, and in other public places.

May I have this dance?

People are social creatures. We generally enjoy and seek out the society of others, but what about jumping on a crowded elevator in an office building? Can you hold your breath all the way up to the 25th floor? How will you get to work or to meetings? Subway? Car? Bus? Airplane? Bike? Walk? Does your work require you to be in an office full time or even part time? And that’s to say nothing of someone serving food in a restaurant, bar, or a sporting venue. How, when, and where you work or interact with clients, customers, and associates may be just as important as what you choose to do for work. Consider the options and decide accordingly.

The cure may be killing us

We may not be able to solve the worlds’ problems in a short blog, but we do need to consider the costs of not returning to work in a timely manner. This is not to say we do so in a cavalier fashion, void of all precaution, but our overall economy sitting idle is not a good thing. We all need the challenge offered by meaningful work in order to be fulfilled in life and every day we don’t engage in that beneficial activity is another day lost. If you’ve been able to function and make your contributions from home, great, but a large majority of people earn their livelihood in a manufacturing plant, warehouse, restaurant, barbershop, etc. Each business that provides valued goods and services is essential and should be allowed to reopen. We don’t have time here to address the ramifications of shelter-in-place orders, in some cases leading to substance abuse, growing concerns about obesity, or domestic violence as a result of people being forced to stay at home rather than work, but these are serious issues added to the mix.

In summary, let’s not lose hope in our ability to meet challenges in challenging times. May our government bodies work in the best interest of the constituents they’re obligated to serve and form reasonable policies that respect our rights and safety, but allow the freedoms we enjoy as US Citizens, one of which is to be gainfully employed in our chosen field of endeavor.

All of us here at STS Staffing understand the need for getting America back to work, so please contact us if you’re looking for a job or if your company needs employees to help your organization prosper and grow as we emerge from this economic pause.

The Benefits of Temporary Staffing in an Uncertain Economy

A computer displaying stock market trends on its screen

In this time of unprecedented economic uncertainty, many businesses are left wondering how to stay afloat. Restrictions on business operation and a sharp decline in consumer spending have forced many businesses to make tough decisions about staffing, and the unemployment rate continues to grow by the day. Some businesses left largely unaffected by state mandates are cautiously optimistic about their stability. But the lingering threat of sustained economic turmoil demands a new hiring strategy — that’s where temporary hiring comes in.

Companies who need to fill roles may not want to incur the costs of onboarding a permanent employee while the economy is unstable. Temporary staffing during a recession offers a convincing alternative for companies seeking a cost-effective way to fill positions and keep things running as usual. Here’s why.

You’ll be able to respond to fluctuations in the economy.

We (unfortunately) cannot predict what will happen in the upcoming months. So, having a hiring model that can respond while allowing for cost-efficiency will pay dividends down the road. By hiring temporary staff, you’ll gain an easy yet effective solution for filling roles, whether you intend to keep the position in the long term or not — especially when you partner with a staffing agency that can provide the right fit for your goals. Hire quickly, and if your business begins to suffer, you’ll be able to react accordingly without the costs of permanent staffing.

You’ll save on costs associated with permanent employment.

The costs of hiring, training and even firing can drain businesses of money they can’t afford to lose. These costs can sting even during a healthy economy, let alone one that’s struggling and volatile. But with temporary staffing as an option for employment, your business gains a little more wiggle room with some of these costs. Temporary staffing offers an option that saves on the following:

  • Recruiting
  • Onboarding
  • Severance packages
  • Benefits

If your business is actively trying to hire right now, think about your strategy and how it may be costing you. The more time and money you spend searching for the right candidates upfront will hurt in the long run. Be protective of your resources, and work with a skilled partner like STS Staffing. You’ll gain you access to a pool of highly qualified candidates and the most cost-effective solution for filling temporary roles, fast.

How can we help you?

It can be intimidating to hire in an economy like this. Whatever your staffing needs are right now, STS Staffing is here to offer the support you need to keep your business up and running. We have years of experience placing skilled temporary workers with the right jobs in a variety of industries. We can help you navigate this uncertain market by matching temporary staff to the roles you need to fill as soon as possible. Reach out to us and we’ll be in touch shortly.

Meeting Modern Recruiting Challenges with Paperless Systems

The economy of the last couple years has presented a unique challenge for many employers: more job openings than available candidates. In March of 2019, for example, the U.S. Department of Labor noted there were 7.6 million unfilled positions – with just 6.5 million people looking for work, according to a report from Vox. Needless to say, such a statistic is just one of many recent challenges making it harder for companies to hire. Other obstacles in today’s job market include a lack of qualified applicants and in-house issues such as employer branding problems and inefficiencies in recruitment processes.

When a company has problems hiring, unfilled positions often negatively affect the business’s bottom line. To counter these challenges, organizations may revamp recruiting processes in-house, but more often, working with a staffing agency proves to be an effective solution. By using STS Staffing’s recruiting services, for example, organizations can:

  • Save time and cut costs vetting candidates
  • Have access to larger candidate pools
  • Benefit from fast-track hiring that ensures positions don’t go unfilled for long periods
  • Choose from prospective employees who are prepared for particular industries
  • Hire flexibly – i.e. temp to hire, seasonal, contract, permanent full time

A Paperless System That Makes Recruiting Seamless

To help companies meet the aforementioned recruiting challenges, STS has revamped the system it uses to make recruiting for its clients more seamless than ever. This means harnessing the power of paperless systems. So what are the benefits?

Moving to paperless lessens the time it takes to fill out information. When it used to take hours, it now only takes 15 to 20 minutes. This also gives STS the ability to place prospective employees in positions in just around 30 minutes, when it used to take days. It’s not just about speed hiring, however; we also work to ensure the employees we deliver are both highly vetted and qualified for the jobs they’re filling.

Switching to a paperless system also means STS can also recruit outside of brick-and-mortar locations to expand the candidate pool – meaning that you can benefit from access to a wider selection of prospects. This gives us the ability to onboard qualified candidates remotely and deliver them to you no matter where your business operates. 

STS will continue to improve efficiencies in its systems to better serve clients – enabling them to not only tackle business-centric challenges, but also those presented by the economy at large. To learn more about how our paperless system can make it easier for you to hire, reach out to us by using our contact form or e-mailing directly to sales@stsstaffing.com.

Staffing Special Projects: A Success Story

STS Staffing & Temporary Services has been in business since 1991, and in that time, we have supported all types of client needs — from short-term administrative assistant placements to fill in for someone out on leave, to extended work at a remote mining site providing skilled maintenance welders.

While we work diligently to meet each client’s personnel requirements from a quality and reliability standpoint, our work on special staffing projects for clients is a unique niche for STS Staffing.

What is a special staffing project? Here’s a recent example to highlight the added challenge we encounter in these situations.

The Situation

We received an inquiry via the STS website from a company that was going to be in the Las Vegas area putting on a mini go-kart race at a well-known casino property near the Las Vegas strip. The client needed numerous temporary staff in Las Vegas over the course of a week to make sure the event not only went well, but that things also ran on time, efficiently, and with the safety and security of the participants and attendees in mind.

As further background to this situation, it rarely makes economic sense for a company traveling to a given area to put on a special event or attend a trade show to bring all of its full-time staff to work the event. Thus, there was a need for an experienced firm like STS Staffing to step in and provide the necessary people to support the event. We were able to customize the ideal staffing solution for the unique needs of this client. There is a wide range of staffing companies in Las Vegas that claim to offer similar solutions, so we needed to show that our attention to detail makes a difference.

Our Solution

Back to our mini go-kart race example — we spoke with the client, discussed their needs and worked out a time to meet when they arrived in Las Vegas. We met the client at our local branch office and we proceeded to firm up the details, logistics, preparation, security, set-up, take-down, and coordinate start and end times for the scheduling of close to 25 temporary staff.

As you might imagine, there is a lot that goes into hosting a successful event and the client knew exactly what they needed to accomplish.

Working hand in hand with the client, STS Staffing was on-site each day of the event, checking in our temporary staff and making sure everyone was in place, had what they needed, and that we immediately addressed any questions, concerns, or last-minute direction from the client.

It is this type of experience, coupled with continual vigilance during the course of a special project, that proved highly successful in making this a truly enjoyable experience, both for the client, the participants, and the people who came in from all over the world to be at the race.

The Results

At the end of it all, the client was highly pleased and praised the efforts of our remote job recruitment agency. He commented that he uses staffing at these types of events nationwide, but said that STS Staffing went above and beyond to make sure he was taken care of. Other firms in other areas didn’t do as much. The client also asked about using STS Staffing’s services in other national venues, and we are currently working on those arrangements.

Your Staffing Agency for Remote Jobs

If you are a company with special projects in different locations, we hope this vignette is enlightening and that you take away the key points of coordination, cooperation, hands-on participation, project management, and diligent follow-up/follow-through. If you align yourself with a company that adheres to these principles of performance, your next trade show or special event will be much less stressful, and highly successful. Contact STS Staffing for more details.

A Professional Job Placement Agency Bringing Dynamic Clients and Employees Together

STS Staffing has updated its website to be more user-friendly by offering more usable content for companies seeking employees and job-seekers looking for new employment.

Who Is STS Staffing?

STS Staffing is a Twin Cities-based professional job placement agency that has served Minneapolis, St. Paul and greater suburbs since 1992. We’ve seen many changes in permanent and temporary staffing after 27 years of business, but as much as we’ve kept up with the technological advancements over that time, the core tenets of our business have not changed.

We still believe that business is about developing mutually beneficial relationships with both our clients and job-seeking candidates.

Job candidates waiting for a round of interviews arranged by a professional job placement agency

What Is an Employment Agency?

An employment agency is a company that helps businesses find employees. The agency acts as a partner with businesses to find the right candidates through proper vetting. Employment agencies are not job boards, and instead build relationships with companies seeking qualified candidates. 

While employment agencies help companies fill positions, they also assist job seekers in finding new employment through career consultation and a resume review process. These pools of qualified candidates are then sent to companies that are hiring for the position that best suits the candidate. 

Staffing Process That Works for You

At STS Staffing, we take pride in our personal approach to helping clients and candidates. We’re not like the thousands of job boards across the internet; we meet with you in person and create a real relationship. We conduct a 6-step signature staffing process with each client and personally tailor it to their needs:

  1. Contact is made between our team and a prospective client about temporary or permanent job placement.
  2. We arrange a meeting at our prospective client’s business so we can get to know their company by asking questions. Expectations for the partnership are also discussed. 
  3. Next is a facility tour — we want to get to know the actual job that’s being performed and understand safety procedures from a workers’-comp standpoint.
  4. STS Staffing will submit staffing agreement with hourly rates, obtain a credit application, and complete a safety walkthrough that goes in a client’s file.
  5. Once an agreement is signed, candidates are recruited and submitted to the client for interviews.
  6. Just like any new partnership, STS Staffing will follow up to make sure our client is comfortable and expectations are being met.

Businesses that partner with us will experience the personal touch of working with a company that understands their mission and goals.

Finding the Right Job for You

Just as our staffing services are personalized for each business, our job seeker services are also built to get to know applicants. There are 4 steps to our job-seeker registration, each designed to help find a position that best fits a candidate’s skills and qualifications.

  1. An employment registration form is filled out by a job seeker so we can gather general information.
  2. The job seeker then uploads their resume for review.
  3. One of our recruiters reviews the applicant’s credentials.
  4. STS Staffing arranges a face-to-face interview to get to know the candidate and understand their preferences when seeking a new job.

This personal approach to job placement has led to hundreds of new jobs for candidates. We’ll never charge an application fee and our services are ACA compliant.

Multiple Branch Staffing Agency

Beyond our 2 locations in Minnesota, STS Staffing has branch office locations in Phoenix, Arizona, Anchorage, Alaska, and Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada. While each branch location has a personality of its own and serves a varied niche, the overall STS core principles of integrity, hard work, and a commitment to going the extra mile are at the root of every branch we operate.

Find Employment or Employees with STS Staffing

We invite you to experience the STS difference if you’re looking for temporary or permanent work or are in need of highly qualified workers. We’ve expanded operations to support staffing projects nationwide, so our reach goes beyond just our regional office locations.

Convention Season: Finding the Right Trade Show Staffing Solution

People walking around various booths at a busy trade show

There is no better way to see new products, review innovative service offerings, or to rub shoulders with knowledgeable industry professionals than at a convention or trade show.

These events are held frequently throughout the United States and can consist of everything from consumer electronics, such as the one in Las Vegas, to agricultural equipment or niche areas like franchising, insurance and financial planning.

Whatever the industry or sector the event falls under, there is always a need for trade show and convention staffing solutions. Let’s take a look at the staffing strategies that tend to remain constant across the board.

How to Staff Your Booth at a Trade Show

The first thing to prioritize when picking between multiple trade show staffing solutions is finding the right individuals to represent your organization. We will go into more detail later in this post, but it’s important to address these questions within your company before you start finding individuals to staff your booth at a convention.

  1. How many full-time employees are going?
  2. Are they there to learn or get sales leads?
  3. Are you looking for brand ambassadors, temporary hosts, presenters or lead gatherers?
  4. Contact a local staffing firm with your trade show needs.
  5. Interview the candidates before selecting the few that will help.

Assess Your Trade Show Staffing Needs

Employment-related opportunities abound in the world of trade shows and conventions. Companies that travel to a specific trade show location may send a few key team members, but there are other roles required to support the effort. These include the following:

  • Assistants
  • Greeters
  • Registration desk helpers
  • Demonstrators
  • Technical support staff
  • Set-up/take-down of a booth or equipment

Some of these jobs may be handled by the venue hosting the convention or trade show, (carpenters, audio/visual specialists, and electricians for example), but many more jobs are staffed locally through staffing agencies since it is more cost effective to hire local people for a few days rather than fly in a large group from corporate headquarters adding to expenses and overhead.

To find these types of convention and trade show staffing solutions, it’s best to contact local staffing firms who work within this niche.

These staffing firms are also a great way for people looking for employment to get experience dealing with the public, make excellent career contacts, and earn good part-time income over the course of the few days. Although working trade show jobs is usually not a full-time career, this is a good gig to earn extra cash in a fun and exciting environment.

Establishing a Professional Trade Show Representative Strategy

If you’re a company planning to attend a trade show or convention, it pays to take some time in advance to contact a few staffing firms in the town where the convention will be held. Your choice of the right staffing partner will go a long way toward making or breaking your trade show experience.

As the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a good first impression, so the people you hire through the local staffing provider to assist with your show will be a direct reflection on your company when people interact with them or enter your trade booth.

Here are some questions you should ask a firm before engaging them to find professional trade show representatives for your company.

  1. What is their experience with trade shows or convention events?
  2. How do they vet their candidates?
  3. Did they meet and interview every candidate?
  4. Did they conduct background checks, as required?

You’ll quickly discover that the firms who can cite a history of successful events and even provide references will be the ones to align with, which will help ease your burden when planning to attend an event.

If you’re someone looking for extra income and want to know more about becoming a professional trade show representative, we can help find a company who needs your help.

Conversely, if you’re a company interested in exploring your convention and trade show staffing solutions, you can rely on the experience and expertise we offer in this area. Our skilled coordinators can help plan, organize, and staff any size trade or convention project.

How a Higher Minimum Wage Impacts Hiring

Two business owners sitting at a table calculating the expenses of hiring a new employee
Minimum wage is one of the most polarizing subjects in America. Regional, political and socioeconomic differences have fueled this divisive topic for decades. United States presidents have been on both sides of the argument and chances are, you have taken a strong position either way.

States are now taking the responsibility of establishing newer and higher minimum wage legislation. It’s likely these laws will be proposed time and time again no matter the election year.

But what does that mean for your business? Specifically, how would a higher minimum wage impact your hiring habits?

What Will Change When Minimum Wage Rises

Minimum wage has changed 28 times since it was first federally enacted in 1938. July 2019 will mark the 10-year anniversary of the last time it’s been raised. America is overdue for another federal increase.

Business leaders need to be ready for change. Let’s lay out the obstacles you will encounter when minimum wage rises and hiring flexibility becomes restricted.

Loss of Flexibility

Paying your workers a higher wage is going to increase your budget’s floor. This means it’s going to be difficult to create room to hire more people to fill a skill gap when budgeting for a higher minimum wage.

You need to be hyper-focused on the skills you are hiring for in your workforce. How many different tasks can a certain employee perform and how can I best utilize the skills they already possess? These are the questions you need to hone in on before sending a job post into the ether.

Recruiting services like STS Staffing can help establish these skills you’re looking for. We can also vet candidates to your standards so you can maximize the potential output of a new employee.

More Applicants to Choose From

It’s has been prophesized that the push for $15 minimum wage will not only raise prices in industries like restaurants, but employment rates will take a hit, too.

California raised its statewide minimum wage in 2017 to $10.50 and it reduced employment by 10 percent.

With more people looking for jobs, your pool of candidates is going to grow. While we tend to believe an increase in applicants is a good thing, it could ultimately make the hiring process inefficient. If minimum wage is raised, you’ll need to button down your hiring process so your job posts aren’t flooded with applications that are a waste of your time.

Different Approach to Hiring Strategy

The percentage of 16- to-19-year olds who are employed has fallen from 46% in 2000 to 30% as of last summer.

Economists David Neumark and Cortnie Shupe believe there are 3 factors behind this worrying trend:

  • Rising minimum wage
  • Increased returns on education so teenagers focus on school
  • Labor market expansion from immigrants

They found the rising minimum wage has the greatest effect.

This is important to consider for your hiring strategy. There are going to be more unskilled and inexperienced workers in your candidate pool that will work for minimum wage. Hiring someone with no experience is a risk, and an expensive risk to make if minimum wage goes up.

The onus will be on you and your leadership team to assess your hiring strategy and to determine if hiring an inexperienced worker is a risk your company is willing to make.

Starting Wage Ripple Effect

When the basement wage at your company rises, so will the rest of your wage ranges. A minimum wage worker who experiences a $3 wage hike could suddenly find themselves making as much as a tenured manager who has more experience. Now, you will have to pay your mid-level employees more, and so on. Suddenly, your budget needs to be reimagined so you stay in business.

When budgeting for a higher minimum wage, there are creative ways to work around this issue. It will be just another obstacle for your company to consider if and when minimum wage is increased.

The Higher the Minimum Wage, the Harder It Is to Hire

This is where STS Staffing comes in. When considering what will change when minimum wage rises, you need to identify the people who will be worth the money and have the skills you need to keep your business running smoothly.

We use our online skill testing service to conform to your hiring needs so you can choose the right person for the job. Regardless of if and when minimum wages rise, contact us for a quote and let us help you hire the best people for your long-term, or short-term, needs.

How You Can Speed Up Your Hiring Process

Happy business owner in a suit looking at his smartwatch next to his office window
There’s an old axiom in business and human resources which states, “Hire in haste, repent at leisure.”

I like to put it another way: Hire in haste, fire at leisure.

Business owners and executives know that, often, quick decisions are wrong decisions. With that said, there is a way to speed up the hiring process without jeopardizing the quality of the new employee.

By keeping an eye toward engaging in an accelerated plan that simply accelerates your generally prudent and deliberative decision-making criteria, let’s discuss the importance and benefits of a speedy hiring process.

I want to be clear. We’re not suggesting anyone cut corners, settle for less or avoid necessary due diligence when it comes to adding new hires.

All managers are judged by the success of whatever it is they manage. For most of us, that’s a team of people. The right addition to your team can make all the difference in elevating productivity, product and service offerings, and profitability. With this in mind, any hiring decision is a vital decision.

So, let’s dive in, and consider some questions:

1. What Are the Benefits of Speeding up Your Hiring Process?

Well, when we look at the current employment landscape, we’re seeing shortages of available candidates in all areas. From unskilled manual labor to technical personnel on up to the managerial level, there aren’t enough potential applicants.

It’s a job seeker’s market and individuals looking for work have a few potential options. Accelerating your hiring process and making a good offer to someone you consider a suitable candidate just makes sense.

2. How Do You Speed up Your Hiring Process?

Bring in your hiring team and agree on the development of a streamlined and standardized candidate vetting procedure. This isn’t to say you start from scratch and dump everything you’ve been doing — particularly if it’s been working. With the knowledge that this is a job seeker’s market in mind, everyone should understand the need to move quickly.

3. Who’s Involved?

As referenced above, having a hiring team is key. Depending on the size and needs of your organization, the team could consist of as few as 3 people, but shouldn’t go beyond 6 people.

Bear in mind here that recent data suggests that the more people involved in the hiring decision and vetting of a candidate will result in a better hire overall because you have more and varied perspectives to rely on. This is good, but don’t allow it to slow you down. Schedule interviews that include multiple team members at once, and try to have everyone involved speak to the candidate at least once during their first visit to your company.

4. I Thought You Were Going to Do That?

Once the team has a plan in place for your new speedy hiring process, make sure everyone follows through with their assigned task. If everyone agrees to move forward with the candidate, based on the first and/or second round of interviews — and don’t wait 2 weeks to schedule a second round of interviews — then a consensus needs to be reached quickly and all due diligence needs to be put into motion.

If your company requires a drug screen and/or background check upon the extension and acceptance of an offer, that should be anticipated and in-process on the day of acceptance.

Regarding the offer, make certain that all departments in your organization are on the same page and that the position has been approved and budgeted for in advance. Waiting for the department head to get back from their hike around the globe to sign off on a hire will likely result in the loss of a good candidate. With all the available employment options out there, your candidate isn’t going to sit around waiting.

5. Can I Start Next Month?

It’s a red flag when a candidate asks how much PTO they’ll get during the first interview. It should also be a red flag if a candidate wants to wait an inordinate amount of time to start their new job with your company.

A part of our speedy hiring process needs to include on-boarding the new employee quickly. If your new hire isn’t in place and productively involved in assigned tasks, then you are simply back to square one. There could also be another company out there with a better offer to entice them if they haven’t started working.

I hope I’ve sparked some ideas that will assist in reviewing your current hiring needs. To gain more perspective on the job market and getting the help you need quickly, feel free to contact our professionals who will help you find your next great hire.

8 Obvious Reasons You Need A Contingent Workforce Strategy Right Now

Business owner in a mechanic shop standing behind a laptop
In the summer of 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that nearly 16.5 million people in the United States held contingent jobs. High profile industries such as coal and steel employed a mere 230,000. The statistics show a dramatic shift towards US businesses hiring contingent workers and a massive growth in this country’s gig economy.

The contingent workforce trend is no surprise when you think of all the money businesses are saving on the front-end during the hiring process. But there are several other obvious factors as to why modern companies should consider multiple contingent workforce strategies.

1. Safety in an Unpredictable Market

It’s no secret the US job market is flourishing right now. Unemployment is as low as it’s been in decades, and everyone seems to be hiring. But how stable is it? Having contingent workers on your payroll gives you the flexibility to manage how big your workforce is in relation to how much business is flowing in.

2. You Pay for the Work They Do — Nothing More

In business, there is always a point in the year when production slows down. Nobody seems to be busy, and you’re paying your employees to simply be at work but not actually work. Having a contingent staff allows you to pay your employees based on the amount of work there is to do.

If a big project comes through the door, hiring contingent workers based on project size will give you the flexibility to pay them until the project is over, then you can cut ties with them once work slows down.

3. Buys You Time

Contingent workers can also be used as a stopgap during a transition. A specialist can come in and do the job of an employee who has left. They can work while you focus on finding a replacement who is more interested in staying at your company long term.

4. Hiring Contingent Workers Is a Low-Risk Game

What allows you to have contingent workers come and go from your business is that they’re not official employees, and they don’t have the same rights to a severance package if they are let go.

If you bring someone on for a special project and it isn’t working out, or your project has ended, you can easily cut ties without digging into your wallet.

5. Cost Effective Hires

You will find having the right contingent workforce strategy will also save you money throughout the hiring process. You won’t have to spend excessive money on recruiting and training a new employee. Instead, you’ll have a pool of contingent workers who are experts and ready to work.

You also don’t have to offer contingent workers the same benefits you do for full or part-time employees. Here is a list of areas where you will save money hiring contingent workers instead of full-time employees.

  • Health insurance
  • Paid sick/vacation days
  • 401k/Retirement plans
  • Administrative hours related to onboarding
  • Unemployment claims

6. They Are Specialized Hires

Some contingent workers are experts in a particular field or subject for specialized industries. They come to you with knowledge of the tasks they will be asked to perform. This helps you seamlessly integrate them into projects and saves your manager time because they won’t have to train them on specific skills and processes.

7. Gives Other Employees More Time to Do Their Jobs

If you and your team aren’t prepared to lose a member of the team, you can find yourself scrambling to stay ahead when you take someone’s 8 hours per day out of the equation. Members from other teams might be called over to help, in turn making them less productive on the tasks they were hired for.

Juggling too many tasks can have a negative effect on workers, so it’s best to plug the gap immediately. Contingent workers allow you to do just that and can prevent added stress on other team members.

8. They’re Mobile

Depending on the industry, some contingent workers can complete their tasks out of the office. This allows flexibility in several areas.

Logistical issues are taken out of the equation. You won’t have to worry about their parking situation or where they will sit in the office. They’ll have their own laptop and can work from virtually anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection.

Online project management tools allow businesses to stay connected without a word spoken face-to-face. Contingent workers are familiar with communicating and completing projects through online programs. They can also send you their billable hours and show you proof of what they worked on from miles away.

Formulate Your Contingent Workforce Strategy

Each business is different. A small mom and pop shop has different challenges than the 50-employee startup or the multimillion dollar corporation. Figuring out what’s best for your company is the trick.

Once your company decides to start hiring contingent workers, consider a staffing agency to help develop your strategy and fill your positions.

STS Staffing has the expertise you need to fill positions that require specific skills and knowledge. Our staffing services include a thorough vetting process for each candidate so you know your contingent hire will work perfectly within your strategy.

Learn more about our staffing services and how we can get your business up to speed with the contingent workforce trend.

11 Common Recruiting Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make

A frustrated business professional
You lost an employee. Suddenly, the pressure is on to not only fill the position, but to hire someone who won’t miss a beat. It’s a daunting task, and having your remaining employees pick up the slack is making work more stressful by the day. In these situations, you can’t afford to make one of these common recruiting mistakes.

The last thing you should do is hire a person from an old stack of resumes. It’s time to update that old job posting and start vetting candidates. Here’s a list of common hiring mistakes you can avoid as you navigate the recruitment process.

No. 1 Writing an Incoherent Job Description

There is a long list of hiring tips for employers so let’s start at the beginning. Remember, you’re selling your job just as much as these candidates are selling themselves to you. That’s why recruiters need to start with a strong job description.

Before posting the open position, make sure you’re clearly explaining the job you wish to fill, not the type of person you’re looking to hire. You can figure out the personality stuff later. You need to find someone who can actually perform the job first.

Clearly stating the duties for the job will give a potential candidate a transparent idea of what they’re applying for. A good way to go about this is describing what a typical day may look like and what tasks the candidate will be asked to perform.

This is also a good time to include ADA considerations. Remember to always list the physical demands of the job. If the employee will routinely lift 50 pounds, let them know. If the job includes climbing, balancing, stooping, pulling or even standing for long periods of time, put it in the job description.

Next, clearly state the skills it takes to perform the job. The prerequisites needed for the job will give you a good launching point during the screening and interview process. Make them prove they possess the skills you need by having them detail their experience during the interview.

No. 2 Posting Positions to the Same Old Job Boards

Once you’ve crafted the perfect job posting with the proper description and prerequisites, it’s time to share it with the masses. But where?

You may have a favorite online job board you go back to whenever you have a position available, but if you want to attract more candidates you need to cast a wider net by posting to multiple websites. Candidates flow between different job boards, so your listing needs to be where they are.

However, collecting resumes from different sites will take a little more work. If you’re in a specific industry or looking for an employee in a specific department like sales or human resources, go straight to industry-specific job boards. That way, you’re targeting people with the exact skills you’re looking for to fill the job.

No. 3 Getting Hung up on the Degree

Once you have a group of candidates that fit the skills you’re looking for, research their job history. Where have they been, what have they done for former employers and how can they help you?

Candidates have been told to include their education on resumes, too. While it’s important to prove they’re educated, this is something you shouldn’t get caught up on. That’s why the candidate’s education is generally on the lower half of their resume. If anything, a degree proves to you that they can finish a task.

It’s more advantageous for employers to examine and question actual job experience. Education is relevant, but always put more emphasis on what they’ve done in the past, not the grade they got in political science.

No. 4 Skipping the Phone Interview

Once you’ve collected a solid group of candidates who prove they meet your prerequisite and experience standards, give them a call.

This is what we call “screening the candidate” and it can save you a ton of time. During the phone call, make sure they are clear on the job description and your expectations of them if they’re hired. Then, ask them about the prerequisites you listed in the job posting.

Can they articulately prove they have the skills you are seeking, and have they applied them in a work setting? You will be able to tell quickly who is padding their resume and who actually has the experience you need.

Screening is also an easy way to assess their communication skills.

No. 5 Rushing Your Hire

Hiring is a big task. One of the best ways you can make it easier on yourself is to set specific steps in the hiring process and eliminate those who are unqualified from the pool of candidates as you go.

Start with a large group of resumes. Eliminate the ones that don’t fit your prerequisites, then eliminate half after screening the candidates over the phone. Eliminate another half of the candidates again after you bring them in for in-person interviews.

Make a short list and the further you go in the hiring process, continue to cut it down.

No. 6 Trusting First Impressions

Hiring a candidate based solely on their skills is a big mistake. What if they don’t fit with the culture of your company or the team they’re joining? It could become disastrous.

The same goes with personality. It feels good finding a candidate who is a great interview because they’re easy to talk to. They could be a great boost to the team’s morale, but the harsh reality is all that is meaningless if they can’t perform the job.

Personality is great, but remember you’re hiring someone to complete a job, not hang out with once you’re off the clock.

No. 7 Talking Instead of Asking

Interviewing can be an entirely different animal inside the massive task of hiring. But there is a golden rule you can turn to if you’re having a difficult time.

When interviewing a candidate in person, you should spend 20% of the time talking and asking questions. The remaining 80% should be left to the candidate.

Ask them open-ended questions that force answers with explanations. And while they’re giving you an answer, don’t start thinking about your next question, genuinely listen.

Follow-up questions are advantageous for you and the candidate. They allow the candidate to clarify an answer and get their message across clearly and they allow you to extract more information from the candidate.

No. 8 Not Sticking to the Script

Guarantee you have the next question ready by writing down a group of questions you’re going to ask in every interview. This will help in 2 ways:

First, you’ll be able to listen to the answers and ask better follow-up questions.

Second, using a script will also give you a chance to assess each candidate’s answer objectively. You can go back to your script and compare the notes from each interview and asses fairly.

No. 9 Hiring for Favor

This next common recruiting mistake piggybacks off trusting first impressions. When you find yourself in a position to hire, you may hear from your network about someone who would be great for the job.

Someone you went to college with grandson’s girlfriend could be new to the area and is looking for a job. Resist the temptation to hire them based off a personal relationship built a long time ago.

Nobody knows your company’s culture better than you — you know who and what your company needs. If that college buddy’s grandson’s girlfriend doesn’t fit what you’re looking for, don’t entertain the idea of hiring them.

No. 10 Following One Person’s Opinion

Hiring isn’t a solo mission. You can rip through resumes by yourself or with a staffing agency. You can even screen the candidates yourself. But when it comes to in-person interviews, pull someone from your team into the conversation.

This will help you get a second opinion on an individual. They may notice something you didn’t that might be good — or bad — for your company. Take someone else from the team if there’s a second interview. Multiple opinions will spark a healthy conversation about what you’re looking for in a hire.

However, you don’t want too many chefs in the kitchen. Keep your decision-making team small, consisting of employees who have a good feel for what the company needs.

No. 11 Not Talking to References

By now, you might have found the perfect person for the job. But before you send that offer email, call one or two of the references your candidate listed.

Getting an opinion from someone from outside your organization will ensure you’re not making a hiring mistake.

References are generally going to give a good review of the candidate so it’s important to ask about some of the weaknesses they showed at their former job. This will give you an idea of what to work on with the candidate once they become your employee.

The laundry list of common hiring mistakes can become overwhelming if you’re not careful. If you don’t feel comfortable or don’t have enough time, STS Staffing is here to relieve the pressure of hiring. Our team of recruiters will find the perfect employee for your full-time, temporary or seasonal staffing needs.

Check out what we can do for you and your business by getting a free quote.