Tips Archives - Paragon Strategic Staffing https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/tag/tips/ Mon, 24 Oct 2022 12:00:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/cropped-paragon-logo-32x32.png Tips Archives - Paragon Strategic Staffing https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/tag/tips/ 32 32 Staffing Outside the Box: Part One https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/staffing-outside-the-box-part-one/ Mon, 24 Oct 2022 12:00:37 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=10069 There are numerous historical examples of people working in a temporary capacity, and the defined staffing model as we know it dates all the way back to the 19th century. While theRead More...

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There are numerous historical examples of people working in a temporary capacity, and the defined staffing model as we know it dates all the way back to the 19th century. While the essence of our work has stayed the same since its origin, staffing and recruiting wouldn’t be the multi-billion-dollar industry it is today if we simply continue to use the same tools, technologies and strategies that were used 50, 25 or even one year ago. The companies that have stood the test of time are those that staff outside the box and use new training tactics, technology, marketing strategies and more to stay relevant and competitive. The marketplace is growing and constantly changing, so in order to continue successfully servicing clients and candidates, staffing professionals must stay agile in their strategy.

Training and technology. Training is essential for every company, but it’s especially vital for staffing companies. In order to work cohesively and successfully as a unit, each employee needs to understand their role and the value of the work they are doing. There are some companies that don’t see the benefit of training or continuing to educate their employees. They worry that after investing time and money into their staff, they will leave. But research proves training has quite the opposite effect — 86% of HR managers believe training aids in employee retention (SHRM Research Institute and TalentLMS).

PREMIUM CONTENT: North America Staffing Company Survey 2022: Staffing Firm Plans for Use of Vendor-Provided Services

Role-based training. When it comes to implementing training protocols, many employers use outdated practices and make the mistake of leaving training responsibilities up to individual leaders. Instead, businesses should consider utilizing role-based training, which involves several different team members, aligns with the responsibility of each role and provides training for employees based on what’s expected of them. The opportunity to be involved in new employees’ training also gives rise to more tenured team members and further promotes staff retention.

Upskilling. Another training tactic to consider is upskilling, an approach focused on building existing employees’ skills to prepare them to fill new positions. As various industries leverage new technologies across the board, it’s important to close the digital talent gap and fill positions with candidates who have the specialized skills needed while maintaining your current workforce.

Investing in technology. Aside from creating opportunities for upskilling, technology also plays a massive role in the success of a staffing business. Small boutique firms might still run on paper ink and basic Excel or Word formats, but all they are doing is getting by. You have to invest in technology as it will bring you the greatest efficiencies that save you time and money in the long run. At Spherion, we have an entire team who stay up to date on staffing and recruiting technology and determine which systems and processes will help our franchisees and their teams operate at the highest capacity. That level of constant research can be an insurmountable task for an individual group, but is handled quite readily through a franchise brand like Spherion.

In the second part of this series, we’ll explore additional tactics and considerations that will help you stay agile in your recruiting strategy.

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Giving Workers Control Over Their Data Can Protect Their Future and Your Reputation https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/giving-workers-control-over-their-data-can-protect-their-future-and-your-reputation/ Wed, 19 Oct 2022 12:00:59 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=10061 For companies that connect the right workers with the right employers, background checks are crucial. But with rapid developments in data sharing, the brokers that sell data to background check firms nowRead More...

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For companies that connect the right workers with the right employers, background checks are crucial. But with rapid developments in data sharing, the brokers that sell data to background check firms now update more than one billion pieces of data every month. That’s one billion opportunities for typos, technical glitches and other errors that can deprive workers of job opportunities and create legal liability for background check firms, other verifiers and employers.

In turn, the past decade has seen an explosion of litigation under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which empowers people to resolve errors in credit reports and background checks, among other provisions. The number of FCRA lawsuits has nearly tripled since 2011, reaching 5,400 suits in 2021. Meanwhile, background check-related lawsuits have forced companies like Aerotek, Kelly Services, AT&T, Home Depot, and Whole Foods to pay more than $325 million in settlements. As just one example, Starbucks recently settled lawsuits alleging the company used flawed data from background checks to deny work to thousands of jobseekers.

Yet there is little reason to think employers have become less concerned for their workers. Rather, the broker-centered verification system has simply dominated the US workforce for decades, and it has become normal for employers to hire background check firms that buy their verification data from brokers like Equifax or Experian, which collect and sell billions of records on workers’ income, education, employment and more. Some verification firms are even subsidiaries of the brokers themselves. For instance, Equifax’s The Work Number service collects payroll data on more than half of the entire US workforce.

PREMIUM CONTENT: October 2022 US Jobs Report

Unfortunately, this system creates enormous risks for both workers and employers. Beyond the threat of data breaches — like the infamous 2017 hack at Equifax — or the fact that brokers re-sell worker data to countless buyers, it is incredibly easy for data errors to go undetected when workers are not included in their own verification process. Where data brokers assume there will always be errors across the billions of records they process, mistakes like inaccurate criminal histories, missing jobs and even small misspellings will be obvious and urgently important to the workers involved. And where 78% of employers aim to offer identity theft prevention as a worker benefit, employers can avoid all the added costs of this benefit if their workers can simply review their data and flag any anomalies.

This verification system is outdated and inefficient, and it treats workers like products rather than clients or consumers. Meanwhile, Equifax raised the price of its employment verification by 31% in the past year, passing these costs to job seekers, home buyers and staffing firm customers.

However, new technologies are emerging that allow workers to take control of their own payroll data, offering personal, encrypted vaults to store their data, review it for accuracy and share it with specific third parties with the knowledge that the authenticity of their data is guaranteed.

Regardless of the specific technology, it is critical that employers explore these new platforms. Beyond legal liability, mistakes in payroll data can devastate workers, ruin job opportunities and damage relationships with employers. For instance, the world recently learned Apple labeled former employees as “associates,” regardless of their title. Since these workers did not verify their own records, some were shocked to learn this error had derailed other job offers. Moreover, taking a bold step to protect your workers’ data can signal to your clients that they can entrust their own sensitive data to your company and your contractors.

To avoid litigation, PR crises, worker turmoil and corporate distrust, experts urge employers to arm themselves with policies, documentation and redundant compliance measures. And while these are good precautions, they can never fully shield a company that relies on data from massive brokers to vet their workers.

There was certainly a reason employers relied on data brokers in the past, but things have changed. Laws and technologies are shifting, leaving employers with a choice: Stick with the old system and do your best to defend against liability, breaches and distraught workers, or cut out brokers as middlemen and give workers a voice in their own employment story.

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Managing Remote Workers in a Variety of Industries https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/managing-remote-workers-in-a-variety-of-industries/ Mon, 17 Oct 2022 12:00:52 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=10057 With the pandemic slowly becoming a memory of the past and people adjusting to the new “business as usual,” it’s important to note that it hasn’t been that long since remote workingRead More...

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A sketch of a man and a woman in a video conferenceWith the pandemic slowly becoming a memory of the past and people adjusting to the new “business as usual,” it’s important to note that it hasn’t been that long since remote working was introduced into our lives. What once was a necessity when lockdowns hit has now turned out to be a global trend which is pretty much here to stay. If you are someone who manages a remote team, you’d probably like to stay up to date on the latest employment trends and see how other industries are managing the challenges of remote working.

Technology

The Covid-19 pandemic has sped up digital transformation and technologies by years, leaving businesses in a tight spot with managing their digital infrastructure and adapting to these changes. However, the technology sector has been leading the way in providing remote working opportunities and has been the fastest in adjusting to them. But with many remote tech workers preferring to stay at home, how can the technology industry thrive in the remote era?

Create a productive work environment. With daily commutes being a thing of the past, workers can now focus on core projects, which boosts overall productivity levels. However, it’s important to note that with IT and digital projects catapulting to the top of the meeting agenda and many businesses seeking to adjust their business models to the latest technological developments, including outsourced services, your team is still getting their well-deserved rest. Creating a work environment with a balanced workload and fair deadlines helps them feel at ease and appreciated even when working from home.

Customer Service

When high street chains closed their doors in 2020 and moved to the online sphere, the retail sector received a huge boost. Customers filling their digital carts resulted in rapid growth for e-commerce businesses. But with online stores suddenly having to manage the increased demand of customers, many companies responded to that by expanding their customer service departments. A huge benefit of hiring customer service representatives is that support can easily be provided via phone calls, emails or chats – all from the comfort of their own home. But has that taken a toll on customer service representatives?

Staying connected. Customer service jobs can be challenging, despite the perks of working from home. A customer service agent deals with various situations daily; some are more demanding than others, and it can easily take a toll on a person mental health. As such, prioritizing employee well-being has never been more critical. Getting involved in your team’s daily activities, sharing the daily struggles, and finding common ground can help your team face the challenges ahead. As a celebration of all your achievements, a daily virtual huddle, a day out or a networking event once every quarter can go a long way.

PREMIUM CONTENT: Online Job Advertising: 2022 Market Update

Marketing and Content Creation

Hiring marketing or social media representatives is an investment in future sales, as it contributes to building a company’s brand and selling it to a broad audience. Along the way, the team creates a range of content from blog posts to ads. As a manager, the day is never the same as you jump from project to project, which certainly requires good time management and organizational skills. But how can you ensure your team is driven even when the times are challenging?

Take feedback. As the digital world is changing rapidly, it’s only natural you expect your team to be up to date with the latest releases and ready to implement them in your strategy. But remember that building an empire with a solid base takes time and your employees need to feel supported while taking on more responsibilities. Make sure to implement regular meetings, take their suggestions on board when working out your strategy, and ask what other forms of support they would need to develop in their roles.

Final Thoughts

There are no right or wrong answers regarding best practices for managing your remote team, as each individual requires a different method. Remote working at this scale is a new and fresh method; best practices and technologies will inevitably emerge to help us. As always, it’s essential to be open-minded and focus on how you, as a manager, can empower your team and foster greater collaboration.

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Effective Ways to Handle Employee Attendance https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/effective-ways-to-handle-employee-attendance/ Thu, 13 Oct 2022 12:00:27 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=10051 Attendance management is all about finding the perfect balance between attendance, effectiveness and discipline. Between planning leave schedules, managing unscheduled absences and tackling absenteeism, there are also responsibilities like encouraging employees toRead More...

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Attendance management is all about finding the perfect balance between attendance, effectiveness and discipline. Between planning leave schedules, managing unscheduled absences and tackling absenteeism, there are also responsibilities like encouraging employees to use their paid vacation time and avoiding workplace presenteeism. This is why attendance management is challenging now more than ever before. In this article, we’ll show you how to motivate your employees to be more present at work, both mentally and physically.

Develop a clear attendance policy. A formal attendance policy allows you to establish consistent and precise standards throughout your organization while outlining the disciplinary procedure for policy violations. Once you’ve established workplace attendance policies, make sure to share them with all employees.

More importantly, you must be consistent with applying these rules. This is the only way to show employees how serious your attendance policy is.

Use time-tracking software. Another approach to handling employee attendance is using time and attendance management software. It can boost employee responsibility and decrease absenteeism, and it can assist you in monitoring hours, tardiness and absences, managing schedules and tracking vacation and sick time. By using tracking software, you can discover patterns and take measures to enhance attendance.

There are many tracking software programs available, so choose one that enables you to tailor the system to your company’s requirements and receive updates when errors occur, such as an employee working overtime.

PREMIUM CONTENT: October 2022 US Jobs Report

Measure the employees’ performance. Employee performance should be directly related to attendance in your evaluation system. Furthermore, we suggest that you consider rewarding employees who perform exceptionally well. Of course, these do not have to be costly programs! You can create fun ways to entice and attract your team members (e.g., movie tickets or gift cards) or acknowledge them publicly during staff meetings.

For example, if you’re relocating the office and looking for ways to minimize downtime for your employees, you can reward them if they show extra motivation during this time. Staying productive during an office move can be challenging, but with some enhancement, you can turn your workspace into a well-oiled machine.

Address the attendance issues on time. Do not put off discussing performance and attendance until a planned one-on-one meeting or the annual evaluation. Supervisors should take the responsibility to address these issues with staff as soon as possible. Every manager is responsible for their team’s attendance and overall performance, and dealing with concerns immediately will probably lead to a change in behavior.

What can supervisors and team leaders do to address these issues and overcome potential obstacles? Setting aside time for team training or a development workshop containing sections on handling employee attendance and performance will keep supervisors updated.

Offer fair time off. Companies that provide generous paid time off (PTO) benefits may increase employee attendance and efficiency. Employees will establish the routine of scheduling their days off if you provide adequate time away from the workplace. For example, suppose one of your employees is using their PTO for the process of moving houses. Professional moving crews like those from mod-movers.com can help the employee estimate how many days the move will take so they can forward accurate information to you ahead of time, allowing you to find substitute coverage, reschedule project deadlines and balance workloads across teams.

You need to choose the type of PTO you want to provide to your employees. Is there a set amount of time each year? Is their time off granted all at once or accumulated? Do you provide unlimited PTO?

Offering fair time off is one of the most effective ways to handle employee attendance. Not only will the employees avoid absenteeism, but they will also try and be more productive to earn their PTO.

Final thoughts. While absenteeism makes for a challenging workplace, it is avoidable. Your company can save money and decrease absenteeism by handling employee attendance and establishing a fair attendance policy that deals with issues adequately. Furthermore, providing a reliable PTO policy that covers vacation and sick time can reduce the number of times employees fail to show up for work.

We’ve given you the most effective ways to handle employee attendance. All you have to do now is implement them according to your company’s and employees’ needs.

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Strategic Planning Best Practices https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/strategic-planning-best-practices/ Tue, 11 Oct 2022 12:00:20 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=10046 Strategic planning is important because it provides a sense of direction and outlines measurable goals. Strategies should map long-term plans to both objectives and actionable steps. It should foster innovative thinking asRead More...

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Strategic planning is important because it provides a sense of direction and outlines measurable goals. Strategies should map long-term plans to both objectives and actionable steps. It should foster innovative thinking as well as anticipate and mitigate potential pitfalls. While there are many frameworks available to form your plan, I like to use the OGSM model. OGSM stands for objective, goals, strategies and measures. It is a straightforward tool you can use to help you put your corporate vision or strategy into action.

Regardless of which format you decide to use, I recommend starting the strategic process by conducting a Strategic Discovery Session. It is helpful to first consider the organization’s strategic positioning (how the organization differentiates itself from its competitors) and the market environment surrounding the organization and then conduct a SWOT exercise.  Spending time up front identifying how internal and external factors may impact the organization over the length of the strategic plan cycle is a wise investment of time. It helps ensure that a solid understanding of current risks and opportunities are factored into both the desired outcomes and the final plan.

After completing this preliminary step, you can formulate your desired outcomes. During my time as CEO, my most successful strategic plans included financial, people and process — goals that tied to our overall purpose. The purpose is your WHY. It is not only why the organization exists — it is also what unites the people in the organization. Ensuring the purpose is not only understood by each member of your organization but more importantly how each contributes to that purpose is critical to the whole team buying into the plan. Having your purpose front and center as you craft your plan is critical to your success.

As I mentioned above, plans should also include financial, people and process goals. Give some thought to the desired outcomes as they relate to financial goals along with the human capital and culture, talent attraction, retention, employee happiness and wellness, engagement, and development goals. Is the financial goal achievable? Is it a big enough stretch? Will it motivate people? How does it compare to the market growth and average return? In regards to people, what is most important for your organization in the coming year? What, in this area, do you need to focus on to deliver on your purpose?  What will tie the people to the purpose more completely?

PREMIUM CONTENT: CW Program Business Case Template

Some organizations overlook setting PEOPLE goals and focus solely on the financial goal. In my experience, this does not achieve a sustainable framework for the organization.

Lastly, goal setting should also consider process improvements that support the purpose and delivery of the financial goal. Including this in your goal-setting project will ensure that the strategic process is more thorough and robust. The more you can involve operational team members in this strategic activity, the more likely the goals will be achieved. People with hands-on operational experience and insight need to be at the table to ensure the best chance of getting the process development and investment right.

It goes without saying that goals need to be MEASURABLE. One of the reasons I like OGSM is because measurement is a key factor in the framework. Again, I encourage you to discuss the key performance indicators and measurable outcomes with operational leaders and those at the grass root levels. Depending upon how large an organization you lead, you may want to extend the strategic planning process to include work teams and/or strategic planning committees to flush out more detailed action plans.

Once the plan is crafted, the process moves on to communication, implementation and follow up. These steps are where the rubber hits the road and the plan starts to become a reality. Next month’s blog will address these important steps. As a leader, I always looked forward to the strategic planning process. Today I enjoy coaching and sharing my experiences with other leaders.

Overall, the more inclusive you make the process, the greater chance you have of succeeding.

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Top Five Mistakes Healthcare Recruiters Make and How to Avoid Them https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/top-five-mistakes-healthcare-recruiters-make-and-how-to-avoid-them/ Wed, 05 Oct 2022 12:00:52 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=10039 In the fast-paced environment of recruiting, even simple or seemingly small mistakes can cost you valuable candidates. Avoid these five common recruiting mistakes to attract more candidates, get them hired and takeRead More...

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In the fast-paced environment of recruiting, even simple or seemingly small mistakes can cost you valuable candidates. Avoid these five common recruiting mistakes to attract more candidates, get them hired and take your healthcare recruiting to the next level.

Not Utilizing Mobile Tactics

Recruiters must be highly adaptable to attract top clinicians. Utilizing mobile tactics and advanced technology like mobile apps, texting and chatbots offers a quicker, more interactive way to communicate with candidates and collect data throughout the process.

We have found that texting has response rates that are 50 times better than email, improving turnaround times and shortening the recruitment process. Mobile tactics like texting enable recruiters to get to know potential future employees and also give candidates room for flexibility by better accommodating busy schedules and allowing clinicians to respond to recruiter messages at their own convenience.

Not Leveraging Social Media

Social media platforms attract massive numbers of users who rely on these platforms for job hunting, making them great places for healthcare recruitment to attract clinicians to open job notices. Most major social media platforms have built-in advanced targeting capabilities that help recruiters reach the right candidates and drive more clinicians to the job listings. Social media is nearly unequaled for targeting specific audiences, yet only 13% of health systems report using it as part of their recruitment efforts.

Facebook groups and LinkedIn are especially popular for building professional networks and sharing healthcare staff openings. These platforms complement traditional recruitment tactics while growing a network of active and passive job seekers.

Leveraging social media is important because it allows recruiters to reach those passive candidates, who aren’t on job boards but might consider a new job if they see the right opportunity. Additionally, passive candidates not looking for new employment often forward interesting job notices to friends who are looking. These instant referrals help recoup paid social media marketing expenses and carry more weight than paid engagements because they come from trusted sources.

PREMIUM CONTENT: Online Job Advertising: 2022 Market Update

Avoiding Pay Transparency

Hiding pay is one of the most common ways recruiters lose the trust of job candidates.

Being transparent about pay and other job perks like benefits and ancillary support services significantly increases ability to attract top talent. Clear salary ranges inform clinicians if a role meets their expectations before they even apply, saving both employers and job seekers time. Pay transparency also helps in recruiting advanced practice professionals by eliminating compensation confusion from the start. Ongoing pay transparency helps retain these essential and highly sought clinicians by building stronger, more trusting and longer-term relationships between employers and employees.

Particularly now, as states ratify pay transparency laws, proactive health systems that embrace pay transparency in their recruitment process will stand out to candidates as organizations who look out for their employees.

Solely Relying on Generic Job Boards to Source Candidates

Traditional job boards like Monster and Indeed have long been the primary platforms to post general job openings. But they aren’t ideal for sourcing healthcare candidates, especially for specialty roles. In addition, many candidates have turned away from these platforms, which can inundate them with poorly matched job offers.

The best way to source healthcare candidates is through healthcare-focused marketplaces. Niche sourcing tools attract active job seekers, uncover passive candidates and streamline the healthcare recruitment process. Some platforms, such as ours at Vivian Health, directly connect recruiters to healthcare specialists to find quality candidates even faster.

Being Unresponsive

Failing to respond quickly to candidates is an easy way to lose them to a competitor. Consistent communication, even just quick check-ins, creates a more personal and positive experience for candidates and lets them know they are a priority.

Transparency, setting reasonable expectations and avoiding making promises that can’t be kept are key. If you say you’ll get back to them on a certain day or at a specific time, always follow through. A little extra effort, and you’ll stand out as a recruiter who’s honest and genuinely cares, which helps you attract a greater number of highly qualified candidates.

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Mental Health in Management: How to Recognize Overworking https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/mental-health-in-management-how-to-recognize-overworking/ Tue, 04 Oct 2022 12:00:44 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=10034 When you’re a manager, it can feel as if the workday never really ends. After all, it’s your job to keep the work humming along. You’re required to plan and orchestrate theRead More...

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When you’re a manager, it can feel as if the workday never really ends. After all, it’s your job to keep the work humming along. You’re required to plan and orchestrate the seamless collaboration of people and processes to achieve both short-term and long-range goals.

That means, in short, that you’re tasked with being an analyst, strategist, problem-solver, coach and mentor all at once. That’s a tall mountain to climb for anyone, no matter how well-trained or experienced you may be.

It’s little wonder, then, that so many managers find themselves becoming overworked and overwhelmed. This article describes strategies business leaders can use to protect their mental health by recognizing the signs of overwork and taking proactive steps to prevent it.

Recognizing the Signs of Overwork

When you are in leadership, it can be difficult to ever truly break away from work. After all, the success of your company and your team rests largely on your shoulders. You may realize that even during off hours, you constantly check your work email or text messages or your thoughts drift back to work-related issues.

Even if you are not consciously aware of a preoccupation with work, you may nevertheless experience symptoms that indicate underlying anxiety or sleep deprivation likely caused by overwork. You may also experience physical impacts of work-related exhaustion such as headaches or increased blood pressure.

PREMIUM CONTENT: CW Program Business Case Template

Taking Action

Whether you are already experiencing the signs and symptoms of overwork, or you want to take proactive steps to prevent them, there are ways to find a healthier work/life balance as a manager.

Set boundaries. It can be easy for salaried managers to be “always on,” attending to work matters any time of day. That’s why the first and most important step is to set firm boundaries (and adhere to them). Ensure that your work actually ends at the close of each work day. Teach your clients and colleagues to respect your off hours, and make sure you do the same by resisting the temptation to “check in” or “get a few things done” while you’re at home or on vacation.

Delegate tasks. Avoiding burnout and overwork is about more than your life after hours. At work, take a step back from your hands-on approach and analyze which tasks you could delegate to your employees. Not only is task delegation essential for managing your workload, it’s also a managerial skill that empowers employees and helps them learn new things.

Prepare them for your absence. In this vein, set your team up for success by training them to excel while you’re on vacation. Coach them on how to resolve conflicts and solve problems. Doing so won’t render you obsolete as a manager — it will ensure there are no fires to put out when you get back and enable you to focus on new improvements now that your team can handle problem-solving and new tasks.

Consider automation. In some cases, you might not want to delegate tasks to employees. Instead, automating certain tasks will enable everyone to focus on higher-level work. For example, you could use AI software to approve employee workflows, create schedules, update information and more. Automation is a great way to displace some of your workloads and make room for the tasks, such as coaching, that only a human manager can do.

Make the most of your time off. It’s also critical to make time for socializing and recreation. You won’t reap the rewards of your off hours if you’re worrying about work and waiting for the new business day to begin. Instead, use your personal time to gather with family and friends, engage in a physical activity you enjoy or participate in a favorite hobby.

Use evenings and weekends to enjoy mini-staycations and ensure you’re taking at least one or two full vacations a year. These little adventures will help you replenish and rejuvenate not only your body but also your mind and spirit.

The Takeaway

Sometimes it seems as if a manager’s work is never done. However, if you don’t make the commitment to setting boundaries and striking a healthier work/life balance, you may well find yourself paying a physical and emotional price for your overwork.

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Ten Ways to Reduce Your Candidate Acquisition Costs https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/ten-ways-to-reduce-your-candidate-acquisition-costs/ Mon, 03 Oct 2022 12:00:17 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=10032 New candidates don’t appear out of thin air — finding new prospects requires investment. The amount you invest to attract a potential candidate for a new role is what is known asRead More...

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New candidates don’t appear out of thin air — finding new prospects requires investment. The amount you invest to attract a potential candidate for a new role is what is known as your candidate acquisition cost (CAC). This cost considers how much you spend on your recruitment team, tools and marketing and advertising spends to bring in new candidates.

The problem is when staffing firm owners have no clue of their acquisition costs and, as a result, invest too much into recruitment channels that don’t produce candidates and invest too little into the channels that work. On the flip side, firms that understand these numbers are more profitable and thus grow faster.

A rough calculation to find out that figure is to divide your recruitment outlays by the number of candidates attracted. However, you’re not out of the woods yet. Now that you know your acquisition cost, how do you know if it’s feasible? One way to have an idea is to look at the lifetime profit value, or how much money you’ll make over the average relationship you have with a placed candidate, and decide how much of that figure you’re willing to invest in acquiring another candidate.

Once you determine how much you’re willing to invest to acquire a new candidate and compare that to your current acquisition costs, then and only then can you optimally deploy your marketing dollars and drive down your CAC. Here are 10 ideas you can use within your staffing firm to reduce your costs to acquire candidates and subsequently improve your sales and marketing ROI.

Establish a formal referral program. Using the candidates you’ve already placed is one of the most cost-effective measures to help you find new candidates. For every referral you generate, you’ve cut your cost to acquire the original candidate in half!

Create a loyalty reward program. Loyalty programs help you differentiate, provide tangible value and fuel your word-of-mouth efforts. A program like this aimed at maintaining relationships increases lifetime value and, thus, your lifetime profit.

PREMIUM CONTENT: Online Job Advertising: 2022 Market Update

Optimize your advertising campaigns. By improving ad performance and optimizing your ads, you can eliminate wasted ad spend and allocate those funds towards attracting more candidates without increasing the budget.

Invest in training your recruiters. Implementing a training program can significantly decrease your CAC since any incremental improvement in contact or placement rates will magnify your current results.

Narrow your target audience. Focus your marketing dollars on your ideal candidates as opposed to casting a wide net.

Automate. Utilize sales and marketing automation tools so that your recruiters spend more time on high-value activities instead of menial tasks.

Nurture old or stale leads. You’ve already paid to acquire these candidates that have gone stale. Instead of considering them useless, engage them and see if they’ll reconsider your offerings.

Reduce labor costs/outsource. Keep your investment costs low by outsourcing or bringing on contract workers that execute certain tasks without being on the payroll.

Improve candidate web experience. What’s the point of traffic if it’s not converting? Upgrade your web presence so that more of your visitors find and reach you.

Retarget. Don’t consider web visitors who left your website a lost cause — run retargeting ads that follow them around the internet until they convert.

Wrapping It Up

Reducing the cost of attracting new candidates isn’t always easy, but once you’ve figured out your CAC, try these ideas as a part of your long-term strategy to reduce costs, increase profitability and grow faster than your competitors!

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Getting Back on Track https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/getting-back-on-track/ Mon, 12 Sep 2022 12:00:34 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=9993 If you are like me, it is hard to get things done in the summer. There are so many fun distractions, and it is a great time to take a break. WeRead More...

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If you are like me, it is hard to get things done in the summer. There are so many fun distractions, and it is a great time to take a break. We are now a couple weeks away from the official start of fall, and that means the calendar year-end crunch time is around the corner. A change of season is always a good time to check to see if you are on track with your leadership goals and what you want to accomplish.

When a leader starts in a coaching program with me, I have them complete a Leadership Questionnaire that asks them to reflect on their personal and professional goals — what is working well and what areas they would like to develop. It helps leaders take stock of their leadership journey and think about where they are right now and where they want to go.

I encourage them to keep this document and refer to it throughout the year to help them stay the course and/or reassess their plan if their priorities have changed.

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If you have committed to a similar process, now is a good time to have another look at your work and refocus on your goals. If you have never taken the time to reflect on your own goals, I encourage you to do so now. While the work will change over time, it serves as a guidepost along the way and helps leaders to stay on track.

Think about what you set out to achieve this year and how you measure up so far.

Are there actions you committed to that you have given up? Why — what got in the way? Is it something worth course correcting for?

If you are on track, you may want to consider setting an additional goal, taking some time for yourself to fill your own cup and/or paying it forward. Reflect on who on your team seems off track with their goals and how you can support them to get back on track.

The change in season brings with it renewed energy towards our goals. Are you ready to get back on track?

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How to Pick the Right Staffing Partner for Your Business https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/how-to-pick-the-right-staffing-partner-for-your-business/ Thu, 08 Sep 2022 12:00:21 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=9990 The labor market is tight — as every businessperson in the United States knows. A recent Reuters report showed that, even though some sectors have cut positions, there are still two openings for everyRead More...

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The labor market is tight — as every businessperson in the United States knows. A recent Reuters report showed that, even though some sectors have cut positions, there are still two openings for every unemployed person. Another recent article reported that, in a study of talent acquisition leaders, 83% said hiring has risen from a HR-level priority to a business-level one.

Getting the right people in the right positions has never been more important, and it’s maybe never been more difficult.

I’m not saying I have all the solutions. I am a numbers person, though, and I happen to work in the staffing industry. I’ve looked at the costs from a lot of different angles, and I can confirm what most hiring managers already know: Hiring is expensive. Recruitment is costly with the rising cost of job boards and the time it takes a recruiter to identify a quality candidate. Getting a new employee up and running isn’t cheap, not just because of the time a company devotes to training, but because of the start-up costs associated with bringing a new employee on board with pay, payroll taxes and benefits.

Pre-pandemic, the kind of talent that fills call centers or handles customer service was largely seen as a commodity. Companies might use vendors to source candidates and then identify the cheapest possible candidate with the necessary skills or experience. But we don’t live in a pre-pandemic world, and businesses need to change the way they approach this business-critical need.

Hiring needs to be strategic, thoughtful and interactive. And even though I’m biased because my work is all about numbers, I think there’s no more cost-effective way to do that than to partner — like, really partner — with a trusted company that has the expertise and systems in place to identify the right candidates for the right jobs. Some companies, mine included, assume some or all of the costs in getting a new employee on board, from covering all hiring expenses to managing or providing the benefits and payroll that cover a new hire’s compensation package.

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This approach can be risky for companies such as mine because we invest a lot up front, and if we don’t match the right candidate to the right opening, we lose that investment. We think of it as a funnel. The funnel starts with a job posting, which we pay to amplify and which reaches a wide range of job seekers. We train and employ professional recruiters who evaluate candidates’ skillsets on paper and then narrow that pool to those we want to screen by phone. Our recruiters then complete a behavioral interview with the most promising candidates. The most qualified candidates are passed on to our clients, working in partnership to conduct strong interviews, background checks, reference calls and credit checks before presenting an offer to a candidate. It’s a partnership, and it’s one that we value and spend a lot of time building.

Picking the right staffing partner company can be a challenge, but here are some tips: Find a partner organization that shares your company’s values. Look for a partner company that works to build trust. A good partner will seek to understand your company’s openings, timing of hires, pain points and the behavioral characteristics you want in an associate. A hiring manager and a good vendor won’t look at labor as a commodity, but rather as a chance to give a great candidate a great opportunity with a great enterprise — ideally with the goal of providing that associate a long-term position that brings growth for both the employee and the company.

Hiring has changed, and that could be a good thing. It isn’t a company’s best interest to think of its people as a commodity anymore. Treating employees like the important business-level priority they are will certainly aid in retention. But on a granular, process-based level, thinking intentionally about the mechanisms of how your company identifies and sources talent could not only bring you a better candidate pool, it will save you money.

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