Staffing Software: Top 5 candidate sourcing techniques for staffing and recruiting professionals

The job of a staffing and recruiting professional relies on the well-oiled integration of a lot of different parts. Between managing clients and potential hires, arranging interviews and answering emails, it can be tough to stay current on the latest and greatest new practices for candidate sourcing. Utilizing the right staffing software is critical for being able to stay current as a staffing and recruiting professional.

Keep these five tips in mind to improve your candidate sourcing abilities:

1) Focus on crafting the job description.

While it may seem like an obvious detail, how the job description is worded can mean the difference between the right caliber of candidates applying or a pile of lackluster options. Make sure your job descriptions focus more on defining the job versus the person. Providing a compelling and accurate image of what the job will entail, along with an accurate depiction of the company’s culture, will allow potential candidates to better imagine themselves in this role and help them determine whether they have the right qualifications, experience, and disposition. Don’t be afraid to express all of the qualifications the client is looking for in a candidate – but be careful not to be so specific that only a ‘purple squirrel’ will fit the position.

2) Create a search procedure. 

A client might be looking for a new account manager and you’ve filled countless job descriptions just like this one successfully, but could your experience make you forget to research the role as well as you should? Source Con reported that thinking about the keyword search beforehand could save you some time down the road. Your staffing software and recruiting software should help you in this regard by allowing you to set up workflow processes and previously defined candidate searches that ensure success.

As Abraham Lincoln famously once said – “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the ax.”

3) Use social networking sites like LinkedIn. 

The digital age has provided staffing and recruiting professionals access to hundreds of thousands more candidates with a simple click of a button. You can provide your clients with plentiful options because social media networks have allowed professionals to place their resumes online in easy-to-read formats that are optimized for keyword and phrase searches. LinkedIn is currently the ultimate tool for staffing and recruiting professionals to source passive candidates and gain more insight into candidate credentials and capabilities, however, it’s important to ensure that you’re not getting lazy and relying too heavily on this one resource. Your  recruiting and staffing software, which is LinkedIn compatible, should always be your go-to tool for searching for available candidates to fill your customers’ job orders.

4) Make sure to network.

Yes, traditional networking skills are still crucial in the staffing and recruiting industry. Every business card you receive and connection you make at that dinner or event is a possible candidate for later to pull from. As you’ve seen, the soft job seekers who are gainfully employed, but willing to see what options you could bring them, are plentiful right now. Use your traditional networking skills to get business cards and then make digital connections on LinkedIn so you can keep aware of what a person is doing and how you both can help each other.

5) Stay in contact with candidates.

Your reach as a staffing and recruiting professional is only as good as your ability to connect with people. Expand your network by keeping in contact with past hires you’ve helped get a job – they more than likely will recommend someone else who might be actively or passively looking for a new position.

Staffing and recruiting professionals can use these tips in conjunction with staffing software to make greater strides in the industry. Use time-tested practices like personality tests, job skills checks, candidate sourcing and the right recruiting software solutions to stay on top of your game.

Misconception or truth? Millennial workplace stereotypes challenge staffing and recruiting agencies

Millennials may have an image problem. The generation, loosely considered those who were born between 1980 and 1995, are either in the workplace or about to be and unfortunately are viewed in less than flattering terms by many older professionals. Articles and web pages exploring the impact of millennials or dealing with them in the workplace have exploded on the Internet and a quick Google search for “generation Y or millennials and workforce or workplace” can result in about 72.5 million results, according to ZDNet. Meaning having the right staffing software for strong candidate placement is vital.

A recent survey from Beyond.com, a career network, has found that baby boomers and millennials have a drastic difference in opinion about how the younger generation stacks up.

  • A whopping 86 percent of HR pros said yes to the question “Are Millennials tech-savvy?,” but only 35 percent of Millennials answered yes.
  • Only 22 percent of HR pros said yes to the question “Are Millennials team players?,” while 60 percent of Millennials agreed.
  • Just 11 percent of HR pros said yes to the inquiry “Are Millennials hard workers?” However, 86 percent of Millennials answered in the affirmative.
  • Only 9 percent of HR pros said yes to the question “Are Millennials able to lead?,” but 40 percent of Millennials disagreed and believed themselves capable of leadership positions.
  • Just 1 percent of HR pros agreed with the statement “Are Millennials loyal to employers?,” while 82 percent of Millennials said yes in response to the question.

There is a number of stereotypes about this generation floating around – they’re tech-savvy, lazy and disloyal to employers. But, are these characteristics of an entire generation true?

Are millennials narcissistic?
It’s common to hear older generations comment on the narcissistic qualities of millennials. The Wall Street Journal reported that American college students scored 30 percent higher on the 40-item Narcissistic Personality Index in 2006 than they did in 1979, according to a San Diego State University study. An analysis of the University of California Los Angeles’ annual survey found that 53 percent more American college students rated themselves “above average” in writing skills than did so in 1966 –  and 13 percent more did so for math in 2009. Yet SAT scores decreased 4 percent over the same period.

Many believe this is a result of the “everyone gets a trophy” mentality that was rampant in the mid-90s. However, it is important to remember not to paint the entire generation with the same brush.

“There are always going to be some who are lazy and entitled, but they are people who give back to society,” said Dan Schawbel, a millennial who founded a research firm focused on his own generation, and the author of ‘Promote Yourself: The New Rules for Career Success.'”

Can millennials follow authority figures?
The idea that millennials don’t want to or refuse to follow the direction of managers and other leaders is common enough, and yet proven wrong in a number of studies. A study from the Center for Creative Leadership has found that millennials currently in the workforce are more willing to defer to authority than either baby boomers or generation X, reported Strategy Business. In a sample of 5,000 respondents, millennials were much more likely than the previous two generations to agree with statements like “Employees should do what their manager tells them, even when they can’t see the reason for it.”

  • 30 percent of baby boomers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement.
  • 30 percent of generation Xers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement.
  • 41 percent of millennials agreed or strongly agreed with the statement.

Psychologists believe this is because millennials were taught early on and throughout their schooling that doing as they were told would result in success. The “what do I need to do to get an A?” mentality.

Do millennials lack company loyalty?
The concept that millennials lack company loyalty in comparison to previous generations is actually an interesting falsehood, according to a study from the Center for Creative Leadership. Strategy Business reported that millennials are no less committed to their employers than baby boomers or generation X – at this time. Most references to company loyalty come from previous decades when the economy was much different and when it was the cultural norm to stay with an organization. This has largely changed for every worker in any generation, millennials just grew up with this mentality and were introduced to it at a much younger age. In addition, the lack of full-time positions available and increased usage of contingent or part-time labor has contributed to this change in mentality.

It’s important to remember that every generation suffers its own stereotypes. It wasn’t that long ago that the baby boomer generation was referred to as lazy or anti-establishment because many chose to protest the Vietnam War or social injustices. Every generation has to work to gain the trust and respect of the previous generation, who’s worried about passing the reins of the nation and its economy to a younger group. Staffing professionals can use their staffing software to better ensure that they are managing strong candidate placement – regardless of what generation the worker is a part of.

Mayday Healthcare Upgrades to Bond Adapt v11 to Address New Market Opportunities

Mayday Healthcare 200x200After a thorough review of the market to ensure that Mayday had the best functionality available to them in order to meet industry specific requirements, as well as continuing to improve efficiency across the organisation, Mayday concluded that Bond Adapt remained the best software to continue to support the business operation on an ongoing basis.

Steve Burnett, Group IT Manager, Mayday Healthcare, comments “In an increasingly deadline driven marketplace, Mayday Healthcare needs the best possible system with which to access candidate records and match them to vacancies which are sent through from various clients.”

Burnett continues, “Working to tight timescales demands a system that is intuitive and efficient, such as Bond Adapt V11. The system can handle not only candidate information, but also manage sensitive information which is linked to legislative compliance and flag to our recruiters when certain candidate qualifications are up for renewal. In short Bond Adapt really helps us to keep on top of our game.”

In order to meet time constraints, Bond Adapt V11 will display the shifts which require staffing in a pop-up window on each recruiter’s screen. Bond Adapt will then highlight appropriate candidates from the database to help the recruiter to fill the role. In addition, Bond Adapt also helps Mayday Healthcare to keep track of sensitive candidate information which may affect eligibility to work in specific roles; avoiding time wasted attempting to place ineligible candidates.

Burnett concludes, “Having worked with Bond for the past 12 years, the relationship is excellent. Bond understands Mayday Healthcare’s business requirements and was an obvious choice when the system upgrade was required. The functionality that Bond Adapt V11 offers simply re-affirmed that the software could support Mayday and help to draw in revenue.” 

Onboarding a Large Number of Employees in a Short Period of Time

Bond recruiting software customer Bolt Staffing utilized Bond onboarding partner Efficient Forms and their Efficient Hire/WOTC product to solve a paper intense and time sensitive problem.

Efficient Forms“When we received a call from a prospect that needed 141 people who lived 500 miles away to be put on our payroll within a week, I knew there was only one way we could pull it off: Electronic on-boarding. I had seen the Efficient Hire/WOTC presentation at our annual staffing conference, and at the time, felt we were too small for it to be a cost effective solution. This was a different situation that required us to onboard employees who lived far away. I called Todd at Efficient Forms and he fast tracked us through the set up process and we were using their system within a few days. Within a week, we had everyone onboarded and legally ready to work the assignment. No e-mailing pdfs, no scanning, no faxes. It went smoothly. Had it not been for the ‘can do’ staff at Efficient Hire we wouldn’t have landed this new account.” Joanne Sanders, President of Bolt Staffing Services, Inc.

Efficient Hire/WOTC automates the new hire employee onboarding process and tax credit screening/processing for a number of staffing firms that also use Bond’s eEmpACT and StaffSuite staffing software. Efficient Hire/WOTC uses a custom question and answer process built around the firms’ requirements to gather all necessary information and then completes the required new hire paperwork, including end client specific policies. For example, EHX automates the completion of all a company’s terms, conditions, policies, procedures, direct deposit, employee information, I-9, W-4, State 4’s, and so forth.

With the optional inclusion of Efficient WOTC a company can ensure that they are capturing all of the eligible candidates for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Using the plain English questions of Efficient WOTC during the hiring process, the 8850 and 9061 are completed in good order every time.

About Efficient Forms and Efficient Hire:

Founded in 2004, Efficient Forms, LLC is a privately-held Colorado company that specializes in automated electronic solutions for dynamic and cost-effective forms completion, data collection and process workflow. Their Transaction Origination Platform powers the company’s various industry leading SaaS services by allowing its customers to capture data for multiple forms by using an online one-time-entry “interactive question and answer” process. Its market leading solutions, Efficient Hire and Efficient WOTC, automate the new hire onboarding process for all types of employers.

Efficient Forms is a Bond Technology Partner whose technology enables our recruiting software customers to enhance and extend the capabilities of their software and their business.

 

Staffing and recruiting professionals see uptick in part-time employment hiring

The latest jobs report from the U.S. Department of Labor is painting an interesting picture. Staffing and recruiting professionals may be finding an increase in the number of clients looking to fill part-time positions or offering contract work, and these observations are part of an overall national trend.

Part-time work makes up large portion of recovery
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 162,000 in July 2013 and the unemployment rate decreased slightly to 7.4 percent. The sectors with the highest increase in employment during this month were retail trade, food services and drinking places, financial activities and wholesale trade.

The retail industry added 47,000 jobs in July and has added 352,000 positions over the past 12 months. Food and drinking places increased employment by 38,000 in July and just over 381,000 in the past year. Despite this positive growth, many officials and employment experts are concerned because a majority of the new positions being created are for part-time work.

“You’re getting jobs added, but they might not be the best-quality job,” John Canally, an economist with LPL Financial, told The Commercial Appeal.

The Commercial Appeal reported that part-time work has made up 77 percent of all job growth this year in the nation. In addition, traditionally low-paying sectors have provided 61 percent of all of those new jobs, even though these sectors only represent 39 percent of all U.S. jobs.

“The jobs that are being created are not generating much income,” Steven Ricchiuto, chief economist at Mizuho Securities USA, wrote in a note to clients, according to The Commercial Appeal.

Part-time workers still the minority
Despite the significant rise in the number of part-time workers in the U.S., this group still makes up the minority. The New York Times reported that there are 5.8 million fewer Americans working in full-time positions compared to December 2007, when the recession officially began. During that same time period, the number of workers with part-time positions has increased by 2.8 million.

With an increased share of employed individuals working in part-time roles and more companies offering part-time positions and temp work, it will be imperative for staffing and recruiting professionals to use comprehensive, efficient tools. Recruiting software allows a staffing professional to track the progress of potential candidates through the application process so that they know exactly when a position is filled and the individual who managed to snag the coveted role.

Jobless claims decline – Good news for the economy and staffing and recruiting professionals

There’s good employment news coming out of Washington – jobless claims are on the decline. For staffing and recruiting professionals, the knowledge that the hiring market is recovering will lead to the creation of more job orders. More clients are looking to fill jobs, more workers are looking for new career opportunities – an improving hiring market benefits everyone.

The labor market is improving
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, jobless claims dropped by 24,000 to 334,000 in the week ending July 13, 2013. Bloomberg reported that this is the fewest jobless claims reported since early May this year at 358,000.

“The labor markets are healing, and as companies see further demand for their goods and services, there is certainly less risk for job loss,” said Russell Price, a senior economist at Ameriprise Financial Inc. in Detroit, who projected a drop to 335,000, according to Bloomberg. Claims are “certainly indicative of an improving job market, but not a particularly robust one.”

There is a definite change of pace from where the economy was about a year ago, when reports were consistently showing a decrease in hiring across the nation. Experts are predicting that larger payrolls and greater job gains are increasing income growth and pushing forward household spending, which is turning around to further sustain the economy and encourage hiring.

“Jobless claims were a little bit better than expected which gives some comfort,” Richard Sichel, who oversees about $1.9 billion as chief investment officer at Philadelphia Trust Co., told The San Francisco Chronicle. “And then you have earnings rolling full steam now so it becomes a stock-by-stock market.”

Companies are increasing hiring
Economists and hiring managers agree – an increase in hiring is either happening or is about to happen. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the value of the dollar is on the rise and that is helping boost hiring, as companies take advantage of the increase in profits coming their way.

Bloomberg reported that payrolls have increased by 195,000 workers for the second month in a row up to June and jobless claims have stayed close to a four-year low at 7.6 percent. Companies are gaining confidence and hiring more people – especially in cities like Chicago, Las Vegas and Charlotte, North Carolina.

“We’re hiring more managers, we’re looking for quality people when they’re available and bringing them in as we’re looking to accelerate our growth,” Thomas J. Pennison, chief financial officer, said in a July 16 conference call, according to the news source.

Especially in the northwest portion of the nation, recruiting and staffing professionals are finding the number of jobs and clients looking to fill positions are increasing.

“In the Pacific Northwest, I think people are feeling better about the economy, but we’re not seeing much new hiring,” Chief Executive Officer J. Powell Brown said in a July 16 earnings call, according to the news source. “People are doing more with the same amount of employees.”

What does this mean for staffing and recruiting professionals?
For a staffing and recruiting professional, the ramp up in hiring signals an increase in the number of job orders you will have to fill. As a result, your sales, recruiting, and order fulfillment processes and strategy meetings will need to be more efficient and accomplish more in less time. With the right software solutions, professionals will find that this increase in jobs will result in higher profits with less effort.

Work Life Balance in Millennials vs. Boomers creates recruiting and staffing challenges

No one generation is exactly alike, however, the differences between the baby boomers and millennials are a bit more than first expected. As staffing and recruiting professionals are realizing, the priorities that each group focuses on when searching for a new position are vastly different, especially concerning work-life balance. The concept is often ambiguous because the perfect work-life balance is usually somewhat different for each individual. However, it is universally considered the balance between personal time and work and how flexible those lines are and whether the two worlds ever meet. Millennials are a bit more than first expected. As staffing and recruiting professionals are realizing, the priorities that each group focuses on when searching for a new position are vastly different, especially concerning work-life balance. The concept is often ambiguous because the perfect work-life balance is not the same for everyone. However, it is universally considered the balance between personal time and work and how flexible those lines are and whether the two worlds ever meet.

How baby boomers view work-life balance

The baby boomer generation comprises those who were born between 1946 and 1964. Workforce Central Florida claims that this generation is categorized by the desire to succeed professionally. Often this generation is characterized as workaholics and are expected to thrive on competition and one-on-one meetings. Baby boomers believe in working hard to achieve each level in the corporate ladder and as a result, those of this generation often believe in paying your dues and that money and perks are the result of hard work and long hours.

For many baby boomers, taking time off from work or using traditional company hours to handle personal business is considered unprofessional. As a result, this generation is seen to firmly believe in a top heavy work-life balance – more time is spent in the office and trying to climb the corporate ladder.

How millennials view work-life balance

Millennials have a significantly different view about work-life balance in comparison to baby boomers. Workers in this generation were born between 1981 and 1999. The generation is characterized as tech-savvy, enthusiastic, confident and achievement-oriented. Often workers from this generation require variety and challenges and do not expect to “pay their dues.” Work autonomy and the desire to use preferred strategies and procedures are classic signs of a millennial.

“The Millennial generation is already transforming long-held management practices within the workplace. Employers who want to recruit Millennial employees and keep them engaged and happy will need to adapt to meet their needs,” said Dennis Finn, Vice Chair and Global Human Capital Leader at PwC. “PwC’s study discovered that the stereotypes about Millennial employees are more false than true. Millennials’ attitudes are similar to those of older employees.”

In terms of work-life balance, this generation focuses its attention on using work as a means to an end and believes that flexibility in the office is required for a positive career experience. According to PwC’s NextGen: A global generational study, millennials put a premium on work-life balance unlike previous generations. Often individuals from this group do not believe that early career sacrifices are worth potential rewards and they want a balance between time spent at work and at home. In addition, because individuals from this generation grew up multitasking with the help of technology, they are more prone to blurring the lines between work and their personal lives. It’s not uncommon for a millennial to answer personal emails during working hours or to leave the office for an appointment and return later.

Is the difference in opinion impacting how each group is viewed?

The difference in opinion about the importance of work-life balance, as well as a host of other issues, are causing friction between the two groups. It’s not uncommon to hear older generations talk about millennials being lazy or entitled, while the younger set believe older workers are stuck in less efficient working practices.

Forbes reported that this divide on workplace etiquette has made generational intelligence a key requirement for any recruiting and staffing professional. The takeaway for recruiting and staffing firms is that you need to develop and use generationally applicable recruiting and placement techniques to assure your customers that there is a great fit between the job and the candidate/employee. That way everyone achieves their goals in balancing work and life – and for you, in successful recruiting and staffing.

Innovation or corporate culture – What’s more important for a staffing and recruiting professional to focus on?

For staffing and recruiting professionals, sometimes it takes the right blend of marketing talent to attract strong workers for an opening. For example, the passive job seeker is someone who is currently employed, but is open to new, better opportunities. Often these professionals feature desirable skills and have the ideal qualities for positions you are trying to fill for clients, which is why you should be actively seeking them out and storing their credentials and contact data in your staffing software database. However, how are you going to attract them from their current employers?

To pique the interest of an employed worker for a new position, you have to use your marketing skills to create an image of a desirable place to work. This raises the question of whether corporate culture or innovation is more attractive to a worker.

Some staffing professionals and managers believe that corporate culture [“the organization’s self-sustaining patterns of behaving, feeling, thinking and believing”] is a key way to ensure a productive working environment for an individual. ERE reported that “culture fit” is increasingly becoming the buzz topic and is all the rage in talent acquisition departments. The question that arises is: should the hiring process for a business place more weight on a persons’ cultural fitness or their professional capabilities? Having the same tastes, likes, and dislikes may be great amongst coworkers, but is hardly necessary to productivity. The same applies to office cultures that are more formal or informal. While an informal worker may feel more comfortable in a relaxed environment, he or she should not be hindered by working in a traditional corporate office.

As a result, some staffing professionals are doubting the importance of culture fit theories. This is in despite of other organizations that thrive and promote the corporate culture experience in their office like Google, HubSpot and Zoots. While all of these organizations have demonstrated innovation, their culture may not be the key to that success.

In contrast, many recruiters believe selling a job seeker on the opportunity to be an innovator in a business known for innovation is more important to attract them to the negotiations table. Working in a corporate environment that supports innovation is more crucial than staying in a positive corporate culture that may have a stagnate approach to change.

Innovative companies don’t rely on what they know and what they have done before. Instead, innovative companies are open to change and support suggestions. For go-getter professionals, this focus on innovation could be even more important than the overall corporate culture of a business and attract them to apply and stay in a position a recruiter is trying to fill.

How micro-videos and social staffing can improve recruiting efforts

For staffing and recruiting professionals, there’s always the question of how to attract new potential workers. After all, if you’re in the business of finding top-quality talent, you know it takes more than just posting an opening to an online job board to get the attention of the right candidates. Staffing and recruiting software helps you manage candidates and your entire hiring process, but how are you to first gain the attention of these individuals?

Social media has become a key tool a staffing professional can rely on to market clients and new openings. Of course Twitter and Facebook have become the cornerstone of your campaigns to find top talent, but there are also other options. ERE reported that micro-videos on Twitter and Instagram may prove invaluable to the staffing industry. New features offered by the two social media giants now provide everyone with the opportunity to load and share videos. This offers incredible potential in the staffing and recruiting industry because videos are almost always superior to words and can really demonstrate the brand of a firm and why a worker may want to join.

A micro-video shared on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram can demonstrate a brand’s authenticity and passion. According to the source, the length of the video is an important factor determining how the video can be shared. Twitter’s Vine only allows for a six-second shot, while the new video application to Instagram allows for 15 seconds. In contrast, social media users have been posting much longer videos on Facebook for years now. Because of the time restrictions, it is important that anyone posting a video takes into account the time frame and uses that knowledge wisely to get the most shares.

Micro videos provide recruiters with the ability to communicate directly with an audience. In contrast to larger videos, these smaller snippets can be updated repeatedly without large budgets. As a result, the micro videos are able to spread much more quickly and give workers a better idea of what the brand is all about and what services companies can provide.

However, just like with any other tool, a staffing professional must be wary of what he or she is putting out there and the risks that may be involved with entering the social media space. Maximize Social Business reported that as a recruiter, you don’t control the tool, which means you never know when a change in structure, privacy settings or other updates may throw a wrench in any plans. Therefore, it’s important for a social strategy to remain flexible and use more than one platform to ensure that the campaign remains relatively uninterrupted if an update creates havoc with one plan.

Social media has expanded the reach of many recruiters already, and with the advent of new features and updates, the tools have become of even greater use. Consider the merits of using these and other tools in daily marketing ventures. As with most communication efforts in the staffing industry, a long-term and short-term strategy is required to really get the most out of every investment. Remain flexible and with every update, consider how a new communication option, like micro-videos, is able to be implemented in a strategy for the greatest return on investment. The right video at the right time can reach a considerable number of people and expand your network beyond regional boundaries thanks to the power of social media sharing.

Staffing Talks: Robert Mulberger

The recruiting industry is certainly undergoing a change. The recent recession, increased automated processes and the rise of the digital sectors have all created a unique situation for staffing professionals, which has made the adoption of recruiting software necessary. But what does an experienced staffing professional think about all of this change?

As former president and board member of the American Staffing Association, Robert Mulberger has spent over 40 years helping people find work. His insights into the industry and advice for job seekers have made him an expert resource. Robb is the principal owner and CEO of Washington, D.C.–based NRI Staffing Resources, a regional staffing services firm, and has recently published a book titled, “The Ultimate Job-Seeker’s Guide!”

Let’s take a look into what he thinks the future of the industry may look like, the overall impact of the recession on the job market and what he is hoping to offer job seekers with his book.

What does the future of the staffing industry look like?
The employment rate is currently holding steady in the nation, with only slight rises here and there. However, for the most part, unemployment is at 7.6 percent or 11.8 million people out of work, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Some industries and regions are doing better than others, in terms of recuperating from the lasting effects of the recession. But there are a few overall trends that are blanketing the job market, according to Mulberger.

“The recession has resulted in fewer jobs to fill and fewer requests for temporary workers… no surprise there. Employers are slow to proceed, there may be work to be done, but better to make do than incur the cost of adding staff when the overall direction of the economy is uncertain,” Mulberger said. “Many a trade association is just treading water; their memberships are down and people and organizations aren’t spending on services, products, training, etc. as they did pre-recession. Same for public advocacy firms; their funding is less than pre-recession – hence smaller staffs and less ambitious plans and programs going forward. The recession has impacted direct hire placement more than temporary staffing, as it has during previous recessions.”

Mulberger added that “trends that have resulted [from the recession] include organizations doing more with fewer people and less resources. Employers, realizing that every hire is really important when working with a lean staff, expect a 100 percent match to the desired candidate criteria. Money is tight so there are pressures on fees and margins. The trend of using systems and automation to get the work done and keep head count low seems to have intensified.”

How is the ACA impacting the staffing industry?
Business owners, political leaders and staffing professionals are waiting with bated breath to see what will happen as a result of the Affordable Healthcare Act. Opinions about whether the repercussions will be positive or negative are all over the map, and people are trying to determine where the costs are going to be placed with the ACA’s implementation. Staffing Industry Analysts reported recently that recruiting firms will most likely see cost increases due to the requirement to provide healthcare coverage to workers who previously could remain uninsured. However other reports show that the costs could be passed on to the clients. The only certainty at this point for most staffing firms is that the costs will be laid at the feet of someone in the process.

“Well for sure, [the ACA] will raise costs somewhere for someone in the mix. The extent that staffing firms can pass some or all of the costs to clients remains to be seen,” Mulberger explains. “The news media reports that some organizations have shifted part-time staff workload to 29 hours per week and the repercussions from that won’t be known until some time goes by.”

To handle the change in processes and create a plan to handle the implementation of the ACA, Mulberger, like many other staffing professionals, is beginning to create a plan for the future.

“We [at NRI Staffing Resources] are talking to several insurance organizations to see who has a handle on what needs to be done to be in compliance and also to get on top of the record-keeping and paperwork. The one-year reprieve is helpful to the planning and preparation process.”

How can job seekers succeed in this market?
With the future implementation of the ACA and the lingering effects of the recession, many job seekers are looking for a way to boost their careers with a new position. Unfortunately, the market is a little less than receptive right now, which means that an individual’s search may be falling flat. Mulberger offers his advice for conquering the employment market and finding that next position in his new book.

“As the title ‘The Ultimate Job-Seeker’s Guide’ indicates, [the purpose of the book] is to provide a complete and definitive guide for job seekers at any and all levels. It begins with a discussion of the ‘world of work’ – what are some ‘absolutes’ of the world of work that a job seeker needs to know to maximize their chances of finding the right job for them. It then provides detailed guides to resumes, interviewing, using staffing services, creative internet searching procedures and related topics to make the process as effective as possible in the shortest time frame.”

“My book details the “world of work” environment that job seekers must understand in order to navigate the job seeking process. My book provides very detailed guidelines regarding resumes and interviewing and a unique chapter on internet searching using Google’s algorithms and the Boolean operators. There is no fluff in it and at 146 pages it is an easy and fast read.”

For staffing professionals and job seekers looking to improve their careers, the advice of a proven professional can provide exceptional insight into where the industry has been and where it might be going is invaluable. The staffing industry has demonstrated that proven skills, the right staffing software and a strong understanding of market trends can keep the industry strong and vital in the changing job market.