Federal Government Contract Jobs Indianapolis

 

Is your workplace more stressful than it was pre-recession? According to a Right Management poll,* 92 percent of workers polled feel that their workplace has become more stressful in the last five years. Due in large part to the recession, employee stress has increased due of the following:

• Staff cutbacks, leading to heavier workloads
• Reduced training and professional development
• Fewer advancement opportunities
• Greater competitive pressure
• Company focus on sales results, earnings and bottom line

What can companies do to manage the increased stress in the work setting? We have several suggestions:

• Look for opportunities to praise employees (especially publicly) for the extra effort. A little “thank you” goes a long way.
• Offer low-cost perks that might make employees feel valued, de-stress, or save time, such as a more comfortable work environment, meals provided during extra work hours, optional monthly on-site massages, or a company fitness center.
• Provide (financial or other) incentives for employees who meet their performance or sales goals.
• Keep an open communication between the HR department, the management teams, and the employees to ensure employee satisfaction and avoid unnecessary turnover.
• Consider hiring temporary employment help during high-demand periods or employee absences to keep full-time staff from getting overloaded with work.

Every workplace has stress. However, if leadership learns to manage the stress in the workplace effectively, companies can keep stress levels to a minimum, and maintain worker satisfaction.

* Source: EHS Today: The Recession Spells Increased Stress for Workers; April 1, 2013

Are you looking for a qualified, temporary staffing agency in Indianapolis to fill positions at your firm?  That’s Good HR is a leading temp agency in Indianapolis. Among all of the employment services we offer, we staff more temporary jobs and temp-to-hire jobs than other job categories. With the rise in temporary service demands in Indianapolis area, as well as throughout the country, we are helping our Indy clients meet staffing demands while minimizing long-term overhead expenses.

As Indianapolis temporary staffing specialists, we recruit job candidates for several popular temporary job categories. In fact, That’s Good HR is a temporary staffing specialist in several job categories, including:

• Administrative jobs: Indianapolis companies often seek highly skilled professionals for office and administrative roles. Many of these positions are hired on a temporary or contract basis to meet demand, but often times become temp-to-hire administrative positions.
   
• Financial and accounting jobs: In Indianapolis, financial and accounting jobs remain two of the most in-demand categories in the local temporary staffing job market. Like administrative temp jobs, financial and accounting positions often start as temporary staffing positions for seasonal projects, and many employers prefer to hire job candidates on a trial basis. For this reason, we have several recruiters at  That’s Good HR who focus exclusively on recruiting and placing temporary job candidates in financial and accounting positions.
   
• Human resources (HR) jobs: As an expert staffing agency in Indianapolis, we also know what it takes to find the right person for an internal human resources role. We help many of our Indy clients recruit for HR candidates, which is also among one of the growing fields in the Indianapolis job market.
   
• Executive (C-Level) jobs:  Many firms consider hiring executives on a contract or temporary basis during leadership transitions, when a current executive is absent for an extended period of time, or simply just to ensure a good fit before hiring permanently. With a recruiting team in place to help you with your executive search, as well as our customized, hrology services such as contract, compensation and benefit negotiation as well as transition services, That’s Good HR can serve the role as your executive headhunter with ease.

So now you know that we are more than just an employment agency in Indianapolis. Whether you’re seeking a temp agency and temp services or simply want to work with experienced Indianapolis headhunters, That’s Good HR can help you find the perfect fit.

 

As an Indianapolis recruiting firm, we are always keeping updated on the world of recruiting. We try to stay on top of trends in order to serve our customers and candidates better. So here are a few developments in recruiting that we have noticed in recent months:

1. Social media has become more important in the recruiting effort: More college graduates are using social media to search for jobs and bolster their online profiles. Similarly, recruiters and hiring managers continue to use social media to search for candidates and promote job openings.
    
2. Temporary staffing is the new norm: That’s Good HR has seen an increased interest in temporary staffing needs among our Indianapolis clientele, particularly in areas of administration, accounting / finance and health care. Companies that are reluctant to hire permanently continue to use temporary staffing to test the waters before hiring permanent staff. Meanwhile, candidates seeking full-time positions have benefited from temporary or contract positions to pad their resumés in between jobs.
    
3. A hiring boom is imminent: The unemployment rate continues to drop in many regions, including in the Indianapolis jobs market, which is an indicator that more companies are hiring. We see this job hiring trend increasing in the coming months.
    
4. Outsourcing is in: With less time to focus on recruiting efforts, companies further develop relationships with outsourced partners such as staffing agencies in order to stay ahead of hiring trends and focus on internal training, retention and support.
    
5. Government issues will impact HR: Hiring managers will need to keep updated on changes in legislation and public policy issues such as tax, health care and immigration reform, and a potential minimum wage increase in 2013.  Companies may need to adjust compensation or benefits to offset these changes, and be prepared to address these issues to potential hires and current staff.
    
6. Employees are demanding a more flexible work environment: Employers who recognize the need for workplace flexibility will benefit from opportunities to attract and retain employees and increase employee satisfaction, among other benefits.

What trends have you noticed impacting your hiring or job search efforts? Feel free to comment below.

Many seasonal jobs become available throughout the year, particularly toward the end of the year. While many retailers hire this time of year, other companies are busy too, preparing for year-end closing, audits and compliance work – meaning that they need plenty of good accounting and finance professionals.  If you are currently looking for a job, but haven’t found the perfect fit yet, think about securing a temporary job. Not only can it supplement your income while you’re in-between positions, but many employers will keep temporary workers, hiring them as permanent positions after the end of the busy season.

Here are some candidate tips for finding the perfect seasonal job:

• Apply early: November is the perfect time to begin your seasonal job search, before all of the other candidates have applied.
• Make a list of targeted companies: Many companies could use extra assistance during the busy season, but haven’t found the time to contact a recruiter or post a wanted ad. Think of industries that would typically need extra assistance this season (such as retail, catering, hospitality, delivery or other services, banking or finance).
• Contact recruiters: Recruiters such as That’s Good HR may have the best opportunities for temporary and seasonal work, so get to know ones in the fields you seek, and fill out an application so they will have your resume on file.
• Use your experience in new ways: Think of how you might use your previous employment background in new ways to uncover greater opportunities for seasonal work. Experience typically matters more than education when it comes to finding the right fit for a temporary or year-end position.
• Find a personality fit: A less-than-ideal position at a company whose culture fits your own might be a better choice than an ideal position at another company.
• Be flexible: The more flexible you are with work hours (evenings, weekends, etc.), the greater opportunities you’ll have because these are often skills that employers are seeking this time of year.
• Treat it like any other job: Just because a seasonal or temporary position isn’t your ideal job, you should always enter into it with professionalism – starting with your application, and including your attire and preparedness during your interview. And your performance on the job may impact future employment opportunities, so always do your best, even if the position is temporary. 

 

Many companies choose to hire temporary help toward the end of the year, to withstand the seasonal demand on their products or services. In many cases, companies use temporary workers to offset the time off or holiday pay that full-time or permanent workers receive. Seasonal or temporary staffing can help your business remain competitive, and will allow you to add staff with less risk than hiring for full-time positions.

When hiring seasonal staff, here are some things to keep in mind:

1.      Anticipate Demand: Before determining how much temporary help you’ll need, do a quick forecast of previous year-end seasons or annual trends to help you hire strategically.

2.      Hire Early: To get the best seasonal applicants, you’ll want to start searching and recruiting well ahead of your anticipated need. This ensures you will have adequate time to advertise for the position, as well as to hire and train applicants.

3.      Use a Temp Staffing Agency: Indianapolis temporary agencies like That’s Good HR that specialize in temporary staffing can help you find a greater pool of applicants for your seasonal employment demands. In addition, they can be a good resource if you don’t have time or resources for the hiring process. Staffing agencies can also post your position on the national or local job boards, assist with employment guidelines and even handle payroll for you.

4.      Screen Applicants for Perfect Fit: Don’t just hire any temporary worker; consider the qualities important to the position and that would be the best fit for the team, and make sure those qualities appear in your job description, or that you communicate them to your temporary staffing agency.

5.      Allow Time for Training:  Especially if you are hiring for categories such as customer service, accounting or finance, you’ll want to allow plenty of time for your new, seasonal hires to learn the company culture, processes and customer service requirements at your firm.

6.      Continue your Search Year-Round: Once you have a few, good temporary workers in your back pocket, you’ll be better equipped if you encounter a future demand throughout the rest of the year. In addition, you may find a few hidden gems that you want to hire on permanently.

 

 

At That’s Good HR, our clients trust us to find them the perfect candidate for the position they’re seeking, and time after time, we deliver on that promise. But perhaps your business has not used a recruiter before, and you’re a little apprehensive about whether or not it’s right for you. We’re here to give you a few good reasons why you should consider hiring a recruiter, in the hopes of changing your mind:

1. Recruiters are Experienced in Recruiting. Not to brag, but day in and day out, our Indianapolis staffing specialists are looking for qualified candidates for our client companies. We are skilled and organized when it comes to the hiring, screening and interviewing process for temporary, contract and permanent positions. So when it comes to finding the right person for the job, we’re the right person for the job.

2. Recruiters can Build Relationships. Because we recruit often, we have a large database of potential candidates from which we can recruit. This might be substantially larger than the contacts that you have built internally, so our resources might result in finding the better fit for your organization.

3. Recruiters have Resources. Our Indianapolis recruiters have the manpower and time required to devote to the hiring and recruiting process, whereas your CEO or hiring manager may have responsibilities in other areas of the business that may prevent him/her from fully engaging in the process.

4. Recruiters keep it Objective. Sometimes having an external company evaluate the open position from an objective, unbiased viewpoint can benefit the company – when it comes to the job description and responsibilities as well as negotiation and salary requirements. We have industry perspective and can help you find the best hire for the resources you have and ensure a fair market value.

5. Recruiters help you Hire Confidentially. If you choose, you can use a recruiter to confidentially hire for positions without the whole world knowing that you are hiring. This is especially important if you are hiring for a high-profile position or want to keep information away from competitors.

6. Recruiters Control the Paperwork. If the thought of emails and resumes flooding into your office doesn’t appeal to you, a recruiter can handle this for you. This can be a major benefit to employers who don’t want to deal with the distractions of sorting through resumes and cover letters to find qualified candidates.

7. Recruiters help you Compete. Hiring a recruiter can give your potential employees reinforces the importance of the open position, and of the company’s future growth. With many qualified job candidates out there, we’ll make sure you attract the best and brightest.

For those of you who have used a recruiter, can you think of any other good reasons? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

As many of you know by now, my husband is a Police Officer and has been for 28 years.  While on my way to work this week, I saw him pull over a vehicle which I was pretty certain had just run a red light.  When I pulled up to the roundabout, I had to stop at the intersection and watch what was transpiring in front of me.  He had his red and blue lights flashing but the car didn’t pull over right away and ended up driving to the next intersection, making a right turn and then pulling over on a two lane road.  Once I was convinced that the vehicle had actually stopped and wasn’t trying to run, I continued my drive to work.  I had to shake my head because I had observed this situation many times with him before.  Essentially what happened is that instead of the driver pulling over when he turned on his lights (which was on the four lane road), the driver continued until she found a place that SHE felt was better suited for him to get out of his vehicle.   I was also very aware of the earful that she was about to receive when he walked up to her vehicle and I am sure it went something like this, “When I turn on my lights, I expect you to pull over immediately.  I know the place that is the safest for us both to pull our cars over.”  Many people do exactly what she did.  They wait to pull over until they find a spot they fell is best rather than pulling over ASAP after seeing the flashing lights.    

This incident got me thinking, do I trust the experts in my personal life?  When I hire a painter and am having difficulties deciding between two colors, do I ask his opinion or try to figure it out on my own?  When my child is sick, do I call the doctor and talk to the nurse or do I try to figure it out on my own by searching symptoms on the internet?  

As it relates to That’s Good HR and Indianapolis careers, do I feel like my clients treat me as the expert in Indianapolis job openings?  I have to say that it makes me feel pretty good when a client asks me to name the candidate that I feel is the strongest for their opening.  I have had two clients in the last couple of days ask me my opinion on that very topic and it was such a great feeling!  I also appreciate when my client trusts me to handle the hiring process for their candidates.  So, as one of the “experts” in this field, considering my 12 years in staffing, what advice do I have for hiring managers today?  I have a couple of things to keep in mind but, first and foremost, I must stress that this is a candidate’s market!

• Hiring managers need to move quickly when they have openings.  The best candidates are not on the market very long because they are getting positions quickly; several companies want this candidate!
• As a result, we are sending our best candidates to multiple hiring managers and/or companies so that we can immediately get those A+ candidates placed. 
• Since 2008, this year has been the most difficult in finding talented staff that aren’t working and ready to go to work tomorrow for a temporary position.   We want to fill our openings but we don’t want to sacrifice quality as this is the number #1 reason our clients say they use That’s Good HR.   

My goal is that each of the hiring managers I work with will trust me to be the expert in my field during this candidate’s market as I trust that you are in your field.  Please keep in mind that I can help you with temp, temp to hire and direct hire opportunities in the area of Finance/Accounting, HR, Customer Service and Administration. 

 

 

We thought it might be helpful for those of you who have never worked with a recruiter and may be considering hiring one for an open position, to learn a little bit more about our process. So we’d like to answer a few questions about how our recruiting firm works:

Who are we? That’s Good HR is an Indianapolis staffing firm that helps companies fill open positions in fields like accounting, finance, HR, and administrative positions. We hire for temporary, temp-to-hire, contract and executive positions.

How does the hiring process work? Typically, a company in our market (our client base is mainly Indianapolis but we also serve clients in other states) identifies their need for a specific position. The options for this position usually fit one of the following categories:

• Temporary positions (for a company’s short-term or seasonal employment needs)
• Contract positions (for a project or positions they want to try before they make a hire)
• A permanent position (full-time employee or executive search)

The client calls us and gives us the “job order,” which can include anything from the job description to the candidate requirements, location, work hours, etc.

Armed with all of the necessary information, our team at That’s Good HR places job listings on behalf of the client, and then go out to match up the client’s needs with the candidates in our database. We begin calling and contacting candidates immediately upon receipt of the job order. 

How do you find candidates? That’s Good HR fills our database through participating in job fairs as well as interviewing and recruiting potential candidates on a daily basis. We are constantly updating our records, adding new candidates every day. If we meet a candidate who is a great fit for one of our client positions, we set up a screening and interviewing process, which we hope will culminate in a successful hire.

What about temporary jobs? For our temporary or contract positions (which are the bulk of our Indianapolis jobs), That’s Good HR also hires the candidate on behalf of the client. This means that we handle all of the employment paperwork, including the W-2s and payroll, and the client is actually an employee of That’s Good HR. We send the client to work at the client site, and if the client wants to end the position for any reason, they simply call us, and we take care of the communication and paperwork with the employee on behalf of the client. In this case, we serve as an outsourced HR function for our Indianapolis clients.

So there you have it – a behind-the-scenes look at how That’s Good HR operates. Let us know if we can help you with any of your temporary or permanent staffing needs.

 

Many job-seekers connect with recruiters at the beginning of a job search, hoping that the staffing firm will help them find their ideal job. They may get discouraged when the recruiter doesn’t find them a position or even any interviews. But what the job-seeker may not realize is that a recruiter’s job is actually to fill specific positions that their client companies request – not to help that one candidate find a job.

At That’s Good HR, we can serve as a good resource for candidates looking for a position, but only as they are a fit for our client positions. In the end, we work for the client companies, not for the specific job seekers. However, we do hope that all of our candidates find meaningful and fulfilling employment, and we will try to help to open a door with one of our client companies if the opportunity arises.

Here are some best practices for working with a recruiting firm:

• Learn the industries for which your recruiting firms specialize in recruiting. For That’s Good HR, it would be temporary staffing, including administrative, finance, accounting and human resources. You may even want to tailor your resume to fit these criteria, if it makes sense.
• Give the recruiter as much information about your ideal job. Be honest when you speak with a recruiter about your desired position, your skills and experience, and your expectations for your future job. This will help them to match you with the right opportunities for both you and their clients.
• Stay in contact with your recruiter. If you have landed a position, or your career search has shifted gears, let the recruiting firm know so that they can update their records, and/or keep you in mind for upcoming opportunities.
• Use your recruiter as a resource, not a total solution to your job hunt. Because recruiters are searching for specific candidates, you’ll need to take advantage of other networking and job-seeking channels, such as participation on LinkedIn or attending professional networking events and job fairs, for a better overall job search experience.

Building a relationship with a recruiting firm has its advantages during the job hunt. Knowing the process that we use to find candidates for our client companies, as well as how to communicate and present yourself effectively to recruiters, can help make your job search go that much smoother.

 

This year, on Sept. 10-16, That’s Good HR will be celebrating National Staffing Employee Week, a week established by the American Staffing Association (ASA) to honor the contributions of America’s temporary and contract employees. These individuals number in the millions, and the majority work full-time. Day after day, temporary and contract workers actively contribute to the growth and prosperity of our economy, and they deserve to be celebrated.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our client candidates – from the accounting specialists to the administrative, customer support and HR employees – who have become such an integral part of our daily routine. We couldn’t be here without you. 

As a small token of our appreciation, our team will be dropping off some fall goodies for all of our current working candidates.  If you see us at your place of business, please stop us to say hello!

Join That’s Good HR, along with the ASA, in thanking and celebrating all of the millions of temporary and contract workers that you know -- for they are the true stars of America’s workforce.

 

With a slowly recovering economy, employers have been cautiously hiring again. However, some companies have chosen to fill needed positions with temporary or contract/freelance talent, rather than full-time labor. According to some experts, this trend could become the new reality.

Without a single measurement of the number of individuals working on a contingency basis (The U.S. Department of Labor stopped tracking this figure in 2005 due to budget cuts), we can only speculate that the number is growing, based on the prevalence of temporary, contract and freelance positions available on job boards and the growth of the temporary staffing industry in Indiana and the United States.

At That’s Good HR, we recruit and interview potential temporary candidates all day, every day. Some of the reasons why we believe employers are hiring more contingent (i.e. freelance, temporary or contract workers) include: 

• To grow and hire without risk: If a company seeks to expand, hiring temporary staff during the expansion allows them to manage growth without the stigma of a reduction in force if the company’s growth does not continue. The company always has the option to hire those temporary workers permanently, if they choose, allowing them to determine whether the candidate is a good fit for full-time status.
• To keep costs low: Contingent workers require less overhead with no sick or vacation days, retirement accounts or health coverage, so a company can boost its bottom line with a smaller full-time staff. At That’s Good HR, we handle our clients’ hiring process, for them, saving them time, as well as the cost of hiring (taxes and benefits) when they use our temporary staffing services.
• To accommodate a flexible workforce: Many employees prefer to work part-time or to telecommute, so a temporary position is an ideal fit for these individuals. On the employer side, our clients often hire us to fill temporary positions for circumstances such as maternity leave, seasonal demand, or short-term projects. As an added benefit, employers who hire telecommuters or contract workers can reduce the amount of team office space needed to run the business.
• To leverage a variety of skill sets: Rather than trying to find an employee who meets all of the skill and experience requirements of a given position or project, companies can fill that void with temporary or contract employees and sometimes get the job done more efficiently or effectively at a lower overall cost.

Benefits of Being a Temporary Worker:

For job candidates looking for full-time employment, the contingent workforce trend may seem discouraging on the surface. Many individuals have sought temporary or contract positions out of necessity, to supplement their incomes until finding a permanent job. While these people miss out on the stability of full-time employment, the option of temp or contract work can help them maintain their skill set and boost their resumes while in-between jobs. The temporary positions themselves offer greater flexibility, as well as the opportunity for future full-time employment with those companies.

At That’s Good HR, since we specialize in temporary staffing services in the Indianapolis area, we are excited about this employment trend, and we are ready to help both the employers and candidates find the ideal fit for their situation.

So, I was browsing Wikipedia and looked up the definition of feedback to see if it was consistent with the level of importance that we put on the survey feedback that we get here at That's Good HR. Here is the definition that I found:

"Feedback describes the situation when output from (or information about the result of) an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or occurrences of the same (i.e. same defined) event / phenomenon (or the continuation / development of the original phenomenon) in the present or future."

We ask our candidates and our clients how we are doing as often as we possibly can. After interviewing in our office, every candidate receives a survey and at the conclusion of each assignment, we send a survey to ask both the client and the candidate about their experience with us and with each other.  The feedback that we receive from these surveys is critical to how we conduct and manage our business. The feedback that we do not receive is most likely even more crucial, but because we do not receive it, we are missing some great input into process improvements or reinforcements.

Our surveys are very short and easy to respond to - they take about 3-5 minutes, tops. We read, analyze and appreciate every single word of input and feedback that we receive from these surveys. We also invite our clients and candidates to Share their Story right here on our blog as well. To hear from our customers about how we are doing is the highlight of our day - even if the feedback is negative, we are excited because only when we know what we might be doing wrong, can we correct it or make it right.

This feedback not only challenges us to be better at what we do, it gives us an opportunity to thank our temporary employees when they do a great job on an assignment.  When we get excellent feedback from a customer, we send a special thank you to that employee.  This feedback also helps us to learn more about the culture and environment at our customer locations. This information can only make us better at what we do.  There simply is no downside for asking how you are doing for your customers at any point in the service delivery process that you can.

So, how do we encourage our Indianapolis staffing customers to provide feedback? Our current response rate on our surveys ranges between 55-75%, which simply stated, means we are missing out on a lot of great information.  We are trying some new tricks and ideas here to increase that rate.  I will let you know how they go, but we would love to hear some ideas from our Indianapolis staffing audience as well! 

In the meantime, I encourage you to have your voice heard, provide feedback on your experiences whenever you can. With modern technology and the amount if information at your fingertips on the Internet we are all relying on each other more and more to tell us what you think about....well, anything at all!  For example, when I look up a new recipe on line, I pay attention to the comments and ratings from others who have tried it out already.  This helps me to know that this recipe works better with olive oil instead of butter without going through the trial and error myself. Good stuff! 

At That's Good HR, we get a large percentage of our candidates and clients through referrals so for us, telling other people what you think is of great value. So, keep talking, Indianapolis, people like me want to hear from you!

Welcome to the first post in our new series titled "From Your Point of View". We are so excited about this project that showcases some of our most enthusiastic customers and candidates and provides insights into utilizing staffing services from their point of view. We thought we would give you a break from hearing our point of view and provide you with a new perspective.

Our first participant in this project is Steve K., Accounts Payable Manager at a well respected local medical facility. Steve has worked for this company for over 21 years and he has had experience working with contract staffing on and off for the past 18 years. Steve has become quite the expert on what to expect from his staffing partner and does not compromise when it comes to working with a vendor he can trust. This is why we thought he would be a perfect person to offer staffing advice with our readers.

Steve receives calls from staffing vendors all the time which can pose a problem because he has a very busy job to do and could not possibly take the time to field all of these calls. Talking to sales people is never fun for anyone, particularly for Steve, who was not a big fan of staffing companies. Then one day Steve received a call from Tiffany Moore at That's Good HR and things changed. Her approach was just different enough that Steve decided to meet with her. The meeting happened at a time when Steve was not in need of temporary staffing, but the impact of the meeting would stay with him and when the A/P function for his company consolidated, he knew exactly who he was going to call to help get the job done.

What is most important to Steve when working with a vendor? He sees the relationship as more of a partnership than a business transaction. He will only work with someone who is genuine and loyal and he has tested this over time to ensure that these qualities are consistent and real. What does Steve want from his staffing provider? It is easy - consistent delivery on what he needs and easy solutions to those problems that are bound to come up.

The differences that matter most to Steve? Follow up that is not just a phone call to see what else he can do for you. Rather, regular engagement with sincere concern about his satisfaction with the service provided.  What turns Steve off? Calls that ask for more business, more referrals or to shove another resume down his throat.  Pushy sales people with nothing new to say or to offer. Sounds like the same things that might drive other hiring managers crazy too, doesn't it?

We asked Steve for some sound advice for staffing companies from his perspective. Here is what he had to say.

"Conduct your business in a genuine, ethical manner. Don't pressure your clients to give you business. Don't make your customers deal with issues when it comes to the employees. The staffing company should take care of all of this for the client."

Steve is naturally a really nice guy. He does not like to hurt anyone's feelings or make them feel bad. When things don't go quite right with a temporary employee, it is important to Steve that the staffing service handles it for him. This is what has made him loyal to the vendors he uses, no matter what the need and I would venture to guess that Steve is not alone in his method of choosing who he works with.

We would like to thank Steve for his candid insights and for volunteering to be our very first participant in this blog series. Look for more customer and candidate interviews coming up each month and if you would like to contribute to our project, drop us a line, we would love to hear from you.

This week, I bring you all kinds of secrets and insights around finding, hiring, maintaining and retaining employees. I am even bringing up the "E" word (Engagement) because although it may be one of the annoying buzzwords that needs to be eliminated (according to one article below), it remains an important aspect of talent management (as mentioned by another article below). I am also sharing some great insights around working with staffing services from the American Staffing Association. What would a news week be these days without something being "Occupied"? Lastly, I included some good old economic news, as you can never have enough of that.
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Thinking about engaging a Staffing Service? Here are Five Tips you should know: According to the American Staffing Association, there are over 17,000 companies in the United States offering staffing services.  Services include a variety of temporary, contract, permanent placement, and HR consulting services. (recruiter.com)  

What HR Professionals Need to Know if your Employees decide to "Occupy Wall Street": The “Occupy Wall Street” protests are gaining steam across the country. Could employees who participate risk losing their jobs? Recent events show that the answer to this question is “yes,” at least in certain circumstances. (shrm.org)

October 2011 Economic Briefing: In September, Marion County’s unemployment rate decreased by 0.3 percent from 9.3 percent in August to 9.0 percent. (Developindy.com)

Employee Engagement still a Concern in : Seventy-one percent of American workers are "not engaged" or "actively disengaged" in their work, meaning they are emotionally disconnected from their workplaces and are less likely to be productive. (Gallup.com)

Working with Employees that are just not nice: Insubordinate behavior, such as refusing to carry out a direct order, is grounds for termination. But before any action is taken, HR leaders should ensure that company policies explain what constitutes insubordination and make sure incidents are well-documented. (hreonline.com)

What The C-Suite Wants From HR: I don’t have a secret window into the world of executive leadership, but I do have a strong opinion on what the C-Suite wants and — more importantly — doesn’t want from Human Resources (weknownext.com)

7 Business Buzzwords That Need To Die: Once we’re bothered by something, we tend to notice it more. So it could be that the business buzzwords that make me cranky are no more significant than the guy who bumps my chair when he walks past--which, on second thought, isn’t a big deal, he’s been doing it for years. (fastcompany.com)

You May be Surprised About What is holding back your Wellness program:  What is it? Nope, not your vending machine/cafeteria options. Not employee engagement (or lack thereof). It’s your desk. (benefitnews.com)

Conducting Winning Interviews: Although more emphasis tends to be placed on the interviewee rather than on the hiring manager, both roles are equally important. As the interviewer, the employer is looking to you to hire the right person for the job and sometimes sell the candidate on the position. (recruiter.com)

Job Seekers Require Employers to be more Forward-Thinking: A recent study conducted by CareerBuilder and Inavero indicates that over the past several years, job seekers have developed a highly complex, multi-faceted approach to the job search, in which they utilize today’s sophisticated technology to their advantage. (thehiringsite.com)

Healthcare costs will rise for some smokers, obese: In recent years, a growing number of companies have been encouraging workers to voluntarily improve their health to control escalating insurance costs. And while workers mostly like to see an employer offer smoking cessation classes and weight loss programs, too few are signing up or showing signs of improvement. (reuters.com) 

You Might be Missing our on exceptional talent: In retrospect, the biggest blunders often seem inexplicable. Four different book publishers, for instance, passed on J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter novel. A weird story about the adventures of a juvenile wizard and his friends just didn't seem worth a $5,000 advance. Oops. (fortune.cnn.com)

Trick or Treat?

This question can apply to many of the hottest HR and employment issues I came across this week. Social Media, Social Security, Healthcare, Unions, Benefits, Hiring trends and Productivity killers. Tricky? You better believe it. Treats? Only if you mange them correctly. How to do it right? Back to being Tricky. Makes you want to just bury your head in a big bag of Halloween candy, doesn't it.  Well, hopefully some of the news of the week will help you chase some of those HR ghosts away this weekend.

Happy Haunting!
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Make sure you Manage your Online Profile: Why do employers conduct background checks?  Employers are concerned with negligent hiring practices. They confirm potentially false or inflated information, abide by federal and state laws and acknowledge the age in which we live – the ‘information age.’ (womenofhr.com)

Social Security Rigor Mortis - through the eyes of the Millenials: According to a poll of 642 18- to 29-year-olds conducted by the Strategic Research Institute at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis., 50% don’t believe Social Security will exist by the time they become age-eligible for the program at 67. Another 28% think the program will be around, but will provide a much smaller benefit. Just 5% expect benefits to be the same as they are to current beneficiaries. (benefitnews.com)

Shifting Costs of Perks and Benefits: As the economy sputters and health-care costs rise, businesses large and small are eliminating benefits they consider nonessential and shifting more costs to employees for the benefits that are offered. (wsj.com)

Soon-to-be Retirees get some Good News: Social Security benefits to rise 3.6% next year: Social Security retirement benefits for about 55 million people will go up by 3.6% next year, the first cost-of-living increase since 2009, the U.S. Social Security Administration said last week. (benefitnews.com) 

Indiana panel recommends right-to-work legislation: A committee of Indiana lawmakers is recommending their colleagues approve "right-to-work" legislation when they return in January for their 2012 session. (ibj.com)

DOL issues final rules on 401(k) investment advice: Defined contribution plans may offer advice from a third-party as long as that entity receives level fees regardless of their recommendations, or through a certified computer model. (benefitnews.com)

Hiring Activity for October Appears Weak: Continuing a recent pattern of weak job growth in the United States, hiring in October will be limited in the manufacturing sector and will fall in the service sector compared with a year ago, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) survey for October 2011. (shrm.org)

Hire With Purpose: Q&A With Small Business Expert Jay Goltz: “I’m not looking for great storytellers. I want to figure out what makes people tick and how they operate on the job.” (thehiringsite.com)

Skilled Worker Shortage or Training Shortage?: Even with unemployment hovering around 9%, companies are grousing that they can’t find skilled workers, and filling a job can take months of hunting. Employers are quick to lay blame. Schools aren’t giving kids the right kind of training. The government isn’t letting in enough high-skill immigrants. The list goes on and on. But I believe that the real culprits are the employers themselves. (tlnt.com)

Productivity Killers at Work: Americans may be spending more time at work, but they're also becoming much less productive. Workplace productivity dropped 0.3% in the second quarter, following a decline of 0.6% in the first three months of the year, according to the Labor Department. It was the first back-to-back decline in productivity since the second half of 2008. (The Street)

Rising Government Layoffs Overshadow Private-sector job growth: Crippled by plunging tax revenues, state and local governments have shed over a half million jobs since the recession began in December 2007. And, after adding jobs early in the downturn, the federal government is now cutting them as well.

Unemployment Discrimination: Monster.com Has It Right, People (Job Boards are PLATFORMS)...: Repeat after me: Job Boards are PLATFORMS, not arbitrators of quality, fairness or morality. What's a platform?  A platform is where the masses can come and use technology in a variety of ways.  Think Facebook, think Amazon. (hrcapitalist.com)

I recently participated in a Webinar presented by the American Staffing Association (ASA) on the topic of "The Economy". I know, who isn't talking about the economy these days? As a matter of fact, who has not been talking about the economy since it began to tank in December of 2007? This presentation was unique, however, because it discussed the economy in terms of the staffing industry being a key economic indicator and provided examples of past recession and recovery cycles to support that theory.

We started with a grim look at the sheer impact of the recent recession in comparison to the previous recessions. Basically, they described it as " the worst recession since World War II; some say worst since Great Depression". Wow. We survived a cumulative decline of 5.1% in GDP. The previous worst decline was -3.7% in 1957. The charts and graphs to illustrate this story really put things into perspective to me. 8.7 million jobs disappeared and 44% of unemployed people have been without work for more than 6 months. I was happy to still have a job, my car, my house....many others did not fare so well.

So, are we out of it? Hard to tell. The American Staffing Association reports that "at the pace of job growth in the first half of 2011, nonfarm employment will return to its 2007 prerecession peak at the end of 2016". They also report that the Wall Street Journal estimates that - at the current pace of job growth and labor force expansion, the unemployment rate would still be near 9% in June 2012, 3 years into recovery and would remain above 5% until December 2024.

So, what is the current view of Staffing and the Economy? According to the ASA, the staffing and recruiting industry is "hyper cyclical" meaning its business cycle tends to be exaggerated during economic expansions and contractions. They also state that "Staffing employment is a conincident economic indicator and a leading employment indicator". What does all of this mean? Based on the extensive research and data collected by the ASA for their reporting, the trends show that changes in temporary help employment precede changes in nonfarm employment by one to two quarters and overall, is a solid indicator 3 to 6 months forward of where the economy is headed.

Now the good news. The Staffing industry is currently demonstrating and projecting steady growth through 2012. Not huge growth, but at least it is not a decline. As a leading indicator, this is much better news than looking at the graph with a line that continues to decline. Does this mean we are out of the grip of the recession? Not yet. There are many realizations that employees and employers need to stay focused on to ensure that as jobs grow, we are ready with the right skills and education required to fill these needs. Currently, job growth is concentrating in high-skill, high-wage jobs and low-skill, low-wage jobs. Those with college degrees are earning 95% more than high school graduates. Middle-skill white and blue collar jobs were hit the hardest. The sectors with the greatest potential for job creation appear to be consulting and business services, constructions, health care, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing and retail.

Staffing companies will play a key role in the future of economic growth by helping businesses identify and secure talent when needed in an efficient and economical way. Good information to have and important information to consider as companies develop their long term strategies on where and how to get the skills they need when they need them. Read more about this topic on the ASA website here.

Next week is National Staffing Employee week, sponsored by the American Staffing Association. While a day does not go by when we don't recognize the importance of our temporary employees, this time of year provides an opportunity to stop and really reflect on what our employees mean to us. As we gear up for this celebration next week, I would like to share with you one of the things we love about our jobs here at That's Good HR. Our temporary employees are not afraid to share their stories with us. We love to hear from our employees...the good, the bad and the ugly. We really love it when one of our stars is successful in pursuit of their career goals and we can play a part in it. Here is a blog submitted by one of our recent temporary employees who came to us right out of college and he made us proud. I would like to introduce Mr. Camron Humphreys from Greencastle, Indiana. Here is what he had to say:

"I had just graduated from college. Like many recent grads I had no idea what I wanted to do and no real job opportunities. Enter That’s Good HR. I heard about That’s Good HR from a friend of mine who had had previous success finding a job. Not having any options I quickly saw the value in having help finding career opportunities. I applied and was introduced to Jessica who immediately started helping me find a job. It was summer time and I was still living in my college home with a multitude of distractions. I would usually spend a couple of hours a day looking for jobs then get distracted by roommates wanting to play basketball or myriad other diversions. Jessica, however, was constantly looking for a job for me, which was invaluable. I would receive numerous calls throughout the day as opportunities would pop up. It was really nice knowing that someone had my back and that they were genuinely interested in helping me start a career. Eventually Jessica found me a temporary job, and although it wasn’t in my field of study it gave me a solid source of income and some real world experience that proved to be invaluable as my job search continued. Having a temporary job also afforded me the comfort and opportunity to search for jobs that were more aligned with my field of study. I eventually found such a position and was on my way. My experience with That’s Good HR was crucial to finding the job that was perfect for me."

Thank you to Camron for taking the time to tell his story and thank you to all of our outstanding That's Good HR employees as we come off of Labor Day weekend and approach National Staffing Employee Week. Do you have a story to tell? We would love to hear from you! Just visit our Share Your Success page by clicking this link and send us your thoughts.

If you have not seen at least 600 articles about Steve Jobs this week than I am sorry to disappoint, but you will not see one here.  I assume you are up to date on the "Jobs" topic, but there was a lot of other important business and HR news out there this week that you might have missed. I hope you consider this news update your "apple a week" to keep the mind healthy and strong. Health care (always in the news), Social Media, Economic news (not so good), EEOC (interesting stuff), local business updates and of course some cool stuff about staffing and recruitment are all hot this week.  Speaking of "jobs", things have been exceptionally BUSY here at That's Good HR this week so if you have any friends or family seeking employment, be sure to send them our way.

It is always exciting to work on placements that you feel you have a personal connection to. As recruiters, placing another recruiter in a job is almost like placing a friend or a peer.  While we have been following the news about the economy and have closely reviewed the latest staffing statistics circulated by Staffing Industry Analyst, the climate in our office has been optimistic. We have seen an upswing in staffing needs on both a temporary and direct hire basis and most recently we have had a marked increase in requests for talent acquisition and recruiter candidates. When the need for these folks starts going up, that can only mean good things. You only need a recruiter when you need to recruit, right?

That said, here at That's Good HR, we are pretty excited about the opportunity to recruit and place our own kind. These are positions that we understand above all because that is what we do everyday. While the recruitment categories might be different and the business model may vary from our own, at the end of the day, recruiters across all disciplines and industries have certain common threads. One of those traits is a high goal orientation so as a recruiter you know that the candidate you are placing is seeking an opportunity to grow and excel in their field.

If you are a recruiter, you know what I am referring to. If you know a recruiter, just ask them about it. Working with the human element day after day may seem to some uninteresting, but to recruiters, it is what we thrive upon. Meeting new people, working with them on one of the most important aspects of their lives - their career. Making the right match, staying in touch and networking along the way.

So...if you are one of these crazy recruiter folks, be sure to get to know us. If you are looking for your next more or you know someone who is, pick up the phone, send us an email, tweet us (@thatsgoodhr) or just show up. We would love to get to know you and perhaps be part of your next career move.