Indianapolis Job Openings

 

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

 

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.

 

What’s your social media site of choice? If you’re an Indiana employer or hiring manager, you probably recognize the power of social media for your recruiting efforts.  Additionally, job candidates continue to find ways to use social media in their job search efforts. As Indianapolis recruiters, we too recognize the need to use social media to stay connected with our candidates and clients, and to keep updated about important business and HR issues.

If you need connections to enhance your career, you’re probably on LinkedIn. We are too! You can follow the That’s Good HR LinkedIn page, where we’ll keep you updated on our latest blog posts, job openings, industry news, upcoming job fairs and more. We currently have more than 600 followers on our LinkedIn page, and it’s growing every day.

On Twitter, our handle is @thatsgoodhr (http://www.twitter.com/thatsgoodhr), and we have nearly 500 followers from around the world. We follow many others on Twitter, and here we’ll keep you updated on the latest Indianapolis business and hiring news, as well as national HR trends. We’d love to have you as a follower, and we’d love to follow you back!

Our Facebook fan page, we have nearly 300 followers to date. We have a little more fun on this page. For becoming a fan, you’ll be able to engage in discussions with other fans about the job search or hiring trends, plus catch some of our latest events and job openings before they happen.

If you’ve had a good experience working with That’s Good HR for your job search or hiring process, please stop by this section of our blog to leave a note and share your story!

Finally, don’t forget to check out our updated job board for the latest Indianapolis job openings.   

Thanks for following us, and we’ll see you online!

 

 

Articles on ethnic or gender diversity and hiring have been popular for the past few decades. However, one emerging trend to consider when hiring a diverse workplace is generational diversity – hiring people of different ages and generations. In this post, we’d like to address ways you can begin to make your company’s workforce more generationally diverse. In future blog posts, we’ll help you address hiring, training and effectively managing the career success for those in a specific generational segment.

With seniors, Baby Boomers (boomers), Generation X (Xers) and Generation Y (Millennials), an organization could potentially have employees hailing from four distinct generations.  When employing your ethnically diverse team, HR managers and company executives must recognize how each of these segments differ, and hire accordingly. Some things to consider about each generation:

• Values: While seniors and boomers may value loyalty, dependability, and respect, Xers and Millennials are more open to change and may enjoy perks or a work/life balance.
• Skills:  Younger generations tend to be more technologically savvy, while older generations generally have more on-the-job experience.
• Job roles: Millennials and Xers are open to new leadership roles, and are comfortable managing individuals of any generation. However, some Boomers and Seniors may struggle with feeling inadequate as younger team members begin taking on management roles.
• Workplace preferences: Boomers and seniors may appreciate more face-to-face communication, as well as following a routine task list, whereas Xers and Millennials are accustomed to switching gears often throughout the day, and may prefer electronic communication and a fun, engaging atmosphere.
• Personalities: Boomers and seniors tend to be more cautious decision-makers, as well as self-directed and determined workers. Xers are very entrepreneurial, yet also autonomous workers. Millenials are optimistic and energetic in their early careers.

Hiring a candidate in order for your company to become more generationally diverse should not be the driving force behind your HR decisions. However, during the hiring and interview process, your company should take generational characteristics into account to get clearer picture of the candidate. In doing so, you can determine whether or not the candidate is a fit for your position’s requirements, as well as your company’s workplace and team environment. Keeping all of these generational variances in mind will help you relate better to your potential hire, and make a more informed decision.

 

As Indianapolis recruiters, we work hard to find the perfect candidates for our clients’ positions. Our clients trust our expertise to examine the skill level and personality of the candidate and match them up with the hiring manager’s needs. This results in a better fit for the company, less turnover and better on-the-job success. But does a perfect candidate truly exist?

While we can’t promise a perfect job fit every time, our Indianapolis recruiting team has a process that helps us narrow the field and arrive at a better qualified hire. Here are some of the methods we apply in our candidate searches:

• Separate the critical skill requirements from the “nice-to-haves”: Once our client has clearly defined the minimum education or training needed for the job, our recruiting team can more clearly screen candidates with the right skill sets.
• Discover important soft skills:  In each position, we have found that having a certain quality such as problem-solving or a specific behavioral attribute can make a difference in job performance.  So we always like to ask our clients about these important soft skills before beginning the recruiting process.
• Learn the history of the position: Whether the position is a new one, or whether our client seeks to replace a previous or existing employee in the job, details about the position, team and working environment can help our recruiters understand the position better, and in return, find the best fit for the job.
• Encourage feedback during interviews: During our candidate screening process, as well as during the client interview process, we like to keep the feedback loop open between our recruiting team and our hiring managers and executives. Whether it was a good first impression during a phone interview, or something that made a candidate stand out from the rest during an on-site visit, we appreciate both giving and receiving this valuable information so that we and our client can make an informed decision.

The proper techniques and insight about a position make the perfect hire possible. Armed with these strategies -- and a little help from our clients --- we can uncover these perfect hires, and match them with their perfect positions.

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. 

 

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. 

 

 

Many people claim that spending time on social media can help you find your next job. But where you should focus your time and effort on social media? And how can you use each social media site to position yourself well without jeopardizing your efforts?

Social media sites are not just places to look for jobs. They can also be a great way to be found by recruiters. Many recruiters, including That’s Good HR, use social media sites to find and screen candidates, particularly higher-level candidates, as well as post job openings. One of the main sites that recruiters and hiring managers use is LinkedIn. You can use your LinkedIn profile to create your online brand, and position yourself well in front of these recruiters. Some of the ways you can do this include:

• Ensuring your LinkedIn profile is complete and accurate (including a professional-looking headshot/photo)
• Showcasing detailed job experience, including successes and results
• Including positive recommendations from colleagues and clients (recommending others as well, to show that you’re well-connected)
• Writing a compelling headline, including the job title you seek, and any relevant keywords that recruiters might use in a candidate search
• Displaying your recent blog posts
• Linking to your other, relevant social media pages
• Using applications such as SlideShare to post presentations you’ve given recently
• Downloading a reading list application to show books you’re currently reading
• Joining industry or local networking groups on LinkedIn and participating in discussions
• Answering LinkedIn questions to show your expertise
• Posting status updates, sharing information that showcases your skills and knowledge
• Participating in group discussions with peers online
• Following industry groups, prospective employers and thought leaders’ pages
• Building a network of connections via LinkedIn by connecting with people you meet
• Browsing job postings that recruiters or others have placed on LinkedIn
• Using LinkedIn to learn more about prospective employers
• Asking for introductions via your first degree connections to people you’d like to meet
• Showcasing your portfolio or samples of your latest work

Your LinkedIn profile is part of your online brand. Use it effectively, and it will position you as a qualified person for the job, and help you stand out among the sea of other candidates.

 

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.

 

• Career Coaching & Consulting: For the executive who needs help managing a high-level search, we can serve as an advisor to ensure you land the perfect role. We’ll help you prepare for and maneuver the search process, identify and evaluate opportunities, and handle negotiations – all while mitigating risk.
• Succession Planning: Few HR companies in Indiana are addressing this need, but many companies could use some unbiased advice when it comes to developing and executing a succession plan for a retiring CEO, COO, CFO or other executive team member. Whether it’s evaluating internal candidates, conducting an external replacement search, or transitioning properly, we can walk companies through this process to ensure a successful outcome.
• Talent Development & Acquisition: From developing and mapping an interview process for your internal hiring team, to standardizing or updating your recruiting and hiring process, we can help develop the guidelines and train your team on the program or process that best fits your organization. 
• Salary Reviews & Contract Negotiations: Sometimes your company needs a little validation from an outside party during a contract negotiation or annual compensation review. That’s Good HR can help you compare contract and salary expectations with real-world data from our Midwest and Indiana clients, and verify that your numbers align with the marketplace.

 

 

Picture yourself in this scenario:

You just got back to your computer and are anxiously trying to get into your e-mail to see if you've received feedback yet from the company you interviewed with last week.  As soon as you login the company's e-mail address instantly jumps out at you and you cannot click on the message fast enough to see what it says.  You begin reading the words, "We enjoyed meeting with you and learning about your career path...."  You then read a little further and you see, "...but at this time we have decided to pursue other avenues."  You're not just devastated, you are mad.  You can't understand why they didn't pick you.  This is natural...we all want to understand why weren't picked for something we were so excited about.  However, it is important that you not let the situation get you so down that you lose your confidence. Instead use this as a learning opportunity.   Below, I have outlined for you some of the Do's and Don'ts of how to respond after receiving a rejection letter or phone call. 

• DON'T instantly pick up the phone and call the hiring manager to demand an explanation for not being selected for the job opening.
   
• DON'T call all of your friends and tell them what a bad company XYZ company is because they didn't hire you for your dream job.
   
• DON'T try to replay the entire interview back in your head and analyze every answer you provided.
   
• DO ask politely for further feedback on your interview.  Even if the company decided not to fill the position they may still be able to provide you with valuable feedback that you can transfer to future interviews as you continue your Indianapolis job search.
   
• DO ask where other candidates more closely hit the mark and you maybe fell a little short.  Maybe it is the computer skills needed for the position and you can easily take a couple of online courses to improve your skills and knowledge.  Maybe other candidates had a certification that you do not, but have been contemplating going after.  Not only will this help you further develop yourself for future opportunities, but it will also give you an idea of hiring trends in your industry. 
   
• DO write down the good answers that you provided to  questions, along with those that you could have worded a little differently.  This will help in your preparation for your next interview.  Also, if you are working with an Indianapolis staffing firm, ask them if you can run some answers past them to get more feedback. 

Rejection is never easy to deal with, especially when it pertains to your next career move.  However, the way in which you respond to that rejection is what will set you apart in future interviews. 

 

As I discussed in a previous blog, I entered that big scary job search arena last year and I had to remind myself of all those pointers that I had shared with Central Indiana job seekers over the past 17 years. It was time to see if they worked for me (which I am happy to say they did!).

First, Make sure your personal email address is simple and professional. If your email address is partyallthetime@xyzdomain, you should pick something else. You don't want an Indianapolis staffing company or HR Manager to disregard you before even viewing your resume.

If you are entering an Indianapolis job search while still employed, do not submit your resume or correspond from your work email address. This tells prospective employers that instead of working, you are searching for jobs on your current employer's dime.

Make sure your resume is free of any grammatical or spelling errors. Check, double & triple check and then have somoene else review it. It is a red flag if you are searching for adminstrative jobs, accounting jobs, or HR jobs in Indianapolis where companies are looking for individuals with atention to detail, professional communication skills or maintaining databases only to receive a resume with errors.

Clean up your social networking pages. HR Managers and Executive Recruiters in Indianapolis do check Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc. for information about the person applying for their company's open position. Think about what you have posted. If you have Spring Break-Daytona Beach pictures from college, think about if that is the impression you want to give to a prospective employer.

Make sure the voicemail message on your phone is professional. If your message is currently intended for personal use, revise it. If your message says "It's me and you know what to do" or "Leave a message, I'll call ya back", that does not instill confidence in hiring managers that you will be portray a professional representation of their company.

Finally, be sure to check voicemail and email messages frequently. It's important to respond in a relatively short amount of time to prosective employers. When Indianapolis staffing companies, Executive Recruiters or any prospective employer contacts you, they likely want to discuss your skills and how they may be a good fit for their company!

I am a natural born cynic.  No, I take that back...I am sure I was not born that way, but my environment and experiences over time have shaped my outlook on life to be a little bit more on the "verify" side of Ronald Reagan's signature phrase "Trust but Verify".  Now, don't get me wrong, I am not one to actively seek out the bad in all situations.  Quite the opposite, actually.  I am typically very upbeat and easygoing.  My friends consider me fun to be around. (You might want to verify that one).  Over time, however, I have moved away from blind trust and "taking your word for it" when navigating through day to day situations. 



This is actually a very good trait to have and I am not just telling you that because of my own awareness of my level of cynicism.  It is important to weigh your options and ask specific (and sometimes many) questions before you simply accept things for what they appear to be.  This is something many of us do when making big decisions like buying a house or a car.  I challenge you to "pause" regularly to consider your options or to "verify" the facts with any transaction that has an impact on your life, your year, your day or even the moment if it is important enough. 

For example, when you meet someone for the first time, you don't know if they will have an impact (good or bad) on your life in some way.  Take a moment to learn about them, peel back the layers of the onion and genuinely be interested in something about them before you pass judgment.  A wise man (my dad) once told me that very rarely is something exactly what it appears to be.  Perhaps that was my first lesson in "trust but verify" but it has served me well.

Take your Indianapolis job search, for another example.  This impacts you significantly.  It is very necessary to have a job and the process of finding a job (particularly of late) can be overwhelming.  So what do we do?  We move as quickly as we can through the process of identifying and applying to Indianapolis job openings and away we go.  I challenge you that this is the perfect time to pause, even though the situation of not having a job or being in the wrong job makes it very hard to consider moving more slowly.  The "trust but verify" approach here will serve you well.  I promise.

Instead of the scatter approach to your job search, take the time to filter your options to those that you "trust" are the best match for you.  Rely on your personal and professional networks to educate you on current hiring trends in your field of interest and to offer you insights to the good, bad and ugly of the local marketplace and in your chosen career track.
Once you have your list, it is time to verify.  Do your research on the company, the industry and the specifics around the position.  The first two are easy to do with all of the research options at your virtual fingertips.  The position details will take some more work.  Engage in social media outlets that connect you to others who work in the industry, for that company or in a similar role.  If the opportunity to interview presents itself, use that initial engagement to verify that your understanding of the position match the expectations of the supervisor or the company.

Once you advance in the interview process, it is time to verify the cultural fit.  A  big shiny building with cutting edge technology might have nothing within the structure of the building to support what is important to you.  Going with your gut has it's place and time and but nothing can take the place of asking questions in different ways to get to the answer you are really looking for.  Just be prepared that the risk is that it might not be the answer you want.  Most of the time we don't dig deeper because we fear that our perception will be shattered for a reality that we no longer want or like.  Better now than later, I say.

Verifying can be uncomfortable, even in the most basic of situations.  I was shopping in a local jeans establishment the other day and when the clerk rang up my total it sounded a little high for me.  I mentioned that and the clerk brushed my concern aside.  I paid, left and still felt something was not quite right.  I looked in my bag and compared my purchases with the receipt and discovered that I had been charged for the same pair of jeans THREE times.  I went back to have it corrected and was surprised when there was no apology for the error, only the comment "I am so glad you caught that".  The only thing "Lucky" about that experience was that I trusted for a moment and then verified.

I encourage you to do the same. 

At That's Good HR, Inc. we are acutely aware of the need to trust your choice in Indianapolis recruiters.  The job search process is not the place to trust until you verify.  Once you do your verification, your chances that you will have the right guidance and support throughout your process increase exponentially.

Over two decades of Indianapolis Staffing industry experience have transformed me into a demanding customer when I am in need of some good customer service myself. I figure that Monday - Friday (and sometimes Sat and Sun too), I make sure I dish out the best possible customer service to my customers. All I am asking for is a little of the same from my own service providers. I have to admit, usually I am pleasantly surprised...but not always. Every once in awhile I need to TALK to someone about a problem I am having - but NO, instead I get caught up in customer service "please hold for the next available customer service rep while you listen to this crummy music" hell. This happened to me recently and after investing an embarrassing amount of time attempting to conquer the on hold circle of defeat, I decided to investigate the deep dark depths of their website to see if there was any hope of a live person I could reach to help me out.

This is where I stumbled across the "Live Chat" option. It was not prominently displayed on the site, but I found it and although pensive about pouring my heart out to a stranger on the Internet, I was desperate enough to use it.  I am happy to report that my experience was pleasantly satisfying and the process of typing out my "problem" turned out to be rather cathartic. The customer service rep on the other end of my "chat" was polite, helpful and took care of my problem in 3 questions or less. Now, the emotional reactions and facial expressions demonstrated by my helper on the other side of the keyboard might have been frustration or exasperation about my issue, but as far as I was concerned, they passed the test of great customer service.

I was not sure how I would feel about giving credit to a pseudo-personal method of communicating with your customers. I am, after all, a tried and true student of the school of personal communication being the very best way to take care of your customers. Face to face is even better, but we all know that is an impossible dream with a large customer base that is geographically spread out. Phone communication is the next best way to take care of your customers with that personal touch. These days, email is the preferred method of communication for many, but it leaves so much open for interpretation that is is not always the most effective method.  Now I find myself sitting here pondering how cool it might be to have the "live chat" option for a service such as ours? I have not thought it fully through yet and have many potential challenges to this approach in the staffing industry already formulating in my head.  That said, it might be the next  thing on the list of "expected" service delivery options so it would be wise to mull it over.

At That's Good HR, I have to admit that we make ourselves available to our customers at all times. We try very hard to be proactive in our approach to talent management, but when you are working with the human element things come up, so it is critical to be available and ready to help. Our "live chat" option right now is the own mobile device that each of us carries which offers a personal touch to the support we provide.  Not sure we are quite ready to give that up yet.  More to come...

Hiring, branding, workplace culture, health insurance and "a partridge in a pear tree". So many balls in the air, it can be a challenge just to choose which to catch first and which to just let fall for the time being. Can you catch them all? Not alone. This is the time of year when many companies review their human capital strategies and determine what changes to make for the coming year. It is important to make sure that all of the non-tangible aspects of your business are considered (like managing your brand or keeping up with social media) along with the obvious. This week there were some good news articles focusing on some of these key issues. Grab a cup of hot chocolate and read on....
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Health Insurance plan Choices Confusing for Many: As another open enrollment season comes to a close, millions of consumers are finalizing their benefits packages for 2012. Unfortunately, more than half of insured adults are confused with several important aspects related to choosing a health insurance plan, reveals a survey released Monday. (benefitnews.com) 

The Importance of Paying Close Attention to Social Media: Imagine your company announces a major change to its service offering and suddenly, the company is being bombarded by negative social media comments about the change. Further, the leadership of the company ignores the negative comments thinking everything will simply blow over. In today’s world, things don’t blow over. Problems tend to spread virally in short order. (forbes.com)

Hiring Top Talent with Limited Resources: When clients that operate small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) ask for help recruiting, hiring and retaining top talent, they often start the conversation by highlighting a huge human resources challenge: How can they compete with larger, deeper-pocketed competitors to recruit their industry’s best performers? (financialpost.com)

What Motivates Employees more then Money? The ability to motivate employees is one of the greatest skills an entrepreneur can possess. Two years ago, I realized I didn’t have this skill. So I hired a CEO who did. (linkedin.com)

Let's Agree to Drop these Worst Corporate Jargon Offenders: Hey!  It’s mission-critical that we circle back on this very important matter of corporate jargon in the workplace. Let’s focus on the low-hanging fruit with a small group first and then loop everyone in. Being proactive about our learnings will really incentivize the group to focus on the most critical action items and value-add for maximum impact. Let’s start high level, drill down from there, and circle back after lunch to figure out next steps. (thehiringsite.com)

Talent and skills shortage-one of the top business risks for 2012: Despite high levels of unemployment, U.S. business leaders say one of the biggest risks they’re facing is a talent and skills shortage, according to the 2011 Lloyd’s Risk Index. (benefitnews.com)

How to Manage workplace culture: The Christmas season is here. Many non-Christians participate in the commercial aspects of Christmas. Some non-Christians are offended by its religious foundations and any reference to Christmas in the workplace, at school or in the stores. Many employees have no strong opinion. (newsobserver.com)

Employer Branding - Spread the Word: “I heard that’s a great place to work.” When employer branding efforts are successful, any mention of a company should trigger that exact statement. And when a company effectively communicates its brand internally and obtains employee buy-in, “Yes, it is!” should become the automatic response. (recruiter.com)

11 Favorite recruiting strategies for hiring new college grads: A new report from Michigan State University gives college students a road map on how to connect with employers. The survey, which was completed by roughly 3,300 employers across the country, clearly indicates that internships are the No. 1 recruiting strategy. (cbsnews.com)

This week focuses on Talent. Don't think I am crazy giving away trade secrets here. Engaging a staffing resource to support you in these efforts will always give you a leg up, but we are also here to support and educate our clients on how to find the best talent. While we are at it, we are also here to support them in their efforts to retain the top talent. Some might think that is counter-productive to our business, but I beg to differ. The more value we provide to our customers around the investments they make in talent acquisition that will stick around, the more loyal those customers are. Besides, some of our best customers have been some of our best placements who moved up to become hiring managers. I also threw in at least one hard core HR news article just to give you some variety. With open enrollment coming up, we could all use a little advice. Have any questions or ideas about what you read in this week's news update? Send me a comment, would love to hear from you!
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Look for These Five Signs to Retain Your Top Talent: Highly skilled engaged employees are invaluable to an organization’s bottom line. With the costs to hire and train new workers soaring through the roof, it’s important for businesses to retain valued employees. (recruiter.com)

Don't Overlook Veterans in Your Talent Search: New research by RightManagement, the talent and career management experts within ManpowerGroup, suggests that many employers largely disregard the unique skills and experiences of military veterans when considering a candidate for a position. This unfortunate oversight leads to missed opportunities in acquiring top talent. (Recruiter.com)

Monthly Expenses keeping Employees up at Night more than retirement savings: Keeping up with monthly expenses was the biggest financial worry, cited by 21% of those surveyed, followed by saving enough for retirement, which was cited by 18% of employees as their biggest financial concern. (Benefitnews.com)

Picasso never went to meetings: You're going to way too many meetings.:  And yes, I do mean you. In fact, I'm thinking about you as I'm writing this. It's exactly 5.27am and I can picture your schedule for the rest of the day. All those meetings - in your office, in their office, in meeting rooms, 'conferenced in', synchronous, asynchronous, vital, tedious, overlapping and running long...always running long. (Predictablesuccess.com)

82% of Recruiters, Hiring Managers, HR, Find Evidence Of Discrimination Against the Unemployed: “I am very disturbed when I hear that employers don’t want to even look at resumes of people that have been out of work for 6 months or just (are) unemployed,” said Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis at Facebook’s announcement for their Social Jobs Partnership with the US Department of Labor, N.A.C.E., State Work Force, and Direct Employers. “It’s as though people have created this problem themselves, and that’s just not true.” (Recruiter.com)

18 of Your Burning Social Media Questions, Answered: Great follow up questions following a webinar all answered here. Valuable insights for any company engaged in social media...or even those just thinking about it. (The Hiring Site)

Wondering Why you are not able to Hire Effectively?: The problem might be you. To be sure, not every candidate is a rock star. But if you keep turning up dud after dud, the problem may not be the applicant pool. In a quest to find the best workers, entrepreneurs sometimes wind up adopting hiring practices that are actually detrimental to their companies. (inc.com)

Open Enrollment making you Sick?- Seven lessons this benefits pro has learned about staying healthy at the most stressful time of year: Open enrollment is often one of the busiest times of the year for most benefit professionals. After finishing all of the plan updates, budgets and the communication strategy, we have the open enrollment meetings. With any luck, you won't find yourself in a crowded room of people at the height of flu season. (Benefitnews.com)

Think you Know What Job Seekers Want? Think Again.: Is your recruitment process based on what you know about job seekers…or what you think you know about job seekers? (thehiringsite.com)

Tips for a new hire’s first 90 days on the job : The first 90 days are crucial when it comes to a new hire. If the fit is right, it can be the beginning of a successful long-term work relationship that benefits both employee and employer. If the fit is wrong, it can cost a company a great deal – both in time and money. (theglobeandmail.com)

Careerbuilder’s Q4 Hiring Forecast: Caution and seasonality are influencing hiring expectations for the fourth quarter as employers assess ongoing barriers to economic growth and wrap up 2011. Consistent with trends typically seen in the tail end of the calendar, employers anticipate a moderate slowdown in hiring. Twenty-one percent of hiring managers reported that they plan to hire full-time, permanent employees in Q4, down from Q3, but on par with 2010. (Careerbuilder)

This post was written and published around this time last year. We felt like it was useful for many and therefore we have pulled it out, dusted it off and republished as a quick reminder and guide to all of the students out there who are anxiously looking forward to the upcoming holidays and the brief respite they may bring from your studies.

If you are a current college student it's probably your first week of holiday break and you are literally brain dead after cramming for final presentations, projects and exams.  So you are at home in your sweats, propped up on the couch and your plan for the next 3-4 weeks is to be a couch potato while watching old episodes of "Jersey Shore" and to keep tabs on what your friends are doing all break through Facebook.  Believe me, that sounds awesome...and I don't blame you for taking some time for yourself after a hectic semester.  However, I would urge you to at least spend a little bit of your break focusing on your future career.  In a time when internships and entry level jobs are scarce and your competition is getting more fierce, you have to be able to set yourself apart to employers.  I have compiled a short list of items that you could do during break to make yourself more aware of current hiring trends and what Indianapolis job openings may be available after graduation. 

1.  Review the logs on file through the career center websites that list types positions held by alumnus in your field of study.  Write down a few of the top positions that are of interest to you and do some research in order to get a better feel for where your strengths and interests would be best suited. 

2. Schedule an informational interview.  Talk to your friends and family to see if anyone can help you get an informal, informational interview with a company that has positions similar to the ones on which you have targeted your search.   

3. Job shadow: This is very similar to the informational interview but a little more in depth.  This is a great way to really see "A day in the life of______".  There is no better way to figure out if a position is fit for you than to actually see the work first hand. 

4. Give your resume some TLC and spend some time beefing it up a little bit.  A good way to start is by translating your educational experince into relevant "work" experience.  Add any organizational involvement onto your resume and detail out any skills that are utilized in the work you perform for those organizations.  (If you aren't involved with any organizations, you better get involved quickly!)  I would also recommend having a few HR Professionals or headhunters review it so that you can get the perspectives of a few different people within various industries.  These conversations might also lead to potential Indianapolis job openings!

Again, I know it's not that exciting to think about doing "work" on your break, but if you spend this little bit of time and effort on preparing yourself for your job/internship search, the results will definitely pay off.  At That's Good HR, working with new grads and college students is one of our favorite things to do so if you are seeking career advice, summer or seasonal work be sure to give us a ring!

Fall is officially upon us. As the days get shorter and the air cooler, we all just want to pick some apples, carve a pumpkin or wrap up in a blanket by a fire and take a big nap. My job is to free up some time to allow you to do just that by boiling down the news of the week to a few pertinent items that will make you sound like a genius. This week I have focused on some interesting HR recruiting, interviewing, on boarding and development tips. Of course, there has to be some social media focused news in there too. So, get out those marshmallow roasting sticks because this will be a great weekend to use them.

Are Prospective Employers Looking at your Facebook page? You bet they are.. Creativity, Well-Roundedness, & 'Chastity‘: We all know that employers Facebook stalk us before hiring us (or before deciding not to hire us). In an oft-cited survey released by Microsoft Research in 2010, 70% of recruiters said they’d rejected applicants based on info they found online. (forbes.com)

The Importance of Social Media from the perspective of Richard Branson: Where most corporate blogs still house formal announcements, the Virgin Group website hosts a blog written with Branson’s first-person flair. Many of them read like diary entries. (mashable.com)

How Companies Utilize Telecommuting as a Retention Tool: Companies that allow or encourage their employees to telecommute rather than come to the office are more interested in maintaining a happy workforce than achieving any direct cost savings, experts and corporate executives say. (cnbc.com)

"Pay For Performance" May not be what Generation Y is Looking for: Many money-motivated Millennials (and they do exist) will bolt to new opportunities as soon as the great recession of 2007-20?? eases up...unless you happen to be an organization that recognizes their potential. (fastcompany.com)

The Best Recruits May Not Be Who You Think: When I hired him, Shaq was barely qualified to use a computer, let alone conduct detailed forensic examinations on hard drives that later had to stand up in court and pass the rigors of cross examination. (wsj.com)

Job Interview putting you to Sleep? Try asking about their Dreams: Sometimes all it takes is one question to spring the lid open and let the personality fly out.  As someone who interviews people for a living, I have a few favorites.  And this one is my all-time, absolute, works-every time, ace up my sleeve: “What dream came true for you when you said ‘yes’ to your last job offer?” (hrcsuite.com) 

Helping new hires adjust to your unique culture: New hires may fail because of unrealistic expectations. But there’s another big reason some don’t make the grade: They just can’t grasp your organization’s culture, so they never learn to operate successfully in it. (rapidlearninginstitute.com)

HR Needs To Be The Department of Errors and Corrections...: To be successful HR needs to move from the department of enforcement to the department of corrections.  I’m cereal folks, super cereal. (fistfuloftalent)

US Labor Department launches economic and employment statistics app: The most up-to-date employment data and economic news releases from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics and its Employment and Training Administration now can be viewed using a new mobile application. (dol)

October Employment Outlook from Simply Hired: Today, SimplyHired.com released its October employment outlook highlighting national and local market forecasts, and industry and employer trends. (simplyhired.com)
 
Problem Employees: Keep them or Kick them to the Curb? We call an unmanageable employee (UE) an employee who exhibits constant, repeated, unproductive behavior. Everyone has a bad day, a bad week, sometimes even a bad month, depending on what’s going on in their life. But we’re talking about someone who’s constantly, repeatedly – on a fairly long-term basis – unproductive. This book is about helping managers uncover what they need to put UEs back on track. (thehiringsite)