Indianapolis Staffing

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

Every company has experienced this scenario: You hire a new employee who looks good on paper, and aces the interview.  You have high expectations for this person, but your new hire just doesn’t work out, for whatever reason, and you must terminate the employee.

CareerBuilder reported on a recent study they conducted regarding the true cost of a ‘bad’ hire (read the article - “What Bad Hires Really Cost Companies”). The top reasons cited for the bad hires include:

• Low quality of work (67%)
• Not working well with other team members (60%)
• Negative attitude (59%)
• Attendance (54%).

So what does the bad hire truly cost to the business? According to CareerBuilder, around 69 percent of employers in the survey claimed to have been negatively impacted by a bad hire in 2012, with a majority of respondents estimating the bad hire costing between $25,000 and $50,000 or more. This price resulted from lost productivity, negative employee and client morale, and time and cost to recruit and train a replacement, among other reasons.

What causes an employer to make a bad hire? The study cited that employers may have needed to fill the job quickly and rushed through the hiring process. Other top reasons included lack of talent intelligence and sourcing techniques – both of which could have been avoided if the company would had used a recruiting firm.

At That’s Good HR, we screen and interview candidates daily, so we have the expertise to determine whether a person is a good fit for the position and the company. And with our full pool of qualified job candidates, we are likely to have a greater selection of candidates with the qualifications your company seeks.

While there’s no guarantee that every hire can be the perfect hire, with the help of an Indianapolis recruiter like That’s Good HR, you can reduce your risk.

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.

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!

We have noticed that our clients are always looking for sharp, recent graduates that are ready to get their feet wet and work hard! So the team at That's good HR has been out and about this winter, meeting potiential candidates at several Indiana career fairs. 

This month, we attended the 5th annual Kelley Career Fair on Feb. 12, sponsored by the Kelley School of Business-Indianapolis Student Government and the Kelley Career Planning Office, and the Collegiate Career Expo on Feb. 21, sponsored by College Career Center Consortium. Members of the That's Good HR team included Kate Schipp, Amber Crosby and Tasha Rush. Aside from recruiting firms such as ours, we saw other Indianapolis employers, from small to large companies, in attendance.

All in all, both events were a success. We met several students graduating in May 2013, seeking positions upon graduation. We noticed that several HR and Marketing majors approached our table. That seemed to be the “hot” degree this year.

We also met with several accounting students looking for opportunities after graduation. On the accounting side, we are looking for candidates with great internship and education experience that they can apply to a position with our clients. As we typically see fewer accounting professionals at job fairs, we are always actively seeking accounting and finance graduates and professionals to fill various client positions.  

According to U.S. News & World Report, for the next 20 years, 10,000 people each day will reach the retirement age of 65. With many Baby Boomers leaving the workforce, others have been forced to remain working due to the financial restraints of a struggling economy. Yet employers aren’t worried – a study by HR consultancy firm Hewitt Associates indicates that 61 percent of U.S. companies have or plan to establish employment programs targeted at retirement-age workers (Boomers or Seniors).

As an employer, what are the benefits of hiring Boomers and Seniors?

• Experience: Boomers and Seniors have extensive work experience that spans decades. From surviving previous economic downturns to managing a variety of employees effectively, your company could benefit from the knowledge and varied skill set of the Boomer and Senior generations.

• Loyalty: Older generations are half as likely to switch employers as generation X or generation Y employees, according to a 2012 MetLife survey. These employees tend to be appreciative of their jobs and less concerned about promotions.

• Reliability: You can generally count on Boomer and Senior workers to show up on time every day and perform their jobs in a consistent manner. This may be due to the fact that Boomer and Senior workers may have grown children and are thus not as distracted by parental duties or family distractions.

• Less Dependent on Benefits: Because of Social Security and Medical benefits available to this generation, older workers are less concerned about employee benefits as part of their employment packages, when compared with younger workers.

• Technology Awareness: Although Boomers and Seniors have had to learn how to incorporate new technologies on the job, and may require training in this area, don’t assume they are clueless when it comes to technology use.

• Great Service Professionals: These generations grew up in a tradition of respect, where people made eye contact with one another, smiled, and communicated effectively with others. Thus many employers are hiring Boomers and Seniors for customer-facing positions such as sales or customer service.

• Perfect for Part-time or On-Call Staffing Needs: Many retirement-age workers prefer part-time, seasonal or on-demand positions to supplement their income without the demands of a full-time job. For employers looking to supplement their employment gap during peak production schedules, Boomer and Seniors may be the perfect fit.

As you can see, the older generation of Baby Boomer and Senior workers offers more to an employer than wisdom and experience. Consider hiring these candidates as part of your diverse workforce, and help Boomers and Seniors gain meaningful jobs while you benefit from their loyalty, flexibility and hard-working spirit.

Many of our Indianapolis area job candidates have been asking us how they can use social media to improve their job search.  While you can read about our general Social Media Do’s and Don’ts  as they relate to the job hunt from our previous post, we haven’t specifically addressed Twitter as a job search tool. Here are some ways you can use Twitter in your job search:

1. Create a profile: If you plan to use Twitter for personal posts, you may want to start a different twitter account for your job search, but keep in mind that employers can access and view both profiles if they choose. Your Twitter handle should be something that defines you, such as your name, or something related to your career. Make sure you fill out the Twitter profile page with your name, location and website link, with a 160 character bio. Fill this section with keywords that employers and recruiters might use to find your profile online.
    
2. Establish a great profile design: Start with a solid, professionally-taken photo of yourself for your profile picture. If you can, create a customized header which includes your contact information, a link to your online resume or LinkedIn profile, and/or a summary of your qualifications and positions sought. Many graphic design firms or resources exist on the web for creating Twitter backgrounds and header images.
    
3. Add some content: Share a few articles that you find interesting, post something about your region or industry, or engage in dialogue with others. It’s important for you to share quality content on your Twitter account so that others will follow you. Try to provide a mix of education, entertainment and conversation rather than simply promoting yourself. You may want to start a blog on your website or online portfolio page to have additional content to share and to position yourself as a thought leader.
    
4. Develop a following: Continue by following other accounts in your targeted region, including Twitter influencers (those with a large following), industry leaders and journalists. Check your account regularly and follow those who follow you, if it makes sense.
    
5. Follow recruiters and targeted companies: By keeping tabs on what other companies are sharing on Twitter, you’ll be in the know if you get called for an interview, and you can remain top-of-mind if you share any of the company’s information on Twitter. In addition, following recruiters like That’s Good HR on Twitter will keep you informed of upcoming job fairs and job opportunities before others may see them.

If you are new to Twitter, you may want to add it to your list of social media sites to frequent in order to enhance your job search. Once you’ve found a job, the site will prove beneficial for continued networking and professional development. Good luck!

With the job market slowly bouncing back, it’s still not an easy task for college students to find employment after graduation. So how can college seniors prepare themselves for the great job search ahead of them? Here are a few tips to get them started on the right path:

1. Get involved in college: Industry experience while in college may be more important to employers than an impressive G.P.A. Staying active in a collegiate chapter of an industry organization, volunteering or having a part-time job while in college will not only boost your resume, but may give you the connections you need to find the perfect job out of college.
    
2. Talk to a working professional in your field: Find a mentor in your chosen field and job-shadow them for a day, or interview him or her to find out the qualities and skill sets needed for performing a job in your industry. Is there a college course they’d recommend you take to enhance your experience? Adjust your class schedule to correspond to the suggestions.
    
3. Work as an intern: While many colleges and universities require an internship in order to graduate, if you seek out a (paid or unpaid) internship experience during any of your college years, you’ll gain real-world experience and make lasting connections. It may also help you determine what type of job suits you best upon graduation.
    
4. Create an extensive online profile:  Before you graduate, you should have a professional-looking, interactive resume in various formats. Start with a comprehensive profile on LinkedIn, as well as on job search sites such as Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com. These profiles should have an accurate educational summary, job history with responsibilities and multiple references.
    
5. Create a blog or portfolio page:  Showcase your recent work or discuss industry topics on your own blog or portfolio page.  This will give employers and recruiters an idea of your personality and your capabilities, and will help you stand out from other job candidates.
    
6. Double-check your social media trail: Remove or un-tag any unprofessional photos, comments or posts you may have left on social media websites. Resolve to post with professionalism in the future and use your social media profiles to enhance, not threaten, your job search.
    
7. Start early: It’s never too early to start the job hunt – even six months prior to graduating. Attend collegiate career fairs in your area, talk to recruiters like That’s Good HR, and start identifying and learning about potential employers for which you’d like to work.

Following these seven tips will help new graduates stay one step ahead of their peers when preparing to enter the workforce.

Generation X -- the 44 million people born between the early 1960s and 1980s -- has known a more competitive job market than other generations. With the 90s recession and dot-com bust early in their careers, Gen Xers have a different perception than Baby Boomers about career-long jobs, security and benefits. When recruiting a Gen X employee for a position in your company, you should keep certain things in mind:

• Value their adoption of technology: Unlike Generation Y, Gen Xers saw early computer and Internet use, mobile telecommunications and other technologies as they emerged. Thus, they remember a life without them, and have learned to balance their use of them in the workplace, without as much of a dependence on them for survival.

• Overlook their less-than-stable career history: For many Gen Xers, the job market has afforded them little opportunity for career stability, so employers may notice more job-hopping and career changes on candidate resumes. Bear in mind that this may be a reflection of the economy, rather than the candidate’s choice, and weigh this against their strengths and qualifications when evaluating them for the position.

• Give them a path for advancement: Because of their skepticism of life-long employment with a company, help encourage loyalty among Gen X employees by showing them a clear path to promotion and retention with your company.

• Challenge, stimulate and motivate them: Generation X employees respond well to a varied and intellectually stimulating work environment. Give them opportunities to learn and grow at their own pace while collaborating and competing in a relaxed and fun work setting.

• Understand their need for balance: Generation X appreciates perks such as telecommuting, flextime or part-time options for maintaining their important work-life balance. Offering these perks or arrangements as part of your compensation package may appeal to a Gen X job candidate.

Finding the hidden motivators within each generation of employees can help you hire diversely, and hire the right people for your positions, as well as help you retain them once you hire them. In a future post, we’ll discuss tips for hiring Baby Boomers within your organization.

In previous blog posts, we have discussed the latest hiring trends, as well as tips for hiring managers and candidates to navigate the search process successfully. To expand upon this topic, we’ve asked some members of our recruiting team to respond with their recent impressions of the Indianapolis job market, as well as to give some crucial advice to clients and candidates. Here were their responses:

Q.  What overall hiring trends are you seeing so far this year, and what skill sets are in top demand?

A. We are seeing continued need overall for our services in 2013, but particularly in the areas of customer service/call center, human resources and accounting roles. Many businesses are also seeking to recruit for temp-to-hire (try before they buy) positions.

Q. The market has also indicated an increase in the use of job search / recruiting firms such as That’s Good HR. Why do you think customers are seeking the services of a search firm for finding quality job candidates?

A. One main reason is the time factor – hiring managers just don’t have time to sift through 300 resumes! Or the company may have voids in their current team because of growth or turnover, maternity leave, or medical leave, and need a quick fix. We have also seen some additions to staff. 

Q. What is some advice you'd give employers? 

A. We would say they need to keep the process moving and to make decisions quicker when it comes to responding to resumes and hiring, as candidates are accepting jobs offers much quicker these days.

Q. What common mistakes can candidates avoid during the job search?

A.  Candidates should avoid unusual body modifications (hair, piercings or tattoos) that might make them stand out. Make sure job seekers have no errors at all on their resumes. They should also set up an acceptable and professional voice mail message and email address for responding to job inquiries.

Q. What topic do you think your clients/candidates need to learn more about?

A. We feel the main thing that people need to continue to learn and understand is social media for both employers and candidates – in terms of how to maneuver and take advantage of all that it has to offer for the job/candidate search. 

In our last blog post, Hiring for Multi-Generational Diversity, we addressed the importance of considering each generation when hiring a diverse workforce. Generation Y (also known as “Millennials”), were born between 1980 and 2000, and are currently the newest members of the workforce.  In this post, we’ll examine how to attract, hire and retain Generation Y employees while integrating them with the rest of your workforce.

Typical Characteristics of Millennials:

• Tech-savvy: These employees grew up using computers and the Internet as the main form of communication. Thus, they are very comfortable – if not dependent – on technology, and on using it in the workplace, and enjoy the challenge of learning new things. Take advantage of these traits in a job position that requires technological expertise or one in which the job can help your company expand its brand online.
• Organized Chaos: Experienced multi-taskers, Millennials can juggle many different jobs, and may prefer handling multiple responsibilities rather than having a few, select duties. Staying organized amid the clutter will be crucial to this group’s success.  Consider this quality when hiring for a specific position with a limited function or for one that requires “wearing many hats.”
• Flexibility of Workforce: Millennials joined the workforce when telecommuting became popular, so this group expects more flexibility when it comes to working remotely vs. working on-site. On the flip-side, this group is willing to put in the extra hours at night or on weekends to get the job done if a company provides the resources to do so.
• Individuals and Team Players: The Gen Y worker is comfortable collaborating as a group, but also strives to find individual acceptance as a leader. These dynamics will change as the generation gets older, but this group can generally work well in either a group or individual setting.
• Recognition: Millennials want to be rewarded for their efforts – whether it’s through public acknowledgement or monetary benefits. When negotiating for a job salary or benefits, this generation is not afraid to speak up for what they want.
• Jobs with Meaning: Generation Y is not as willing to settle for a career that doesn’t allow them to live the life of their dreams. Therefore, the job itself should fulfill a passion or interest, or should allow the candidate to earn a living while enjoying their life. A job that allows for both? Even better.

Recruiting Tactics for Generation Y:

To recruit employees in the Millennial generation, your tactics might include the following:

• Being social: Find candidates online using social networks, and use these networks to search for candidates with the perfect skill sets.
• Allowing for growth and learning: Give Millennial candidates opportunities to learn new skills on the job or through training courses.
• Touting flexible benefits: Show Millennials that you value their work-life balance, and offer them flexibility in benefits and work locations.
• Embracing your mission: Show Generation Y candidates how they can be a part of your larger vision to give them reason to work for your company.

While each person may not demonstrate all of the characteristics of the Millennial generation, knowing the typical work ethic and dynamic of this generation can help employers reach out to hire them for ideal positions, as well as to tailor their work environment for ideal achievement.

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.

It’s that time of year – for annual employee performance reviews, budget planning and goal-setting. It’s also time to evaluate current vendors to determine if they are a good fit, or if you’ll be making the switch in the coming year. Companies who use a recruiting firm should also evaluate their agency to ensure they are getting the most value out of the relationship. Here are some ways to do that:

1.      Review the service your HR firm has provided over the past year. Evaluate on important criteria such as communication and responsiveness, professionalism, quality of applicants, recruiting process and the success of placements.

2.      Analyze how well the HR firm works with your company’s HR department, executive team, company culture and personality.

3.      If there are issues with your current HR firm, let them know in what areas they can improve in the future.

4.      If you are considering using another HR firm, consider more than just cost and size. Have a face-to-face conversation with the firm’s key partners to determine the right fit, and ask for referrals from the firm’s customers.

5.      Confirm with your recruiting firm which internal team members will be working with their agency, and update all contact information if necessary.

6.      Let your recruiting firm know your business strategy, goals and any current or future organizational changes.

7.      Discuss with your HR firm any recruiting plans for the year ahead, including roles and priorities.

8.      If you are looking to expand your use of a recruiting firm in the coming year, give your firm a heads-up so that they can accommodate your staffing needs.

If you follow the recommendations above, you’ll not only find your relationship with your recruiting firm a better one, but you’ll benefit from greater results too. 

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.

As an Indianapolis recruiter for finance and accounting jobs, I have noticed that one of the interview questions candidates struggle most to answer is the “tell me about your strengths and weaknesses” question. In their responses, I often see candidates overuse certain buzz words and respond in ways that actually cause them to lose credibility in my mind.

No one likes to talk about their weaknesses, but avoiding this question in an interview makes the hiring manager wonder whether you have something to hide. What the interviewer really wants to discover from this question is what sets you apart from your peers. They aren’t looking for a reason not to hire you, but are hoping that you can give them an answer that puts you head and shoulders above your peers. 

What are your strengths? Overused responses:

When asked the strengths question in a job interview, don’t answer with the following overused strengths, which are actually not strengths but simply the requirements of a successful employee:

• Dependable
• Punctual
• Reliable
• Hard worker
• Team player
• Quick learner
• Critical thinker – only use this if you have a clear example that you used your critical thinking skills to solve an important issue within your work history.  Be able to tell the interviewer the feedback you received from your manager in order to lend credibility to the strength. Tell about a time when you were thrown a project out of your area of expertise with very little direction and had to figure it out.  That’s a clear example of a strength. 

How to answer the strengths question: To discover your true strengths, think back to the times when you have been the proudest of yourself in your career, or received positive praise from your boss.  An example of strength would be a situation in which you continued to push through in undesirable circumstance or obstacle and were still able to come out successful.  Maybe you had a team project in college where two team members were not pulling their weight; describe how you dealt with that situation to complete the project successfully.  Or perhaps you went above and beyond your job responsibilities at school or at work; explain how you made sure things were completed to land the team a client or earn an A in the class.  Who wouldn’t want that employee on their team? 

What are your weaknesses? Overused Responses:

Under weaknesses, don’t answer with one of these overused responses:

• Perfectionist
• Caring too much
• Don’t know – haven’t been told anything before
• Passionate
• Re-wording a strength and saying that it’s both your strength and weakness (such as hard worker)

How to answer the weakness question: 
Be truthful, but always provide examples of how you have kept your weakness at an acceptable level, or that you are working on improving the area of weakness. 

If you state a weakness that is a very important piece of the job, for example: if your weakness is in meeting deadlines (a hot topic in accounting for month end or in a project management role), then you really need to provide well thought-out ways that you have been able to meet deadlines in the past and how you’ve used problem-solving skills to improve this weakness. In this example, one way that you could respond is that you have started dividing the project into sections and blocked out time on your calendar to complete them. Another way might be that you have set deadlines on when you need to ask for valuable information from others so that you are not waiting on this information to complete your portion of the project.

Emphasizing your Strengths: According to Marcus Buckingham in his book: Now, Discover your strengths, you should be identifying job opportunities and positioning yourself in an interview to emphasize your strengths, not your weaknesses. If your strength and weaknesses responses are truly unique, they should almost tell the story of you.  Answering the strengths and weaknesses question strategically will help you prove to recruiters and hiring managers that you are different than the other three candidates interviewed, and make them more likely to hire you. 

No matter how competitive the Indianapolis job market is today, employers will always have some level of competition for acquiring top candidates.  A company must understand how to attract the best candidates for its position from among a smaller pool of applicants, as well as how to ensure that the hiring process and candidate strategy results in a successful hire.

Here are some strategies from our Indianapolis executive recruiters for effectively competing for job candidates:

1. Start internally: Make sure your job satisfaction is high and your employee turnover ratio is low, and clear up any outstanding issues with team members or with former candidates. Create an attractive work environment for potential job-seekers to reflect your commitment to the new position. This will present your company in a positive light for prospective candidates.
2. Build a strong brand: Generating positive media coverage for your company will help create more visibility in the marketplace. Having an updated website with a press room, marketing materials, a blog as well as active social media sites will give a positive impression to the searching candidate. Advertising in relevant local or trade media might be an option for your company too, depending on the type of candidates you need.
3. Position your company effectively: If your company cannot compete with others that are much larger or better known, use this to your advantage by presenting your company’s advantages, such as the position’s responsibility, company culture, flexible work environment, benefits, community involvement, innovativeness, or leadership and advancement opportunities.
4. Focus on the candidate experience: There’s nothing like a good first impression. Top candidates will be looking for positive signs that the job is a good fit for them during the interview process. The company or recruiter must build rapport with the candidate from the beginning and ask the right questions to determine whether the person is a right fit for the job, and assess the candidate’s motivation to take the position.
5. Act quickly: The best job candidates don’t take long to decide on a new position. If you are a smaller company, you might be able to act on a candidate much quicker than a larger one with a more involved hiring process. Either way, work nimbly to keep your hiring process moving along so that you don’t lose any opportunities.
6. Have a strong referral network: When top performers are ready to make a move, they will often put feelers in the marketplace among their close inner circle of friends, former co-workers or recruiters they trust. Make sure your network includes a few, quality recruiters so that the passive job candidate will consider your company before going into the active search phase. Staffing agencies can also help you screen and interview candidates, present the company in an objective, positive light, help you negotiate more effectively, and keep the search process moving forward.

With some of these strategies in place, your company will no longer be talking about “the one who got away.” That’s Good HR would be happy to assist your firm in attracting and hiring the best talent for your executive, accounting or other jobs, as well as streamlining your recruiting procedure to make sure you have your pick of the top candidates.

Staffing Industry Analysts released a jobs market report this past month from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Employment Statistics program*. The results are in – and they are positive for the Central Indiana job market.

According to the report, the best state markets by volume job growth were: Texas, Indiana, Florida, California, Illinois, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. In addition, Texas, Indiana, Arizona, Kentucky, and Oklahoma ranked among the top ten states on both a volume and percent basis.

Here is how Indiana fared in the findings:

Indiana Job Market Rank: #5

Growth Score: 69 (offered as an indicator of the relative overall robustness of staffing trends in each labor market)

Percent Employment Growth:

• 12 months: 2.3%
•  6 months – 1.1%
•  3 months - .07%

Total Non-farm Employment: 2,900,000

The Indianapolis-Carmel job market also ranked the 15^th best by volume growth score among the largest major metropolitan areas, with an average 12-month change of 1.5 percent, and ranked 19^th out of all major U.S. metro job markets.

Columbus, Indiana also received the top score for the smaller U.S. Metro area with the most exceptional percentage-wise growth, with a 12-month change of 8.7 percent. Elkhart-Goshen, IN also ranked well in this category.

As an Indianapolis staffing agency, we at That’s Good HR are pleased to see that Indiana continues to experience job growth and a robust labor market.

Source: Staffing Industry Analysts: November 2012

* This analysis and ranking of growth trends was based on total nonfarm employment among the 393 U.S. Metropolitan Statistical areas, using figures through September 2012. Data surveyed included 150,000 businesses and government agencies, representing roughly 390,000 individual worksites.

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.