Staffing Agencies Indianapolis

If you currently staff any part of your organization with temporary employees, your staffing partner should be looking out for your best interests and providing guidance on how to properly manage that relationship.  I consider my Indianapolis staffing relationships with my clients as a trusted partnership and therefore it is my responsibility to consistently communicate with you to reduce any risk for your organization.  Here are some important tips to keep top of mind:

Let's begin with the candidate selection process. 

• That's Good HR reduces your risk by sending you candidates that closely match the compensation expectations for the position. For example, we would not present a candidate that has been making 40k previously to a position that is paying 20k.  All compensation negotiations and discussions go through us so there is no confusion around who their employer is (co-employment risks)
  
• We complete a criminal background check on every candidate that we place even if it is not required by your company. Again, this is our responsibility as the employer to ensure you are protected.
• We make sure that our candidate is interested in the opportunity by giving them the client’s name before presenting their resume to the hiring manager (this may sound obvious,  but the truth is, not all agencies tell the candidate the name of the company before they send their resume)

Next - the most important area of concern, once you have a contractor working for you. 

The lines can get crossed once a temporary employee is on site and working for you. Here are some ways you can protect your organization from any confusion around this relationship: 

• My most important reminder:  The contract employee is an employee of our company, not yours.  This is important due to all of the legal responsibilities around the employee/employer relationship which reside with us. Our employee should have no reason to misunderstand that relationship. We are the experts in our field and we are here to help you.
• All hiring and firing conversations must be handled by a That's Good HR professional, not someone on your staff.
• If our temporary employee is not meeting your productivity standards, all performance concerns should come through us and discussions with the employee about these concerns are conducted by us.
• All attendance concerns should be communicated to us immediately.  If we failed to inform you that our employee is going to be absent or tardy, that likely means we did know about it.  While we make it very clear in our process, at times a temporary employee may forget and bypass communications with us (their employer) and only inform you (the customer) about time off. When this happens, please redirect them to us.
• Ultimately all employment related issues should come through us including harassment, injury, pay, benefits etc.  This is why we are cautious even about discussing an employee’s pay with you as the customer. The less involved you are in employment related decisions and information, the clearer the lines are in the employment relationship.

My pledge to you, my customer is this: I will do anything possible to reduce your co-employment risks.  This list is just a summary of what we do behind the scenes to look out for you and as it is with any vendor relationship, your understanding is critical.

Co-employment is the term often used to refer to the relationship between staffing firms and their clients and to the legal issues that arise from that relationship.  Click here for more information on co-employment. Questions about this post? Drop me a line or give me a call! 

Spring really is here now...maybe the sun will even come out soon. If at all possible, take a break from all of the stuff you are running around doing, even if that means some things don't get done. I am writing this blog while sitting on the porch at our farm in the country, watching my son hunt for tadpoles.

I am not sure you can even qualify it as hunting. You simply put on your favorite rubber boots, find a great big puddle and scoop them up. When you have gathered enough to satisfy your hunting urge, you pour them all back to continue their metamorphosis. Wouldn't it be nice if all we needed in life to grow and thrive was a muddy puddle? You would not even need to keep it clean.
 

Life these days seems to move at lightening speed and we find ourselves waking up each morning in a panic, already anxious about how in the world we are going to accomplish all of the items on our list. Working for a staffing company in Indianapolis we know that as the job market begins to improve and job opportunities in Indianapolis open up, job seekers and those looking for a career change are feeling like there are not enough hours in the day. You start to feel that the more you do, the more you will get done - but the truth is the more we do, the more we find to do and when the end of the day comes, we all feel defeated. We all run at this pace and teach our kids to run at this pace too until one day we realize that life is passing us by and we are just running from here to there and doing things, but things never all get done so we do more things and then there is no time to enjoy ourselves. No time to step back and look at all of the things we have been doing and enjoy the results.

Now, not everyone is like that. Many people have an inate ability to relax and enjoy life, all the while holding down a great job. My husband is a perfect example and he is the reason that I don't waste my life running around doing things all of the time. His dedication to the outdoors has turned this city girl into a part time country girl and it has become a survival tactic.The upside? It forces me to participate in his love for the outdoors and to truly appreciate a long walk in the woods and these days, stomping in mud puddles.

I recently read an article titled "Play Power: How to Turn around our creativity Crisis" in which the author, Laura Seargeant Richardson stated:

During my keynote speech at MIT's Sandbox Summit last year, I suggested that "Play is the greatest natural resource in a creative economy." In the future, economies won't be driven by financial capital or even the more narrowly focused scientific capital, but by play capital as well.

Clearly, hunting for tadpoles is good for you and for your kids. So, get up a little earlier than usual. Get that resume updated and ready to send. Contact your local friendly staffing agency, That's Good HR, for some help in your job search and then put on your rubber boots and go outside and play. Find a mud puddle and see if you can find some tadpoles. If even for an hour, it will energize you to get back to work with more vigor than before.

If you are currently in an Indianapolis job search or will be in the future, you have probably thought about attending some sort of career fair.  To most people a career fair is easy: you show up, you bring a few copies of your resume, gather some business cards and other goodies, then head home and hope to hear back from someone regarding their Indianapolis job opening(s).  However, there is much more thought and preparation that should go into being properly prepared for a career fair and to make the experience a success.  Below I have listed several tips to help you make sure you are putting your best foot forward when attending a career fair.

 

• Bring many copies of your resume to submit to employers.   Also make sure to provide a copy of your resume at the registration table. Most career fairs scan in those resumes and send out a database to all employers. 
• Come prepared--do your homework. Make sure you know who is going to be there and gather information about the companies that you intend to target specifically so you can have intelligent interactions with them. Before the fair, you can review the online directory of employers and their Indianapolis job opportunities.  If you spend a little time getting some background information organization, then you can ask very focused and specific questions.  This will impress the recruiters because it shows a genuine interest in their company.
• Dress appropriately. First impressions are important.   VERY important!  Appropriate attire for any type of career fair is Business Professional…no exceptions! 
• Respect employers' materials/sample items.  Some employers bring large quantities of print materials or "give aways" clearly intended for job seekers to take.  Other employers bring a few copies of print materials, sample products, etc. as displays at their tables.  Always check with employers before taking materials from their tables and don't take materials still packed in boxes. Do not ask if you can take some goodies home for your friends or kids. Some employers come to multiple days of fairs and plan to have enough materials for all days.
• Prioritize the employers you're most interested in. If your schedule allows, you may find it easiest to start with the employers that are least likely to have a position in your area of expertise, but are still companies of interest to you. This will allow you to hone your approach and to be most confident when you approach the employers you're especially excited about. Assume that you will need to wait to speak with some employers.
• Be flexible. Thecareer fair web directory usually provides a brief summary of employers' opportunities. This information is not always submitted by the same people who attend the career fair.  Some positions may no longer be available and other openings may have just emerged.  No single employer representative is knowledgable about all positions available, especially in a large organization.  Some reps attending fairs are there to share their experiences working at the organization and may not be involved in the hiring process. If the employer rep at the fair does not know specifics about jobs/internships of interest to you, ask how they recommend that you obtain that information.
• Introduce yourself. Extend your hand, say "hello" and state your name. Have your resume ready to give to the employer.  
• Take notes when you inquire about next steps and the possibility of talking with additional representatives. The representative at the fair may not be able to answer all of your questions or know specifics about your job interests. Write down the names, telephone numbers, etc. of other staff in the organization whom you can contact later.
• Ask the representative for his/her card.  Having the business card of the representative you have just spoken with serves three purposes. First, you have a direct contact within the organization, including the proper spelling of the representative's name, direct telephone line, etc. Second, a brief thank-you note acknowledges the help they gave you and the time they took to speak with you. Third, sending thank-you notes is a good professional habit.
• Be courteous! In addition to representing yourself, you also represent the organizations to which you belong. Demonstrate sensitivity to other job seekers waiting to speak with employers by keeping your questions brief and offering to continue your conversation at a later time. Enjoy the fair and your interaction with the employers. Let your positive attitude show!
• Allow yourself adequate time. Come as early as possible. Typically, fairs are less crowded in early hours and are busiest during the lunch hour.  Fairs close promptly at publicized ending times to accommodate employers'  travel arrangements, so don't expect them to stick around.
• Don’t complain. About anything! The length of time you had to wait in line. The temperature in the room. The economy. Your past employer.   Employers are excited to hear how you may be a great asset to their company and not about how well you can complain about things. 
• Be prepared to answer the question “What are looking for?” with something more unique than just, “I am just looking for any kind of job right now.” 
• Don't overlook the importance of staffing agencies.  Obviously the majority of job seekers are looking for a full time position.  However, Indianapolis Staffing companies may have contract or part time Indianapolis job openings in your area of expertise and with the companies you would love to work for.  As hiring trends continue to show Indianapolis openings being filled by contract or contract to hire staff, you could be missing out on a number of opportunities by not keeping your mind open to contract positions.

• Kelley Career Fair - February 23rd
• Collegiate Career Expo - February 24th
• Just In Time Career Fair - March 30th

I know….I said that I was only going to do one blog post because I am not a writer.  However, a couple of things have happened at the office recently that have made me wonder how sometimes it just feels like the “Good Guys” finish last.    Growing up, my parents instilled a high value on telling the truth and always doing what’s right.  As a matter of fact, I never got into trouble because my parents taught me that there are always consequences.  This is why I always follow the rules and respect boundaries. 

You may remember from my previous blog, integrity is very important to me and therefore it is important for me to work with hiring managers that share this same value.  That said, it has been a frustrating month for our That’s Good HR temporary staffing group for a couple of reasons.  We have had a couple examples of situations where we handled our accounting, administrative or HR search with honesty and integrity but have lost the business to a competitor that doesn’t have those same values.  Short cutting the process of quality service delivery just to give the appearance of efficiency works for some, but I have a hard time stomaching it. It seems to have become increasingly prevalent as 2011 progresses, almost as if there is a sense of desperation to hit sales quotas at any cost. This has me wondering...are we part of a very small minority of staffing companies who will sacrifice being “cheap and fast” in order to do things “right” and act with integrity.  I mean, I thought that Good Guys always finish first.  Am I just naïve?

Then, just as I was sitting here lamenting the injustice of it all for our business, I heard the news about Officer David Moore.  As many of you have heard by now, Officer Moore passed away as a result of his injuries incurred during a “routine” traffic stop in Indianapolis.  From everything I have heard and read about Officer Moore, he seemed like the quintessential “good guy”.  Overall, Police Officers are the good guys and this officer had to pay the ultimate price for being a good guy.  For those that know me well, you know that I have several very special people close to me that are Police Officers in this city.  Just as I was feeling down about losing out as the good guy, Officer Moore’s story puts it all into perspective. 

I did do some research on this topic to see if I was alone in my quandary over this question and I did find some believers out there that Good Guys don’t finish last. My favorite quote came from a post by  AndrewJDumont.com and here is what he had to say on the topic.

"Call me old fashioned, but I believe in the business of doing good. I believe that those who finish first are the ones who place integrity at the base of everything they do. Look at the way you conduct business or simply live your life, for that matter – are you positioning yourself to finish first in the long-run?”

So, while it hurts that not all staffing  agencies  follow all of the rules of integrity and ethical business practices, it’s the reality of the world we live in.  However, that isn’t going to change my passion for this business or my passion to handle each situation as my parents have instilled in me, with honesty and integrity.  The fear of the “Bad Guys” didn’t change how Officer Moore lived his life and it isn’t going to change how I live mine. 

Wait, what?!

• Start by having a phone conversation with each suitor or recruiter.  By doing this they would be able to quickly tell if there was a connection with the person they would be meeting with. 

• Go prepared with questions – if you are unsure about something ask, for referrals or recommendations!

• Be honest! – A relationship with a recruiter is the same as other relationships, if you don’t tell the truth then you set the relationship up for failure and that can have major ripple effects on your career.

• Stick with those who demonstrate a true interest in you. Do they ask questions about what you like, what you don't or what you want to be when you grow up? Always steer away from those who talk more than they listen, as clearly their priority is NOT going to be you.

• The most important advice: Do not pay anyone for a date or for a job placement relationship! In both situations, this is never a good idea, even if you are desperate.

1. Ask for professional references - who can you talk to that can confirm the professional capabilities of the company?

2. Check them out on line - Google the company, review their website for relevant content, see what kind of impact they have in the community and follow them on social media outlets relevant to you. (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc)

3. Contact the Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau to be sure their service record is clean. If you find something that makes you uncomfortable, move on.

4.  Ask some tough questions...see if they know their stuff. Go ahead, ask them something about staffing and talent acquisition that requires some thoughtful insight and previous experience to answer effectively. If they can't answer your question, you might be getting a glimpse at the depth of their knowledge.

After being downsized from an Indianapolis staffing company after 17 years, I was forced to look at my career goals to determine what I wanted to do when I grew up.

After much soul-searching, networking, looking at job opportunities in Indianapolis and talking to individuals in other industries and job roles, I started my Indianapolis job search targeting HR jobs, specifically for an Indianapolis staffing company. 
 

While losing your job is one of the most devastating things to happen to you, it is an opportunity to look at what you really want to do. Examine the aspects of your job that you really like or dislike in addition to examining the same things about the company you worked for and the person you reported to. Also think about what is most important to you: growth opportunity, challenge, stability, pay range, driving distance to your home. List your priorities in order of importance to help you target specific jobs, industries or companies. Your priorities are also important to communicate to prospective employers.

A great way to explore new jobs, companies or industries is to work for an Indianapolis staffing company. This is a great way to “try out” new opportunities or to get your foot in the door with a company you have been targeting!

If you need suggestions in finding your new career (or just some comic relief), A Careerbuilder survey listed the most unusual jobs from A-Z. Enjoy!:

A - Actor for haunted house
B - Bingo announcer
C - Clown for rodeos
D - Drawbridge tender
E - Eye glass buffer
F - Fingerprint analyzer           
G - Glass sculptor
H - Hot rod builder
I - Interpreter for government agency
J - Jelly doughnut filler
K - Karate instructor
L - Lifeguard at nude beach
M - Military role player (played Iraqi citizen for military sensitivity training)
N - Note taker for college students
O - Ocean scuba guide
P - Phone psychic
Q - Quiz writer for competitions
R - Rescue squad for pets
S - Stand-in bridesmaid (for weddings where the bride didn't know enough people)
T - Telemarketer for a cemetery
U - Urinalysis observer
V - Voice-over specialist for movies
W - Window washer for skyscrapers
X - X-mas tree decorator
Y - Youth boot camp instructor for juvenile offenders
Z - Zoo artificial inseminator

In this tight economy with many, many applicants competing for the same Indianapolis job openings, Indianapolis staffing companies need to be diligent in verifying the information provided by prospective job seekers is accurate. Individuals who present false credentials affect the honest job seekers’ chances of securing opportunities.

In my last blog, I talked about companies who provide fake references for employees. There are also companies, known as diploma mills, who create fake academic degrees. A diploma mill is an organization that creates degrees and diplomas, generally without academic study and without being issued by official educational accrediting bodies. The purchaser can then claim to hold an academic degree. These degrees are often awarded based on creatively constructed life experience.

These “degrees” range in cost and are usually anywhere from $475 for an “Associates Degree” up to $550 for a “Doctorate”. This is not only frustrating to Indianapolis staffing companies but to those job seekers who have worked hard to earn a legitimate degree.

The U.S. Department of Education has published a list of schools that are accredited by accrediting agencies recognized by the Secretary of Education. The list can be found at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation. The Department of Education offers plenty of information on how to identify and avoid diploma mills.

There are many companies that offer to make someone more employable from the fake resume, fake degree and even the fake drug screen  which is why it is so important not to take information provided at face value. Do your homework! Not doing so could result in Indianapolis job openings such as Management positions, HR jobs or Accounting Finance jobs in Indianapolis being filled with individuals that, if you knew their true indentity, you would not want performing those functions within your company.
 

As hiring trends focus more and more on effective screening and background checking, job seekers with questionable pasts are becoming more savvy. Oh, if those folks would only use their powers for good instead of evil!

For Indianapolis Staffing companies working to fill Government jobs, Administrative jobs, Accounting jobs and many other Indianapolis job openings, this is another step we need to take to ensure candidates are who they say they are.

If you Google "fake references", websites like fakeresume.com pull up citing the following”

o         How to fill the gaps in your employment history

o         The best way to get fake references

o         The main reason good liars get job offers and honest people don't!

o         How to get College transcripts from ANY University with any GPA you want!

o         How to rig your resume so it gets picked by the new automated Human Resources systems

ABC News reports on two companies that provide fake references:

CareerExcuse.com, a Web site that says it can fill in gaps on your resume by pledging to "act as your past employer" and provide job references, complete with working phone numbers and people on the other end of each line ready to answer questions posed by prospective employers. Schmidt, who started the Web site after being laid off from his job as a human resource manager in February, said he got the idea after perusing posts on the micro-blogging site Twitter. He was surprised, he said, by how many Twitter users were asking strangers for job references.  

ABC News also reports on AlibiHQ.com, another website which boasts: Assistance with obtaining employment, providing employment and personal references, providing verification of employment, providing verifiable cover's (alibis) for unexcused absences from work or home, Caller ID spoofing, mail forwarding, untraceable phone numbers, virtual phone numbers, novelty Dr. Notes, faxing services, fax Caller ID spoofing, virtual fax numbers, e-mail spoofing, e-mail services and covers, spoofed E-Ticket reservation, fake travel agency confirmations, virtual hotel services, virtual doctor's office, virtual business office, telephone alibi service (we pretend to be anybody you need us to be and place outgoing calls or receive incoming calls), personal assistant services, novelty document services, fake trade show invitations, fake confirmation services and much, much more.

What do Indianapolis Staffing Companies Need to Do?

o         Always check the company’s website to make sure they are a legitimate company

o         Use reverse lookup http://anywho.com/rl.html to verify the number you are calling

o         Request a copy of a candidate’s W-2 if to verify employment with a company and their salary.

Stay tuned for more information on the lengths job seekers with questionable pasts will go to!