california

Is a College Degree Necessary to get a Good Job?

Is a College Degree Necessary to get a Good Job?

The workforce in Southern California is becoming increasingly specialized. Today, a high school diploma is typically not a guarantee of a person’s ability to handle most job skills. In fact, individuals with only a high school diploma face extreme difficulty finding a well-paying position with job security. In most instances a college degree is a necessary qualification.

With the cost of a college education continuing to rise, many individuals begin to question whether the expense is worth it. By examining the financial differential between those with a college degree and those without one you find that the more educated a person is the more money they will make throughout their lifetime. In fact, it’s estimated that people with a college degree earn about twice as much as those without one.

Obtaining a college degree is worth a lot more than just the financial difference though. Individuals with more education are typically qualified for jobs with better benefits as well. In addition, the jobs they acquire are generally more secure.

Even though obtaining a college degree right after high school increases your earning potential, this doesn’t mean that only current students can benefit. Individuals with secure positions can earn raises and better benefits from going back to school.

Although a college degree is always worth the expense, it can be costly to obtain. This can become a burden if you are unable to find a job shortly after graduation. While many people simply assume that a college degree will solve their financial problems, the reality is that you must first do a lot of planning in order to profit from your education. For example, when deciding on classes do not waste your money on ones that you are not prepared for or will not take seriously. Remember that college is an investment for dedicated individuals.

After completing your college degree your best option is to talk with an experienced staffing agency. A staffing firm can help you quickly locate a job that matches your specific skill set.

iStaffing Agency helps place professional candidates into Management, Senior and Executive level positions in Southern California. iStaffing Agency specializes in Human Resources, Accountants, Executives, IT Professionals, Loan Officers and other professional candidates in addition to candidates in the Entertainment and Nonprofit sector. For more information about how iStaffing Agency can help you locate your next career opportunity in Los Angeles County or Orange County, California please contact us today.

Importance of Employee Feedback

Importance of Employee Feedback

Employee feedback has two different meanings in the workplace. In the case of employees, opinion surveys might be given by management in order to collect valuable information to help identify and resolve a variety of employee issues. On the other hand, employee feedback provided by supervisors and managers helps employees better understand their job duties and develop their work skills. Let’s take a closer look at the different types of employee feedback and their importance.

Opinion Surveys

Employee feedback obtained through employee opinion surveys can be used to pinpoint employee issues when employees are reluctant to share sensitive information. Employee feedback can provide employers with confidential answers to questions employees will not typically answer in interviews or during focus groups out of fear of retaliation. Employers can maintain the integrity of employee responses by allowing employees to complete these surveys anonymously.

Performance Related Employee Feedback

In order to improve department productivity, supervisors and managers should provide continuous and regular performance related employee feedback. This type of employee feedback shows that supervisors and managers are giving immediate attention to not only performance deficiencies but exceptional performance as well. Employees depend on this type of feedback from leadership. When supervisors and managers fail to communicate about employee performance, it reinforces poor work habits and other behaviors that prevent employees from advancement and goal attainment.

Supervisor and Manager Feedback

Another important factor concerning employee feedback is the feedback that employers receive about company leadership. This type of feedback helps a company’s leadership team determine if supervisors and managers have the skills necessary to lead individual departments and the company as a whole.

Employer Action Plans

Developing an action plan is the very best way to utilize employee feedback. An action plan assists a company in reaching its goal of improving employee satisfaction. One of the worst things that management can do is ask employees for their opinions and then ignore their answers. Employees should be able to expect clear responses from management.

iStaffing Agency helps Southern California companies locate, screen and place professional candidates into Management, Senior and Executive level positions. iStaffing Agency specializes in Human Resources, Accountants, Executives, IT Professionals, Loan Officers and other professional candidates in addition to candidates in the Entertainment and Nonprofit sector. iStaffing services all areas of Orange County and Los Angeles County. For more information about how iStaffing Agency can help your company with their staffing needs, please contact us today.

Understanding Pre-Employment Personality Tests

Understanding Pre-Employment Personality Tests

Employers in Southern California typically have several candidates to choose from. Pre-employment personality tests ensure an applicant is right for the job and that the job is right for the applicant. Applicants need to understand this as they prepare to be interviewed, tested and examined by potential employers and staffing firms. Pre-employment tests should not be seen as a pass or fail test but rather as an examination to locate the right fit.

Pre-employment personality tests come in many different forms. They might be true/false questionnaires, scaled-response surveys or essay questions. True/false questions typically pertain to specific situations, scaled-response surveys are similar to true/false questions but are ranked from strongly disagree to strongly agree and essay questions are more open ended. Pre-employment tests might be timed to ensure that prospective employees remain honest and are able to think on their feet.

Occasionally prospective employees overlook some of their best qualities. Before taking a personality test job seekers should prepare a detailed list of their personality traits that might interest a future employer. Making this type of list encourages applicants to take an honest look at themselves and determine whether they feel that they are right for the position at hand. It also reduces the chance that they will freeze up when asked questions.

Perhaps the most important advice a job seeker can take when preparing for a personality test is to be honest. Prospective employees should be less concerned with getting a job and more concerned with locating the right job. When applicants give dishonest answers simply because they think it’s what the boss wants to hear, they hurt both parties involved. Managers that go through the process of hiring a less than enthusiastic employee ultimately end up regretting it and the employee is miserable every day that they must work. While finding employment is very important, finding the right job is paramount to finding happiness.

In addition to being honest, applicants should relax when given personality tests that have a bearing on their future employment. While job seekers shouldn’t be so relaxed that they appear unprofessional, they also shouldn’t be so nervous that their thought process completely shuts down. Employers use pre-employment tests to evaluate a person’s disposition and see how well they work under pressure. Keep in mind when facing prospective employment that being prepared, honest and calm is just as important as the results of a personality test.

Summer Heat in the Workplace

Summer Heat in the Workplace

August is usually the hottest summer month in Southern California. Heat related illnesses are extremely dangerous and can quickly become fatal if the proper precautions are not followed. If employees will be working in conditions where temperatures are expected to reach 85 degrees or higher, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure all possible safety precautions are being taken.

Heat related illnesses are caused by prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures. While employees working outdoors are prone to heat related illness, it is not strictly an outdoor work problem. Employees working indoors are also vulnerable to heat related problems. It is important to remember that anytime the temperature rises above 80 degrees you are at risk.

There are five different types of heat related illness:

Heat cramps
Heat rash
Heat stroke
Heat syncope
Heat exhaustion

Heat cramps are generally not fatal but should still be taken seriously. If left untreated they can become a serious problem. Symptoms include pain occurring in the arms, legs and abdomen and muscle spasms. When heat cramps occur it is important to drink lots of water and get to a cooled rest area.

Heat rash is another heat related problem that is not fatal by itself. Symptoms include clusters of red bumps on the upper chest, neck and folds of skin. If heat rash is suspected, do your best to keep the area dry and if possible, perform work duties in a cooler, less humid environment.

Heat stroke is far more serious than the previous problems. There are several symptoms of heat stroke that can go unnoticed because the person affected assumes they are simply hot due to rising temperatures. Symptoms include excessive sweating, flushed skin, dry skin, high body temperature, confusion, seizures and fainting. If you notice any of these symptoms it is important to seek immediate medical attention. Heat stroke can be fatal.

Heat syncope is fainting caused by prolonged exposure to heat. This can occur when an employee has been standing in a hot environment for a prolonged period or when a person stands too quickly from a seated position. Symptoms include lightheadedness, dizziness and fainting. Medical attention must be sought immediately.

One of the most common heat related illnesses is heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion occurs as a natural response to excessive loss of salt and water. Symptoms include excessive sweating, paleness of skin, slightly elevated body temperature, fatigue, dizziness, weakness, lightheadedness, muscle cramps, muscle pain, nausea, headache, moist skin, shallow breathing and racing pulse. When heat exhaustion is suspected, immediate medical attention must be sought.

Dealing with Summer Employment Issues

Dealing with Summer Employment Issues

Summer has arrived in Southern California. With the summer months comes warmer weather and longer days. Unfortunately summer also brings its own employment issues. Let’s take a closer look at the top summer employment issues.

Competing summer holiday requests
Unauthorized time off
Late return from summer holiday
Summer dress code
Maximum office temperatures

If workers are submitting competing requests for time off during the summer, managers have the right to prioritize those requests as long as it is done in such a way that is both fair and consistent. For example, requests might be accepted on a first come first served basis.

If a request for holiday leave is refused but an employee takes the time off anyway, it is extremely important not to jump to any conclusions. A thorough investigation should take place in order to determine if the absence was for genuine reasons. However, if there is no credible explanation from the worker as to why they were absent, then it might become necessary to follow the employer’s disciplinary process.

Sometimes employees will return late from their summer holiday. Employers should allow the employee the opportunity to provide a valid explanation. However if the explanation does not appear to be genuine, then disciplinary action should be taken.

While it might be reasonable for employers to adopt a more relaxed dress code during the summer, the extent to which an employee is allowed to dress down should depend on the role that they perform. For example, customer facing roles should maintain a certain standard of presentation. However you decide to implement a summer dress code it should be reasonable, appropriate to the needs of the business and should not discriminate between groups of employees.

Temperatures inside the workplace must be kept at a reasonable level. However, what is reasonable will depend largely on the nature of the workplace and the type of work being carried out. Factors such as whether or not the work is strenuous or physical should be taken into account.

iStaffing Agency helps Southern California companies locate, screen and place professional candidates into Management, Senior and Executive level positions. iStaffing Agency specializes in Human Resources, Accountants, Executives, IT Professionals, Loan Officers and other professional candidates in addition to candidates in the Entertainment and Nonprofit sector. iStaffing services all areas of Orange County and Los Angeles County. For more information about how iStaffing Agency can help your company with their staffing needs, please contact us today.

Global Survey Shows How Employees Define Career Success

Global Survey Shows How Employees Define Career Success

Employers throughout California continue to struggle to find skilled and motivated individuals to meet performance goals. However, recent findings suggest an ongoing disconnect between employee aspirations and the performance demands of employers worldwide. A new global career survey of employees found that only ten percent of employees define career success as high performance and productivity. Further information obtained from the survey includes:

Employees rank work/life balance higher than they do performance
Employees are more concerned with achieving a work/life balance than being the best at what they do.
Enjoyment/happiness at work ranked higher than both performance and salary
A higher percentage of employees define success in the workplace as enjoyment/happiness. In fact, enjoyment/happiness at the workplace ranked higher than any other area including salary, respect, recognition and high performance.
Respect from leaders is highly valued by employees
More than fifty percent of employees admit that respect for their knowledge and experience is their top expectation of leadership.
Mutual trust is expected from colleagues
Most employees want mutual trust from their colleagues at work, followed by respect for their knowledge, equal relationships and transparency.
Employees will change jobs to improve their work/life balance and pay
The highest motivation for switching jobs was the desire for work/life balance and higher compensation. These were followed by seeking a different work culture and the desire for more challenging assignments.

According to the survey, millennials are the least likely to aspire to be the best at what they do when compared to baby boomers and Gen X. However, only three percent of employees worldwide aspire to achieve a prominent position.

It is understood that high performers have a disproportionate impact on business results. Yet talent shortages for in-demand skills remain high. In order to attract and retain top talent, organizations would need to make development a top priority and allow their leaders to mentor employees to expand their skills, capabilities and experience.

Coping with the Business Challenges of Summer

Coping with the Business Challenges of Summer

With summer upon us in Southern California it is extremely important for leaders to plan for the differing business dynamic that the summer months bring. Businesses must be prepared to meet customer needs, continue business as usual and continue to grow. Businesses face many challenges during the summer months including staffing issues, supplier issues and demand issues.

Staffing Levels

Most companies find that a majority of their staff would like to take time off during the summer. While some of this will be family oriented, with concerns centered on children being out of school, other employees will want to take time off while the weather and tourism offerings are at their finest. Fortunately there are certain strategies that can alleviate the staffing pressures that the summer typically brings.

In order to alleviate pressures of staffing levels, consider filling the gaps in creative ways. Offering opportunities to staff for assignments or acting positions can help to fill the void temporarily and can also go a long way toward building up capacity in your organization. Using a staffing agency to find competent temporary employees is another excellent way to replace lost staff during the summer months.

Supply and Demand

Depending on the business that you are in, the summer months can bring much higher demand for certain products or services, while supplies might fluctuate during this period. Dealing with supply and demand issues should be clearly defined in your business plan.

If your business relies heavily on specific supplies that are known to fluctuate during the summer, it is extremely important to ensure that you have planned out your contingencies in order to keep the supply level consistent. This might mean securing commitments from several different suppliers.

If the demand for your businesses products or services increases during the summer, your business planning process should identify your operational plan in order to adequately cope and accommodate your increased operational demand. This might include ramping up staffing to accommodate increased service demand or increasing inventory levels before the summer even begins.

Senior Financial Analyst Job Description

Senior Financial Analyst Job Description

The senior financial analyst is essential to both the profitability and the financial stability of mid to large size companies in almost every industry in California. The role of senior financial analyst is sometimes used as a stepping stone to higher level positions like chief financial officer, director of finance or financial controller.

In the coming years employment of financial analysts is expected to grow much faster than any other occupation. Job growth will continue as investments become more complex and globally focused. Competition for these high-paying positions will remain fierce, with the best prospects holding advanced degrees as well as experience in the field.

A senior financial analyst is responsible for a wide variety of duties. Depending on the industry and the size of the business a senior financial analyst might be responsible for financial forecasting reports, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, overseeing mergers and activities related to audits and finance or preparing analytics and financial models. Depending on the company, a senior financial analyst might supervise other finance staff members. They typically oversee reporting, data management, prepare ad hoc analyses, monitor financial software and serve as managers on special projects.

Candidates for senior financial analyst positions must hold at least a bachelor’s degree. However, an MBA and prior financial analysis experience is preferred. Professionals who are looking to accelerate their career and pursue a senior financial analyst position can strengthen their knowledge by enrolling in an MBA program that specializes in Accounting and Finance. Professionals that have earned this accreditation are able to:

Apply modern theories of leadership, management and negotiation
Are able to solve real-world business challenges
Can analyze accounting data in order to reach managerial and organizational goals
Can use financial, statistical and economic data to assess and manage risk
Can integrate financial, personal and operations initiatives in order to lead with success
Are able to leverage advanced knowledge and skills in order to succeed as a senior financial analyst

Top employers look for senior financial analysts that possess solid organizational skills. Additionally, they prefer team oriented, motivated and collaborative individuals for this position.