california

Why your Company’s Staffing Solution Might Fail

Why your Company’s Staffing Solution Might Fail

Many organizations in Southern California fail to understand the importance of contingent or temporary staffing. Other organizations discover that their staffing solution simply is not meeting their expectations. There are several reasons why a company’s staffing solution might fail including:

Lack of accountability
Lack of executive support
Value not recognized
Inability to adapt

Staffing solutions might be handled by procurement or human resources. While the procurement department is concerned with cost the HR department is only concerned with quality and compliance. If your staffing solution delivers on only one of these things then there will be an obvious disconnect with its value.

One of the most important factors in the overall success of your staffing solution is the support from your executives. If your executives are not on board with your solution it will probably not prove to be as advantageous as expected. This is why it is highly recommended to communicate clearly what they are supposed to be doing. This way you can prevent the executives from thinking that they can defy the solution and work their way around it.

Most importantly, staffing services will impact the day to day of the managers requiring the staff. If the hiring process takes too long, they are not provided with appropriate workers, or they are not able to communicate with the staffing agency then the managers are likely to either reject the solution entirely or look for ways around it.

The key to a flexible staffing solution is to make sure that it can be adapted when required in order to fulfill your workforce requirements. Depending on volume and other factors, many staffing solutions are developed six to twelve months prior to being implemented. Staffing solutions should be quick, reliable and adaptable to accommodate even the fastest changing business conditions. One thing a company must do in order to avoid future problems is to communicate with all stakeholders the need for taking up a certain staffing solution.

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.

Even Small Businesses Should Know When to use a Staffing Agency

Even Small Businesses Should Know When to use a Staffing Agency

Small businesses in Southern California understand how important it is to save both time and money. If a business employs people then there is a very good chance that a staffing agency can have a positive influence on that company’s bottom line. Let’s take a closer look at why.

Most small business owners have the misconception that only large companies can benefit from using a staffing agency. However staffing firms can benefit businesses both large and small. In fact there is a large magnitude of small businesses that rely on staffing firms. These businesses use staffing agencies to fill a variety of positions.

Staffing agencies help free up time by handling hiring needs when workloads increase. Time is often the most valuable commodity to a small business owner. When small business owners develop a relationship with a staffing firm they are able to resolve staffing issues in as little as one phone call.

Outside of staffing services, a staffing agency is able to handle many human resource services such as:

Performance evaluations, hiring, terminations, disciplinary matters and statutory issues
Group health plan administration
Payroll services
RSSP administration
Benefit plan consulting
Employee handbook, policies and procedures
Organizational effectiveness surveys

When a company utilizes these services early in their growth they are able to resolve many human resource issues before they are allowed to become a problem.

Many people do not realize the cost involved with hiring people. Online recruiting costs an average of $2000 per new hire and additional time is lost as the hiring manager is kept from their regular duties. Over time these types of hiring methods cost a company far more time and money than using a staffing agency.

While large companies hire employees on an ongoing basis, small businesses typically do not. When recruiting and interviewing isn’t common practice, issues can arise. Knowing how to properly conduct an interview is a skill that not everyone possesses. Often, the hiring of employees is based on emotion rather than fact and skills. A staffing firm’s evaluation program eliminates the guesswork. In fact most of the time, associates provided by a staffing agency prove to be a perfect fit.

Benefits of a College Degree

Benefits of a College Degree

The labor market in Southern California is extremely competitive. In order to land the job, benefits and pay that you desire, you must have an advantage over your competitors. A college degree can help you tremendously with your career goals and is actually required for many jobs. Benefits of a college degree include:

Higher pay
Gain the college experience
Obtain trade skills
Greater opportunity for career advancement

People without a college degree typically make tens of thousands of dollars less each year when compared to individuals with a degree. Studies have shown a difference of $20,000 or more for a bachelor’s degree and $60,000 or more for a doctorate and higher. Over the course of a lifetime this adds up to nearly one million dollars in income difference. However, simply having a degree does not guarantee that you will get the job you want. Experience, personality and overall skills set are also important.

Some employers are less concerned about the major you studied and more concerned that you actually earned a degree. Having a college degree shows prospective employers that you have had the experience of making short, medium and long-term goals and that you are able to work through projects, find and use resources and assess your own work. All of these skills are extremely important in the workplace. Additionally, a college degree indicates that you have the aptitude to learn new concepts. Employers want to know that they are hiring someone who knows more than just their field. The core curriculum offered at most universities exposes you to far more your major field of study.

A college education exposes you to the skills necessary for many highly competitive and rewarding careers. Universities frequently consult with major employers in order to determine what skills are most desired, and adjust their curriculum accordingly.

Some jobs require a college degree to even be considered for the position. This is often due to social expectations or it might be because of certain certification requirements. In addition, advanced degrees are sometimes required for promotion. For example, managerial jobs, especially executive jobs, typically require a master’s or doctorate degree.

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.

Job Description of a Retail District Manager

Job Description of a Retail District Manager

Many retail companies in Southern California have several locations in order to better serve their customers. Companies that operate several retail stores in a region must hire retail district managers to oversee the everyday operations of their stores. These managers are responsible for coordinating the movement and distribution of goods, handling the stores’ staffing needs and maintaining contact with the head office. Retail district managers must possess strong management skills and enjoy travelling.

The work of a retail district manager often involves working across several stores in an expansive area. A retail district manager should possess excellent time-management skills. They must be able to adhere to daily schedules and visit all of the stores within a designated time period. Retail district managers must have good customer service skills in order to interact with customers in a friendly and responsible manner. They must also have good leadership skills in order to keep employees motivated and to resolve workplace conflicts. Strong communication skills are also important so that they can adequately share operational information with store supervisors or managers on a daily basis.

The main responsibility of a retail district manager is to increase the operational efficiency of the stores under their management. They must review operational reports and determine each store’s individual needs. For example, if a store is understaffed, the retail district manager must coordinate the hiring and training of new employees. They must also maintain contact with the suppliers or manufacturers in order to ensure that products will be delivered to each store on time.

To become a retail district manager you typically need to hold a bachelor’s degree in business. Some companies might even require a degree in hotel management. Since employers require retail management experience, prospective retail district managers typically start in entry level positions in order to gain job experience. Retail district managers that are looking to occupy executive positions in business firms should consider acquiring a master’s degree in business administration or strategic management.

Using Craigslist to Find New Hires

Using Craigslist to Find New Hires

Today, Southern California is full of job seekers. When companies decide to hire new employees they have many options. In recent years, Craigslist has built a reputation as a great resource of free and low-cost classifieds online. However, relying on craigslist to fill local job openings might actually cost your company more time and money than you believe. In most cases, using a staffing agency to fill open positions is far more cost and time effective.

Craigslist offers businesses a simple method for posting job listings. Hiring managers can select a city, a category, open an account and post their job listing. The ease of the process was made even more appealing by the fact that job listings could be posted for free. As time passed, Craigslist began charging for job listings in several markets in an effort to filter out fraudulent and frivolous job postings.

However, fourteen years after the launch of Craigslist, the website is losing effectiveness as a recruitment source under the weight of its own success. In Southern California specifically, job seeker traffic has grown exponentially on Craigslist while the number of job postings has fallen. The result is that every single job that is posted on Craigslist is flooded with applicants, creating a backlog of work for hiring managers. Companies both large and small report receiving hundreds of replies to job postings within only 24 hours, however only one or two of these applicants end up being worthy of an interview. Companies must spend multiple hours reviewing the overload of resumes just to find the needle in the haystack.

Another issue with using Craigslist is the lack of customer service. Once a job listing is posted, returning to the website to make edits or remove the listing isn’t difficult if you’ve saved your confirmation email. However, if you require the assistance of a real person you are typically out of luck. Craigslist communicates with its customers solely through email. Because of the size of Craigslist’s database compared to the size of its customer service team, very few customers actually receive replies to their questions.

When companies consider online resources for attracting job candidates the results will typically mirror the quality of the source. In this case it really is true that you get what you pay for, in terms of both quality and the time required to identify qualified applicants.

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 Agency 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.

Questions To Ask a Temp Employment Agency

Questions To Ask a Temp Employment Agency

Workers turn to temporary employment agencies for a variety of reasons. It might be because job seekers are having a difficult time locating permanent work, they might not be available to take on a full-time position or they are simply looking to get their foot in the door for a future permanent position. Temp employment agencies are the perfect choice for all of these situations.

When choosing a temp agency to work with, consider asking them the following questions:

Ask the agency for information about their clients. This should include what types of businesses and industries they work with and what kind of employment they seek.
Check which geographic areas the staffing agency works with to ensure that they are convenient for your current transportation situation.
Ensure that the agency is able to offer you work that meets your qualifications and needs.
It is important to find out if the temp agency offers temporary work that might one day turn into a permanent position. If you are seeking this type of employment, be sure to alert the temp agency by asking them for their “temp to hire” listings.
Ask the agency about their expectations regarding overtime and weekend work.
Find out about the temp agency’s pay rate. Figure out if the agency pays weekly or bi-weekly.
Check with the staffing agency about any job training that is offered.
Find out what sick leave policies the agency has in place and how sick leave is handled.
If your employment will be based on a particular project, you will need to find out what will happen when the project ends.
Figure out how the agency will contact you if a position opens up. Sometimes you will need to contact the agency periodically to inquire about new positions. It is also important to find out whether you can turn down a position if it doesn’t fit your skill set or schedule.
Ask the temp agency how many years they have been in business. Respectable staffing agencies will have testimonials that you can reference.

iStaffing Agency helps 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. For more information about how iStaffing Agency can help you locate your next career opportunity in California, please contact us today.

Why you Should Use a Staffing Agency for Hard to Fill Vacancies

Why you Should Use a Staffing Agency for Hard to Fill Vacancies

Between lost productivity and lost revenue, most companies lose money on hard to find hires. Usually, the search for these types of employees is more frustrating than successful. This is where a professional staffing agency can help. The right agency can deliver top talent for even the most challenging requirements. Let’s take a closer look at why you should use a staffing agency for your hard to fill vacancies:

Staffing agencies can provide valuable industry expertise
Experienced staffing agencies have direct experience with a variety of niche industries. This makes it possible for the agency to offer unique insight into your specific industry’s current hiring trends and best practices, helping you craft compensation and benefits packages that are specially designed to attract top talent.
Utilizing a staffing agency leads to a faster hiring process
Without experienced help, locating a candidate with a hard to find skill set can take several months. Utilizing the help of an experienced staffing firm can cut your time to hire down to as little as just a few days. Staffing agencies have a large database of talented professionals and recruiters who are focused on niche markets, making it possible for them to quickly pinpoint candidates that match even the most specialized hiring profiles.
Working with a staffing firm reduces friction between hiring managers
Nowadays many businesses have two or more hiring managers. This can actually slow down the hiring process and create quite a lot of internal tension, especially when those involved don’t see eye to eye on hiring profiles. Additionally, positions such as IT, engineering and software development have very specific requirements that can be extremely difficult for talent acquisition generalists who lack direct industry experience. A competent staffing agency can provide valuable industry expertise and help multiple hiring managers reach a consensus on a desired skill set.
Using a staffing agency cuts spending
Attempting to fill a hard to fill vacancy can quickly lead to rogue spending. A staffing agency can help your HR team develop a program with carefully defined guidelines on spending.

iStaffing Agency helps companies in California 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. For more information about how iStaffing Agency can help your company with their staffing needs, please contact us today.

Increasing Productivity in the Workplace

Increasing Productivity in the Workplace

There are many reasons why your company might need to increase its workplace productivity. Increased demand, entering a new market or the release of a new product can all require your organization to increase its output. Let’s take a closer look at the best ways to increase productivity in the workplace.

One proven method for increasing workplace productivity involves improving the physical surroundings of your employees. This might include incorporating more daylight, colors, open spaces and ergonomics into the design of your workspace. In addition, modifying workstations, improving safety or utilizing technology have all been shown to increase productivity and contribute to a company’s bottom line.

Consider creating an opinion survey to find out how employees view working for your organization. Be sure to use open-ended questions that encourage employees to explain how you can help them to be more efficient and productive.

Involve department supervisors and managers by scheduling a meeting to discuss strategies for increasing productivity. Effective strategies might include adding staff and reassigning jobs. Adjusting staffing levels can significantly improve lagging productivity. Introducing flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting and job-sharing can improve the utilization of your existing workforce.

When you are considering adding staff to increase productivity, be sure to calculate your cost to hire and compare it against your potential increase in revenue. While an immediate return on investment might be difficult to achieve, the additional staff is likely worthwhile for achieving long-term results. Utilizing a competent staffing agency can ensure that you locate top talent without having to use up your company’s resources to fill positions.

It’s extremely important to match your employees’ abilities and qualifications to the work that they perform. Employees that are unable to complete their work are probably in the wrong job. Your employees’ skill sets should always match their job requirements and responsibilities.

Once you have gathered all of the necessary information, compare the costs of increasing productivity using additional staff, improving the work environment and reassigning jobs. Be sure to consider the information received in your employee opinion surveys when deciding the benefits of each.