professional candidates

Questions Employers Should be Asking Their Temp Agency

Questions Employers Should be Asking Their Temp Agency

In Southern California utilizing temporary workers can be useful in many situations:

For special projects that require more staff for a specific period of time
When trying out a new market area
When regular employees have planned or unplanned absences

When these situations occur it is extremely important for companies to have a relationship with a reliable temp agency. You will want to make sure that the people provided to you will be competent and team oriented. Before using a temp agency, employers will want to ask the following questions:

Do you specialize in my industry?

It is extremely important to find an agency that recruits workers that will be able to fill your needs. This becomes especially important when you require workers with very specific skills. You should also find out how wide a range of skills the staffing agency supplies. Knowing the agency’s capacity to source different types of help goes a long way towards developing a long-term relationship with the agency.

How do you evaluate candidates?

Temp agencies use a variety of different strategies to select their candidates. You should understand the evaluation procedure and approve of the screening process. Staffing agencies might use computer testing, psychological evaluations, personal interviews or a combination of all three.

What is your pricing structure?

It’s important to know exactly how the rate your company is being charged breaks down. You will want to find out how much is going towards the temp agency’s administrative costs and how much is actually going to the temp employee. Consider asking if the agency offers discounted rates if you plan to utilize their services regularly.

Do you offer a guarantee?

A respectable temp agency will not charge you for the time of a worker that does not fit your needs or does not perform the required work to an adequate standard. Whenever possible, choose a temp agency that gives a guarantee of satisfaction.

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.

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.

Information Technology Professionals

Information Technology Professionals

An information technology professional assists end users with problems concerning their computer systems or software. IT professionals might work as trainers, teaching computer hardware and software applications. IT professionals can work in a number of different places that are dependent on information technology, computer system networks and applications. IT professionals are sometimes referred to as computer support specialists or IT specialists.

Information technology professionals typically use their skills to help people solve computer problems in the workplace either through email, over the phone or through remote assistance. IT professionals are able to provide step by step instructions to fix hardware or software problems. IT professionals can also teach people how to use various software programs and explain to them how computer hardware interacts with the operating system.

There are many skills an IT professional must have. They must have experience and familiarity with computer hardware and software applications. They must also be willing to help customers understand how computers function. An experienced IT professional must exhibit patience in order to deal with different knowledge levels others might possess regarding computers. Frequently, an IT professional will be required to guide people through problems without actually seeing the computer or software. Using layman’s terms the IT professional must be able to guide the individual to a proposed solution.

Educational requirements for IT professionals vary. Most employers prefer a bachelor’s degree in information systems or computer science. However, there are also certification programs providing industry certification as an IT or computer professional. It is extremely important that IT professionals stay up to date on the latest computer trends, software applications and hardware devices.

Currently, the outlook for IT professionals is excellent. Over the next few years the employment of computer and information systems managers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations. Even a few minutes of system downtime carries an enormous cost for businesses. Companies can no longer afford to have issues with internet connectivity, email communications, corrupt data or system failure. This is why IT professionals are in such high demand.

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.

Developing A Professional Relationship With A Staffing Agency

Developing A Professional Relationship With A Staffing Agency

A quality staffing agency can be an excellent way to get your business through a huge project or a disastrous flu season. However, not all staffing agencies are created equal. Depending on which staffing firm you choose, you could either find yourself overwhelmed with the end result, or wishing you could turn back the clock. When selecting a staffing agency, you must find one that is able to fulfill your business’ individual needs. Let’s take a closer look at how to develop a professional relationship with a staffing agency.

Start By Determining Your Needs

If you are not able to properly communicate your needs from the start, your long-term success will suffer. Consider meeting with managers and supervisors to determine exactly what the role of your new employees will be. Figure out just how many employees will be needed for each department and how long you will need them to be with the company. You should also determine the skills that each employee must possess. Be sure to plan your company budget to pay for the workers that you need, and remember that having too many employees can be just as stressful as being short-staffed.

Choose Your Staffing Agency

When selecting a staffing agency to work with you will want to choose one that is able to fill the specific needs that you have determined. For example, a staffing firm that specializes in industrial workers is not likely to have a pool of accountants to assist your company during tax season.

Once you have determined which staffing agency specializes in your particular industry, inquire about the benefits and pay that the agency offers their employees. Typically, a quality compensation package will attract higher caliber workers. Don’t be afraid to request references from the staffing firm. Simply checking references can save you a lot of stress and money in the long run.

Once you have selected a staffing agency, ask if they offer a trial period. This gives you the opportunity to see how well you work together, as well as ample time to decide if you wish to make the arrangement permanent. After a few weeks, schedule a follow up interview to discuss any fine tuning that needs to be done. This is crucial in establishing an ongoing professional trust that is based on communication and understanding.

iStaffing Agency helps companies throughout the United States 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 them today.

Common Myths About Getting a Job Through a Staffing Agency

Common Myths About Getting a Job Through a Staffing Agency

Staffing agencies offer qualified candidates the opportunity to gain access to companies on either a temporary, temp to hire or full-time basis. Temporary assignments can last anywhere from one day to six months or more. More than ninety percent of all companies in the U.S. use staffing firms to find employees, and approximately forty percent of all employees have entered or re-entered the job market with the help of a staffing agency.

However, many college graduates still avoid registering with staffing agencies because they have heard one or more misleading myths about getting a job through a staffing agency. Let’s take a closer look at these common myths:

Jobs available through staffing agencies are not “real” jobs, they are only temporary jobs.
The reality is that the jobs available through staffing agencies are “real” jobs, often offered by large, well-established companies. These companies develop budgets in order to hire a set number of full-time employees every year. These budgets include a substantial amount of money used to hire temporary staff throughout the year to handle the ebb and flow of business. When the time comes for the company to open up temporary positions as full-time, the temporary employees that were placed by the staffing agency are in the ideal position to interview for the full-time job.
The jobs available through staffing agencies are low paying jobs.
Regardless of how they locate the opportunity, most college graduates will be offered assignments that fit their experience, which is entry level. It’s up to them to decide how they will leverage that opportunity in order to take their career to the next level. Jobs offered by staffing agencies typically provide employees with a better chance to advance their career.
Staffing agencies only work with entry level, administrative type candidates.
Staffing agencies work with a variety of different candidates. Specialty firms place professional, managerial and technical candidates, while other staffing agencies offer opportunities for candidates that are looking to either get their foot in the door or change industries.
Assignments offered by staffing agencies only last a couple of weeks.
While assignments offered by staffing agencies might last anywhere from one day to several months, employees have an excellent opportunity to get hired full-time. Perhaps one of the best things about working with a staffing agency is that you are exposed to a wide variety of companies, positions and opportunities. This makes it possible for you to decide exactly what you are looking for as far as company culture, who you work best with and what type of work you enjoy doing.

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, please contact them today.

How to Make your Resume Stand Out

How to Make your Resume Stand Out

Right now there are hundreds of people looking for a job and many of them are just as qualified as you. That is why it is more important than ever to make your resume stand out above your competition. The following tips will help you create a resume that is both effective and well-organized.

Always use a standardized font
Create your resume so that it is easy to read. Fonts such as Times New Roman and Georgia or sans-serif fonts such as Arial and Tahoma in a 10 to 12 point size are your best choices. No matter which font you decide to use make sure that you stick with it throughout the entire resume. Using several different fonts can quickly crowd the page and make you appear disorganized.
Keep key points at the top
Typically, a hiring manager will skim over your resume quickly, concentrating on the top half. If they don’t immediately see what they are looking for then they will probably move on to the next candidate. Always highlight your most relevant skills and experience first, before moving on to other pertinent information.
Express yourself
Resumes are not just about your experience and skills but also about your individual personality. Describe your accomplishments with confidence and ease. Try to come across as friendly and open but also professional and personal with a wealth of knowledge in your field.
Update your resume regularly
Review your resume often and make changes and updates whenever necessary. Check your resume to make sure that it is formatted well with plenty of white space. Attempt to keep your resume to one page and be absolutely certain that there are no typos or grammatical errors. A clean resume that is easy to read and gets straight to the point is your best bet at landing an interview.