staffing agency

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.

Common Workplace Problems That Can be Solved by a Staffing Agency

Common Workplace Problems That Can be Solved by a Staffing Agency

Staffing problems occur in every type of Southern California business. In fact, staffing issues are one of the leading causes of problems in businesses both large and small. If you’ve ever considered utilizing a staffing agency’s services, now is the perfect time to see if this solution is right for your company. Let’s take a closer look at the most common workplace problems and how they can be solved by using a staffing agency.

Fluctuations in demand
Whether you have a seasonal business or you foresee a dramatic but temporary increase in demand, a staffing service can help you. A staffing firm can provide you with competent temporary employees when you need them, allowing you to simply go back to your regular staff level when the demand slacks off.
Turnover issues
There might be positions within your company with a high turnover rate. A staffing agency can provide you with a highly trained individual to fill the position. Even if you aren’t looking for a permanent hire you can use a temp employee until you are able to address the issue.
Specialized skills
Individuals with specialized skills are necessary in IT departments and other specialized areas within your company. A staffing agency can provide you with the highly trained individuals that you require.
Immediate needs
If a position suddenly opens up and you know that it will take several weeks to find the right candidate, a staffing service can help you fill the position immediately with a highly trained and qualified worker. This frees up your resources, allowing you to continue business as usual.
Rising costs of labor
As the cost of living rises so do employee wages. Today, employees expect higher pay and more benefits as well. This can become a big problem for companies both large and small. An excellent way to solve this problem is to subcontract the work to a temporary staffer.

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.

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.

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.