Your employees need visibility. Are your wipers on?

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Your company culture is likely helping, or… hurting you more than you know. It’s time you turn on the windshield wipers. You need employees Improve your workplace culture in one word. Visibility.with “visibility.”

Let’s be honest. The last few years have not been easy for employers and employees alike. Everyone has been impacted by layoffs, hiring freezes, reduced budgets and smaller profit margins. Between a tumultuous economy and new legislation, some may ask – how can staffing firms afford to invest heavily in employee culture to retain and attract top talent?

More appropriately… how can they not? Investing in workplace culture is no longer an option.

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Take Home the Gold in 2014 when you Stay Ahead of These Staffing Trends

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Mentally Prepare, Physically Train, Gloriously Fail. Get up. Repeat. And Keep Going for the Gold.

This year’s winter Olympians have done that all their lives. Truly great players like Kesler, Carlson and Quick show us how to look to the future, how to train, how to improve. And ultimately how to make a vision a reality… like playing on the 2014 U.S. Olympic Hockey team.

Here at Bond, we are honored to bring the best staffing and recruiting software to staffing pros who are poised to take home staffing gold this year. They have been studying the trends driving the industry. They dial-in and not only react, but predict and deliver what is needed in order to drive efficiencies into their staffing businesses.

With them, we have identified 5 trends which we feel ALL staffing and recruiting pros should study, and plan for carefully.

Could this year be a “Miracle off the Ice” for you? Get ahead of these 5 trends and claim the gold for yourself!

 

Staffing Trend 1 – The Need to Cast Wider Nets to Recruit Talent is Growing

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In order to achieve great results, champions know no bounds. This approach to the game is what moves NHL greats to Olympian status.

Today’s recruiters face the same opportunity. To score the best talent, recruiters must not see obstacles. Rather, they need to set up wider nets.

Even with the unemployment rate of ~7 percent, talent seems to be scarce. According to Price Waterhouse Coopers U.S. CEOs are sharing that a shortage of skills is a potential threat to growth.

Staffing firms can get ahead of this trend by using social media, video interviewing, and actively courting qualified referrals.  Managing the deluge of candidates found through these (and other) methods can be done more efficiently with well selected recruiting software.

 

Staffing Trend 2 –   Labor Pool Access is More Open – Yet Challenging to Manage

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From a VERY deep talent pool, only 25 players were selected for the men’s U.S. Hockey team. It wasn’t easy and it was definitely a thorough process.

Likewise, recruiters have few boundaries and lots of access to candidates especially online job seekers (and non-seekers). With the growth of social recruiting (from 56 percent of employers in 2011 to 77 percent of employers in 2013) the addressable labor pool has grown at staggering rates. But let’s be honest, bigger has not necessarily meant better.

The opportunity for recruiters is to invest in the right systems, processes and recruiting software designed to rapidly source qualified candidates, especially those with a high degree of specialization.

 

 

Staffing Trend 3 – Mobile Recruiting is Becoming a Must!

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Olympians have heart. They have brains. And bottom line, they have the pure will to win. They are different from most of us in that they persevere when in pain. They get up and keep going when – for most of us – we might prefer to take a nap.

Mobile recruiting will be a key focus for staffers in 2014.  86 percent of jobseekers use mobile phones. 90 percent of job seekers read emails (potentially from recruiters with career opportunities) on their phones. And 82 percent expect to apply for a job via a mobile device.

Will you win market share by developing and enhancing your mobile presence? It means more work than simply maintaining a traditional web presence. For those of us not up to the mobile challenge, it might just be time for that nap.

 

Staffing Trend 4 – Social Staffing – It’s no Secret – Is Here to Stay…and Grow

shutterstock_80672521Suiting up since they were three. That’s the story of most of this year’s U.S. Olympic Hockey team. And to make it this far, they have been dedicated to studying and practicing the nuances of their sport.

While 95 percent of LinkedIn members are open to relevant InMails from recruiters, the magic is finding the right candidate and romancing them enough to find interest in the career opportunity you hold in your hand.

Hiring managers and staffing offices will continue to use social media as part of their recruiting process. But those who study the nuances of social recruiting and learn how to integrate with their staffing and recruiting software will have success courting highly qualified – often passive – candidates.

Some staffing companies no longer require resumes, replacing them with a candidate’s LinkedIn profile. If you haven’t yet, it’s time to study up and adapt to social recruiting. Hit it with eyes of wonder. Like a 3 year old future Olympian!

 

Staffing Trend 5 – Contract Workers are Nearly Doubling

shutterstock_72956344In 2010, 8 percent of U.S. Hockey Olympians were returning to the Olympics. This year over half the team is composed of returning Olympians.

Building bench strength can lead to a stronger future workforce.

42 percent of employers plan to hire temporary or contract workers in 2014, up from 40 percent in 2013. 57 percent plan to increase the number of contingent hires. The reasons vary, but the reality is the same.

Develop the processes and grow the systems to become not only a skilled recruiting agency, but also a staffing firm, with a recurring revenue stream, and you will be relied upon by your clients to fill their contingent workforce.

Study up staffers and recruiters. This year is destined to be a golden year for you. All you have to do is follow the biggest industry trends and setup your business to stay ahead of them.

Sound simple? Well remember to mentally prepare. And know that you may gloriously fail. If you do, get up my friend! Repeat. And keep going for staffing and recruiting gold. 

Top 5 Reasons to Join Us at the Executive Forum

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erecruit will be onsite all week at SIA’s Executive Forum in San Diego from March 18-21. If you haven’t decided to come this year, we think you should, and, here’s why…


1. Redefine your staffing firm in 2014.Join erecruit at SIA's 2014 Executive Forum
SIA’s Barry Asin will kickoff the Executive Forum again in 2014. Hear the latest research, trends and industry outlook in an increasingly complex eco-system… you won’t want to miss it.

2. In case you haven’t heard – ACA is a BIG DEAL
What are others doing? ACA will be the buzz of conversation during breakout sessions and cocktail receptions. Want more? Attend the Pre-conference Session dedicated to cutting through the confusion, telling you what you need to know and must do about it.

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Sun Tzu and the Art of Engineering Staffing Victory

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In a previous post, I mentioned four key steps in addressing the issue of staffing employee retention. In order to continue that discussion, I thought it would be wise to look at the issue from a micro perspective. One of my favorite books is Sun Tzu’s Art of War and for those of you unfamiliar with it, I would recommend checking it out. It’s one of the most important leadership, strategy, and decision-making books ever written.

I was reviewing my dog-eared and heavily highlighted copy the other day and ran across a section that stood out in terms of defining and achieving victory in the staffing industry. Effectively applying the “Five Factors for Victory” that Sun Tzu spoke about could be the difference between being just an average firm in your market and becoming an elite firm. Ultimately, if you can engineer victories in the field, your people will be more inclined to stick with you. After all, everyone loves a winner.

First, know when to fight

The first factor for victory that Sun Tzu spoke about was knowing when you can fight and when you can’t fight. From a staffing perspective, this is essentially saying that we should all pick our battles and what opportunities to take on. Practically speaking, the firms that successfully take on the roles that are “center of the circle” for their practice will emerge victorious and grow while their competition remains stagnant or declines. Taking on a role for the sake of taking on a role isn’t a winning formula.  If the goal is victory over the competition, it is unwise to try to be all things to all people. Knowing what you can deliver and being able to deliver it means certain victory.

Second, focus resources

The second factor for victory that Sun Tzu spoke about was recognizing how to deploy large and small numbers. In staffing, this is all about working closest to the dollar on the highest margin opportunities. From a practical perspective, it’s essential that sales and leadership have a system in place to determine what the hottest recs are and assign the number of recruiters accordingly. Additionally from a sales and planning perspective, this also means keeping an eye on mid-term and long-term projects your clients have coming up. The ability to have a pipeline of candidates ready to fill roles before the competition even gets wind of the rec is a crucial success factor. The majority of clients I brought to Addison was a direct result of working my project pipeline and keeping my leadership and rock-star recruiting team in the loop on what I had coming up. Do this successfully and you win.

Third, align goals

The third factor for victory that Sun Tzu mentioned was having leadership and the team in alignment on goals, objectives, and desires. This is a critical leadership issue in any firm but especially staffing. We all know what a “day in the life” for us looks like, so it’s essential for leaders within our organizations to be visible, communicate the message, and inspire the troops. The difference between winning and losing an account can come down to the passion your recruiters and sales people have for the firm. If you’re inspiring your people and sharing with them the vision and mission of your firm, you win.

Fourth, prepare, prepare, prepare

Fourth, Sun Tzu noted that those who wait fully prepared for the unprepared to act will always win. From a sales perspective, this is a critical success factor. Your team should be digging in to the weeds about their prospects. They should know what skills the hiring managers look for, what personality types work well with the team, who is planning on leaving, and any number of other things about the firm (and be able to keep track of the information for easy retrieval). I found that asking every hiring manager who their best employee was and their plan if that person left tomorrow crucial to really understanding the manager and the account. Understanding the granular details of what the account is looking for and being prepared to deliver it in “emergency” situations guarantees victory.

Fifth, lead with trust

Lastly, Sun Tzu noted that capable leaders needed to be left alone in order to insure victory. This point applies at all levels of the organization and is especially important from a morale and turnover perspective. Once you’ve determined that the team you have in place is capable and have the tools needed to perform their jobs successfully, there’s no need to micromanage them and map out a step-by-step list of things for them to do. Your role is to inspire and coach. If you fall into the trap of micromanaging, you run the risk of having your star players and even your “steady Eddies” going elsewhere.  If you’re focused on inspiring, motivating, and coaching your team instead of micro-managing them, you will win.

Everyone knows that we’re in the business of selling people to people. In an environment where there are very few quantifiable differences between your firm and your competitors, it becomes critical to really understand what defines your firm as unique. Sun Tzu mentioned that one of the keys to victory is to know yourself and know your enemy. Applying these steps in addition to empowering your teams with the proper tools for battle will insure your victory. Want to win more and more often? Check us out.

 

Staffing & Recruiting Software Lessons from Super Bowl 48

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Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks QB

Staffing & Recruiting Software Lessons from Super Bowl 48

Did you watch Super Bowl 48?

Better yet, what did you learn?

Staffing and recruiting professionals learned A LOT from the team that executed at the top of their capabilities!

Here are 6 Sweet Lessons from the Seahawks.

RECRUITING SOFTWARE LESSONS

Offer a vision of your client’s future when you present “Player of the Year” candidates.

Suss out super stars fast with recruiting software that offers super effective resume management.

No matter where you look, you should always have instant access to important staffing data via your recruiting software.

Plan for it.
And it will happen!

The future of SaaS-based recruiting software is NOW.

And soon it will
differentiate you.

Start thinking about how cloud-based recruiting software can reduce total cost of ownership, simplify IT maintenance and enable you to be more nimble as you grow.

Guide your candidates throughout their career.

Carefully select monitoring and tracking tools which help you nurture your most talented recruits and place them in the best positions as they are ready to advance.

Ensure your recruiters and sales team can accomplish 80% of their tasks from a single screen.

Seriously!
It’s that important!

The more quickly & effectively they can manage their activity the faster job orders will be filled and sales will be closed.

…FROM THE PLAYBOOK…

Prophecy was fulfilled when Russell Wilson was named starting quarterback for the Seahawks in 2012.

The future $100 Million Man helped trounce Denver as he led the team on a crushing 43-8 Super Bowl conquest.

Wilson consistently has mystical access to 3, 4 and sometimes 5 receivers during a play.

It’s not an accident.

As the first QB to post a 100+ passer rating in each of his first two seasons, he PLANS for it and it HAPPENS.

With histories of practice and games at CenturyLink Field, the Seahawks’ defense performed like a brick wall. Linebacker and the game’s MVP, Malcolm Smith, made the point of pride when he said, “We attack all over the field.”

It’s about being ready.

Contact Bond when you’re ready for the future of cloud-based recruiting software.

The Seahawks saw insane talent in Bruce Irvin.

With Coach Carroll’s guidance he’s been able to showcase multiple talents as linebacker, outside linebacker and (Fans didn’t have to WAIT for it ) defensive end!

The Seahawks’ laser-like commitment to a small yardage strategy clearly got results.

The team spends a phenomenal amount of time in their opponent’s end zone.

Ah, to taste a touchdown!

The Seahawks Super Bowl 48 win
inspires staffers and recruiters alike.

This year, let’s all follow Pete Carroll’s Mantra
“Always Compete”.