Tag: Maryland Temporary Staffing
What Is Quiet Hiring and How to Implement This Strategy
As many companies are dealing with layoffs and the threat of recession, the quest to control personnel costs while building niche skill sets has become urgent. To handle these issues, an innovative new recruiting strategy is beginning to make waves.
Called “Quiet Hiring,” this optimized hiring strategy allows you to plug the skill gaps in your workforce without increasing your employee count. The goal is to minimize the risks and expenses of hiring additional staff, particularly the risk of a bad hire.
Types of Quiet Hiring
There are two types of quiet hiring:
Internal Quiet Hiring
Internal quiet hiring focuses on current employees, homing in on those who can take on different assignments or additional responsibilities. While challenging employees by redeploying them internally is not new, internal quiet hiring is more employee-driven and time-critical.
External Quiet Hiring
External quiet hiring is an alternative approach that brings talent in on a short-term basis. Companies often draw from their ex-employee networks or enlist gig or contract workers with ultra-niche skills.
Benefits of Quiet Hiring
Increases workforce agility.
As your company needs change and niche skill requirements evolve, quiet hiring allows you to fill positions quickly by moving employees around.
Boosts employee engagement.
Quiet hiring allows employees to grow and progress in their careers with opportunities to learn new skills and achieve greater recognition and higher pay.
Reduces hiring costs.
Quiet hiring reduces costs on two fronts. First, it eliminates the need to hire new full-time employees, thus cutting the HR expenses associated with traditional recruitment and onboarding. Second, it reduces the rate of attrition among current employees. Employees are more likely to stay in a job if they feel valued and have opportunities to advance and achieve more. Quiet hiring offers those rewards and opportunities.
Quiet Hiring Step-by-Step
Quiet hiring strategies need to be carefully planned, or they could backfire. Here are the key steps to successfully implementing a quiet hiring strategy:
1. Build a solid, detailed plan.
2. Provide leadership opportunities.
3. Maintain clear communication with employees.
4. Provide training opportunities and support for employees.
5. Recognize and reward employee efforts.
6. Work with employees to design career paths.
For many companies, hiring internally is the solution to satisfy the need for talent in a competitive market. Quiet hiring allows you to create an agile workforce while controlling your costs. Plus, it’s a valuable recruiting strategy that encourages employee growth and development.
Need help hiring? Beacon Staffing can help you find suitable candidates!
Dealing with a Toxic Workplace Environment? How to Know When it’s Time to Break up With your Job
We all have bad days at work when stress and frustrations wear us down. However, if the bad days at work have become the norm, you may be dealing with a toxic workplace environment. A toxic workplace can affect your mental and physical health, increasing anxiety and stress and seriously impacting your productivity and morale.
Your workplace may be toxic for a variety of reasons. If you’re feeling very unhappy at work, here are three key signs it’s time to consider breaking up with your current job.
Your boss sets unrealistic expectations.
Effective bosses challenge you with attainable goals encouraging you to grow and become your best version. On the other hand, ineffective bosses set you up to fail. Their unrealistic expectations make you feel helpless and stressed. Demanding quick turnarounds at the last minute and overwhelming you with work can quickly lead to a toxic workplace environment.
Your boundaries are not respected.
Lack of respect for boundaries is a hallmark of toxic relationships, including those at work. Do you feel uncomfortable speaking up at work? If you do, whether due to a lack of confidence or from imposter syndrome, it’s something you can work on. If you have set boundaries and they are not respected, it may be time to find a new job.
You think about quitting your job regularly.
If you think a lot about quitting your job, it’s a good sign that you’re ready to move on. If you feel unsure, take the time to review your current position. Look at your last month of work and tally up the good and bad days. It may be time to “jump ship” if the bad days outweigh the good.
Another approach is to ask yourself what you would advise a friend or coworker in the same situation. Would you encourage them to stick with the job and tolerate its negatives, or would you recommend they escape from the toxic workplace? More often than not, the advice you would give to someone in your situation is what you need to hear yourself.
The decision to leave your current job is a challenging one. But if you see the signs of a toxic workplace culture, you need to trust your intuition and go for it!
If you need help finding your next role, contact Beacon Staffing today!
How to Pull Yourself out of your Mid-Week Slump
We’ve all struggled to get through the workweek. The dreaded “mid-week slump” can suck your remaining energy with stress and discouragement, but it doesn’t have to. Read on for five easy tips to help you pull yourself out of your slump and beat the mid-week blahs.
Here’s how:
1. Start Something New
Starting something new in the middle of the week may seem counterproductive, but it’s a perfect time to switch gears and pursue something rewarding and exciting. Start a new hobby, indulge in self-care, try a new outfit, or start a new hobby to breathe new life into your week.
2. Get Outside & Get Active
Fresh air is essential to clear your mind and pull you out of a mid-week slump. Twenty minutes outside lifts your spirits and raises your body’s vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is a vital nutrient for metabolism and mood, and sunlight is the best source. If you live in northern climates where winter weather makes it difficult to get those healthy rays, a vitamin D supplement can help.
Daily exercise is also essential to reduce stress and boost the feel-good hormones called endorphins. Whether you lift weights, jog, kickbox, cycle, or take a walk, exercise can pull you out of a low mood in no time. In fact, exercise is so effective at lifting your mood that it can prevent a midweek slump in the first place!
3. Get Social
Even if you count many of your coworkers as friends, it is vital to make time for connections outside of work. After the extreme separation of the pandemic lockdown and social distancing, connecting with friends and family is more important than ever. If you are slumping in the middle of your work week, plan to see or talk with friends and family. Whether on the phone, online or in person, connecting with loved ones benefits your mental and overall health.
4. Clear the Clutter
Cleaning up and getting organized can quickly turn your mood around. The presence of clutter in your home or office can contribute to various mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, stress, and even feelings of worthlessness. A solid decluttering session can free up space, and free your mind, too.
5. Treat Each New Day as a Fresh Start
It may be the middle of the week, but every day is a new day. Even if the beginning of the week drained your batteries, you can still recharge and tackle the rest of the week with energy and intention. No matter how bad the day may be, look to the next day and commit to moving forward toward your daily, weekly, and overall goals.
Maybe it’s time to look for a new job?
Start your search with Beacon Staffing!
Searching for Your Perfect Candidate vs. Hiring on Potential
The state of today’s workforce is changing rapidly. In the past, many employers have based their hiring decisions on competence and a veritable laundry list of skills and educational achievements in their quest to find the “perfect candidate.”
There are no perfect candidates, though, and as companies struggle to recruit the candidates they need, being a “good fit” has become more critical. Managers are now asking themselves, “Which is more important: experience or potential?”
Let’s look at some of the benefits of hiring candidates for their potential rather than their experience and education.
Benefits of Hiring for Potential vs. Experience
If a candidate applies for your advertised job opening and doesn’t have the three years of experience you require, you may write them off before even looking at their resume. They may have checked every other box, though, and would be an excellent fit for your company.
Hiring for potential means being open to considering more than years of service as a measurement of what the candidate has to offer.
Sometimes hiring for experience doesn’t equal successful levels of performance. While they may have years of experience, those years may be without any significant results or growth. Knowledge is excellent, but passion is essential, too.
Fresh Perspectives
One of the significant benefits of hiring someone with more potential than experience is that they bring a fresh perspective to the table. Candidates with less experience are more likely to ask questions and challenge the status quo, both of which are necessary to stimulate higher levels of passion, motivation, and curiosity. When you’re hiring someone new, you want a candidate that is willing and able to learn new skills that will push your company to grow and provide better service and value to your customers.
Soft Skills and Attitude
The hard skills necessary to perform a job can be easily taught to anyone. Attitude, however, and the personality traits and coping abilities that are known collectively as “soft skills” cannot be so easily learned. If an employee’s personality doesn’t mesh well with the workplace culture of the current team, it can have a costly effect on the whole staff.
If you’re still looking to hire, get in touch with our team at Beacon Staffing today!
Every job seeker has their own set of quirks and perks. Opening your job search to include candidates with more potential than experience improves your chance of finding the elusive “perfect candidate” and enriching your company with fresh perspectives, bold ideas, and renewed enthusiasm for your company’s culture and goals.
4 Things Management Should NEVER Ask Their Employees to Do
Sometimes things happen at work that disrupts the environment and requires management to think fast and act. This doesn’t mean that employees should fix these disruptions. There are things, accidental and otherwise, that management shouldn’t ask employees to do.
Though some “asks” are obviously a no-no, others may not be so clear. Here are four.
Anything You Wouldn’t Do
One of the best guidelines for managers is simply this: Never ask your employees to do something you wouldn’t do. If the duty is part of their job description, fine, but generally speaking, if you aren’t willing to do it, don’t assign it to an employee. Always take the first turn and set the example.
Anything Illegal or Unethical
This should go without saying. Examples of illegal or unethical things that employees should never be asked to do include:
- Falsifying documents
- Lying to customers
- Stealing money from customers or the company
- Stealing information from employees, customers, the company, or other companies
- Harassing coworkers
- Pressuring employees to disclose personal information about themselves or others
Do not pressure your employees to participate in charitable donations or donate their time. Requiring an employee to donate money to any charity is docking their salary. Since you have no idea what their work/ home situation is, requiring them to donate their time to a charity may not be possible either. Offer the option and do not force employees to participate.
Never throw employees under the bus when things go wrong, even if they make a mistake. You are responsible for your department and its employees, good and bad. Even if you did not expressly authorize or request it, take responsibility for it.
Anything Dangerous or Harmful
Don’t ask your employees to do anything that may cause them to risk life and limb or harm them professionally. That includes performing duties outside their job description that could result in harm or death, as well as dealing with an abusive customer or working in a physically or mentally toxic or harmful environment.
Anything That Violates the Employment Package Agreed To
When you hired your employee, you agreed to the job’s parameters, the salary/ benefits package they would receive in compensation, and the terms of work (hours, vacation, PTO, sick days, etc.). Forcing an employee to work outside those parameters, to cancel vacation time, or to work when sick violates that employment package and should never happen.
Management comes with a great deal of responsibility, including looking out for the welfare of your employees. Even when messes happen and the workplace environment goes off the rails, taking care of your employees and never asking them to do anything you wouldn’t do first is essential.
Are you looking to diversify your company with new employees? Contact us today, and we will be happy to help!
Earn Extra Cash for the Upcoming Holidays With These Part-Time Jobs
Whether you are looking to supplement your income and earn extra cash for the holidays or want to re-enter the workforce after an extended absence, a part-time job is a great solution. Part-time jobs are available in a wide range of industries, from administrative office positions to IT and logistics support to skilled trades and warehouse work. Whatever your experience or skill level, you can find a part-time job to suit your needs.
A simple job search will bring up many job roles such as those below, or you can connect with an experienced staffing agency like Beacon Staffing to make the job search easier.
Receptionist
Receptionists work in professional offices, medical offices, schools, and churches. They are the first person that most clients or patients encounter, and they handle a wide range of duties, including:
- Answering phone calls and emails
- Greeting clients or patients
- Scheduling appointments
- Data entry
- Record keeping
- Filing
Most receptionist positions require a minimum of a high school diploma or GED, as well as excellent communication and organizational skills.
Warehouse Worker
Warehouse workers are always in demand, both for brick-and-mortar and online-based businesses. Warehouse workers need at least a high school diploma and must be able to lift and carry inventory items weighing 25-50lbs or more. In addition, some data entry and machine operation may be required.
Administrative Assistant
Administrative assistants do many of the same jobs that a receptionist would do. They are also tasked with more intensive support of clients and customers, as well as assisting and supporting the needs of employees and management teams within the company. Administrative assistants need a high school diploma at a minimum, though some employers may require an Associate degree or more.
Bookkeeper
Bookkeepers are a valuable asset for a company and a part job in high demand. They are responsible for maintaining “the books,” which include all the financial transactions for the company, including payments and bank deposits. Most companies want to see a degree in accounting, finance, or certification as a bookkeeper at a minimum.
Getting a part-time job provides you with the extra income you need and it allows you to improve or expand your job skills. While the jobs above are among the highest paying part-time jobs, there are many options available that could be a good fit for you.
Ready to find the ideal part-time job for you? Check out the Beacon Staffing job board to browse our open positions!
Minimize Your Digital Distractions With These 3 Tips
Collaboration software, email, and instant messaging have made communication within the workplace fast and efficient. It has also increased the number of distractions and obstacles to getting work done. According to a Workfront survey, workers are interrupted by notifications and other digital distractions an average of 14 times per day! In addition, workers are repeatedly checking their devices and programs, with the majority checking their communication tools every 6-8 minutes.
Most work requires a degree of deep focus and thought, so the constant demands for a response from communication tools and the distraction of email and messages at your fingertips have a negative effect on productivity in the short and long term.
How Digital Distractions Affect Employees
Losing focus may not seem serious but when you understand how the brain works, the problem is clear. When your brain is at work and interruption occurs, it can take a minimum of 20 minutes to regain focus and resume the previous thought process. That’s with just one interruption. When you add in the multiple distractions of notifications, calls, and pauses to check messages and emails, it adds up and has a major effect on productivity.
The sharp decrease in focus and productivity affects your employees’ individual well-being, too. The frustration of not completing tasks or completing them incorrectly leads to increased stress, anxiety, fatigue, and a general state of low morale.
Defeating Distractions: Top Tips
There is no simple solution to defeating digital distractions, but you can take back control with small steps. Here are three top tips to make a big difference in your workplace focus.
1. Use Automation Tools
Many email systems allow you to set up “email triage.” This sorts emails into different boxes so that priority messages are seen first, and other emails can be dealt with at a later time, improving the efficiency of email time, decreasing stress, and increasing productivity.
It is also important for managers to model the behavior they want from employees. Limit emails to business hours only and encourage employees to model their email strategies after your own.
2. Make Use of the Mute
Notifications of messages, emails, and phone calls constantly pull your focus away, increasing stress and anxiety as you struggle to focus on work. Turn off notifications during work hours and check messages and emails at designated break times instead. You can also establish a set notification for others on your message apps and phone to let them know you are focused on work and when they can reach you.
3. Unplug (Almost) Everywhere
If the temptation to check messages is too much, consider logging out of any nonessential websites or apps, or even deleting them from your device. Simply logging out of social media apps or email can be enough to keep you focused on the job at hand.
Escaping digital distractions at work may seem impossible, but with earnest effort and the tips above in mind, you can improve your focus and productivity easily.
Looking to switch positions? Contact Beacon Staffing today!
Keywords You Should Be Highlighting on Your Resume
Crafting an effective resume seems like a daunting task. You want to keep it organized and clear while including both the skills and qualifications you need for the job and the unique attributes you can bring to the position.
One of the most effective ways to hit all of those markers in your resume is to include certain resume keywords. Resume keywords highlight the specific abilities, skills, and traits that hiring managers and recruiters are looking for in a candidate.
- Keywords are nouns that describe the unique job-related skills and qualifications you need to succeed in the position.
- Action verbs show your accomplishments in past job experiences.
By combining keywords and action verbs into eye-catching phrases, hiring managers and employment scanning programs can key into those words, separating your resume from the rest.
Why are Keywords and Phrases Important?
Today, most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which pre-screen applications by electronically searching for the keywords and phrases connected to the job. ATS software can be programmed to:
- Search for keywords and phrases related to the job’s requirements
- Place higher value on specific keywords
- Detect keyword spamming
- Rank resumes based on keyword use, especially when keywords are with additional related skills
Both ATS software and recruiters spend seconds looking over a resume, so it is vital to use your job-related nouns and action verbs strategically.
Job-Related Nouns
The best place to start your search for job-related keywords is the job ad itself. Take note of job, skill, and location keywords and look for ways to incorporate them into your resume. Focus on hard skills, including your formal training, experience, and skills related to the job. Remember to use variations of keywords as well. For example, the ATS software may not search for abbreviations; if you mention having a “B.A” or “M.A.,” make sure you also include the full phrases “Bachelor of Arts” or “Master of Arts” so the software, and the recruiter, sees them.
Action Verbs
Action verbs should be included throughout your resume, but especially in the work experience section. Demonstrating your experience and achievements to a hiring manager or recruiter is crucial, so active verbs such as:
- Achieved
- Improved
- Trained
- Mentored
- Managed
- Created
- Resolved
- Volunteered
- Influenced
- Launched
- Increased/ Decreased
- Won
Also, include any keywords that indicate you contributed to the previous companies you worked for. For example, employers want to know if a job candidate is creative or innovative, so relate examples of times your ideas helped the company achieve greater success, increased revenue/ profit, or kept the company under budget.
Hiring managers and recruiters see hundreds, even thousands of resumes at a time, so finding a way to capture and keep their attention is essential. Keywords and phrases that highlight your training, skills, and expertise will quickly focus attention on you and increase your chances of getting that interview.
Need more positions to apply for? Check out the Beacon Staffing job board today!
5 Ways to Showcase Your Company Culture
In today’s job market, showcasing your company culture is more essential than ever for attracting and securing top-notch talent. Job candidates want to know about your company culture before they even apply. In fact, according to a Glassdoor study, over 75% of respondents polled consider a company’s culture before applying for a job, with more than half saying that company culture is more important than job salary.
When it comes to showcasing your company culture, actions really do speak louder than words. Your company’s values are more than words on a website; they need to be seen and felt by candidates, too. Since company cultures vary from business to business, let’s look at some fresh ways that you can prove your company culture to prospective candidates and define the nature of your company so they can adapt more easily.
#1 Choose the Right Words
The first encounter prospective job candidates have with your workplace culture is in the job description, so choosing the right words is essential. Words like “flexible,” “rewarding,” and “supportive” are all words that candidates look for when researching a company. There are also specific words that apply to different industries; a candidate pursuing temp or full-time work in a warehouse or industrial setting will be looking for words like “innovation,” “collaboration,” and “safety.”
#2 Shine a Spotlight on Employees
Spotlighting employees for their work and accomplishments through your website and social media is a great way to promote your company culture to prospective candidates and boost morale among your current employees. Feature an interview with an employee that includes:
- Who they are within the company
- What they do within the company
- How they improve the company and contribute to its successful culture
Allow your employee to be themselves, share unique perspectives and passion projects, and avoid scripted questions as much as possible.
#3 Go Behind-The-Scenes
Candidates love getting insight into the daily world of your company. Behind the scenes looks at teams or individuals within your company provide a window into your company’s culture and present an authentic view of how your values are implemented on a day-to-day basis.
#4 Incorporate Values Training
One of the most effective ways to communicate your company culture and values to employees and new candidates is through formal training and orientation. This ensures that new candidates understand the values and policies of your company from the beginning and that all employees are on the same page when it comes to what your employer brand stands for.
#5 Promote Career Development
Whether it is the potential for a transition from temp to a full-time employee or the chance to continue and expand their education, candidates want to know if a future with your company is possible.
Is your company culture on point and you’re in need of more candidates? Get in touch with Beacon Staffing today!
Virtual Interview Etiquette Tips To Land Your Next Job
Before the pandemic forced us into a digitalized workplace, technology had become a significant part of the hiring process. Whether you are a remote worker or are pursuing a job in another city, state, or country, you’ll have at least some experience with a virtual interview. Virtual interviews are an easy way for companies to meet candidates face to face and gain the advantages of visual and verbal interaction that in-person interviewing has always had.
Just like in-person interviews, making the time and effort to prepare for your virtual interview is crucial and could make or break your chances for your dream job. Read on for some etiquette tips you need to know to ace your next virtual interview.
Research and Prepare
Be sure to do your research on the employer before the interview. Read reviews, search current news coverage for developments, and check out their profile on business sites such as LinkedIn. This will equip you to ask thoughtful questions, which always make a good impression on the interviewer.
Also, review your resume and the job description so you are better prepared to draw from experience and “sell” yourself for the role.
Don’t forget to practice before the interview. Test your video equipment, including the camera and sound. Also, consider your lighting and the background where you will be interviewing. Make sure the space is clean and neat and will be quiet enough to interview without external noise or interruptions.
Interview Tips
- Be prompt and on time
- Dress professionally and be well-groomed
- Make eye contact
- Practice good posture
- Stay focused and visibly engaged, smile and nod often
- Have work examples or a portfolio ready, just in case
Post-interview, make sure you don’t “ghost” your interviewer. Respond to messages promptly and check your email a minimum of twice daily to keep up with notifications or the next steps in the hiring process.
With these interview tips and a positive attitude, you’ll be ready to relax and enjoy the virtual interviewing process. Now all you need to do is find the right job opportunity.
Are you still searching for your dream job? Contact Beacon Staffing today!