Utilizing temporary employees can be a great way to increase productivity and decrease cost. Matching your workforce to your workflow can help prevent employee burnout, increase employee morale, and have a dramatic impact on your business.
Don't neglect your temporary employees!
While they may not be on your permanent payroll, temporary employees are still valuable members of your team (while they're on assignment). Maximize your temporary employee investment by implementing the following tips:
1. Give incentive-based gifts. Who doesn't like receiving a gift once in awhile? Incentive-based gifts are a low-cost way to motivate temporary employees to do their best on your assignment. Small gift cards to local stores or restaurants are all that you need to motivate your team.
2. Implement a bonus plan. You may not think of bonus plans for your temporary employees; however, they can be a tremendous way to motivate and reward these critical parts of your team. For temporary employees, who often are not eligible for the types of bonuses available to permanent employees, instituting a temporary bonus plan can be very appealing. You have some flexibility with implementing a temporary bonus plan. Perhaps you can designate a bonus if specific parameters are met at the end of the temporary assignment. Or maybe monthly – even weekly – bonuses are more appropriate. Take the time to understand what types of bonuses work best within your company structure, and your budget.
3. Offer PTO (paid time off). Offering typically "full-time" or "permanent" benefits to temporary employees can be an excellent motivator. Paid time off, or PTO, is one of those benefits. Free paid time off can be given for achieving specific benchmarks in productivity, working a specific number of shifts without calling in sick, or can be attached to other parameters. And paid time off doesn’t necessarily mean full days. An extra lunch hour, break, or other "free" time can be just as effective a motivator as a full blown vacation.
Looking for ways to maximize your workforce? Contact Expert Staffing
We'll help you decrease costs and increase your productivity.
Networking and other steps to increase the effectiveness of your job search
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
Networking has come to our attention quite a lot recently. Networking during the job search is an absolutely critical element to finding the right job. The Wall Street Journal ran a very good article detailing some steps you can take to increase the effectiveness of your networking during the job search. Some of the advice: 1) Develop a stronger online identity by revamping your resume. 2) Make better use of LinkedIn, a professional networking Web site. 3) Create a more visible personal brand. 4) How to get the most out of job fairs. As for some additional steps you can take, we recommend taking industry specific training classes to boost your resume, working temporary jobs to fill in work experience and joining professional or trade groups for networking. Of course, the key to any job search is persistence and just getting yourself out there! Related articles that may be of interest:
Revamping your job-search strategy (msnbc.msn.com) Keep Your Resume Out of the Recycling Bin (halliecrawford.typepad.com) Polishing Your Resume Part I (halliecrawford.typepad.com) The Search: Writing a Resume That Shouts ‘Hire Me’ (nytimes.com) 9 Insider Secrets to Getting Hired (usnews.com) Start Searching For Your Next Job Before You Need It (thatonecaveman.com)
Searching for Talent? Top 3 Candidate Sourcing Best Practices.
January 26, 2013
Ever make a bad hire? One that caused employees to whisper, Who hired "that" guy? Sometimes despite your best efforts, bad hires are made. And they are not only embarrassing, they are costly! Finding top talent is essential. Save yourself the time- and cost-burden associated with bad hires by taking the
time and effort to source candidates more effectively. Here are three best practices
to help you get started: Don't place all your eggs in one (resume) basket. Are you looking for executives? Professional talent? Light industrial? There is one thing
all of these candidates have in common – none of them are professional resume
writers. Look for achievements and other essential information, and by all means use
resumes as a screening tool. But, do not necessarily dismiss a candidate based solely
on his or her resume. You could be missing out on a future superstar…who ended
up with your competitor! Focus. Focus. Focus. Look outside the job posting. Don't make bad hires! These tips will help you get started, but to minimize the risks of a bad hire, and save costs while improving productivity, contact Expert Staffing. Our expert recruiting team will do the hard work of sourcing and hiring for you – letting you focus on your business.
Is Working For Your Company 'The Best'?
January 19, 2013
Each year, many employers and employees pay particular attention to Fortune Magazine's Best 100 Companies to Work For . Besides being a badge of honor for many employers, top talent across the country may use the list as a starting point for their career searches. You don't have to be one of the top 100 to be desirable to top talent
(but it doesn't hurt!). Maybe you didn't quite make the list, but that doesn't mean that you don't
have what it takes to lure top talent to your organization. Here are some of
the key traits identified among some of the cream of the crop on this year's list: 1. Great Corporate Culture. 2. Creature Comforts. 3. Bonuses. Looking to hire "The Best?" Come to Expert Staffing! We offer a range of staffing solutions for employers across the Houston area. Don't Go! 3 Tips For Handling Departing Employees. January 12, 2013
It's a reality for every business – sometimes
employees choose to leave. And sometimes that's actually a good thing for your
organization; however, from time to time, you may not want to let certain talent go. Go the extra mile to keep your top employees. Today's economy has created a talent war, and right now the competition could be poaching your best performers. When a top employee chooses to leave, here are three ways you can salvage some positive from a departing employee: Get to the heart of the issue. Talk to other employees. Make a counter-offer. Searching for your next top performer?
"Not again!" Four Resume and LinkedIn Buzzwords to Avoid.
January 5, 2013
In an increasingly-competitive job market, you may be looking for ways to stand out from the pack. Ways to help get your resume to the top of the pile, and hopefully, lead to your next job. But the most well-intentioned resumes can end up being the most-maligned by hiring managers. Beware the buzzwords! They may seem like a great idea, but resume (and LinkedIn profile)
buzzwords can take your resume from the top of the pile to the recycle bin. Late last
year, LinkedIn reviewed its profiles and
identified the top 10 most overused buzzwords on its profiles. Take a look at your
resume – I'll bet some of these buzzwords made their way into your resume (it's
okay – it happens to the best of us!). Keep yourself in the running and create a more effective resume by avoiding our top four overused buzzwords: 1. Extensive Experience Experience is definitely a good thing. Depending on the position for which
you're applying, you may be required to have a specific amount of experience.
But extensive doesn't tell a hiring manager much at all. How many years of direct
experience do you have? Do you have relevant experience elsewhere? 2. Results-Oriented There aren't too many people who go to work each day determined to accomplish
nothing. In particular, it's a safe bet that people who are searching for work are
even more determined to achieve some results. So, you're not going to set yourself
apart from many people by using this bland term. What results have you generated for
your previous employers? Did you increase sales by 10 percent? Maybe you increased
efficiency by 7 percent. In other words, the question is really,
"What did you accomplish," rather than, "Did you accomplish anything?" 3. Team-Player Getting along well with others is something we learn at an early age
(We're going all the way back to grade school here!). In what ways did you help
your employers by working as part of a team? Or did you take initiative and lead a team?
Give concrete examples of your accomplishments, and you're sure to impress. 4. Problem-Solver Are you noticing a trend here? Overused buzzwords aren't buzzwords at all –
when you can back them up. Did you encounter a difficult problem, or an area of
improvement, and take the opportunity to improve the situation? How did you overcome it?
What was the result? The more details you can give, the better. Searching for your next career opportunity? Here at Expert
Staffing, we help professionals across Texas find jobs with top employers.
We will work with you to help you achieve your career goals!