ABR Blog

According to SpendingPulse, Americans spent roughly 5.5% more this holiday season than last.

Could it be because they’re expecting pay raises in 2011?

Possibly.  A recent Workforce Management article included results from a number of surveys which showed pay increases running as high as 3% in 2011, with an average increase of 2.7%.  After two to three years of salary freezes and other human resources cost-reduction strategies, employers seem prepared to start the thawing process.

Here are a few key statistics from the Towers Watson, Mercer, Hay Group Inc. and Conference Board surveys:

• According to CPI projections by Georgia State University, pay hikes should comfortably outpace inflation rates in 2011, with a 2.8% pay raise equaling a “real” salary increase of 1.1%.
• Only 2 % of companies surveyed plan across-the-board pay freezes in 2011, down from 13% in 2010 and 31% in 2009.
• Companies continue to strengthen the link between pay raises and performance.  Top-ranked talent will receive pay raises averaging 4.5% this year; average performers 2.7% raises; low-rated workers only .5% raises.

Although unemployment rates continue to remain high, the upswing reflected in these survey findings should get you thinking about attracting and retaining key talent.  If your organization is not able to keep pace with 2011 pay increases, consider offering spot bonuses, flexible hours, time off or additional training/skill building to keep your best employees working for you.

As a leading Wisconsin staffing firm, ABR Employment Services has the resources to help you Comprehend, Fulfill and Achieve your strategic staffing goals as the economy shifts gears.  Contact us today to discuss your plans for 2011.

Throughout 2010, the issue of work / life balance has been in the nation’s spotlight. 

In March, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) participated in a White House forum on workplace flexibility; the following month, SHRM also testified in a Congressional hearing to support legislation that would recognize employers who implement innovative work / life balance policies.  And in August, StrategyOne conducted an online survey of 1,043 Americans which showed that:

• Work / life balance is a problem in the U.S., according to 89% of those surveyed.
• The recession has upended work / life balance for 31% of workers.
• 44% of men ages 34-54 say they do not have adequate work / life balance.

For more statistics and suggestions for ways employers can improve work / life balance, follow this link to the HR News article Survey:  Work / Life Balance Off-Kilter in U.S.

Can Hard Work Be Unethical?

The economy is pushing many employees to work longer and harder – or (in their own minds) risk losing their jobs.  But while many of them are succumbing to this pressure, Bruce Weinstein (a.k.a., The Ethics Guy) warns that “burning the candle at both ends” won’t save employees’ jobs – and it’s unethical, to boot.

To learn more, read this article on the ethics of work-life balance.  It makes a great case for setting limits when it comes to work, especially in a tough economy.

Work / Life Balance an Issue in Your Organization?

If you or your staff is working too hard, ABR Employment Services can help.  Use ABR’s staffing solutions to offload non-essential activities, reduce overtime, minimize burnout and reduce turnover due to overwork.

If you’ve ever been on an interview, you’ve probably heard this one:

“Tell me a little bit about yourself.”

Sounds innocuous enough, but in reality this is an extremely important question.  Interviewers ask it for a number of reasons:

• to get a sense of what you feel is most important about yourself;
• to see how well you’ve prepared for the interview;
• to find out why you think you’re the best candidate for the job;
• to see how you handle yourself in an unstructured situation;
• to see how articulate you are;
• to find out what type of first impression you make.

There is a lot riding on your response to this question, so make sure you knock it out of the park.  Here are a few quick tips for answering the “tell me about yourself” interview question the right way:

• Be brief.  Keep the answer short – no more than two to three minutes.
• Develop and include your USP.  Your Unique Selling Proposition, also known as a personal branding statement, is a one-sentence description of who you are, what you greatest strength is and the major benefit that a potential employer will derive from this strength.  Plenty of help for developing your USP is available online.
• Practice, practice, practice.  Write your answer out, then rehearse it until it’s second nature.  The better you know your pitch, the more poised and confident you’ll sound.
• Cite examples.  When you develop your answer, include one or two examples that best demonstrate why you’re well-qualified for the available postition, or highlight your most important accomplishments.
• Stay focused.  When an interviewer asks you about yourself, he or she doesn’t necessarily want to know where you were born, what your hobbies are or a laundry list of your job skills.  Make sure your response clearly focuses on the experiences and accomplishments most relevant to the available position.

The “tell me about yourself” interview question offers a great opportunity to set yourself apart from your job competitors.  So don’t waste it.  Take advantage of your time in the driver’s seat by selling yourself, creating a great first impression and setting a positive tone for the rest of the interview.

ABR Employment Services is committed to the success of your job search.  With offices throughout southeastern Wisconsin, and a great team of seasoned recruiting and staffing specialists, we have the resources and experience to match you with the ideal on-time or direct hire opportunity.  Contact us today or Search Jobs online.

Has technology taken the ‘human’ out of Human Resources?

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recently published a report on technology trends in the sector, and the overall conclusion was unsurprising:  today’s HR departments leverage IT to benefit almost every aspect of their daily operations.

Continual technology improvements, coupled with declining costs, have fueled a surge in HR’s usage of technology:

• Software is being deployed to manage areas such as internal mobility, appraisal management, succession planning and personal development.
• E-recruitment and performance management software are dramatically improving HR’s ability to effectively execute PRM (people relationship management) and further solidify their organizations’ employer brands.
• Applicant tracking and hiring management systems are streamlining processes and driving down costs.

But will this IT success come at a price for some HR organizations?  While technology can reduce the administrative burden associated with HR and enable them to focus on more strategic issues, HR will always be about people management – which requires human interaction and face-to-face contact.  As a result, HR organizations should attempt to strike a balance between systems and the human element.

As Jeff Phelps, President of WorkforceLogic/ABE Services says, “We can’t ever begin to think of treating people like equipment or some sort of inanimate commodity…The best of all worlds is a holistic solution that combines technology with the human element to facilitate putting the right person in the right job at the right time.”

HR technologies making the biggest impact:

• Employee self-service
• Workflow technologies
• Vendor management systems
• Applicant tracking systems
• Hiring management systems
• E-recruitment software

Learn more.

Find out more about the evolution of IT in HR, as well as key findings from the SHRM’s HR technology survey, by following this link to the HR Management article “Technology aids the human touch.”

When it comes to staffing your business effectively, both IT and the human touch are critical.  ABR Employment Services leverages state-of-the-art technologies with distinctly personal service to deliver customized solutions that maximize your staffing ROI.  Contact us today to learn more about our Comprehend, Fulfill, Achieve Philosophy.

Part 2:  Co-Employment Tips for Success

Last week’s post featured a link to a brief quiz on co-employment laws.  How well did you do?

If your score was less than perfect, don’t worry.  This week’s post contains practical tips to maximize the effectiveness of your co-employment arrangement, while minimizing the potential for problems:

• Let the staffing firm do its job.  When co-employment problems occur, they often stem from situations in which a client company unnecessarily assumes employment responsibilities over on-time (temporary) or contract workers.  So remember that when you pay an on-time (temporary) or contract employee’s hourly bill rate, included in that rate are the services the staffing firm provides – recruiting, interviewing, testing and selecting candidates.  Head-off potential problems by allowing the staffing service (who is the employer of record for these workers) to perform these tasks.
• Take advantage of on-site coordinators.  If you have a large contingent workforce, ask your staffing service to provide an on-site representative.  This individual can reinforce the staffing service’s role as employer, by carrying out administrative functions, handling performance counseling and addressing disciplinary action.  Although there may be a charge involved, the benefits usually far outweigh the costs of an on-site coordinator.
• Give the staffing firm specific feedback on their employees’ job performance.  If performance issues arise, it may seem natural for you to speak directly with the on-time (temporary) or contract worker assigned to you.  But to steer clear of potential co-employment problems, you should instead speak with your staffing representative about your concerns.  That way, when the individual is subjected to disciplinary action, the staffing service will be able to provide him or her with the performance-related reason for the action – making the individual far less likely to consider the action to be discriminatory, or to file a charge.
• Allow the staffing firm to handle employee termination.  If you are dissatisfied with an on-time (temporary) or contract worker, ask your staffing provider to handle disciplinary action and / or termination and replacement.  Provide information about the individual’s work performance to your staffing representative, and then allow him or her to handle the rest.
• Review your benefit plan descriptions.  Ask an expert to make sure that the language in your benefit plan effectively excludes on-time (temporary) and contract employees.  To guard against lawsuits that stem from ambivalent wording, be sure to incorporate exclusionary language that makes benefit entitlement dependent upon your employment classifications – regardless of common law definitions.

Ensure Successful Co-Employment with ABR Employment Services

As a leading Wisconsin staffing firm, ABR Employment’s staffing experts can work with you to develop effective co-employment procedures from both a legal and operational standpoint.  Give us a call to learn more.

As our economy struggles to gain steam once again, businesses are forced to make tough choices regarding their workforces.  Skyrocketing employment costs such as insurance, overtime, payroll taxes, healthcare and other benefits, coupled with the uncertainty of just how long a recovery will take, are placing enormous pressure on employers to run lean.

Here are just a few of the ways on-time (temporary) staffing can help your business contain expenses, manage uncertainty and maintain productivity during a slow economic recovery:

Contain employment costs.  Healthcare, workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, Social Security and overtime costs continue to rise each year.  On-time (temporary) staff can help you mitigate these costs:

• As the on-time employee’s employer of record, the staffing service pays benefits, unemployment, taxes and other personnel expenses.  You pay only for productive hours worked.
• When you use on-time staff to handle special projects and peak production periods, you don’t have to increase your fixed payroll costs – or direct headcount.
• You can eliminate overtime, and the employee burnout it causes, by bringing in on-time staff to handle extra hours when business picks up.

Manage uncertainty.  If your business faces an unknown future in this economy, consider using on-time (temporary) staff to keep your workforce flexible.  You can bring in additional labor and expertise when you need it, while avoiding the expense and problems caused by overstaffing.

Increase focus.  When times are tough, every employee must be put to his or her highest and best use.  On-time staff can be used to handle low-priority, mundane, or non-core business functions, so that your regular staff can focus on their most important priorities.

Minimize layoffs.  Although some businesses may be hiring again, many others continue to face the threat of layoffs.  Planned staffing services can help you smooth the fluctuations in your workload that typify the onset of a recovery - providing the on-time staff you need to handle sudden surges in demand, while reducing the need for layoffs once things slow down again.

Maintain productivity.  Staffing services carefully pre-screen and test their workers to ensure they have the skills and attributes necessary to perform for your company.  In certain cases, the staffing firm will even train and orient new on-time staff for you, to help you maintain productivity.  And because staffing services handle recruiting, screening, interviewing, testing and reference-checking for you, their services help you be even more productive.

Through good economic times and bad, ABR Employment Services provides the services your business needs to thrive.  Contact us today to learn more about our staffing services for Wisconsin employers.

Admittedly, it may be a little early to light a Yule log. 

But if you’re in the customer service, administrative/clerical, hospitality, shipping/delivery, inventory or technology/finance industries, you’re probably headed for a busy – if not your busiest – time of year.  If you’re going to require extra help this holiday season, it’s definitely not too early to plan for your staffing needs.

Here are just a few reasons why:

• Prevent rash hiring decisions.  If you wait until the last minute to recruit and hire, you may find yourself “up against a wall” when business suddenly surges.  Waiting until your needs are urgent may force you to make hasty hiring decisions.
• Get a jump on your competitors.  Many companies will wait until next month to gear-up.  Why not start your efforts now and reach the most qualified candidates before other seasonal employers get them?
• Avoid being overwhelmed.  This year’s seasonal job market will be flooded with applicants.  With so many job seekers competing for positions, the sheer volume of résumés and applications may bog you down.  Give yourself as much time as possible to find the best candidates by starting the search process early.

If just reading about seasonal hiring makes your stomach churn, relax – you don’t have to do it alone.  Staffing firms specialize in helping companies like yours effectively manage the highs and lows of business cycles.  Plan your workforce needs now with your staffing partner to:

• Get the flexibility you need.  Seasonal on-time staff (temporaries) can handle surges in demand without impacting fixed expenses.
• Say “goodbye” to post-holiday layoffs.  Since the staffing service is the seasonal employees’ employer of record, you can avoid the hassle and expense of letting workers go once things slow down.
• Access the talent you need, right when you need it.  Planning your workforce needs now gives your staffing firm time to locate the most qualified staff for you, especially when you require a large number of workers – so they’re available right when you need them.
• Shorten learning curves.  Your staffing provider will recruit seasonal workers with the specific skills and experience you require.  The provider can also, at your request, develop customized orientation materials to help reduce training costs and get workers up-to-speed more quickly.
• Eliminate additional administrative and legal burdens.  By using on-time (temporary) employees, you avoid the social security, payroll and other tax and legal burdens associated with seasonal employees.  Freedom from these hassles will give you more time to focus on other important priorities.
• Cut back on overtime.  On-time (temporary) employees help you minimize the additional cost and burnout overtime causes.

Plan Your Workforce Needs with ABR Employment Services

If your business has frequent or predictable surges in demand, a planned staffing option may be right for you.  Planned staffing is the strategic use of on-time employees (temporaries) to accommodate workloads known to vary in seasons or other cycles.

First, an ABR Employment staffing expert will work with you to examine year-round fluctuations in workload and identify peak demand periods.  Next, we will create a customized staffing plan for your business that: provides on-time (temporary) employees to handle your busiest times; reduces or eliminates your need to lay off employees during slow periods; frees you to focus on the most critical parts of your job.

Remember, the early bird gets the worm – it’s never too early to discuss your staffing needs with ABR Employment Services.

Temporary employees can be a great asset to your organization.  They can help you meet critical deadlines, fill-in for unplanned absences and free your core staff to focus on their most important tasks.

But if your company uses large numbers of temporary employees, it’s easy for your direct staff to fall into an “Us vs. Them” mentality.  And although treating temporary workers as an entirely separate workforce may seem innocuous, the practice can have unintended consequences for your direct employees – and your company as a whole. 

For example, research from the University of Arizona has found that direct employees (particularly at lower levels) are less satisfied with co-workers and bosses when working with a higher proportion of temporary employees.  Why?  The responsibility of training and socializing temporary workers on company-specific processes is often assigned to direct employees.  As a result, having more temporaries can complicate full-time workers’ jobs.

Here are a few suggestions for improving the working relationship between temporary and direct employees to achieve even better staffing results:

• Make temporary employees feel included.  While temporaries are, in fact, a separate part of your workforce (and must be treated differently because of co-employment laws), you and your staff can still make them feel welcome in your organization.  By encouraging social interaction (e.g., formal or informal introductions) among all workers, you can foster social ties that are essential to a cohesive workforce.
• Educate your direct staff.  Take the time to clearly explain the role and value of temporary workers.  The better your direct employees understand the benefits temporary employees provide, the more likely they’ll be to work productively with them.
• Take advantage of training.  If you use large numbers of temporaries, many staffing services will develop customized orientation and training programs for specific positions.  This shifts the time-consuming burden of getting new temporary employees up-to-speed off your direct employees’ shoulders.
• Consider strategic staffing options.  If your direct staff is burdened with the administration, training and management of temporary employees, consider implementing a strategic staffing option.  From primary partner staffing to VOP to planned staffing services, these solutions can optimize the relationship between your direct and temporary employees - saving you time and money while improving worker performance.

Bottom line, there are a number of steps you can take to keep relations between temporary and direct employees positive.  And the more positive their working relationship, the better your results will be.  Contact ABR Employment Services today to learn more about our strategic staffing solutions for Wisconsin employers.

Much as a carpenter must select the right chisel to carve a head post, a hiring manager must carefully choose the right assessment tools to make a sound hiring decision.  To help you develop a functional hiring “toolbox,” here is a brief overview of commonly used assessment tools.

Qualifications Screens
These simple questionnaires determine if an applicant has the minimum requirements to perform a job (availability, minimum age, years of related experience, etc.).

Interviews
This is probably the most commonly used assessment tool, and may range from totally unstructured (unplanned) to completely structured (carefully designed beforehand).  Regardless of which type you choose, the skill of the interviewer is critical to the effectiveness of this tool.

Job Simulations / Work-Sample Tests
These require the candidate to actually demonstrate or perform job tasks.  Simulations may be conducted:  as written tests, as role-playing exercises, on a computer, or even in real-life conditions.  By design, they generally show a high degree of job-relatedness.

General Abilities Tests
These are used for entry-level jobs.  They measure broad mental abilities such as reasoning, quantitative, verbal, and spatial abilities – skills fundamental to success in jobs where reading, computing and communicating are required. 

Specific Ability Tests
These test for distinct mental and physical abilities, such as typing speed, reading comprehension, strength, and mechanical aptitude.  For example, physical endurance tests may be used for firefighting or life guarding jobs.

Knowledge and Skills Tests
These determine how much an individual knows about a very specific, advanced subject area such as software programming or mortgage laws.  As a category, these tests are generally highly valid.

Talent Measures / Personality Inventories
Talent and personality assessments measure a candidate’s natural personal characteristics associated with success in certain positions.  These assessment tools are used to predict what a person can do (e.g., delegate effectively, handle stress well) and what a person will do (e.g., step-up as a leader, get along well with fellow workers).

Culture Fit Inventories
Questionnaires like these assess how well an applicant will fit into your corporate culture and work environment, to help ensure organizational commitment.  Culture fit inventories focus on making the right match between company and candidate.

Biodata Inventories
Standardized questionnaires such as these gather job-related biographical information (e.g., education, years of experience and even hobbies). 

Background Investigations
These inquiries gather information from outside sources, such as former employers and police records.  Employment, criminal-record and reference checks all help employers avoid potentially catastrophic hires.

Integrity Tests
Overt integrity tests gauge a candidate’s attitudes toward, and involvement in, delinquent activities – namely theft.

Drug Screens
These tests use a physical specimen from the candidate (hair, urine, etc.) to determine past drug or alcohol use.  Drug screens are frequently used by companies where legal and safety requirements necessitate that employees be drug-free. 

Medical Exams
These tests determine if a person can safely and sufficiently carry out all the requirements of a specific job.  Employers using medical exams must comply with all provisions of The Americans with Disabilities Act.

Online Skills Assessment Helps ABR Deliver the Best Candidates

E-AssessAbility, ABR’s powerful on-line assessment solution, automates the evaluation process – delivering convenience, customization and flexibility.  E-AssessAbility allows us to identify the best talent and validate their skills online, giving you greater confidence in every placement we make at your company.  With over 700 evaluations in 9 specific categories, you won’t find a more diversified evaluation tool.

Looking for ways to earn a raise or promotion?

Get on your boss’s A-List.  If you consistently show your boss that you’re doing a great job, you’ll progress further, faster.  Here are a few quick tips to get you noticed, separate yourself from the pack and create a lasting positive impression:

1. Communicate clearly.  When in doubt, err on the side of clarity and ask questions when things are unclear.  Provide your boss with regular updates about your projects and plans.  But be careful not to go overboard – ask him directly if you’re providing enough information or too much.
2. Honor your commitments.  Underpromise and overdeliver.  Don’t shy away from new challenges, but make reasonably sure you can hit an objective before taking on the additional responsibility.
3. Know what makes your boss tick.  Learn your boss’s pet peeves – and avoid them.  Find out what his priorities are – and incorporate them into your own (e.g., if your boss is a “numbers guy,” quantify all your results).  Anticipate his needs, by providing what you know he’ll want before he asks.  Show him you understand the issues he faces and you’re sure to make your mark.
4. Provide solutions – not just problems.  Everyone makes mistakes.  So if something does go wrong, view it as an opportunity to set yourself apart from chronic excuse-makers.  Own up to the problem and come to the table with potential solutions.  Your boss will appreciate your ability to think for yourself and manage a difficult situation.
5. Be positive.  When you celebrate a departmental success, send a congratulatory e-mail to those involved and copy your boss.  The gesture will draw attention to your success as well as your leadership skills.  During more stressful times, strive to maintain a positive attitude.  For every two complaints or suggested improvements, point out eight positive things.
6. Take a calculated risk.  A boss will notice a talented employee who demonstrates his desire for excellence by occasionally sticking his neck out.  So when the time is right, volunteer for a difficult assignment or challenge the status quo to improve a work process.  Your courage and enthusiasm will increase your visibility and earn the respect of your boss and co-workers alike.

ABR Employment Services:  Another Great Way to Further Your Career

ABR Employment Services provides challenging assignments and direct placement opportunities in the office/clerical, technical, professional and light industrial sectors.  Contact us today to find out how we can help you further your career, faster.