The Staffing Industry is Evolving. Some Survival Tips.

The Staffing Industry is Evolving. Some Survival Tips.The Staffing Industry is Evolving. Some Survival Tips.The Staffing Industry is Evolving. Some Survival Tips.Focus on high-margin business. Get more productive. Diversify services to dampen the down cycles.Thats the pitch for much of the staffing industry for how to survive, and perhaps even thrive, in 2010 and beyond.Staffing firms have suffered the same recessionary woes as their clients, only more so, given the hyper-cyclical nature of the business. Some firms werent fit to stay afloat and didnt. The rest find themselves evolving in ways they might not have imagined a few years ago, when corporate America couldnt hire enough contingent workers.So lets take a look at how the strong have carried on and will evolve. But first, heres a snapshot of the staffing industrys numbers, which sortiment from truly scary to genuinely hopeful.Downs and Ups Only Get SharperThe ranks of staffing firms have declined roughly 20 percent from about 10,600 in 2008 to approximately 8,500 in early 2010, wrote Jon Osborne, vice president of research at Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA.) As smaller staffing firms have faltered, larger firms have gobbled them up, according to James Pierce, vice president of strategic solutions at Peopleclick Authoria, which makes vendor management systems (VMS) software.The demand for contingent workers appears to be supporting a recovery in the staffing industry. Temporary help services employment has risen from 1.87 million to 2.04 million in the 12 months ending March 2010, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.More broadly, the hiring slowdown for permanent and contingent workers seems to have finally hit bottom. Employers in 12 of 13 industry sectors say they plan to modestly increase headcount in the second quarter of 2010, according to Manpowers Employment Outlook Survey.IT staffing, in particular, is headed upward. While engineering/konzeption staffing activity dro pped 18 percent and finance/engineering declined 10 percent in the year ending January 2010, IT increased 2 percent, according to an SIA survey. IT staffing is projected to grow 8 percent through 2010.Slim Margins Force the Issue of ProductivityDespite all the growth, when client companies are pressed by their customers to lower costs, its inevitable that the pressure will be passed along to their vendors, including staffing firms.Clients want visibility into their spend so they can do effective rate and vendor rationalization, says Pierce. Translation Employers want to keep a closer eye on what theyre paying for contingent workers so they can drive a harder bargain. They want to reduce spend, but they dont want to tighten rates to the point that it impacts quality. Some employers use a VMS to get better information on vendor utilization and contingent-worker pay rates.Our industry is fighting the margins every day, says Dennis Judge, executive vice president at staffing and consult ing firm The Judge Group. The larger national accounts are trying to push the rates down. Weve had business we had to walk away from because we couldnt provide labor at the cost on their RFP.The experience of individual firms has been gut-wrenching. Our business did a very sharp V through 2009, says Rob Lowry, executive vice president at Apex Systems, which provides staffing in IT, finance and accounting, engineering and legal. After a severe downturn in early 2009, our rapid growth in the second half has continued through the first quarter of 2010.How did Apex weather the storm? We stayed close to our customers and shifted resources toward current opportunities, says Lowry. Although Im operating now with about 25 percent fewer recruiters, we leise had folks in place when the recovery started. Weve increased our productivity by 50 percent by getting recruiters focused on expertise in certain technologies. Were breaking down the recruiting process more, looking at it as a supply chai n that can produce results better, faster, cheaper.Diversifying Services May Ease CyclicalityEven as successful staffing firms are harvesting the gains of better productivity and a focus on high-margin business, theyre wise to start thinking about the next business downturn, however many years off it might be. One strategy is to reduce the extreme cyclicality of the business by diversifying into related offerings such as vendor management systems and managed services.Staffing clients can be sold on VMS if they understand the advantages of automating recruitment processes, cutting costs and demanding top value from their staffing vendors. VMS and MSPs are the future, says Lowry.Superior Group has enacted this strategy. Were well diversified in our client base, but also in our range of services, including recruitment process outsourcing, payroll processing and other HR services, says Christopher Delaney, director of client recruiting services at Superior. We make automatic and paperle ss some processes that employers may have been overpaying for.Of course, nearly all lines of business lost ground in the great recession. Managed services lost steam over the recession, but now a lot of companies are considering this approach or reviewing the value of their current managed services program, says Delaney.A Tempered OptimismAlthough the economy seems to have bounced off the bottom, employers are still leery about bringing on more workers. Some clients are waiting to see how much SUI state unemployment insurance costs go up before firming up their staffing plans for the rest of this year, says Delaney.Still, staffing industry executives have to be cheered by a resurgence in demand for top talent. Were again seeing candidates with multiple offers, which is a very good sign, says Lowry. But its challenging because we dont expect our clients to ease up on rate pressure.Some staffing firms even see in 2010 opportunities in additional markets. Were going to consider new loc ations in other cities for later this year, says Judge.

Give your communication style a reality check

Give yur communication style a reality checkGive your communication style a reality checkSelf-Assessment Quiz - TRUE or FALSEI think Im a good listener at work, and thats really the only skill I need to work well with my co-workers.I feel like my co-workers dont know how to relate to me, and it makes me enjoy my job less and less.Getting my bosss ear is a real challenge. I cant seem to reach her. Im worried about my annual review because she has no idea how hard I work.Did you answer TRUE to all three self-assessment questions? If so, you can use a boost in the communication department. Here are some communication career-building tools that you can thank me for later.If you havent already, Im gonna need you to take notlageice of HOW you talk to people on the job. For some of you (Millennials, Im talking toyou), you might have this idea that if everyone wants so badly to get work done, then they better learn how to adapt toyouand how you communicate. If you find yourself grumbling und er your breath with, I just SAID that Why she makin me repeat myself?? then Im gonna need you to take off your earphones and listen up for a reality check.Back in 1943 (stay with me), two women,Katharine Briggs and Isabel Myers, created the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) personality test to help us all understand our differences and where were coming from, specifically related to personal motivations and group interactions. Theirpsychological questionnaireis still used today by corporations worldwide, from weekend team-building conferences to new hire on-board training. And for good reason. The test lets people know the type of personality you are and identifies the best way to reach you, and vice versa for your co-workers. Gold, right? So, if your co-worker Julias work personality is one where she prefers to be given information, be allowed to go off to her desk and work, and come back with a plan, you needling her in a meeting about her plan aint gonna make Julia a happy campe r. Meaning, it would behoove you to have an awareness of Julias work personality. But how do you know what Julias personality is? How do you know how to effectively communicate with her personality style so that youre not making her shut down rather than share? If you cant take the MBTI to help, here are a few steps to take on your ownStop During your next meeting, if things seem a little tense or if it seems like youre sort of being pushed out of the conversation or ignored, stop what youre doing. Literally sit back (slowly, not defensively) and assess the situation. Whats going on in the meeting? Is Julia uber animated to the point where shes perhaps, irritated or angry? Can you figure out why?Look Watch for specific cues. If Julia gets defensive when you ask her a question, take a moment to recognize that she is defensive and try to rework your question in a way that starts with something like, Julia, I see youve done so much great work here. Can you help me more with explainin g what my role is in this project?Listen While Julia explains, do your best to listen to her. That means, while shes talking, youre not. Try not to interrupt her, even if it feels like shes taking a long time to get her point across or if youre excited to jump in She will appreciate you giving her the time to speak.Repeat Once Julia has finished talking, thank her for sharing and repeat what youve heard. In fact, repeat steps 1 4 until any sort of communication conflict has been resolved.Communicating effectively IS about adapting to one another, but in a way that actually makes sense. You taking the time to be aware of your co-workers style and making changes like the above to meet them half-way (rather than you feeling like they should totally get you) will go a long way.By the way, there are quite a few tests out there to help you get to know yourself and others so that in your next performance review, the little box that says, Works well with others will be checked off with a smiley face. Monster.com gives a great listhere. Take a clickCheryl Grace is the sassy aunt, best friend, and mentor youve always needed in your life. The successful jet-setting, weltumspannend corporate executive founded the aspirational lifestyle brand Powerful Penny LLC. Her products, workshops and speeches probe, inspire and empower to ensure those who really want to can get to their next level of best. Her blogs on careers, prosperity, relationships, family, looking and living fabulously, and living a five-star life can be found atwww.powerfulpenny.com.

How to Respond to Requests for Reference Checks

How to Respond to Requests for Reference ChecksHow to Respond to Requests for Reference ChecksYoud think that supplying a reference for a former employee should be a simple, straightforward activity that managers and Human Resources practitioners routinely handle. But, in the US, in the litigious environment that exists, providing a simple employment reference, in response to a reference check request, is no longer widely practiced. In fact, most companies assign reference checks to the Human Resources staff. This means that obtaining a reference that reveals any information about the candidate you propose to hire is increasingly difficult. Traditionally, managers and supervisors of candidates are your best sources of information. In an earlier article, the different approaches available for reference checks for former employees were discussed. The recommended approach to a verbal employment reference differed based on the employees wertmiger zuwachs while he or she worked for your o rganization. The recommended response to a request for a written recommendation, especially the forms that request numeric responses that rate employees, remains the same. Send the form to your HR staff person. Informal Verbal Reference Checks These sample employment reference and verification of employment policies are suitable for the majority of reference checks, especially those checks requested in written format. In the earlier article, an unwritten, more informal reference discussion, that the immediate supervisor might hold with the potential employer, welches described. Especially in the case of a valued, performing former employee or current employee, you may want to informally discuss their contributions with a prospective employer. In this way, you assist your former colleague to select and receive an appropriate employment opportunity. You enable the prospective employer to experience a certain comfort level with his or her employee choice. Since a reference check ph one call comes late in the employee selection process, rest assured that your comments are confirming what the prospective employer has decided through the application and interview process. You are not, at this point, providing a lot of new information for the prospective employer if their hiring process was comprehensive. Guidelines for Informal Reference Checks Research online indicates that certain employers, especially universities and government entities, still appear to allow managers to provide responses to reference checks. (Policies of private employers are only rarely online.) Employees of companies that require employees to send formal, written reference checks to HR may also feel comfortable talking with a prospective employer informally. These themes about reference check content are worth noting for readers who decide to respond to a verbal reference check for current or former employees. Managers need training to provide behauptung responses to reference check re quests. Please note the recommendations for when and whether a manager should provide a response to a reference check. Managers May Respond to Requests for Reference Checks Using These Guidelines When responding to a reference check request, managers may answer these questions and heed these warnings. Identify the job title, final salary, dates of employment, and major job responsibilities of the former employee.If you decide to provide any information about the employees wertmiger zuwachs, make sure that your response is balanced. The employee exhibited mostly positive work performance in these ways, but you had some concerns in these areas. These areas may or may not be relevant in the new job in any case, they are insufficient to preclude the employees hire. (Especially with a former performing employee, you want to boost the chances that they will receive a job offer.) Answer only questions about which you have information. Use the employees file including performance evaluation s and other written documents to provide specific, truthful examples that highlight the employees performance. Stay away from opinions, hearsay, and predictions.If you decide to provide negative information about the employee, provide information about which the employee has had feedback. Provide specific examples from the written documentation that have been shared with the employee. Questions Never to Answer About Former Employees You may refuse to answer these questions directly or deflect them with an answer that sidesteps the problematic components. (Example would you rehire the employee? Answer If all aspects of the employees experience, education, job performance, and interests remained consistent with the requirements of the position, yes, I would rehire the employee.) Watch out for these questions Any question that would reveal information about any aspect of an employees protected class for potential discrimination or civil rights protection. Examples of such questions in cludeQuestions about marital or partner status, family matters, personal health, disabilities, medical or attendance records, race, national origin, age, religion, gender, and so forth.Any question that would identify the political or legally protected employment-related activities of an employee such as union organizing, serving as a union steward, filing a grievance, political party affiliation or activities, worker compensation claims, insurance utilization, or employer-related lawsuits. Questions that are unrelated to the work setting or to work performance. These might include questions about the former employees interests, hobbies, volunteer associations, or association memberships. These are not the potential new employers business.Any question that asks you to predict the future performance of an employee. All you are qualified to respond to areemployer questions about the performance that you experienced, backed up with examples you have in writing. You cannot predict the p erformance of an employee in a new job, in a new environment, for a new employer, in a set of circumstances that you cant define or know. With care and consideration, you can give valued performers an employment boost. Your informal, truthful, documented performance assessment may provide the tip of the scale in favor of your former employees next opportunity.