Monthly Archives: August 2013

The Importance of Job Descriptions

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Does your organization maintain and regularly update their job descriptions? If not, you may want to re-consider your current process. While employers are not legally required to maintain job descriptions, there are several proven benefits and legal advantages to doing so.

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Formal, well maintained job descriptions, are one of the most effective tools to determine the essential job functions and requirements for each position within the organization. The job description should serve as the foundation for qualifying and interviewing of candidates for each role.

What should be included in the job description?

  • Job title
  • Pay range
  • Hours/shifts, overtime expectations, weekend work expectations
  • Exempt/non-exempt status
  • General responsibilities including descriptions of key tasks and their purpose
  • Qualifications including the experience, education, training, and technical skills necessary for the role
  • Additional demands including extraordinary conditions such heavy lifting, travel, prolonged standing, and exposure to extreme temperatures
  • Job duties and responsibilities including tasks that comprise a majority of the work to be done

A thorough job description can support an employer’s stance on a hiring decision, address exempt/non-exempt status under the Fair Labor Standards Act for wage and hour purposes, and provide hiring managers with a clear understanding of who may best be suited for a position. They also provide documentation of the mental, physical, and environmental factors necessary to complete the requirements of the position.

Having an employee sign an employment agreement upon hiring including a language that the employee has received a copy of the job description, has reviewed it, and understands the expectations of them in this role can assist employers in training, performance evaluations, and disciplinary manners. As with any working relationship both parties often are better protected and informed when there is a clear and concise understanding of the expectations of them.

Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Job Postings That Work!

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Are you frustrated with the number of job postings that you’ve posted only to find you still don’t have qualified candidates? Are your monthly charges to job boards beginning to look like they need a P&L of their own? Now’s the time to fix it!

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With online job boards including millions of job postings each year, standing out among the competition is essential. The days of simply putting an ad in the newspaper resulting in stacks of resumes are gone. Today’s job postings must include several key components including:

  • SEO Value: If you aren’t familiar with SEO, you’re already behind in the game. SEO or Search Engine Optimization, refers to the content or structure of online content so that it will be prominently displayed by a search engine. Making sure that your job posting is rich in SEO value is the key to making sure that your job posting is even located by candidates. SEO value can be gained through strong and prominent keywords, exact location matches, and relevance between the content in your posting and what the job seeker is searching for. The more you have in common with their search statement, the more likely they are to find your posting.
  • Content is the key. No matter how great your SEO value is or how many candidates land on your posting, if the content in your posting doesn’t sell the position it won’t matter. The posting should include industry buzz words, specific qualifications, and enough information for a candidate to determine whether or not they are qualified for the position.
  • Is your job posting visually pleasing? According to HireRight, 75% of job seekers say the look and feel of a job posting influences their decision to apply. Make sure that your job posting visually appeals to the audience. Is it free of errors, includes important details, and is it easy to read through quickly? Most job seekers will not take the time to read a full length job description, make sure your posting includes the important details and nothing more.
  • Sell your job! Why would someone want to work for you? What sets a career with your organization apart from your competitors? This may be your only chance to sell a career with your company to the candidate, make sure you do it well! Include valuable information about your benefits, employment brand, and enough information about your organization that a candidate can see why a career opportunity with your organization is something they should be interested in.

The battle for top talent is becoming increasingly harder in most industries. Maintaining a strong employment brand, a great employee retention program, and a proactive recruiting strategy are all great ways to stay ahead of your competition in the recruiting field.

Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Social Media and The Workplace

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The topic of social media and its effects on the workplace have likely come up in your organization. As a relatively new topic in case-law, social media and its place in the workplace is still unsettled. What can you do to protect yourself as an individual and as an organization?

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Job Hunting? Clean Up Your Online Presence First!

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Are you ready to begin a job search? Before spending hours completing the perfect resume, locating interview attire, and searching the countless job boards, take some time to clean up your online presence first. According to behiring.com, as many as 68% of employers will locate you on Facebook alone. Does your Facebook profile resemble the same person you are trying to portray in an interview?

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About 1 in 3 employers have rejected a candidate based upon what they learned about them online. Often times your professional strengths, accomplishments, and skill set can be overshadowed by content or photographs located online; quickly costing you your dream job. So what can you do to protect yourself?

  • ·         Make your non-professional profiles private. Create separate profiles for your professional and non-professional social networks and keep non-professional profiles private.

  • Make sure your professional profiles sell you. Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Make sure it is complete with endorsements, a professional photo, detailed information about your duties and accomplishments, and is connected to others in your field.
  • Network. Network. Network. Take advantage of social networks. Connect and more importantly interact with others in your line of work. Participating in groups, answering questions, and posting content that is relevant to your line of business will all help you gain professional rapport and be seen as a knowledgeable in your field. Let those around you know that you are open to career opportunities and let your social networks work for you.
  • Check and re-check your online presence. Before you make the assumption that you have cleaned up your social profiles, test it. Have others search for you and see what they are able to view on your profile. Don’t forget about profiles that may exist on sites that you no longer use such as Myspace. Lastly, don’t forget to run an online search including an image search for yourself. This is a great way to locate any forgotten profiles, tagged photos, etc.

While companies are struggling nationwide to obtain the top talent in their industry, most are not willing to take a chance on someone with an online presence that could damage their professional image. Taking a few moments to prepare before marketing yourself could make the difference between yourself and another candidate landing your dream job.

Are you a stand out professional, skilled trades person, or technical professional seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job seekers section for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Distracted Driving Remains A Deadly Epidemic

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Despite a 2011 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulation prohibiting the use of handheld phones while driving for bus and truck drivers, distracted driving is still a deadly epidemic on our roadways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as many as 660,000 automobile drivers are using a cell phone or manipulating an electronic device during daylight hours.

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What does this risk factor amount to? Here are a few statistics from the CDC:

  In 2011, more than 3,300 people were killed in distracted driving related crashes

  • In 2011, more than 387,000 people were injured in distracted driving related crashes
  • In 2010, nearly 1 in 5 crashes that resulted in injury involved distracted driving

    • With professional drivers facing fines of almost $3,000 per offense and even loss of their license for repeat offenses for the use of handheld phones while driving, the FMCSA is working hard to combat the deadly issue. Unfortunately these consequences are not significant enough for some drivers. Companies who employ drivers must take additional steps and efforts to help enforce the safety of their staff and others. So what can you do?

    • Create and enforce policies in your employee handbook to prohibit distracted driving

    • ·         Place phone numbers on your vehicles allowing other drivers to report distracted or poor driving behaviors

    • ·         Regularly communicate the dangers of distracted driving to your staff and provide safety tips to prevent it

    • Make safety a main priority for your organization
    • Recognize and reward drivers for safe behaviors and compliance with your safety rules, state, and federal regulations

    Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professional drivers? Contact us today! Learn more about our Dedicated Driver Services here! Are you a safe and professional driver who is seeking a rewarding career? Visit us here to locate a driving career in your area!

    Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.


     

    Finding A Recruiter Who Works For You!

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    Whether you are seeking a new career path or are seeking to hire the newest talent for your organization, finding a recruiter who works for you, not with you will make or break your experience. A recruiter should work as your agent and should exhibit the same qualities that a sports agent provides their talent.

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    Not sure how to qualify your recruiter?

    Here are some simple steps to get you started.

    • Determine their qualifications. The recruiting industry has the highest turnover rate of any industry with approximately 90% turnover within the first year.  Recruiters makeup a large majority of the profiles on LinkedIn, if your recruiter does not have an active and complete profile with a large number of connections take caution.  A recruiter’s LinkedIn profile is an excellent place to pre-qualify them. Do you they specialize in your line of work? How long have they been in the industry? The longer they have been in their role the larger the network and career opportunities or top level talent they can connect you with.

     

    • Conduct a mutual interview. A proven recruiter should be confident, almost arrogant about their abilities. If they aren’t able to sell themselves how can they sell your qualifications as a candidate or sell your position and organization to the industry’s top performers? Simple, they can’t. Be perfectly clear about what your priorities are and what items would make or break the perfect match for you. Inquire as to what their network in your industry looks like and what types of similar positions they have filled in the past.

     

    • Make sure their greatest strength is listening. If the recruiter is more focused on talking than listening, they’ll likely miss important details that are crucial to making the right fit for you. Make sure they ask you great questions, take notes, and have an attention to detail. Finding the perfect match can’t be done if they don’t have the details needed to make the match.

     

    • They should be busy. Especially with the recent surge in staffing, if your recruiter is available to take your every call that may not be a good sign. The staffing industry has seen a consistent surge since the economic recovery, if your recruiter excels in their field they should be extremely busy balancing candidates and clients.  While they should be busy, they should also set clear expectations of when they are available and how best to reach them.

     As with any business partner, if you feel that you are not connecting well with your recruiter it may be time to look at other options. Often times the best way to locate a top notch recruiter is to seek referrals from others in your line of business. As many as 90% of companies have partnered with a staffing agency in the past for recruiting support, therefore it’s very likely that you know someone who has hired a recruiter in the past for recruiting services or that you know someone who has located a position through a recruiter.

    Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

    Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

    Job Demands Increase with ACA

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    Have the changes coming forth with the Affordable Care Act impacted your career? If so, you are not alone. Here are a few careers in which job demands have and will continue to increase, as a result of the ACA.

    • Human Resources
    • Payroll
    • Legal Professionals
    • Nurses
    • Occupational Therapists
    • Personal Trainers
    • Customer Service Professionals
    • Insurance Consultants
    • Medical Billers
    • Medical Coders
    • Computer Programmers

    Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

    Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

    Trillium Staffing Awarded By 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For

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    Trillium Staffing is proud to announce their repeated recognition with West Michigan’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies To Work For, in 2013. The awards competition provides the regional business community with the opportunity to showcase their best practices and demonstrate why they are an ideal place for employees to work. The awards are presented to organizations based on nominations and direct feedback from employees of each organization.

    trillium“We have the same commitments to each and every one of our employees as we do our clients. We have high expectations and our requirements are stringent. Once you become an employee of Trillium, we’ll do everything in our power to help you succeed and meet your career goals. When our employees are successful, we’ve done our job,” stated René Poch, CEO.

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    Trillium Staffing was founded in 1984 in Battle Creek, Michigan by CEO René Poch and has expanded to include six companies and over eighty offices nationwide. Trillium has gained national recognition including recent awards from Staffing Industry Analysts for achieving top 25 placement in the Largest U.S. Industrial Staffing Firms and top 70 placement in the Largest U.S. Staffing Firms.

    Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

    Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

     

    Trillium Staffing Owned By René Poch, Recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts

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    René Poch founder and CEO of Trillium Staffing, recently announced that Trillium was listed in the top 25 of Staffing Industry Analysts’ 2013 List of Largest U.S. Industrial Staffing Firms and in the top 70 of their 2013 List of Largest U.S. Staffing Firms!

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    Trillium Staffing was founded in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1984, by founder and CEO René Poch. Since that time, René Poch has steadily expanded the employment service to include six companies with over eighty locations across the nation. Today, Trillium is proud to be recognized as a national leader in industrial staffing, providing service to thousands of clients and employees in various capacities across the country. Trillium was recently recognized in the top 25 of Largest U.S. Industrial Staffing Firms and in the top 100 of U.S. Staffing Firms by Staffing Industry Analysts for 2013.

    “Many years ago when we started the company we felt that there were a couple of things that we needed to do particularly well. The first was to give great customer service, that means finding the absolute best candidate for the jobs that we have available. Today, we use a partnership approach between our candidates and our clients to find the best possible career matches,” states René Poch, CEO.

    The organization’s commitment to excellence has been the driving force behind its growth and expansion. Trillium is proud to employ a full time risk management team to help clients identify areas of liability and provide an unsurpassed safety program for their employees. As experts in industrial staffing, Trillium has incorporated stringent hiring requirements, testing, and background checks to ensure only the best qualified skilled trades employees are placed on assignment with their thousands of clients nationwide. Trillium’s commitment to placing only the safest and most qualified talent on assignment provides not only Trillium, but also our employees and our clients with added protection and security. Prior to being placed on an industrial assignment, Trillium employees complete a comprehensive safety training. “There really are no accidents, awareness is the key! You don’t get injured because you are aware of the hazard,” commented Jamie Ellis, Safety Manager for Trillium.

    With a recruitment team of approximately 250 individuals nationwide, Trillium excels at attracting, identifying, and recruiting some of the best candidates in each line of work. Trillium uses the latest technology and sourcing tools available to locate and identify talent for some of the industry’s hardest to fill positions. Trillium employees have access to careers with some of the nation’s leading employers along with competitive pay and benefit options.

    “We have the same commitments to each and every one of our employees as we do our clients. We have high expectations and our requirements are stringent. Once you become an employee of Trillium, we’ll do everything in our power to help you succeed and meet your career goals. When our employees are successful, we’ve done our job,” stated René Poch, CEO.

    Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

    Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.