hiring | Journey

The Express Hiring Process

By leidson on Friday, December 13, 2013

Over the past few years, Express Employment Professionals has put more than a million people to work. And we’re on a mission to help a million more. Finding the right jobs for the right people is what we do best.

How It Works

After you’ve applied with us either in person or online at ExpressPros.com, you can be scheduled for an interview. Following the interview process, Express will try to find a job that fits your skill set and qualifications. Our staffing consultants will get to know you and seek to make the hiring process quick and easy. Express works hard to find new employment opportunities for applicants on a daily basis. To hear real life experiences from associates, check out this video about how Express has helped get them to work.

Career Advancement New Job Tips The Job Search Uncategorized

Work Ethic/Integrity Most Important Atribute in Hiring

By leidson on Thursday, September 12, 2013

Express Employment Professionals recently asked leaders and job seekers about the most important attributes in hiring a new employee, and both parties agreed that work ethic/integrity are at the top of the list. College degrees ranked the lowest, continuing the debate about the value of a college education. Since work ethic and integrity rank so high on this poll, check out this post on ways to improve your integrity on your cover letter.

Number two on the list was work experience, proving that taking temporary assignments can really pay off. There is a variety of part-time and full-time work available that can utilize the skills you’ve obtained. According to the American Staffing Association, 40% of staffing employees use temporary work to obtain employment experience or job training.

A popular discussion point in the “Other” category by leaders was attitude.

This poll is part of a larger conversation by Express within America Employed, a series of reports on the state of employment and unemployment in America and who gets hired and why.

Career Advancement Career Options Resumes and Cover Letters The Job Search

The Three Best Hard Skills to Have

By Rachel Rudisill on Monday, August 19, 2013

While soft skills, including dependability, motivation, and communication, were cited recently in a report from Express Employment Professionals as the most important skills employees possess, hard skills still play a vital role in today’s job market. In fact, one could argue that even if your soft skills are perfect, at the end of the day, there are certain critical hard skills needed to succeed. Because Express hires and employs more than 376,000 people per year, we have great insight into what is important in landing the job. Let’s take a look at the top hard skills ranked by Express franchises as important to employers.

Experience
Work experience ranked highest on the list of hard skills. Education is great, but there’s still the need to prove that you can do the job. And if you have trouble getting a job in your career field, find a job within the industry, even if it isn’t your ideal role. Being able to list a related industry on your resume can show correlated work experience. Check out this recent post on unemployment versus underemployment supported the value of getting work experience to your overall career.
Technical ability
To best showcase your technical abilities on your resume or LinkedIn profile, use specific versions of software you have experience with or qualifying descriptions. Be specific about your ability, not just that you have skill, but how fast or at what level you can do the job. Understand the numbers in your job and be able to market yourself with specific results.
Training
Whether it’s conflict resolution, goal-setting training, or a continuing education event, keep a record of the training you’ve received and what you’ve learned from it. Be able to explain what you’ve taken away and how you’ve applied it. Additionally, have a plan of your own on how you’re going to stay informed on changes and advancements in your industry to stay on top of your game.

What hard skills have been your biggest asset in your job search? Share with us in the comments section below.

Career Options New Job Tips

5 Facts You May Not Know About Staffing Companies

By Rachel Rudisill on Friday, July 26, 2013

What comes to mind when you think of staffing companies? Do you think of part-time manufacturing workers and as-needed administrative help? Or perhaps it conjures up visions of high-level headhunters who only hire for executive positions? Your opinion of staffing companies is most likely based on what you’ve heard about them or from your previous experience with them, whether good or bad.

A poor experience, or even having no experience at all, can give you a negative impression of all staffing companies. But, there are a few things about staffing providers that you might not know.

No Charge to Job Seekers
If you’re working with a reputable staffing company, it will not cost you a penny to be screened, added to their database, or placed in a position. The only one who’s charged a fee is the client company since the staffing provider is doing them the service of providing candidates to fill the open positions. That means you’re getting a team of professionals to find you a job, for free!
Full-Time Hours Are the Norm
The majority of temporary employees actually work full-time hours, not the sporadic part-time hours many people seem to think. Research from the American Staffing Association (ASA) found that almost 80% of staffing employees work full-time. Plus, temporary employees often get directly hired for full-time jobs at client companies. At Express Employment Professionals, 60% of our employees go to work full-time for client companies we hire for.
You’re in Control
Staffing companies let you tailor your work schedule to your life. You tell them when and how much you want to work. So, whether you’re trying to work a lot of hours to save up money or just trying to fit in a few work hours around other activities in your life, you can do exactly what you need.
Benefits Are Available
Many staffing companies offer their temporary employees benefits. Express Employment Professionals offers our associates a wide variety of benefits, from medical and dental insurance to vacation days and retirement programs. You just need to get the details on any requirements associated with being eligible, such as weekly hours worked or length of time on the job.
Chance to Learn Something New
Employees with a wide-range of skills and experiences are great assets to their employers, and staffing companies provide the perfect opportunity for you to learn a new thing or two. The ASA reported that 65% of staffing employees say they either improved their skills or developed new ones as a result of their temporary assignments. You may also have the chance to participate in specific training programs provided by the staffing company.

Searching for a job can be a stressful, time-consuming task, but you don’t have to do it alone. There are many reasons, beyond just these five, to look for a job through a staffing company. What are some other benefits you’ve found to using a staffing a company? Have you personally experienced any of the advantages listed above? We’d love to hear your thoughts – so please share in the comments section below.

Resumes and Cover Letters

Are Cover Letters Extinct?

By Rachel Rudisill on Friday, July 5, 2013

Finding the job of your dreams isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a continual cycle of searching for openings, tweaking your resume, customizing your cover letter, and following up. It’s natural to get worn down and look for short-cuts in this process, and the most common step to get cut is the cover letter. After all, it takes some serious thought to express in a few short paragraphs why you’re a good fit for the job and how you can benefit the employer, all while weaving in your personality and credentials. The rise in technology has made cutting cover letters short even more widespread over the past few years, leaving many job seekers to wonder – “are cover letters extinct?”

An Ongoing Argument
Unfortunately, employers have not reached a unified answer. Some, like Phil Rosenberg, president of reCareered, an online hub for job search advice, think cover letters have gone the way of the dinosaur. In a 2009 study his company conducted a survey of hiring managers, Rosenburg found “90% ignored them and 97% made a decision whether to interview or not based only on the resume.” While others, such as Don Charlton, founder and CEO of The Resumator, an online hiring software firm, strongly disagrees. Charlton explained in a CNN article, “The cover letter is the only thing you have that separates the person from being a candidate and being a human being.”

Technological Oversight
One of the primary reasons that cover letters get a bad rap is due to an oversight in applicant tracking systems. With the influx of workers looking for jobs over the past five years, companies and recruiting firms have been overwhelmed with candidates. As they’ve turned to automated systems to manage and sift through job seekers, many have left off the option to attach a cover letter or failed to set up a keyword search for cover letters. Often times, recruiters and hiring managers only select candidates by the results of keyword searches of resumes.

A Dilemma
So, what’s a job seeker to do? Unless an employer has specifically said not to include a cover letter, it’s better to be safe than sorry and go the extra mile of providing one. If you’re dealing with an online system, just attach both your resume and cover letter when you’re prompted to upload documents. When sending an email with your resume attached, use your cover letter as the email message. Your message might help the employer decide to go the next step and view your attachment. If you’re worried that not attaching your cover letter could mean it will be overlooked, or if you’re worried about printability, Beyond, a professional networking and job search site, suggests attaching it as a text file as well.

You never know which side of the debate an employer might stand on, so don’t take a chance. Extra work up front is worth it if it helps you land an interview and find the job you’ve been looking for.

In your job search, what’s been your experience – cover letter or no cover letter? Join in the conversation by sharing your thoughts below.

Express in the News Inside Express Uncategorized

Express Employment Professionals Featured on Fox News

By Jared Cole on Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Express was featured on Fox and Friends early Tuesday morning on Aug. 21 and then on Thursday morning, Aug. 23, for the program’s “Companies Hiring Now” segment. This is an exciting time for any job seeker who is looking for employers who need them.

If you’re searching for a job, consider working with a staffing agency like Express. More and more employers are relying heavily on staffing companies to fill open positions before hiring them on as full-time employees. You can check out the video below:

At Work Benefits Salary and Promotions

3 Questions to Ask About Employee Benefits Before You Get Hired

By Rachel Rudisill on Friday, June 8, 2012

Getting a new job requires some detective skills, including understanding your total compensation package prior to accepting a job offer. While most of us need our job to provide a regular paycheck to take care of our living expenses, we also need to consider the benefits program offered by a potential employer. Here are a few questions you might consider asking your prospective employer to help you make a better decision in evaluating a job opportunity.

How much of my total compensation will include a benefits package?
While your salary is important, don’t forget to consider the amount spent on employee benefits. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in March that private industry employee benefit programs accounted for 29.5% of total compensation. This compensation includes paid sick leave, holidays, and vacations, as well as employer contributions to health and life insurance, retirement savings, and into Social Security and Medicare in the U.S. It is appropriate in your job offer process to ask for a clear outline of the benefits program offered. A job opportunity may look more or less attractive based on the benefits, so it’s critical to have the full picture before making your decision.
May I review your health insurance program?
If you are expecting your employer to provide a health insurance option, make sure you have a firm understanding of the program. You’ll need to consider what you’re currently paying and what you’ll be expected to pay under the program offered by your potential employer. If you’ll need to use that health insurance to provide care for your family or dependents, make sure to uncover the costs with that type of program and their eligibility. When you review the health insurance program look for information on co-pay amounts, pre-existing condition rules, deductible amounts, and prescription drug programs.
What are your most unique employee benefits?
While you should have uncovered all of the benefits offered in your employee summary, there may be a few employee perks you’ll find important. This is also a good question to uncover a little more about the culture of the company you’re considering. Companies may offer an employee gym, onsite child care, flexible work schedules, or other unique programs that may make a position more attractive, even if the salary is smaller. And don’t forget to find out about smaller benefits that can really add up like paid parking, discount dry cleaning services, or an economical onsite dining option.

Looking for a new job can be stressful, but when you do get a job offer make sure to slow down and evaluate the entire offer before accepting a position. It’s possible to negotiate your salary and benefit options before you’re hired, but it can be much harder to negotiate, or not possible, after you’ve accepted the position.

Tag Archives: hiring