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Employers: Building Your Workforce This Fall by Using a Staffing Company

By Job Journey on Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Fall is quickly approaching, and as we enter the final few months of 2021, companies will be looking to bolster their workforce to meet the production needs for what is generally the busiest time of the year. One way to ensure your company has the workers necessary to navigate the fourth quarter is to build your workforce by utilizing staffing firms.

Meet Production Demands

While industries across the world experience supply-chain bottlenecks and lack of manufacturing materials, one thing that we know is that these issues will continue to increase market demands for services and goods. To meet those rising demands, companies will need to not only maintain, but increase their workforces in expectation of rising consumer consumption.

Regardless of your industry, a staffing company can help provide qualified professionals to work side by side your core employees to ensure your business maintains productivity and stays a step ahead of the competition. (more…)

The Job Search

The 2018 Job Economy So Far: Will You Find a Job?

By Job Journey on Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Ever wondered what the job search looks like for employers? We’ve got the answers.

To help employers figure out what the current job market looks like, Express Employment Professionals International Headquarters conducts an ongoing Job Insights survey to track quarterly hiring trends across a wide range of industries.

Express surveyed business owners, decision makers, and human resource professionals about the overall hiring trends in their markets and how they impact their hiring decisions.

Overall confidence remains high going into the second half of 2018.
The economy continues to hold strong with most respondents expecting an upward trend in employment activity or to at least maintain current levels during the third quarter of 2018. In fact, only 9% of companies expect employment activity to trend down during the third quarter, compared to 47% of companies that expect employment activity to trend up in the third quarter—a 4% increase over second quarter 2018.

The top segments hiring in third quarter 2018 include:

General Labor (Industrial): 32%
Skilled Labor (Industrial): 28%
Administrative/Office Clerical: 21%
Accounting/Finance: 9%

Good news for job seekers: There’s no end in sight for the ongoing talent crunch.
Although business is booming for many companies, recruiting the top talent needed to maintain productivity is becoming more competitive than ever before. In fact, the number of respondents who reported the lack of available applicants as the top reason jobs go unfilled increased by 78% quarter over quarter. Additionally, fewer than one-quarter of respondents said all their positions are filled.

In fact, the number of businesses that say it is “somewhat” or “very” difficult to fill positions has increase by 22% since the first quarter of 2017.

The energy and excitement of an increase in business activity coupled with a tight labor market means companies will need to be more proactive than ever to recruit and retain the top talent they need to stay productive.

In a job seeker’s market, skilled workers can be more selective.
Opportunities abound for skilled workers. In many job markets, the pool of applicants with the right mix of experience and expertise is drying up and the competition among businesses to recruit top talent is fierce. The most qualified candidates have more freedom to be selective about which jobs they accept.

When asked, “what stops applicants from accepting a job at your company?” survey respondents said:

Not the perfect fit (40%)
Low pay (28%)
Lack of advancement/opportunity (16%)
Lack of benefits (13%)
Inflexible schedule (11%)

What does this mean for you as a job seeker?

Employers want to see well-qualified, highly-skilled job seekers. Check out our previous blogs tailored to help you at each stage of the job search process:

Job Search

What’s the Best Job Search Website: Part 1

What’s the Best Job Search Website: Part 2

How to Highlight Experience Over Tenure On Your Resume

Pre-Interview Prep

Create the Perfect Elevator Pitch

Ask a Recruiters: Your Questions Answered

The Interview

Ace Your Next Interview with These Top Tips

Losing the Job Before You Even Get to the Formal Interview

Discussing Skills and Experience in an Interview

The Job Search

The Skills Employers Wish You Had

By Job Journey on Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Finding the right person for the job is a task employers often struggle with. In addition to experience and education, top candidates must also possess certain skills that are right for the job. You may be familiar with important hard skills like a college degree or certification, but how often do you assess and improve your soft skills like communication, teamwork, and time management?

If “not often” is your answer, you may want to reconsider your job search tactics. In fact, in a recent study from Express Employment Professionals, a group of leaders shared the soft skills that society is missing when it comes to preparing the next generation for the workplace.

“We hear all the time from businesses that they’re looking for workers who are punctual, respectful, properly dressed, and dedicated. Employers prize these soft skills, but we constantly hear from employers that too many potential workers lack these attributes,” said Bob Funk, CEO of Express. “Soft skills are vital and there are things we can all do to help develop them.”

The study revealed that the skills employers are looking for include people skills, respect, modesty, humility, self-sufficiency, gratitude, and more. While these skills may come naturally to some, the study suggests there are actions job seekers can take to learn these skills and teach them to others.

To better understand the soft skills employers are looking for, check out the study’s list of ten actions you can take to help prepare those who are about to enter the workforce.

“The results show what everyone in society can do to send signals, especially to young people, so they develop strong soft skills that will guide them in life – and help them get job offers,” Bob Funk said.

What do you think society can do to better prepare workers to be prime job candidates? Share with us in the comment section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

My Entry-Level Life

Make Your Move: Life After Graduation

By Job Journey on Wednesday, May 6, 2015

For many, graduation day is around the corner. While graduating from college or high school can be an intimidating time, there’s hope for recent graduates in the job search. According to a survey by Michigan State University, 97% of employers plan to hire at least one new college graduate this year. While the odds are in your favor, you have to put in the effort to land the job of your dreams. To help you join the workforce, check out these five tips for making your move after graduation.

Know what employers are looking for.
A recent Movin’ On Up article compiled survey results from a variety of institutions who conducted research on the 2015 job outlook for recent college graduates. These results included a look at the job forecast, which revealed that employers plan to hire 9.6% more graduates in the United States than they did in 2014, and lists of the most in-demand college degrees and skills for new hires. Before you start your post-graduation job search, check out the statistics to better understand what employers want.

Use the power of social media.
Whether you’re graduating from high school or college, it’s never too early to create a LinkedIn profile. Even if you don’t have much to add to your profile yet, go ahead and get started on your account so you can use it to network with potential employers and get noticed. Forbes states that only one-third of college students have a LinkedIn profile, so creating one of your own is a quick and easy way to stand out from the competition.

Include any jobs you’ve had, from babysitting to retail, and list the skills you gained from those jobs. Make sure you also list your educational achievements, including any degrees, diplomas, and extra-curricular activities like newspaper or debate club. If you received any awards in school or your community, like volunteer or academic honors, list those too.

It’s important to remember that while employers are primarily searching LinkedIn for potential candidates, they can also find your other social media accounts too. So, keep your Facebook, Twitter, and other public profiles clean and professional at all times.

Get an internship, or volunteer in your community.
According to a study by Millennial Branding, a research firm, 85% of college students believe having an internship is either important or very important for their career. Furthermore, 52% said they hope to have had three or more internships before graduating, and 40% have already completed one internship. Since so many college graduates are looking to internships to gain experience, skills, and networking opportunities, you want to make sure you’re one of them. Try to find companies that are easily recognizable, either in the community or nationally, to help your resume stand out.

In addition to internships, you can also get ahead of the competition by actively volunteering in your community. There are numerous volunteer opportunities to consider, from working at a food pantry to helping build houses for the needy. By volunteering, you not only add valuable skills to your resume, but you also have the opportunity to network with others and do something charitable in the process.

Find a mentor.
We’ve talked about the importance of having a mentor, and the results of Millennial Branding’s survey support our stance. In fact, the survey revealed that 70% of college students have at least one mentor. Among the mentors listed were parents, professors, family, friends, and employers. Having a mentor can help you grow both professionally and personally, and can even help you on your job search. But, finding the right mentor is important to making sure you’re learning all you can. When you’re ready to pick a mentor, check out these five traits of a great mentor first.

Call on your school for help.
If you’re a college student, your school’s career services office can help you with the next step in your job search. Career offices can assist with resumes, cover letters, job interviewers, and more, but Millennial Branding reveals that only 29% of students use these offices. Be part of that group by visiting your school’s office and asking about what resources they can offer. In addition to workforce preparation, many offices also have an alumni database, which can help put you in contact with recent graduates in your field of study. Those graduates have already been in the workforce for a few years and may have tips of the trade you could learn, so take advantage of those resources.

Congratulations to the class of 2015, and good luck with your job search! Remember, even if you’re not a recent graduate, these tips can help you with your job search goals. It’s never too early to get started!

How do you plan to make your move after graduation? Let us know in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Inside Express Reader Surveys

Does Social Media Harm Your Job Search? Take Our Poll

By Jared Cole on Monday, June 4, 2012

Last month, CareerBuilder released a survey of more than 2,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals about researching potential job candidates through their social media profiles. The study reported that of hiring managers surveyed who research candidates via social media, 34% found information that has caused them not to hire a candidate.
The top reasons they found for not hiring the candidates were provocative/inappropriate photos/info – 49%, evidence of candidates drinking or using drugs – 45%, and candidates bad mouthing previous employers – 33%.

While we recently talked about social media behavior, the study made us wonder about your behaviors in social media while job searching. Let us know in the poll below.

Career Advancement Job Interviews The Daily Grind The Job Search

Are You a Job Hopper or a Job Shopper?

By Miranda Wilson on Monday, March 14, 2011

Job hopping and job shopping – there is a debate on what these two things mean and if one is more significant than the other.

As the economy continues to show improvement, many people are either looking for first-time employment, wanting to get back into the job market, or looking to change careers. There’s no denying that the job market has changed over the years, and it’s definitely not the same one where loyalty reigned supreme or many employees spent their entire career at one company. Today it has become more acceptable to switch jobs – even several times – during one’s career.

With more employers now looking to hire top candidates, it’s a great time to know the difference between a job hopper and a job shopper, and the impressions that could be associated with each.

A Job Hopper.
A job hopper is usually someone who doesn’t stay at job for a long time before they are on to something new and exciting. This individual has had many different jobs that aren’t necessarily related to the same field. Once considered to be something that only younger generations would do, job hopping has become a more widespread practice among all workers. After experiencing a recession where jobs were lost or where employees saw friends get let go, many have changed their mind on loyalty to an employer.

From an employee’s perspective, job hopping can have its benefits. It can allow you to gain new skills and invaluable experience in a variety of areas. It can also allow you to identify what jobs you do and do not like to do, helping you find your true career calling.

From a potential employer’s perspective, they might wonder why you’ve job hopped so much. If you’ve had several jobs in a short amount of time, an employer might be concerned about your commitment level. Also, they will probably want an explanation for all of your hopping.

So, before your next leap, take time to think about whether or not you can make your current job more challenging. And if it does turn out that you need something new, what might be a better option than a job hopper?

A Job Shopper.
According to an article on Yahoo! Finance, job shopping differs from job hopping because it is more structured and planned. Whereas a job hopper might just blindly jump into a new career without doing any research, a job shopper does the necessary homework before making a decision.

In addition, a job shopper has a direct goal in mind for what they want in a career and only transitions to new jobs that will help them achieve that goal. If you are planning to change careers, think about how a change can add to your skill set and improve the work-history story, better known as your résumé. And remember, it’s important to do your homework on your personal time rather than on your employer’s time.

When it comes to your job search, you want to make sure that you stand out from other applicants for all the right reasons. Take time to think through what you want to do for a job and a career, and what it’s going to require to get there. Be strategic with your search. The sky’s the limit in what you can achieve.

Career Advancement Job Interviews Resumes and Cover Letters The Daily Grind The Job Search

What’s Missing From Your Résumé?

By Miranda Wilson on Monday, January 10, 2011

Do you ever wonder what goes through someone’s mind when they read your résumé? Are elements missing? Could your work history information be explained better? Employers are good at evaluating résumés because they’ve seen so many and have done it for a long time. To help you design a résumé that gets a second look, here are five standout tips.

1. Include a brief summary. Who are you and why should an employer be interested? Highlight your skills and abilities at the beginning of your résumé. The key is to tell the employer why the company should hire you – or what you can bring to the team. Share information like years of experience you have and highlight two or three of your skills. Be specific and keep your résumé summary to about two sentences. Use this as a quick way to grab an employer’s attention and encourage further reading.

2. Don’t be overly wordy. Using more words on your résumé will not necessarily make you look more impressive to a potential employer. They don’t have a lot of time to devote to reading a lengthy document – instead they’re scanning for what stands out. Since you won’t have a lot of time to impress them, be sure to catch their attention quickly. Be clear, concise, and get to the point.

3. Be honest. In other words, don’t say you have five years of experience in something if you don’t. It’s always in your best interest to be truthful because an employer will find out. Employers are being more and more cautious about hiring. They’re not only checking your references, but they’re also searching for information online. Make sure you’re honest and upfront.

4. Identify your results. Employers are more interested in your impact than your job duties, so include quantifiable information on your résumé to identify your accomplishments. Don’t just tell an employer what your responsibilities have been, but also identify how you’ve made a difference. For instance, if you’ve previously helped raise funds for something, tell how much money you received. If you created a system for streamlining your company’s printing process, tell how much time and money you saved the company. Also, if you’ve managed individuals, specify exactly how many.

5. Brag a little. If you’ve won an award or received a certificate for a job well done, make sure you share it on your résumé. Now is your chance to let others know why you’re amazing and the right person for the job. Create a short section at the end of your résumé and title it “Accomplishments.” Then, list out a few of your greatest achievements.

Creating a résumé isn’t a difficult process, but it does take a little strategizing and time. Block off some time on your calendar to focus on yours, and use these tips and others from our Résumé Boot Camp to ensure that yours isn’t missing something it needs.