Not all job candidates are equal, and not all employees are equal. If that was the case, then you’d only hire superstar workers and your profits would be astronomical every year. While that sounds nice, that’s not reality.
 
For the purposes of this blog post, we’re going to examine the retention end of the personnel spectrum. Below are three ways to increase retention of your best employees:
 
#1—Hire the right people and challenge them.
 
This may sound flippant, but it’s 100% true. In many cases, poor retention on the back end is simply the end result of poor hiring on the front end. Legendary NFL football coach Chuck Noll of the Pittsburgh Steelers was never one for giving big motivational speeches. He was once asked about that. His response: “If I have to motivate you, I’ll fire you.”
 
Noll hired players who were already motivated to achieve great things. When you hire employees who are motivated to also achieve great things, then your biggest problem will NOT be motivating them. Your biggest problem will be properly challenging them.
 
#2—Be flexible when it comes to their time.
 
Some companies use rigid and inflexible work schedules in their attempts to ensure that work gets done, projects get completed, and goals are met. The best employees don’t need rigid and inflexible work schedules to ensure they do these things. They are already motivated to do them (see #1).
 
What they need is the exact opposite: some flexibility in their schedules. Why is that? Because when you offer that flexibility, you are also showing that you trust them to meet their deadlines. Once they recognize that trust, they’ll be even more motivated to excel for the company.
 
#3—Instill them with confidence.
 
Instill them with confidence in themselves? They already have confidence. That’s why they’re top employees in the first place. No, your job is to instill them with confidence in the organization and its leaders.
 
These employees want to feel as though the company knows where it’s going and how it’s going to get there, and they want to know where they fit into the plan. That means not only casting an exciting and enticing vision for the future, but also giving employees the assurance that the vision will be realized.
 
Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%.
 
Contact Time Staffing today to find out more about our placement services for employers!

Hiring the best job candidates available in the marketplace and turning them into productive, valuable workers is not easy. If it were easy, every company would be able to do it.
 
However, the things that attract the best workers differ from the things that attract other job candidates. The problem for many organizations is that they believe the same approach will work for both groups. That simply is not the case.
 
Instead, a more targeted, more focused approach is necessary. Below are five steps for standing out to top job candidates:
 
#1—Make sure everybody is on the same page.
 
Standing out in the marketplace doesn’t just “happen.” It takes a concerted effort by multiple members of your organization and an investment of time and energy that will produce a return in the form of better candidates, more quality hires, and improved rates of retention.
 
#2—Determine your employment brand.
 
Quite simply, your brand is who you are as an organization, your identity, and the things you stand for and represent. These could also be described as your company’s core values. Whatever you call them, these things must be clearly identified and articulated by everyone involved in the hiring process.
 
#3—Communicate your employment brand.
 
There are numerous ways to do this, including on your company’s website and through social media. Find your most engaged employees and set them up as brand champions, allowing them to tell their personal stories. The most effective way to communicate your brand is through the stories of your champions.
 
#4—Make the hiring process a great experience.
 
You can talk about how fantastic you are all you want, but it’s more important to show candidates how fantastic you are, and the hiring process is a prime opportunity to do that. Remember, you’ve piqued their interest with your employment brand and compelling stories about your brand and culture. Don’t lose them now.
 
#5—Emphasize the value that you offer.
 
It’s all about value. Does your organization provide a flexible work schedule? Talk about it. Does it provide opportunities for continuous training and skills development? Mention that, too. Do employees have the chance to climb the career advancement ladder at the company? Make sure top candidates know all about it. At this level, anything could serve to tip the balance in your favor.
 
Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%.
 
Contact Time Staffing today to find out more about our placement services for employers!

Pretty much everything in the professional world—heck, in the world at large—comes down to value. People hold in high value those things and those people that are valuable.
 
The same holds true in your job. You hold a certain amount of value as an employee. Perhaps you’re reaching your potential, and your value is relatively high. Perhaps your value is high, but you’re not reaching your potential.
 
On the other side of the spectrum, perhaps your value is lower than you would like (and it’s lower than your boss would like, as well). Regardless of your current situation, there are things that you can do to change it, i.e., make it better.
 
Below are six ways to increase your value as an employee:
 
#1—Do NOT feel entitled . . . to anything.
 
Okay, let’s get this one out of the way. This has nothing to do with the Millennial Generation. This generation has not “cornered the market” on entitlement. Unfortunately, people of every age can fall prey to this professional malady. A culture of entitlement very rarely breeds innovation, and the ability to be innovative is key to increasing your value (see #4).
 
#2—Work hard.
 
You might have heard the phrase, “Work smarter, not harder.” While that sounds nice, it doesn’t actually get you anywhere. The phrase should be, “Work smarter and harder.” There is NO substitute for hard work, period. You must be willing to roll up your sleeves (sleeves optional) and do whatever is necessary to achieve the desired results (see #4 again).
 
#3—Under-promise and over-deliver.
 
You’ve probably heard this phrase before, too, but don’t think of it as “sandbagging.” It’s simply the practice of only promising what you know for sure that you can deliver. This makes you a person of your word, which makes you trustworthy and increases your value. And when you consistently meet your promises or over-deliver on them? That increases your value even more.
 
#4—Focus on solutions and results.
 
Value is tied directly to results. Employers want results, and they want employees who are intelligent enough and innovative enough to achieve those results, regardless of the obstacles involved. They don’t want excuses. They don’t want reasons why something didn’t work or a deadline wasn’t met or a goal wasn’t reached. Providing results (and of course, over-promising on those results) increases value.
 
#5—Become an expert.
 
You could become an expert about a piece of software or about a process. The important thing is to become the “go-to person” regarding this particular area. When somebody has a question about it, they should know to go to you because you almost always have the answer. That is valuable to a company.
 
#6—View adversity as opportunity.
 
This is a mindset, but it’s about more than just being positive in the face of adversity. Being positive by itself doesn’t do much to change the situation. However, those people who can look at a challenging situation, see the opportunities for growth, and then act on those opportunities are the ones who bring tremendous value to any organization.
 
So—how much value do YOU bring as an employee?
 
Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%.
 
Contact us today to find out more about the employment opportunities that are available in your chosen field!

Unfortunately, summer is just about over. (After all, it is September 1.) As we head into the fall and winter months, perhaps you’re thinking about changing jobs and seeking out new employment opportunities.
 
If you decide to strike out in search of “greener pastures” at the end of this year or at the beginning of 2022, then you’ll need to stand out from everybody who’s doing the same thing.
 
And that’s exactly what you don’t want to do: the same thing as everybody else. You’ll want to stand out to potential employers, and below are four tips for doing just that:
 
#1—Be proactive.
 
You can’t wait around for employers to post job openings. The best companies should always be on the lookout for great workers, whether they have an opening or not. That’s why you must be proactive in your quest to show your value as a worker and an employee.
 
#3—Utilize ALL of social media.
 
Finding a great new job isn’t just for LinkedIn. If you apply a strategic approach, you can use the other social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.) to show employers your unique value. Each of these platforms have different tools and resources, and each should be researched and then implemented for maximum effect.
 
#4—Get creative.
 
In order to stand out, you have to do something that most job seekers do not. That is the very essence of standing out. (If you do what everybody else does, then you’re NOT going to stand out.) Put yourself in the shoes of an employer. What would make you sit up and take notice?
 
5—Play to your strengths.
 
Remember, you want to illustrate the value that you can bring to a company. So it only makes sense that you’ll use your strengths in the form of skills and abilities when attempting to stand out. Your message should be, “This is how I could bring value to your organization.”
 
And value is what it all boils down to. Companies want candidates who will bring them tremendous value as employees, so you must show that value before you’re hired and use the way in which you show it to stand out and grab their attention.
 
Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%.
 
Contact us today to find out more about the employment opportunities that are available in your chosen field!

In a previous blog post, we discussed the value of soliciting feedback within your company. One of the reasons we presented for doing so is to improve the retention of your employees, especially your best employees.
 
(Let’s be honest for a second. You probably don’t shed a tear over every employee who leaves your organization. The truth is that some are more valuable to the company than others.)
 
There is hardly any doubt that you’ve heard the phrase “The Great Resignation,” in the news or otherwise. That’s because a staggering number of people are quitting their jobs in the employment marketplace. There is a myriad of reasons why, the COVID-19 pandemic being one of them, as workers have begun to analyze their lives with a “big-picture perspective.”
 
So what can you, as an employer, do to combat the forces that are currently driving the employment marketplace and resulting in the mass resignation of workers?
 
In addition to soliciting feedback, which we covered previously, below are four keys to improving your company’s retention of its employees (especially its best employees) and avoiding the fallout from “The Great Resignation”:
 
#1—Strive to over-communicate.
 
Why over-communicate? Because when you strive to over-communicate, you usually end up communicating just enough. Unfortunately, with as important as communication is within the professional setting, many people are not as proficient or as skilled as they need to be.
 
#2—Recognize your employees.
 
Most employees simply want to be recognized for the good work that they do. This can just include a kind word, something akin to a “pat on the back.” If you recognize the employee in front of their co-workers, that’s even better. They want to know that what they do for the company is both noticed and appreciated.
 
#3—Provide adequate compensation and benefits.
 
This should go without saying, but we’re going to say it, anyway, since we’re in the midst of the greatest mass resignation event in this nation’s history. Not only is good pay and benefits a strategic way to attract workers, but it’s also an effective way to keep them.
 
#4—Provide opportunities for growth and development.
 
Employees—especially your top employees—want the chance to learn new things and continue to add to their skill set. This is a win-win proposition for your company because not only will providing these opportunities improve retention, but your employees will also put their newfound skills to work for the organization.
 
Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%.
 
Contact Time Staffing today to find out more about our placement services for employers!

In recent blog posts, we’ve addressed the topic of being a team player and thinking of putting the customer first in just about everything that you do.
 
There’s a mindset that’s involved with doing this correctly. That mindset involves being proactive, and part of being proactive includes showing initiative.
 
The problem—or the perceived problem—is that showing initiative translates directly into more work. And as a general rule, people avoid more work. It’s been said that some people are like water. In other words, they “take the path of least resistance.”
 
The problem is that people who “take the path of least resistance” rarely excel at work to the point where they advance in the form of promotions. However, if you want to enjoy more success at your current job and also set yourself up for more career success and satisfaction, then you should consider showing more initiative.
 
To help with this, let’s engage in more visualization. In this instance, think about what it’s like to be your boss or another member of management at your employer. Would they be more likely to recognize and reward somebody who shows initiative often and volunteers when needed to get work done in order to complete projects and meet deadlines . . . or somebody who doesn’t do these things?
 
You probably already know the answer to that question.
 
Something else to keep in mind is that there are two ways to show initiative:
 

1. When your boss or another member of management points out a problem and asks for somebody to volunteer to help solve the problem, you step up and show initiative.
2. When you notice a problem that perhaps your boss or another member of management does not notice and you show initiative and take it upon yourself to do what is necessary to solve it.

 
You’ve probably heard somebody say, “That’s not my job” at some time or other during your career. Hopefully, you were not the person who uttered that phrase. If you’ve never said that phrase before, then good. But if you have, realize that it reflects the type of attitude that will help you stand out . . .
 
But not in a good way.
 
Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%.
 
Contact us today to find out more about the employment opportunities that are available in your chosen field!.

In a previous blog post, we addressed the importance of helping your colleagues and co-workers on the job. That’s because the more that you help them, the more that you’re really helping yourself, both in your current job and quite possibly overall with your career.
 
However, there’s a difference between thinking that you’re a team player and knowing that you are one. After all, it’s nice to think that you are, and the idea of something is almost always better than the reality of it.
 
You’ve heard some of the phrases that people use, including the following:

• “There is no “I” in TEAM.”
• “Teamwork makes the dream work.”

 
These are pleasant platitudes, but that’s all they are. They’re just words. True teamwork demands action, more specifically targeted action that has a purpose.
 
The first step in being a team player is realize that everybody has a role to play. Nobody can fill every role, so it’s important to not only recognize the role that you play, but also the roles that other people play. The next step is realizing how these roles fit together and complement one another.
 
Here are some questions to help you gauge how much of a team player you are:

• Do you always give your best effort, no matter what your role is or what needs to be done?
• Do you communicate well with those around you, both verbally and non-verbally?
• Do you work to be cooperative with others, regardless of the situation or the people involved?
• Are you receptive to other people’s idea . . . or do you usually reject them?
• Do other people think of you as dependable, especially in a group setting or a group situation?

 
How many of these questions are you able to answer “Yes”? All of them? Most of them? None of them?
 
Ultimately, being a team player on the job and in the workplace setting is not easy. It requires hard work—time, energy, and effort. And it requires these things on a consistent basis.
 
So be prepared to put in the work and the effort necessary to be the kind of team player that helps your co-workers excel and your employer be successful!
 
Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%.
 
Contact us today to find out more about the employment opportunities that are available in your chosen field!

Feedback is important in just about every professional endeavor, and that certainly includes employment. With the right feedback, companies and organizations can make the strategic changes they need to make to provide a better experience to their employees, and in the long run, increase their rates of retention.
 
The problem is that some organizations do not collect feedback from their employees, and for some that do, they don’t collect enough of it or collect it consistently enough. This is a shame, though, since there are plenty of benefits and a ton of value associated with collecting employee feedback.
 
The bottom line is that listening to your employees and asking for their feedback is one of the best things that you can do as a company, and below are three reasons why:
 
#1—You gain valuable information.
 
This is the whole point of collecting feedback in the first place. You gain information that you didn’t know previously but that you can use to make strategic changes to the way your organization operates. As a result, you can improve employee production, and ultimately, profit.
 
#2—You increase employee engagement.
 
Not only can you gain valuable information, but you can also increase engagement with your employees simply by reaching out to them and basically asking their opinion. They’re going to feel as though their opinion is valued and that they’re appreciated as employees. This reason, all by itself, should be enough to convince organizations to collect employee feedback on a consistent basis.
 
#3—You improve employee retention.
 
When you increase employee engagement, you also improve retention. The only thing worse than not hiring a great job candidate that you want to hire is losing a great employee because they left to pursue another employment opportunity. 
 
You can see how collecting employee feedback sets in motion a positive loop that results in better performance, higher morale, and more productivity.
 
The bottom line is that when it comes to employee feedback, you can’t afford NOT to collect it.
 
Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%.
 
Contact Time Staffing today to find out more about our placement services for employers!