INFO AND RESOURCES FOR EMPLOYERS Archives

How do I Format and Draft a Job Offer Letter

by Jeanne Knutzen | November 26, 2013

0 Blog, Hiring.Best Practices, Human Resource Roles accounting staffing agencies seattle, staffing agencies in seattle, Staffing Agencies In Seattle WA, staffing agencies seattle, staffing agency seattle, staffing agency seattle wa

After weeks of careful sourcing, resume collection, conversations with recruiters, and a long, meticulous interview process, you’re finally ready to choose a candidate. And luckily for you, the choice is easy. Your final contender has it all: wits, drive, a strong work ethic, a pleasant attitude, and affordability. So now you need to make it over the final hurdle: presenting an offer she can’t refuse. And making sure she isn’t lured away by your competitors before her start date. Just to stay on the safe side as you draft your offer letter, keep a few tips in mind: first, retain two back up candidates so you can don’t have to start over if this one gets away. And second, remember that your letter is only part of the process. You also need to reach out to the candidate by phone, and you’ll want to stay socially connected with her between the date of the offer and the day she steps onboard. Try to prevent a change of heart by keeping her thoughts focused on a future with you, not her past with the company she’s leaving behind. Here are a few ways your offer letter can send the right message and accomplish this goal.

1. Be personable. The legal language of the letter is important, but give your words a personal touch, and make sure the tone is warm, welcoming, and enthusiastic. Make it clear that her arrival is considered an exciting and positive event, not just another bureaucratic item to check off a list.

2. If the offer will be contingent on anything, from a criminal background check to a medical exam, social media review, reference check, or blood test, make each of these items clear. Arrange them not in a block of text, but in a list of distinct bullet points.

3. Provide clear instructions to the employee regarding her next step. Will she need to sign the letter and return it by mail or email before a certain date? Will she need to contact the HR office by phone to formally accept the offer? Will she need to submit any additional material to deal with the contingency items listed above? These instructions should appear in the letter’s final paragraph, right before the close.

4. The terms of employment should be made clear in the letter. If this is an at-will agreement or a defined contract, include the terms in the letter or attach them in a separate document.

5. Summarize the insurance benefits associated with the position and clearly state the annual compensation.

The requirements and recommendations associated with your offer letter will vary with the position, the industry, and the laws in your state. If you are looking for staffing agencies in Seattle, contact us today.

How to Include Temp Work on Your Resume

by Jeanne Knutzen | October 29, 2013

0 Blog, Human Resource Roles, INFO AND RESOURCES FOR JOB SEEKERS temp agencies in seattle, temp agencies seattle, temporary employment agencies in seattle, Temporary Employment Agencies Seattle, temporary employment agencies seattle wa

As some job seekers look for a long term position in their chosen industry, they tend to reach the “work history” section of their resumes-in-progress and pause to consider a nearly-universal question: What’s the best way to address a period of temp work? How can you use your resume to frame your short term job and clarify the relevance of your temporary responsibilities to the position you’re currently pursuing? Some job seekers are tempted to gloss over this period as a necessary, but not very noteworthy, place holder. Some even omit this entire chapter from their resumes. But there’s no need to take this step if you can describe your temporary work accurately and stay on message. Keep these tips in mind. 1. Include the name of the staffing firm that placed you in the position. Some staffing firms are known for their specific focus on IT work, financial clients, or medical positions, and some have a reputation for working with clients in every industry. Listing the name of your firm can help employers understand a bit more about your focus area and the kind of work you’re looking for. 2. Include the length of your assignment or assignments. Just add start and end dates to each temporary position you held while you worked with a given staffing firm. This can give employers a sense of your versatility and your ability to handle different types of responsibilities. It can also show how adept you are at learning new procedures quickly and staying flexible. 3. Include specific detail about the responsibilities you handled during your longest, proudest, or most relevant position. Feel free to describe the professional teams you joined or supported, the larger goals of your projects, and the ways in which your work contributed to company success. Even if you weren’t there during a project’s inception and didn't stay to see the ultimate outcome, you still invested heavily in the company during your tenure. Share your level of commitment and document what you accomplished. 4. Explain how your temporary accomplishments and responsibilities contributed to your growth as an employee, and discuss how this work prepared you for the job at hand. Employers will want to know how your three months as an admin or technician helped you learn the finer points of customer service, sales, public speaking, horizontal management, etc, etc. For general job search guidance and more on how to use the details of your temp position to help your resume stand out, contact the Seattle staffing pros at Pace. If you are looking for temporary employment agencies in Seattle, contact us today.

Seattle Accounting Career Options

by Jeanne Knutzen | October 22, 2013

0 Blog, Finance/Accounting Roles, INFO AND RESOURCES FOR JOB SEEKERS accounting jobs in seattle wa, jobs in seattle, Jobs In Seattle WA, jobs seattle, jobs seattle wa

Are your about to complete your degree in accounting or finance and start searching for accounting positions in the Seattle area? Maybe you’re in the midst of a career transition and you’re on the verge of completing your CPA exams and taking a full time position in field of public accounting or private financial management. In either case, now is the time—if you haven’t done so already—to explore your options in three different areas of the accounting field. Seattle positions in all three of these focus areas are widely available, but each field varies widely in terms of growth, responsibilities, and continuing education options. So you’ll need to conduct some research and choose the path that best fits your personality and long term goals. Tax Accounting As a tax accountant, it will be your responsibility to make sure your clients are following applicable tax laws and making accurate payments based on current state and federal requirements. Available exemptions, payroll taxes, taxes on investments and dividends, and taxes on imported and exported products will all fall under your purview. Financial Accounting Financial accountants also help clients stay compliant with financial reporting requirements, including accurate communication with shareholders. As a financial accountant, you may be reviewing quarterly reports before they’re disseminated and helping shareholder boards make financial decisions that keep them in line with their fiduciary responsibilities. Financial accountants also help companies monitor expenses and track revenue streams in order to use financial resources efficiently. Management Accounting Management accounts focus on helping the company cut expenses and increase its revenue by making intelligent decisions based on cost-benefit ratios and customer demand. If you pursue this type of accounting career, you’ll be employed by one company, and you’ll play a crucial role in helping the company pursue a strategy that leads to growth and long term financial health. This position may require some management training and a CMA certification. For more information about the specific responsibilities and training required for each of these areas of public and private accounting, arrange an appointment with the Seattle financial staffing experts at Pace. If you are looking for accounting jobs in Seattle WA, contact us today.

Step into a Position in Healthcare Administration

by Jeanne Knutzen | October 16, 2013

0 Blog, Healthcare Staffing healthcare jobs in seattle wa, healthcare jobs seattle, healthcare jobs seattle wa, jobs in seattle, Jobs In Seattle WA, jobs seattle wa

A promising career in healthcare administration starts with an undergraduate degree (and ideally a graduate degree as well) in business, finance, healthcare administration, or healthcare policy. Some administrators begin with a degree in the life sciences, or even a full initial career in a clinical healthcare setting. But when it’s time to make the transition, most career shifters need to return to the classroom to gain the administrative and management background that employers usually require. But what comes next? When you’re ready to step onto the job market with your diploma in hand, how can you give yourself every available advantage in a competitive marketplace? Networking is Essential Start by growing your network. In fact, it’s a good idea to start building your network long before you complete your course work and exams. Join professional societies and local networking groups, and spend some time and effort reaching out beyond the boundaries of the healthcare industry. The more connections you maintain and the more you circulate actively among those who hold second and third degree connections that can help you, the faster you’ll reach your destination. And remember: what you can do for others is always more important than what they can do for you. Think in terms of offering and providing instead of requesting and demanding. Licensing and Professional Memberships After you acquire your state license, improve your marketability by applying for professional membership in any of the following societies: the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM), the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), “a resource leader for healthcare administration management and medical practice managers”, and the Association for Healthcare Administrative Professionals (AHCAP), an “organization for administrative professionals who support our nation’s healthcare leaders.” Your specific career goals will determine which professional societies are right for you, but it’s a good idea to conduct some research and make contact with the branches in your area. In the meantime, determine the skills and specific areas of expertise your target employers are searching for and be ready to work your way into the field from the ground up. Reach out to the healthcare staffing experts at Pace for more information. If you are looking for healthcare administration jobs in Seattle WA, contact Pace today.

IT Management: Should You Hire Externally or Train Existing Employees?

by Jeanne Knutzen | October 10, 2013

0 Blog, IT Staffing information technology employment agencies, information technology employment agencies seattle, information technology employment agencies seattle wa, information technology employment agency, information technology employment agency seattle

Almost every business owner or decision maker will eventually face some version of a universal staffing question: Is it wiser and more cost effective to launch an external search for new managers? Or can the best candidates usually be found among existing teams? Should candidates be sourced through national job boards, or groomed and trained through an existing internal pipeline? This can be an especially challenging question in the IT field. Excellent IT employees usually possess strong technical skill sets, some of which can take years to acquire, but technical and programming skills don’t automatically translate into management skills. And IT leaders often make the mistake of promoting employees to management positions based on their technical performance. Before you take this route or decide to do the opposite and focus your search outside the company, ask yourself these three critical questions. How much time do you have to fill the gap? If you have the luxury of time, you can start cultivating leadership skills in high potential employees who won’t officially step into management roles for months or even years. When you’re faced with an open position, you can carefully evaluate candidates drawn from both internal and external sources, and simply chose the candidate that best meets your established criteria. But be cautious; if internally trained and groomed employees know that they’re competing with outsiders for management positions, they may resent taking a subordinate position to the applicant who represents you final choice. Are you dealing with a skills issue or capacity problem? Do you simply need managers to handle budgets, schedules, motivation, and workflow for a growing group of employees? Or do you need managers who can address skill-based performance problems and direct employees on the finer points of specific programming issues? If capacity is your primary concern, outside candidates with no need for management training may be easier to find. But if skills are your focus, trusted and proven internal employees may be a better bet. Will your decision be a short or long term goal? Where would you like this decision to take the company in six months? How about five years? If one matters far more than the other (if, for example, you have a very short term, high-demand project to complete for a single client), then you’ll need to factor this into your decision to mentor and train an internal candidate or hire from the outside, possibly through a respected staffing firm. For more information and guidance that can help you resolve tricky management questions like this one, reach out to the Seattle IT staffing experts at Pace. If you are looking for information technology employment agencies in Seattle, contact Pace today.

Are You Making the Most of Your Temporary Staffing Options?

by Jeanne Knutzen | October 1, 2013

0 Blog, Human Resource Roles Contract Employees, Downsizing, Flexible Staffing Models, PACE Staffing Network, Seattle Staffing, Seattle Staffing Agency, Shamrock Organization, Staffing Solutions, Temporary Staffing, WorkForce Optimization

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]1. What percentage of your total workforce currently falls into one of the flexible worker (temp, contract, part-time) categories? While there is no magic ratio of flex-to-core employees, if your percentage of core to non-core staff is 10% or below, look hard at the things your company is doing to embrace the “flexible work” model. The “shamrock organization” that has been widely touted as the model for the future, suggests that as much as 33% of your workforce can be contingent workers, while another 33% are the workers provided by “outsourced” service providers. Only 33% of this shamrock workforce are core employees, with the responsibility to manage and coordinate the work of the contingent others. Does this staffing model make business sense for your company? Your team? How much money could you shave off your operating budget if you became more “shamrock” like? 2. Is the demand for your goods or services increasing or decreasing? How have you adjusted your headcounts to deal with these trends? Reducing or adding to your temporary/flexible workforce is fast becoming the preferred staffing model to cushion the highs and lows of economic volatility. The notion of “right sizing” isn’t just about reducing staff; it’s also about not making permanent commitments to core employees until you know for sure that a business trend is stable. Using a flexible staffing strategy to always stay “right sized” has become a strategic method used by employers to transition wage costs from a fixed cost to a variable cost. Investing in or holding onto fixed costs that your competitors treat as variable will eventually impact profitability and your ability to compete. 3. Do you have a good handle on the rhythms of supply and demand for your department’s particular goods and services? The reoccurring low and high points of your team’s work cycles? With the growth in popularity of temporary and contract staffing options, an employer’s ability to move employees in and out of work environments quickly has significantly improved. Many employers have made a science out of staffing their teams at levels to support the lowest points in the demand cycle and using flexible workers to cycle-up or cycle-down in response to business need. “Workforce optimization” software’s have been developed to help companies track productivity requirements prior to impact. 4. How much overtime is currently being required of your workforce – core and flex? Overtime is very costly and is often a reactive strategy rather than the result of a well thought out plan. Staffing with the right number of core employees and augmenting up or down with flexible employees should eliminate most overtime requirements. 5. When special projects or reworks come up, do you typically have enough employees currently on staff to handle the extra work load? If you have core staff that consistently have the time to volunteer for additional work, chances are your company has too many fixed wage costs embedded into your workforce strategies. Most work that is non-reoccurring or not part of your regular routine should be done by your flexible workforce, not your core. 6. How long is it taking you to hire a core employee? What is the impact to your business of an inability to hire? If you need to move quickly and it takes too long to hire a core employee, you can miss important opportunities. Temporary or contract employees with the skill sets you need, can be brought in and put to work quickly. Temp-to-hire staffing models have dramatically increased over the last two years. Workers who have found themselves suddenly out of job are oftentimes willing to work in non-core ways. Many of these employees will bring new ideas and new ways of working to your company, promoting an atmosphere of change. 7. Are there jobs under your direction with high turnover, requiring you to be constantly in “hire” mode? Reoccurring turnover can be a sign that the job you are trying to fill just might not lend itself to a core staffing model. Many work groups composed of workers with low to moderate skill levels have been fully converted to a temporary staffing model. Another way of dealing with a high turnover job is to use a rotating group of auditioning contingent workers who you can use to keep work flowing, while giving workers a chance to demonstrate their special interest in or talent for the work to be performed. This auditioning process allows you to “always be hiring” while outsourcing much of the staffing costs to a third party employer. 8. Are there jobs under your direction where the morale of the work group seems to be an issue? Or where a large number of employees are no longer on their A-game? In large teams performing repetitive tasks, there are oftentimes cycles in employee performance that can be managed just like any other business cycle. If your productivity goals are such that all employees need to be on their A-game always, you might consider a more flexible staffing model that capitalizes on the opportunity to bring fresh new employees into your work group at just the right time—recycling employees who might have “burned out” into other work or jobs. 9. Is your team undergoing significant process changes? Bringing on new ways of working? New technologies? Periods of rapid or longer term change are often times when you need to slow down your commitments to core hiring and convert to a more flexible and short term work model. It is not unusual for work groups dealing with extended periods of uncertainty or change to be composed of more temporary than core workers. 10. How much of your operating budget can you devote to temporary or contingent staff? Many companies that monitor hiring levels carefully will at the same time provide considerable budget dollars for temporary/interim staff. One of the ways to add to your workforce without breaking full time employee (FTE) rules is to identify an employee you want to hire and instead of hiring them directly, you use an “employer of record” service through a third-party employer service. This staffing strategy avoids most of the hidden costs associated with core employees, retains the flexible component of an hourly employee who can go in and out of your workforce “at will”, plus protects your current core employees from the stress of trying to do more than they have core FTE to do. For more information about ways to drive down fixed costs by using flexible workforce strategies, contact the PACE Staffing Network at infodesk@pacestaffing.com.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Workforce Trends – time to reboot how we staff our companies?

by Jeanne Knutzen | September 24, 2013

0 Blog, Human Resource Roles Contract Workers, Employment Data, Hiring Trends, Seattle Staffing, Seattle Staffing Agency, Staffing Agency, Temporary Workers, Temps, WorkForce Data

We wanted to share with our customers an edited version of a recent article by John Zappe published in The Fordyce Letter. Here’s the data Mr. Zappe is referencing—data from a recent study conducted by Duke University, polling over 500 US CFOs. It would appear that US companies are shifting away from a reliance on full-time, permanent workers and moving to workforces with larger representations of temporary, contract, and part-time employees. When I see data like this I remember back to the days when I first became a student of staffing and heard futurists like Charles Handy (author of Age of Unreason) talking about the future of the work force looking like a clover leaf—33% core employees; 33% temp employees (auditioning for core positions) and 33% outsourced providers (doing work for an organization that fell outside the organization’s core competencies). Mr. Zappe attributes the current trend to “a fragile economy and the looming implementation of the national healthcare program.” As reported in this study, 59% of CFOs have increased temporary and part-time workers and are turning with greater frequency to outside consultants and advisers. “The results show the emotional impact of the recession lingers on, keeping CFOs wary about spending, especially on hiring, even as they are more optimistic about their company’s financial health.” The level of optimism about profitability was good. US CFOs reported their expectations that profits will raise an average of 10%. At the same time, they predicted hiring to stabilize at the current low levels, overall headcounts to increase by only 2%. Outsourced employment was targeted to grow at 3%--significantly faster than other types of workers. Economic uncertainty was cited by 44.3% as the reason for not hiring permanent full-timers. The new healthcare law was cited by 38%, while 24% said salary considerations kept them from full time hiring. Of the 28% of companies reported to be employing workers outside of the US, almost 75% expected to add additional workers in the coming year, with the majority of them adding at least as many overseas as in the United States. This article was prepared by Kyle Fitzgerald, Client Solutions Manager of the PACE Staffing Network using information from a variety of sources. For a conversation with our consulting team on what this change in workforce demographics means to you and your company, email us infodesk@pacestaffing.com. Our mission is to help companies use alternative staffing strategies to their competitive advantage.

Frequently Overlooked Accounting Skills

by Jeanne Knutzen | September 18, 2013

0 Blog, Finance/Accounting Roles accounting job in seattle, accounting job seattle, accounting jobs in seattle, accounting jobs seattle, accounting jobs seattle wa

Job seekers considering a future in accounting often turn away from this career path because of a simple set of misconceptions about the skills accountants need for success. And unfortunately, managers and recruiters aren’t doing much to alleviate these misconceptions—often because they simply don’t know how pervasive these myths are among young candidates and new grads. If employers made an active effort to set the record straight, they'd have an easier time attracting talented candidates to the profession. And if students and job seekers take a closer look, they may recognize that this field offers plenty of rewards for those who really do have what it takes to become an excellent accountant. Some of these overlooked skill sets are described below. Language and Communication Skills If you thought math and quantitative skills top the list of must-haves for accountants, think again. In fact, success in the field depends most heavily on an employee’s ability to communicate clearly in spoken and written formats. Accounts have to explain complex issues to those outside the profession, and they also need to form coherent arguments, describe plans of action, and point out problems and solutions in an articulate and convincing way. All of these require face-to-face, email, and telephone communication skills. Computer Skills The technology landscape evolves very quickly, and when it comes to back office management and accounting software, the pace of this evolution is especially fast. An employee may master a program or accounting utility today only to see this program replaced or phased out within a year. But savvy, adaptable employees have the flexibility and resources necessary to stay on top of these shifts and embrace new technological paths to the same goals. Networking and Social Skills Do you have what it takes to establish and maintain a wide network of social contacts? Can you form relationships and establish partnerships with diverse people across every age, discipline and background? If you can make friends everywhere you go and strike up a conversation with anyone about anything, you’ll be poised for success in the accounting business (and almost any other business you decide to enter.) For more information about the real skills accountants need to navigate the challenges of this profession, make a call and talk to the Seattle financial staffing experts at Pace. If you are looking for accounting jobs in Seattle visit our job board today.

25 things you need to know in order to hire the “right” employee

by Jeanne Knutzen | September 18, 2013

0 Blog, Human Resource Roles Job Market, pace staffing, Recruitng Profile, Seattle Staffing, Seattle Staffing Agency, Seattle Temporary Staffing, Staffing Agency, Temporary Staffing In Seattle, Work Environment

Hiring the right employee isn’t just about finding the best talent in the marketplace, but finding and eventually hiring an employee whose skills, work style and motivations best “fits” the unique requirements and offerings of a specific job and the work environment that goes along with it. To “hire right,” hiring managers and recruiters need to first understand the type of employee who best fits the actual work requirements—to create what we call a RECRUITING PROFILE. Recruiting profiles are different from JOB DESCRIPTIONs, in that they are singularly focused on defining the qualities of candidates best suited to do the work identified in the job description. An effective RECRUITING PROFILE helps recruiters and hiring manager’s source candidates from the right places, recruit them for the right reasons, and hire the one candidate who best fits the full scope of work requirements. It focuses on KEY REQUIREMENTS, both the hard and soft skills needed for success, instead of wasting recruiter time chasing a perfect candidate who may or may not exist. Here’s our list of 25 things recruiters and hiring managers need to know about a job BEFORE they begin the search for candidates. This is a list based on our years of experience supporting countless hiring decisions, paying attention to what works and what doesn’t. THE WORK 1. Why Does this Job Exist? From an organizational perspective why is this job needed? What is it intended to accomplish/contribute different from the contribution of other jobs on the team? 2. How Will the Employee Spend Their Day? What are the reoccurring tasks the employee will need to perform on a regular/daily basis? How will the employee spend most of their time? Doing what type of work/tasks? 3. Variety. Scope of Work. What is the range of work or variety of tasks that must be performed in order to produce the work product needed? How varied in terms of content or complexity? How much organization is required to deliver the results needed? 4. Work Cadence. What is the typical pace of work that is required to achieve deadlines? Will the employee be expected to be an accomplished multi-tasker? How frequently are they asked to meet deadlines and what is the impact to others for an employee missing a deadline? 5. Key Deliverables. What are they key outcomes or work products that must be delivered on a regular basis by the person doing this job? What is the impact to the team/organization if the work doesn’t get done? Who/what is impacted? 6. Complexity. How would you describe the level of detail or complexity that goes into the completion of each deliverable/work product? How many factors must be considered before taking action? How much coordination must be done with others? 7. Quality or Quantity? Is the work content or expectations the type that would require an employee to consistently choose between quantity or quality? Or is the balance somewhere in between? 8. Problem Solving/Challenges. What types of problems are typically addressed by this employee? Will the issues that come up tend to be unique or reoccurring requiring application of proven solutions? Will the employee be asked to think outside the box—to come up with something new or innovative, or are more tried and true solutions more valued? 9. Interpersonal Communications. Who and what type of people does this person interact with on a regular basis? How often? Written? E-mail, etc.? Are there any special circumstances surrounding the people they will communicate with regularly? Styles they need to accommodate? 10. Influence. Persuasion. Negotiations. How often will they be required to influence, persuade or negotiate with others? Will those people tend to be bosses? Peers? Direct reports? THE WORK ENVIRONMENT 11. Decision Making/Autonomy. How many and what kind of decisions will this person make at the direction of others? How many and what kind of decisions are they expected to make on their own? 12. Change. Would you describe the work environment as organized, structured and stable, or in frequent flux, subject to change without a lot of notice or preparation? How are changes handled in the work environment? 13. Training/Mentorship Availability and Requirements. What level of training, mentorship or hands on instruction will be available to the candidate? How much of the work to be performed will require company-specific training? 14. Teamwork. Collaborations. How often will the employee be asked to collaborate with others on getting work done, to make decisions? To put team goals ahead of personal goals? 15. Learning. To deliver the outcomes required, how often and in what ways will they be required to learn something new? Are they required to do most of their learning on their own, or how is new knowledge introduced into your work environment? 16. Management Style. Goal Setting. How tightly will the employee be managed with respect to goals, expectations and performance tracking? How will goals and expectations be communicated? Measured? What are the consequences of below target performance? 17. Management Style.Feedback and Support. How often and in what ways will they be given feedback? How available is their supervisor to answer questions, provide support? KEY REQUIREMENTS 18. Required/Preferred Skills. To deliver the work products required, what skills will be required that can’t be acquired on the job, via training or instruction? What skills would be helpful, but not absolutely necessary? Will the required skills be needed at the entry, intermediate, or advanced levels? 19. Required/Preferred Knowledge. To deliver the work products required, what knowledge or subject matter expertise is needed? Preferred? What components of the knowledge required can be taught or learned on the job rather than via formal education/training? 20. Required/Preferred Work Experience. To deliver the work products required, how much actual on the job experience is required? Preferred? Is it possible that a fast tracker could have acquired the skills or knowledge needed with less work experience? Are there some specific types of work experiences more valuable or relevant than others? 21. Required/Preferred Personal Qualities Important to Success. What are the key personal qualities that a candidate needs to have in order to be successful? How would you describe the qualities of previous candidates who have been successful in the role? How are those traits different from those who have been unsuccessful 22. Required Certifications/Education. What certifications or licenses are required in order to perform the required job functions? MOTIVATORS 23. Attraction Opportunities. What are some of the special opportunities that will be available to the employee who accepts this job? Opportunities to learn new things? To advance their career? To make a noticeable contribution? In other words, why would someone want to take this job? Where in their career cycle would the preferred candidate likely be, entry level? Mid/aspirational level? Mastery level? 24. Attraction Elimination Issues. Are there any factors in work content that would eliminate candidates based on certain personal preferences or restrictions? Travel? Availability? Pay rate? Physical working conditions? 25. “Corporate Fit.” How would you describe the “selling features” your company typically uses to recruit and retain its employees? Opportunity for advancement? Pay/Benefits? Entrepreneurial environment? Industry leadership? For a copy of a one page RECRUITING PROFILE which will summarize all of the information needed to focus your search for the right candidate, contact us at infocenter@pacestaffing.com. You can also inquire about additional interviewing guides, tools and checklists that are a part of our HiringSmart Best Practices Series.

Why Pursue a Career In Healthcare Management?

by Jeanne Knutzen | September 10, 2013

0 Blog, Healthcare Staffing medical staffing seattle, Seattle Staffing Agency, Seattle Temp Agencies, Seattle Temporary Staffing, Staffing In Seattle WA

If you’re on the verge of choosing a college major or making a mid-life career transition, consider adding healthcare management to the options on your list. Healthcare management/ healthcare administration offers a promising path for those who are passionate about some but not all aspects of healthcare, and who have a natural talent for business. A flash of social savvy, the ability to think critically, and strong analytical skills can also help in this field. Generally, healthcare management is an ideal place for those who like the challenges of administration and enjoy helping people overcome medical challenges, but who prefer to work in an office rather than a clinical setting. Does this describe you? If so, you may enjoy the challenges and rewards of managing a hospital, private medical practice, residential facility, or care clinic. Here are a few other reasons this profession might be the right one for you. 1. Opportunity The healthcare field is growing fast, and hiring is on the rise in every area of the country. To accommodate the healthcare needs of a wave of retiring baby boomers, clinics and private practices are opening everywhere, and these facilities need to hire and manage staff at a rapid and growing rate. If you have a degree in healthcare policy, healthcare administration, or business, the door to this field is wide open. 2. Earning Potential While healthcare managers may have educational debts to pay off immediately after graduation, salary potential in this field can be high, so these debts may not last for long. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, salaries for entry level positions in this field may start at around 40,000, but they can grow quickly into the six figure range. Larger clinics and hospitals in urban areas can usually provide faster salary growth. 3. Career Flexibility Healthcare management skills are highly transferable from one employer to the next, and these skills can also support success in other fields as well. These skills involve staffing, coaching, motivating a team, and managing complex budgets and schedules. 4. Advancement Potential In healthcare management, when it comes to career growth, the sky is the limit. If you’re looking for ways to take on more responsibility, increase you salary, and expand your field of influence, this career offers a great place to start. At the very top, large hospital CEOs are some of the highest paid professionals in any field. To learn more about what it takes to launch your career in this demanding field, make an appointment with the Seattle staffing and career management experts at Pace.

3 Ways to Onboard a New Temp: A Must-Do Checklist

by Jeanne Knutzen | August 27, 2013

0 Blog, Flexible Staffing Strategies, Hiring.Best Practices, INFO AND RESOURCES FOR EMPLOYERS, Temporary Staffing.Best Practices temp agencies in seattle, temp agencies in seattle wa, temp agencies seattle, temp agency in seattle, temp agency seattle

Welcoming a new temp and welcoming a new permanent employee both come with different responsibilities and different kinds of consequences, but both can have a powerful impact on company success. … Read More »

An Optimistic Outlook for IT Job Seekers

by Jeanne Knutzen | August 20, 2013

0 Blog, IT Staffing Seattle IT Staffing, seattle it staffing agencies, Seattle IT Staffing Agency, seattle technical staffing

As the economy slowly recovers and the pace of hiring returns to pre-recession levels, some industry sectors are bouncing back faster than others. Some of the fastest growing hotspots are occurring in fields like healthcare, hospitality, retail, and food service, and the pace of hiring in these sectors varies widely by geographic area. But in almost every area of the country, employers are looking high and low for highly qualified candidates in IT. IT hiring is on the rise and is expected to remain strong for the rest of 2013 and most of 2014. New IT jobs are opening up in every industry, and salaries for these positions are on the rise. As employers start dialing up the search for talented candidates, candidates hold a wider range of options, which means a stronger hand at the bargaining table. Why So Much Expansion in IT? There are several reasons why IT hiring seems to be on fire, and some of these reasons vary by industry. In healthcare, for example, IT pros are in rising demand as new regulations like the Affordable Care Act shift into place and patient records become more portable and accessible. These changes mean an increased need for data security and also updated infrastructures to manage patient health information. In other fields, from finance to manufacturing, baby boomer employees are heading into retirement in waves, leaving companies struggling to replace them and looking for ways to transfer institutional knowledge to the next generation. In the meantime, a growing interest in mobile accessibility and cloud computing are taking businesses by storm, and managers are rushing to provide their clients and customers with company information via mobile phones, apps, and tablets. In-Demand IT Skills If you have the IT background to help employers handle the challenges above, your skills are becoming increasingly valuable. At this point, employers seem most interested in IT candidates who can: 1. Understand, maintain and update data security infrastructures 2. Help company leaders choose internet access and data management providers by comparing costs and plans 3. Help companies mobile optimize their websites and marketing platforms 4. Build new mobile applications from the ground up. If you possess any of the skill sets listed above, employers are waiting to hear from you. Make sure your background in these areas features prominently in your resume and other aspects of your job search strategy. For specific help with this process, make an appointment with the Seattle IT staffing experts at Pace.

Take Your Financial Resume from Good to Great

by Jeanne Knutzen | August 14, 2013

0 Blog, Finance/Accounting Roles temp agencies in seattle, temp agencies seattle, temp agencies seattle wa, temp agencies seattle washington, temp agency seattle

You know your financial resume is fairly strong. Your education is complete, your track record of previous positions is fairly strong, and for the most part, your accomplishments speak for themselves. But here are a few additional moves you can make that can help you outshine your equally qualified competitors. Add these to your job search strategy and your interview invitations will start to increase. Raise your Financial Resume to the Next Level 1. Develop a branding statement. In the world of marketing, this is also sometimes called a “value proposition”. This is a simple, concise, and clear summary of the contributions you can offer to a potential employer that no other candidate can. This statement should be less than five lines ling and should appear at the top of your resume, just under your contact information. Before you begin to write and draft your statement, think carefully about what you do best and how your unique skills align with this specific employer’s needs. 2. Incorporate your own voice. Your resume and cover letter give you a chance to list and show off your credentials, but they also give you chance to share something about who you are as a person and what you’re like to work with. Don’t sacrifice your personality in the pursuit of a robotic, “professional” tone. As you search for work in the financial field, write (and speak) in a high, polished register, but be yourself. 3. Focus on keywords. Read carefully through the job posting for the position you’d like to purse. Are there any specific phrases that stand out or are used more than once? Does the list of required credentials contain specific certifications and areas of experience? If so, list these things in your resume using the exact phrases and wording that are written in the post. If these employers conduct a keyword search to pull your resume out of a database, these are probably the phrases they’ll use. 4. Quantify your accomplishments. As you list your strongest skills and accomplishments in your work history section, add numbers wherever you can. If you developed a new data management system or exceeded your call quotas, make sure you quantify the revenues raised for the company or the degree to which you surpassed your goals. Numbers make your claims easier to visualize, easier to understand, and easier to remember. If you are looking for temp agencies in Seattle, or looking to improve your financial job search, make an appointment with the Seattle financial staffing experts at Pace.

Skills Needed for Healthcare Administration

by Jeanne Knutzen | August 7, 2013

0 Blog, Healthcare Staffing healthcare jobs in seattle, healthcare jobs in seattle wa, healthcare jobs seattle, healthcare jobs seattle wa, healthcare jobs seattle washington

Do you have what it takes to launch a fulfilling career in healthcare administration? In addition to a bachelor’s degree (minimum) in healthcare policy or business, healthcare administrators also need high levels of skill in a few general areas, including communication, critical thinking, social savvy, and analytical reasoning. By the time they’re ready to step into a leadership role in any healthcare facility (including hospital, private practice, or clinic), healthcare administrators should be able to competently handle the tasks below. The Challenges Faced by Healthcare Administrators 1. Defining leadership style. As a healthcare administrator, you’ll need to understand how your specific leadership style works and you’ll need to know how to use this style to overcome the issues your facility and teams will face on a daily basis. Years of careful research conducted by sociologists and management experts have led to the conclusion that leadership styles are distinct and recognizable. The better you understand your own, the better your teams will respond to your direction. 2. Understanding legal regulations. Healthcare administers aren’t lawyers or policy makers, but their facilities are bound by regulations that are complex and constantly evolving. Successful administrators know how to interpret the regulations of HIPPA, for example, or the Affordable Care Act, and they know how to keep their facilities compliant. 3. Communicating clearly and effectively. As an administrator, your words will have a powerful impact on a wide range of stakeholders, from employees to patients to shareholders to community leaders. You’ll need to speak and write well in order to get your messages across. 4. Continuing your own education. Strong healthcare administrators maintain an ongoing interest in education, and they’re always learning new things about healthcare policy, healthcare leadership, and advances in clinical care. The most successful healthcare administrators are those who search for new ways to use technology to the advantage of the facilities they manage. As a healthcare leader, you’ll need to stay tuned in to new technologies and their potential to improve patient outcomes and strengthen the financial footing of your organization. If you can keep your teams motivated, your facilities compliant, and your patient satisfaction levels high, then you’re certainly on track to managing a successful healthcare organization. For more on how to set meaningful goals for both your facility and your own career, reach out to the Seattle staffing experts at Pace.

Engage Potential Candidates

by Jeanne Knutzen | July 23, 2013

0 Blog, Human Resource Roles Build Candidate Engagement, Engage Potential Candidates, Engage Talented Applicants, Seattle Staffing, Seattle Staffing Agencies, Seattle Staffing Agency, Seattle Temporary Staffing, Seattle WA Staffing, staffing agencies seattle, Staffing In Seattle WA

You know that your job post provides potential candidates with their first—and sometimes only—contact with your company and your brand. And you know that a well written job post can mean the difference between a vast, highly talented candidate pool and a thin pool with a lower level of average ability. But beyond clarity, honesty, and striking the right tone, what steps can you take to get the best candidates to emotionally engage with this opportunity? Keep these considerations in mind. 1. Encourage daydreaming. If possible, get potential applicants to envision themselves in this position, literally sitting at this desk or working on this job site. The lives they lead in this vision should offer everything they want, whatever that may mean—including glamour, personal reward, new experiences, travel, or any other relevant form of personal satisfaction. 2. Know your target audience. Know what your ideal candidate wants, but more specifically, know what kind of person she’d like to be. Adjust your job post to reflect positively on this goal. 3. Put yourself in her shoes. Remember the last time you were on the job market. Remember the difference between finding a position you felt relatively sure you could tolerate and finding a job post that made your heart beat a little faster. People light up when they get a glimpse of something they truly want, not just something they feel like they should want. 4. Leverage your brand. Even if your company is small and not well known in the larger marketplace, use whatever small leverage you have to grab your candidate’s attention. If you can just inspire a talented candidate to make the two clicks it takes to visit your company’s website, you’re halfway home. (Of course, you’ll need to control what she sees when she visits your site or runs your name through a search engine.) 5. Be ready to draw her into the application process. When your ideal candidate submits a resume, she should get an instant message letting her know her application was received. From that moment forward, she should be treated with respect and kept informed of all relevant timelines throughout the selection process. Turn a great first impression (your job post) into a great second, third, and fourth impression. For more information on how to grab and hold the attention of highly talented potential applicants, reach out to the Seattle staffing experts at Pace.

Attracting Millennial Talent in Finance

by Jeanne Knutzen | July 16, 2013

0 Blog, Finance/Accounting Roles staffing agencies in kent, staffing agencies in kent wa, staffing agencies in kent washington, staffing agencies kent, staffing agencies kent wa

If you’re a hiring manager for an accounting or financial advisory services firm, you may have noticed something odd about the recent stagnation in the job market. While other industry mangers were sifting through stacks of resumes a mile high and turning away a dozen highly qualified candidates for every open position, you faced no such burdens. In fact, a stubborn shortage of millennial candidates only seemed to increase as the downturn wore on. If you’re still having trouble finding qualified young applicants for you financial positions, you’re not alone. What Draws Millennials? In order to attract candidates under the age of 35, you’ll need to create a workplace culture and a compensation package that provides what younger workers are looking for. In general, candidates in their twenties are not yet lured by the same attractions that draw older workers. They don’t yet have families, so family-related benefits won’t get you all the way there. (Though after you attract them, you’ll want to keep them in years to come, so don’t take these benefits off the table.) Instead, focus on compensation, bonuses, and a culture that rewards growth, commitment, and determination. You'll also need to think about your support for training, mentoring and continuing education. Do you have a structured mentoring program in place? Do you reimburse tuition? Does your training program build real skills? Overcoming the Millennial Finance Talent Shortage You’ll also have to overcome a few of the realities that are driving millennials away from the financial field. First, millennials are turned off by companies that lack integrity, and distrust of the financial sector is high among young people who have been, for example, drawn in lending practices that have left them (or their families) burdened by high interest debt. If your company treats “financial advisory services” as a simple euphemism for “sales”, you'll need to find a way to frame this that doesn’t turn off sharp, ambitious candidates who are looking for jobs with integrity and meaning. Second, young graduates with backgrounds in areas other than finance and economics may believe they aren't qualified for positions in your firm. But a strong training program means any highly intelligent candidate can learn the ropes with a little determination. Make this clear in your recruiting and outreach efforts. And third, culture matters to young employees…a lot. Be ready to pair younger workers with established teams. Create clear handoff arrangements between experienced employees approaching retirement and young mentees who are ready to absorb their institutional knowledge. And bear in mind that if this process freezes or stalls due to a culture of criticism and isolation, you’ll lose your young employees as fast as you bring them on board. For more information on how to attract and retain younger financial employees, reach out the Seattle hiring experts at Pace.

A Bright Spot in the Software Market: Data Analytics

by Jeanne Knutzen | July 12, 2013

2 Blog, IT Staffing IT employment agencies in seattle, IT employment agencies in seattle wa, IT employment agencies seattle, IT employment agencies seattle wa, IT employment agencies seattle washington

The global enterprise software market may be experiencing a general slowdown across multiple sectors, but there’s one area that seems to be generating a disproportionate degree of optimism: data analytics. These include data delivery systems, security platforms, CRM applications, collaborative applications, and network management software. While the rest of the software market experienced a 2012 growth rate of roughly half the rate of 2011 and 2010, these areas underwent a surge of about seven percent. The market for new technologies and software solutions is becoming increasingly multi-layered, with certain selective areas experiencing higher demand while others stagnate. Big Data, led by Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, and SAP, appears to be one of these focused areas. The desire to manage and leverage information is driving this demand, and in their hunger for reliable infrastructures, companies are pouring vast investments into network-management tools. The firms listed above have been spending the last two years increasing their storage software offerings and adding customization options and scalability to their existing infrastructures, security tools, and product suites. These efforts were launched in anticipation of burgeoning growth in these areas, and they seem to be paying off. Companies taking advantage of increasingly sophisticated CRM platforms, for example, are turning their software investments into hard conversions and appear to have no regrets. According to the same types of ethnographic research and marketing studies that predicted these outcomes, the next wave of both data management and customer management will happen in the areas of social business software and mobile optimization. This may be a wise moment to consider adopting social business strategy, or a redirect of social media tools for business use. Meanwhile, businesses are also scrambling to bring their ecommerce platforms and CRM tools to mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets, and e-readers. The Seattle staffing experts at PACE can help you attract talented IT professionals to help develop your data analytics. Contact PACE to utilize our network and resources in the Seattle tech industry.

Should You Become a Healthcare Administrator?

by Jeanne Knutzen | July 2, 2013

0 Blog, Healthcare Staffing A Career In Health Administration, healthcare administration jobs in seattle, healthcare administration jobs seattle, healthcare administration jobs seattle wa, Seattle Staffing, Seattle Staffing Agencies, Seattle Staffing Agency, Seattle Temporary Staffing, Seattle WA Staffing, Staffing In Seattle

Healthcare Administrators, also sometimes called Health Administrators or Healthcare Managers, form the backbone of functional healthcare facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, and urgent care clinics. While doctors, RNs, and medical practitioners handle the clinical needs of patients and clients, healthcare administrators oversee the entire clinic and handle the hiring and scheduling of these practitioners. Administrators also manage the operational needs of the facility including vendor contracts, supplies, and budgeting. This is a position of high responsibility and high reward, and the outlook for this role is very promising. Healthcare administrators are in high demand right now, and this demand is expected to grow substantially over the next ten years. Should you pursue a career in this field? Here are few considerations that can help you decide.

The pay. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare administrators can expect to make an average of about 45,000 dollars at the entry level, and more experienced administrators can earn salaries between 50,000 and 110,000 per year. This rate varies slightly by geographic area.
The available opportunities. Healthcare administrators can pursue management positions in both large and small facilities in both the public and private sector. As a wave of baby boomers approach retirement age, the healthcare industry is expected to expand rapidly, and a parallel trend is occurring as facilities become increasingly specialized. Where people used to face only two choices when they needed treatment—hospitals and private clinics—they can now choose between a wide range of options from urgent care clinics to physical therapy centers.
The path. Those who choose to enter this field usually start by earning a four year degree in health administration, public policy, or business management. Some administrators then go on to obtain a Master’s degree, while others launch their careers with state or federal healthcare agencies working to shape the laws that impact public health.
The qualities necessary for success. Healthcare administrators who tend to thrive in this field usually possess qualities like a strong work ethic, organizational skills, and high levels of emotional and social energy. They often have excellent business sense and planning skill. Many of them enjoy the personal sense of reward that comes from helping those in need, and this role provides that reward without involving the hands-on clinical side of the healthcare industry.

If a future in healthcare administration seems like a match for your skills and interests; reach out to the Seattle healthcare staffing experts at Pace.

The Search for a Great Recruiter

by Jeanne Knutzen | June 28, 2013

0 Blog, Human Resource Roles job offer letters, job recruiters seattle, Qualities Of Great Recruiters, recruiters in seattle, recruiters seattle, recruiters seattle wa, Seattle Staffing, Seattle Staffing Agencies, Seattle Staffing Agency, Seattle Temporary Staffing, Seattle WA Staffing, Staffing In Seattle, The Search For a Great Recruiter, What To Look For In A Recruiter

A sharp, highly experienced recruiter can be an invaluable member of your hiring team. And establishing an ongoing relationship with a well-connected recruiting firm may be the best hiring move you ever make. But even as your recruiters head out into the world to represent your company and help you find the strongest candidates, you’ll still need to screen and select those recruiters based on your own specific staffing needs. So how can you identify the recruiters and firms that are likely to bring the best results? Here are a few signs to look for before you make a commitment. 1. Great recruiters are great listeners. Your positions come with very specific requirements and skill demands, and in order to understand these requirements, a recruiter has to possess a basic understanding of how your company works and how each position contributes to the larger picture. When you sit with your recruiter and explain a specific role, does he or she listen closely, ask the right questions and remember details accurately? 2. Great recruiters are well connected. They’re socially savvy, tech savvy, and have wide professional networks at their disposal, both online and off. They’re an active presence at industry events, they have long lists of contacts and vast online footprints, and they’re known and respected wherever they go. 3. Great recruiters are experienced. The best staffing and recruiting firms have been in the business for a few years and have had plenty of opportunities to get the lay of the land. They’re also staffed with seasoned recruiters who can share with each other what they’ve learned. A team of five recruiters with an average of ten years in the field should amount to a firm with fifty collective years of experience. 4. Great recruiters can tell the difference between “impressive” and “relevant” credentials. They know how to weigh technical skill sets against qualities like adaptability and resilience. They know that “fit” often matters more than any other quality, and they know how to spot red flags and investigate them further in order to protect their clients from expensive mistakes. 5. Great recruiters use proven methods. They rely on efficient phone screening techniques, first round interviewing models, skill testing, and background checks to separate the best candidates from the rest of the pack. 6. Most important, great recruiters are fast and accurate communicators. When employers need them, they’re there. They answer messages quickly, source and screen applicants on tight deadlines, and make the needs of their clients a top priority. If you’re looking for a top-notch Seattle staffing team, arrange a consultation with the experts at Pace. We can help you find the right people with the skills you need to move your company forward.

When It Comes To Purchasing Staffing Solutions – Words Matter

by Jeanne Knutzen | June 27, 2013

0 About Staffing Agencies, Agency Pricing Practices, Blog, Flexible Staffing Strategies, Human Resource Roles, INFO AND RESOURCES FOR EMPLOYERS get connected

What you call your flexible worker makes a difference in what vendor you talk to, how much you pay, and what you can expect! Here's why.... … Read More »