Staffing In Seattle WA Archives

Why Pursue a Career In Healthcare Management?

by Jeanne Knutzen | September 10, 2013

0 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.

Engage Potential Candidates

by Jeanne Knutzen | July 23, 2013

0 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.

Qualifications for Your Financial Team

by Jeanne Knutzen | June 21, 2013

0 Finance/Accounting Roles Financial Qualifications You Need, financial staffing seattle, Hiring Financial Staff, Hiring Your Financial Team, Seattle Staffing, Seattle Staffing Agencies, Seattle Staffing Agency, Seattle Temporary Staffing, Seattle WA Staffing, Staffing In Seattle WA

As your business expands and your market footprint begins to grow, the size of your staff will need to keep pace. Hiring demands will pick up across all aspects of your company from production to customer outreach, and your financial department will be no exception. While you may have handled most of your accounting needs on your own during the early chapters, this just isn’t realistic beyond a certain stage. You’ll eventually need a CPA to manage to your tax responsibilities, a book keeper to monitor your revenue streams and cost centers, and eventually a controller to make sure your shareholders understand what’s happening behind the scenes. What kinds of traits and skills should you be looking for as you move forward with your financial hiring process? Keep these considerations in mind. Chief Financial Officer A CFO manages and oversees all aspects of your company’s financial operations. From keeping costs under control, to improving efficiency in processing, to monitoring all financial reporting, the CFO holds final accountability for this aspect of your company. There are no specific qualifications or licensing requirements for CFOs, but this should be a person you trust as a money manager and also as a leader. He or she should hold a four year degree in business management or finance—at the very least—and should possess exceptional leadership and communication skill. Certified Public Accountant Your CPA is the person who will ensure that your company functions in accordance with state and federal regulations, which include tax payment and filing issues. Since CPAs interact directly with the government and the legal system, they’re required to abide by strict licensing and certification requirements that vary by state. Before you consider any candidate for a CPA position, make sure he or she holds these credentials and ideally has some experience with your specific type of business (LLC, partnership, sole proprietorship, etc). Controller Your controller will handle all your company’s issues related to financial reporting. These will include shareholder communications, long term business forecasting, and budgeting. A controller should possess an MBA or a four year degree in finance or accounting. Advanced CFA, CMA or CPA certification suggest an additional measure of competence. In addition to the positions listed here, you’ll also benefit from the skills of an advanced accounting staff and at least one book keeper, an entry level employee who keeps track of sales figures, invoices, and operating expenses. For specific guidance as you begin the recruiting process for each of these roles, reach out to the financial staffing experts at Pace.

Get Ready for your Healthcare Video Interview

by Jeanne Knutzen | June 7, 2013

0 Healthcare Staffing healthcare jobs in seattle, healthcare jobs in seattle wa, Healthcare Staffing In Seattle, Seattle Staffing Agencies, Seattle Staffing Agency, Seattle Temporary Staffing, Staffing In Seattle, Staffing In Seattle WA, Video Healthcare Interviews

Video interviews are becoming a mainstream way for companies to streamline their hiring process. As the ease of video conferencing increases, healthcare employers are saving money and time by cutting back on in-person interviews, especially during the first round of the selection process. Simply asking a candidate for twenty minutes of online conversation reduces countless energy, cost and travel time for both the company and its applicants. But as it happens, online capability often means shorter notice when interviews are scheduled. While traditional interviews usually involve a few days of prep time, employers often schedule online meetings within 24 hours. So if you have only one day to prepare for your meeting, what can you do to make sure you’re ready? Try these steps.

1. First, make sure you have the right equipment. This includes a working, reliable webcam and all the necessary software you’ll need to establish a connection. Ask the employer if there are any specific programs you should have access to, like Google or Skype, and do all the downloading and installing you need to do right away.

2. Then set the stage. Make sure your backdrop is appropriate, clean, professional and not too cluttered. A simple blank wall will work fine. And pay attention to lighting. Arrange the lamps and natural light in the room to highlight your best features and factor in the time of day when the interview will be taking place.

3. Choose your outfit. A suit, nice blouse, or simple dress will usually do for an interview setting. Just make sure everything is clean and wrinkle free.

4. Plan for contingencies. Arrange child and pet care so you are not distracted. While you’re at it, make sure your neighbors, friends and family know not to stop by and ring the doorbell. Silence the ringer on your phone and anticipate any other potential distractions.

5. Focus on poise, just as you would during an in-person interview. Make sure you direct your attention toward the camera, not the screen. It may seem strange, but this will feel more like “eye contact” to your viewers, even if it doesn’t feel that way to you. Don’t make your interviewers talk to the side of your face or the top of your forehead.

When you’re finally ready for your moment in the spotlight, complete a dry run with a friend or family member to make sure everything is working as it should. Then use your final hours to conduct a little more research on the company and get some well-deserved sleep. Meanwhile, check in with the staffing experts at Pace for any questions about your healthcare job search.

What Financial Managers Should Look For In a New Hire

by Jeanne Knutzen | April 19, 2013

0 Finance/Accounting Roles, Human Resource Roles financial staffing seattle, financial staffing services seattle, Hire Talented Financial Employees, Hiring Financial Employees, Jobs In Seattle WA, Screening Financial Employees, Seattle Staffing, Seattle WA Financial Jobs, Staffing In Seattle WA, Temporary Staffing Seattle, What Financial Managers Should Look For

As you factor in the state of the financial job market, the unique needs of your company, and your available position, what kinds of traits should you consider valuable in a potential candidate? Which qualities should you consider red flags? When you see signs that seem promising, should you act fast and make a decision? Or should you consider the depth of your candidate pool and hold out for more? Keep these considerations in mind as you move through the selection process.

1. First, review the hiring successes and failures of the past. Gather a few profiles for careful examination, including those of the best candidates hired in the past five years and the worst (those who stayed for only a month, were difficult to get along with, or were dismissed after expensive mistakes). What made the great ones stand out? Why did the weak ones fail? And were there any signs of either success or failure that were visible before the candidates were brought on board?

2. Second, separate cultural considerations from technical knowledge and skill. A great candidate means a great “fit”, and fit includes a combination of both attitude and aptitude. Technically skilled candidates won’t thrive if they resist the culture, and likeable candidates will only prosper if they can master the job without excessive stress.

3. Choose candidates who will stay. This may mean letting go of the highly qualified or overqualified superstars, and turning instead to slightly less trained or less experienced applicants. These applicants can be hired at a premium, trained while on the job, and end up just as skilled and a little more grateful and loyal than their superstar counterparts. No matter who you hire, superstar or not, be sure to implement retention strategies to keep your valuable employees.

4. Choose candidates that are flexible and ethical. New regulations affect the financial industry on a regular basis. Are your candidates ready to let go of old models and embrace new ones quickly and fluidly? Are they interested in doing what’s right and going the extra mile to stay aboveboard? Or are they entrenched, entitled, sullen about change, and reluctant to break old habits and patterns?

5. Choose candidates who show respect—Not just for the company, but also for its business model, its customers, its clients, its stakeholders, and the larger community. Look for candidates who consider the big picture and are interested in how the entire company works, including revenue generation.

Reach out the Seattle staffing experts at Pace for more information on screening, hiring and retaining only the most talented financial employees.

Tips for a Competitive Recruiting Strategy

by Jeanne Knutzen | March 26, 2013

0 Human Resource Roles Competitive Recruiting Tips, Keys To Successful Recruiting, Seattle Staffing, Seattle Temporary Staffing, Seattle WA Staffing, Staffing In Seattle WA, Temporary Staffing In Seattle, Tips For A Competitive Recruiting Strategy

Recruiting is a tricky business with a definition of “success” that varies widely from one open position to the next. Sometimes a position needs to be filled fast, above all else, and candidate credentials are flexible. Sometimes only one credential matters, and the identification of a candidate with this unique skill set can be considered a home run, even if the process takes six months. Sometimes strong recruiting requires a sharp eye for red flags, sometimes it takes a wide network, and sometimes it takes the ability to pitch a company and position to a star candidate buried in competing options. And of course, sometimes excellent recruiting requires all of these things and more. Here are a few recruiting tips that help you leverage your advantages and overcome the obstacles that stand between you and the candidates you need.

1. Set clear goals.

Before you set off on a sourcing mission, make sure the requirements of the position are crystal clear. Maintain open communication channels with the client if you’re an outside contractor, and if you’re recruiting in-house, stay in touch with HR, the position manager, the department head, and even the financial pros who set the budget for this specific salary. Know what you want—and what you can afford—before you start looking.

2. Lean hard on your network

Don’t leave any stone unturned, and don’t leave any option unexplored. You may start by running a keyword search through your current resume database, but don’t stop there. Attend networking and industry events, visit job fairs, and collect resumes from any likely candidate through any available source.

3. Don’t waste time.

If excellent, top tier candidates have special requirements (like salary adjustments, moving allowances, or the ability to work remotely) then go ahead and negotiate. Present them to the client anyway and be clear about the terms. But if a candidate is a marginal match and comes with a list of deal breakers, just move on. The right match is out there, and the longer you wait to find her, the more likely she is to land another position first.

4. Most important, when you find your star, move fast.

Don’t lose your top choice to a competing offer after you've made up your mind. Put the HR wheels in motion, cut through the red tape, and get the offer in to her hands before she’s lured away. During the entire process, treat the candidate with respect and keep her updated whenever your timeline changes.

For more information on competitive recruiting strategies, or for a consultation on how to turn your contingent staffing strategies into a competitive advantage, contact infodesk@pacestaffing.com.

Top Skills Accounting Managers Will Need In 2013

by Jeanne Knutzen | March 20, 2013

0 Finance/Accounting Roles accountant staffing seattle, Accounting Management Skills, Management Skills for 2013, Seattle Staffing, Seattle Staffing Agencies, Seattle Staffing Agency, Seattle Temporary Staffing, Staffing In Seattle WA, Temporary Staffing In Seattle, Top Skills For Accounting Managers, Value Managerial Skill Sets

You’re no longer just an accountant or an employee; you’re a manager now. And it’s no longer 1995; this is 2013. Before you leap into the year ahead thinking your technical job skills and basic, outdated management approach will carry you to easy victory, think again. Make sure you work hard to actively build each of these core competencies into your career toolkit. Mast Valued Managerial Skill Sets for 2013 1. An entrepreneurial approach It’s no longer enough to simply execute the tasks handed to you by your boss. Recognize that your company is a work in progress, a growing entity that depends on your ideas and energy, not just your willingness to follow orders. Keep the big picture in focus—not just sometimes, but all the time. 2. Coaching ability The world of effective management has evolved, and it’s no longer enough to simply tell employee what to do and expect them to clamor for your approval. Teach, don’t dictate. And coach; don’t just expect employees to pursue new information, new regulations, new software language, and new skill sets on their own. 3. Emotional intelligence Human capital is the most valuable capital your company owns. It’s also the most expensive and the most complex. If you’re not using every part of your brain to understand your employees and help them do their jobs—including your intuition, your experience, and your emotional intelligence—fix this. That includes your ability to read between the lines of human interaction. 4. Replace cost cutting with ROI Build your company’s investments with the future in mind. Don’t just look for ways to save nickels and dimes at the expense of global initiatives and long-term goals. 5. Situation awareness Before you can develop a plan of action and make a move, you need to fully understand all of the current factors at play. This takes a sharp understanding of your business model and target market. It also takes a willingness to listen before you speak, stay awake to nuance, make complex connections quickly, and think before you act. 6. Social media skills The internet is now an established way of life and a permanent presence in the global marketplace. And while individual social media utilities may come and go, your ability to master new ones and understand their general impact on your business will be crucial in the years ahead. 7. A focus on personal development Great managers are always growing, on both a professional and personal level. If you never rest, never become self-satisfied, and keep embracing change and staying flexible, you’ll be poised to thrive no matter what comes your way. Turn to the Seattle staffing and business management pros at Pace for more information on how to get ahead of the curve and stay ahead, whatever the future may bring.

Prepare for a Changing Hiring Landscape

by Jeanne Knutzen | February 28, 2013

0 Hiring.Best Practices, Human Resource Roles Adjust Your Hiring Strategy For 2013, Hiring Strategy Challenges For 2013, Prepare For A Changing Hiring Landscape, Seattle Staffing, Seattle Temporary Staffing, Seattle WA Staffing Agency, staffing agencies in seattle, staffing agenciesi in seattle wa, Staffing In Seattle, Staffing In Seattle WA, Temporary Staffing In Seattle

In the world of HR and business management, every era brings a new set of exciting opportunities, and along with those opportunities come challenges unique to the age. 2013 is no exception, and savvy hiring managers are already looking for ways to adjust and streamline their approaches to candidate sourcing, and screening in the year ahead. Here are a few of the most important ways in which recruiters, managers and HR pros will need to adapt.

Prepare for the 2013 Hiring Landscape

1. Optimize Mobile Utilities

A few years ago the world started to go digital, and companies that ignored or shrugged off the arrival of the Internet age did so at their peril. Those who weren’t ready to launch websites and start thinking about SEO were swept aside, and online selling and marketing are now commonplace for almost every business model, product, and service. Now it’s time for the next step: taking web utilities and making them accessible by mobile device. If talented job seekers can reach you online, that’s great. If they can reach you from a mobile device while on the go, that’s better.

2. Match Skills with Positions

Workforce shaping and in-house training are becoming watchwords for the next decade. It’s no longer enough to simply hire smart young candidates brimming with potential. In a world of increasingly focused and narrow skill sets, you don’t need ambitious go-getters; you need Level 2 CNC programmers, licensed and certified technicians, designers, engineers, and artists who specialize in your tiny corner of the marketplace.

3. Cultivate a Pipeline

How far into the future does your long-term staffing plan extend? If your answer is “three years or less,” that’s no good. Get the most out of your existing talent by making sure your best employees have a place to go when they’re ready to advance. And if you have a position that’s likely to open up during the next few years, groom and train someone in-house; you’ll mitigate risk and save countless resources when that day arrives.

4. Use Visual Media

Visuals are fast becoming the most effective message delivery system to your pool of talented potential employees. Find a way to incorporate graphs, illustrations, videos and multi-media into your job posts and other targeted information, like the “careers” tab on your webpage. Every open position in the company should have its own frequently updated blog, and that blog should be heavy with visual media and visual messages.

For more information on preparing your hiring strategy for the challenges ahead, reach out to the Seattle staffing and HR experts at Pace. Our years of experience allow us to look into the future and see what’s coming, and we can help you do the same.