In today’s job market, employee appreciation and recognition is becoming a huge part of a company’s employment strategy. The main reason being that with a shortage of qualified and available workers, companies want and need to retain employees for as long as possible. What better way to improve moral and overall company culture than including your entire office in some sort of holiday celebration. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that you have to throw an elaborate and pricey holiday shin dig. There are small ways that can help everyone in your office enjoy this time of year and hopefully boost moral in the process.

• Bring food into the mix! Who doesn’t love food? Plan an office luncheon, potluck or even a cookie tasting. This is an inexpensive way to bring the whole office together to just eat and be merry.
• Ugly Sweater parties are fun for everyone. Whether you just open up a day to allow your staff to wear their best ugly holiday sweater or you turn it into a contest, this is a great way for co-workers to get to know each other better and have some great laughs in the meantime.
• A little friendly competition never hurt anyone. Plan an afternoon where you and your co-workers can get together and play some friendly, work appropriate games. Include some food and refreshments and you’ve got yourself a little party that everyone can enjoy. Cubicle decorating contests are also an excellent way for employees to get to know one another and keep the flame of competition alive and well.
• Charitable donations are a win-win. If your company is one that prides itself in giving back to the community, in lieu of an office party, your staff could get together and make a charitable donation to an organization of choice. This could be a monetary donation, possibly donating volunteer hours or donating food or other items.
• Secret Santa or White Elephant Gift Exchanges = FUN! The act of gift giving but with a little twist is enough to brighten anyone’s holiday. Whether your office chooses to go a more practical route or simply have some fun with random “good for a laugh” gifts, everyone goes home a winner.

Not all working environments are created equal where some of these may be appropriate, they may not make sense for all industries and settings. Keep in mind what your current company culture is like and be sure to cater to all of the varying beliefs and customs in your office/work setting. In sticking with the holiday spirit, we want to make sure everyone can and will feel included and above all else, have fun in the process!

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 98 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 22,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Application Time: How important Is It?

• The longer it takes for an applicant to fill out an application, the less likely they are to finish, not rocket science. In fact 19% of those surveyed stated that if the application is estimated to take longer than 10 minutes, they will not complete it.
• It was also determined that whereas access to a mobile application would be easy and convenient, it is not necessarily a deal breaker if this isn’t an option for an applicant. Only 10% said they wouldn’t apply at all if a mobile app wasn’t available.

After the Application Is Submitted:

• The #1 complaint from applicants is being left in the dark after an application is submitted. 48% of those surveyed sited this as their number one frustration. This was followed by length of application process and the application not parsing properly into the user’s profile.
• 76% of employees stated that email is the preferred method for employers to follow up post-application. Even with the advent of new technology such as texting (only 18% preferred), email has consistently been the easiest and most preferred method.
• Across the board (all genders and ages 79+%), whether it is through email, phone or text, employees want more communication at the beginning and through the entirety of the application process. Prospective employees not only expect to hear something within 1-2 weeks of submitting the application, but also expect a clear timeline from the company with which they applied.

After the Job Offer is Made:

• On average, after an employee has received a job offer (and accepted the offer), over 50% will continue to look for other jobs while they are going through the pre-screening and background check process.
• More importantly, 41% of employees stated that they are only willing to wait up to 10 days after an offer is made for these pre-screening processes to conclude. This number drops drastically to only 22% after the 10 day threshold.
• According to the employers surveyed, a staggering 86% of them have had a candidate walk away after the offer had been made and accepted.

What Can Be Done? 

• This is simple. Create an engaging and interactive on-boarding process. In fact, 72% of employees stated that if they have a positive on-boarding experience within the first 60 days, they will not only stay with the company but will actively refer friends or colleagues.
• On-boarding doesn’t end once the employee is hired. Continual involvement and engagement during the first few months of an employee’s start is critical. Almost 1 in 5 employees stated they want some sort of feedback monthly or even more often during their first few months of employment. In addition, over half stated that the HR department should also touch base during their first year of employment.

Bottom line is that whether you are making the hiring decision or are the one accepting an offer, increased transparency with the on-boarding and overall hiring process is imperative for both Employers and Employees to have a harmonious experience. The end result would be higher retention rates, lower turnover rates and in the end, lower recruiting costs.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 98 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.