Category Archives: Drivers

Hiring Administrative Professionals?

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Are you hiring administrative professionals? Hiring managers across the country are finding difficulty in hiring administrative assistants, executive assistants, and administrative coordinators due to several factors. Are you one of them?

stockxpertcom_id8597492_size3Employers are who facing increased difficulty in recruiting qualified administrative professionals are often finding the following factors as obstacles:

  • Pay rates. Have you experienced sticker shock when viewing candidates’ desired pay rates? It may be time to re-evaluate your pay ranges. Many administrative professionals have taken on additional duties with workplace shortages resulting in more qualified and skilled administrative staff than what was often available in the past. With budget cuts, staff reductions, and attrition, many employers were forced to have their administrative staff cross trained and responsible for duties that were previously covered by multiple individuals in the office. The great news is the talent available today for administrative positions is more qualified, experienced, and diverse in their skills than ever before.
  • Candidate drive. Are you finding a decreased level of interest in entry level positions? You’re not alone. Today’s technology has contributed to building a workforce that is less likely to be content with positions that do not offer a wide variety of duties and may experience an increased amount of down time on the job. Technology has resulted in individuals multitasking  throughout their day both on and off of the job, resulting in a pool of candidates who prefer to be busy, engaged, and moving forward. As employers, we should take this opportunity to see what additional duties, functions, and responsibilities could be integrated into our more entry level positions to attract and maintain a more driven administrative workforce.
  • Overqualified candidates. Is there really such a thing? Not really. As long as a candidate meets the qualifications for the position and is willing to work in the pay range that your organization has established is appropriate for the workload, you should not overlook them. Experienced candidates can bring valuable insight to the position, assist with process improvement, and often require less time and resources during the training and on boarding process. Keep in mind that regardless of the amount of experience a candidate has or their previous pay scales, there is no guarantee that any employee will remain with your company for an extended period of time. Ruling out valuable talent based on your fear of them leaving you, will likely cost you more in the long run.

Often times our recruiting struggles can be offset with some assessments of what we are requiring of candidates for the position and what we as employers are willing to offer to obtain the right talent for the position. Remaining flexible and open minded about the opportunities for your clerical and administrative positions can greatly assist you in finding the right fit for your organization, often times providing more value than you had originally hoped for in the role.

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 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

 

Hurricane and Disaster Cleanups Slowed By Talent Shortages

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The impact that a natural disaster can have on a community is profound. Consider the short and long term effects of Katrina and Sandy on not only their local areas, but nationwide as the valuable services that are provided by these communities are cut off. Unfortunately natural disasters usually wipe out the local and regional resources, making recovery time longer and causing additional hardships on those involved.

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Hurricane Sandy brought to light the need for experienced skilled trades and environmental workers that are available to mobilize to different areas quickly. With many local contractors without equipment, personnel, and communication devices outside contractors were a critical part of the recovery and restoration process.

With hurricane season upon us, now is the time to consider your resources before disaster strikes. Most environmental and construction restoration contractors do not employ enough personnel to take on projects of this magnitude without adding to their workforce. In addition to the need to quickly mobilize, contractors should ensure that their additional project personnel are qualified, trained, and appropriately certified to be performing the work. Having skilled workers available at the moment that disaster strikes, can be invaluable to your business and allow you to take on additional project loads quickly and efficiently.

When considering a staffing partner for remediation and restoration work be sure to verify the following:

  • The staffing partner specializes in your line of work.
  • The staffing partner is well established and is able to demonstrate their previous abilities to hire for these roles.
  • The staffing partner has a pool of pre-qualified candidates.
  • The staffing partner is experienced in disaster related projects.
  • The staffing partner specializes in mobile workforces.

Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of experienced skilled trades workers? Contact us today!  If you are a stand out skilled trades worker seeking short or long term career opportunities, visit our job seekers section for more information!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Your Employees Are Looking To Leave!

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Do you think your employees are happy with their current career? Think again! A recent study by University of Phoenix found that may not be the case. The continuous improvement of economic conditions and the increased career opportunities in most industries, has assisted in the increase of passive candidates. So who are these passive candidates?

  • 78% of workers in their 20’s are interested in changing careers
  • 64% of workers in their 30’s are interested in changing careers
  • 54% of workers in their 40’s are interested in changing careers
  • 51% of workers in their 50’s are interested in changing careers
  • 26% of workers who are in their 60’s or older are interested in changing careers

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With such a large majority of the workforce interested in making a career change, maintaining your strongest performers can be an uphill battle. The struggle to locate top level talent has resulted in many employers offering a multitude of incentives to locate strong performers including referral bonuses, larger relocation packages, sign on bonuses, and other perks making the decision to leave a current employer more appealing for some candidates who may be on the fence about making a career change. So what can you do to maintain your team?

The high costs attributed to employee turnover far outweigh the costs of most employee retention and appreciation programs. If your organization does not engage in an employee retention program, now is a great time to consider employing one!

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 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Maintaining A Strong Rapport With Your Staff

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When was the last time that you connected with your team on an individual level? Do you take time outside of your usual performance review process to acknowledge and connect with them? If not, you should. Maintaining a strong rapport with your staff is a critical part to managing and advancing your team and their efforts.

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A strong rapport with your staff can reveal inefficiencies in the organization, departmental processes, and help to identify issues within your staff that may result in turnover if adjustments are not made. Communicating openly and regularly with your staff also allows for the generation and implementation of new ideas, guidance opportunities, and employee recognition. Not sure where to start or how to fit it in with your other countless duties? Here are a few quick tips:

  • First and foremost you have to make it a priority. As with anything on your to-do list, if you don’t make it a priority chances are you won’t make time to meet with your staff. Mark it on your calendar as any other important appointment and stick to it.
  • Keep it simple. Sometimes informal meetings can be even more productive and revealing than a structured meeting or progress meeting. Step outside of the office to a mutually comfortable setting such as a restaurant or coffee shop and make yourself available and free from distractions such as your phone and email.
  • Prepare for the discussion and remain open minded. Do your homework. Be sure to acknowledge specific accomplishments your employee has achieved since your last meeting. Be open to their feedback, both positive and negative. Often times the best ideas, changes, and suggestions come from those who work in the trenches day in and day out. Remain objective and avoid becoming defensive of any constructive criticism.
  • Make a follow up plan. Did you discuss ideas or changes that may need to take place? Are there things that you may need to investigate further or additional tools that may be helpful to the team? Be realistic and up front with what your team member can expect from you. Give them a timeline in which you plan to consider the points of your discussion and when they will hear back from you. Create an action plan for simple executable items to get the ball rolling.
  • Thank them. Make sure your employee understands that you appreciate them making the time to meet with you and let them know the best times for them to reach out to you if they have things that they would like to discuss further. If your staff feels that the meeting was something done out of obligation rather than a genuine interest in their development at the organization, they’ll be less likely to engage with you in the future.

Even the best leaders and managers can experience failure if they don’t have the support and dedication of a strong team behind them. Keep in mind that every member of your staff brings an added value to your organization and deserves recognition and acknowledgement on a regular basis. For more information on employee recognition, click here.

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 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Achieving A Great Work-Life Balance

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Do you find yourself struggling to find a fair balance between your work and your personal life? You are far from alone. Changes to the traditional workforce following the recent recession, have resulted in employees handling more of a workload than their roles had required in the past.

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Employees who struggle to find balance between their professional and personal lives can suffer from poor work performance, stress, exhaustion, illness, and depression. Often times employees who are unhappy with the balance between their work and personal lives are likely to experience turnover in their careers. Finding a suitable balance for yourself and your employer may be easier to do than you think. Here are a few tips to get you started:

  • Have a clear understanding of your professional obligations. Make sure that you are aware of what your employer expects of you and what they consider as above and beyond. Chances are some of the added stress and responsibilities that you find yourself overwhelmed with are not expectations for someone in your role.
  • Find out what workplace flexibilities are available to you. Does your employer offer flex time? Do they allow employees to work remotely on occasion? Today’s workplace offers more flexibility than ever before. With the technology available, employers are able to allow more staff to work from home with the same capabilities and accountability as working in the office.
  • Determine if you are working as efficiently as possible. Do you find yourself working overtime regularly? Chances are there are process improvements or delegations that could significantly cut down on your need to work over. The average worker spends as much as 28% of their day working on email! Set specific times of the day to check and respond to email, allowing you to be more efficient throughout the day. Unless your role requires you to be available after hours, consider turning off your email on mobile devices during your personal time. Remaining focused on your personal activities during your off time can help you make the most of your down time.
  • Create and maintain priorities for yourself. Realize and accept that you can’t always be involved in everything. Determine work and personal life priorities and create a plan to help you accomplish those tasks before taking on additional obligations. Communicate to those around you that while you’d love to be involved in everything that’s not realistic for you right now, you are setting priorities that will allow you to dedicate yourself to certain important events or projects.

While admitting to yourself and others that you cannot do everything is difficult, the ramifications of a poor work-life balance can be far worse. Be honest with those around you about what you are available for and accept the things that you cannot handle at the moment. Remember to take time for yourself. Most positions provide  vacation or personal time off, taking the time off that you have earned is important and can allow you to return to work refreshed and refocused.

Are you a stand out professional, skilled trades person, or technical professional seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job seekers section 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 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

 

Managing A Poor Performing Employee

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Do you have an employee who is not performing to the standards of their position? If you don’t currently, you likely have in the past and will at some point in the future. Learning to manage, guide, and assess an employee’s performance and it’s impact on your organization can be critical. Maintaining employees who are under performing in their role will have a direct impact on employee morale, productivity, customer satisfaction and ultimately your bottom line.

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The first step to managing a poor performer is to identify who that person may be. Chances are if you haven’t heard complaints from others in their department, you will soon. Conducting regular employee performance reviews, spot checking their work, and communicating with your staff in regards to their role are great ways to ensure that you identify someone who is under performing before it becomes a major hardship. Poor performers often are distant from other team members, take longer to accomplish tasks, avoid accountability, and are not goal driven.

The next step is to determine the cause of the poor performance. Reasons for poor performance can range from situational such as those who are struggling personal life issues, health issues, or lack of focus to skills related such as training and development, under qualified for the position, or those with an overbearing workload. Take the time to communicate openly with your employee to help determine the cause for their lack of performance. Sometimes the solution may be as simple as providing additional training on a process or program. Keep in mind the longer you wait to begin communicating with the team member the less likely you are to remedy the situation.

The third step is to create an action plan. After openly discussing the performance issue with your employee and hopefully identifying some of the underlying causes, you need to communicate and employ a very clear plan of action. Provide your employee with clear and concise expectations and goals for their position and performance. Implement a plan that will help them achieve those goals that directly correlates to the cause of their poor performance. Solutions may include job shadowing another employee in the department, retraining on a specific job duty, or attending additional outside training. If the cause of the poor performance is due to non-work related factors you may allow them to use accrued personal time to address these factors or share with them any professional resources that are available through their benefits package. It is highly recommended that you document and both sign off on the proposed plan of action and schedule a time in the near future to discuss their progress.

Finally, you should review and come to a conclusion on their performance status. Meet with your team member to discuss and review what progress, if any they have made since the implementation of your action plan. If you find the employee is progressing at an acceptable rate, than you may consider setting further goals and additional review appointments to continue to monitor their progress. If you find the employee is not making improvements or their performance is regressing even further you may need to consider further options. Further options may include re-assigning the employee to another position within the organization, taking disciplinary action, or even terminating their employment.

Managing poor performers can be a difficult task but it is crucial to supporting employee morale, company productivity, client satisfaction, and providing a profitable service to your organization. You should always consult with your HR department or Labor and Employment Law adviser if you are unsure of your company policies, procedures, or rights when interacting with your staff members.

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 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

 

 

 

 

Do You Hire In New York City? New Law Prohibits The Discrimination Of The Unemployed!

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Do you hire employees in New York City? If so, a new law goes into effect tomorrow, June 11, 2013 that prohibits employers from the discrimination of unemployed applicants. Whether you hire in New York City and will be directly impacted by this or not, this trend may impact your local market in the future as hiring trends become more of a hot topic in local and state politics. So who does this new law protect?

The law defines “unemployed” or “unemployment” as “not having a job, being available for work and seeking employment”. The new law was added as a recent amendment to the New York City Administrative Code and is intended to prevent employers and employment agencies from discriminating against applicants who are or have previously been unemployed. According to the law, it is illegal for an employer or employment agency to base employment decisions including hiring, compensation, conditions or privileges of employment on an applicant’s unemployment.

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While it does prohibit employers from basing employment decisions on the applicant’s unemployed or previously unemployed status, it does protect several employer based decisions. According to the law, employers may still consider an applicant’s unemployment where there is a “substantially job related reason for doing so” and still reserve the right to inquire about the circumstances surrounding an applicant’s separation from previous employment. The new amendment also prevents employers or employment agencies from implying or stating that current employment is a requirement for a position.

The new law goes into effect on Tuesday June 11, 2013 which means immediate action should be taken for those who employ individuals in New York City. A thorough review of your hiring procedures, job advertisements, employee handbooks, and policies should be completed to ensure compliance with the new regulation. Make sure that all staff members or staffing partners who are involved in the recruiting, hiring, or marketing of positions for your organization are informed of the new regulations and are in compliance. Future regulations may arise in the near future for other locations as unemployment rates continue to gain national attention following the recession recovery.

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 5,000 companies nationwide.

In The Market For A New Executive?

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Are you in the market for a new executive? Whether you are seeking a mid-level or senior executive, now may be the time to begin your search! A recent study by BlueSteps.com, found that as many as 76 percent of senior executives were willing to make a career change immediately for the right opportunity. Beginning with the recession almost five years ago, employed candidates of almost all levels have shown less confidence in pursuing an active career search due to lack of security with a new organization. As the economy has shown it’s stability in the past two years, that is quickly changing.

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While most candidates who are employed at an executive level are far less likely to engage in an active career search, there are ways to attract this level of professional. Chances are you are not going to come across a senior executive’s resume on a job board or through your standard application system. Most executives have built their career using a diverse network and lean on that network and recruiters to help them find their next career. So how do you land a passive executive candidate? The majority of passive executive candidates can be recruited through three channels; your employment brand, networking, and hiring a professional level recruiter.

Maintaining and marketing an employment brand that speaks genuinely to your organization’s goals, priorities, and the reasons that set you apart from other employers can quickly attract talent that aligns themselves with your goals. Google was ranked by Forbes in 2013 as the “Best Company To Work For”. How do they do it? They deploy a number of strategies to publicize why someone would want to work for Google, which includes a wide variety of reasons ranging from working with the latest technology to continuing education and non-profit involvement. Their employment brand has grown so tremendously it has motivated candidates to take extreme measures such as creating websites and video interviews to get the attention of Google’s hiring team as well as become the basis for the new movie, The Internship featuring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. Looking for some great ways to promote your brand? Visit their careers page that includes videos, testimonials, and a multitude of recruitment tools that identifies their employment brand.

Building an employment brand takes time, research, and innovation. If you are looking to hire someone today and you currently haven’t spent much time investing in an employment brand, your immediate search is best tailored towards networking or partnering with a professional recruiter. Are you ready to get your network working to assist you in your search? Start by letting them know you are interested in hiring someone for an executive role. Share with them the benefits of working for your organization, your strategic goals, and what types of skills would make someone a great fit for the position. Next, motivate them to begin thinking, reaching out, and referring their professional network to you. Some great ways to encourage others to help you are offering referral bonuses, gift cards, or other forms of recognition for the person who is able to refer the right candidate to you. Most often times your professional network will be happy to help you and their peers, especially if they are armed with the information that sets a career opportunity with your organization apart from other opportunities.

Even the most heavily networked executives are often hesitant to share with their peers that they may be looking for a career change. The potential repercussions of word getting back to their employer may be reason enough for them to not offer up their interest or resume to even their most trusted colleagues. So how do you reach them? Because most executives are very familiar with delegating duties and have worked with executive recruiters to help them fill positions within their organization, they often times have a high level of respect and confidence in a recruiter representing them in a confidential career search. Executive recruiters are known for their ability to locate careers that are often times not marketed through traditional means, work interviews around the executive’s current employment schedule, and are able to provide candidates with inside information as to what career opportunities may be best for them. Most experienced professional recruiters or executive recruiters represent more passive candidates than they do candidates who are engaged in an active career search and who are posting their resumes online.

Are you a stand out professional, executive, or technical professional seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job seekers section 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 5,000 companies nationwide.

Aging Driver Workforce Adds To Driver Shortage

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If your organization hires drivers, you’ve likely experienced the increasing talent shortage of qualified drivers in the past years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, since 2000 the number of service and truck drivers age 55 or older has grown as much as 19% to 616,000. When coupled with the the lowered interest in driving careers by younger generations, the talent shortage for professional drivers will continue to climb well over 100,000 by as early as next year.

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What can you do to maintain a qualified driver workforce? The best solution is to implement multiple recruiting and retention strategies to battle both sides of the talent war. Studies have shown that allowing employees the opportunity to work part time or seasonally, may lengthen their employment term and result in later retirements. If your workforce includes drivers of retirement age, you may consider allowing them to split shifts, work seasonally, or decrease their hours in order to maintain their experience and expertise on your team. Making sure you provide a safe and positive working environment,  competitive compensation package, and growth opportunities will also help you retain members of your team.

Attracting new drivers, can be more difficult and certainly more costly than retaining your current team. First, your organization has to be one that drivers identify as having career opportunities. Making sure that your website, trucks, and employment brand identify your organization as a company that drivers want to work for is the first step. Referrals from current and past drivers can be a huge savings to your bottom line! Work with your staff to get the word out when you have an opening, offer referral bonuses, and show your staff that you appreciate their efforts in referring safe and qualified drivers.

If you are still struggling to attract or retain drivers, or realize that you will have an upcoming talent shortage, now is the time to partner with an industry staffing expert; before it effects your clients. While many roles within your company can be cross trained, covered by other staff, or neglected, the transportation of your finished product cannot be ignored.

Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professional drivers? Contact us today! Learn more about our Dedicated Driver Services here! Are you a safe and professional driver who is seeking a rewarding career? Visit us here to locate a driving career in your area!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

 

 

FMCSA Waives Hours of Service Rules For Relief Efforts

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The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has exercised its rights and is temporarily waiving hours of service rules for drivers who are aiding recovery efforts from the recent tornado that hit in Moore, Oklahoma. This accommodation is designed to assist in recovery efforts, allowing for critical food, medical, and other relief supplies to be transported into the area.

The current destruction has effected major highways, increasing the difficulty of transporting goods and needed personnel into the area. The temporary waiver is in effect until June 5th, unless recovery efforts require less time in which it will be lifted sooner.

Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professional drivers? Contact us today! Learn more about our Dedicated Driver Services here! Are you a safe and professional driver who is seeking a rewarding career? Visit us here to locate a driving career in your area!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.