• Networking is key! Networking doesn’t just have to be reserved for networking events or conferences. Everywhere you go, there could be the potential of making a connection with other professionals or opening up a conversation that can lead to future prospects. By increasing your reach through networking, you may be made aware of new openings or opportunities before they are even made public. This could, in turn, put you at an overwhelming advantage simply by giving you first dibs on making an impact during the interview.
• Use proper grammar and triple check your application materials for errors. We are all human and do make grammatical errors and typos from time to time. However, the time to do this is not when you’re trying to impress a hiring manager. Improper grammar or typos throughout a resume or application can be a read flag to any employer and can instantly cause trepidation on the hiring manager’s side. The answer is simple, take your time in filling out paperwork and speak clearly and concisely when responding to questions. If you take your time and put together a well thought answer or response, you can prevent being disqualified even before the interview is over.
• Always, always, always tailor all application materials to the company or position you are applying for. Hiring managers are used to seeing the same generic resume or cover letter, ones that candidates are obviously using for a variety of opportunities. You want to stand out! The resume and cover letter are the first step in grabbing attention. Once you have the hiring manager in front of your for that long awaited interview, make sure to explain why you are qualified but why you and your skill sets are perfect for THEIR opening. Research the company and go into that interview not only prepared to answer the question “So what do you know about this company?” but go into detail on why your specific skill set makes sense for the role.
• No Brainer Alert! DO NOT ARRIVE LATE or TOO EARLY for an interview! One of the worst faux pas’ candidate’s can fall victim to is either showing up late or too early for an interview. Either can result in the same thing, aggravating the person who you are trying to impress. For many hiring managers, there is a specific reason they choose the day and time for an interview; they are busy and are trying to fit in interviews when possible. If you show up late or too early, this can put the hiring manager in a tough spot. This is especially true if they move another engagement to make up for your lack of punctuality. Also, it can be just plain rude to show up late to a scheduled meeting, regardless of the type; so just don’t do it.
• As awkward as it can feel, be prepared to discuss pay and salary at the interview. The key here is to do your research and find out what others are making in similar positions in your area. Think about what salary you would personally feel comfortable with in accepting a new role. Combine the two and come to terms with a reasonable pay range that you can back up if pay negotiations come up.
• DO NOT LIE. I hate to use all CAPS and I hope this goes without saying but lying, whether on your resume, application or in person, is not acceptable. You have to remember that you are not the only one doing research here. Your prospective employer will also be doing their due diligence for all applicants when going through the hiring process. Plain and simple, if you lie before, during or after the interview, the hiring manager will most likely find out the truth regardless. It just isn’t worth it.
• Follow-up post interview. There is most certainly a fine line in following up after an interview. No one wants to become annoying or considered desperate to a hiring manager. Typically, a quick email or phone call within a week following your interview will suffice. Remember, that you were most likely not the only candidate that was interviewed, so practicing patience is very important. Sending a quick thank you via email can not only show the prospective employer that you’re still interested but it also shows initiative.

Take confidence in what you have to offer and use a little common sense and you’ll be well on your way to that next big opportunity!

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 100 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.

Don’t worry! There are some key tips that you can utilize going into that next interview to not only give yourself confidence in your abilities but to also project that same confidence to the interviewer.

• Do Your Research: When looking into a specific job opportunity, look beyond the job description. Get to know the company and their overall mission to see how this aligns with your own goals and values. If you go into an interview prepared to not only explain why you’re excited about the role but can discuss how the company’s mission aligns with your experience and ideals, this will go a long way with impressing the interviewer.
• Passion for the Industry/Product/Company: Regardless of the particular position you are interviewing for or in what department it may fall, express how passionate you are regarding the industry, product or service that the company provides. If an entry level Admin walks into a software company discussing how much they enjoy using the product at home or in their previous position, this will stand apart with the Interviewer. The bottom line is that no matter the industry, companies love to hear how consumers enjoy their products or services.
• Understand the Role: Maybe you don’t have industry specific experience but have experience in the duties involved in the role. If this is the case, be sure to emphasize the job duties that you do have experience in. For instance, if you have worked previously as a Marketing Data Analyst for a local non profit but are now seeking work in the logistics industry, explain how your experience with market data analysis and promotions can translate to other industries and how in turn, that role has prepared you for future positions.
• Sometimes it is all about Timing: Many times the first question that is asked during an interview is “What brings you into the job market?” How you answer this seemingly simply question can prove to be quite beneficial. There are plenty of reasons why individuals end up in the job market, searching for a position, but how you portray this to a potential employer is important. A lot of times, job seekers may be looking to change industries or even start a new trajectory in the same industry. For example, if the next step in your current role is in management but you are not too keen on going down that path, it may be time to make a change. This could certainly benefit a potential employer who would be getting an experienced individual ready to work where their expertise is needed. However, it is extremely important to not dwell on your past working relationships if they are a huge reason for making a move in the first place. Companies want to hire you because they feel you will be a good fit and because you express that you want to work there, not because you’re just looking for something to replace your previous employer.

When looking for a new job it is the hope of any job seeker to find a new job with which they can be passionate about, not only the job itself but with the company as a whole. Although, this may not always be the case, try to make the best of any job search by implementing as many of these concepts as you can to ensure you are better prepared for what any interviewer may throw at you.

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 100 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.

But don’t take my word for it! Check out these stats to see just how important referrals can be to your bottom line!

• Customers are 4x more likely to buy when referred by a friend. (Source – Neilsen)

• 43% of consumers are more likely to buy a new product when learning about it from friends on social media. (Source – Neilsen)

• About 47% of top performers ask for referrals consistently, versus only 26% of non-top performers. (Source – HubSpot)

• 73% of executives prefer to work with sales professionals referred by someone they know. (Source – IDC)

• 32% of buyers post a review on social media. (Source – Avande)

Now, what does all of this mean? Plainly, referrals should never be a last resort. If you are a Recruiter who has a group of hardworking individuals you know you can count on, chances are they know people! These connections can, in turn, result in increasing your pipeline and filling orders. On the other side; if you are a Sales Professional seeking out your next lead, look to your current book of business, first. If you’re providing an exceptional sales and customer service experience to your current clients, they will be much more inclined to spread the word and provide valuable FREE promotion on your behalf!

Simply put, as long as you are continuing to offer a valuable service or product to your current customers, clients, candidates, etc.; the availability of relevant leads through referrals will always be at your fingertips. It is up to you to take advantage of these resources before someone else does!

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 100 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.

According to a recent study sited by Forbes.com, the average time to hire in 2017 was 23.8 days, an increase of 13 days since 2010. With the job market feeling more crowded than ever, AI and ML are poised to make a huge impact on the recruiting and hiring process over the next few years, starting in 2019.

The greatest contribution that AI and ML can bring to the overall hiring process is freeing up time. The majority of the activities associated with locating, sorting through, qualifying and hiring talent are quite lengthy and time consuming. With the advent of AI and ML, the ability to gather and sort large amounts of data (including resumes, applications, etc.) at a much more efficient pace will ultimately free up HR professionals to act on potential hires, instead of weeding through them.

As with any new technology or improvement to business practice, the adoption of such advances will take time and will require quite a bit of adjustment and fundamental changes to the way that current HR programs are designed and implemented. These upgrades may come in the way of software programs, company policies, infrastructure changes and operational improvements all with the idea of creating a much more efficient, time saving hiring process in order to free up HR and recruiting professionals to build relationships and improve candidate engagement and retention. After all, in a job market as tight as this one, employee retention, engagement and overall satisfaction should be at top of mind for all companies looking to hire.

However, just keep in mind that adding AI and/or ML to a company’s hiring strategy is just one stepping stone in a line of upgraded practices for the recruiting process, on-boarding process and ultimately, the end goal of decreasing employee turnover.

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 100 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.

In today’s job market, it seems that every time the topic of labor shortages come up, the lack of skilled workers for trade positions in construction and in the manufacturing realm are in the forefront. Less and less students have been deciding that even if they are unsure what career path they want to go down, college is their only avenue. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 68% of high school students go to college with 40% never completing their degree. This is leaving highly paid and stable positions across the construction and manufacturing industries empty. Ultimately, we are left with the realization that the Baby Boomers who thrived with careers in these industries are starting to retire with no one to fill their shoes.

As I’ve mentioned before, the conversation regarding career options needs to start early! The idea of college being an end all beat all for post high school students needs to stop. Outside of the traditional 4-year degree, students have a variety of options available including vocational schools, trade specific training programs, online classes and even simply starting from the ground up. Sometimes the best way to learn a new trade is to start as entry-level as possible, observing those around you and gaining true on the job experience. But, don’t take my word for it. Educational leaders and even some of the nation’s most well known and profitable companies are jumping on board. David McGrath, an English Professor at the College of DuPage recently wrote an article regarding this very issue.

“We need to debunk the inference made by parents that vocational and technical jobs are inferior. Such a notion has led many of them to steer youngsters unwilling or unsuited for academic study into frustration, failure and depression. A campaign of public relations, parental education and cash is needed to combat the stigma.”

-David McGrath

Last spring, Glassdoor.com compiled a list of top employers that are expanding their talent pool by looking beyond the 4-year degree. Google, Apple, and IBM are all included in this progressive strategy in an attempt to bring in qualified and eager job seekers. In fact, Joanna Daley, IBM’s Vice President of Talent told CNBC that about 15% of IBM’s hires in the US do not have a college degree. IBM makes a point to include candidates with hands-on experience through coding boot-camps or even vocational classes.

The conversation needs to start now, whether that starts with school counselors or parents at home with their kids. We need to get rid of the stigma behind not going to college and provide our students with the support and proper education on available alternatives. Bottom line, college is not the answer for everyone and that is something worth shouting from the rooftops.

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.

(Pictured above – Map of All Trillium Locations)

According to Glassdoor.com, the following cities are the top picks for job satisfaction (scored on a scale of 1-5) according to company reviews.

1. San Francisco, CA – 3.6 score, 108,000 jobs available
2. San Jose, CA – 3.6 score, 88,000 jobs available
3. Washington DC – 3.6 score, 145,000 jobs available
4. Oklahoma City, OK – 3.5 score, 19,000 jobs available
5. Seattle, WA – 3.5, 74,000 jobs available
6. Salt Lake City, UT – 3.5, 29,000 jobs available
7. San Diego, CA – 3.5, 40,000 jobs available
8. Boston, MA – 3.5, 109,000 jobs available
9. Austin, TX – 3.5, 45,000 jobs available
10. Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL – 3.5, 59,000 jobs available.

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 100 offices nationwide and nearly 450 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.

It appears the main catalyst for this is that retirees and young families are fleeing the larger cities in an attempt to escape the higher cost of living. This is resulting in the promotion and support of population-driven industries such as construction, healthcare and real estate. In addition, a lot of the cities that are seeing growth have been able to lock in on a specific industry such as renewable energy or recreation vehicle manufacturing to help grow the local economy. Currently, small town rock stars are scattered across the country in TX, UT, ID, and IN to name a few.

Now, although growth among smaller cities seems to be on the rise, a number of Midwestern markets are feeling the sting of automation and de-industrialization. For those markets that are more reliant on a weaker industry base such as agriculture or textiles, it is projected that they may become under performers in the coming years. For more information, please visit oxfordeconomics.com.

What does this mean exactly? The idea is that instead of your work life and home life competing with one another, they should be reciprocal in nature.

“If I am happy at home, I come into the office with tremendous energy,” said Bezos. “And if I am happy at work, I come home with tremendous energy. You never want to be that guy — and we all have a coworker who’s that person — who, as soon as they come into a meeting, they drain all the energy out of the room … You want to come into the office and give everyone a kick in their step.”

This ideal is something that Bezos strives to instill with all of his new Amazon employees and even Senior Executives to try and ensure that they stop looking at the relationship between work and home as a strict trade-off and more of a harmonious cyclical concept. The main idea is simple; if you’re happier at home, this opens up your ability to happier at work and visa versa. Coming into work or going home with a positive outlook can transfer to those around you and ultimately create a much healthier and happier environment at home and at work.

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.

ESW Staffing was founded in 1983 and has developed a diverse business portfolio, allowing the organization to become a regional leading provider of hospitality staffing and event staffing services to the Phoenix and Tucson markets. As the area’s longest standing hospitality staffing firm, the former ESW Staffing specializes in staffing large complex events requiring hundreds of credentialed and skilled staff as well as staffing smaller events requiring short term help for private banquets.

“I am delighted to welcome the staff and clients of ESW Staffing to the Trillium brand of companies. The compilation of diverse client companies, talented field staff, and dynamic internal staff made ESW Staffing a great addition to the Trillium brand. We look forward to expanding our business in hospitality and event staffing.”

– René Poch, CEO

The addition marks the largest expansion into the hospitality staffing and event staffing sector for the Trillium Hospitality brand specializing in the hiring of servers, bartenders, chefs, cooks, supervisors, leads and other positions. Clients in the southwest region will now receive the additional benefit of Trillium’s leading recruitment processes as well as the existing talent pool of nearly 2 million candidates. This marks Trillium’s second acquisition this year in the hospitality and event staffing sector, following the February acquisition of Tampa, FL based Roy’s Staffing, Inc.

The former ESW Staffing will be led by Regional Vice President Nadine Garvin, with existing General Manager Michelle Hansen overseeing daily operations.

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.