For salespeople and recruiters alike, speed and quick turn around times can be the difference between landing the sale and falling flat. In the sales and recruiting industries, every minute counts. Let’s look at this from the perspective of a client lead calling in asking for assistance in filling an order. Typically, when they are reaching out to an outside source, it is because the need is fairly urgent or they are being asked by upper management to gather information. In either scenario, by making sure they are a priority to you and your sales team will ensure that they do not turn to your competition. Everyone wants to feel like they are important and that their need or needs justify your attention.

For instance, according to a recent survey performed by Velocify, you have a 391% higher chance of a lead conversion by responding to an online inquiry or missed call within 1 minute. After that minute, the percentage drops to 120% and after an hour, it drops to only 36%. What this should tell you is that speed is the name of game here. Chances are that if you don’t respond in a timely manner, your competition absolutely will and you lose out on a sale. Do not give up! If at first you don’t reach the client, make sure to try again after an hour or so and maybe one more time that day. There is a fine line between being persistent and annoying so tread lightly. For more information regarding what may be deemed appropriate, check out the info-graphic created by Velocify.

Now let’s take a look from a prospective candidate or potential hires perspective. All of the same theories for lead conversions also ring true here. Let’s say you have found a solid candidate that could be a really good fit and you are eager to get them in front of your client. Once the initial contact is made, do not drop the ball. If the candidate is desirable by you and your client, they are most likely interviewing and talking with a number of other companies. If you wait even a few hours to reach out and make additional contact, it may be too late. At this point or really any point in the hiring process, speed with communication is key. Keep your candidates briefed on every aspect of the process and make sure you are being timely in your responses. Again, if you don’t, your competition will.

Whether your preferred method of contact is by phone, email or text; make sure you are making speed in your communications a priority. Everyone wants to feel like they are at top of mind and a quick response to any type of inquiry is the best way to instill this feeling.

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 Technical, and Trillium Environmental. 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 35th 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 2018 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

Stay Metrics, a retention strategy firm, found that in the 1st quarter of 2019 only 64% of Drivers hired on last beyond 90 days. While this particular survey was sent to only 70 carriers and doesn’t necessarily represent a huge percentage of all carriers nationwide, it does lend to a particular trend that could be problematic for future hiring.

The main takeaways from this survey included such ideals as making sure to be transparent to your Drivers regarding the company, duties, equipment, etc., and paying attention to warning signs that may come before they are even hired in. Basically, the more you share with a potential Driver from the very beginning will ultimately benefit you as a employer. If a Driver knows exactly what they are getting into from day 1, they are much less likely to jump ship or leave prematurely and both the hiring manager and Driver will be on the same page.

In fact, transparency was such an important factor for Drivers, it was the basis for 4 of the 5 questions Drivers were asked. According to Lana Batts, co-President at Driver iQ, a background check company, stated that the overall cost of Driver retention can be $8,000-$10,000 per Driver.

If you are experiencing high turnover with your Drivers, this could be costing your company big, when the solution is rather simple. Listen to your applicants during the interviewing process and if you hear something that may not coincide with what you are offering or what the position entails, be honest with the candidate. Getting these kinks worked out in the very beginning of the process can ultimately save your company money in the long-run.

For more information on this survey, please visit ttnews.com.

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, and Trillium Techs. With approximately 90 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 2015 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

1. Be a candidate advocate. While you may be getting paid based on filling orders, try looking at each opening as an opportunity to advocate for both sides. Focus on your client’s needs but also keep in mind what may be best for your candidate. This will help to instill integrity and trustworthiness from both sides of the spectrum.
2. Do first what you hate most. This may sound easier said than done but the best way to be productive is to not procrastinate. By getting your most taxing job done first, this can free up the rest of your day to focus on more enjoyable tasks such as touching base with clients or employees for referrals.
3. Always be prospecting. This can be true for every candidate you come across. Keep in contact with them and make notes of what their strengths and weaknesses are. You may not have a fit for them now but that could change in the blink of an eye and by being prepared for the unexpected can help you to get the fill just that much faster.
4. Get your referral on. We can’t stress how important referrals can be in the recruiting and hiring industry. Word of mouth will always be an extremely influential tool and it is your job to make sure you are taking advantage of the resources at hand. Keep the communication open between you and your solid candidates. Chances are individuals with exceptional work ethic hang out with people of the same mentality. Always ask if they know of anyone seeking work and make sure your candidates know you are available for further contact.
5. Keep on collaborating. It is vital for recruiters to keep a strong working relationship with their hiring managers to ensure that communication and compromise can flow easily. Recruiters need to feel comfortable going to their hiring managers with issues and concerns and have the forethought to help them prioritize and plan on the best course of action with each order.
6. Don’t stop demoing. Technology is ever evolving and it is a critical tool for all recruiters to stay on top of. Even if you feel satisfied with your current work flow and programs/platforms available, it is always a good idea to stay ahead of the competition in terms of technological advances in the industry. You never know when a new program could help to revolutionize your company’s hiring strategy.
7. Review data, but go with your gut. While the ability to pull large amounts of data is great and can make your job easier, it is important to not be fully reliant on this information. As we all know, technology can only do so much and it is important to keep in touch with any gut feelings you may have regarding candidates or clients alike. In other words, try and keep the human element alive in recruiting.
8. Be honest and actionable. While it can be easy to be vague with a candidate if they didn’t get a specific role, it is not the best policy. Be honest and let them know what happened with the position or why someone else was better suited for the opening. Leave them with some kind of actionable item whether that means to hone in on our their interviewing skills or to simply keep looking for the right fit, candidates will appreciate the overall honesty.
9. Find (multiple) mentors. No one should be above seeking guidance from others. Hiring and recruitment can be a tough game and it is always make it easier by reaching out to others for assistance or insight. Choose a handful of people that are knowledgeable in this space and be ready and willing to reach out when needed.
10. Share what you know, and ask the same. Networking is a huge part of the recruiting industry and shouldn’t be something to be taken lightly. Not only can this help to increase your available candidate pool but you can also gather insight from industry leaders and use this information to grow and sustain your own hiring strategies. In addition, don’t be afraid to share what works for you when asked and hopefully the same individuals will do the same in return.

Not all recruiters are created equal and depending on the industry, overall strategies may be drastically different from one another. However, by keeping these habits in mind, you can try and grow as a recruiter and improve your company’s hiring strategy one candidate at a time.

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, and Trillium Techs. With approximately 90 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 2015 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

In fact, according to Bob Costello, Chief Economist for the American Trucking Association, “The increase in the driver shortage should be a warning to carriers, shippers and policymakers because if conditions don’t change substantively, our industry could be short just over 100,000 drivers in five years and 160,000 drivers in 2028.”

This continued decrease in drivers available could result in higher prices and even more frequently, out of stock items. For a consumer base that is becoming more reliant on in store pick-up and store to home deliveries from local stores, this problem may become more prevalent. Local, smaller companies will absolutely feel the burden of the shortage before your larger national chains but in the end, consumers who rely on trucking companies to get their goods from point A to point B, will be the ones the most affected. The fact of the matter is simple, less drivers available to transport the products we purchase on a daily basis, the less available those products will be and thus the higher the demand.

As I have mentioned before, all it not lost! The key to alleviating the driver shortage is change the societal view on what it means to be a Truck Driver. If we can get more people interested in a career in the transportation industry and change the stigma surrounding such jobs, we can help to try and fill the nearly 7.4 million job openings out there!

For more information on how the driver shortage is affecting job seekers, companies and the economy, check out the article by www.usatoday.com.

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, and Trillium Techs. With approximately 90 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 2015 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

According to Indeed.com, nearly 50% of all candidates ghost an employer by not replying to recruiters or hiring manager or simply not showing up for a scheduled interview. A smaller percentage, around 20%, do so further in the hiring process such as not showing up on their first day on the job or accepting an offer but failing to sign the paperwork. This plainly means that employers are being affected by ghosting throughout the entire hiring process. This ultimately puts employers in a very difficult situation of having to start from scratch suddenly when time isn’t on their side. But why is this happening in the first place?

It seems that the top reasons for candidates to ghost are not a real surprise. The majority, just over 50%, state that they just decided against the job, others ended up receiving another, better job offer and some even sited lack of salary or benefits being offered was the final straw causing them to walk away. But outside of ghosting being unprofessional and irresponsible to do, are there really any true consequences for the candidate? Surprisingly, over 90% of job seekers that Indeed surveyed stated that they didn’t really experience any kind of negative impact from ghosting in terms of them finding future opportunities. They are not having to answer for their actions and can simply move on to the next interview or opportunity. In addition, while ghosting appears to be prevalent among younger job seekers (between the ages of 18-34), ghosting seems to have penetrated all age groups and demographics.

While it may feel as if there is nothing employers can do when this occurs, this may not be the case. Ghosters have provided just a little insight into what may keep them from ghosting in the first place. According to Indeed’s survey, the majority of job seekers who ghosted an employer stated that they felt the hiring process took too long and that there wasn’t enough transparency regarding the job from the get go. These are both easy problems to remedy and both surround the same idea, communication is key! Keep your candidates continually up to date make sure you are being transparent and honest with them throughout the process. You may not be able to make everyone happy in this regard but every little bit will help!

While ghosting feels like it has become a norm in the hiring process in today’s professional landscape, it is the hope that the actions of these job seekers will eventually catch up to them. But in the meantime, all of you hiring managers and recruiters out there need to take care with each and every prospective hire. The job market is too competitive for candidate’s to wholeheartedly give you their undivided attention, but in order to keep their interest, you have to make communication your number one priority.

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, and Trillium Techs. With approximately 90 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 2015 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

Especially now, in a job market where true, available talent is becoming harder and harder to come by, Recruiters and Hiring Managers may need to change their focus. While going through potential applicants and hires for any position, consider the following; if the person doesn’t necessarily meet all requirements to a T, based on their skill set, do you feel they could learn what they need to while on the job? Taking this into consideration, take a closer look at their past employment history and determine whether they have shown a track record of not only learning new things in a role but excelling with that mindset. Someone who is not only willing to learn while on the job but is able to thrive in that type of environment may be better suited for your open position.

This idea is simple. If companies are able to be a little more open minded in regards to the “talent” they are seeking, the skills gap may not be as big of an issue as what thought.

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, and Trillium Technical. 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 2017 and 2018 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

“It’s not that the number of truck drivers has been in a constant decline. It’s just that it’s not growing enough to match up with what has been needed in demand, “ stated American Trucking Association’s Chief Economist Bob Costello. In fact the ATA believes that the trucking industry is still short 50,000 drivers.

For the trucking industry specifically, the issue may run a little deeper that just not having enough truckers to fill the available need. For instance, the driver shortage tends to mainly focus on a lack of long-haul or OTR drivers, not just any licensed driver. These types of position are historically more difficult to fill simply due to the idea of being away from home for longer periods of time. Enticing new drivers in the door where they may have to commit being away from home for a week or more at a time is a hard sell. In addition, the trucking industry faces additional obstacles such as federal laws that prohibit potential candidates between the age of 18 to 20 from driving Class 8 commercial motor vehicles across state lines, cutting into the already depleted talent pool available. The main problem here is that this removes the possibility of students looking at trucking as a long-term career right out of high school.

However, the Census Bureau has indicated that truckers who are under the age of 35 represent more women and minorities that those over the age of 55. With that said, even today over 90% of drivers are men. This simply means that the presence of more diversity in the industry in the younger generations is promising for the trucking industry in the long-run but as it sits today, the driver shortage is still more than prevalent. With online retailer giants like Amazon and Walmart constantly pushing for faster deliveries in a instant gratification society, the push for more logistic personnel will continue to be a struggle for distribution and logistics companies nationwide. For more details on what industry experts have to say, please check out www.ttnews.com.

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, and Trillium Technical. 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 2017 and 2018 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

Let’s think about this from the candidate’s perspective. Typically, when we think of places or activities that we would recommend to someone we know, we do so because as an individual, we had a positive experience. Whether that means the food was excellent, the show was entertaining or the service was top notch, we want others to have the same positive experience as we did. The same can absolutely be said in the job market. Candidates are only going to refer their colleagues or acquaintances to a company or Recruiter if they feel the experience they had was a positive one. So how do hiring managers ensure that we have a pool of talent that we can garner referrals from? Simple, make a positive candidate experience a top priority for your hiring strategy.

Check out these simple and seemingly straight forward tips provided by RecruitingDaily.com to give your team the upper hand in creating a positive and welcoming candidate experience.

1. Engage job seekers in enjoyable conversation. This seems like a no-brainer but surprisingly many hiring Managers and Recruiters tend to keep conversations with prospective candidates as impersonal as possible. Where there can be a benefit to keeping the candidate relationship like any other business transaction, there is also a huge downside. It is basic human nature to trust those that make you feel at ease. Having easy and light conversations with your candidates can instantly make them feel more comfortable around you. This can even be achieved through personalized emails. Try to communicate in a friendly manner and ensure the candidates that you are always looking out for their best interest.
2. Respect the job seeker’s time. Time is valuable to everyone, including your job seekers. We all know how annoying it can be when we have an appointment set and it has to be cancelled or rescheduled last minute. If you make an appointment with a candidate, keep it. As you will be interviewing more and more candidates that are currently working elsewhere, it may be difficult for them to make the appointments or interviews in the first place so rescheduling or cancelling last minute can certainly put a bad taste in their mouth.
3. Keep job descriptions consistent. It is important to provide as much information up front in a job description posted online as possible. However, whether you include everything in the online ad or not, you must stay consistent with job details throughout the entire process. The information provided online should reflect what is discussed in the interview and pre-screenings. If something with the job changes, update your ads accordingly. This way the candidate already has a really good idea of what to expect when the interview process starts and isn’t in for any surprises along the way.
4. Respond clearly and within one week. Responding to candidates in a timely fashion may be the most important tip that is offered here. You have to remember that you are not the only person seeking out passive talent. It wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that your candidate has actually been contacted by 10 or more companies at the same time you reached out. With that said, staying in touch with your candidate is imperative. In the two extra days it takes for you to offer them the job, your competition may have already swooped in. Basically, you need to land the candidate before your competitor does.

By following these tips to improving the overall experience of your prospective candidates, you will find it much easier to not only fill current openings but also to fill your pipeline with experienced and eager referrals.

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, and Trillium Technical. 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 2017 and 2018 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

In order for any machine to keep running in an efficient and profitable manner, all aspects need to work together. Having one gear out of place, especially a substantial gear, can cause slowdowns and even breaks in the process. This, in turn, can ultimately effect overall profitability and production.

With that said, all people should be given the opportunity to alter their behavior. Bring the issues to the employee’s attention and set forth goals in order to get them on track with the rest of the team. If the issues persist, it’s time to move on. It is much easier to replace one person that an entire well-oiled team. The less your team has time to focus on a hostile or toxic working environment, the more time can be spent on improving production and inefficiencies. It’s proven that the more an employee feels comfortable and happy at work, the more they are inclined to perform better with the job at hand.

With the advent of AI and Machine Learning, technical skills among employees are becoming more and more standardized. As technology continues to improve, employers are going to begin looking at a prospective employee’s emotional intelligence to see how they fit within the team. Because emotional intelligence is hard to quantify, companies need to start looking at their teams differently. Instead of simply focusing on sales and numbers, look at how each employee works with other team members. If someone has lower sales numbers but appears to be the person that their peers turn to for advice or issues within the workplace, their worth may be more than what shows on paper. In these instances, your employees with high emotional intelligence could be the glue that holds the team together. In essence, these team members may be what keeps the team running smoothly through times of profitability and loss.

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, and Trillium Technical. 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 2017 and 2018 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

In short, this could simply mean that while record growth within the construction industry is starting to plateau, spending and activity related to projects are most likely going to stay constant through 2019 with very minimal increases in overall spending. However, there are still some key factors that indicate a change is on the horizon. Based on past events with a similarly strong economy, this level of growth and spending is simply not sustainable over a long period of time.

Chief Economist and VP of Dodge Data & Analytics, Robert Murray, believes that a even if the construction industry sees a decrease in activity that doesn’t necessarily mean that the overall state will suffer a decline. It is his belief that overall value and spending on construction starts will achieve a “deceleration…the enhanced level of activity that has been achieved over the past several years.” In essence, the construction industry may fall back to where spending and activity was at its most profitable and sustainable over the past few years; a decline but not drastic.

However, according to Cristian deRitis, the Senior Director of Moody’s Analytics, the biggest red flag indicating an economic decline is the steady but low unemployment rate. Cristian argues that, historically, “any time unemployment hovers around 4.5%, recession comes about three years later.” And, in fact, ever since March of 2018, the unemployment rate has been steadily dropping. With this information in mind, according to Moody’s Analytics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this could mean that the economy is due for a recession next summer.

In addition, it is no surprise that the desperate demand for a skilled workforce is effecting the overall health of the construction industry. In a recent survey performed by the Associated General Contractors of America and Autodesk, 81% of those surveyed said they are having a hard time filling craft positions and 56% said the same thing about salaried positions. Where a small number of contractors are attempting to sustain through the labor shortage, the overall problem is that economists agree that is a problem that isn’t going away overnight. Only time will tell how much the construction industry will be able to retain this level of productivity through a long-term labor shortage and consistent low unemployment rates. However, all signs seem to point to 2019 remaining steady and profitable.

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.