Think about this way; if you put forth the effort to apply for a position online and maybe even perform a follow-up call or email for a phone interview, you would expect the same level of participation from the hiring manager or recruiter, right? Check out these 7 simple steps that Indeed believes will help you and your team provide better candidate feedback and overall boost your company’s reputation among job seekers.

1. Every candidate deserves feedback. This is not rocket science and means exactly what it says, if they take the time to show interest in your role, reciprocate and provide a little feedback.
2. Start with the material. Always try and be clear and upfront with your job seekers, making sure they are aware of your hiring process. If there are multiple interviews or a waiting period involved, keep the candidates updated along the way.
3. Offer ongoing insight. Give them specific industry stats regarding hiring. If you have an over abundance of applicants for a role, statistics will show that you obviously can’t hire everyone and unfortunately that may involve the candidate in question.
4. Acknowledge the awkward. I think everyone will agree that the worse parts of hiring is having to A. let someone go or B. explain why are they are not qualified and will not be hired. However, in both instances, it will do much more good than harm if you are upfront and honest. Don’t beat around the bush, explain the situation, making sure they understand the reasons behind the decision even if it is as simple as they didn’t make the final cut.
5. You’re never too busy. You will always have enough time to make a quick 30 sec – 1 minute phone call notifying a candidate that unfortunately, you went another route. Although, the conversation is short, this action is much more powerful than you think.
6. Make it actionable. If you come across a candidate that may have just fallen short of being qualified, help them along the way. Provide constructive criticism and provide avenues in which they make be able to better their situation and resume. This could something as simple as improving their communication skills to taking some online courses.
7. Practice what you preach. Try and remember the human side behind recruiting. You don’t always know the back story behind each of your candidates. What if they have been struggling for months to land a job to not only provide for themselves but to better their future. A simple act of treating others the way you would want to be treated, if you were in their position, will go a long way!

In the end, it is very simple to lose sight of the big picture when going through resume after resume. Behind every cover letter and application is a person who is simply trying to find work. By making sure we provide those candidates with the proper courtesy of some kind of feedback, we are ultimately improving the overall job seeking experience for candidates and employers alike.

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 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.

According to Staffinghubs.com, the following statistics were found after surveying 350 Human Resources leaders across the country.

• Only 40% of respondents said that their on-boarding program was successful at retaining new hires
• Nearly a quarter indicated they have no on-boarding program at all.
• More than half of those survey said that managers don’t have time to dedicate to improving the on-boarding process.
• 60% say that the purpose of on-boarding is to integrate new employees into the company culture, but only 30% indicate that their on-boarding process focuses on culture.

What does this tell us? Basically, that the low unemployment rate and qualified worker shortage isn’t the only reason that companies are struggling to locate and retain top talent. It is extremely important to remember that the on-boarding process is one of the 1st introductions to your company for a new hire. If the process is too lengthy, feels disconnected from the company culture or paints your company with an unflattering light, this could be enough to deter a would-be candidate from continuing on in the process.

It is true that on-boarding can feel like a daunting process for companies large and small. However, if this is the case for your company, there are staffing companies out there that specialize in the paperwork and administration side of on-boarding, allowing your company to focus on the long term success of each new hire. As we have entered fourth quarter in 2018, the ball is certainly still in the employee’s court, forcing companies to adapt new policies and upgrade existing processes in order to attract what talent is out there and seeking work. The result of studies such as this one is proof that with a few tweaks to internal processes, companies can once again regain the competitive advantage. For more information, please visit www.kronos.com for the full report.

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.

Are you ready to begin a job search? Before spending hours completing the perfect resume, locating interview attire, and searching the countless job boards, take some time to clean up your online presence first. According to behiring.com, as many as 68% of employers will locate you on Facebook alone. Does your Facebook profile resemble the same person you are trying to portray in an interview?

About 1 in 3 employers have rejected a candidate based upon what they learned about them online. Often times your professional strengths, accomplishments, and skill set can be overshadowed by content or photographs located online; quickly costing you your dream job. So what can you do to protect yourself?

• ·         Make your non-professional profiles private. Create separate profiles for your professional and non-professional social networks and keep non-professional profiles private.

• Make sure your professional profiles sell you. Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Make sure it is complete with endorsements, a professional photo, detailed information about your duties and accomplishments, and is connected to others in your field.

• Network. Network. Network. Take advantage of social networks. Connect and more importantly interact with others in your line of work. Participating in groups, answering questions, and posting content that is relevant to your line of business will all help you gain professional rapport and be seen as a knowledgeable in your field. Let those around you know that you are open to career opportunities and let your social networks work for you.

• Check and re-check your online presence. Before you make the assumption that you have cleaned up your social profiles, test it. Have others search for you and see what they are able to view on your profile. Don’t forget about profiles that may exist on sites that you no longer use such as Myspace. Lastly, don’t forget to run an online search including an image search for yourself. This is a great way to locate any forgotten profiles, tagged photos, etc.

While companies are struggling nationwide to obtain the top talent in their industry, most are not willing to take a chance on someone with an online presence that could damage their professional image. Taking a few moments to prepare before marketing yourself could make the difference between yourself and another candidate landing your dream job.

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.