The tech industry has been hit especially hard, reportedly seeing the highest layoff levels since 2000. As layoffs continue and hiring cools in many industries, returning to work for some is becoming increasingly difficult.

The Department of Labor reports 826k unemployed workers remained out of work from 3.5 to 6 months in December. This was a dramatic 36% increase from April of 2022.

If you find yourself in a position of seeking new employment, here are some things to keep in mind in the current economy:

• Talent supply is increasing while hiring demand is decreasing, as a result US wages are expected to fall back to pre-pandemic levels over the next few months.
• Make sure that your resume is up to date and enriched with keywords relevant to your skillset. Employers in some industries are flooded with applies and are relying on search strings to quickly identify qualified talent.
• Be prepared to broaden your job search outside of your industry. Those in technology and talent acquisition may find far less opportunities available and more talent applying for those positions than other industries.
• Be prepared for a longer than usual return to work and to apply to more positions than usual to land a new role.
• Remain open to contract and contract to hire roles as employers may be cautious to permanent hires over the next few months.

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 Accounting and Finance, and Trillium Professional. 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 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a 2022 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

“We have the same commitments to each and every one of our employees as we do our clients. We have high expectations and our requirements are stringent. Once you become an employee of Trillium, we’ll do everything in our power to help you succeed and meet your career goals. When our employees are successful, we’ve done our job,” stated René Poch, CEO.

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 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., named on the Forbes America’s Best Temporary Staffing Firms in 2022, and a 2020 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

“We have the same commitments to each and every one of our employees as we do our clients. We have high expectations and our requirements are stringent. Once you become an employee of Trillium, we’ll do everything in our power to help you succeed and meet your career goals. When our employees are successful, we’ve done our job,” stated René Poch, CEO.

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 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., named on the Forbes America’s Best Temporary Staffing Firms in 2022, and a 2020 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

“It remains a humbling experience any time our incredible staff is recognized for their performance. Our teams work exceptionally hard to partner the best possible match of talent and career opportunity so this award being based off of the direct feedback of clients and job seekers is incredibly special to us.” -Jenna Mathieu, Director of Marketing

Trillium was ranked 113 out of more than 22,000 nominations in the country. The award ranking is based on an independent survey of peers and clients. Feedback from external recruiters, hiring managers at client companies and job seekers are considered. The full list of winners is available on Forbes website.

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 Accounting and Finance, 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 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a 2021 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

When reading over job descriptions, most job seekers tend to make the same mistake, they look over the basic requirements and base an application decision on that and possibly that alone. While this may result in some call backs, it can also be problematic when the basic requirements are not always what employers want applicants to focus on. If you meet the basic requirements listed for a job, that’s great, but that shouldn’t be where you stop reading. In reality, you should be reading at least a little bit of each sub section of the job description including job duties, hours, pay and any additional information that may have you making a much more informed decision. When reading through a job description, ask yourself the following questions:

• Job duties: Do the job duties listed in the job description align with what you have previous experience in or something that you can relate to? Have you performed these types of tasks in the past?
• Hours/Schedule: Are the hours listed something that you feel you can make work given your current situation? Take into account any additional responsibilities you have including second jobs or personal commitments.
• Pay Rate/Range: Is the pay rate or pay range something that aligns with what you are currently making or what you aspire to make? If there is room for negotiation, do you meet the preferred qualifications to get you to that point?
• Job Location: For many job seekers, job site location can be a make or break factor when applying for positions. Is the job location something that you can make work on a daily basis? Are you truly willing to make the commute, taking into consideration traffic and other factors outside of your control?

Something else to keep in mind is if you are trying to apply for positions that may be one step up in your career from where you are now. If this is the case, the same type of concepts apply but doing your due diligence and research on the roles you are applying for will help you greatly. Check out various job descriptions and companies with similar job listings to make sure that this type of role is right for you. The main take away here is that a job posting is simply a guideline for job seekers to work off of. The job description will not give you every single detail of a job, nor will it fully explain whether the job is a good fit for your skill set. This is information that you have to determine on your own given your previous experience and what it is you’re looking to do to further your career.

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.

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.

Candidates and job seekers have a number of avenues they can use when looking to build their personal brand. The largest and most widely used method is increasing their online presence. This can be done through blog posts, social media interaction, and sharing videos to showcase the candidate’s passions and expertise in their respective fields. By paying attention to a job seeker’s online presence, you may learn more than what can be written in a resume or application

In addition to an online presence, candidates can build their personal brand by networking offline. This can occur at networking events, conventions, seminars and through local or regional trade publications. By keeping an eye on an individual’s professional connections, a company can truly evaluate their experience and overall interest in that particular industry.

A more subtle form of personal brand improvement is through teamwork and collaboration with other leaders in their industry. Candidates who are more geared towards collaboration may make it known that they participate in podcasts, group articles or other avenues. This level of networking explicitly shows how well a job seeker is able to work with others.

When going through applicants and potential new hires, every aspect of their personal brand should be considered when determining a person’s experience and industry knowledge. Just remember, not everything can fit on a resume.

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.

This measure provides funding to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its Directorate of Civil Works (for harbor maintenance, lock, dam, levee and environmental restoration), the Naval Facilities Engineering Command and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (for hospitals, medical clinics, cemeteries). As this is great news for those contractors that specialize in government related construction projects including infrastructure, VA hospitals, etc., there may also be room for smaller general contractors and subcontractors who are trying to get their foot in the door with military projects. For additional information on how your company may be able to get a piece of this lucrative pie in 2019, check out constructiondive.com for details and additional resources.

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.