Finding the perfect people to fill jobs at all different levels of an organization remains a huge challenge for many businesses amid the present market conditions. Continue reading “8 Things to Know Before Using a Staffing Agency”
Author: MSI
Growing Demand for Top Talent in U.S. Financial Sector
Despite facing domestic challenges and an unstable global financial landscape according to world economic reports from the International Monetary Fund, Continue reading “Growing Demand for Top Talent in U.S. Financial Sector”
Growing Careers in Florida’s Medical Cannabis Industry
With cannabis now legal for medical use in 33 states, the lawful marijuana industry is positively thriving. As of January 2019, the cannabis workforce in Florida reached new highs since its state legalization in 2016, totaling over 10 000 Floridians employed in 14 state-licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers and approximately 90 licensed dispensaries. If analysts’ projections from a report in The State of Legal Marijuana Markets is correct, medical marijuana in Florida will exceed $1 billion in 2020.
This exponential level of growth can mean only one thing for the Sunshine State and its residents – job creation. By the end of 2019, it was estimated that there were over 211 000 full-time workers in the cannabis industry across the US, which according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, created more new jobs than those by the manufacturing and utility industries, as well as the government. This number is expected to grow exponentially over the next decade.
While still a relatively young industry, the pull-power for career professionals from traditional industries is incredibly robust, with Accountants, Laboratory Workers, Marketers and Tax Experts comprising more than half of the new cannabis workforce. For businesses and start-ups rushing to take advantage of this blossoming industry, a strong and reliable workforce will be a competitive advantage helping to ensure higher market share occupancy and business growth.
For years, MSI Recruiting has played a significant role in sourcing candidates for new, little-known, rapidly-emerging and alterative industries, securing the best staff from entry to executive-level for our clients across the board. We fill positions related to standard business functions for legal cannabis companies, such as Human Resources, Finance, Marketing, Sales and Administration to name a few. We actively work to break the stigma and systemic biases around cannabis and its industry; educating top-tier talent who may have had prior reservations around the industry about its true nature and its rewarding professional prospects.
“The cannabis companies we have been retained by to perform search and placement work located in Florida have proven to be highly professional and corporate in their approach and image. They are high-tech in both décor and demeanor. Our experience with cannabis companies has been placing highly-educated professionals that fill roles in Accounting, IT, HR, General Counsel and Financial Analyses. This industry has the same potential in terms of growth and employment that the Tech Industry has shown over the last 20 years,” said Jody Moore, Founding Partner of MSI Recruiting.
As more and more professionals make the shift to careers in the cannabis industry, the competition for the best people will grow accordingly.
“Cannabis and related industries are areas where MSI Recruiting has seen tremendous activity in the last 24 months. The rules by which the industry is governed are constantly shifting, making it difficult in many cases for companies in the industry to make business decisions. That said, most of our clients in the space are hiring consistently and rapidly. MSI Recruiting has clients that are growers, distributors, real estate developers, and everything in between. From a hiring perspective, we expect the volume and pace to keep up through 2020 as we keep an eye on how the changing laws will affect the industry,” said MSI Recruiting’s Managing Partner Kellen Smith.
Secure a strong workforce today with MSI Recruiting. Through our unparalleled focus on effective staffing, we put forth the best people to help your business achieve success.
Personality Testing in Hiring More Important Than Ever
Some personalities just don’t mix. At some point, we’ve all experienced this firsthand. Out in the world, when disparate people recognize their inability to mix well, they have the freedom to refrain from interacting. But in the workplace, that isn’t the case. Personality mismatches in the workplace can, and will, affect business, especially if it results in friction between an employee and the business.
In recent times, the issue of ‘fit’ has become increasingly important as more and more organizations realize that the majority of failed hires are not always a result of an individual’s inability to perform their duties, but a consequence of poor cultural fit. This manifests itself in employee clashes, breaks in communication, tensions, poor attitudes and general unhappiness all around. Whether problems are immediate or simmer on a slow boil, they can decrease productivity and increase employee turnover, which in turn harms a company’s image and raises operational costs.
Personality testing has become one of the most effective ways of mitigating this problem; helping to ensure that the right people are selected for key roles. These assessment tools provide objective insights into the behaviors, values, thought processes, character traits and professional abilities of potential candidates. This, in turn, allows for more informed decisions about who best fits a job role and whether or not they will thrive in a unique business environment.
MSI Recruiting personality tests can reveal whether a person is introverted or extroverted, patient or impatient, meticulous or forgetful, open or resistant to new ideas, and so forth. When combined with our resume analysis and an in-person interview, these assessments make it easier to determine the most promising profiles and ultimately aid in hiring the best talent at the end. These tests can help with identifying character traits that are important for specific roles, (such as attention-to-detail for an Accountant or the ability to keep calm under pressure for a Neurosurgeon) eliminating any bias from the recruitment process and resulting in greater efficiencies for a company when ideal individuals occupy their job vacancies.
In addition to streamlining the hiring process, personality testing helps employers identify which existing employees have the capacity to thrive in Senior or Managerial roles when opportunities for staff promotion present themselves. As a result, decisions can be made around which individuals will help to boost productivity and business bottoms lines with greater accuracy.
These insights are also beneficial to employees in terms of self and career development as they bring strengths and areas for growth to one’s attention. Through this self-awareness, individuals are empowered to improve themselves in order to reach their career goals. Consequently, this ambition for professional improvement benefits the employer’s business as their employees work harder and develop into heightened versions of their professional selves.
“Personality is a scientifically-proven predictor of job performance and assessing behavioral tendencies in the workplace. At MSI Recruiting we understand the importance of making the right fit between a job seeker and an employer. The insights derived from our personality tests can be used as actionable hiring steps, offering more surety into hires, reducing employee turnover and expenses, fostering positive inter-employee relationships and improving management relationships,” said Jody Moore, Managing Partner of MSI Recruiting.
No matter the personality type of an applicant, or culture of a business, MSI Recruiting successfully makes the right connections between diverse companies and candidates on a daily basis. To find out more about how we can help your company with successful hires, get in touch with us today.
The Best Time to Recruit and Hire Talent
When it comes to connecting with the right talent, timing is everything. Ask any hiring manager. Getting the right people into the right roles at the right time is key to the success of any organization. But like most business functions, recruiting and hiring activity ebbs and flows. For businesses looking to increase (or meet) headcount for the year, understanding when candidate job applications are highest can make a world of difference when attempting to secure the best people.
A 2016 study conducted by LinkedIn examined job applications over each calendar month, as seen below.
As shown, between September and October there is an outpouring of job applications, leading to a hiring spike for companies in January the following year. Taking into account the duration of the recruitment process, multiple interviews, salary and package negotiations, as well as the possible one-month notice period, this suggests that most candidates are keen to start new jobs in New Year. To do so, they recognize that job applications must be undertaken months prior in order for their New Year’s career goals to be realized.
Interestingly, this behavior is in stark contrast to the ‘assumed consensus’ that individuals seek out fresh career opportunities in January and February, which per the table, is shown to have the lowest number of job seekers. This means that for businesses to meet their January staffing needs with a strong talent roster, recruitment endeavours must be implemented at least three months ahead of time.
From March towards the end of the summer, job application numbers show little fluctuation, but still an increase when compared to January and February. This steadiness means that there is rarely a talent drought as the weather warms up. What makes this period favorable for hires is the sense of urgency that career seekers have to start afresh. Their annual bonuses would have been received in December and their salaries increased at the end of the U.S. fiscal year that previous September. As a result, there is no financial loss on their part should they choose to move companies fast.
This is an empowering time for businesses of all scopes and sizes as faster hires means less time, money and resources spent to meet their company’s staffing objectives. Sooner than later hires also help to increase business production, speed up service delivery and shorten project turnaround times; as many hands make light work.
At MSI Recruiting, we consider these trends in addition to a range of other variables to ensure that you are adequately prepared when the time comes to hire new talent. Here are 3 simple and effective ways you can help to ensure that the best candidates are secured by your business.
Plan for the future.
Meet with an MSI representative to discuss your company’s workload and any potential recruiting requirements you foresee in the near future. This will allow us to determine an effective recruitment strategy ahead of time, collate the best resumes and headhunt talent that may not be actively seeking employment, but are open to moving companies if the offer is lucrative – all on your behalf.
Pay attention to the market.
If you foresee potential growth in the market or to your organization make sure you’re meeting with an MSI representative to discuss new talent for new job positions that could add tremendous value to your organization when the time is right.
Make your business the best place to work.
The new generation of employees have idiosyncratic needs that they require from their places of employment, needs explored further in Millennials in the Workplace and Generation Z: The Up and Coming Workforce. Meet with an MSI representative to discuss what new talent are currently looking for employment, and how your company can best accommodate these needs.
It’s extremely important to plan when discussing talent acquisition and retention. Plan now for 2020 and try to anticipate hiring needs based on growth, replacement, or if necessary, reduction in workforce.
Knowing your company’s culture and selling points are vital to attracting talent. If you understand these well, you can target the right type of candidates and be competitive in landing top talent.
Remember, in a job market with 3% unemployment, candidates have options. If they are interviewing with your company chances are they have two or three other options as well. Offer a fair wage, solid benefits, and opportunities for professional and personal growth. Our clients that follow this strategy have the best results in building an A team.
Striking the right balance between finding someone fast and finding someone great is possible when you have a recruitment partner that understands the nature of the market and the nature of your needs. Whether you require immediate hires or need to fill positions within the latter months, MSI Recruiting are the expert hiring professionals who get the job done, so you can do yours.
Delivering the Best Candidates Through Data-Driven Insights
What does a successful hiring process look like to you? For some traditional hiring managers, it entails receiving an influx of resumes, interviewing candidates with impressive employment histories and qualifications and then making an offer to the one who ‘feels’ like they’re the right fit. But at MSI Recruiting, this isn’t the case.
For decades, MSI Recruiting has been on the cusp of innovation in professional staffing and recruiting, unearthing new ways to streamline the process and ensure successful hires for businesses of the future. In keeping with that mission, we are proud to announce a new partnership with Predictive Index, a talent optimization platform that empowers businesses to hire top talent, design winning teams and manage people brilliantly.
Through a series of cognitive and behavioral tests, the platform provides opportunities to make more accurate predictions about the fit of potential employees for specific roles within an organization. Using the results and data derived from these insights, it allows us to determine who the best candidates are from a large pool of talent and then narrow them down until only the best remain. As a result, our clients are empowered to make faster and smarter hiring choices based on tangible facts and statistics, not theory or their gut feelings.
Some of the best candidates don’t always interview well. Likewise, some people know how to talk the talk but, when it the time comes to deliver, they fail to impress. The Predictive Index software significantly reduces the risk of mis-hires. It allows you to determine who you’re looking for beforehand, cuts down the time it takes for MSI Recruiting to source and screen candidates and brings more structure to interviews.
In addition to a more streamlined interview process and finding the perfect professional fit for your organization, the benefits of MSI’s data-driven recruitment reduces staff turnover, supports impartial hiring, increases employee retentions and decreases the time it takes to bring a new employee on board.
Recruitment analytics are the future of successful hires, and successful businesses. Get in touch with us today to kickstart the process of securing the best candidates the market has to offer.
Generation Z: The Up and Coming Workforce
Whenever each generation comes of age, the workplace changes – a shift engendered by differences in values, beliefs, technology, culture, society and an ever-evolving world. Understanding how newer generations differ from their professional predecessors and the impact that these differences have on your business can be confusing, which is why we recently shared insights into Millennials in the Workplace.
With that said, another demographic, Generation Z, is growing up and leaping into the workforce. Born between 1997 and 2012, they are the group that directly follows millennials, and have their own unique ways of being and becoming. Understanding who they are before they become the dominant segment of the workforce is not only beneficial to your business’ future operations, but it’s talent retention as well.
Let’s examine Gen-Z:
Having grown up in a world connected through social apps, websites, smartphones, tablets and smart devices, Generation Z value immediate information and global connections. All their research is conducted online and considered from varied information sources before making decisions about companies, brands and products. They want to be well informed and don’t often make decisions based on feelings or gut. They want to get where they are going quickly and find outdated technologies and systems mundane and frustrating.
According to experts, Generation Z is expected to become the largest consumer group in the US by 2026. They are the most ethnically diverse generation in US history and have idiosyncratic opinions, values and characteristics. Race, gender, sexual orientation, religion and culture does not form the basis of their feelings towards others. They formulate opinions about others based on personality instead.
With changing demographics happening in America, Gen Z will become the most diverse generation in American history and will consist of a population of mixed religions, cultures, languages and races. This diversity will open up new trends in consumer behaviour which will affect the way businesses communicate with its employees and customers.
Generation Z is also very entrepreneurial. Their influences are the likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and countless others that started companies from a garage at home at a young age and went on to be among the wealthiest people in US history. Additionally, many of their role models are young, reality stars and social media personalities who diversify into multiple income-generating endeavours. Generation Z isn’t afraid of going after entrepreneurial aspirations and feels empowered to achieve great success at an earlier age.
“At MSI Recruiting we understand the needs of our different generational talent pools and are proud to say that hiring and retention continue to be at a high level amongst our clients who have augmented their workplaces according to the needs to their staff. Our focus on successfully pairing employees and employers whose professional values and expectations align is why we have remained at the forefront of corporate recruitment for over 20 years,” said Jody Moore, MSI Recruiting, Partner.
Currently, most of Generation Z are in high school or college. However, within the next decade, they will take over the workplace. Employers that prepare their businesses to meet the expectations of this group sooner, rather than later, will be those that have a higher chance of securing and retaining them when the future becomes the present.
Creating a workplace that suits the needs of your employees is the solution to retaining any professional assets. Get in touch with us today to find talent from first-time employees to the most experienced staffers in the market.
Job-Landing Tips for Graduates With No Work Experience
Any professional person will tell you that entering the job market after college can be a daunting task. The job advertisements that employers post online request applicants with vast years of experience and extensive tertiary degrees, which for someone just entering the job market, doesn’t inspire much faith. However, there are a few things that young applicants can do when entering the job market to better their chances and stand out in the crowd of resumes.
Firstly, apply for an internship. An internship affords students and graduates the chance to acquire first-hand exposure of working in the real world. It provides multiple opportunities to harness your existing skills and knowledge, while simultaneously improve your skillset as you learn from the people who have been doing the job many years. This provides you with experiences, lessons and the tools needed to excel when you enter the job market as an official employee, and carries a lot of weight when trying to prove your mettle to a hiring manager. In addition, they are great to have on a resume and can often lead to a full-time job offer at the company you’re interning at, come the end of your internship.
Make use of connections. That means asking your network of family and friends to find out if there are any junior positions available at their companies. Applying for jobs when you’ve been referred provides greater credibility into your abilities, as Human Resources and hiring managers have a higher likelihood of giving a chance to someone who their current employees can vouch for.
Several entry-level job openings may also be advertised internally before being made public, which will give you, the applicant, an opportunity to make an early impression and compete for the job in a much smaller pool of talent.
Thirdly, apply for the job you desire, despite not necessarily meeting the entry-level requirements. Most applicants don’t apply for jobs when they don’t meet the list of requirements because they feel that they won’t be successful. However, in some instances when a list of candidates isn’t necessarily ideal, companies may consider a college graduate. This works in their favor as graduates come with a clean slate and can thus be molded and shaped into the employee that the company needs them to be. Although you shouldn’t apply for every position that becomes available, it is worth trying your hand at positions even when you feel you might not fit the requirements.
Finally, know your strengths and weaknesses and highlight your strengths in your application. Make sure to emphasize your excitement and motivation for the position and the opportunity to add value to the company. Just like people, businesses have a personality. Finding the right people who fit an environment and company culture is as important as delivering on tasks, and who you are as a person may just be the quality that pushes your application over the edge.
It’s not easy to get a job without experience, but it can be done – millions of employed people around the world are a testament to that. So don’t lose faith. Remember, your first step to getting your foot in the door within your future industry starts and ends with you. Check out our video series on How To Ace A Job Interview to get useful advice on nailing your first interviews.
How Hiring Can Help Businesses Survive and Thrive In An Economic Recession
Over the last few months, debates around the possibility of a global financial recession in 2020 have held great preponderance in international economic news coverage. If analysts’ predictions manifest as anticipated, managing a business in a recession could present unique challenges for business owners who aren’t prepared.
During times of financial instability, job eliminations and hiring freezes seem almost routine. Senior Managers debate employee attrition while jittery staffers anxiously wait to hear if they’re being given the axe. When people are worried about their own financial security, they’re unlikely to be giving their job sufficient attention.
A CFO Global Business Outlook survey recently found that business optimism was at its lowest level in three years and that respondents largely thought a recession before the 2020 US election seemed likely. The survey also found that 53% of American CFOs believed that there would be a recession by the 2020 election and two-thirds saw one coming by the end of 2020. In another survey by the National Association for Business Economics, more than 70% of economists surveyed said that they think a recession will occur before the end of 2021.
So, if a recession seems destined to crash the US economy in the next two years, what are some of the things businesses can do to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead, and thrive in the process?
Although it might seem counterintuitive, resist the urge to stop all hiring. In economic downturns, a well-staffed team gives you a leg up in your industry and can yield more favourable outcomes in terms of business health and sustainability than being short-staffed. Output from a well-staffed business is much higher, especially during a recession, than one with reduced numbers.
Second, leverage the recession in terms of securing top talent. With other companies letting some of their best workers go, you now have the luxury of choosing candidates from the pick of the litter. Gold-standard employees who may not have considered your business before, now become securable and at a lower cost-to-company.
Third, prioritise hiring in positions that have a high impact on your business performance. This will ensure that you get the most out of your budget and can maximize these individuals’ niche skills. Make sure to use the best recruitment methods and agencies that have given you a continual return. This will help weed out poor candidates and prevent hiring misfires. Recessions are not the time to make unnecessary experiments.
Finally, position your business as a secure option. If you’re aiming to attract the best talent in unsettling financial times, it’s important to ensure that candidates trust that your organization is a stable fit and they are making the right choice for their financial futures. The benefits of this for your business will pay-off even after the recession has passed.
“After the Great Recession of 2007, many companies found that abandoning their hiring strategy at the time was a grave mistake as it affected productivity, and ultimately, business performance. No matter what the state of the economy, you always want to have the best people on board, with the right mix of skills, experience and passion, to grow your business. Recruiting top talent is even more important in a rough economic climate when companies need every competitive edge, they can muster up to weather the storm. MSI Recruiting endeavours to support all businesses in this regard should a recession in the next few years unfold,” said Jody Moore, Partner.
The best time to prepare for a recession is before it happens. Contact MSI Recruiting to learn more about how we can support your business’ staffing requirements before, during and after a potential economic recession.
Client Feature: Sonny’s Direct
Sonny’s Direct is the leading manufacturer and producer of car wash systems in the US. The company has a long-standing history, dating back over 60 years, of providing the car wash industry with excellent service and parts.
For Sonny’s Direct, an integral component of its success has been recognizing that the core of any business is its people. Since 2013, MSI has been the go-to provider of exemplary staffing solutions and services for Sonny’s Direct.
Doug Conant, internationally renowned business leader, said it best when he said that, ‘to win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace.’ Sonny’s Direct, together with MSI Recruiting, has been ensuring that the business wins in every respect by securing the best employees, which in so doing, is affording it the best opportunities to succeed in the marketplace.
MSI Recruiting has successfully placed 85 talented individuals at Sonny’s Direct to date in all capacities. Temp, temp to hire, and direct hire. MSI has worked with the finance, operations, human resources, administration, marketing, and information technology departments, delivering skilled and experienced individuals who have continued to add value to the team and organization.
“With our significant growth in the past few years, MSI Recruiting has become an integral part of the Sonny’s Direct HR staffing team. They consistently provide us with quality candidates in several roles, whether permanent or temp to hire. They work assiduously to meet our needs, no matter how unique our requirements are. I have worked with recruiters in the past that would inundate us with candidates that did not meet our requirements, MSI Recruiting is different” said Melanie Marino, HR Director of Sonny’s Direct.
MSI Recruiting has enjoyed this working relationship and the opportunity to add value to Sonny’s Direct. MSI Recruiting always strives to be the leader in staffing and hiring, and to provide its clients with the best service in the industry.
“Sonny’s Direct has grown to be one of the most important clients for our recent growth and success. The relationship between our two businesses is the perfect example of a recruiting partner and client in alignment and firing on all cylinders. MSI Recruiting has a keen understanding of Sonny’s Direct’s corporate culture and has built personal relationships with most of the department leaders. This has allowed us to be extremely effective at taking a job requisition from them and quickly determining the best candidate for that role. We look forward to a continued, mutually-beneficial partnership with Sonny’s Direct,” said Kellen Smith, Partner at MSI Recruiting.