Category: For Candidates

New Ways to Network Successfully in These Virtual Times

Posted on by MSI

Face-to-face interactions have always been an essential component of a successful business. In the past, it was unheard of for people to get into business with individuals they had never met in person before. The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled everyone to change the way they interact and communicate with each other, not only in a personal context, but a professional one as well.Social distancing and fears of contracting the virus are affecting everyone’s ability to build, strengthen, and sustain human relationships like before. This doesn’t mean it’s the end of professional network development as we know it, or that business relationships are confined to the people we already know. The solution, for now at least, is virtual interaction.

 

The Era Of Virtual Networking

Digital communication apps such as Brosix, Zoom, Whereby, Slack, WhatsApp Businessand FaceTimeare among popular technologies you may have already adopted, or used with greater frequency, to communicate with employees, colleagues, business partners and in some cases, customers and clients. They’re also fantastic for strengthening new business connections remotely.

 

Now more than ever, forging fresh partnerships and new relationships are business-critical, as companies across the board come to rely on each other for support and the sharing of ideas in order to successfully navigate, and survive, business as “unusual”.

 

Here are 5 ways to virtually network successfully and potentially open new doors of possibility beyond the pandemic.

  1. Virtual Happy Hours

Ironically, virtual networking can sometimes foster strong ties even faster than face-to-face interactions. Virtual happy hours are a fantastic new way to network. This is where groups of people gather online through platforms like Zoom and Houseparty with a drink in hand to relax, chat, talk shop, share ideas and more. Access can be granted to anyone who may be interested in being part of the experience via a URL link or shared connection, making virtual happy hours a useful space to network and build connections in a relaxed setting.

 

  1. Virtual Conferences

With several global conferences being cancelled, virtual ones have become the new go-to. They allow remote participants from any part of the planet to access live onsite meetings and events from their computers and smartphones. Same topics of discussion, more comfortable setting! Consider emailing hosts and speakers after the event to ask questions or offer feedback. Ask if they would be willing to speak with you briefly to brainstorm new ideas in the space you are targeting. Take a risk and put yourself out there – the worst that can happen is that they will say no.

 

 

  1. LinkedIn

Over 660 million professionals use LinkedIn to cultivate their careers and new business networks. LinkedIn is all about building strategic relationships. It allows you to identify potential connections through existing ones, the industry in which you operate, and by joining groups. Once new connections have been made, opportunities fordirect messaging and conversation exist, which you can then decide to shift into the real-world if you feel comfortable.

As the platform is all about professionalism, users are particular about who they choose to add to their network. Ensure that your profile is well-established with pertinent information about who you are, your professional interests and endeavors, and upload a profile picture that coincides with the image of the types of people you’re hoping to connect with and who you hope will choose to connect with you. Consider using LinkedIn Publishing to start a blog where you share thoughts and ideas on a topic of interest. It will establish you as a thought leader and generate conversation with others through the comments, which is a fantastic forum for new relationship building.

 

  1. Rekindle Old Connections

Your email address book is probably full of connections that you aren’t utilizing to your advantage, such as classmates from college or old colleagues. Because these relationships have already been formed, send them emails to reconnect and you may discover opportunities to work together on new projects or that your skill set is needed by their company to support its expansion plans.

 

  1. Company Newsletters

Although these can feel like spam at times, company newsletters are where businesses share important information that may be of interest to you, such as dates for their next virtual open conference which you can be a part of. There are also opportunities to build relationships that result in joint digital conferences in the future, where you both can remotely serve as key-note speakers to hundreds of like-minded professionals, thus extending your network of connections. Sign up to a few company newsletters and you might be pleasantly surprised by the rewards you reap.

MSI Is Here To Help

Connecting virtually is great in times like these, but if individuals are comfortable, and you live in an area where cafes and restaurants are open, it is always good to ask if they would feel comfortable with an in-person meeting. Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. The same applies to digital connections. Take time to nurture these relationships and soon you will have built an entirely new network of contacts with which to grow yourself professionally.

We hope this article was able to shed some light on how to continue to grow your network in these difficult times. Visit our website or contact us with any questions you may have!

 

Growing Careers in Florida’s Medical Cannabis Industry

Posted on by MSI

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.

Generation Z: The Up and Coming Workforce

Posted on by MSI

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

Posted on by MSI

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.

Client Feature: Sonny’s Direct

Posted on by MSI

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.

How Much Time & Money Can MSI Recruiting Save You?

Posted on by MSI

When speaking on how his people were instrumental to the success of Virgin Group, Richard Branson once famously said: “Hiring the right people takes time, the right questions and a healthy dose of curiosity. What do you think is the most important factor when building your team? For us, it’s personality.” He was right.

In the fiercely competitive business arena, having the right team cannot be more stressed as a vital factor in the success of any company. People power the bottom line, which means that every hire is crucial. Getting recruitment wrong can have serious consequences on the growth and sustainability of an organization.

Studies have shown that companies spend over $40,000 on training, screening, background checking, interviewing, re-interviewing and more when they need to hire an employee, then repeat the process every time the demand to hire a new employee arises.

This process costs companies time, money and important resources without much guarantee of success. In some instances, it has to be repeated when during the employment probation period, it is discovered that the probationary employee isn’t a great fit and has to be replaced.

MSI reduces this risk and ensures that the best and brightest people are recruited first time round. For us, ‘fit’ is everything. We find the perfect fit by taking the time to figure out exactly what that means, for the candidate and client alike. Our staff conduct an in-depth, detailed and vetted search process to select the best candidates for your job opening. Thereafter, we conduct a minimum of two interviews with each candidate to determine a fit for culture, motivation and skill set match.

During this process, MSI Recruiting also manages both client and candidate expectations, before presenting four to five candidates for your position and schedule them for back-to-back interviews with your hiring authority, for an immediate compare and contrast review. This allows you to quickly select your top candidates for final interviews.

“MSI Recruiting is a highly skilled team of recruiting professionals well versed in the practice of search and placement employing all the latest technologies. Our service alleviates a majority of the time and cost our clients would normally spend during an employee search-and-interview process if they were to conduct a search-and-hire on their own. Our candidate network and continuous search efforts reflects the very best pool of talent in South Florida. Clients of ours that are looking to build their A-team of corporate management can rely on us to recruit and present candidates that weren’t responding to job postings but rather candidates that are at the top of their careers who can make an objective decision about a career move as opposed to a desperate response just to gain employment. This pinpoint recruiting approach gives confidence to our clients that the career minded candidates we put forward are relevant and aligned with the company leaders’ aspirations. By managing the search, recruitment and hiring process on our clients’ behalves, we present them candidates they can’t get anywhere else as well as we save them time and money, two commodities that are better served when invested towards the development of business and efficiency,” said Jody Moore, Partner.

No matter how much you spend on various aspects of your company or keep up with the latest technology and trends, your business will only be as good as the people you hire. Let MSI Recruiting help you select those that will make your business soar.

Previous feature: Millennials in the Workplace