Temporary Staffing agency and Direct hire placement news
May 10, 2008
Frontline Source Group, Texas’ premier temporary staffing
and direct-hire placement agency, announced this week that it is officially
opening a new office in Sugar Land, TX. The company that has won “#1 Best
Places to Work,” two years in a row, by the Dallas Business Journal, is bringing
that excellence south to Sugar Land, TX.
“We are thrilled to be able to expand into the Sugar Land
market,” said Bill Kasko, Frontline Source Group’s President and CEO. “The
community is bustling with business and Frontline Source Group plans to offer
more choice and higher standards with regards to staffing and direct placement
services.”
Frontline Source Group offers temporary, temp to hire and
direct placement services to a vast array of industries, disciplines and
specialties.
Frontline Source Group Opens New Office in The Woodlands,
TX
Frontline Source Group, Texas’ premier temporary staffing
and direct-hire placement agency, announced this week that it is officially
opening a new office in The Woodlands, TX. The company that has won “#1 Best
Places to Work,” two years in a row, by the Dallas Business Journal, is bringing
that excellence south to The Woodlands.
Shelly Hoover - VP of Client Partnerships and Development
says, “The Woodlands offers Frontline Source Group a great opportunity.
The city has so much to do, so many places to shop and so many outstanding
companies to work for. Those ingredients make the Woodlands a perfect
geographical location with which to bring Frontline Source Group’s award winning
staffing services. “
Frontline Source Group offers temporary, temp to hire and
direct placement services to a vast array of industries, disciplines and
specialties.
In an unprecedented showing at this year’s 2008 Dallas
Business Journal Awards, Texas powerhouse direct hire staffing and temporary
placement agencyFrontline Source Group, brought home - for the second year in a
row - the winning slot as #1 Place to Work in Dallas Fort Worth.
The much-coveted award makes the 2nd time, in as
many years, that Frontline Source Group has been acknowledged as a place to work
that is revered and appreciated by its peers, associates, colleagues and
co-workers.
Just before the announcement, President and CEO, Bill
Kasko, admitted to several around him, how difficult it might be to pull a
repeat. But when the news finally came, all the hard work, passion, and the
relentless pursuit of excellence were once again secured firmly in Kasko’s
possession.
If you, or anyone you know, would like to work with or for
the company Voted #1 Place To Work 2 years running by the Dallas Business
Journal, go online at
www.frontlinesourcegroup.com or call: 214-744-5627 for more information.
Current office locations in: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth,
Houston, Plano, Sugar Land and The Woodlands Texas. Coming soon to: Pensacola,
FL – Phoenix, AZ – Las Vegas, NV
The Federal Reserve Board said in last week's report on current economic
conditions (known as the "beige book") that "economic conditions have
weakened since the last report. Nine districts noted slowing in the pace of
economic activity, while the remaining three—Boston, Cleveland, and
Richmond—described activity as mixed or steady." Staffing firms reported
"mixed trends in labor demand" during the period covering March and early
April.
Boston In the first district, all reporting firms expressed
concern about the economy, but most remain cautiously optimistic.
New York One large staffing firm in the district reported that
"hiring activity weakened in March and improved only modestly in early
April."
Philadelphia According to staffing firms in the district, "demand
for workers grew steadily in the first quarter," but a slowdown in hiring
activity is expected by mid-year.
Cleveland The beige book said that district staffing firms "cited
a slight increase in the number of job openings, persons seeking jobs, and
placements. Demand was greatest in health care and professional business
services."
Richmond Staffing firms in the district "continued to report
somewhat weaker demand for workers over the past six weeks." Requests for
warehouse and distribution center workers fell sharply, while demand for
temporary employees with computer and administrative skills remained strong.
"Contacts expected demand for workers to pull back further in the months
ahead."
Atlanta "On balance, labor markets weakened, with contacts in
several industries reporting a pullback in hiring and an increase in
layoffs," said the beige book. "Shortages of skilled workers continued to be
noted by some contacts, particularly in the health care industry."
Chicago Staffing firms in the district "have recently experienced
some slowing in new placements." Shortages of skilled workers were also
reported.
St. Louis Economic activity slowed slightly in this district.
Hiring plans from service sector industries were mixed.
Minneapolis "Overall, employment markets softened somewhat since
the last report" in the district, according to the beige book.
Kansas City Labor markets in the district slowed but continued to
show some growth.
Dallas "Orders for temporary staffing services improved from the
last report and were better than a year ago" in the district. Hiring
activity was strongest in information technology and engineering but was
sluggish in manufacturing. "Temporary staffing firms say fees have been
rising."
San Francisco According to the beige book, "economic activity in
the 12th district appears to have been largely flat on net during the survey
period of March through the beginning of April."
For the first time in a year, the staffing industry has stitched together
two consecutive months of job growth, according to data released Friday by
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Temporary help employment, as
seasonally adjusted by BLS, had been slowly eroding since peaking in
December 2005. But Friday's data on October and November employment showed
the strongest staffing industry job growth in nearly two years.
BLS reported an increase of more than 11,000 jobs in November in
temporary help services, up 0.4% over October. Temporary help jobs increased
by nearly 28,000 in October, up 1.1% over September, which BLS had revised
upward by another 2,000 jobs. While the industry may be on the verge of
reversing a two-year trend, the job counts for both months remain 1.2% below
the same time last year.
Nonseasonally adjusted BLS data show a 0.8% decline in temporary help
jobs from October to November, a modest drop considering the average from
1990 to 2006 is -1.2%. October is historically the peak month of the year
for the nonseasonally adjusted job count for temporary help. The ASA
Staffing Index, which is not seasonally adjusted, was flat for the same
period covered by the BLS October and November data. BLS data are subject to
significant revision.
BLS also reported Friday that total nonfarm employment increased by
94,000 in November, slightly more than economists had expected. The
unemployment rate held at 4.7%.
Frontline Source Group, Inc. one of the leading temporary
staffing and direct hire placement agencies based in Texas announced their new
customer loyalty program offering air miles for utilizing their services.
Bill Kasko, President and CEO, explains, “We are very
excited about the opportunity to give something back to our loyal customers.
Our success has not only been due to a dedicated team of recruiters but also to
loyal customers over the years. We have always been on the cutting edge of
trying innovative ways to make a difference within our industry, and this is
just another example of our “outside of the box” thinking.” He went on to say,
“With being awarded the Best Places to Work 2007 by the Dallas Business Journal
or our own radio show on CBS radio here in Dallas, Frontline has always strived
to make a difference and change the image of the employment temporary staffing
world.”
Customers are eligible to earn miles based on successful
placements and fulfillment of the terms of the agreement with the company.
Information as well as the application form to complete can be found at
www.frontlinesourcegroup.com
In what may be a long-awaited reversal of months of slow erosion in
staffing industry employment, data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics showed marked improvement in several numbers for temporary
help services: employment increased in October, and estimates for previous
months were revised up.
Staffing industry employment increased by more than 20,000 jobs from
September to October, seasonally adjusted, according to BLS. That was the
biggest month-to-month increase—by a wide margin—since December 2005.
Moreover, BLS revised its August and September estimates upward. The agency
routinely revises its preliminary estimates, but this was the first time all
year that the revisions increased the job count in the staffing industry. Of
the previous 19 months, 15 had been revised down. BLS still estimates
temporary help employment fell by some 19,000 jobs in September, but the
revised loss was less than originally estimated, and October job growth more
than offset September's decline. The net growth with the two months
combined, plus a slight increase in temporary help jobs in August, along
with the upward revisions of recent months, suggest staffing's sluggishness
may be coming to an end.
Staffing employment has slowly eroded over the last two years, according
to BLS. October's seasonally adjusted job count for temporary help services
was about 79,000—or 3%—lower than the industry's most recent peak in
December 2005, and 1.6% less than October of last year. The industry has
never experienced so long a period of sluggishness. Previous declines have
featured precipitous drops immediately preceding a recession. The current
pattern looks nothing like a recession.
Historically, staffing industry employment tends to peak in October.
Actual employment in temporary help services (not seasonally adjusted), as
reported by BLS last week, reached its highest level since October of last
year, but it was still 1.9% lower than last October. The ASA Staffing Index,
which is not seasonally adjusted, reached a new high of 109 in October.
As for total nonfarm employment, BLS reported an increase of 166,000 jobs
last month. That was more than double the 80,000 consensus estimate of
economists, according to the Wall Street Journal, and the biggest
increase in five months. "Job gains occurred in professional and business
services, health care, and leisure and hospitality," BLS reported. BLS also
reported that the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.7% last month.
Loyal employees in the U.S. work force are currently outnumbered by
employees who are likely to leave their companies in the next two years,
according to a new national study. The Walker Loyalty Report for the
Workplace found that 36% of U.S. workers are considered "high risk,"
compared with only 34% who are "truly loyal."
The study, conducted by Walker Information, a research and consulting
firm, focused on nearly 3,000 full- and part-time workers at organizations
with at least 50 employees. According to the study, when employee loyalty
declines, there is a negative impact on workplace performance and results.
High-risk employees don't think that they have a vested interest in the
success of the company, and are less willing to put in extra time and
effort. Their truly loyal counterparts are far more likely to participate in
career planning, training classes, and mentoring programs.
However, when companies lose "people who are key to [the] organization,
that's when this high-risk [employee] becomes a problem," explains Chris
Woolard, senior consultant for Walker Information.
Understanding what drives employee loyalty is the key to overcoming this
problem. According to the report, tenure plays a significant role,
indicating that employers need to do a better job of hiring and training
employees. However, loyalty isn't just decreasing among new employees. The
survey reports that loyalty has also dropped in upper management levels
since the last survey in 2005. Woolard points out that baby boomers
increasingly feel excluded from development opportunities and are joining
the ranks of high-risk employees. The No. 1 loyalty driver for employees
overall continues to be development, according to Woolard.
"You can't have client loyalty without employee loyalty," says Dan
Campbell, chief executive officer of ASA member Hire Dynamics. Campbell says
that Hire Dynamics—recently voted one of Atlanta's best places to
work—treats employee loyalty as a key factor in the success of the entire
company. He attributes the company's success to its culture, which "values
employees as assets."
Court Allows Pregnancy Discrimination
Claim To Proceed
A federal court in New Jersey has ruled that a pregnancy discrimination
claim against a staffing firm client may proceed because the temporary
employee may be able to demonstrate that the proximity between the notice of
pregnancy and termination was sufficient to raise a question for the jury.
The staffing firm placed the temporary employee with the client. After
several months on assignment, the client offered the temporary employee a
permanent position with the company. The employee declined the offer.
Subsequently, the temporary employee discovered she was pregnant and
notified her supervisor. Approximately two weeks later, she was terminated
without an explanation. When responding to a later U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission inquiry, the client cited excessive absenteeism as
the reason for the employee's termination. The temporary employee contends
that she received permission to leave early and some of her absences were
excused after presenting a doctor's note.
For the case to proceed, the employee must establish that she is a member
of a protected class, that she was performing her job at a level that met
the employer's legitimate expectations, that she suffered some form of
adverse employment action, and that this action occurred under circumstances
that give rise to an inference of unlawful discrimination.
The client conceded that it knew the employee was pregnant but argued
that it has no duty to warn a temporary employee of termination under the
auspices of at-will employment. The court did not agree, noting that
unlawful discrimination is an exception to that doctrine.
Moreover, the court rejected the client's argument that the temporary
employee cannot show that her termination occurred under circumstances that
give rise to an inference of unlawful discrimination. The court stated that
the temporal proximity between the date on which the temporary employee
informed the client of her pregnancy and the date of termination (two weeks
or less) disproves that argument. Also, the temporary employee was offered
permanent employment after the alleged excessive absenteeism. The court held
that in meeting the elements of a sex discrimination claim under Title VII
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the case may proceed.
To read the decision, see Pineda v. Bath Unlimited Inc. 2007 WL
2705150 (D.N.J. Sept. 14, 2007).
It's not computer skills but writing skills that entry-level workers need
the most help with, according to a recent survey of human resource
professionals.
Of the HR executives who participated in the survey conducted by
consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, 45% named writing skills the
area where recent graduates are most deficient. Critical thinking
deficiencies and a lack in other skills, such as interpersonal skills and
conflict management, tied for second place at 27% each.
Today's college students grew up with e-mail and text messaging, using
"shortened syntax, incomplete sentences, and no punctuation…which have
undoubtedly eroded the fundamental writing skills needed in most
professional positions," says John A. Challenger of Challenger, Gray &
Christmas.
"Clients want to see how candidates write," says Diedria Joseph of ASA
member company Topp Knotch Personnel. Spelling errors can be indicative of a
candidate's attention to detail. "What people read is a first impression,"
Joseph notes, so it behooves job seekers and their recruiters to review what
they write and revise as necessary.
To help further hone their communication skills, Challenger advises,
students and young professionals should enroll in courses in history,
interpersonal communications, and writing—both technical and creative.
It's not just staffing companies that reported higher employment levels
in the second quarter of 2007. In a quarterly survey of more than 100
National Association for Business Economics members, business leaders in
various sectors of the U.S. economy indicated that demand for goods and
services at their firms increased sharply in the spring months.
"The July NABE Industry Survey showed a pickup in business activity,
profit margins, hiring, and capital spending compared to the first quarter,"
said economist Ken Simonson. "Expectations also brightened for the next few
quarters for the economy as a whole and for employment."
Wage increases and skilled-labor shortages became more widespread in the
second quarter, according to survey respondents. More than 40% of firms
reported that wages and salaries rose in the second quarter, and 40% of
respondents reported skilled-labor shortages.
Employment growth at respondents' firms snapped back in the second
quarter, as the percentage of firms that added employees hit a one-year
high. Expectations about hiring in the coming half-year also improved.
Survey respondents are NABE members who work for private sector companies
and industry trade associations. More information about the survey is
available at the NABE Web site,
nabe.com.
FOR FURTHER
DETAILS, CONTACT JENNY COPPINGER, 214/525-7415
KRLD Adds New Program to Weekend Lineup
(Dallas/Fort
Worth) –
NewsRadio 1080 KRLD announced today a new addition to its weekend lineup. The Frontline Source Group
Employment Hour, will air Sundays from 7 to 8 p.m., beginning August 5th.
The show
will take listener calls and will cover topics such as careers, the employment
market, interview tips and finding the best people to help businesses prosper.
Host Bill Kasko
said, “I’m really
looking forward to joining KRLD’s weekend lineup. It’s a great opportunity for
Frontline Source Group to get connected to the Dallas-Fort Worth business
community and to provide insight to listeners who are searching for employment.
I’m very passionate about what I do, and I work it to absolute perfection.”
www.frontlinesourcegroup.com Frontline Source Group is one of the fastest growing
information technology, accounting and finance, human resource, legal,
administrative and clerical staffing agencies in Texas.
www.krld.com 50,000-watt KRLD is the source for local news, talk and
information in Dallas/Fort Worth and is the flagship of the Texas Rangers Radio
Network and the Texas State Networks. TSN, the Texas State Networks, serves over
130 radio affiliates in two time zones with news, talk and sports programs.
KRLD and TSN are owned and operated by CBS RADIO, one of the largest
major-market radio operators in the United States.
Economic activity continued to expand at a steady pace, the Federal
Reserve Board said in last week's review of regional economies (known as the
"beige book"). Despite a persisting shortage of skilled labor, employment
levels increased in most regions and in most sectors of the economy. Upward
pressure on wages for in-demand, high-skilled workers continues to increase
labor costs.
Boston Business services firms reported solid growth, particularly
in health care, pharmaceuticals, financial services, and technology.
"Companies are finding it increasingly difficult to attract and retain
quality employees."
New York The district reported a continued moderate economic
expansion. The labor market has remained steady, with businesses expecting
to increase their payrolls by a faster pace in the second half of the year.
Philadelphia Staffing firms noted a steady increase in the demand
for workers and indicated that they expect the upbeat hiring pace of the
second quarter to continue into the third quarter.
Cleveland Staffing firms continued to report "positive trends in
job openings, with an increase in the number of permanent openings."
Additionally, a steady increase in the number of job seekers has been noted
since late May. Continued upward pressure on wages is expected.
Richmond Staffing firms reported increased demand, particularly
for workers trained in life sciences and business services. The increasingly
tight labor market continues "to drive demand for temporary workers."
Atlanta The district reported that "labor markets in most areas
remained tight," resulting in increased labor costs. A shortage of skilled
workers in health care, education, accounting, and information technology
was noted.
Chicago Labor market conditions were reportedly varied by industry
and location. Staffing firms reported a decline in billable hours for
temporary placements.
St. Louis A continued expansion of select manufacturing and
services sectors was noted. Consequently, increased hiring is expected in
aerospace and motor vehicle parts manufacturing; business support services;
health services; and professional, scientific, and technical services.
Minneapolis Activity in the professional business services sector
was higher year-over-year and is expected to expand in the next 12 months.
Staffing firms anticipate increased hiring in the third quarter.
Kansas City "Hiring announcements outpaced planned layoffs." A
continued shortage of skilled workers in the finance, engineering, retail,
and hospitality industries was noted.
Dallas Shortages of skilled workers continue to constrict labor
market conditions. Businesses reported a rise in wages "between 3% and 4%."
Staffing firms cited increased job orders in accounting, finance, and
information technology.
San Francisco The district reported moderate upward wage pressures
with increased demand for workers in health care, information technology,
and professional business services.
On May 25, President Bush signed into law an emergency war supplemental
spending measure that included a provision to increase the federal minimum
wage incrementally to $7.25 per hour by July 24, 2009. This is the first
increase in the federal minimum wage rate since 1997.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, organized labor's think tank,
the first increase in the federal minimum wage, to $5.85 per hour July 24,
will raise the minimum wage rate in the 20 states where it is currently
$5.15 per hour. In July 2008, the federal minimum wage rate will increase to
$6.55 per hour and will boost the minimum wage in 25 states. The last
increase, to $7.25 per hour July 24, 2009, will increase the wage rate in 35
states, which will leave 11 states with a minimum wage rate higher than the
federal rate—unless state legislatures take action before 2009 to increase
their minimum wage rates.
There has been a flurry of minimum wage proposals at the state level thus
far in the 2007 session. Approximately 38 states have considered legislation
to increase their minimum wage rates.
EPI noted that at the time the federal law was signed, 29 states and
Washington, DC, had minimum wage rates in effect that were higher than the
federal rate of $5.15 per hour: Alaska ($7.15), Arizona ($6.75), Arkansas
($6.25), California ($7.50), Colorado ($6.85), Connecticut ($7.65), Delaware
($6.65), the District of Columbia ($7), Florida ($6.67), Hawaii ($7.25),
Illinois ($6.50), Iowa ($6.20), Maine ($6.75), Maryland ($6.15),
Massachusetts ($7.50), Michigan ($6.95), Minnesota ($6.15), Missouri
($6.50), Montana ($6.15), Nevada ($6.15), New Jersey ($7.15), New York
($7.15), North Carolina ($6.15), Ohio ($6.85), Oregon ($7.80), Pennsylvania
($6.25), Rhode Island ($7.40), Vermont ($7.53), Washington ($7.93), and
Wisconsin ($6.50). Also this year, the minimum wage in Michigan and
Pennsylvania will increase to $7.15 per hour July 1. The minimum wage in
Maine will increase to $7 per hour Oct. 1.
EPI estimates 12.5 million workers will receive an increase in their
hourly wage rates by 2009. Of these workers, about 5.6 million currently
earn less than $7.25 and would be directly affected by an increase.
Approximately 7.2 million workers currently earning slightly more than the
minimum wage will benefit indirectly because they work for employers that
will raise their wages to keep them higher than the federal minimum.
Temporary help employment levels remained essentially unchanged in May,
according to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The report noted that staffing employment has "shown little movement since
its recent peak in December 2005."
Seasonally adjusted temporary help employment, as measured by BLS, has
exhibited scant change since January 2006. Staffing employment decreased
0.3% from April to May, and in a year-over-year comparison, employment for
the industry was 1.4% below the same month last year.
Nonseasonally adjusted BLS data showed a 2.1% rise in temporary help
employment over the month. Similarly, the ASA Staffing Index, which is also
not seasonally adjusted, revealed incremental growth in staffing employment
over the same monthly period. Since its inception last summer, the ASA
Staffing Index has been a successful predictor of nonseasonally adjusted
trends in staffing employment as reported by BLS.
In Friday's release, BLS reported that overall seasonally adjusted
nonfarm employment increased by 157,000 jobs in May—well above economists'
predictions of 135,000 new payroll additions. Job growth predominantly
occurred in service-providing industries, specifically in food services and
in health care. Manufacturing employment experienced continued declines,
particularly in motor vehicles and parts manufacturing.
The overall unemployment rate for May remained at 4.5%, which was
consistent with economists' expectations. The jobless rate has varied
between 4.4% and 4.6% since September 2006.
Melody Mosley Named Certified Staffing
ProfessionalTM - Frontline Source Group
Bill Kasko, President, Frontline Source Group, Inc.,
announced that another member of the company recently received the Certified
Staffing Professional designation from the American Staffing Association.
Melody Mosley, Branch Manager in the Houston Texas office, took the
American Staffing Association exam and passed. “We are very proud of her
dedication of time and the amount of effort that was involved with achieving
this designation,” Kasko said. “This is a very important credential that
illustrates our company commitment to the staffing industry through continuing
education of our staff members.”
The CSP™ program offers a professional credential through completion of an
in-depth, self-study course, and an exam of labor and employment law principles
and ethical practices applicable to the staffing industry. The CSP program
promotes industrywide competency standards through a uniform national program.
ASA represents the U.S. staffing industry. Member companies provide temporary
help, contract labor, and direct placement services through 15,000 offices
across the nation and account for 85% of U.S. staffing industry revenues.
Frontline Source Group,
Inc. was founded in
2004 and named the “#1 Small Business” of
the “Best Places to Work in Dallas” by the Dallas Business
Journal award in 2007. Frontline Source Group is
one of the fastest growing Information Technology, Accounting, Human Resource,
Legal and Administrative temporary staffing agency placement firms in Austin,
Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, Texas.
Please visit us on the web
at
www.frontlinesourcegroup.com for more information on Frontline Source Group.
Frontline specializes in matching top talent with companies for direct, contract
and contract-to-hire placements. We work with clients and candidates in all
areas of North America and Canada.
Dallas,
TX Frontline Source Group, (www.frontlinesourcegroup.com)
a Dallas-based temporary staffing agency and direct hire firm, was named the “#1 Small
Business” of the “Best Places to Work in Dallas” by the Dallas Business
Journal (http://dallas.bizjournals.com)at a recognition luncheon on Thursday, May 3rd. At the ceremony
recognizing the best small, mid-sized, and large companies to work for in the
DFW Metroplex, Frontline Source Group was the top-ranked out of the twenty-three
small businesses nominated and is featured in the Journal’s “Best Places
to Work” supplement.
In
addition to being named the top-ranked small business to work for, Frontline
Source Group was also the #1 business in the “Best of the Best” ranking, which
looks only to company score, not size. Frontline scored a one hundred on the
rankings, the highest possible score, which placed it at the very top of the
“Best of the Best” listing. The company rankings were based in large part on
employee surveys that determined engagement, or satisfaction, of employees, as
well as on interviews with the company president, and additional company
information. The Dallas Business Journal article featured Frontline
perks such as company trips, staff incentives, and the overall entrepreneurial
spirit of the company.
President Bill Kasko stressed what an honor it was to win the category in the
first year the company was nominated and in his acceptance speech, Kasko stated
that the award is “all about people” and praised his team at Frontline Source
Group for making the award possible. Senior Recruiter Sherrie Dvorak agreed with
Kasko, saying “Truly, it's the people that we have hired who have grown with the
company that has made it the company that it is.”
Frontline has grown dramatically over the past few years, opening additional
offices in Houston and Austin and hiring several staff members in the Dallas
office. Taylor Neher-Hanna stressed how exciting it is to be a part of a company
that is undergoing so much growth and said that even though she was recently
hired, she “already feels at home,” an emotion found throughout the company. In
the Journal’s article, Kasko described the company as a “family” based on
mutual respect and trust, which works together as a team.
Frontline was founded in
2004 and was first nominated for this award in 2007. Frontline Source Group is
one of the fastest growing Information Technology, Accounting, Human Resource,
Legal and Administrative temporary staffing agency placement firms in Austin,
Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, Texas.
Please visit us on the web
at
www.frontlinesourcegroup.com for more information on Frontline Source Group.
Frontline specializes in matching top talent with companies for direct, contract
and contract-to-hire placements. We work with clients and candidates in all
areas of North America and Canada.
Overall economic activity continued to expand moderately, the Federal
Reserve reported last week in its studies of regional economies (known as
the "beige book"). Most districts noted continued "tight labor market
conditions, especially for skilled occupations," with overall "modest" wage
increases.
Boston The district reported mixed economic activity in the retail
and manufacturing sectors. "Most business contacts are hiring for
replacement; skilled positions remain difficult to fill."
New York The beige book reported steady economic growth with some
upward pressure on costs and wages. Hiring activity increased despite a
shortage of qualified job candidates.
Philadelphia Temporary help firms described an overall increase in
the demand for workers with some moderation in hiring in selected areas of
the district. Employment costs continued to rise, with several firms noting
increased year-over-year growth in benefit costs.
Cleveland Staffing firms reported "positive trends in job
openings," with the greatest demand for workers seen in health care,
information technology, and accounting. While the number of job vacancies
increased in a year-over-year comparison, the number of job applicants has
decreased by the same measure.
Richmond District staffing firms described a "generally strong
demand for workers," especially with customer service, accounting, and
computer skills. The report also cited a continued trend in moderate wage
growth for the services sector.
Atlanta Labor markets remained "relatively tight," with continued
shortages of skilled workers in parts of the district.
Chicago A continued modest increase in economic growth was noted.
Employment agencies observed faster increases in wages for high-skilled
positions, while pay rates for low-skilled positions remained flat.
St. Louis Increased expansion in the services sector was
accompanied by a continued softening in manufacturing. Increased hiring is
anticipated in several administrative and support services industries;
conversely, layoffs are planned in several manufacturing industries.
Minneapolis The district reported continued tightening of the
labor market, with moderate overall wage increases. Hiring is anticipated in
several service industries, including architecture, administrative, legal,
accounting, and investment.
Kansas City A solid expansion in hiring was reported, especially
in manufacturing and business services. Labor shortages were cited by many
firms, specifically in the information technology, skilled manufacturing,
service, and energy-related fields.
Dallas Staffing firms reported a rise in demand for their
services, with increased job orders from manufacturing firms and continued
requests for workers in accounting, administrative, legal, and computer
services.
San Francisco Shortages of skilled workers were observed in
various sectors, contributing to upward wage pressures.
Employers world-wide say they are having difficulty filling positions
because of a lack of available talent. They especially are looking for
salespeople, teachers, and mechanics, according to a recent survey by ASA
member Manpower Inc.
Some 41% of the 37,000 employers polled across 27 countries reported
difficulties in filling positions in 2007—an increase of 1% over the
previous year. The percentage of U.S. companies reporting those same
difficulties mirrored the global rate. In its white paper Confronting the
Talent Crunch: 2007, Manpower states that "unprecedented demographic shifts
will be exacerbated by a talent crunch that threatens to stall the engines
of economic growth."
The use of flexible talent is one way employers can combat shortages and
"accommodate variability in demand," reports Manpower. According to the
staffing firm's survey, today's larger companies are already in-the-know
about the benefits of temporary employment—they engage "contingent labor"
regularly and strategically to promote "work force optimization."
This is true of companies of various sizes and sectors: According to an
ASA survey of staffing clients, about half of the companies polled said
"their use of temporary and contract employees is an important part of their
company's business model."
Dallas, TX Frontline Source
Group (www.frontlinesourcegroup.com)
was named Friday, March 16th, 2007 as one of the “Best Places to Work
in Dallas-Fort Worth” by the Dallas Business Journal in their fifth
annual ranking, described by the magazine as “the most sought-after,
high-profile business award in Texas” (http://dallas.bizjournals.com).
Frontline Source Group, founded in Dallas in 2004, is one of the fastest growing
Information Technology, Accounting, Human Resource, Legal and Administrative
staffing agency placement firms in Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, Texas.
It was one of twenty-three small businesses and seventy companies total in the
Dallas-Fort Worth area named for this honor by the Dallas Business Journal.
Employees of Frontline Source Group expressed pleasure, but not surprise at the
company being named as one of the “Best Places to Work” by the Dallas
Business Journal. Recruiter Ceesun Sumurdy argues that Frontline “is very
deserving of the title… because of the training and support they provide to all
of their employees." Sales professional Natalie Padgett concurs, describing
Frontline as “the fairest company I’ve ever worked for,” citing its team-based
incentive program.
Founder Bill Kasko, nominated by Inc.com Magazine for its 2006
Entrepreneur of the Year, inculcated a team and relationship-centric attitude
from the inception of the business, intending to “treat our internal company
like a family, thus keeping a low turnover, which is unheard of in this
industry” (www.inc.com).
Recruiter Shelly Hoover describes Frontline as “not just a job, but a second
home” because of the strong “foundation that is in place, where integrity,
ethics, and mutual respect are the basis for everything we do.”
Frontline specializes in matching top talent with companies for direct, contract
and contract-to-hire placements. We work with clients and candidates in all
areas of North America and Canada.
The growing use of temporary employment helped stabilize the 2006
economy, reported the Los Angeles Times, and helped make Ben
Bernanke's first year as Federal Reserve chairman a bit easier.
In a Jan. 31 article about Bernanke, Los Angeles Times reporter
Joel Havemann wrote that temporary employment was one element that
contributed to the Federal Reserve chairman's fortunate first year in
office: "Increasingly common business practices—such as 'just-in-time'
inventories and the growing use of temporary employees—have moderated the
economic cycle by keeping business from overexpanding and then downsizing
dramatically when sales slow."
Havemann's reference to temporary employment reflects the significance
that reporters, industry analysts, and the Federal Reserve place on the
staffing industry. Bernanke has followed staffing trends throughout his
career and has cited dips and gains in temporary employment as indicative of
impending economic fluctuations. He follows in the footsteps of the
much-revered former chairman, Alan Greenspan, who, in his last monetary
policy report to Congress, indicated that he regarded U.S. labor force
flexibility as integral to absorbing and mitigating economic disruption.
The Federal Reserve and the Los Angeles Times are just two of more
than 1,100 influential policy makers, journalists, scholars, business
executives, and industry analysts to whom ASA regularly provides staffing
industry news, statistics, and information.
The economy expanded at a "modest pace" from late November to early
January with continued tightening of labor market conditions, the Federal
Reserve Board's studies of regional economies (known as the "beige book")
reported last week. Most districts reported a sustained shortage of skilled
labor, particularly in the fields of engineering, finance, and law. Moderate
wage gains were also noted, with several districts citing increased costs
for employee benefits.
Boston Business activity was reportedly mixed. Despite shortages
of skilled labor, firms "are typically adding to the head count only
selectively if at all," pointing to wage pressures as a mitigating factor.
New York Moderate economic expansion was observed, with
indications of increased cost pressures. Employment activity was reportedly
strong, notably in the legal and finance sectors.
Philadelphia Staffing firms reported overall "demand for workers
has been rising," primarily attributed to an expected expansion in service
sector businesses. Conversely, the construction and government sectors have
moderated hiring.
Cleveland Despite modest economic activity, staffing firms were
reportedly "upbeat in the number of job openings." Firms noted the greatest
demand in finance and health care.
Richmond Staffing firms reported a "generally stronger demand for
workers since our last report," the beige book said. Among the
qualifications sought by employers were skills related to technology, sales,
and life sciences.
Atlanta The beige book stated that "hiring trends remained
positive" during the latter part of the year. Firms noted rising payrolls in
commercial construction and continued demand for skilled workers in the
energy sector.
Chicago Although the district experienced modest growth, hiring
increased and a district staffing firm cited steady billable hours with
strong temp-to-perm conversions and permanent placements.
St. Louis The continued expansion of the services sector raised
expectations for increased hiring in the fields of information technology
and administrative and support services.
Minneapolis "Labor markets continued to show signs of gradual
tightening," the beige book stated. Wage growth was reportedly "modest,"
with upward pressure observed in some areas.
Kansas City A sustained expansion of employment was reported, with
skilled worker shortages noted in the finance, sales, industrial, and energy
sectors.
Dallas Staffing firms reported "high demand for professionals with
experience and technical skills, especially in the accounting, financial
services, and information technology services industries."
San Francisco Tight labor markets, accompanied by wage pressures,
were noted in the district's finance and technology sectors. Cost increases
due to employee benefits were observed.
On Jan. 10, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill to increase
the federal minimum wage to $7.25 per hour over the next two years. The
Senate is considering a similar bill.
Additionally, it was previously reported (in the Jan. 8 issue of
Staffing Week) that Florida had raised its hourly minimum wage to $6.40.
The minimum wage in Florida is $6.67 per hour as of Jan. 1.
Staffing Agency, Frontline Source Group, Expands With New Office in Houston Texas
DALLAS
– December 20, 2006 – Frontline Source Group, a respected leader in professional
staffing and recruiting, today announced its company expansion with a new office
located in Houston Texas. Located at 4801 Woodway Drive, Suite 300 East,
Houston, TX 77056 (713) 893-4173, this expansion brings the total number of
offices in Texas to three.
"Our expansion into the Houston market will allow Frontline to broaden our
well-established Texas operations to the next level," said Bill Kasko, President
of Frontline Source Group. "Houston is a great market that we have been
planning to enter for sometime. The market conditions and the needs of our
clients to expand into this market have allowed us to continue our growth on
schedule. The Houston job market continues to expand with clients
needing to locate top talent within the market. We are very excited
to have our office open. Our ability to bring top candidates to our clients is our
number one goal, and with our Houston office open, we are positioned to continue our
success in reaching that goal. We believe that identifying talent in this
region will lead to providing top candidates to our clients not only in Texas
but throughout North America.”
"Our new team in Houston is comprised of some of the most talented people who
have direct industry experience within the sectors that we recruit," said
Melody Mosley, Managing Director of Recruiting for Frontline Source Group.
“Houston will complement our Austin and Dallas operations as well as allow for our
recruiting team to source talent not only here in Houston but throughout the US. With our
additional offices throughout the U.S. scheduled to open during the 2007, we
see this as a great day for everyone involved.”
Frontline Source Group, Inc.
Frontline
Source Group is one of the fastest growing firms for technical services
information technology accounting finance human resource legal administrative
clerical staffing employment agencies with offices in Austin Dallas Fort
Worth Houston Texas.
Frontline
specializes in matching top talented professional candidates with companies for
temp services, temp to hire and direct placement jobs. We service short, long
term or project based staffing requirements. Frontline works with clients and
candidates in all areas of North America, including Canada.
For more information please contact Frontline Source Group
Since its launch Aug. 1 the ASA Staffing Index has predicted the monthly
employment situation report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The index is a measure of weekly changes in the number of temporary and
contract employees working for U.S. staffing companies. Once a month, on the
Tuesday before BLS releases its employment situation report (generally the
first Friday of the month), ASA releases a summary of the previous several
weeks of index results. The report is e-mailed to journalists, economists,
and others and is posted on americanstaffing.net.
The November summary, released Dec. 5, reported, "The ASA Staffing Index
remained relatively unchanged from October into November. After reaching a
new high of 105 for the period Oct. 9–15, the index has modestly fluctuated
between 105 and 106 through the period Nov. 13–19. In month-to-month
comparable periods including the 12th of each month [the BLS measurement
period], the index was flat at 105."
The BLS report released Dec. 8 similarly declared that staffing
employment changed little in November. Temporary help services employment
increased by about 5,000, seasonally adjusted, which was 0.2% more than in
October.
Economists, journalists, policy makers, and others who recognize that the
staffing industry is a leading indicator of overall U.S. employment find the
index to be a valuable resource; ASA receives many requests to be added to
the distribution list. Also, the index Web page of americanstaffing.net
is one of the most frequently visited on the site.
Staffing companies use the index to evaluate their performance against a
national metric on both a weekly and a long-term basis. Two numbers are
reported weekly: the index itself, which shows staffing employment trends
over time, and the weekly percentage change in staffing employment. Both
numbers are posted on the ASA Web site, generally on Tuesday mornings.
All staffing companies are invited to participate. Participants receive
an e-mail every Friday morning that asks how many payroll checks were issued
during the previous week and the week prior. On Tuesday morning a report of
the week's results is e-mailed directly to participants.
To learn more about the Staffing Index and find out how to participate,
visit
americanstaffing.net.
Alexandra Karaer
October 23, 2006
Frontline Source Group Press Release
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Staffing Agency, Frontline Source Group, Expands With New Office in Austin Texas
DALLAS
– October 19, 2006 – Frontline Source Group, a respected leader in professional
staffing and recruiting, today announced its company expansion with a new office
in Austin Texas. Our office is located at 100 Congress Avenue, Suite 2000,
Austin, TX 78701 (512) 879-4173
"Our expansion into the Austin market will allow Frontline to broaden our
well-established Texas operations to the next level," said Bill Kasko, President
of Frontline Source Group. "Austin is a great location in Central Texas with a
fast growing community within information technology, legal and accounting. The
area is a focal point for top talent that is brought into the region by the
University of Texas. Our ability to bring top candidates to our clients is our
number one goal, and with our Austin office we are positioned to continue our
success in reaching that goal. We believe that identifying talent in this
region will lead to providing top candidates to our clients not only in Texas
but throughout North America.”
"Our new team in Austin is comprised of some of the most talented people who
have direct industry experience within the sectors that we recruit," said
Sherrie Dvorak, Managing Director of Recruiting for Frontline Source Group.
“Austin will complement our Dallas operations as well as allow for our
recruiting team to source talent not only here in Austin but throughout the US.
With our Houston office scheduled to open during the first quarter of 2007, we
see this as a great day for everyone involved.”
Frontline Source Group, Inc.
Frontline
Source Group is one of the fastest growing firms for technical services
information technology accounting finance human resource legal administrative
clerical staffing employment agencies with offices in Austin Dallas and Fort
Worth Texas.
Frontline
specializes in matching top talented professional candidates with companies for
temp services, temp to hire and direct placement jobs. We service short, long
term or project based staffing requirements. Frontline works with clients and
candidates in all areas of North America, including Canada.
For more information please contact Frontline Source Group
America's unemployment rate edged down in September even as overall job
growth cooled, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics. Meanwhile, BLS said, "Temporary help services employment was
little changed over the month and has been relatively flat thus far in
2006."
Seasonally adjusted, BLS preliminarily estimates that staffing industry
employment declined slightly from August to September, but remained up 0.7%
over the same month last year.
BLS characterized the overall employment situation as "unchanged," even
though the unemployment rate dipped to 4.6% (it had been 4.8% in July),
suggesting a tighter labor supply. Perhaps the characterization was driven
by September's relatively weak job growth; the U.S. economy added only
51,000 payroll jobs last month, about 75,000 less than expected and well off
the July and August pace of 123,000 and 188,000, respectively, as revised.
The ASA Staffing Index and the BLS data for September agreed on a
nonseasonally adjusted basis. The index issued last Tuesday for Sept.
11–17—which corresponds with the BLS survey period—came in at 102, which
indicates that staffing employment in that period was 2% higher than in the
comparable period for June, when the ASA Staffing Index was launched. BLS
nonseasonally adjusted data for temporary help services for those periods
also shows a 2% increase.
With the exception of some modest softening associated with the Labor Day
holiday, the ASA Staffing Index has been steadily improving since a
midsummer trough pegged to the long Independence Day holiday weekend.
Unemployment claims down 2,000
In the week ended Aug. 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial
unemployment claims was 316,000, a decrease of 2,000, or 0.6%, from the previous
week’s revised figure of 318,000, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
The four-week moving average was 317,500, an increase of 1,000 from the previous
week’s revised average of 316,500.
Once again, staffing industry employment held steady in July, according
to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Last month's
job count in temporary help services changed little from previous months
this year but was 3.1% more than in July of last year.
Staffing industry employment has moved little since peaking last
October–December. Historically, BLS numbers show that industry employment
declines modestly early in the calendar year and grows to a high point late
in the year. That pattern has been largely absent this year.
BLS figures show that temporary help jobs have been hovering around 2.6
million over the past nine months. In Friday's report, BLS revised the May
and June numbers upward to show staffing employment growth in May as well as
in March, but otherwise, the job numbers have very slightly edged down from
month to month. On balance, though, staffing employment has declined less
than 1%.
BLS reported modest overall job growth in July—113,000—and an
unemployment rate of 4.8%, up from 4.6% in May and June. That 0.2-point rise
is the biggest one-month increase since October 2001. Despite BLS revising
the May and June payroll numbers slightly upward, gains in recent months
have been well below the 12-month average ending in March, which was
169,000.
Hiring was most prominent in professional and business services, health
care, and food services. Manufacturing jobs declined. Hourly earnings
increased by seven cents; compared with a year earlier, July wages were up
3.8%.
Economic growth generally continued across the nation during
June through mid-July, the Federal Reserve Board's studies of regional
economies (known as the "beige book") reported last week. While anecdotal
evidence suggests the pace of economic growth has slowed in some instances,
the report said that "labor markets tightened further in most areas."
Boston "Competition for high-end workers is
exerting upward pay pressures," the book said. "Employers continue to report
that openings in finance, accounting, supply chain management, and certain
technical jobs are hard to fill."
New York
The labor market has tightened further in recent weeks. Staffing business
picked up in June, according to one firm, and executive search firms are
expanding their own staffs, the report said.
Philadelphia "Employment agencies and
temporary help firms reported that demand for workers has been rising at a
nearly steady pace," the fed reported.
Cleveland
"Hiring continued to be limited," the book said. "Staffing-services
companies reported that job openings increased only modestly in June."
Richmond Staffing firms "continued to
report generally strong demand for workers," the fed said. "A lack of
skilled workers was a growing problem," one firm said, "and would become a
bigger problem if the economy continued to grow on pace."
Atlanta Business conditions were mixed, the
book reported. "A Tennessee temporary help agency reported that business was
strong for high-skilled positions." Shortages of skilled labor continued to
be widespread.
Chicago "Business spending and
hiring increased again," the book reported. A staffing company said that
demand held firm in the Chicago district "but continued to moderate in the
rest of the country."
St. Louis
Economic activity was mixed in June and July, according to the beige book.
Some industries plan to hire, while others are laying off workers.
Minneapolis "Labor markets showed signs of
tightening" as the district economy grew moderately, the book said.
Kansas City "Labor markets continued to
firm," the fed reported, "and wage pressures increased."
Dallas "All sectors of the economy report
growing difficulty finding qualified workers," the fed said. "Temporary
service firms say pay rates have finally increased—as much as 5% to 10%—and
it has become harder to find workers." The report added that "activity
remains high and revenues are up significantly compared with last year."
San Francisco "Labor markets
tightened at bit further," the book said.
Frontline Source Group participates in the Dallas
Beige Book with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas:
July 26, 2006
------------------------------
The Federal Reserve System's latest Beige Book survey has been released. The
Dallas Beige Book, along with a link to the national summary and reports from
other Federal Reserve Districts, is available at
This summary of current economic conditions is based on information collected
on or before July 17, 2006. This report summarizes comments received from
businesses and other contacts outside the Federal Reserve and does not reflect
the views of Federal Reserve officials.
July 27, 2006
Weekly unemployment
claims down 7,000 In the week ended July 22, the advance figure for seasonally
adjusted initial unemployment claims was 298,000, a decrease of 7,000, or 2.3%,
from the previous week's revised figure of 305,000, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics reported. The four-week moving average was 312,750, a decrease of
4,250, or 1.3%, from the previous week’s revised average of 317,000.
Staffing industry employment was essentially unchanged again in June,
according to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
While temporary help services employment has been virtually flat since
January, it nonetheless continued to show growth over the same period last
year—the staffing job count in June was 3.2% higher than in June 2005.
BLS data show that the growth rate of temporary help jobs has been slowly
declining, and total employment in the industry has edged down half a
percentage point since January. However, anecdotal reports suggest that
staffing companies are faring well—specifically, they are seeing continued
strength in demand for direct hire and permanent placement services.
Overall nonfarm payroll employment increased by 121,000 jobs last month,
according to BLS. That was a boost from May, but less than what most
economists had expected—the median estimate of 23 economists polled by Dow
Jones Newswires and CNBC had projected an increase of 200,000 jobs.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.6% last month,
BLS said, which may account in part for the recent tempered growth in
staffing industry employment. The industry's job creation dropped markedly
in the late 1990s when the U.S. unemployment rate fell below 4.7%.
Notable job growth occurred in health care, accounting services, computer
systems design, food services, manufacturing, support activities for oil and
gas operations, and local government, BLS said. Retail trade employment,
which had been declining recently, changed little in June. Most other
sectors remained essentially unchanged.
A New York federal court has held that a temporary nurse could collect
overtime payments from the hospital she was assigned to because the hospital
was her joint employer.
The nurse was assigned through three different staffing firms and, over
the course of approximately one year at the hospital, she worked more than
40 hours in each of approximately 16 weeks. She did not receive overtime pay
and, as a result, sued the hospital.
The hospital argued that it was not her employer and thus not liable for
overtime. The court disagreed, holding that "economic reality" showed that
the hospital exercised functional control over the nurse and thus was her
joint employer. The court noted that the nurse worked at the hospital's
premises, used its equipment, and rendered services integral to the
hospital';s operation; the hospital also effectively scheduled her work
hours, regularly evaluated her performance, and could prohibit her from
continuing the assignment if her performance was unsatisfactory.
The nurse did not sue any of the staffing firms—presumably because she
did not work more than 40 hours in a workweek for any one firm. Because of
that, none of the staffing firms could be held liable. The nurse's only
recourse was to recover from the hospital as her joint employer.
To read the decision, see Barfield v. New York City Health and
Hospitals Corp., 2006 WL 1462269 (S.D.N.Y. 2006).
Staffing industry employment was essentially unchanged in May, according
to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While
nonfarm job growth slowed significantly last month—an increase of 75,000
compared to an average monthly increase of 164,000 from January through
April—"Temporary help employment has been flat since January," the BLS
report said.
Nonetheless, the staffing job count was 3.7% higher in May than a year
ago, continuing to outpace overall employment growth.
The unemployment rate edged down to 4.6% last month, BLS also reported
Friday. Low unemployment appears to have been a key constraint to staffing
industry growth in the late 1990s. ASA data show that the year-over-year
employment growth rate for the staffing industry dropped from double digits
in 1997 to the low single digits in 1998 when the U.S. unemployment rate
fell into the range of 4.3% to 4.6%. With the labor force participation rate
flat at about 66% since April 2005, supply growth depends on population
growth, which BLS generally predicts at 1% per year.
Notable job growth in May occurred in health care, computer systems
design, wholesale trade, financial activities, and mining (especially as
related to supporting oil and gas operations), BLS said. There were notable
declines in retail trade and in the motion picture and sound-recording
industries. Manufacturing also edged down, offsetting April's increase.
In a sign of easing wage pressure, BLS reported that average hourly
earnings for private-sector production and nonsupervisory workers increased
by one cent, following a 10-cent increase in April.
The U.S. Department of Labor recently issued an opinion letter clarifying
when certain employees qualify for the "outside sales" exemption from
minimum wage and overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Although the March 31 opinion letter addresses the exemption's application
to mortgage loan officers, it provides helpful guidance to staffing firms in
determining whether their sales personnel may qualify for the exemption.
According to U.S. DOL, an employee would qualify for the exemption if the
individual's primary duty is making sales away from his or her employer's
place of business. "Primary duty" means the employee's principal, main, or
most important duty.
DOL noted that outside sales do not include sales made by mail,
telephone, or the Internet unless such "contact is used merely as an adjunct
to" sales made at the customer's place of business. Activities such as phone
calls, sending e-mails, and meeting with clients in the employee's office
will not destroy the exemption so long as such activities are incidental to,
or are performed in conjunction with, the employee's outside sales
activities at the customer's workplace. Such outside sales activity at the
customer's worksite must "normally and recurrently" be performed every week.
Thus, staffing firm employees who make most of their customer sales over
the telephone would not qualify for the exemption, while those who
recurrently make sales calls to the customer's worksite may qualify. To read
the opinion letter, visit the
DOL Web site.
Weirdest Job Seeker
Stunts
By Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com
What would you do to get your dream job? Bribe
the employer with food or gifts? Hit on the hiring manager? Become a stalker?
Job seekers will do almost anything to stand
out among the competition. There is no length a candidate won't go to and no
line someone won't cross in order to get a job.
Hiring managers nationwide shared the most unconventional methods job seekers
used to grab their attention in CareerBuilder.com's latest survey "How to Get in
the Front Door."
While some candidates' efforts were impressive like giving Power Point
presentations, distributing portfolios on CD and working for a day to
demonstrate talents others' were complete turn-offs.
One candidate called incessantly for weeks before and after the position was
filled. Another clueless candidate asked for another interview after being told
that the job was filled. One job seeker brought coffee for the entire office,
while another asked the interviewer out to dinner.
If you think that's weird, here are some of the
most bizarre things job seekers did to get noticed:
Wore a tuxedo.
Used a celebrity official fan site as one of
their portfolio accomplishments.
Brought a baby gift to the interviewer who was
pregnant.
Sat next to the hiring manager in a church
pew.
Left Yankee tickets for the interviewer.
Sent a nude photo of himself to the hiring
manager.
Tried to do a stand-up comedy routine.
Waited for the hiring manager at his car.
Came dressed as a cat.
Said they "smiled on command."
Multiple people are vying for the same open positions in most situations. Trying
something out of the ordinary to market your skills and accomplishments can give
you an edge over other applicants. The key to executing effectively and making
yourself memorable for the right reasons is coupling creativity with
professionalism and persistence.
About Author
Rosemary Haefner is CareerBuilder.com's Vice President of Human Resources and
Senior Career Adviser. She is an expert in recruitment trends and tactics, job
seeker behavior, workplace issues, employee attitudes and HR initiatives.
Good news for technical and information technology staffing firms:
Employees in the technology sector are in demand and “back in the driver’s
seat,” according to global outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray &
Christmas Inc. Its recent survey of the tech sector counted 40% fewer jobs
cuts in the first quarter of 2006 compared with that of 2005.
Specifically, 39,379 tech jobs, which include computer,
telecommunications, electronics, and e-commerce work, were cut during
January, February, and March this year, compared with 59,537 in the same
period during 2005.
And the sector continues to strengthen. According to the IT employment
index from the National Association of Computer Consultant Businesses, the
sector added 6,400 IT workers in March alone.
“IT staffing firms [that] provide IT professionals on a ‘just-in-time’
basis report strong demand for their services,” reported NACCB, adding,
“because of the flexible nature of IT staffing…IT staffing companies are
often the first to see the strength (or weakness) in IT demand across
multiple clients and industries.”
Requests for “very specifically skilled and educated workers” are
especially high, says Daniel J. Muhlfelder, executive vice president of ASA
member L.J. Gonzer Associates. Customers are increasingly “asking for very
specific skill sets,” he says.
While news of easing jobs cuts reflects a good economy, Muhlfelder, who
serves on the policy council for the ASA technical, IT, and scientific
section, cautions that mergers and acquisitions and off-shoring, factors
that greatly affected tech job cuts in the past, are still challenges in
today’s market.
America’s staffing companies added 15,700 jobs to their payrolls in
March, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, employing an average of 2.62 million temporary workers per day
for the month.
Staffing industry employment was up 5.1% over year-ago levels and showed
a slight acceleration in growth from February, which had year-over-year
growth of 4.6%. This increase is in line with anecdotal comments from
industry contacts noting increased employment.
While Friday’s report did include moderate downward revisions to previous
estimates for January and February, staffing companies still fared fairly
well at the close of the first quarter of 2006—posting a nearly 5.2% gain
over the same quarter last year.
Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 211,000 in March, above
economists’ expectations of about 200,000. “During the 12 months ending in
March, monthly employment growth averaged 174,000,” reported BLS
commissioner Kathleen P. Utgoff. “Over the month, there were widespread job
gains in the service-providing sector.” Increased hiring was noted in
professional and business services (which includes temporary help), leisure
and hospitality, health care, retail, financial activities, and mining (oil
and gas). Manufacturing employment remained flat, with offsetting gains and
losses in various industries.
The unemployment rate declined slightly over the month to 4.7% and has
remained at or below 5.0% for the past six months. Average hourly earnings
for production workers increased by three cents in March, to $16.49, up 3.4%
from the same month in 2005.
Courtesy In The Workplace -- Can You Say Thank You?
by Althea DeBrule
"Thank You" is such a beautiful phrase. When you say, thank you, it makes a world of difference. Recent research suggests that discourtesy in the workplace is rapidly becoming an increasing dilemma for businesses and organizations. Workplace incivility is growing, including an increase in bad manners, rudeness, coarseness, vulgarity, and a lack of respect.
In 1999, researchers Pearson, Andersson, and Porath at The University of North Carolina Business School determined that incivility in the workplace can impact company profits due to lost productivity and employee turnover. Their studies indicated the significance of this impact as follows: people who experience rude behavior on the job quit their jobs (12%), lose work time (52%), and deliberately decrease their work effort (22%). However the most disturbing result was that over 78% of those surveyed said that this kind of behavior has worsened in the past decade.
Why Say, "Thank You?"
It demonstrates that you value courtesy and good manners. Saying thank you for something you have received, no matter how small is a great way to communicate. It shows understanding and encourages a positive reception and acceptance.
It promotes good health and a successful lifestyle. Extending common courtesy to others demonstrates maturity and a healthy self-esteem.
It is fundamental to strong interpersonal relationships and in building rapport. It really doesn't take much to be cordial to others by saying please and thank you as you carry out business and job responsibilities.
How to Form a Thank You Habit
Learn and practice proper work etiquette. Get back to basics and focus on how you can make your workplace a more pleasant environment for all--bosses, workers, and customers. Acknowledge in some way each person you meet even if it is only with eye contact, a nod or smile.
Concentrate on creating pleasant and agreeable experiences for everyone who interacts with you. Be gracious and considerate. Watch for uncivil behavior. Every day you are presented with situations that allow you to show common courtesy and consideration to others. Be proactive and take advantage of every opportunity to be cordial.
Minimize any "It's-All-About-Me" tendencies. Instead "Do unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto You" by displaying empathy and finding opportunities to increase your connection. Remember how it feels when someone insults you or is rude to you. Think about what you can do to improve civility in your work unit, team or department. Then, just do it!
Be sincere and genuine. Your efforts must be honest and heartfelt. Being courteous comes not from your head but from your heart. If your actions do not match your words, then your efforts will be in vain.
Never underestimate the power of a Thank You! Take time to acknowledge and extend courtesy to someone today!
About the Author
Althea DeBrule, entrepreneur & seasoned human resources executive, has helped people achieve their career goals for more than 30 years. She is recognized for her bottom line and practical application of career transition & development strategies in a way that compels action. To discover how Althea can help you take your career to a new level, visit http://www.extreme-career-makeover.com/
“Economic activity continued to expand in January and February,” the
Federal Reserve Board said in last week’s “beige book” report on current
economic conditions. “Employment continued to increase in most locations and
in many sectors of the economy,” and “demand for temporary workers was
strong in most areas.”
Boston “Demand for workers is strong in office services,
call centers, manufacturing, health care, and information technology
services,” the beige book reported. “Demand for permanent and
temporary-to-permanent hiring continues to grow.”
New York According to the report, “The labor market has
shown further signs of strengthening, particularly in New York City’s
financial sector, and there are signs of a pickup in hiring in the
manufacturing sector.” Strong hiring was also noted in the legal sector.
Philadelphia “Employers in a range of industries
reported that labor markets have tightened,” the beige book said, noting
increased “difficulty attracting and retaining qualified workers at all
skill levels” and an increase in employee turnover.
Cleveland “Hiring continued to appear somewhat sluggish
across the district,” the report said, “though contacts from staffing
services firms noted that district openings were on the rise.”
Richmond District staffing firms “reported stronger
demand for workers,” the book said. “Executive-level assistants, skilled
tradesmen, and data-entry clerks were widely sought,” and “several temporary
employment firms noted some difficulty in finding qualified workers to fill
positions.”
Atlanta “Labor markets were described as firm in most
areas,” the beige book said, “and shortages in several sectors were noted,”
including construction, hospitality, health care, and truck drivers.
Chicago “Staffing services firms reported that temporary
hiring increased steadily again in most areas in the district,” the book
reported, “though Detroit continued to experience stagnant demand.”
St. Louis Economic activity in the district has
“expanded modestly,” the report said. Improved conditions were noted in
manufacturing, and growth was noted in the services sector.
Minneapolis “Labor markets showed signs of tightening in
several parts of the district,” the beige book stated. Specialized and
skilled workers were in short supply.
Kansas City “Labor markets softened somewhat relative to
recent surveys,” the report said, as hiring announcements fell short of
layoffs in January and February. Similarly, “growth in manufacturing
activity eased.”
Dallas “Temporary staffing agencies say activity picked
up and was markedly higher than expected,” the book reported. “Orders were
primarily to supply workers for call centers, distribution centers, and
light industrial manufacturing.” Accounting and legal services were also in
demand.
San Francisco The district’s “solid economic expansion
remained on track,” the book said.
While it’s easy to focus on making this year’s numbers, smart staffing
companies are preparing now to position themselves for success five and 10
years from now. With globalization, the diffusion of technology, increased
automation, changing demographics, and a rapidly evolving economy, major
changes are coming to the American work force.
Most important for the staffing industry, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics projects that the employment services sector will create more new
jobs by 2014 than any other industry: 1.6 million, more than twice that of
any other.
“The catalyst for this industry’s growth will be increases in the demand
for temporary staffing services,” BLS says, “as flexible work arrangements
and schedules continue to proliferate and businesses make their staffing
patterns more responsive to market changes.”
Employment in office and administrative support occupations is expected
to grow more slowly than overall employment, in part because of “the greater
use that organizations make of temporary workers employed by the employment
services industry.”
In the industrial sector, BLS sees growth in construction employment
offsetting a decline in manufacturing employment. “One-eighth of the new
jobs [in construction]—and the fastest growth—is expected to be in the
employment services industry.” While BLS says manufacturing jobs will
decline by more than 750,000 jobs, which is one-quarter the rate of the
previous decade, it notes, nonetheless, that production “employment is
projected to grow by nearly a quarter of a million in the employment
services indus