Have you noticed a difference in the requirements for some job openings these days?

Seems like things have changed a lot over the past few years. A High School Diploma or GED is commonly an absolute must, but now an Associate’s and even a Bachelor’s Degree is becoming desired and even sometimes mandatory for entry level positions. College or higher education & training is starting to look more like a necessity over time.

Studies have shown that 32% of Human Resource Professionals said that they hire more employees with college degrees for positions normally performed by staff members with only high school diplomas.

The following percentages are to show the different industries that are more likely to hire an employee with a degree over one without for lower level positions:

• Financial Services – 53%

• Health Care – 40%

• Manufacturing – 38%

• Transportation & Utilities – 37%

• Information Technology – 33%

• Professional & Business Services – 31%

• Retail – 28%

• Hospitality – 20%

Over all, More than 54% of employers reported that they require an associate’s degree or higher for their positions; and 44% require a four-year degree or higher.

Approximately 18% of employers said they have increased their educational requirements for jobs over the past five years.

It seems that the trend may be becoming a lot more popular due to a very competitive job market, which is causing many college graduates to accept jobs below their skill level.

The positive effects of hiring college graduates:

Most employers who have hired more workers with college degrees for jobs historically held by high school graduates reported positive effects on their business effects, like:

• 64% Noticed a higher quality of work

• 45% Increased productivity

• 22% Increased revenue

• 18% Customer loyalty

What do you think the best way to screen outside candidates for a job is?

Bachelor’s Degree?

Associates Degree?

Some higher education?

Mostly just job Experience?

High School Diploma?

Available to start ASAP?

So you’ve been looking for some direction in your life and you think that picking a career will bring just that. The problem is you have no idea what that perfect career is and you’re having a hard time getting started on your path. Now where can you go to figure this all out? That’s right, to a staffing agency.

With the temporary jobs a staffing agency provides you will have the potential opportunity to try out different jobs to get an idea of what suits you best. Imagine you are looking for a job in retail service and you pour through the ads and finally land an interview. You nail the first one but the second interview isn’t for a week and after that the company asks you to come back the following Monday to meet the owner for the final approval. You have nearly three weeks invested in the hiring process, not to mention the time it took you to get the interview. You finally get started but after a few weeks you realize that this retail stuff isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and it just isn’t for you.

At this point you might just wish you had a chance to go back to the drawing board and try a new field of work, but you have so much invested in the process that you just stick with your boring new job and never end up finding what you were looking for. Now, while this may be slightly over dramatized it isn’t exactly science fiction.

Now imagine a different scenario, where you’re hired for a temporary job with a staffing agency. The first temp job you are given is a total dud and just doesn’t work for you. The great thing is that you are being pulled out in a few weeks when the job is through. After the dud you’re assigned to a different job in a different field and things just start to click. You love the environment, you believe in what you’re doing, and you’re happy to be going to work rather than dreading the alarm clock telling you it’s time to get up and clock in. Now you have the opportunity to stand out and attempt to make this position permanent. Even if it doesn’t happen, you know what you want, and you definitely know what you don’t want. You have the direction you were looking for and now you can put together a game plan to go out and get that career you so desire.

If you are currently looking for a job call us to see how we can help! (559)579-1331

So you’ve decided you want to use LinkedIn to find your new job, but how do make that happen? Last week you learned about how people are using the site to expose themselves to potential employers and new opportunities, but now it’s time to figure out exactly what you need to do in order to make the site work for you.

It’s time to create your profile so let’s go over the details. You’re profile should be detailed and thorough, so there is as much relevant information as possible for potential employers to see. This means employment history, education, information regarding your industry, and websites that show off who you are. For advice on how to create a great profile, go to : http://jobsearch.about.com/od/linkedin/ss/linkedin-profile-tips.htm

Adding a professional photo to your profile is important, so find one that makes you look like the person a potential employer is looking for. A headshot is recommended, but it must be resized to no larger than 80×80 pixels.

Now that you have your profile set up, it’s time to network. In this area, quality is more important than quantity. It’s better to connect with people you know, trust, and preferably those who may have something good to say about you in the form of a referral. There’s no need to go nuts and try to connect with everyone you see online.  It will just create more chaos and clutter in your networking circle. One of the best ways to show off to employers is to have recommendations from people you have worked with. Even one good recommendation will go a long way here.

Be proactive and start your search in the job listings section of LinkedIn. Now that you have a professional profile and an easy way to share your resume, you can connect with employers you have been looking for with a few clicks. You can also head to the answers section and post your questions, should you have any. One way to gain exposure and increase your visibility is to answer other people’s questions, especially when theses answers can showcase your expertise on a certain subject.

Last but certainly not least, stay connected. Keeping in touch goes a long way and you never know who might have an opportunity for you.  Connect with new people and network genuinely and ethically and you will have organic opportunities appearing more often than you would expect.

Since the recession in 2008, the industry that has added the most jobs in the U.S. is temporary help services. Out of the 5.7 million new jobs added, 15% of all job growth nationally is due to the hiring of temp workers. In larger cities, a much higher percentage of job growth can be credited to the temp sector.

These are some of the large cities where temp work takes up a significant portion of new jobs added:

65% in Cincinnati

51% in Milwaukee

46% in Kansas City

More than 40% in Chicago & Philadelphia

Is it a good thing that growth in dozens of large cities has been dominated by temp help?

We think that in most cases, temporary employees are a smart option for your company and the economy. Below is a graph that shows the increased share of job growth with temporary help services. It is astonishing how many temp jobs are being offered in comparison to the over all total.

Temporary help services are becoming a convenient alternative to direct hire employees and is definitely worth considering.

The benefits: There are an abundance of benefits that come along with going through an agency like Hire Up Staffing:

1. Expertise Staffing agencies often have a level of expertise that far exceeds the human resources departments in most small businesses. The agencies are more in tune with employment trends, law changes, and recruitment practices because this is their core business.

2. Better Talent Pool Many smaller employers cannot compete with the larger businesses when it comes to pay, benefits, and recruitment tactics. As a result, they are left out of consideration by top performing talent. Staffing companies bridge the gap by leveraging their larger buying power and transferring those benefits to their clients.

3. Cost Savings Using a staffing agency is a cost effective option for certain processes and positions within your company. Your cost savings will be realized by:

* Efficiency: Recruiting, screening and hiring a candidate takes a lot of time. Delegating these tasks to an expert will reduce the amount of time and expenses you spend on the hiring process. Hiring a staffing agency will also allow you to on board your new team member quickly and reduce down time.

* Advertising dollars: Recruiting for top talent takes an investment in advertising dollars to reach your talent pool. Staffing companies have already set aside advertising dollars for recruiting and are already reaching the talent you need. You can leverage their dollars and save yours.

* Convert Fixed Costs to Variable Costs: For some positions in your company you could save money by converting your “Fixed Employee Cost” to Variable Employee Cost” for example, if your business has very little room for overhead costs but you still need employees to respond to customer orders. You could use a staffing agency only when you had orders to fill. Even though you pay a markup on the hourly rate you wouldn’t have to carry the fixed employee costs when you didn’t have the work.

4. Reduce Risk When you engage the services of a staffing agency, you get the talent but not the HR overhead. The employee reports to you but you have no liability for workman’s comp, payroll taxes and unemployment claims. Hiring a staffing agency employee is also a better protection than hiring an independent contractor especially if that independent contractor is a one-man show.

5. Flexibility Larger companies are already taking advantage of using contingent workforce to ramp up or down. As a small business owner you can use the agency’s employees as much or little as you need and have the flexibility to discontinue them once your work is complete. During slower times of the year you can downsize without going through painful layoffs. During busy times you will have access to great workers who can fill a vacancy in a matter of days.

To speak with a staffing specialist about how to recruit the perfect temporary employee for your company, CALL US TODAY!! (559) 579-1331

Did you recently obtain a great job that you want to make sure you keep? Have you been at your current job for a while and want to enjoy it more? Whatever your current employment situation is, we have come up with six helpful tips that will Make Your Employer Love You  and help you to love your job more!

Learn to be punctual

This is the first step to being an amazing employee. In recent studies, we found that tardiness is a pet peeve to not only your employer, but to coworkers as well. If you are on time and ready to start the day with your team, they will love you!

Dress for Success

The saying “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have” is very true. Clothing and presentation plays a big role in a person’s self-esteem and self worth. If you look smart, presentable and successful, you will feel better about yourself and more often than not, it reflects in your work. This type of effort will always be noticed and appreciated.

Aim High

Learn to love your job more by setting goals! Take yourself out of the financial aspect of your job and focus on what you can accomplish there. By setting clear weekly goals and achieving them, you are being productive while at the same time earning the feeling of self-satisfaction. This takes the focus off money and places emphasis on hitting targets and delivering high-quality work while enjoying it!

Respect Others

Today’s work place is very diverse consisting of individuals of different races, religions, beliefs and backgrounds. The goal here is to respect your colleagues! Learn to set your differences aside and look for common ground which will enable you to focus on building a stronger team. Respect is key and will be appreciated by your employer and co-workers.

Be a Problem Solver

Everyone one LOVES a problem solver! If something goes wrong at work, instead of complaining, find a way to fix it. If you have a “Can Do” attitude, it will help the team stay on track and give your supervisor less to worry about, in turn giving you “brownie points” for being such a great employee!

Join In

Find happiness in your job by getting more involved. By adding special projects or extra activities, it gives you a small break from the daily grind. Additional projects can also add some excitement to your day. Be proactive, get your name out there, and always learn new stuff when you can… You never know who might notice your self-motivation and drive!

To meet with a Staffing Specialist about finding the perfect job for you, please call us (559)579-1331!

If you are currently looking for a job please check out our openings at https://hireupss.com/current-openings/

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As employers, we have all been victim to rising health care expenditures. Due to the amount being spent, there is increasing interest in workplace-based health promotion and disease prevention as a means of improving health while lowering costs. As mentioned in the article “Workplace Wellness Programs Can Generate Savings”, a central component of the Healthcare Reform as highlighted by President Obama is DISEASE PREVENTION.

Approximately 60% of all Americans obtain health insurance coverage through an employer-based plan. Many of those employees spend the majority of their time at work. It only makes sense to incorporate wellness and disease prevention into the balance of everyday work life. There are many ways that employers could benefit from such programs.

We mentioned earlier that disease prevention is a main staple in the new Healthcare Reform Plan. Such programs may lead to reductions in healthcare costs, as well as healthcare premiums. There have been many case studies that proved positive returns. In some cases, for every dollar invested in the program, the employer saved more than the dollar spent.

Not only are savings a great incentive, but these types of programs also create a healthy work environment. One difference between a well employee and an un-well employee is their level of productivity. A healthy employee is more likely to be productive and efficient, thus increasing profits. Healthy employees also will miss fewer days of work, costing less in sick pay.

Employer-based wellness initiatives may not only improve health, but may result in substantial savings over the traditional healthcare platform. Plus, employees won’t have to take time off work, and their productivity won’t suffer from being sick in the office.

Reference: "Workplace Wellness Programs Can Generate Savings" By Baicker, Katherine, David Cutler, and Zirui Song