EMPLOYEr BULLETIn

ISSUE NO. 5

rEPOrT SUMMArY DECEMBEr 2010

JOBS

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LESSOnS Of THE grEAT rECESSIOn

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companies across the country, and indeed the world, increasingly em-brace contingent staffing as the wave of the future, Adecco has some important tips on how a contingent workforce can add value to any corporation.

Convert fixed Costs to variable onesDetermine which processes can be handled by contingent staff and re-duce core staff to levels neces-sary to maintain normal operations.

eliminate overtimeUsing temporary employees in place of overtime is another way to reduce labour costs.

hire speCialistsThe idea of the “temp” being a semi-skilled professional is a thoroughly out-dated notion. Explore the idea of hiring highly skilled contingency staff for short-term proj-ects, as far up as C-suite executives. Of-ten these specialists can bring skills and a fresh perspective that may be lack-ing in your current team, and can eas-ily leave once the project is completed.

reduCe training CostsCut training costs and improve qual-ity and productivity by employing skilled temporary employees. Also, encourage knowledge transfer by hiring back retired workers on a contingent basis. They’ll be able to pass on their knowledge and ex-perience to younger employees.

maximize produCtivity of star performersAllow top performers to focus on what they do best by using temps for time-con-suming jobs.

Don’t impede the productivity of star per-formers with tasks that could be handled by an additional temporary staff member.

foCus on Core aCtivityUnderstaffing lowers the likelihood of a department meeting its productivity tar-gets, which could have a domino effect on related departments. Shift the administra-tive burden when you use temporary staff by transferring all costs associated with processing and administering payroll and benefits from your company to the staff-ing firm.

avoid Costs assoCiated with burnoutMany companies may take the idea of “lean and mean” too far. Pushing full-time staff to produce more with fewer resources increases stress and diminishes morale, which leads to problems with quality, productivity, absenteeism and turnover. Take the pressure off by using contingent workers. Explore the benefits of flexible work weeks for all employees, including compressed work weeks. They can also help boost morale and even help compa-nies save on operational costs.

be smart about seasonalityIn industries such as retail in which work-load is impacted by the season, contingent staffing adds much-needed extra help at minimal cost.

maintain a good brand imageLayoffs can severely harm employee mo-rale and your reputation as an employer. However, a contingent workforce offers the flexibility to increase and reduce head-count when necessary with less negative impact on your people and your brand.

LESSOnS Of THE grEAT

rECESSIOnSource: Adecco whitepaper entitled Lessons of the “Great Recession” The emergence of a new workforce

As

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Employment edged up for the second consecutive month in December, with an increase of 22,000. The unemploy-ment rate held steady at 7.6%. Com-pared with December 2009, employ-ment increased by 2.2% (+369,000), following a decline of 1.1% the previ-ous year.

There were notable employment in-creases in December in manufactur-ing; transportation and warehousing; as well as in natural resources. At the same time, there were declines in construction; health care and social assistance; wholesale and retail trade; business building and other support services; as well as agriculture.

full-time employment was up 38,000 in December, the fourth increase in

the past five months. Despite these recent gains, part-time employment has grown faster (+3.4%) than full time (+1.9%) over the past 12 months. full-time employment accounted for 81% of total employment in Decem-ber.

Increases in the number of private sector employees in December were partly offset by declines in self-em-ployment.

Among the provinces, Quebec, On-tario and newfoundland and Labrador saw employment gains in December, while British Columbia posted de-clines. Employment was little changed in the other provinces.

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Unemployment numbers December 2010 by City:

Source: Statistics Canada

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In the current environment, it is more im-portant than ever to retain the talented, loyal employees who comprise your work-force and represent your brand. follow these tips to retain your newly hired per-sonnel.

What can you and your recruiting team provide to the new employees to ensure a successful transition right from the start?

reality of the role matches the candidate’s expectations: During the recruitment process, it does not work to your advantage to enhance, downplay or lie about the position and its challenges or opportunities. Once the new hire is on-board, the reality of the situation clashes with the candidate expectations and distrust is formed. recruiting teams and hiring managers need to balance en-thusiastic selling points with the true day-to-day experience that will await the new hire.

on-boarding process and/or orientation program is planned: All the excitement and momentum of the hiring process and courting of the employ-ee disappears when there is no smooth, clear on-boarding process. guide the new hire through the details of the first few weeks. Help the hiring manager to make a plan that includes the learning of key systems, meeting of critical stakeholders and an action plan for the first few weeks or months. Keep that motivated new hire engaged with interaction, shadowing team members and projects to work on during downtime. A little planning on the front

end will send the message to the new hire that they are valued. The little things really do matter like hav-ing a workspace ready when they arrive, materials for their reference available to be reviewed, and someone assigned to “host” them on their first day. Some of this infor-mation can also be leveraged beyond one team to all new hires across the organiza-tion in the form of checklists or new hire kits without creating an elaborate orienta-tion program.

satisfaction with salary and/or salary increase: In these economic times, it is not out of the ordinary to have a conversation with current employees and candidates about the reality of the compensation packages and challenges to having salary increases available to key employees.

remember that the offer can be seen as a total compensation package. Therefore, include conversations regarding benefit packages, equity, on-site employee benefits or opportunities, etc. All employees — seasoned or new — just want to know the truth. Discuss the performance manage-ment system to ensure that the new hire understands how their performance will be measured and how their contributions will impact their compensation. Compensation is viewed as an important factor in their loyalty, but often times it is not the only factor that keeps them satisfied and tied to the organization. It is the culture, manage-ment team, and challenge of the role.

satisfaction with hiring manager and/or co-workers: Always encourage your hiring managers to integrate the entire team into the inter-view process for the new hire. It may not mean that everyone on the team conducts a one-on-one interview, but perhaps the top candidates have lunch with the team or attend a breakfast meeting to view the team in action. The new hire will not be working in an isolated situation and meet-ing the hiring manager in settings different from the one-on-one interview will help the new hire to secure his or her feeling that this is the right fit. If the interview process and position are remote, schedule “get to know you” phone meetings for the candidate with their future co-workers. It is a great opportunity to ask questions and get details about the position.

explain work/life balance initiatives:If there are certain perks mentioned dur-ing the interview process, such as ability to work remotely one day a week, gym mem-berships, discounted tickets to local events through the philanthropy office, and tech-nology allowing seamless work outside the office, be sure to address those once the new hire joins. Provide a resource list for the new hire to provide them with the necessary information on which they can follow up. remember, stretching the truth about amount of remote work available, hours the employees is expected to work, commuting time, flexibility of the team and company, etc. is only going to create a dis-connect with the new hire once they are on-board.

Source: Monster.ca

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About Holloway Schulz & Partners

Our experienced recruitment consultants are well versed in our comprehensive search and screening techniques, ensuring that we select from the best skill sets available and that we are able to achieve a close fit with the unique requirements of each client.

Our extensive networks of affiliates, throughout North America and internationally, enable us to extend our reach beyond the local market - whether you need to import candidates with very specific skills or you need to hire people in other geographic locations.

Our professional recruitment services include the following: initial planning and consultation, needs assessment and job definition, compensation advice, research, advertising, internet search, direct recruitment, short-listing, candidate presentations, background checking, assistance in final selection, package negotiation, and post-placement follow-up.

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