Recruiting Employees -- How to Build Your Job Force
Recruiting Employees -- How to Build Your Job Force
On paper, today's unemployment numbers give the impression that recruiting employees should be a breeze. There's a huge labor force out there, and you have your pick of the best and brightest. But transforming a stack of resumes into a living, breathing workforce is a tricky process -- with so many options out there, where should you start looking? When looking for the perfect recruit, don't despair -- there are established out-of-the-box hiring solutions that you may not have thought of. No newspaper job ads required!
Temp Agencies
If business is booming but you're not entirely confident that it will continue to boom indefinitely, a temporary hire might be a great solution -- your short-term bandwidth issues are taken care of, but you're not locked into a long-term commitment, should it turn out that your business isn't quite ready to bring on full-time employees. And if it turns out you really do benefit from more permanent help, hiring from a temp agency is the perfect way to vet your employees before extending the job offer.
One thing to keep in mind: temp agencies do take a cut for their services. This is entirely proper -- you shouldn't expect something for nothing. However, do some research on tempagency fees in your location and for your field of business to make sure the fees are fair.
College Graduates
With the national unemployment rate hovering right around 9% (compared to around 5% just a few short years ago), many college graduates are making the decision to wait out the hard times by leaping back into academia to make themselves more marketable. Because of this, many resumes for otherwise completely hirable job-seekers will, at first glance, appear to be lacking in the employment history department. But try to read between the lines before throwing these resumes aside for lack of employment history.
Many colleges are adding real-world experience to their curricula to give their graduates more of a leg up, with projects like volunteering, hand-on business training, and other out-of-the-box exercises designed to get students ready for the real world. What a recent graduate might lack in experience, he or she could make up for tenfold with enthusiasm and a willingness to prove him- or herself. Work experience is only one piece of the puzzle, and if you focus too narrowly on gaps in employment, you could be missing out on otherwise perfect, moldable employees.
Interns
What's better than paying an employee an entry-level wage? Paying them no wage, of course!
However, it's important to give this under-appreciated and under-utilized demographic some TLC in the form of on-the-job training, holding up your end of the implied transaction between employer and intern: they work for free, you give them experience -- not just a line on their resume, but real, job-focused experience -- so that they can pursue opportunities after your business with a better hand than they had before you. Teach them more than there the fax machine is and how you take your morning coffee, and they'll fare better in the future -- and you might end up filling your long-term positions with your interns, now that you've had a chance to observe their work ethic with nothing but college credit for an incentive!
Independent Contractors
Independent contractors fill an important role in today's workforce. If you have a specific task that needs to be done, and there's a solid start date and end date (as opposed to an employee, who works for you until either the employer or the employee terminates the relationship), you might consider an independend contractor. No messy tax withholdings and no costly employee benefits like health insurance or paid time off means more money in your pocket!
However, there's a danger here of blurring the lines between independent contractors and employees. As the two types of workers have very different tax treatment, it's important to have your ducks in a row right from the beginning so you don't run into IRS troubles. If you're not sure whether your worker is considered an independent contractor or an employee, review the IRS's information on independent contractors or consult with a legal advisor.
Veterans
The US Department of Labor has a great program to help employers fill positions and veterans find jobs. If you're on the hunt for workers, consider helping transitioning our servicemen and women into the civilian workforce. AmericasHeroesAtWork.gov is a great resource for information about the program. Commercial Insurance - A Tool to Secure Uninterrupted Business and Happy Employees Head To Buffalo, NY For Your Next Job Getting the Best out of your Next Job Better With You Season 1 Episode 17 - Better without a Job Is Retail a Dead-End Job? Job in the Sun-Job in the Sun Safe Secure Job-Yeah Right Job Opportunities after SAP Course What Is Jojoba Oil? Is it really possible to find your Dream Job? Will the Spending Cuts Affect Your Job? Whining About Your Job? So Are 59% of All Workers - Do Something About It! The Nose Job: How to choose