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Looking for a new opportunity or interested in staying in the know is just a few clicks away. Recruiters search LinkedIn for available consultants all the time.  Below are some tips to assist you with letting recruiters know you are looking and that you are open to being contacted for new opportunities. Make yourself available: Use that “Open to New Opportunities” feature.  Under the area that says “Let recruiters know you’re open,” you will see a button.  Turn that button to “On” and the word goes out! This setting is only visible to LinkedIn members that have a LinkedIn Recruiter subscription.  Your connections will not see that you have turned this feature on unless they are on LinkedIn Recruiter.  Also, this setting is for 180 days only, after which it is automatically turned off. It can simply be reactivated for a further 180 days. Keep your page up to date and detailed: Making sure your contact information is current will allow recruiters to reach you immediately. Highlight your skillsets that you have hands-on experience with. Recruiters with specific jobs to fill know what candidate they are looking for. Keywords associated with your field will attract recruiters and help them decide if you are the right fit.  Don’t forget to showcase your accomplishments! How did you save the company time, money, or effort? Stay connected and make connections: Having a large network benefits you when it comes to recruiters searching for a candidate with a specific skill set. Recruiters could be shown your profile because they may have a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd connection with you.  The more networks you have could allow you more opportunities for career growth. Be Responsive: You never know what the future holds and sometimes it’s all about timing.

Most of us have experienced bad customer service at one time or another. And while you probably know that a poor service experience can destroy your relationship with the client in question, you may not realize the effect it can have on referral rates across the board. With unhappy patrons increasingly turning to the Internet to air their grievances, companies need to work harder than ever to earn their customers’ respect. Here are tips for avoiding some of the biggest customer service pitfalls out there: Long Holds It’s only natural that your business will experience occasional periods of high activity when customers have to wait longer for service. However, companies that regularly leave their clients on hold may find that retention rates suffer. To show your clients you value their time, consider hiring more customer service representatives. For a less-costly solution, evaluate your website’s FAQs section to make sure it truly does answer the most frequently asked questions among your clients. Relying on FAQs A “frequently asked questions” page can be a great starting point for customer concerns. However, if the problem persists, your client will probably want to speak to a real person. Whenever possible, provide a phone number on the website so that customers can get the support they need from a friendly and knowledgeable source. Too Many Transfers No one likes having to repeat themselves. If you want to keep your customers happy and loyal, avoid transferring them from person to person when providing phone support. For best results, publish several phone numbers on your website so customers can call the right department based on their needs. Lack of Regard for Feelings You’ve probably heard the expression that says the customer is always right. And while some clients are definitely wrong from time to time, it’s crucial that service representatives treat all customers with respect. Even if you can’t resolve a customer’s issue, it’s important to make them feel heard and understood. And never, ever suggest that the client is the one to blame for the situation!

While some companies pride themselves on speed and efficiency, others tend to work on a slower, more qualitative pace. Timing plays a huge factor in this industry and can truly make any opportunity a make-or-break situation. So, the question becomes: “How do we efficiently qualify strong talent without sacrificing quality?”. The “Why” Behind a Reference Request: The ability of a recruiter to ultimately verify that the consultant can do what he or she says they can do is left to one key component: the reference check. A recruiter can ask amazing questions and still be fooled into thinking they are talking to the perfect fit because, at the end of the day, if they had the true knowledge of a great consultant, they would probably be consulting and not recruiting. A good reference check is the last line of defense prior to introducing your “star candidate” to a potential client. What a Great Reference can Accomplish: A verifiable reference is the greatest tool a recruiter has in their arsenal to prove that a consultant can effectively handle the proposed task at hand. A manager who is willing to put their name on the line to back a consultant’s work ethic and abilities can go a long way in this congested line of work. As a recruiter, I have received a lot a push back on reference requests. If you were a hiring manager with three qualified candidates to decide on and only one of them has great references on file from a recent position, which one would you choose? This could be the clear difference between a candidate receiving an offer or being passed on by the hiring manager.

Are you the kind of person who can accomplish various chores simultaneously? If so, you are probably a multitasker. Not only is multitasking crucial for managing a home, but it can also be a huge boom in the working world. A clerical worker, for example, may have to deal with incoming packages while talking to a customer on the phone and helping another standing at the desk. As a result, it’s important that employees can prioritize tasks and accomplish more than one at a time. Here are three tips to help businesses identify those employees who are successful multitaskers: Reduce Training Requirements No worker is going to come to your business fully trained. However, hiring and promoting employees who are also good multitaskers can reduce the need for costly and extensive training down the line. After all, multitaskers may already be familiar with multiple areas of your business. As an added bonus, multitaskers are often better able to handle the stress that comes with taking on a new position. Open to Opportunities Along with requiring less training than their single-tasker counterparts, multitaskers are typically more open to new opportunities and responsibilities. Because they boast experience in various areas of the business, multitaskers can take on new duties and assignments as necessary. This flexibility can be a serious advantage in the event that a worker leaves suddenly or a company takes on new work spur of the moment. Save Money Desperate to cut corners at your office? One of the benefits of hiring multitaskers is that they can perform the work of more than one employee. While you don’t want to take advantage of asking a worker to do too much, it’s fine to request that your receptionist send a few emails out in between greeting customers and clients. Delegating a few easy tasks to multitaskers can tighten belts while avoiding the hassle of bringing on a new employee.

Think you don’t need a resume for that manufacturing job? Think again! In today’s competitive job market, showing up to your interview with a resume in tow tells hiring managers that you have the professionalism and determination to succeed on any warehouse floor or manufacturing job. Additionally, resumes give you a leg up on the competition by: Separating you from entry-level candidates Highlighting past industry experience Detailing your computer skills Conveying your incredible attention to detail Of course, not all resumes are created equal. At BGSF, we specialize in helping manufacturing and warehouse workers craft top-quality resumes that stand out from the crowd. Check out the below tips and contact our staffing specialists for more information: Tips for Crafting Your Resume Include an objective statement. Want to craft a resume that stands out from the pack? Include an objective statement revealing what you hope to gain from your new warehouse or manufacturing role as well as the skills you will contribute to your new company. Able to lift heavy loads? Skilled at supervising colleagues? Put it on paper for a better chance of landing that job. Highlight past employment. You don’t necessarily need to mention that summer you spent babysitting for your twin cousins, but a resume is a great place to highlight relevant employment. Include any past warehouse or manufacturing experience as well as jobs where you showed leadership and initiative. Detail education and training. A warehouse job may not require an Ivy league degree; still, your new supervisors will want to hear about any special training you possess. Use your resume to list professional certifications, licenses, computer skills, and any other training that may be of value. Not only will these skills help you land the job, but they may position you for future promotion, should a better-paying role open up at the company.

So, you’ve made it through the hard part and now it’s time to speak with the hiring manager. It’s important to prepare for this properly so that you are positioning yourself in the best light. Some of these steps may seem rudimentary but understanding them and keeping it simple will put you a step up on your competition. Finding a quiet room with a strong signal. Using a landline is preferred but if you are using a headset, make sure that the connection is there so that it doesn’t sound as if you are on speaker or in a wind tunnel. You also want to interview in a quiet environment, so you and the hiring manager can freely communicate. Screaming children and barking dogs can cause an undesired distraction. Do some research on the company. Most interviewers would find it positive to know that you have already taken an interest in them and their company rather than just showing up and nothing more. Have a one-minute commercial about yourself. The interviewer only knows you by your resume at this point and having a brief introduction can help them understand your personality and goals. It is important not to carry on and have the introduction take too much of allotted time though, so keeping this around a minute is generally appreciated. Have the job description and your resume in front of you. This can be used to highlight some accomplishments where you added value that correlate to that specific role. This also allows you to ask intelligent questions regarding the work environment, responsibilities, and expectations. Understand the questions and use checkback phrases. Most of the time when a candidate answers a question incorrectly, it’s not because they don’t know the right answer, it’s because they didn’t understand the question. It’s human nature to hear some keywords and automatically associate it with our process regardless of what the question was actually about. Asking “is that what you were looking for?” can stop you from going down the wrong direction. Ask closing questions. After you are finished, ask what the next steps are. This is going to be your first glimpse at the buying signs of the interviewer and they may tip their hand as to how they think it went. If they are asking about when you can be onsite and additional details, this is a great sign for you. Interviewers can tell if a candidate was properly prepared for their interview. Follow these tips and both you and the interviewer will appreciate that you did.

Looking to build a robust company culture? Contrary to popular belief, a great culture is about a lot more than free snacks and video games in the breakroom. If you want to hire excellent people and retain them for the long haul, you need to look beyond the superficial perks. A leader in local staffing services, BGSF helps businesses hire well and keep their employees satisfied. Here are two tips for building a genuine and meaningful corporate culture that goes beyond the little perks: Share Your Core Values Your employees may appreciate the free pizza on Fridays and subsidized gym memberships … to make up for all the free pizza. However, this type of perk isn’t what keeps employees at your business. On the contrary, most employees want to believe they’re working toward a noble cause. To that end, it makes sense to create a mission statement detailing your business’ ultimate goals and values, and share this info with your team. Not only do core values help keep your business goals on track, but they also give employees the motivation to come to work every day. Encourage Employee Bonding All the perks in the world don’t make up for an unpleasant work environment. To foster cooperation and minimize petty disagreements, encourage employees to bond both inside and outside of work. For example, you could schedule group lunches, arrange for company trips, or sponsor a business-wide contest or competition. Additionally, many companies are encouraging cross-departmental bonding by allowing workers to sit wherever they please. You can even create workspaces with standing desks, so different people can work together and get to know one another.

If you came away from that last interview with the wind knocked out of your sail, BGSF has a few tips that could make your next interview your last! Be Specific. When asked a question, be prepared to provide concrete information about your specific skills and experience. For example, when asked about your familiarity with a specific software program, give an example of how you used that program in a previous position. Whenever possible, tie the question back to one of your skills, experience, and/or accomplishments. Sell Your Strengths. What are your strengths? If you are organized, detail-oriented, and love working with numbers, be sure to refer to these traits when giving examples of your work. Know Your Soft Skills. How do you handle challenging situations? Are you a good listener, a quick learner, or enjoy working with people? Clearly identifying your best traits beforehand will help you to articulate those during the interview. The Bottom Line: The more specific you can be, the better.  The hiring manager will know how qualified you are and if you are the right fit for the organization. By doing your homework and being prepared, you could be one interview away from sailing into the perfect role.

It’s no secret that employees act as the public face of your company. Not only do they ensure that work gets completed in a timely and efficient fashion, but they are also the ones to interact with customers and clients. As a result, the happiness of your customer base may well depend on the happiness of your employees. In fact, if your workers are moping or sulking, your customers may be the ones to suffer. Here are some tips for keeping the people in your facility as happy as possible so your business can reap the benefits. Assign Mentors Want to boost satisfaction among your workers? Consider assigning them mentors when they first start at the company. Beginning a job is always stressful, and workers may not feel comfortable coming to their supervisors with concerns. Not only do mentors guide new teammates, but they also ensure employees have people around to help them through the tough times. Those mentors don’t have to be in the same department, but an employee who is comfortable answering any questions and guiding the new employee. Offer Benefits A good salary is important, but today’s workers expect other, less tangible benefits as well. Along with a positive work environment in which everyone is treated with respect, employees appreciate subsidized gym memberships, team lunches, and even just an occasional “thank you” for a job well done. If funding permits, you may want to consider offering bonuses for those teammates who consistently go above and beyond. Bonuses should reemphasize the core values and beliefs of the company so employees know that management truly believes in what they are preaching. Allow Flexibility Regular commuters know that traffic is worse than ever these days. One way to boost employee happiness without adding even a dime to your budget is to allow workers greater flexibility in scheduling. While some companies let their teammates work flex hours, others permit their staff to work from home now and then. Along with improving your employees’ quality of life, flexible scheduling may allow a business to cut costs on rent and office equipment.

Opportunities you want to pursue typically close just as quickly as they open. It’s a competitive market and a lot of other equally qualified candidates are chomping at the bit to hop on their next project. You’re not the only one being called about each project. The more quickly you move, the higher chance you have at getting submitted before the door closes.Timing is everything. So what can you do to be efficient when you are approached about an opportunity that interests you, as well as helping the process to go as smoothly as possible? Try these tips. 1. Have your updated resume, references, and other necessary information ready to be emailed as soon as you confirm your interest. This is critical. Unfortunately, there have been circumstances in the past where there was a delay in receiving the required documents, which resulted in a candidate not receiving an interview. Have references that you reported to that can speak on the highlighted skills that pertain to the opportunity you are chasing. Of course, they will speak to your great character and work ethic, but they will also get asked about your abilities. It may be an individual who speaks very highly of you, but if they can’t discuss how you helped with ABC or XYZ, you run the risk of being disqualified. 2. Be ready to interview if asked. We try our best to get our client’s qualified candidates within 24 to 48 hours. Quite often, they’ll want to set up phone or video interviews within a few days. 3. Know your work availability. We will most likely ask you for your availability to interview upfront. Once you let us know, make sure you block off your personal calendars in case you are called upon. 4. Once you complete your interview, begin the decision-making process. While you most likely won’t find out if you’re hired after that first phone or video meeting, start planning what you would like to do if you receive an offer. There aren’t many circumstances in this industry where you get much time to “think about it” if you receive an offer. Keep in mind, other qualified people interviewed as well, so the last thing we’d want for you is to lose a 100% chance of landing a job. If you’re prepared to accept (or decline) at a moment’s notice that will make all of the process much more manageable.

Resumes have been used for years and are an expected part of the job search process. You’ll almost always be asked for one.  In the job market of 2020, there are so many ways to get your resume exposure.  Research shows that about 80% of jobs are eventually filled through networking!  There are endless possibilities of getting your resume in front of a client today, here are a couple of tips to follow. Establish an online presence: Having an online presence will allow recruiters to find you on the internet.  Create a profile in a social networking tool such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.  You can also use these tools to research available positions in your current job market.  Don’t mistake your online presence as a replacement for a resume.  Online profiles are simply a networking tool that can assist you with marketing your resume. Network your resume: Networking is about establishing relationships and sharing information, this can be a great way to circulate your resume.  Focus on getting information and referrals from your contacts and then use that information to research and target your resume for an appropriate opportunity. If a contact does ask for your resume and offers to circulate it for you, follow up promptly and keep them posted on any meetings or offers that result from their referrals. Post your resume wisely: Many job seekers focus on the big job boards like Monster.com.  Explore niche or specialty job boards like Dice for technology. Sites like Indeed.com combine search results from job boards, company websites, professional associations, and other sources.  Before posting your resume, be sure it is easy to read and that the design calls attention to key sections such as work experience and education.  A well-designed resume reflects positively on your skills. Most importantly, make sure it is updated! Remember that your resume is your presentation to people who don’t know you, so make sure it’s a true representation. It’s true that recruiters can now “Google” you as part of their search process. And tools like LinkedIn do allow you to create something like a resume, but you still need a physical-copy resume. Your resume’s main purpose is to get you an interview. While there’s a lot you can do with an online profile, a resume is still the easiest way to target specific jobs. It’s also portable! When you’re networking or at a job fair, for example, it’s nice to have a document you can pull out and share with others. Your resume remains a key marketing document and an essential part of your job search toolkit. In fact, the work you do in preparing will serve you well in all your job search activities, networking, interviews, and beyond.

Interns offer a number of advantages for businesses, including access to free or discounted labor. However, if you want the experience to be a positive one for both interns and staff, there are a few steps you need to take. Here are some of BGSF’s suggestions for making internships worthwhile for both parties: Assign responsibilities. Think your interns’ main role is to run to Starbucks? On the contrary, the most successful internship programs require workers to take on real responsibilities at the company. Instead of hiding your interns away in mailrooms or sending them out to get lunch, give them a chance to experience the business’ day-to-day operations. Not only does this expose them to daily life in their chosen field, but it can also give your full-time staff time to relax. Create office mentorships. Want to get the most out of your interns? Start out the by assigning each new worker a mentor. Along with helping interns get up to speed, mentors can ensure new employees feel comfortable and at home in their new environments. In the long run, mentors can even help you identify those employees who are most deserving of long-term positions at the company. Keep in mind future opportunities. Internships aren’t just an opportunity for a company to access free labor. In fact, smart businesses use internship season to find those workers who would make good long-term additions to the business. Because you already know how an intern operates, you aren’t hiring blindly. Additionally, you can save time and money on training costs, as the intern is already up to speed to a large degree. As an added bonus, offering full-time roles to past interns can ensure great people continue to sign up for the program in the future.