Category: Staffing Trends

When turning on the news on television, it’s difficult not to see stories that include the catch phrases “supply chain” or “inflation.” The truth is that prices have gone up drastically over the last 2 years. And unfortunately, wages or salaries have not gone up at the same level. Consequently, everything is getting more expensive but yearly salary increases are not keeping up.

One way to try to keep up with the salary increases is to partner with a temporary staffing employment agency that works in many states such as NJ, NY, TX, FL and others. Why not let the agency tell your salary requirements and story to a prospective employer. Temp staffing agencies have access to salary surveys and real-time market research. Employment agencies also have multiple direct relationships with Directors and Heads of Human Resources and Talent Acquisition at various companies and organizations.

In September 2022, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items rose 8.2 percent for the previous 12 months , just a bit under the 8.3-percent increase for the period ending in August. The annual inflation rate remains near a 40-year high despite recent declines in gas and energy prices.

Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) just released today that compensation costs for private industry workers (employees) increased 5.2 percent for the 12-month period ending in September 2022. Benefit costs also increased 5 percent over the year.

So what does this all mean? Simply put, it’s sure a lot more difficult to pay for items when prices are rising on average 8.2% and salaries are rising on average 5.2%. The math doesn’t quite work.

In this current low employment rate, working with a temporary staffing agency can help negotiate your salary requirements. That’s why they are called an agency. They act as an agent on your behalf. Additionally, there is no fee to the job seeker (or employee) for their service.

Now we know not all temporary staffing agencies in NJ and other states don’t have the best reputation when it comes to certain things, but the truth is that temp agencies really want to make a successful job placement that is in the best interests of the candidate. Employment agencies don’t look good when there is employee turnover. Agencies are evaluated based on placement activity and retention. Secondly, a happy placement means a happy employee.

Consider partnering with a temporary staffing agency when it comes to shopping for a new position. Let the employment agency earn it’s fee with regards to its value proposition to maintain parity between inflation vs. wages. Not only does a higher salary or pay rate benefit the job seeker, but it also benefits the temp agency since fees are based on the employee salary pay rate. Partnering is the right word.

Utilizing summer interns can be a creative tool for an organization to maintain office productivity and let you take that much needed vacation. One consideration that many companies don’t realize is that summer interns need to be paid a fair hourly wage according to federal and state payroll tax guidelines. In other words, interns must be added to a company’s full time staff payroll. You can’t get something for nothing.

Even when companies acknowledge that they have to pay to play, they still hesitate to use summer interns because they must now officially add the workers to the company’s full time staff payroll. This reality can frustrate the CFO and Human Resources department due to the fact that summer interns who are directly employed will add to the overall company’s headcount. The employment of interns can also complicate monthly full time employee (FTE) census reports. The impact could cost throw off discrimination testing for retirement plans, add additional payroll processing costs, and simply just increase employee risks and exposure with regards to workers compensation insurance premiums.

A popular tool to alleviate such employer risks is to offload or outsource the summer interns to an employment agency that specializes in third party payroll solutions. With this remedy, the summer interns can still be retained, but the summer intern now becomes the employee of the employment agency. The employee or intern is simply transferred to the employment agency and the agency takes on the official employer of record. The employment agency will also engage as the W-2 employer and deduct state and federal taxes as well as insure the employee (workers compensation and professional liability).

A responsible third party payroll solutions firm will understand compliance issues, co-employment loopholes, workers compensation insurance risks, and payroll laws. When selecting a third party payroll solutions partner, select a provider that is financial solvent. After all, the employment agency is extending payroll on your company’s behalf. Also, inquire about the employment agency’s employee benefits offerings. Health benefits and 401(k) retirement plans will increase summer intern retention if applicable.

Overall, summer interns are a great way to maintain succession planning and office productivity. An easy way to get the payroll process going smoothly and quickly is to partner with an employment agency that specializes in third party payroll solutions. Why not let your trusted payroll specialist and advisor handle the compliance?

U.S. employers plan to hire workers at a rapid pace in the new year, according to the Manpower Group Employment Outlook Survey of more than 6,000 employers. Hiring intentions strengthened by 26 percentage points from Q1 2021 and remain higher than prepandemic levels for the second consecutive quarter.

Information technology, technology, telecoms, and communications and media reported the strongest outlook (+60%), followed by banking, finance, and insurance and real estate (+50%) and construction (+41%).

Organizations expect 44% of the finance, administration, and human resource workforce and 43% of the information technology workforce to work a hybrid mix of two to three on-site days in the workplace and remote the remaining days.

This is a substantial change since Q2 2021, when only 22% of organizations forecast a shift to a hybrid model. The manufacturing and production industries are most likely to be in the workplace all of the time (46%) whereas roles in IT and finance are more likely to be full-time remote (21%).

On Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, the fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a temporary stay or block on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on mandatory COVID-19 vaccination and Testing for the workplace. The order effectively prevents enforcement of this ETS until a final decision regarding the legality of this standard is published.

The OSHA ETS requires affected employers to comply with most provisions by Dec. 6, 2021, and with its testing requirements by Jan. 4, 2022. Affected employers include private employers with 100 or more employees
(firm- or company-wide count). State plans will have 30 days to adopt the federal ETS or implement their own vaccination standard.

Temporary Stay

The stay was ordered in one of multiple lawsuits challenging the validity of OSHA’s COVID-19 ETS. These lawsuits request a permanent injunction against the ETS. The Court justified the order because it found “cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues” with the OSHA vaccination mandate.

Impact on Employers

While the temporary stay effectively prevents enforcement of the ETS until a final decision on the legality of the standard is published, the law has not been permanently delayed or removed officially. As a result, affected employers should continue in their efforts to understand and prepare for compliance with the various provisions of the ETS. Affected employers should also continue to monitor developments of this legal challenge to learn more about the viability of, and their compliance obligations with, the ETS.

The court battles are focused on whether OSHA has the authority under a 1970 law to require companies to ensure workers are vaccinated or tested. Supporters say the move will reach millions of Americans in the workplace, expanding the number of people who are vaccinated against the coronavirus. Critics say COVID-19 isn’t a workplace safety issue, and that the administration’s use of the OHSA law is an overreach.

Source: Enquiron

No two days are ever the same for a Recruiter working in an employment agency, and there is never a dull moment.  One glimpse behind working in an employment agency is that it’s fun, challenging, and a place where adaptability is key.  How rewarding and motivating it is to help people find their dream job and change a person’s life!

Recruiters at an employment agency coordinate opportunities.  A Recruiter can’t help but develop a keen sense of people and personalities, while gaining trust and becoming a relationship builder and expert Quality Control Specialist.  Whew, that’s a long job description for us.

Perhaps you’ve received annoying calls from a Recruiter from an employment agency trying to entice you away from your current job.  Surprisingly, the idea may unfold into a hidden opportunity, one a candidate had not previously considered. 

Recruiters need to use research strategies that are inventive and resourceful, for both active (looking) and passive (working) candidates.  Simply relying on regular recruiting tools – Monster, CareerBuilder, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn may not always provide the perfect person for a position we’re working hard to fill.  It’s a race against time when a position comes in, and the early bird catches the worm. 

An employment agency keeps a proprietary database of candidates and employees as a resource for their Recruiters.  When voicemails are not returned, and emails are ignored, crucial delays raise the stress level of a Recruiter, especially when we know the candidate ideally fits this job, ‘as a perfect fit’.  A generous number of hours are spent exploring and pursuing a good candidate, so it behooves a candidate to be responsive. 

Recruiters don’t let rejection get them down.  A Recruiter from a reputable employment agency continuously makes new connections and networks with decision makers, on behalf of job seekers.  There’s no time to rehearse ‘what if’ or ‘what else could I have done’.  Life moves onward and upward with no hard feelings. 

It’s crucial for a Recruiter to probe what a candidate really wants without wasting time guessing. An employment agency professional collaborates with the candidate to ensure that the new job opportunity is a constructive next step in the candidate’s career path.  The discussions are in depth, can require family member discussions and input, and tailored to serve the candidate’s best interests.

A successful Recruiter will also learn skill sets inside various industries in order to guide people looking to change a career.  In-depth research on a client company is vital.  This investigation lets a Recruiter prioritize and pose the right questions to a candidate during a rehearsal or mock interview, further increasing candidate Quality Control.  They probe into each and every accomplishment, administrative or technical skill, education, past job, type of company they’ve thrived in, references, and salary requirements. 

Employment agency Recruiters live in the details. A Recruiter provides its clients with pros and cons of a candidate prior to agreement of interview.  Next, an extensive ‘over-the-top’ Q&A by the Recruiter prepares each candidate for that position.  If recruiters are not thorough and put a candidate ‘through the ringer’ giving them crucial interview tactics, the candidate may just crumble when things get tough.  A Recruiter prepares the candidate in order to avoid uncertainty or brain freeze on the phone or in-person at client. 

Maintain contact, keep ‘em warm!  This is the biggest mistake a Recruiter can make post-interview, especially when the process stalls on the client side, for unknown reasons.  Always return the job seeker’s phone call – don’t leave them hanging and frustrated.  Use that Quality Control method.  When a Recruiter calls, it’s a good idea to pick up the phone.  You never know what lies ahead in the path of life!

Since last year, according the to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of job openings in the U.S. have nearly doubled, reaching a record level of 8.1 million in March of 2021. As in the pre-pandemic days, employers are ready to hire again due to growing business demands and the need to return to normal staffing levels. Employment agencies are also busy with assisting their clients with the same staffing needs.

There are several reasons why it is difficult to find employees right now:

1. Unemployment Benefits

The federal government is awarding unemployed workers an extra $300 per week on top of state unemployment benefits. The total unemployment benefit can exceed an employee’s previous job’s weekly pay. While this is a helpful program, unfortunately, this dilemma may be disincentivizing people to return to work. This coming September, the additional federal benefit will end and the result may be a catalyst for people to return to work.

2. Health and Safety

While vaccines are widely available, many employees choose not to get them. Additionally, some employees prefer working in a remote environment. There have been some remote workforce job opportunities, but the trend UNIFORCE is hearing from clients is a preferred mostly in-office working experience.

3. Skill sets are shrinking

It is becoming more difficult to find employees with the required skill sets (e.g. training, education, technology tools, etc.).

4. The Blue-Collar workforce is shrinking

In the past, the baby boomer population provided much of the light industrial or blue-collar work. Those workers are now leaving the workforce and statistics show that young adults are either avoiding trades or pursuing college instead. Staffing Industry Analysts, a staffing industry research association, predicted there will be a labor shortage of blue collar workers through 2030.

There are ways to attract more candidates. Increasing worker pay is a proven way to incentivize workers and share worker values. Employees also want some form of promise of advancement or an opportunity to grow within an organization. Working the same job for a long time is not ideal for many.

Employment Agencies are always an excellent tool to pursue when seeking the right job opportunity. Many employment agencies are full service and provide contract, temp-to-hire and full time or direct hire job opportunities. These staffing firms also have a “direct in” with their client so they can provided valuable insight in to the career path within an organization.

While it is still very difficult to find employees, a reputable employment agency adds value by building relationships with its candidates. A staffing firm takes the time to educate future employees about job opportunities, pay rates, salaries, and career growth. Partnering with an agency that will align the job seeker’s career goals with the agency’s and client’s goals is the ideal way to pursue the ideal career opportunity.

While many people are unfortunately unable to return to work due to COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders, employment agencies are constantly engaging their client companies to remind them that there is a huge talent pool of available candidates ready to return to work.

Smart job seekers have discovered that there is an abundance of job opportunities being offered. Even with unemployment at medium levels, the reality is that the job search is producing results. Partnering with an employment agency opens opportunities.

A recent study reported that one-third of all employees laid off during the pandemic have started new jobs.  Even as 11 million people were laid off during March of last year, 5 million workers were also hired in March. Active job seekers are reaping the reward of so many open jobs, preferring to work, over collecting unemployment (which eventually runs out).

This is a most opportune time as industries prepare to return to normal operation.  There are so many qualified candidates ready to apply for open jobs in companies.  For those people working in non-essential positions, it’s been a long process.  Now, especially for an employee who has had a prior successful relationship with an employment agency, there is a strong chance to be placed into one of the employment agency’s new positions, many of which may be available during this period.

Many companies will not be able to hire back so quickly on their own. A temporary employment agency will, with a sense of urgency, hire a replacement to reduce the strain on remaining staff, along with specialists in all areas of their medical staffing needs. The employment agency industry was established to assist companies with peak workloads and seasonal employment. Partnering with an employment agency gives it’s clients the ability to utilize skilled employees without the commitment of a full time hire and adding headcount. It’s a measured tool for staff augmentation.

Manufacturers of essential products are always in need of help.  This is where the employment agency comes in – helping to find the right talent!  These businesses are hiring, at warp speed!

The role of an employment agency is to create connection – between company and candidate.  Staffing agencies are instituting extreme measures to stay safe and protect their employees by ensuring sanitizing protocols at their clients.   The worker environment is going to change a little bit with the social or physical distancing.  Most recruiters at employment agencies are doing more video interviews than in the past, as ZOOM and other live video systems have become a positive method of connectivity of the hiring team with the candidate face-to-face, without the handshake and any potential exposure to the coronavirus, for businesses large and small, schools, families, and friends, in our new “current reality”.

When time is of the essence, a temporary employment agency is an asset to bring the perfect candidate through the door, or, during this pandemic, to your screen!

In recent weeks, 15 states have announced plans to opt out of federal COVID Unemployment Insurance programs.  It is important to note that every state signed an agreement with the US Department of Labor back in 2020 to administer the various relief provisions in the CARES Act.  Those agreements have remained in effect with each extension, including the recent American Rescue Plan Act. 

States are ending their participation around two or more months early — anywhere from June 12 to July 10. (It varies by state.) These states will soon stop sending out $300 weekly unemployment benefits, Republican state governors argue that the federal benefit—which is paid on top of state benefits—is incentivizing jobless Americans to not go back to work. They claim enhanced unemployment benefits offer an incentive for people to stay home and not look for jobs — leaving businesses struggling to fill open positions.

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming will no longer participate in various programs included in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).  The programs include:

Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) – additional $300/week

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) – program for those not covered under regular Unemployment Insurance

Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) – 25-week extension of benefits

Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) – combined covered/non-covered earnings

Emergency Unemployment Relief for Governmental Entities and Non-Profit Organizations – 75% relief of benefit charges

Job openings hit a record high in March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Meanwhile, the U.S. economy added 266,000 job payrolls in April — much weaker than the 1 million expected, the Bureau said last week. In other words, there’s strong demand for labor as the economy reopens, but not a commensurate flood of workers onto payrolls.

Although unemployment benefits are a crucial lifeline for unemployed workers, there is currently a strong need for talented workers. Returning to the workforce is the ultimate goal so now may be the time to land a new job now while the market is hot.