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| From the President: Highlights from ASA’s Staffing World 2007: Key trends hiring managers need to know! |
I’ve just returned from Staffing World 2007, the American Staffing Association’s Annual Convention and Expo. This 3-day gathering of staffing professionals from across the U.S. included attendees from many European countries. One of the most informative workshops I attended, Professional Staffing Perspectives, brought together a panel of staffing company owners and suppliers from around the country.
Key findings included:
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Marianne Frazee
President |
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- While temporary staffing usage will continue to increase, biggest push will be for direct hire – companies will utilize temporary staffing companies to find their permanent employees
- Double-digit growth rates in employment are projected for Professional, Health Care, and IT skill categories.
- Talent Shortages will continue to increase as Baby Boomer generation retires particularly in the Financial/Accounting field
- Unemployment rates vary by educational level – High School grads are at 7%, Degreed College grads are currently at 2%, & College grads with professional designations (Ex: CPA’s) are at an all time low of 1%!
- Key areas for Talent Shortages are in Accounting, Legal, Creative, Marketing, Healthcare, & Information Technology
- Traditional recruiting methods, such as classified ads, online job boards, & referrals, will increasingly be supplemented by the more innovative methods of social networking and recruiting blogs
One of the most interesting and informative workshops was that of business consultant and book author Dan Pink. His topic, Boomer Work Force: The End of Retirement as We Know It, really “hit home” with another ASA attendee, Louisiana Staffing Association Executive Director Jessica Rareshide. After attending Pink’s session, Ms. Rareshide had this observation: “one of the most dramatic, demographic shifts occurring is the retirement of millions of Baby Boomers over the next 18 years. Due to resulting massive talent shortages, companies will rethink their approach to human resources. Baby Boomers will force the corporate organization to change business models to accommodate their demand for flexibility and personal fulfillment goals. Organizations that embrace these culture changes will succeed in plugging the gap in labor shortages by tapping the talents of baby boomers in a highly competitive market."
It seems that one thing is certain- it will be increasingly difficult to find skilled, talented employees as we head into the next decade!
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How to Start: The first day at your new job
by Marianne Frazee |
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Congratulations, you just landed a new job! Just when you thought the toughest part of the employment process was over, you now discover that finding a job wasn’t the toughest challenge after all! Getting off to the right start is key to keeping the job and one of the first steps is making sure you are prepared for your first day. Don’t let those “butterflies in the stomach” get to you! |
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Follow these strategies from Dawn Rosenberg McKay, the Career Planning Guide on About.com:
- If possible, take a few weeks off between the time you leave your old job and start your new one – this gives you a chance to “separate from your previous workplace” – it follows the old adage “make room for the new!”
- Do some research on your new employer and learn about their product lines, philosophies, and corporate culture
- Check out your network of friends and find out if anyone has a “connection” to your new employer-if so, they may be able to introduce you to an employee of your new company – wouldn’t it be nice to see a familiar, friendly face when you walk through the front door on your first day?
- Map out the route to your new job and leave in plenty of time where you will arrive a few minutes early-the last thing you want to do is to be stressed and late on your first day!
- Wear your most conservative outfit until you find out what dress code is appropriate – remember, first impressions count
- Gratefully and graciously accept offers of help – it will help you learn your job more quickly and it’s a good “bonding” technique - remember, people feel good about themselves when they get a chance to help others
- Remember that your first weeks and even months on the job is not the time to change the way things get done – it’s important to strike this phrase from your vocabulary - “That’s not how we did it at my old company!”
- Keep your head held high and don’t forget to be polite and friendly to everyone
Source: About.com Career Planning Guide from Dawn Rosenberg McKay
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Baton Rouge Job Outlook for 2008-2009 |
What will Baton Rouge’s job growth be over the 2008-2009 period? It’s a positive outlook with projections of 14,800 new jobs, a growth rate of 2% per year. These findings were recently delivered by Dr. Loren Scott at the Biz Tech Expo’s “Top 100” luncheon in October. Although there is still much uncertainty as to how the sub-prime crisis will ultimately affect the national economy, the forecasts for the Baton Rouge area are positive. Construction will be a major player in the area with over $5 billion in constructions projects either underway or planned for the region. ExxonMobil will start a $350 million project at its refinery and Placid Refinery in Port Allen has a $200 million plant expansion on the books. This will equate to an even bigger push for skilled industrial workers. Many of the planned construction projects will also require the need for skilled administrative support in the financial/accounting areas as well as IT.
Baton Rouge’s Call Center market has further expanded with Staples establishing a new North American Delivery Contact center in Baton Rouge that will hire 400 new workers over the next 4 years. Direct General’s new 120,000 square foot facility, which should be completed by end of year, has needs for 2,000 workers. Frazee is currently recruiting Call Center Personnel for several customer care facilities including telecommunications and home improvement. We are seeing a big push for workers with excellent customer service skills and good verbal image.
Twelve new hotels are being constructed over the next 12 months increasing available hotel rooms. This will result in a need for all types of hospitality workers including maintenance, housekeeping and restaurant. There is still the question of Pinnacle Entertainment locating their riverboat casino in EBR Parish. If that happens, there will be a push for casino workers.
There are several large, potential projects for the region. One of the projects is with R.W. Day, who is working on the financing package for a $1 billion plus film studio, commercial, residential project near I-12 and O’Neal Lane. Growth on this end of Baton Rouge, coupled with the building boom in Livingston Parish (Bass Pro), make this a “hot geographical job market.” Other prospective projects include Louisiana Generating, LLC’s $1 billion expansion of their coal-fired Big Cajun II electrical generating plant near New Roads.
Prepared by: Loren C. Scott, James A. Richardson, M. Dek Terrell, Mary Jo Neathery
Source: Louisiana Economic Outlook, 26th Annual Edition 2008 -2009
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New Recruiting Certifications for Frazee Team Members |
Do we have the latest and most effective recruiting techniques? You bet we do!!!
Frazee is pleased to announce AIRS Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) designations for 2 members of their recruiting team – Susie Hoffpauir and Erica Jarreau. The CIR designation is the most widely recognized professional standard for modern – day talent acquisition. AIRS is a training company that specializes in internet sourcing and diversity recruiting. Recruiters must first complete a 10-hour course in internet sourcing methodologies and then pass a rigorous Web-based exam. |
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| Erica Jarreau focuses on recruiting for Engineering & Technical, and Customer Service/Call Center. Her current “hot job requisitions” include Project Managers for 2-year + assignments on Construction & Engineering projects, Lab Analyst, & QA/QC Manager. |
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Susie Hoffpauir focuses on recruiting for IT and Financial/Accounting- her current “hot job requisitions” include Access Developer, Senior System Developer & Accounting Analyst. |
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