What’s the Difference Between Work-Ready and Available?

When you’re interviewing people for a job, you need to know the difference between work-ready and available.

Work-Ready Means Vetting…

Work-ready means the candidate has been vetted. They have undergone background checks, reference checks, and any other required screening.

Vetting is important because sometimes job applicants who seem qualified on paper may not turn out to be good employee material.

Applicants may have misrepresented their qualifications, shown a spotty or poor work ethic, or even have criminal convictions. Any of these make them a poor candidate for your company. Unfortunately, you may have to terminate them later on if you don’t vet them first.

…and Training

Work-ready also means the applicants have been trained to do the available job. They may have been trained at another company, or they may have gone specific training on equipment or tools before they begin the job.

Work-Ready Employees Can Begin Right Away

Ultimately, hiring a work-ready employee means that the new hire can actually begin work right away. If you make a hiring decision on a Friday morning, the new worker can show up Monday morning, ready and able to work.

An available worker, on the other hand, may not be able to show up Monday morning. “Available” means they are not currently working and have applied to work for your company. But they have not been vetted or trained.

Vetting can take two weeks or more.

Training a new worker to be fully up to speed can take anywhere from several days to several months, depending on the job.

As a result, available for a job means so much less than being work-ready. A work-ready candidate can start to be productive for your company right away.

Stride Can Ensure that Applicants Are Work-Ready

If you want work-ready people, let a staffing agency help. Staffing agencies are experienced at vetting applicants. They have contacts and systems in place to perform vetting and can do it quickly.

It’s a good idea to vet top candidates at the same time as the interview.

Staffing agencies can also find trained employees for hire.

Stride Staffing’s goal is to build stronger connections between employers and individuals by doing staffing differently. Really. Contact us today for hiring and recruitment help in Richardson, Texas and other locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Why a Deep-Dive Hiring Strategy Is Essential

A deep-dive hiring strategy is essential for human resources professionals. You need to know the company’s strengths and opportunities, but also what they perceive as their challenges. Why? Because once you know them, you can help them optimize strengths and opportunities, and rise to meet challenges.

Help Proactively by Knowing Trends

A deep-dive hiring strategy will ensure that you can help them with their challenges proactively, not just fill requests. Surface level strategy may fill a role, but not solve a problem or help a company grow.

You need to know what market forces and trends affect your company. Is there a shortage of talent to fill manufacturing jobs so the company can grow, for example? Are there challenges in finding people who are work-ready and can be trained?

Once you know the broader trneds and market forces, you can drill down to find out specific challenges. If your company having problems with employee retention and turnover, for example? Do you need a more flexible workforce? One with a stronger commitment to productivity?

Once you know their challenges, you can proactively work to come up with a solution.

If finding qualified manufacturing workers is a challenge, for example, are there ways to recruit these workers more effectively?

Could the company institute plans to attract the qualified people in their area? Some companies find referral programs from good existing employees effective. Are your company’s salaries, for instance, competitive with other companies also competing for these workers? Do the workers feel rewarded? Would a company appreciation policy work to increase employee retention?

Do you have periods when more workers are needed and periods when fewer workers are required? If so, they may benefit from the temporary employee market.

How a Staffing Agency Can Help

The human resources market is dynamic and constantly changing. It’s a good idea to have monthly or quarterly meetings with your staffing agency to discuss strengths and challenges, and how they can help you.

Stride Staffing’s goal is to build stronger connections between employers and individuals by doing staffing differently. Really.

Are you looking to develop a better, more strategic hiring plan?

Contact us today for hiring and recruitment help in the Dallas and Fort Worth areas.

Your Employees Know You Value Them When…

If they are to find happiness at work, employees need to be paid fairly, have safe working conditions and feel engaged with the company and their co-workers. But what motivates most workers is having a good relationship with their supervisor. For any manager, the secret to having a productive department is showing respect to everyone on the team, no matter what their experience or skill set.

Leaders who understand it’s critical to make their workplace one where people want to work begin by showing gratitude to their workers. Communicating words of praise and thanks goes a long way toward creating loyalty, job satisfaction and cohesion throughout the organization. With that goes an increase in productivity and profits.

Your employees will know you value them when…

You say “thank you”

It takes little effort to make a significant impact on a worker. Showing gratitude with a simple thank you gives your employees the feeling they are an appreciated member of the team. And you don’t have to wait until the end of a project to do it. Every time you notice one of your workers putting in a much-needed effort, a tap on the shoulder and a quick thanks will be meaningful and motivational.

You show confidence in them

If you have an important or difficult project ahead, let your people know you believe they have the right stuff to complete the project on time and to do it well. Showing that kind of faith in your team can boost morale significantly. Your people might lose their confidence along the way, so be sure to reinforce them with encouragement whenever they begin to doubt themselves.

 You ask them for their opinion

You might be the manager, but you don’t know everything. Sometimes the workers on the floor are your best source for information. Ask them what they think. You could find the solution to a problem and at the same time, show them you value their opinions.

 You offer to help

You can distinguish yourself as a leader when you are willing to pitch in and help with a problem or a fast-approaching deadline. You will help by taking some pressure off them, and you will build your relationship with the team by getting your hands dirty.

 You acknowledge their ideas

If you’re in a meeting with your employees and someone comes up with a good idea, make sure to tell them it’s good. It will boost morale and encourage others to contribute ideas. Managers who acknowledge the ideas of their workers tend to create a positive and open environment.

Add the best talent to your team

Convincing today’s top candidates that your company is their best choice is more critical than ever. A culture where you show you value your employees will go a long way to setting you apart. Stride Staffing’s goal is to build stronger connections between employers and individuals by doing staffing differently. Really. Contact us today  an request a consultation.

Spreading the Love: 3 Reasons to Recognize Top Workers

All of your top employees appreciate being acknowledged for the efforts they have given and the results that have benefitted your company. And it is vital that you do recognize these high performers, even if it’s something as simple as a pat on the back or a kind word in front of everyone else in the office.

It’s important to show appreciation regularly to motivate and encourage employees. It can improve their confidence and self-worth, and it can increase productivity throughout the workplace.

Recognizing employees who are deserving can set a positive tone for the department or office. Workers who know that they will get a word of encouragement or a grateful gesture for doing a good job are more at ease and productive than those who only know that a kick in the pants awaits their next mistake.

Praise and recognition don’t take much time or effort from a business, but they yield tremendous benefits to both the worker and the company. Here are just three.

1. You create engagement and a sense of ownership

When an employee is recognized for doing good work, it is an encouragement to continue to give the same or higher level of performance. Workers begin to feel engaged, which leads to a sense of belonging and ownership in the company. Engaged employees are happier and more productive. And when employees feel that they belong, the mood of the shop or office improves.

2. It leads to a better bottom line

It’s simple. When you praise or acknowledge your employees’ performance, it directly affects your business’s overall results. It works like this: Your employee does something that deserves recognition, and you want to see it repeated. You reward or thank the employee for doing something special, and the worker keeps doing it to receive more recognition. It might sound disingenuous, but it’s not. It’s praising what should be praised, and it’s good for the worker and the bottom line.

3. Loyalty increases and you will keep the best talent

When your employees receive acknowledgment for their efforts, they tend to be more loyal towards you and their work. The more your staff feels valued and encouraged, the more likely they are to remain with you. And retaining skilled workers is a challenge that you could overcome with a few kind words or a celebration of an employee’s achievements whenever they are deserved.

Find the best talent

Convincing today’s top candidates that your company is their best choice is more critical than ever. A culture of encouragement, a positive work environment, and appreciation of a job well done will go a long way to setting you apart. If you are looking to add great folks to your team contact Stride Staffing to learn more or request a consultation today!