One of the ways you can determine the popularity of a staffing firm is by the number of different ads they have in your local papers, and if they pay for media advertising via radio, TV, or the Internet, possibly on sponsor or client sites.

Be watchful of agencies that consistently post ‘leader ads’, as these ads are placed to help them create a full candidate roster, versus posting for legitimate vacant positions. 

Conduct an Internet sweep for any recent News articles on the firm, which may provide information such as a new consultant they have hired, or a large ‘public’ contract they have been awarded. 

Naturally, you will also want to ask everyone you know whom they have contacted recently or in the past, and record the information for future reference. I would also suggest you contact your most recent employer, and ask them which services they use. 

Armed with your research and reference checks on local Personnel Agencies and Executive Recruiting firms, you should easily be able to create a listing of at least 10 firms that you wish to contact for registration and an interview.

©2010 CorpSecrets Career Columns. All Rights Reserved.

In a number of the discussion forums I participate in, it is apparent that the perceptions of both Personnel Agencies and Executive Recruiting firms are ineffectual in the job search process, at best. The same attitude is present for those in the HR profession, in both the public and private sectors.

I can understand this frustration in these industries, as over the past 18 months or so, as it has become a challenge just to register with Personnel Agencies and recruiting specialists via email or online. Appointments for interviews are rare, as the job orders have just not been there to support the need, until very recently.

However, in support of the HR profession and personnel consultancy, I feel compelled to address this issue publicly through my site, since I have experience in the personnel industry myself. 

First, you have to learn which Personnel Agencies and Executive Recruiting firms are in your area. Use the Internet as well as the yellow pages to track down this information to ensure you are getting an updated listing. I will also be assisting you in this area shortly. 

Many Personnel Agencies specialize in types of hiring, such as temporary, permanent, and contractor. Agencies also typically state their areas of industry expertise, such as industrial, legal, medical, IT or administrative placement, etc. 

When you are calling agencies, ask to speak with the appropriate person in charge of temporary or permanent employment in your field. If you are not able to speak with the person directly at that time, at least you will have the right contact name for your next phone call. 

Tip: Receptionists are likely to put your call through directly when you ask for a person by name, as the implication is that you likely know the person you are trying to reach. Whether the person is available or not, your calls provide you with an opportunity to get to know the Receptionist on a formal, but comfortable basis, which can work in your favour in the future. 

If the firms you contact are not currently accepting appointments, ask if you may submit your resume ‘to the appropriate consultant’ for their perusal and files. If you submit your personal information, be sure to follow-up with the consultant within the week. 

It is your responsibility to make the effort to establish a relationship with your consultant, not the responsibility of the firm. Why you ask? 

For one thing, this individual does not know you at all. At best, they have a few pieces of paper that describe your skills, but that is as far as it goes. Through your own research, you likely know more about them, and certainly about their firm, and their role within it. 

Try to think of it from this perspective: You are unemployed, although you are working hard on your job search, therefore, it is safe to assume that you have much more free time to place and receive phone calls, send or respond to emails, etc. 

On the other hand, the recruiters are buried with client demands, emails, phone calls, and current candidates on their roster, on top of their administrative functions, all requiring their immediate attention. It is simple mathematics; there are just not enough hours in the workday to address every request. 

Since this is the reality of the situation, when dealing in HR, you have to take control and initiate the relationship building process. 

To help your consultant help you, be honest about what you are looking for, the industries you would prefer to work in, work schedule, overtime, wages, preferences for working independently or as part of a team, location preference, benefits requirements, etc. 

A well trained, professional, Personnel Consultant or HR professional will do their best to find work for you, as long as you maintain an open and honest relationship based on mutual respect. 

To help you with your research, I am providing you with the following links to Employment Agency directories for both Canada and USA.

You will also want to read this excellent article provided by CareerBuilder for more tips - Five Reasons To Use A Staffing Firm 

My next article will address:  Expectations of Professional Recruiters – the ‘Reality’  from the Job Seeker and Candidate perspectives about what obstacles they face when dealing with these services and professionals today.

HeadHunters, Executive Recruiters and Employment Agencies in Canada

http://www.headhuntersdirectory.com/canada.htm

USA: Nationwide Directory of Employment Agencies, http://www.employmentagenciesusa.com

©2010 CorpSecrets Career Columns. All Rights Reserved.

Mario’s Gelati and a banquet ballroom are suing the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, for allegedly causing a disruption to business and public nuisance.

The businesses, located in a building at 88 East 1st, are seeking $2.5 million in compensation.

The businesses claim they suffered a “devastating economic loss” caused by construction that began in 2009, and then 1st Avenue being closed off for security reasons to control access to the Olympic athletes Village, preventing proper access to the businesses.

The lawsuit, filed this week, claims that the city assured the company owners that the prior street construction, which began in March 2009, would only last a month but dragged on for almost seven months.

The City and VANOC will file statements of defence, at a later date to answer the allegations, which have not been proven in court.

Source: The Vancouver Sun, http://tiny.cc/QZmAh

©2010 CorpSecrets Career Columns. All Rights Reserved.

If you are a new venture, you may well be in the process of designing your website, in which case these articles will be timely.

If however, you are an established business, you will now know what your ‘return on investment’ (ROI) has been, and the ‘influence’ your website has granted to date.

A powerful website can continually evolve and improve through easier navigation, enhanced functionality, consistent and improved content, and of course, testing. It takes time to recognize what is, and is not working in your niche.

As a developing entrepreneur myself, I can tell you that website maintenance and content generation are time consuming, however, most certainly well worth the time and effort.

The learning curve on website design, SEO, content generation, generating traffic, and creating sufficient attention and interest in your market niche, are all high learning curve activities, and most definitely, an‘on-going’ process.

In this particular arena, change is constant and therefore, it is perfectly acceptable to consistently work on improvements in navigation, content,  design layout etc., while expanding your knowledge and developing your presence on the world-wide-web.

I humbly suggest the following tips to assist you in ensuring you are keeping up with your competition, and creating, and/or maintaining, the ‘powerful presence,’ to which we all aspire.

Keep it Simple

• Ease of navigation on your site is paramount. You do not want your site to be ‘too busy’. A well- designed business site is not crowded with affiliate links, graphics, photos, videos, etc. There is typically ‘lots of white space,’ or a ‘solid colour’ framing the content.
• Be careful with your ‘colour’ palette. Your site should be ‘easy on the eyes’, comfortable, and conducive to encouraging your customers and visitors to ‘stay a while.’
• Consider web ‘accessibility’ for those that are visually challenged for example, use a ‘text sizing’ option for your site, translation tools, speech recognition, etc. 

Always Keep Your ‘Target Audience’ Top of Mind

Write your website content for your customers. Your content should be relevant, up-to-date, easy to read, and should convey how your products and services can be of benefit to your customers.

©2010 CorpSecrets Career Columns. All Rights Reserved.

 (click to enlarge graphic)

• The B.C. government is using conservative economic growth numbers of;
  • 2.2 per cent for 2010,
  • 2.3 per cent in 2011, and
  • 2.8 per cent in 2012-2014.

   

• The province’s economic forecast council has predicted higher rates of growth in gross domestic product of 2.9, 3.1 and 3.0 per cent, respectively.

• The government still aims for a balanced budget by 2013-2014. In the meantime, expect deficits of;
  • $2.8 billion in 2009-2010,
  • $1.7 billion in 2010-2011,
  • $945 million in 2011-2012, and
  • $145 million in 2012-2013.

• The total provincial debt is forecasts to be
  • $47.8 billion in 2010-2011,
  • $52.4 billion in 2011-2012, and
  • $55.9 billion in 2012-13.

• Total revenue is forecasts to be
  • $39.2 billion in 2010-11,
  • $41 billion in 2011-12, and
  • $42.8 billion in 2012-2013.

• Expenses will be
  •  $40.6 billion in 2010-11,
  • $41.6 billion in 2011-2012 and
  • $42.5 billion in 2012-2013.

Source: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/budget+highlights/2633579/story.html

©2010 CorpSecrets Career Columns. All Rights Reserved.