Well, it’s hard to believe it has been four years…..but the time is almost here.  The following are some thoughts concerning Voting that you should be aware of:

The Alabama law concerning voting is as follows:

“Employees can take time off to vote in any election for which the employee is qualified and registered to vote, unless the employee’s work hours commence at least two hours after the polls open or end at least one hour before the polls close. The employer may determine what hours are available for the employee to vote”.

Note that although you may be required to give them time off to vote depending on their work schedules,  you are not required to pay them for the time off.  IF you pay for any employee for the time he/she votes – PAY FOR ALL EMPLOYEES.  This would be crucial as to not inadvertently discriminate against any group of employees.    Florida, Mississippi nor Louisiana have any specific voting laws or regulations.

Also, please remember that while it is ok to speak about ramifications of the outcome of the election to business practices, it is not ok to entice/threaten an employee to vote one way or the other or to retaliate against an employee for voting or for the way he/she votes.

Finally, remember that these rules apply to all elections, not just the presidential election.

This is a complimentary e-mail sent to the members of MGMA and clients of Constantine Human Resource Consulting, LLC.  It is intended for information purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.  If you would like to be taken off of this e-mail list, please type “remove” in the subject line

In this ever-so-competitive job market, you may find yourself applying for jobs that may be a small bit beneath the level you have been used to. You still need a paycheck coming in, and even if you are in the same industry, but a few notches below what you had been at, that is ok. You can work hard and move up.

However, many companies are not willing to invest in someone who they deem “overqualified” for a position. They want to make sure you stay with the company and aren’t just taking a job until something better comes along. Some employers may also be wary about you being savvier then they are, overshadowing the work that they do.

So are you really overqualified? Or is it just another human resources excuse for you not fitting the position (and avoiding legalities)? Here are some guidelines to check.

1. Are you applying to the right positions? If you have 20 years of sales experience, they may not be interested in hiring you as a customer service representative. Even if you show genuine interest in the position, they may be wishy washy about bringing you on. You can try to convince them of how you can grow the position, or the additional skills you can bring to the office. But don’t try and dumb your resume down—you may get stuck in a low position and become unhappy without any movement.

2. Are you networking and applying with the right people? If you have 20 years of experience, jobs should be finding you—not the other way around. Surround yourself with people in the industry that know your strengths and are not threatened by you. Connect with people who care about your success and appreciate your contributions. Occasionally, just applying through human resources will not be enough. You need to talk to other C-level managers or individuals in your area of experience. Avoid the red tape.

3. Are you doing a good job at selling yourself? You can get the interview. You have talked to the right people. But you can’t close the deal. You have to be very clear and specific in how you can bring value to your role and to the company. Position yourself to the specific items and issues the company is looking for. Don’t just talk about what you do, talk about what you can do for them. Sometimes companies do not know what to do with someone that has a lot to offer. Spell it out for them.

Clark Personnel Service can help you land and close those difficult job interviews. Call us today!

Job postings on online job boards are still relevant to job seekers. In fact, about 20 percent of employees found their job online. Presenting a job properly, to get their attention, is key. According to a CareerBuilder survey 75 percent of job seekers say a posting’s appearance can convince them to continue reading about the job.

Job seekers, on average, spend about 3 seconds scanning a job posting. So you better make it worth their while! It’s not exactly what content is included but how it is presented to the reader. There are some foolproof ways on how to create the perfect job posting.

1. Avoid clichés. Be specific when writing a job title. Avoid vague words like guru and expert. Job seekers search for specific terms and those with less commercial, showy or spammy terms are the ones they will click on first.
2. Qualification list. It’s a lot easier for someone to scan a list and decide if they have the skills needed for a job, than reading through four paragraphs of filler words and jargon. Job seekers, much like human resource professionals, have a lot of options to sift through, so they want to be able to quickly scan for the right ones.
3. Format. Use bullets to create lists not only for qualifications, but goals of and benefits for the position as well. Again, lists are much easier to read than long paragraph blocks. However, keep your bulleted lists to four or five items maximum. Lists are not effective when you have to scroll down a page.
4. Salary information. Put it out there. People want to know that they are not wasting their time, as well as your own. Too many companies are vague or leave this information out completely, allowing for candidates who may be too out of range to apply. At least include a range for the applicant to work with and make sure to include bonus information.
5. Esthetics. Include some logos in the job posting to look official. Also, if you have a video or photos of your establishment, include those as well, as job seekers are very curious about work environments.
6. Keywords. For search purposes, make sure you are using relevant words throughout the text that pertain to the job. When a job seeker searches for a job posting in your category, it is sure to rank higher with the proper words included for the position.

Clark Personnel Service can help you find the best candidates for your business. Call us today!

A lot of “experts” are saying the blog is dead. Not so. Blogs are your company’s opportunity for being creative, disbursing information and reaching out to the public.

Blogs are one of the original forms of social media. Not only is content—pictures, videos, articles, blog posts—created, but it is also able to be shared and commented on by the general public. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn are distant cousins of the blog, but honestly, these are vehicles used to share creative content—which is usually housed on a blog.

So, does your company have a blog? If not, you are missing out on a great opportunity for possible business referrals, industry prominence and prime candidate recruiting. Having a blog shows the outside world that your company knows what it is doing, and wants to give something back to those who show interest in it

Here are some of the best reasons to create and maintain a company blog:

1. Content hub: Your blog becomes THE place where you can create and store information, post videos, pictures, articles, press releases, interviews, etc. This is where you can get creative and have a dynamic, ever-changing digital presence.
2. Creates a greater internet footprint: Blogging even once a week increases your company’s search engine optimization or SEO. When you create new content on a consistent basis, you show up higher in search results. Plus, having a blog allows for you to show that you are always “open,” with a 24-hour digital presence.
3. Allows for people to share info about you: Sharing builds your network. When you post a funny or informative article that is right on the money, people will take notice and share with colleagues or friends.
4. Providing value: Blogs give something back to the industry and customer. Readers will keep returning for more information, if you provide informative and readable blogs. On a website, content can become stale, because it is not always changing. Someone can buy a product, but if you give them different ideas on how to use it, they will come back for more.
5. Developing yourself as an industry leader (expert): Blogs are your chance for the inspiring minds in your company to shine. From CEO posts on how to be a better leader, from in-depth articles on the latest technologies for your industry, readers will look for you to get all the latest news and answers.
6. Showcasing a different side of your company: Show potential employee candidates the personal side of your company. Highlight employees of the month, and why they love working for you, photos of take your dog to work day, or post an article on a 5k your company participated in. Showing that you can work and play hard means a lot to potential employees.

Clark Personnel Service can represent you as an industry leader. Call us today!

In this economic environment, the competition for jobs is at an all-time high. However, job seekers still do have a list of wants, and many will still wait for the perfect position. In a new survey put out by CareerBuilder, job candidates were asked directly what they were looking for most in a company and career. The top answers included:

1. Compensation: True, this is a no-brainer. Everyone wants to be rewarded handsomely for the hard work that they do. However, life is getting more expensive. Gas prices are up. Grocery prices are up. Tuition prices are at an all-time high. The dollar doesn’t go as far as it used to. Also, companies are asking for a lot more from employees, while still using old compensation methods. The top companies are recruiting employees that benefit from their generous salary rates.
2. Benefits: Health insurance premiums keep rising in America, but that doesn’t mean that your employees have to feel the brunt of it. The cost and availability of health insurance is a large part of what potential employees are looking at. In addition, employees want to know that they have access to ample days off when they need them and security in retirement and life insurance. The era of 10 days of PTO which include sick and personal days are over. Don’t skimp on these, or you will be missing out on prime candidates.
3. Work/Life Balance: On the surface, many companies preach flexibility and a proper work-life balance, but their employees are living more of a work hard/play hard mentality, cranking out 60-70 hours a week and attending company happy hours on the weekends. A happy hour is not what these job candidates are looking for. They are looking for flexible hours that allow them to do the best work they can, in an efficient amount of time. They are looking to be involved with their communities, families and further their education. Their work is important, but so are other things in their life.
4. Advancement: If you do not offer a career path program, good employees will leave and share this information with others. If an employee gets raises, but is stuck with more responsibility and the same title for five years, they will never feel fulfilled or happy. Empowering your employees with the opportunity to take on new tasks and learn new skills is the best way to keep them interested. Let them know they are doing a great job, by acknowledging their growth.
5. Appreciation: Employees want to know that the work they are doing is making a difference, and that they are not just punching a clock. Acknowledgement from management does not have to be costly—it can come in the form of a gift card, recognition lunch, or bonus time off—but it does have to happen in order for retention and a good working environment.

Clark Personnel Service can help match you with the right candidates. Call us today!

It takes a lot of time and effort to search for the right job. Landing one is even harder. Companies also put a lot of resources and energy into picking the right candidates.

But sometimes, you may find that it just isn’t the right fit, or that something doesn’t feel right about the position.

No matter how much time either party has spent on attaining an employee or a position, it is always ok to just say no, and turn a job down (unless you really really need the paycheck). Here are some reasons to consider if you are feeling lukewarm about a potential position.

1. Rumors: Is the industry in trouble and on the outs? Has the company continually been losing money over the last five years? Have there been continual layoffs? It’s important to know that your potential future employer is going to be in it for the long haul so you don’t have to resume your job search in a few months.  Ask around. Talk to friends or colleagues who may be connected to the industry or organization. They may have some insight to help you come to a conclusion, or put the rumors to a stop.
2. High Turnover: Have you seen this job posted at least four times in the past three years? How come they can’t keep someone in that position? Is it the manager? Is it the type of worker they hire? Could it be the work environment? Are there high demands for that position? Do your research, and honestly ask the human resources department what the history is with the position.
3. Work/Life Balance: Sure, it may be a great salary, but is the organization going to require you to work upwards of 90 hours a week or travel three to four weeks out of the year? Do you have a family? Do you get stressed out easily? You may want to rethink your decision as to how important your personal time is for you.
4. Money: Money is everything when accepting a position. It can make or break a deal. However, sometimes more money does equal more problems. Make sure instead of just jumping into a decision with a flash of dollar signs, that you really take your time and weigh your options. More money can mean more responsibility, more hours, or could possibly take away other things—like vacation days, bonuses, career advancement. At first the extra income may solve a lot of problems, but will it be worth it in the long run?
5. Reputation: Has this company gone through any recent scandals? Have they been under attack in the media? Sometimes it’s better to work in a lower position at a company with a glowing reputation, than in an executive position with one known for oil spills, or extortion or sexual harassment issues.

Clark Personnel Service can help you make the right position for that perfect job. Call us today!

If you had a bank that credited your account each morning with $86,400—with no balance carried from day to day—what would you do? Well, you do have such a bank…time.

Every morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it rules off as “lost” whatever you have failed to use toward good purposes. It carries over no balances and allows no overdrafts. You can’t hoard it, save it, store it, loan it or invest it. You can only use it—time.

Kevin Kruse, Contributor

Serial Entrepreneur, Author Employee Engagement 2.0

6/27/2012 @ 9:35AM |14,025 views

 Ten years ago, Dan Pink wrote a seminal book predicting that America was becoming a “Free Agent Nation.” Today, depending on whose statistics you believe, anywhere from 10 million to 42 million people in America are now freelancers. Or choose your preferred term: Temps. Contractors. Freelancers. Contingent Workers. Independent Professionals.

No matter what you call them, businesses today are getting stuff done with non-permanent talent who have some serious chops. In fact, Harvard Business Review recently reported that 58 percent of companies plan to use temporary employees at all levels over the next few years, and according to the American Staffing Association, U.S. staffing companies employed an average of 2.8 million temporary and contract workers per day in 2011.

If the picture you get in your head when you hear “temp” is of a really young, really old, or unskilled person who comes in to sit at the front desk when your admin is away, it’s time for you to shake the cobwebs out of your mind. There is an army of temps out there today who are actually super-skilled ninjas with advanced skills and strong work ethic.

Need a CEO? There’s a temp for that. Need an iOS developer? There’s a temp for that. Need a _______? Yep, you kind find a temp.

Many staffing pros will turn to online directories of freelance talent, while others rely on specialty firms to source top temp talent. Aquent, a marketing, creative and digital staffing firm, places people on temporary and temp-to-perm assignments at some of the world’s largest brands. Aquent’s temporary talent develop mobile apps, deliver insights to improve marketing performance, and engage and build communities of customers and prospects on a growing list of social media platforms.

There are many obvious advantages to hiring temps: they fill temporary vacancies, support overstretched full-time workers, flex your workforce during spurts of growth. But these traditional reasons are often thought of as a reactive tactic to business demands.

I humbly suggest that a temporary workforce be considered proactively as part of your ongoing Super Human Capital strategy for these reasons:

1. Specialized expertise, quick ramp-up. Some projects require a person with experience that you just don’t have in-house. An experienced temporary employee often needs less ramp-up time than a permanent hire, which allows you and your team to get those projects that needed to be done yesterday, done today.
2. Fresh perspectives. How many times have you heard a new employee – temp or perm – say, “Well at my last job we did …”? New talent brings new ideas to your organization. Your temp may have spent time as a full-time employee at a marquee brand and that experience could mean success for your next project.
3. Temps make great full-time staff. A group of top individual contributors who just can’t work well together is a recipe for disaster. If you’ve got a contractor working for you on a project, you have time to evaluate if they might fit with your team as a permanent employee. At the same time, they have the benefit of understanding what the position is really all about and get a full sense of your company’s culture and values.

Temporary employees are here to stay – and that can have a positive impact on the satisfaction of your full-time, internal team.

Aquent President, Ann Webster, sums it up succinctly, “The key is to have a well thought-out contingent workforce strategy. Determine what functions and skillsets are ‘must-haves’ in-house and then leverage experienced external resources for much of the rest.”

E-Verify are an online system that compares an employee’s I-9 to data from the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to confirm the employee’s employment eligibility. Its origins date back to 1997, but it really gained traction in 2007, when federal government entities were required to use it.

How does it work?

Once a job candidate is hired, you process their completed I-9, which includes their Social Security Number and a picture ID, through E-Verify. The E-Verify system compares your data against more than half a billion Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security records.

It Can Help Your Business

E-Verify helps you avoid employing unauthorized workers. Not only does that keep you on the right side of the law, where we all want to stay, it helps you considerably in the case of an  I9 audit.

The second way E-Verify helps your business is as a selling point, showing that you do business ethically and with integrity. You can let your clients know that you will provide them with the highest caliber of contingent workers and help protect them from the liabilities that might result from hiring unauthorized workers. (Plus, E-Verify is a free service, so it doesn’t cost your business anything besides the time to check new hires.)

As of the first of the year, five states have introduced requirements that at least some businesses use E-Verify: Those states are Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Regardless of what the laws in your area require or don’t require, using E-Verify can be good business. In the staffing industry, our product is people, and E-Verify can help us ensure that our product is the highest quality possible.

Taken from NISA Newsletter April 27th, 2012