A Superior Workforce - Superior Group Company Blog

Become a Leader in the Life Sciences!

Did you know that the Buffalo-Niagara region is home to over 160 life sciences companies, all of which need professionals with leadership skills who understand their industry?

The “Becoming a Leader in the Life Sciences” program is tailored to meet the professional development needs of those seeking careers and career advancement in the emerging life sciences industry.

No scientific background is needed for many of the job opportunities available. The course will feature several subject matter experts from the greater WNY area who bring relevant and practical knowledge of the life sciences industry, including several case studies.  Topics include product development, management issues, regulatory affairs, corporate culture, financial models, and intellectual property.  This eight session program will run weekly from September 21^st to November 8^th, 2011 (5:30PM – 7:30PM). Class size is limited.

To register, please contact Tom Ulbrich at 716-885-5715 / tulbrich@buffalo.edu or Renata Bator at 716-881-7588 / rmbator@buffalo.edu. $399 cost per participate; student discount available.

 Download Life Sciences course at UB

Getting a Fair Shake at a Job Fair

by Greg Weishaar

Having worked in the recruiting field for the better part of 10 years, I have had the opportunity to attend many job fairs and have participated in two heavily-attended events so far this year.  The experiences never fail to remind me of why I both love to hate job fairs and hate to love them.  Speaking with professional, prepared, and engaged jobseekers is always enjoyable—it makes me wish I had jobs for everyone.  On the flip side of the professional coin, though, interacting with those people who give off the I-don't-really-want-to-be-here vibe is disheartening, and it’s shocking how many people fall into the latter category.

Learning about people and helping guide their job searches not only helps me meet my business objectives, but also satisfies a personal intrinsic need.  Unfortunately, as anyone who has participated in these events can attest, there are some people that just don't get it.  They’re usually easy to pick out of the crowd.  They’re the ones who:

• Amble in off the street in their gym clothes or some similar disheveled attire;
• Haven’t defined any goals for themselves or their attendance at the event;
• Are unable to discuss their professional accomplishments; and/or
• Normally leave the job fair with a handful of tchotchkes and zero job prospects.

Everyone who attends job fairs in some capacity is familiar with these ultra-passive jobseekers.  Surprisingly and unfortunately, there are some companies that show up sporting the same blasé attitude, coming off as lazy and unprofessional.  I cannot tell you the number of times I have seen company booths/exhibits manned by representatives who were disengaged, underprepared, disingenuous, or not there at all (company representatives also embark on their own tchotchke-hunting expeditions—don’t all of our children enjoy foam globes and pens that light up, regardless of the company names emblazoned upon them?). 

The sentiment often seems to be that the companies are doing the jobseekers a favor by simply showing up and dangling the carrot of employment in front of worthy attendees.  Really, it’s the other way around.  A well-represented company builds its reputation as a solid employer, strengthens its brand image, and attracts leading talent.  The jobseekers that come to the event each present an opportunity to further your brand—regardless of whether or not they are well-matched to your organization—and should be treated accordingly.

In the end, job fairs certainly fill a niche in the employment marketplace and offer great opportunities.  In today’s market, they should be viewed as yet another opportunity to network with potential employees or employers.  It is the responsibility of jobseekers and companies alike to best represent themselves.

Tips for Jobseekers

• Dress the part
• Be prepared to network and interview
• Have your “elevator speech” ready
• Target specific employers and research them prior to the event
• Use your time efficiently by visiting all targeted employers and by not overstaying your welcome
• Bring generic and job-specific resumes to hand out
• Leave a positive first impression

Tips for Company Attendees

• Advertise your openings and attendance at the event beforehand
• Engage even the most passive, mismatched of candidates, as you never know who they know
• Develop top-tier branding materials, including booths, flyers, and promotionals
• Define a process or “next steps” pathway that you will use to connect with promising candidates after the event
• Be honest, approachable, and professional
• Have a plan to keep the flow of candidates moving
• Staff your booth appropriately

Have a question on this or any other workforce-related topic?  Ask a Superior Subject Matter Expert.  Or learn more about the Superior Group and its offerings at:  www.superior-sdc.com.

Avoid Costly Temporary Worker Co-employment Claims

There are many reasons why it makes sense to bring on temporary labor.  Companies can “try out” temporary employees before making direct offers, on-board strong talent for short-term projects, reduce costs associated with benefits and HR administration, etc.  Still, there are risks associated with contract labor use:  namely, co-employment risks.

We’ve all heard the phrase “co-employment risk” and many companies seem to throw it around to add clout to the value of their solutions.  But to really get our hands around the issue, we must define the widely-used term.  What exactly is co-employment?—it is defined by Staffing Industry Analysts as:

“…[a] relationship among two or more employers when each has specific actual or potential legal responsibilities to the same worker or group of workers.”

This can become problematic when a contract worker believes that s/he is owed certain benefits or compensation directly from the company at whose site s/he is providing services.  It is good practice for contract staffing providers to establish all of the paperwork associated with proper employer-employee relationships, but this may not be enough.  If that staffing provider’s customer inadvertently undermines the preexisting employer-employee relationship, courts could rule in favor of the contract employee.

When dealing with a provider’s contract employee, by all means:

• Train the new resource to perform job-related tasks;
• Take immediate corrective action if the resource is violating safety rules;
• Report any absences, tardiness or unacceptable behavior to the contract staff provider;
• Refer all questions relative to pay, benefits, duration of assignment, or opportunity for employment to the provider;
• Inform the provider about any changes in the resource’s work schedule; and
• Assist the provider in evaluating its contract employees.

However, doing the following could increase the possibility of the contract employee believing that s/he is really your employee:

• Informing a provider’s contract employee that s/he is terminated or suspended;
• Discussing pay rates, increases, incentives or bonuses;
• Improperly discussing opportunities for regular full-time employment;
• Improperly extending an offer for employment;
• Requesting that a contract employee complete timecards or forms with your company's name on them;
• Counseling contract employees concerning tardiness, punctuality, attendance, dress code, child- or elder-care arrangements or other personal matters;
• Inviting contract employees to company-sponsored events, such as picnics, holiday parties, etc.; or
• Otherwise treating providers’ contract employees as if they were direct employees of your company.

When working with knowledgeable staffing providers and following these guidelines, most companies will not face actionable claims made by providers’ contract workers who may come to believe that they have a right to participate in the benefits and compensation structures provided to your direct employees.  In addition, companies using contract agencies should review their written benefit plans and ensure that they clearly exclude contract agency personnel from any right to participate.  Finally, because these are important legal matters, please ask an expert to ensure that you are not exposing yourself to potentially costly liability.

It should also be noted that co-employment reaches beyond contract workforces to independent contractors, as well.  But that will be the subject of another post in coming weeks.

Have a question on this or any other workforce-related topic?  Ask a Superior Subject Matter Expert.

Or, learn more about the Superior Group and its offerings at:  www.superior-sdc.com.  

What HR Processes are Leading Companies Outsourcing?

In today’s marketplace, companies are becoming more innovative in terms of streamlining their internal processes.  When done smartly, significant cost savings and process efficiencies can be had. 

“Agility is what companies are after,” says Charles Moeser, Vice President at Superior.  “Usually, their internal teams are saddled with responsibilities in which they don’t have expertise or that do not add value to core business missions.  That, or their time has simply been stretched too thin to afford proper attention to all duties.  Outsourcing those burdensome process points to experts in the field provides companies with the agility and flexibility needed to focus on and react to company growth and strategy.”

Indeed, the symptoms of struggling HR departments vary.  They range from overworked employees to escalating costs, and from missed deadlines to poor quality of work.  Inefficiencies in an HR department anchor the company and keep it from advancing.

Companies are increasingly turning to outsourcing as a solution, as evidenced in surveys conducted by the Superior Group.  Some companies turn to experts for the outsourcing of entire process chains, such as Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO).  Others bring in the experts to perform needs analysis and then outsource only troublesome elements of their workflows.  In either case, all firms reported increased efficiencies, reduced costs, and improved employee satisfaction after the deployment of outsourcing solutions. 

So what are companies outsourcing?  In general terms, many are looking to industry experts to provide:

• Benefits Administration
• Co-Employment Risk Mitigation
• Employee Training
• Labor Relations
• On-boarding and Off-boarding Processes
• Pay Rate Benchmarking and Rationalization
• Payroll Processing
• Skills Management
• Strategic Workforce Planning
• Travel Management
• Workforce Scheduling

But it doesn’t stop there.  Many companies also seek out the services of workforce solutions providers to rationalize their recruiting cycles.  As stated before, firms can either outsource all of these processes or select elements:

• Job Posting Management
• Candidate Sourcing
• Candidate Screening
• Skills Testing
• Background Checks & Drug Testing
• Reference Checking
• Job Fair Administration

HR duties are complex, so how can you be sure that you are selecting the right firm to provide an outsourced solution?  The right provider will have years of experience in the industry and understand its nuances.  It will be attentive and provide customized solutions.  It will have its own Legal Department that specializes in employment law.  And the company will itself be agile, able to rapidly and expertly adapt to your evolving needs.

In the end, outsourcing has proved a boon for the companies that have leveraged it effectively.  Identifying the processes that are prime for outsourcing—and then selecting a provider that you trust—is key. 

Have a question on this or any other workforce-related topic?  Ask a Superior Subject Matter Expert.

Or learn more about the Superior Group and its offerings at:  www.superior-sdc.com

Welcome to the Superior Group's Blog

Welcome to the Superior Group’s blog!  Here, you will find the latest information related to the workforce solutions industry, and we work to keep you apprised of emerging best practices in the ever-shifting world of talent management.

Topics that we cover include the following subcategories and all service aspects that they touch:

• Contract/Temporary Labor
• Payrolling Services
• Managed Staffing Programs (MSP)
• Vendor Management Systems (VMS)
• Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)
• Independent Contractor Screening and Compliance
• Risk Management Outsourcing

This blog is interactive and we look forward to addressing any topics that you suggest.  Send your recommendations and questions to a Superior Subject Matter Expert today.