Hire With An Open Mind

February 28, 2011 by 1 Comment

Post Written by Valerie Freeman, CEO of Imprimis Staffing

I have been reading about and of course, as a staffing company owner, hearing from some recruiter friends that they prefer to hire the employed. Not everyone, of course, refuses to interview unemployed folks, but the biased attitudes surrounding the subject are similar to those surrounding the biased attitudes towards other groups such as older workers. Since we’ve been placing people for some 29 years, I can say with some authority that there is virtually no difference in the employed vs. unemployed talent pool. When you explore the reasons why people are unemployed, you can most likely figure out if the layoff or termination is valid and if equal consideration should be given to these candidates right along with those who happen to be employed. As in any large group of candidates (and the current economy made the unemployed much larger than normal), there are the talented, the mediocre and the just plain bad) just as in the group of candidates that are employed. How do you know if the employed candidate is looking because they are about to be terminated or their employer is dying to get rid of them – you don’t. How do you know if the employed candidate has the best skills that you can find – you don’t.

John Sullivan wrote an article on this subject for ERE entitled “Refusing Applications from the Unemployed: Best Practice or Madness”. In this article he states that there are more negative arguments associated with the practice of refusing to consider the unemployed than positive ones and that he has never recommended this practice. You can read his article and the comments here.

I would caution all recruiters and hiring managers to be as free from bias as possible when looking at candidates. I know for a fact that some of the best employees of companies came from the ranks of the unemployed; I know for a fact that some of the best employees of companies are over the age of 50; I know for a fact that some of the best employees of companies didn’t fit the mold for the perfect candidate for the job.

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We Helped Her “Land Her Dream Job”

February 16, 2011 by Leave a comment

Blog Post Written by Bonnie Fish, Business Development Manager for Imprimis (bfish@imprimis.com)

I am a Business Development Manager for Imprimis. Most of my interactions are with the clients rather than the candidates.

In my position, I rarely have the satisfaction of relaying the good news to a candidate that they have won the position they have wished for with the company of their dreams.  There is an upside to this as I ALSO do not have to bear the bad news to candidates that they did NOT win the position.

However, I had an opportunity to be truly engaged with a candidate as she struggled thru a couple of  temporary to permanent positions and interviews that did not work out for one reason or another.  After a few months of trying to find a fit for her,  she won an interview to start as a temporary at my client’s company.

This resulted as a “match made in heaven”.  Not only was she happy about the environment and culture but as an extra bonus, she was going to be able to use her beloved hobby, photography in assisting with product photos on their client’s sites.

I have included some bits from her letter below on this blog post. I don’t deserve the “glory”, the recruiters are in the trenches with the candidates 99% of the time.  I did want to express how satisfying a “well placed” hire can be for everyone involved!  How rewarding it is to find people employment  in the job hungry economy we find ourselves in, especially when the employee lands a “dream job”!

From Candidate: “Bonnie helped to place me with a fashion-design firm close to my home and I could not be happier.  The company and I are a perfect match, and this is a testament to the fact that Bonnie and Imprimis took the time to listen carefully to my needs and requests after the first placement had not worked out.

I could not imagine this process being a better experience.  I have worked with other Staffing services in the past and none of them have come close to what Imprimis and Bonnie has to offer.  I felt as though I was Bonnie’s one and only client, and regardless of my demands (which were probably overwhelming for her at times) she never made me feel uncomfortable or unvalued.  She is truly a blessing to me, and I thank God every day for putting Imprimis and her in my life and leading me down my new and exciting career path!”

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Don’t Forget about The “Mature” Employee

February 9, 2011 by Leave a comment

Blog Post Written by Janet Hershman, Recruiter for Imprimis Staffing

There are thousands of “mature personnel” who are unemployed and looking for work.  Many of them have been  loyal employees, staying at one job for years.  This does not necessarily indicate a lack of initiative but rather that they may have gained invaluable experience. This experience can easily translate into other industries as well. Don’t let them be pigeonholed.  Though health benefits may cost more for these employees the “work” benefits can more than make up for it.

If you are one of those mature persons looking for work, call me and I will assist you in your search.

You can reach Janet at jhershman@imprimis.com

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Ever wonder if you are in the right career?

February 1, 2011 by Leave a comment

Blog Post written by Brook Hamrick, Business Development Manager for Imprimis (bhamrick@imprimis.com)

Are you doing what truly fits your unique personality and strengths?

If you dislike what you are doing, it might be because you are not doing what truly fits and compliments your natural skills.  I, like some of you , graduated from college not knowing really what “I” was about.  So I took a job at a financial services firm and began studying for the Series 7  and Series 63 so I could become a Stock Broker.  Well, needless to say , I was miserable.   Fortunately, I had the opportunity to work in the recruiting department where I discovered a natural talent for sales, recruiting and intuitively understanding people. We all eventually learn more about ourselves as the years pass, but the sooner you know the quicker you can target your energy in the area where your natural abilities apply. If you have heard of the Meyers-Briggs Type indicator and have had the opportunity to take the questionnaire and see what your unique type is out of 16 different profiles, then awesome.  If not, go and take it. (click here) It is free and takes about 10 minutes.  Once you get your results , which will consist of 4 letters (Example. ENTJ, INFP, ESFJ and so on ), Google your type and see all sorts of information regarding types of careers for which you are suited.

The past 13 years I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to utilize those talents in the Recruiting/Staffing Industry and am blessed to work for Imprimis where our Clients and Candidates always come first.  May you find this questionnaire as insightful as I did and have a fabulous February!

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