Do you know what to ask a candidate’s reference?

When hiring new employees, it is imperative to take a look at past experiences within the workplace. While resumes and cover letters often highlight the brag worthy positives, references can sometimes answer questions that include the honest details that will make or break a potential employee’s chances at working for your company.

When approaching a professional conversation concerning a business reference, it is important to begin by asking straightforward and simple questions before easing into more detail-oriented scenarios. Below are a few tips to help when speaking with a potential employee’s reference.

1. Verify the basics. Ask the reference for past dates of employment, official title and duties. This will give you as a hiring manager or business owner a common ground with the reference and will aid in building a rapport with the individual.

2. Would you rehire this individual? Be sure to ask for their reasons for leaving and why they would or wouldn’t welcome that individual back into their workforce.

3. How far did this applicant advance within their role at the reference’s organization? Knowing the advancement or lack thereof will speak a lot about the work ethic of a potential employee and could keep you from hiring a poor worker or will allow you to add an individual to your team with an exceptional work ethic.   Read the rest of this entry »

Is networking part of your job hunt?

Active job seekers know the value of networking. It is a great way to meet other professionals in your industry and make connections that last for years to come.  As important as networking is, often times making these types of connections can be intimidating. So, whether you have a couple of connections already or are just starting out, here are our top three networking tips to help you get exposure in the job market.  Read the rest of this entry »

Do you know your business’ overtime costs?

Overtime, one and a half the employee’s hourly rate, can really add up for a small business. And although employees may enjoy receiving the paycheck, working employees overtime can cause lower productivity, higher stress and increased burnout. Here are some tips to help your business identify the source of overtime costs and reduce it.

Analyze overtime costs. Studying your overtime reports can help a business figure out any overall office patterns or insight into specific employees to determine the cause. Whether it is too much work for one person to handle efficiently in a 40-hour week or the employee is leaving work to the last minute in order to collect overtime, Chron says, “Knowing your overtime patterns can help you find the best way to cut overtime without reducing productivity.”  Read the rest of this entry »

How can employment agencies reduce your business costs?

By now everyone knows that hiring employment agencies for your company’s staffing needs can save both time and resources, but what about money? At JPS, we know that a down economy means businesses are looking for ways to trim down costs and reduce expenses. Here are just a few of the ways employment agencies can help your organization stay within budget.

Reduce overhead costs. When looking for different ways to gain a competitive advantage, companies often lower their prices. This is where hiring a staffing agency can help your business goals. From furniture and office space to wages and benefits, employment agencies can dramatically reduce the overhead costs needed by an HR department. JPS has the expertise to help your company reach its highest potential while saving on overhead costs.  Read the rest of this entry »

Does your business have a high employee turnover rate? This cycle of hiring for the same position over and over again can waste your company’s time, money and resources. You may be surprised to learn that the blame does not lay fully with the candidate and could be your hiring practices instead. At JPS we often hear of businesses making the same hiring mistakes; here are some practical tips to help your company avoid them.

Not preparing the candidate. One of the most common mistakes is not giving the candidate enough information prior to the interview. Whether it is not written on the job posting or failed to have been communicated during the initial phone call, not giving the necessary information to adequately evaluate the candidate can be detrimental. Don’t let a potential hire slip away due to a technicality. JPS has been in the staffing industry for years and our team knows exactly how to prepare a potential hire for success at your company.  Read the rest of this entry »

Job hunting? Check out the benefits of working with a staffing agency.

In recent years almost every professional field has become more and more competitive, making it difficult and stressful to find a job. Job-hunting certainly takes a lot of time, patience and dedication in order to craft the right messages and deliver them one at a time. But there is no reason to try to do this alone; employment agencies are a great asset for active job seekers. Here are some benefits of choosing employment agencies in your quest to find the right job.

Get a team. Employment agencies act as your representative. Job seekers don’t have to hand out tens or hundreds of resumes and cover letters one at a time or try to get potential interviews alone. At JPS, our staffing managers are always ready and available to represent you in your job search. Read the rest of this entry »

Certified as Small Business and Minority Woman Owned since 1988

Staffing agencies have been around for several years, but do you know the history behind how the staffing industry got started? Its inception may surprise you and the changes through the years have been many. Even though Josephine’s Professional Staffing opened its doors 25 years ago this year, the very first staffing agency was started here in California over a hundred years ago. Katherine Felton was born in Oakland, the daughter of prominent Oakland mayor and judge, Brooks Felton, whom the city of Felton, near Santa Cruz, was named after. Katherine created the first staffing agency to solve the problems and needs brought on by the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906. Among many other hats, Katherine quickly became the head of the social service efforts to restore people’s way of life prior to the natural disaster.   Read the rest of this entry »

Certified as Small Business and Minority Woman Owned since 1988

If you are in the market for a staffing agency you should know there are many different aspects to consider. From overall price to checking references, here are some tips to help you choose the right staffing partner for your business.

What are your needs? First and foremost, think about your needs. This is the most crucial step in the process. If you are unclear of your business’ needs the staffing agency will have a hard time providing you with a proposal tailored to your staffing requirements.  Read the rest of this entry »

Certified as Small Business and Minority Woman Owned since 1988

Finding the right employee can be difficult task, especially when companies don’t have the available time or resources. There are three core reasons why using a staffing agency is a far better choice for your organization.

1. It Saves Time - By using a staffing agency, companies don’t have to spend hours upon hours sorting through hundreds of resumes and scheduling endless interviews with candidates.Put your mind at ease with JPS; we conduct extensive background checks and have customized screening, recruiting, orientation and performance evaluation processes to find the right employee and make the most of your time.
2. It’s Cost-Effective - Hiring the wrong employee can cost companies time, money and resources they may not have available. Rely on the expertise of a staffing agency to find the right fit the first time around. Plus,  Read the rest of this entry »

Certified as Small Business and Minority Woman Owned since 1988

It can be very frustrating for a manager to have to deal with a difficult employee, and unfortunately, most every office has one. But what makes someone so hard to work with? From the pessimist to the competitive, there are different ways difficult employees present themselves. Here are some tips to assist you in helping a employee avoid another trip to the HR office.

Research. The first step in attempting to solve an issue is to know where the problem lies. Doing some research on the person’s behavior can help you understand where the difficulties comes from, giving you a better perspective on how to handle the situation. Inc.com has put together a reference list of the 10 most common difficult employees.  Read the rest of this entry »