2.7%. That is the most recent unemployment rate released for the State of Maine. In fact, reports are even saying it is a record-breaking low since recording the date using the current methodology. That’s good news, right? Yes and no. It is fabulous that Maine is putting people to work, but the harsh reality is that it’s now a lot harder to fill your job openings. 

Since we are deep in the trenches of a job seeker market, we want to cover a couple of the options you have.

Wait Patiently for the Purple Squirrel 

You have a perfectly crafted job description and have envisioned the ideal candidate for the role. Problem is, they either don’t exist, or they want twice what you are able to pay for the position – so you wait. Perhaps you invest in another advertising resource, bump up some of your benefit offers, or craft yet another job advertisement hoping to lure in more perfect matches.

The problem with this approach is that while you wait, the work piles up and creates more burden for your current staff, which could result in poor employee morale and increased turnover – leaving you with even more job openings to fill.

Go for Broke And Double The Salary

Okay, maybe not double the salary – but we all know that money talks. The question your have to ask yourself is, how long will the applicant listen? Having a competitive salary and benefits package is an important piece of remaining competitive in the market, and very well could be a quick fix to fill that opening.

The problem with this approach is that it could provide a false sense of security. If a candidate knows their skills are marketable, will they just jump ship and leave you back at square one the moment a better offer comes along?

We hope that by now you are saying, “Wait a minute, this all sounds pretty depressing.” Sound about right? Good. There is a much better way for you to handle this.

Level-Up Your Current Staff

Your current staff has already demonstrated loyalty to your organization, they understand your business, they know what you expect, and they know how to deliver. Why not create a win-win situation by leveling-up your team? By providing training and development programs to skill up your team, you can help transition them into those more specialized roles. Then the openings that remain are likely your more entry-level positions, which have a larger candidate pool for you to pull from. 

Many employees want to increase their skills, try new things, and move up within an organization – so why not show your dedicated staff some loyalty and gain even more loyalty from them in return?

The biggest challenge with this approach is that when you first initiate it, it could take some time. But what is important to remember is that there is a risk with every approach you take; when hiring someone new, you really can’t be sure they have the staying power you are hoping for or that their skills are up to par. With this approach, you know they have staying power and you can train them on exactly how you want the work to be done.

Whether you invest in mentorship programs, on-the-job training, offsite training, tuition reimbursement, use digital learning platforms, or a combination of all of those options – you can build a solid funnel of candidate so you never worry about going without. Also, you will likely be recognized as an employer of choice with candidates banging down your door because you demonstrated a commitment to your staff. What employee doesn’t like to know that their new employer is as committed to them as they are to you?

Spring is a season that is ripe with transitions. As the frost-covered ground warms and softens to accommodate May’s first blossoms, you may find yourself transitioning from academia to the workforce, or seeking to leave a job you’re comfortable in for a new job with a more engaging learning curve. Career transitions can be intimidating, but they are also exciting, and if you’re up for the challenge, they present a tremendous opportunity to learn and help your career bloom. 

Follow these tips to set yourself up for success and make your transition as smooth as possible. 

Take Advantage of Training Opportunities Available to You.

Take it upon yourself to learn as much as you can, and when opportunities for additional training arise, seize them! Learning new things is a vital aspect of any successful career, and the ability and willingness to learn is a trait that is highly sought after by nearly all employers. Not only can learning new skills open the door to growth within your current organization, it also helps you strengthen and diversify yourself as a candidate, which can have a positive impact on your career for years to come. 

When you work with Manpower, you have free access to our PowerYOU training platform, which offers thousands of online courses on a wide range of topics. From basic software applications like Excel, to in-demand programming languages like JAVA and SQL, and certification prep courses for HR and project management – there is no shortage of opportunities to update existing skills or explore and develop new ones that will help you level-up your career.

Ask For (and Accept) Feedback.

Critical feedback can sometimes be difficult to take, but it is a powerful professional development tool, because it provides you with insight on yourself that you may not have been able to obtain otherwise. It’s a challenge to be objective about ourselves, which is why it’s important to seek out, and gracefully accept, constructive criticism. Don’t be afraid to ask your supervisor or trusted coworker for feedback on your performance periodically – they’ll likely be impressed by your initiative! Just don’t overdo it – asking once per quarter is a good place to start, as it will provide you with regular feedback as well as plenty of time to implement it. 

Thank them for the feedback, and don’t get defensive if it is difficult to hear. Pause, reflect on the feedback, and ask clarifying questions if needed. Remember that they want you to succeed, and then start taking steps to act on the feedback and improve your work. 

Partner With an Industry Expert.

Career transitions can be made a whole lot easier by working with a partner like Manpower who is extremely well-versed on the labor market, and is connected to an extensive network of employers across a wide variety of industries. A recruiter will talk with you to learn more about your experience, education, skills, work preferences, and career goals – and then works to match you with the most suitable opportunities. Experts help you navigate the process, and take the guesswork out of finding work that works for you. 

Know That Everyone Starts Somewhere, and All Work Is Noble. 

We are our own worst critics, and there are times in our lives when we may feel that we’ve fallen short of where we thought we would be by now. Those feelings are normal – but don’t let them leave you feeling defeated. Everyone starts somewhere, and while your current job may not be your dream job, it is a stepping stone to something bigger. Much like life journeys in general, career journeys have many unexpected twists and turns. The path to the finish line (your ultimate career goal) will not always be clear – in fact, it is very likely there will be some detours – but if you treat each of your professional experiences along the way with the care and attention they deserve, you will build a career you can be proud of. 

If you are looking to make a career transition, click the link below to contact your local Manpower team!

You have a great product or offer an amazing service, and that is a terrific start; however, many businesses have both of those things and still struggle to take their business to the next level.  Why is that? The answer could very well be that they are hiring the wrong people to carry out the work. Having the right people on board can take your company to new heights, whereas having the wrong people on board can cause you to crash and burn.

While it would be nice to believe you, as the leader, control your customer’s experience, it is ultimately your employees that are being entrusted with that responsibility – your biggest opportunity to control the outcome is by hiring the right people. This is why having a clear hiring strategy for each and every position in your company is crucial.

Know What It Takes To Be Successful in Every Role

Take a look at each of the roles in your organization. Who are your ‘rockstars”? You know, the ones out can count on day in and day out to perform their job with excellence. Once you have determined who those people are, it is time to take a look at not only their pedigree, but more importantly those intangible characteristics that help them take their job to the next level. All too often, organizations paint themselves into a corner with blanket policies requiring specific education levels or years of experience when hiring, when it is often those less tangible characteristics that are a greater predictor of long-term success.

Know the Micro-Cultures In Your Company

While it is absolutely reasonable to have culture standards that are met across the organization, you should keep in mind that each department withing your company likely has it’s own micro-culture. Your accounting department is going to be operated and staffed much differently than your production floor. In order to hire the right person for each job, it is important that you understand both the big and small differences between each department, or even between different managers or shifts.

Advertise To The Right People

Once you really understand what it takes to be successful in the job and the departmental micro-cultures, you need to know where to find the people that will thrive in that specific role. Where would they likely be looking for jobs? What is it about the company that would grab their attention? Make sure when crafting your job advertisement you have their interests in mind. The more you speak their language, the more likely you are to attract (and then hire) the right people.

Make Sure the Candidate Experience Is Tailored

The screening and interview process for a production worker versus a marketing professional should look very different. For each role, you must consider what you want bother the pre-screening process and the interview process to look like. This includes how you “screen-out” versus “screen-in” your candidates. Must they have a resume? Do you require a lengthy phone screening? How might that impact the candidate experience and whether you are attracting the right people to your jobs?

Train Your Team 

Unless you are the one that screens, hires, and manages all staff members, then you must once again trust that you have hired and trained your staff on how to carry out your plan for best results. If your organization conducts peer interviews, make sure you are thoroughly training the individuals you want to participate. While getting unfiltered feedback is important, it is crucial that your team is trained to ask the right questions and to look for the characteristics you value.

What to Watch Out For

You have now designed a hiring model for each department based on perceived best practices, but be sure when you are hiring you are focused on the right characteristics. As you are building your team what you need to be focused on is balance. Diversity is good, it is health, and it helps us challenge our thinking and our processes. If everyone on your team thinks the same, chances are your results will become stagnant. And stagnation is not a state in which businesses thrive.

We get it, hiring is serious business! If you need so support building your team, Manpower wants to be the staffing partner you trust to deliver. Simply contact us by clicking the link below. 

The job search process can be a daunting one, especially if you haven’t had to do it in a long time or you are new to the workforce. To improve and have more consistency in your results, as well as spare yourself some stress, gain confidence by having a strong foundation. Check out the tips below to ace these job search basics:

Understand Yourself as a Candidate

A successful job search starts with understanding what you have to offer as a candidate, and knowing how to best leverage that information to attract potential employers. Conducting an inventory of your skills and experience will help to give you an idea of types of jobs you are qualified for, but your work doesn’t end there. 

You’ll also want to do some research on your local job market to evaluate the types of jobs available and what pay ranges in your area typically look like. Taking this extra step will help you see if there are any big discrepancies between your career desires/expectations and the opportunities available to you, thereby allowing you to be more proactive about making any changes needed to help you thrive in your job market.

For instance: if you have a very specialized skillset that best prepares your for a job within a particular industry, but there aren’t any jobs like that within a commutable distance from you, you’ll probably want to approach your job search a little differently – perhaps by tailoring your resume in a way that highlights your transferable skills, or by expanding your search to include relocation opportunities. 

Tailor Your Resume Appropriately

We review a lot of resumes every day, and we simply cannot stress enough the importance of tailoring your resume to the jobs for which you are applying. Your resume is a way of marketing yourself to a future employer: you want to represent yourself accurately, but highlight the skills and experience you possess that are most relevant to the requirements of the job. It’s a classic sales method. 

If you’re running a concession stand and you need to make sales, are you going to try to push snacks on the thirsty people, or are you going to tell them about your beverage selection? The latter option is the easiest path to the sale! It doesn’t mean you can’t also offer them some popcorn or candy, but first, offer them what you already know they are looking for. 

The same can be said of applying for a job. If you’re trying to transition out of a retail environment and into a call center job, definitely spend more time in your resume talking about your transferable customer service skills than your cash handling skills. This will make it easier for the hiring manager reviewing your resume to quickly identify you as an applicant that meets at least some of the most vital job requirements.

Know Where To Look

There are SO many job search resources out there that it can feel overwhelming – but if you’re one of the many people that check the same site over and over again, you could be missing out on some great opportunities. Not all employers advertise their jobs vacancies in the same places, so no single resource is an accurate representation of all the jobs that your area has to offer. To yield the best results, it’s important that you’re utilizing multiple resources in your search. Online job boards such as CareerBuilder.com, Monster.com, and Indeed.com probably come to mind first for most candidates, but there also many niche job boards gaining popularity – take to Google to find out if there is one for your desired industry!

While we live in an increasingly digital age, don’t overlook the power of face-to-face connections. Hiring fairs, networking events, professional associations, and alumni groups are still great ways to find new opportunities and connect with others in your field. Even if you don’t leave the event with with a promising immediate lead, it’s great practice for your next interview, and you never know what doors those professional contacts could open for you somewhere down the line!

Find A Partner You Can Trust

If you’re not quite sure where to go with your job search, or you’re feeling overwhelmed and would like some assistance with the process, consider partnering with a staffing firm such as Manpower. Staffing firms are excellent resources to have in your toolbox, because they are experts on the local market and have access to a vast network of companies that are actively hiring. They’ll help explore your strengths, weaknesses, and goals to help make the best fit for you.

If that partnership sounds like something you can benefit from, click the link below to contact your local Manpower team!

Now Scheduling Interviews for 03/20 in Medway

Manpower Maine is teaming up with The Scotts Company to fill a variety of seasonal positions at one of the area’s most prominent employers!

Jobs We are Hiring For Include:

• Material Handlers
• Forklift Drivers
• Machine Operators

We currently are recruiting for (6) 1st shift positions. 

This on-site interview event is by appointment only – schedule your spot today!

Equal Opportunity Employer / Drug & Alcohol Free Workplace

Extensive criminal background check and drug & alcohol screening is required.

Hello, Southern Maine Job Seekers!

Manpower Maine is excited to announce that our Biddeford office will now have extended hours on Mondays from 7:30am-7pm. We are hiring for a large number of light industrial and manufacturing positions in the Biddeford, Springvale, Saco, and Greater York areas, and we want to meet with you!

We understand that our traditional 8:30am-5pm schedule isn’t ideal for all job seekers, so we are offering these extended Monday hours to make it easier for you to stop in and meet with a recruiter before or after our normal business hours. Walk-ins are not only welcome, but encouraged! You can also call our Biddeford office at 207-284-0595 to schedule an appointment.

The manufacturing and light industrial positions we are currently hiring for pay between $10-15/hour, and are with well-respected, well-recognized companies. The best part? No experience required, so this is the perfect opportunity to get your foot in the door with some of the best employers in the area!

So whether you call to schedule an appointment, or walk into our Biddeford office, the important thing is that you meet with us at your earliest convenience. Our recruiting team is welcoming, experienced, and eager to talk to you!

Did you start the year strong having the best of intentions, and the motivation to back it up? As spring approaches, you may find that motivation dwindling, but that is normal! Everyone goes through periods in their job where motivation is lacking; maybe monotony is getting the best of you, or maybe there are things going on in your personal life that are drawing your attention away from where it should be during working hours. The important thing is to address and correct the situation before it escalates. Follow the tips below to get motivated and maintain your positive momentum! 

Take Note of Your Habits:

Take note of what tasks you put off most often (or have the least amount of motivation to complete), and then try to figure out what it is that is holding you back. Do you simply lack the resources and tools needed to complete these tasks? If so, a conversation with your supervisor might go a long way in remedying the situation. Do you not have the confidence needed to feel successful in your role? Whatever the dilemma may be, pinpointing the motivation drainer will better position you to craft an effective solution. 

Make a Plan:

Once you’ve committed to improving your situation, make a plan and hold yourself accountable. Visuals can be very powerful motivators, so you may find that organizing your priorities in a planner (or even a simple color-coded list) helps make developing a game plan and tackling your duties more straightforward. You could also consider setting up a reward system to help give yourself a little extra incentive to complete all of your tasks, big and small. Think carefully about the things you enjoy and are passionate about – what are some ways you could incorporate them into your plan to get back on track at work? There are lots of different strategies you can employ in your plan, but ultimately, the most effective on will depend on your individual work style and what drives you.

Push Yourself Outside of Your Comfort Zone:

If your day-to-day starts feeling dreadfully monotonous, it could just be that you’re bored and in need of a challenge. Step out of your comfort zone by seeking out opportunities to develop new skills and competencies. Talk to your boss; it might be possible to expand your duties to include things that play to your strengths and interests, or for you to mix things up by contributing to an upcoming project and get some exposure in an area of business that you wouldn’t normally be involved in. Not only will branching out provide you with more variety and job satisfaction, but it will assist you with your professional development by strengthening your resume and making you a more well-rounded worker. 

Focus on What You Can Control:

Few things zap motivation and productivity faster than perceptions of powerlessness or inadequacy. It’s important to acknowledge that while there are non-negotiables in every work environment – like the work that needs to get done – there are many factors in your control, and those are the things that you will be best served to focus on. These things include, but are certainly not limited to: the way you carry out your daily tasks, your attitude about your work, and the way you choose to respond to your circumstances. Fighting the non-negotiables is futile and unproductive, and will only leave you feeling more frustrated. When you focus on what you can control, you empower yourself to take action – and when you take meaningful action, you improve your self-confidence and feeling of competence, which will make it easier to take action next time!  

Be Mindful of the Energy You Surround Yourself With:

Have you ever had an interaction with someone that left you feeling really negative and drained? If so, you understand how easily someone’s mood can affect your own. Be mindful of the energy you surround yourself with, and spend time with people that lift you up. Being around positive, motivated, and goal-oriented individuals will not only make it easier for you to stay positive and manage stress more appropriately, but it can also expose you to new ways of doing things that will help you be more effective and successful.  

If you have done everything you can to get back on track with no success, it may be time to transition out of your organization and find a more suitable opportunity. If that is the case, registering with Manpower is one simple click away:

The excitement, energy, and renewed focus that often fuels your staff at the start of each new year is starting to melt away as quickly as the snow-covered ground in March. In an ideal world, every human would be intrinsically motivated, but alas, that is not reality.

So what can you do as an employer to help keep the momentum up for those that need a little added push? Here are a few ways to keep your employees motivated throughout the year without breaking the bank. 

Keep Their Work Fresh:

All jobs have some level of redundancy to them, and that is just par for the course in the world of work. That being said, having your workday on auto-pilot every day can have an impact on motivation levels. Offer cross-training opportunities to your team members, invite them to take on a new project, or empower them to pilot a new technique. Not only will employees be engaging other areas of their brain, they will be more likely to look at their routine work with a fresh set of lenses.  

Encourage Company-Wide Collaboration:

Everyone has something to learn, and everyone has something to teach. Not only that, but each department in the organization is reliant on the others. So it is naturally best to get everyone working together. By encouraging company-wide collaboration, you will be offering new learning opportunities to team members and helping all of your staff see what important roles each person plays in the company. You may even identify innovative ideas to impact your entire organization. 

Set Clear & Measurable Goals:

Yes, there is work that must get done – that is why you have employees to begin with. Setting clear, measurable, and realistic goals and expectations is a solid way to keep the momentum and productivity high. It is hard to create a motivated workforce if they are not provided the tools and direction they need to be successful. If leaders do not set clear and realistic expectations, targets, and goals, then they shouldn’t be surprised if those metrics aren’t met. 

Gamify Their Work:

We use gamification techniques often with our team here at Manpower. From vintage video game and guilty pleasure themed contests – they all seem to help us motivate our team. As mentioned before, all work becomes redundant, and we all put off our least favorite tasks for last – it is normal. Since we are armed with this information, what can we do to help encourage and motivate our team? Turning everyday activities into a well-timed challenge helps to break up the routine and add some excitement to their work. 

Recognize and Reward Them:

Not all recognition and rewards need to come with an actual price tag (although the occasional financial boost certainly doesn’t hurt – which is why sales positions are designed around commission and incentives). Sometimes however, the best thing you can do as a leader is take the time to thank your team members for their performance.  Recognize when they overcame a big obstacle or when they took initiative to help a team member. Supportive leadership and sincere praise helps to inspire loyalty and organizational buy-in. 

Lead By Example:

It’s hard to expect your team to stay motivated if your leaders are shuffling in and shuffling out, so be sure to set a positive example. If your team is just going through the motions, the first thing as a leader you should do is look inward. What behaviors are you modeling? Out of the tips provided previously, which ones can help you fuel your own performance? If you are trapped in your own motivational rut, be sure to seek out some support and guidance from a trusted peer to help get you back on the right track. 

There will be countless times throughout the years that each and every person experiences dips in motivation. The problem will never be with the rut itself, but with the person’s commitment to do what is necessary to dig out of it. As a leader, it is your job to figure out what you can do to support their efforts to get back to peak performance levels.

Needless to say, there are times when you have done everything you can to get your team on-board and the time has come to help them transition out of the organization and find a replacement. If that is the case, requesting a new employee through Manpower is one simple click away: