Mitigating Bias in Artificial Intelligence Staffing Software

Artificial Intelligence has very recently begun to trend as a great new time saving tool yielding comparable results of mere experienced humans. As interest in AI has grown, Abel Personnel
took a deeper dive into what this technology offers the staffing and recruiting process, and how it might still fall short of the advertised panacea in quickly identifying the best fit for a position opening. The results suggest that AI is another available tool but whose limitations must be recognised in making hiring decisions:

Predictive technology and artificial intelligence are now involved in multiple steps of the hiring process, particularly when using online job boards. While it may seem that using a computer
program to screen resumes would eliminate human bias, giving equally qualified applicants an equal opportunity to be seen, that isn’t always the case. What hiring managers and applicants
alike should understand is that the algorithms that online job boards and social media use to suggest jobs and candidates are only as objective as the data used to program them.

historical data regarding hiring trends is based on the outcomes of inherently biased decisions; therefore, hiring algorithms are designed to replicate the outcomes that humans typically decide. Predictive technology has the potential to amplify bias in presenting applicants to hiring managers, as well as suggesting jobs to job-seekers. In a study conducted by Harvard,
Northwestern University, and USC, 75% of targeted employment ads on Facebook for low-paying positions such as taxi drivers were shown to Black viewers, and 85% of employment ads for grocery store cashiers were targeted to female viewers. According to Harvard Business Review, “[Algorithms] can replicate institutional and historical biases, amplifying disadvantages lurking in data points like university attendance or performance evaluation scores.”

Large companies often develop their own programs that use artificial intelligence to screen resumes. Many of these programs have been scrapped or redeveloped because they were proven to be biased. According to Rutgers, Amazon’s former candidate sourcing algorithm identified “masculine language” and learned that using those specific words on a resume was more desirable to hiring managers than the actual job qualifications. The result was that the program presented an exponentially increasing number of male candidates to the hiring managers, regardless of their qualifications. According to Quartz, an audit of a different company’s resume screening program “…found that the algorithm found two factors to be most indicative of job performance: their name was Jared, and whether they played high school lacrosse.”

While this can seem discouraging to hiring managers and candidates alike, programs can be revised and even rewritten when hiring inequity is detected. According to MIT Technology Review, “…some of the world’s largest job search sites—including CareerBuilder, Zip Recruiter, and Monster—are taking very different approaches to addressing bias on their own platforms.” However, they go on to say “Since these platforms don’t disclose exactly how their systems work, though, it’s hard for job seekers to know how effective any of these measures are at actually preventing discrimination.”

The good news is that there are champions for correcting these flaws. Jamison Rotz, founder of Nearly Human, an AI development company focused on ethical programming, has watched big tech companies misuse personal data and ignore faulty algorithms that foster race, gender, economic, and age biases. According to The Founder Beat, “He’s on a mission to help steer a world ever more immersed in AI tech toward building with integrity and ethical guardrails.” Jameson also notes that the big, online job boards use AI bots to apply for jobs on behalf of candidates, which is why hiring managers who rely solely on those platforms for recruiting will spend countless hours flipping through resumes of unqualified “applicants” and reaching out to candidates who aren’t interested in their positions.

AI can also be misused by candidates to develop resumes in the same way it is employed to write term papers. AI can scan the job opening description and identify the keywords and qualifications that will attract the resume review algorithm, perhaps fudging some of education and employment facts to better align with the requirements.

At Abel Personnel, we mitigate these issues for our candidates as well as our business clients. Although our recruiters are equipped with tools that contain components of artificial intelligence, personal attention to both our clients and candidates helps us achieve the best matching of people with positions. Each candidate is personally interviewed, taking time to
really understand their goals, interests and skills. Our business clients are only introduced to interested, qualified candidates.

Sources:
hbr.org/2019/05/all-the-ways-hiring-algorithms-can-introduce-bias
qz.com/1427621/companies-are-on-the-hook-if-their-hiring-algorithms-are-biased
www.technologyreview.com/2021/06/23/1026825/linkedin-ai-bias-ziprecruiter-monster-artificial-intelligence/
thefounderbeat.com/harrisburg-tech-ceo-unlocks-business-potential-with-new-ai-platform/

Are you feeling stuck in your current job and looking for a career change? It can be overwhelming to navigate the job market on your own, but have no fear – a staffing agency such as Abel Personnel can make it happen!

Here are 10 good reasons to consider using a staffing agency to plan your career change:

• Expertise: Staffing agencies have expert recruiters who are knowledgeable about the job market, industry trends, and the skills that employers are looking for.
• Access to hidden jobs: Many companies use staffing agencies to fill their open positions that are not advertised publicly.
• Tailored job search: Staffing agencies can help you find job opportunities that match your skills, experience, and career goals.
• Career guidance: Staffing agencies can provide guidance on job search strategies, career advancement, and professional development.
• Job market insights: Staffing agencies can provide insights into the current job market and help you stay up-to-date on industry trends and changes.
• Networking opportunities: Staffing agencies have extensive networks of employers and those who can connect you with potential employers and job opportunities.
• Time-saving: Job searching can be time-consuming and overwhelming, but staffing agencies can save you time by doing the job search for you.
• Resume and cover letter assistance: Staffing agencies can provide guidance on how to improve your resume and cover letter to make them stand out to potential employers.
• Interview coaching: Staffing agencies can provide coaching to help you prepare for interviews and make a great impression on potential employers.
• Free services: Staffing agencies offer their services for free to job seekers, as they are paid by the employers who hire their candidates.

In addition to these 10 reasons, using a staffing agency can also provide a sense of support and encouragement during the job search process. Career changes can be daunting, but with the help of a staffing agency recruiter you can have an expert on your sideto help you find your dream job.

The virtual interview between Priscilla and the Abel recruiter reached an awkward silence. Priscilla’s face on screen was troubled and lost in thought. This reaction was to the question, “Do you need or want to work entirely remote, hybrid, or in an office?”

The type of accounting position that Priscilla was seeking could be successfully filled by someone in any of those conditions. Indeed, Abel Personnel had some openings where the employers had specific office attendance requirements in mind, and other positions in which clients were flexible on workplace location for the candidate who was the right fit. But what did Priscilla want or need?

“I’m not sure,” Priscilla finally offered. “Yes, I’d love to work from home with occasional visits to the office as needed, but is that the best move to advance my career?”

The recruiter was the one now silent in thought. This was not a new question for her. The key was to offer an answer that did not pressure her applicant to agree to work on-site full or part-time, only to be unhappy a few months into the new position.

“That seems to be the big post-pandemic question,” the recruiter first acknowledged. “And of course, there is no right answer for every position, every person, or every company. So, let’s start with some survey results, okay?”

The recruiter then offered the following data from the end of 2022:

• 48% of workers report they are working completely in-person, 28% are working on a hybrid schedule, and 24% are fully remote.
• 51% of female employees said they work fully on-site, compared with 44% of men.
• Employed parents of children under the age of 18 were more likely to work a hybrid schedule (33% vs. 24%), while the majority of those without school-age children work on site full-time (51% vs. 43%).

Next, the recruiter presented a survey of worker attitudes:

• 46% feel pressured to work during their time-off.
• 44% would be willing to take a pay cut if it meant they had greater freedom to work remotely.
• 40% are worried about layoffs at their company in the next six months.

That last statistic, worry about layoffs, might be the most telling. When labor was scarce, companies were more open to accepting new hires on the employee’s terms. As the possibility of recession looms in certain industries, those employers might choose to layoff staff whose remote work does not appear to meet the company’s ideal, despite individual performance.

Priscilla nodded at this, but the recruiter knew these numbers were not offering the direction sought. The facts of life for employment now offered were more qualitative than quantitative:

• Advancement: Employees on-site have a higher probability to be promoted because they are observed performing their job more often and interact more often with their bosses and senior managers who will have input on promotions.
• Tap Someone on the Shoulder: In-office work allows for the opportunity to seek quick advice on a question or process from someone nearby in a way that might not occur by phone call, messaging, email, or video.
• Random Interactions: These hallway or “watercooler” conversations often pass along information that might not have otherwise happened to the interacting employees. “Running into you, it now occurs to me that I have some information that might benefit you”, or maybe”You are the person who could assist our team with this problem…”
• The Hybrid Non-Solution: Scheduling some employees to be back some days of the week can be a disappointing compromise. A half-empty office lacks the vibrancy that is achieved when the team is together in one place. It can feel like the day after a big layoff.

The recruiter finished her presentation by noting that those companies that have data, or perhaps a gut feeling that having everyone back in the office would be most productive, were now introducing office experiences that just could not be achieved at home. These might be as routine as speakers or hands-on activities that occurred pre-pandemic. Some have offered additional enrichment through book clubs or interest clubs. Post-pandemic flexibility then focuses on adjusting the in-office work schedule to meet individual employees’ needs rather than rigid start and end times, the same for all five days a week.

Priscilla’s eyes widened at the last description. “What I really loved about the jobs when I worked from home was having more flexibility in balancing my work schedule with my life schedule. And I agree that the comradery of an office is always better than what you achieve online. If I could find that in a position now, I would be open to wherever my employer wants me to work.”
With that direction, the recruiter shared her screen, displaying three job descriptions offering the desired flexibility.

“Shift-shock” is a common phenomenon that occurs when an employee undertakes a new role that they then perceive as a poor fit. The feeling of disappointment and dissatisfaction can be overwhelming, and it is crucial to take a professional approach and specific steps to deal with this situation to avoid burning any bridges. Many employees may not be aware that some companies and agencies will be hesitant to work with them in the future if the situation is not resolved professionally.

The first step to dealing with shift shock is to take some time to evaluate the job and the company; your first negative impression may be premature after a few weeks of better understanding your new employer. Consider what it is about the job that you dislike and whether or not there are any aspects that offset those disappointments. Do the pluses exceed the minuses? Another important step is to talk to your colleagues and manager. They may be able to provide you with some insight into the company culture and whether or not there are any opportunities for growth and development. You may find that your concerns can be easily addressed.

If there are no redeeming qualities about the job, it may be best to start looking for a new position. Call your recruiter as soon as possible. Whatever aspects are concerning you, this will be excellent feedback to provide to your recruiter. Without this vital piece of the puzzle, your recruiter may unknowingly attempt to offer you a position that doesn’t address your current concerns. Inform them of your dissatisfaction with the job and express your specific concerns. This is a great time to let them know you have thought this over thoroughly. They will be able to offer you some guidance in your current situation or assistance in finding a more suitable position. It’s always best to be as honest as possible because your recruiter wants the same thing that you do: a mutually beneficial placement! Depending on if you’re a temp worker and how long you’ve been in your new role, you will want to make your decision about this role before you are offered permanent status with the company. With your feedback, future placements will become more geared toward your career goals and needs.

It is also essential to take care of yourself during this difficult time. Make sure that you are getting enough rest and exercise, and try to maintain a positive attitude. This will help you to stay focused and motivated as you navigate the challenges of your new job. Seek support from friends and family. They can provide you with a sounding board for your thoughts and feelings, and may be able to offer you some guidance and support as you deal with shift shock.

All in all, dealing with shift shock can be a difficult and challenging experience, but by taking the steps outlined above, you can begin to navigate this difficult period and find a more suitable position that aligns with your goals and values. Remember to be open and honest with your recruiter and your colleagues, and to take care of yourself both physically and mentally. With time and effort, you will be able to find a new role that you enjoy and that aligns with your career aspirations.

Effective managers delegate responsibility in order to plan, collaborate, and monitor the work of their employees. As experts in all aspects of the hiring process, staffing agencies can be a
valuable external resource for managers, offering a range of services and support – empowering managers to focus on accomplishing the goals of the organisation. Here are a few ways in which staffing agencies can help:

Overall, staffing agencies can be a valuable partner for managers, offering support and expertise to help them succeed in their roles while building strong, productive teams. This can save managers valuable time and allow them to focus on other priorities.

Finding the right staffing agency will save your company time and money. Abel Personnel has over 50 years of experience finding candidates to meet your company’s unique needs.

Your first job was perhaps through the school’s placement office. The next jobs maybe came through networking or online. Now it’s time to be serious about finding a career-advancing job; use professional resources rather than do-it-yourself. In order to find the right position, a staffing agency is your professional resource. Six things you need to know first:

Next step: Call Abel Personnel at 717-761-8111 or 717-561-2222 and get serious about advancing your career!

Perhaps a generation ago, the Abel recruiter would receive a response of, “we pay depending on experience – DOE.” This typical reply was reminiscent of her first experience with a car salesman who initially wanted to know what she had budgeted to pay for a car even before discussing features and models. Times have changed.

In the case of her most recent salary range inquiry to a potential new client accounting firm, there seemed to be a presumption from this question that the salary was the most important job attribute to the recruiter’s applicants; required experience and skills plus job responsibilities and work environment were secondary. Or, if the salary range was not revealed up front, some applicants (typically women and persons of color) might ask for a starting salary below the budgeted range.

Hearing these opportunities, the hiring manager expressed his thankfulness, as his company’s core expertise was accounting and not recruiting accountants. That was clearly Abel Personnel’s expertise. He then provided the recruiter with the salary ranges.

The software customisation company was thrilled with their newest hire. The company COO chose to call their Abel Personnel recruiter to thank her directly for her efforts in making this key addition possible. The COO characterised this hire as “strategic,” a position that needed the right person to assure the company’s ongoing growth in market share. The COO confided that the process from authorising the search to position acceptance had required about eight months, including the company’s six month effort to identify candidates using web-based services before coming to Abel.

The recruiter, grateful for the praise, confessed that her efforts to locate hard-to-find talent had become easier in the last few months because of three factors:

• High-Tech Staff Reductions: The announced layoffs, plus anticipation of more workforce reductions coming, increased the number of high talent individuals with highly specialised qualifications into the job market. A number of these she had placed in their jobs several years ago were returning to her as a trusted advocate.
• Great Resignation Returnees: Those who had left the workforce at the start of the COVID pandemic, either as early retirees or to stay home with children attending virtual classes, have decided that they now really want to work, to go back to an office after three years. In some cases, the government subsidies have run out. For others, their vaccinations have made them less fearful of an office environment.
• Great Resignation Remorse: There are others who used the pandemic and accompanying high labour demand to switch jobs and even careers. Two to three years later, they find that the switch was not the better opportunity or lifestyle they thought that they wanted. For some, that time period is also what they normally expect to elapse before moving on to advance their careers.

Through this presentation, the COO asked many questions, including specific position inquiries. He then scheduled a video conference with the Abel recruiter and his HR manager two weeks later. By that time, he committed to updating the company’s strategic human resources plan, to present a list of positions with unique background requirements that the company needed to fill in the next year or two to achieve their strategic business plan. The recruiter complimented the COO on his understanding that acquiring high talent was a long game, akin to securing high revenue clients. The time investment, with the right person representing the company, had a higher probability of yielding a better return than a quick hire over the internet.

Is it time to start considering strategic hires as high talent has suddenly become available? Be in touch with Abel Personnel at 717-561-2222 or at abelpersonnel.com.

The start of a new year is a natural time for many people to reflect on their careers and consider making a change. Many potential employers also now are looking to fill newly approved openings. Six tips and some questions to answer before starting your job search:

Overall, the start of a new year is a great time to consider making a change in your career. With some reflection, preparation, persistence and guidance, you can find that new career in the new year. Abel Personnel has just what you need!

NEW YEAR, NEW CAREER: 6 JOB SEARCH TIPS

• Reflect on Your Goals & Priorities. Think about what you want out of your career and what you’re looking for in a new job. What are your long-term goals? What are your values and priorities? What opportunities do you want in your next job?
• Update Your Resume & Cover Letter. Are your resume and cover letter up to date? Do they highlight your skills, experience, and accomplishments? Is there a professional resume writer or career coach you could approach for additional guidance?
• Network to Seek Out Prospects. Networking is a key part of any job search. The start of the year is a great time to reach out to connections and let them know you’re looking for new opportunities. Attend industry events, join professional associations, and networking online!
• Be Open to New Opportunities. Don’t be too narrowly focused on one particular type of job or industry. Are you exploring new opportunities and considering positions that may be outside your comfort zone? Do you have skills and experiences that would transfer well to other industries?
• Stay Positive & Persistent. Finding a new job can be a challenging process, and it’s important to stay positive and persistent. Are you allowing yourself to become discouraged while applying for positions and networking? Are you embracing the opportunity to learn about other companies and industries?
• Work with Abel Personnel. Pursuing a new job and perhaps a new career direction does not need to be a DIY effort. Are you aware that there are experts in identifying the job opportunities that align with your career goals and priorities? May we suggest Abel Personnel?

The search for the software customization specialist proceeded for several weeks without a single candidate proposed as interview-worthy. The Abel Personnel recruiter suggested that the IT Firm’s HR Manager and the recruiter have a virtual huddle to review their approach before continuing.

“I’m not surprised you weren’t immediately successful,” the HR Manager began. “We weren’t being inundated with resumes when we had tried finding qualified applicants on our own.”

“Oh, finding well-qualified candidates has not been the problem. We’ve spoken with several who we knew were passively looking for a new opportunity. Many felt enthused about the software you handle and your reputation for the team you’ve put together. Your compensation, benefits, and career opportunity were also meeting their expectations. Those haven’t been the problem,” the recruiter reported.

Hearing that surprised the HR Manager, who now wondered if their software customization process was no longer cutting edge or if they were missing something the talent market now wanted. In a way, the HR Manager was right about both these concerns.

Caroline, the head of her company’s staffing function, had met with her Abel Personnel recruiter for lunch in early December every year for the past seven years (at outdoor locations before Covid vaccinations were available). This tradition dates back to Caroline’s predecessor when company policy allowed vendors to take their clients out to lunch. Now everything is “separate checks.” The two women enjoyed having lunch together. It was a great opportunity for Caroline to give her recruiter a heads-up on planned staffing needs for the coming year, and to hear what trends the recruiter was seeing in staffing in Caroline’s company’s industry.

Once Caroline had shared what sets of skills and work experience the recruiter should be on the lookout for after the first of the year, the discussion turned to holiday plans and traditions. They each recounted how many activities that had been canceled due to the pandemic were reinstated for the first time this year, and how many (some thankfully) would not be returning. This discussion naturally turned next to the tradition of New Year’s resolutions.

“You mean ones besides ‘exercise more, spend more time with family, be kinder?’” Caroline joked.

“I was thinking of business-related resolutions, particularly in staffing,” the recruiter replied. “Those types of aspirations that often don’t make it to the company’s business plan, except perhaps how much staff needs to be hired or to improve staff retention.”

Caroline nodded at this, before observing, “As you know, we underperformed in staffing this year, though thanks to you we did better than most of our competitors for the same talent. But you’re right, there are things we could be doing better. I bet you have some ideas?”

A CHANGE FOR 2023

You thought the Interview went well. They told you that they’d be in touch “real soon” Still, you didn’t get the job when they eventually got back to you… or you were ghosted. While the causes for this result may vary, here are the top ten reasons you may have been passed over:

An Abel Personnel recruiter can prep for you in advance for an interview that aligns with your qualifications and interests, so none of these reasons will stop you from getting that job! Be in touch at www.abelpersonnel.com.

Sourced from Career Contessa, “Why Can’t I Get a Job? 10 Reasons You’re Not Landing the Job,” Keertana Anadraj, October 18, 2022

10 REASONS YOU DIDN’T GET THE JOB

GEN Z IN THE WORKPLACE

Born after 1996, Gen Z grew up with technology, the internet, and social media

The top 3 reasons GenZ quits a job:

Jobs that attract Gen Z

DONT BE A GHOST!

In considering your costume for this Halloween, you may not be planning to be a ghost. Unsurprisingly, the ghost was not in the top ten Halloween costumes for 2022 (Witch was #1). This advice also pertains to your business practices, and particularly your efforts to secure new employment. Abel Personnel suggests you avoid the following “spooky” practices when interacting with an employer or with a staffing firm:

Such ghosting may have a more serious implication: stoking prejudices about whatever minority (race, religion, generation, etc.) that the angered potential employer may attribute to you. While you may not be responsible for their generalizing your behavior, the result is a reinforcement of stereotypes and lost opportunities for others to overcome vague prejudices.

THAT DREADED INTERVIEW QUESTION

Whether you are interviewing for a job at a new company, interviewing for a promotion with your current employer, or having an exit interview, inevitably you will be asked, “Why are you leaving your job?” As much as you’d be tempted to rant about your terrible boss, the lack of opportunity and mentorship and the overall toxic work environment, here are 4 guidelines to politely explain your reasons:

When you choose to work with an Abel Personnel recruiter, you will have the opportunity to talk through and refine your response to this and other difficult questions that are apt to arise in your interview. Remember, an honest explanation can be couched in negative or positive terms, and those positive terms will make the best impression on the prospective employer or keep your bridges intact with the employer you are leaving. To schedule an interview with a recruiter, call Abel Personnel at 217-561-2222 or find us at abelpersonnel.com.

WHAT ABOUT THE NEXT PANDEMIC?

ARE YOU PREPARED FOR A (POSSIBLE) RECESSION?

It’s hard to find an economic forecaster that does not predict a recession soon, although many disagree on when, how severe, and for how long. And while it may be dizzying to go from a tight labor market to significant layoffs, you want to be prepared in case the downturn affects your job. Abel Personnel Recommends you take these seven steps in order to be ready.

For more details, click here

3 TYPES OF EMPLOYEE BENEFITS TO LOOK FOR IN A NEW JOB

Working with an Abel Personnel recruiter is a great way to evaluate and negotiate a compensation package to determine the real value of the offer. The employee benefits to consider can be grouped into three sets of packages:

The economic value of each offered benefit should be determined as well as how each supports your desired lifestyle (for example, not having to commute to work).

Your Abel recruiter can assist in the analysis, plus identify which benefits might be open for negotiation.

Sometime accepting a lower salary with an outstanding benefits package will be a significant increase in quality of life! For more information, call Abel Personnel at 717-561-2222 or visit us at abelpersonnel.com

TEMP-TO-HIRE: THE BIG PICTURE

5 TIPS FOR FINDING QUALITY JOBS IN HARRISBURG

In preparing your resume, consider the resume as your brochure. It is a marketing tool to present you to a potential employer, and you always want to make a great first impression. Act as if your career depends on it (it does!). Need feedback on your resume? Contact an Abel Personnel recruiter today!

“Now that we’re hopefully passed ‘The Great Resignation,’ what is this ‘Quietly Quitting’ phenomenon I now need to worry about?” Asked a client of Abel Personnel.

“Besides the cute alliteration, I think we’ve experienced this behavior forever… it’s been rebranded by some managers to explain workplace situations they do want to own,” replied her Abel Personnel recruiter.

They then began to unpack this latest personnel management trend. The typical elements are:

• Mentally checking out of work, meetings, and correspondence
• Feeling exhausted from work volume
• A disengaged employee with a lack of enthusiasm for work
• Reluctance or refusal to take additional tasks or extra projects
• Learning the bare minimum effort to make at work, then making that effort

“But aren’t they interested in getting ahead, taking on more responsibility?” the client wanted to know.

“Yes and no,” was the short reply. The long reply identified these factors:

• Work-Life Balance: Some employees are just not interested in advancing, maybe not now or maybe never, so taking on extra responsibilities and hours upsets their vision of work-life balance. They are willing to accept less pay and opportunities for less stress and more time on evenings and weekends to pursue nonwork interests.
• Management Practices: Others have legitimate complaints that they are hired at junior level pay to do senior level work. Or, they feel gaslighted into considering themselves lucky to have this job in the face of an upcoming recession.
• Misaligned Expectations: The hiring manager has not fully explained the expectations of the role, perhaps even downplaying the amount of overtime needed or trial-by-fire required to entice the applicant to accept the offer. The applicant may have overstated their willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Rather than feeling comfortable or safe bringing these concerns to their management, these employees stay quiet and curb their efforts until they quit to take a position that addresses these factors.

Elyse was 12 years into her IT career when she received a promotion to a supervisory position. As the new software applications supervisor, this would be her first opportunity to be involved in the hiring side of staffing. She immediately contacted the Abel Personnel recruiter, who had been servicing Elyse’s company for seven years.

The recruiter had provided Elyse with five highly qualified resumes. With two rounds of interviews completed, and her management’s blessing, Elyse and the company’s HR manager had authorized the Abel recruiter to make an offer. The offer was instantly accepted… and then it was not! The recruiter immediately scheduled a teleconference to explain what happened and identify the next steps.

“This rarely happens to me,” the recruiter started. “I usually can sense from my experience whether a candidate is truly committed to a job. I hear this flip-flop is happening more, especially in IT.”

“Given the high demand for IT staff, I guess this is always a risk, “Elyse responded.

“I’ve seen that a lot,” the Abel recruiter explained. “Their resume is still out there even after they accepted a job and gave notice. Sometimes they may try to renegotiate the compensation package they’ve already accepted!”

“So how do you keep that from happening?” Elyse wanted to know.

“Oh, I am in touch with my candidates almost daily from the moment they accept the job up to 60 days after their start date. That way, I can sense if they are wavering (or they are recruited by another company) and nip-it-in-the-bud.”

Elyse was impressed. She had not realized that offer-and-acceptance wasn’t always straightforward, and she was grateful to have a professional on hand to be sure the deal stayed sealed. After they determined to now make an offer to her second choice candidate, her mood shifted as she shared an experience earlier in her career.

When the Abel recruiter arrived at her desk that morning, she saw there was one unheard message on her office phone. She decided the message could wait while she booted up her computer and secured some coffee. Among the new unread messages in the recruiter’s inbox was this one from Tracy:

“I was not sure if you received my phone message that I left this morning; next Friday will be my last day. The cost of gas is just making this commute not viable. I appreciate this opportunity; it is just not working out for me.”

When the recruiter first met Tracy several months previously, she had been working at a department store near her home. Tracy shared at length the indignity of working retail. She then related her life story of earning a degree in accounting, marriage, and a baby within two years of graduation, and single motherhood and the need to find a job that would work with daycare. Tracy did not feel ready to resume her accounting career when she started her retail position. Now, she felt more confident in the working world.

After suggesting some tweaks to her resume, the recruiter lined up a few interviews. Tracy received two offers, the best for her being a temp-to-hire position which was a half-hour commute from her home. After accepting the offer, Tracy had a great first day at work, and the hiring manager was very pleased. Now this, four months later.

Tracy failed to show up for her shift. The hiring manager was immediately informed. They asked the recruiter to find out more information before giving up on Tracy. A conversation with Tracy later that morning revealed that she had accepted another position. It was the very one she had left at the department store, the one she swore she’d never do again. Tracy had calculated that her fuel expenses had risen to 25% of her take-home pay. What remained after her commuting cost was not much more than she earned at the department store, and without the stress of the commute. The new job also did not start until August, when her son started school.

At the most recent noontime meeting, Gabi and Alexa, two staffing recruiters, shared their concerns about the probability of an upcoming recession. They agreed that this would likely result in a pivot from too few applicants to too few openings, a dramatic change after so many years of high labor demand. Alexa believed that the current inflationary pressures and thereby dampening consumer demand would ease once Ukrainian War and COVID-induced supply chain issues were resolved.

“I sure hope you’re right,” Gabi responded. “I do wish everyone was as keyed on talent supply chain management as they are on materials and products.”

This different lens on the labor market surprised Alexa. Gabi continued, “I read about all these big manufacturing companies discussing how they need to get closer to their suppliers. They are giving their suppliers a year’s heads up on their material and component needs. I wish my clients would be in touch with me long before they needed a staff addition or replacement yesterday!”

Alexa recounted how one of her most active clients had plans to add six positions over the year but would not give her a confirmed job description or opening until the month before the planned hire date. “Given that some of these positions will take a few months to identify, interview, and vet candidates, wouldn’t it be better to share that hiring plan at the beginning of the year?” she asked.

The colleagues then identified the following opportunities to address talent supply chain issues through partnering with a staffing firm:

• Share Long Range Hiring Plans
• Have Processes and Procedures in Place
• Identify Ongoing Entry Level Needs
• Address Total Talent Solutions
• Develop a Labor Market Feedback Mechanism

Alexi shared how her employer, Abel Personnel, was already offering many of these partnering benefits to their client companies. For Abel Personel, doing this has resulted in more well-qualified resumes received. They also report offers aligned to market conditions and applicant needs (resulting in higher acceptance rates) and overall hiring cycles completed by the time required for each opening.

PLANNING YOUR ZOOM INTERVIEW WITH ABEL PERSONNEL

5 SKILLS OF AN EFFECTIVE LEADER

• COMMUNICATION : They express their instructions clearly.
• ACTIVE LISTENING : Lets their team express themselves. Make an effort to understand their point of view.
• ORGANIZATION : Creates schedule and informational resources for their team.
• CRITICAL THINKING : Understand their business and team and makes rational adjustments based on current factors.
• FOCUS : Uses their knowledge to create a work environment where each member feels comfortable and motivated.

“I may be sending you my resume.”

These were the opening words of my call from Julie earlier this week. In the nearly three years that she had been a recruiting specialist at my client, a fast-growing regional CPA firm, Julie’s contacts usually began with a request for resumes, preferably within a few hours. She had been watching the news about the diminishing prospects for the economy (and workforce). We both had memories of the Great Financial Crisis of 2008, she as an HR intern and me at Abel Personnel, and those were scary days for human resources.

I proposed that we first compile a list of what experience has taught us to expect:

• Whether this economy falls into recession or has a “soft landing,” at least initially there will be a significant drop in filling new and existing openings, AKA a hiring freeze.
• Reductions-in-force (layoffs) might occur once the strength of the decline in product and service demand can be measured. These cuts most likely will affect those in operations, those in well-paid middle management positions, and specialists in support areas. Those in generalist or multi-specialty positions would be safest.
• High-talent workers will suddenly lose interest in jumping to a new position in fear of last-in-first-out layoffs at their new employer. Recruiting for any remaining openings may initially be harder.
• A human resource recruiting specialist may be particularly vulnerable to hiring freezes or layoffs planned.
• National and state governments will eventually respond by creating programs that require hiring increases. This may initially help staffing firms (like Abel Personnel) for companies that have let go of their in-house recruiting specialists (sorry, Julie).

“I’m not sure you can do this one, but would you give it a try?” To Abel Personnel’s top IT recruiter, Melissa, that was a challenge she’d never decline. The opening was for an IT Business Analyst, requiring a background in computer science and accounting/finance. In a generally tight labor market, the prospect of finding suitable candidates offering both these talents is an extra stretch, but not impossible. However, this candidate also needed to regularly travel to meet at sites ranging from Massachusetts to Virginia. That’s coming close to impossible.

This environmental technologies firm made an educated guess that Central Pennsylvania might be the ideal spot to find the right candidate near the middle of that elongated territory. Melissa set to work, looking to please this new client whose steady growth portended more placements in months to come, and a long-term mutually profitable business relationship. Having accumulated a multitude of contacts over many years of professional recruiting, Melissa knew those specialists who might not be actively looking for a new job and posting their resumes on websites, but who would want to be contacted about this unique opportunity. She also had contacts who could refer Melissa to potential candidates who had not yet heard of Melissa or Abel Personnel, but with the right introduction would be open to starting communicating about this job.

This dual expertise is rarely the result of a double major in college or someone already with that job title seeking advancement. More likely, a candidate started in one area and then received training and mentoring to learn how to cover the area, too. Some had both skills but were in a position that was quite different in its pace, and are ready for a career pivot. Once Melissa had gathered the resumes, identified possibilities that might not have occurred to a less trained eye (including the job seeker!), and confirmed interest and availability, she began forwarding resumes attached to her candid evaluations to the firm.

The client’s reaction was almost immediate, “Thank you specifically for all your help in uncovering so many different candidates and presenting them! This is not an easy role and you gave us a lot of different options that helped us clarify what the team wanted.”

Melissa persevered as the process continued and the needs of the client were refined. Three candidates ultimately emerged, and each, in the words of Melissa’s client, “brought something different to the table in terms of experience and expertise.”

As the preferred candidate accepted the position, Melissa was pleased to share the following email with her team at Abel Personnel, “You are amazing and did an amazing job for us! For sure, we will reach out if we have any other needs! Always a pleasure doing business with you!”

THE RESUME BLACKHOLE

• Alex : How goes the new job search?
• Job Seeker : Submitted my resume on 43 job posting so far and nothing more than an automated, “thanks but no thanks.”
• Job Seeker : You keep hearing how desperate companies are for new talent; well, you couldn’t prove it by me!
• Alex : Maybe it’s your resume?
• Job Seeker : Perhaps. I’ve done several revisions. Even took an online webinar on effective resumes, about highlighting skills, using active language, and focusing on accomplishments.
• Alex : That could be the problem. The recruiter I know at Abel Personnel tells me that 97% of all resumes submitted are never seen by human eyes.
• Job Seeker : For real? I knew a lot were being scanned by computers, but I never thought I’d have to guess on what keyword to use in order to be noticed.
• Alex : Remember, a tight labor market doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of people looking to move up to a better job. Just the opposite! And with it is so easy to confidently apply for jobs, it’s like trying to buy tickets online for the hottest concert of the summer.
• Job Seeker : I could be doing all the right things with my resume and still be shut out by a computer that’s overloaded with applicants.
• Alex : Welcome to the new normal. What you really need is to get your resume in front of the hiring manager, preferably with the recommendation of a trusted messenger who can differentiate you from the applicant who also used all the right keywords.
• Job Seeker : Sounds like the human touch is now even more important in this era of big data.
• Alex : That’s where the recruiter you connect with can really make a difference. Someone who has already built a business relationship with those hiring managers, whose recommendation is trusted over a computer algorithm.
• Job Seeker : So, is that recruiter at Abel Personnel you know have those contacts in the IT field? Someone who understands my experience and career path?
• Alex : Absolutely. Call Melissa at 717-761-8111 or email her at melissa@abelpersonnel.com

Wouldn’t we all want to receive an unexpected email like this one in our inbox?

“We have been working with Marion to fill a variety of positions at Dasher. It has been a pleasure working with her as she is responsive and has a great understanding of what Dasher needs. During an interview with a referral, the candidate spoke so highly of Marion and how she described Dasher’s mission. Marion is doing a great job and we just wanted to share. We are so thankful to have a partner who understands us so well and we look forward to continuing to work together.”

Dasher, Inc. has been a client of Abel Personnel for many years. When Crystal joined Dasher about two years ago as Chief Culture and Engagement Officer, her duties included filling administrative and call center positions. She quickly understood the basis for this long association. After a recent successful placement, Crystal summed up her assessment as “Abel understands Dasher.”

In recounting her experience with Abel, Crystal explained that this direct-hire was for a community healthcare worker who would interface with individuals on behalf of insurance companies, a service in which Dasher excels. This particular position required a certain sensitivity to be working directly with expecting and new moms with maternity and postpartum medical care reimbursement; an empathetic personality. This was very much an entry-level position, typical of one that Abel had filled for Dasher before Crystal came on board.

This hiring experience stood out for Crystal, prompting her to send this “Great Work!!!!” email to Deborah Abel, Abel Personnel’s President, in three aspects:

• Marion Adams, the Abel recruiter, paid close attention and was very responsive in her interactions with Crystal. Marion quickly grasped and understood what the position required from both past knowledge and the special needs that Crystal detailed.
• The applicant had been well prepared by Marion for the meeting with Crystal. During the interview, the applicant displayed a sincere interest and an unusually deep understanding of Dasher’s unique mission and culture and was able to demonstrate to Crystal why this mission and culture were exactly what the interviewee was seeking.
• If Crystal had seen the applicant’s resume online, her reaction might have been that a social work background made this applicant overqualified for this position, and would have not pursued this candidate. However, Marion was able to draw out the candidate’s employment goals and the values she was seeking in her next employer. Marion was then able to convince both the candidate and Crystal that this was a great fit for the position, the company, and the person.

Crystal’s interview with this applicant was all Crystal needed to be convinced she did not need to see more resumes and interview others. A non-traditional candidate for a non-traditional company.

FOUR-DAY WORKWEEK SURVEY

100 employees were surveyed to find out how they feel about a four-day workweek :-

• Popular choice: The four-day workweek was wildly popular with workers, with 92% wanting their employees to make the shift.
• Mental Health: 79% of employees surveyed thought a 4-day workweek would improve their mental health.
• Productivity: 3/4 of workers felt they could complete their work responsibilities in four days instead of five days.
• Stress: 88% of workers surveyed said a four-day workweek would improve work-life balance.
• What’s in it for the company?: 82% said it would make them more productive, and it would be the number one thing that would cause them to stay in the company longer.

JOB SEARCHING? ABEL YOU CAN HELP!

I attended Abel You because my resume wasn’t getting me any interviews! Melissa suggested I change a few key things. I ended up getting an interview shortly after I submitted my new resume to the hiring manager!

Wow! that is great. I could use some help with my job search, too. How do I attend?

Abel You webinars are available at no cost to you! So go and register today

• www.abelpersonnel.com
• Harrisburg: 717-561-2222
• Lemoyne: 717-761-8111

“I loved my job every day.”

Looking back on a 34 year career working at Three Mile Island, Cyndee adds, “And I have Abel Personnel to thank for changing my life!”

Marrying shortly after high school graduation, Cyndee worked in human resources at both the city and state levels until childcare responsibilities, including caring for a deaf son, required she best stay home in 1978. Seven years later and newly single, Cyndee was desperate to return to the workforce. She did not have a college education and in that short period of time desktops were now home to personal computers. When she had left to stay at home, her employer had just purchased a Wang minicomputer for the entire office to share.

Her initial contact at Abel Personnel led to two opportunities in Human Resources. Cyndee was passed over on the first opportunity in favor of another candidate, but the second opportunity was equally promising. “Then I got the call that the candidate at the first opportunity had decided not to take the job. They wanted me! And I was at Three Mile Island until I retired in 2019.”

Looking back on her career, Cyndee remains grateful all these years later for Abel Personnel’s efforts to secure her the position despite her rusty skills. Abel saw her as having great potential to be an outstanding employee, a perception confirmed by the longevity of her placement. This gratitude extends to the salary that she was able to achieve on that first position, providing a nice lifestyle in support of her children as a single mom. An added benefit, which Abel is perhaps less responsible, was meeting her husband of 30+ years who was a fellow employee at Three Mile Island.

My name is Sherry, and I wanted to share my story of working with Abel Personnel. This is not at all to brag about my success but to possibly help other middle-aged job seekers and professionals overcome career obstacles that are very real for us.

Last year I was at a stagnant place in my life and career. I continued to go to a job where I no longer felt valued. I had been doing the same tasks for years with little challenge and little room to grow, and I didn’t feel appreciated for my work. My husband and I had become empty nesters, and maybe because of the pandemic too, I was at a very low place in my life, both personally and professionally. With the advice of loved ones, I began applying to jobs, trying to get noticed in the professional space. Days turned to weeks and weeks to months, and I continued applying with no luck. My lack of progress left me defeated, feeling little hope for success. By this time just about everyone in my inner circle knew how I was feeling and suggested professional help in my job search. I made a call that changed everything.

As I sat nervously listening to the ring, I was greeted by a kind, understanding voice. “Thank you for calling Abel Personnel, Danene speaking. How can I help you?” Feeling a little embarrassed, I reluctantly shared my story and struggles in searching for a new job. I was assured I had nothing to be embarrassed about, which let me know I likely wasn’t the only desperate job seeker she would speak to that day. My call was immediately transferred to a recruiter. I think I can say her name, as Melissa now wears many hats in my life—recruiter, career coach, mentor, and friend. Throughout our extensive conversations, she helped revise and update my resume, created a career plan, and provided a path to opportunity. Most importantly, this relationship restored my confidence in my professional abilities and worth.

The conversations at the gatherings I’ve attended lately inevitably turn to how business is faring for each of us. Many of the questions I receive about the staffing business are about supply (available qualified candidates who aren’t satisfied to be on unemployment) and demand (job orders with reasonable compensation expectations). Some inquiries are focused on how well my firm can compete with all the options now on social media.

Some at these parties have tried to draw a parallel with the travel agency industry, which has solidly moved away from the small agencies in strip malls toward online services. I usually command everyone’s attention when I pronounce, “With travel itineraries, you’re talking thousands of dollars; with employment, you’re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars.” Depending on the crowd and my mood, I may even question what each person might be willing to spend over the internet after a 45-minute in-person inspection (in my business, known as the interview).

My point to my inquiring friends is that our repeat clients from the largest local employers understand that hiring the right person not only involves an upcoming investment of salary, hopefully for several years, but the likely impact on their revenue and profits for years to come. This type of commitment demands both expertise and significant time investment. The expertise in identifying and screening candidates may not equate easily to brain surgery, but it takes a practiced eye to determine what a candidate is really about and what potential exists. There is an adage: some candidates have great resumes and lousy skills; others have lousy resumes but great skills.

Figuring which candidates are better (or worse) than their resume is a talent derived only from experience.

The recruiter receiving the call on Friday afternoon was immediately pleased that there was a potential new client on the line. When she asked, “How did you hear about Abel Personnel?” she was told that this professional association’s human resources manager, Beverly, had checked with a few of her colleagues in related businesses, and “the Abel name kept coming up.”

What followed was an in-depth conversation for the recruiter to learn and understand Beverly’s association, their work environment, and their compensation and benefits program. Early in their conversation, Beverly advised the recruiter that detailed requirements for the position would be provided to the recruiter by Claire, the hiring manager. When the phone call between the recruiter Beverly was about to conclude, Beverly remarked that she was amazed by the time the recruiter had invested in learning about the association, before even addressing the specific staffing need.

Beverly had informed the recruiter that Claire was fairly new to her management role and had accepted some strong initiatives for 2022. When the recruiter had the scheduled video call with Claire on Monday morning, she discovered Claire was focused on a very niche candidate with specific experience.

After reviewing in detail the required skills and those experience preferences, they were able to identify the candidate’s necessary soft skills:

• Initiative: Hit-the-ground-running.
• Independent Worker: Wouldn’t have a lot of one-on-one time.
• Organized and Strong Communication Skills: Responsible for a lot of projects.
• Self-Motivated: Needs swift results.

Among the many inquiries that Ruth received on a posting for an administrative assistant was the resume with an upbeat cover letter from an applicant named Nina. Nina interviewed well with Ruth, although her score on the typing test was subpar.

Keyboarding skills were among the requirements for the position, but it had been unclear to Ruth how much typing would be involved on the job. All of Nina’s positive attributes and work history could not overcome this deficiency. She was heartbroken not to be invited for an interview for what she anticipated would be a “dream job” at this stage of her working career.

There was some good news. The company was sufficiently impressed with her credentials to ask if Nina would be willing to be considered for a position in the mailroom, almost as good an entry point to work for this well-respected company. “When one door closes, another opens,” Nina responded to Ruth’s presentation of this alternative opportunity. But only a few days later, the company pulled that job order, with regrets that they could not find a place to bring Nina on board.

Nina was undeterred. Requiring just a few minutes to move past this latest disappointment, she started strategizing with her advocate, Ruth, on what other opportunities Abel Personnel had for which Nina might qualify. For a few weeks, if Nina had not heard from Ruth after several days, Nina would check-in. This continued until Nina switched the question from “what opportunities do you have for me?” to “what can I do to be considered for the positions I want?”

To learn about Ruth’s response and Nina’s job placement.

“We have a methodical method for hiring to be sure we only onboard the right people.” That was how my new client, Chloe, introduced her company’s approach to recruiting. I listened as she went on to review a list of about a dozen attributes they were seeking for the supervisory opening for which they wanted to “try out Abel Personnel.”

I then asked, “So why did you approach us for this particular opening?”

Chloe then related the sad history of their recent attempts to fill the position themselves. It included the following:

• Once they had gone through the resumes, the three top candidates had already accepted other positions.
• When there was a callback for a second interview, the potential candidates had accepted positions or ghosted her company.
• Applicants who had posted resumes on the internet had recently accepted jobs but had not modified their postings yet.

• Some who submitted resumes already had offers in hand but were open to looking at other options (or perhaps trying to initiate a bidding war for their talents).

I then pivoted our conversation to a discussion of what has been dubbed “The Great Resignation.” What is sometimes missing in these reports are that workers are not all quitting to take early retirement or a year off (dubbed “The Great Sabbatical”). Most are moving to new positions, recognizing that many planned job hops to advance careers were put on hold during the pre-vaccine pandemic and can now be pursued. Upon completing my overview of the job market of the past twelve months, I emphasized, “Right now in hiring, time is of the essence!”

When Chloe indicated she understood my message, I concluded, “When you consider the attributes you look for in a new employee, we need to narrow this list down to the absolute essentials, what cannot be trained or gained from experience at your company.”
Our next step was to devise a process that would shrink the time from resume receipt to hiring offer. To view the timeline we developed and my reaction to Chloe’s “No Hire” list.

Hannah had done almost everything right for a successful transition from college to the workforce. Months before earning her business degree, she began applying for entry-level positions in HR. This effort provided two surprises about the “real world:”

• Many of the “entry-level” positions required 3 – 5 years of experience, and
• several companies and their recruiters frequently “ghosted” her.

This ghosting took two forms: either there was no response at all, or more infuriatingly, an enthusiastic outreach by the company was followed by total silence, with no acknowledgment of her follow-up emails or phone calls.

Now fully graduated, Hannah needed income to cover her expenses. An offer from a regional retail store solved that concern. After several months of seeking a job in the profession for which she studied, Hannah needed a break from this exhausting and demoralizing process.

Three months later, she was ready to start applying again. Her new strategy had two thrusts:

• Obtaining a remote volunteer position doing human resources administration for a nonprofit startup. It required about 15 hours a week above the full-time commitment to the retailer.
• Expanded her applications to include administrative assistant positions to gain corporate office experience.

The response was more heartening, and phone interviews led to in-person interviews. Unfortunately, the ghosting continued. Hannah often would not receive a response after the interview (or multiple interviews)―not even a “thank you for your time and interest…”
Occasionally, the prospective employer would fail to show up for the interview. In Hannah’s experience, it was rare to get an explicit rejection after an interview.
Hannah’s luck was about to change! To discover what happened next and the lessons to be learned, click here.

As I was reacting to the set of resumés provided by our company’s recruiter at Abel Personnel, she reminded me, “Some people have unexciting resumés and are great potential employees;  others have amazing resumés without the performance to back it up.”  We were looking for a management trainee with about 10 years of solid experience.

The resume I was about to reject was for an applicant named Kirk.  He had only made it partway through college, followed by a few years of unskilled positions.  Currently, he had over ten years of career progress that offered him some supervisory responsibility.  However, between the unskilled positions and his current continuous experience, there was a nearly two-year gap.  My recruiter discreetly said that Kirk had “gone off the rails,” but he had been stellar ever since.  While I trusted my recruiter to be honest with me, interviewing Kirk may not be critical given the other attractive resumés I was now considering.  Together, my recruiter and I picked what appeared to be the top three matches for interviews, setting aside Kirk’s resume.

About an hour after the third interview was completed, my recruiter called me seeking my feedback and direction on the next steps.  None of the interviewees was a slam-dunk for me, but at least two of them would likely work out with some coaching or classes to address the current shortcomings.  Then my recruiter became very serious and said, “I’m hesitant to bring up Kirk again to you, but I think you’ll find that he’s a better match than any of the three candidates you’ve just interviewed.  Based on my strongest recommendation, do us both a favor and give him an hour of your time.”

I agreed to meet Kirk in two days, after which I had to move ahead with one of the candidates I had just interviewed.

While some local businesses had record revenues in 2021, others had to shed staff owing to the drop in demand or patronage for goods or services.  A client whose human resource manager, Kathy, contacted us just after the New Year reported that they were able to break even and retain most staff, in part due to a resurgent fourth quarter.  With their expectation that demand would continue to grow in 2022, there were several positions they needed to fill to meet that demand.

The list of new openings varied from call center staff to system analysts to front-line supervisors.  We first confirmed with Kathy that her company had been operating on a hybrid office system since the first days of the pandemic, with no immediate plans now to return everyone to the office full time.   Although the IT Department had revised all systems to allow secure voice and data systems access for all from anywhere, there was no decision yet about maintaining the hybrid model once the pandemic would end.

We then reviewed the position requirements in detail.  We sorted them by which had to be full-time at the office, which would be hybrid, and which would be all remote.  Kathy indicated which jobs might offer the flexibility to be on-site or remote.  For some positions that Kathy thought could be remote, we discussed whether it was realistic for someone new to that job type could learn and perform in the job position without nearby mentorship and supervision.  We marked those positions as “in-office or remote DOE (depending on experience).”

Then came the hardest part:  determining how effectively each applicant could likely work at a remote worksite (usually from home), apart from what worksite location the applicant preferred.  Not everyone is cut out for working from home.  We developed three lists of questions with Kathy, covering the applicants’ remote work experience, tech-savviness, and remote workspace conditions.  To view these lists, click here.

Marianne appeared visibly unsure of herself at the start of our Zoom call. A mutual friend had connected us, as so often happens in my long time in the staffing business. Marianne desperately needed career advice now that her firm was asking her to return to their office, hence our phone call. After the typical pleasantries, I asked Marianne how the COVID pandemic experience was progressing for her.

“It’s making me rethink everything!” she quickly responded. Marianne related her family’s experience: Her company had sent her to work from home in March 2020, just about the time the schools switched to online learning. Since then, her company had been great in supporting her and giving her the flexibility she needed. When the vaccine first became available, there was finally talk of everyone going back to work and school. Still, once her vice president asked her whether she was prepared to come back to the office, Marianne realized she wasn’t at all ready for the following reasons:

• School Uncertainty: Occasional class quarantines and the possibility of remote learning.
• Virus Exposure: Family exposure risk from those who remain unvaccinated and break-through contractions by those vaccinated.
• Advancement Opportunities: Marianne fears that her opportunities to advance her position will be affected by her ongoing lack of impromptu face-to-face access to senior management.

Marianne reflected that if she can’t “have it all,” she would choose her family over her career. Many of the women in her network had been sharing similar thoughts. I informed her that 1-in-4 women are now considering quitting their jobs to stay home, and the quit rate for women is about 1% greater than for men. After first suggesting she raise these concerns with her employer to determine if her needs could be accommodated without curtailing her advancement, I next developed a list with Marianne of requirements she would seek from an “ideal employer” relative to the flexibility and opportunities she sought.

Working from home during the pandemic, or being unemployed at home, offers individuals more time to reflect on their life during moments of less activity during the day and evenings. According to a recent article by McKinsey & Company, seventy percent of employees said that their sense of purpose is defined by their work, and over sixty percent indicated that they wanted to get more purpose from their work. Digging deeper into the data, those who are finding no connection or not enough connection between their work and their purpose in life are 50% of the staff and frontline supervisors.

The implications of the “purpose in life” gap – whether no connection or just some connection – can be seen in the wave of resignations now occurring among those frontline staff and supervisors. Given time to reflect, they realize that what they are doing for a job is not having the positive impact on the world as they had once envisioned, why they pursued this career in the first place.

The good news is that most successful firms have identified a means to make that positive impact.

This is exemplified by their middle and upper management’s beliefs and their ability to alter their company’s direction to make sure the work aligns with their purpose in life. These companies do not lack a compelling purpose to make the world a better place, they are poorly communicating that purpose.

To support your retention of employees in these times by supporting their need for sense of purpose, McKinsey’s experience suggests the following tactics:

• Clearly communicate a compelling mission and vision.
• Link individual jobs to accomplishing the mission.
• Provide occasional assignments that directly connect to purpose.
• Seek to link the individual’s purpose with the company’s purpose.

For recommendations on how to implement each of these actions, click here.

Deborah Robinson (left) and Joyce Simms (right) of Abel Personnel

DEBORAH ROBINSON

Deborah was seeking part-time employment and thought she would enjoy holding a variety of short-term positions. Noting Deborah’s excellent background, including senior human resources roles, Abel Personnel never really gave her the opportunity to experience multiple roles with different firms. We decided the Deborah was a keeper. Since that time, Deborah has held many different roles with Abel Personnel, in a way offering her the variety of situations she originally sought. As anticipated, she excels at whatever she does. Deborah’s hard work, good judgement and excellent counsel have proven our good judgment in 2011!

JOYCE SIMMS

Joyce advanced her career in the PHEAA organization, retiring 25 years later in 2003 as Human Resources Director. Both Frank Abel and Debby Abel, the immediate past and current presidents of Abel Personnel, attended her retirement party! Six months after retirement Joyce was ready to come back to work, but now on a part-time basis. Just after she notified us of her availability, we had an opportunity for a part-time HR person with Associated Cardiology where Joyce first worked as a temp and then became permanent. In 2011, the practice needed Joyce to work full-time, but she preferred part-time employment. Joyce returned to Abel Personnel seeking a new placement, and this time Joyce was hired to work internally at Abel Personnel. Ten years later, we continue to appreciate her contribution to the success of our agency, and our strong connection with Joyce Simms which began so many years ago.

Since Pennsylvania’s legalization in 2016, over 633,000 patients and caregivers have signed up for purchase of medical marijuana through a doctor’s prescription. Some significant percentage of those patients are part of the active workforce right now. There may be some program participants at your workplace or among the applicants for open positions. How you maneuver in this new world is complicated in part upon a tug of war between the laws of the state and the laws of the federal government, which does not recognize legal use of medicinal marijuana.

Legal analysts suggest the key factors for your dealing with medical marijuana in the workplace are disclosure and impairment:

Disclosure: While employees and applicants are under no obligation to volunteer their prescribed medications, as an employer you have a legal right to ask if they are using prescribed medical marijuana. However, Pennsylvania law says that employers can’t “discharge, threaten, refuse to hire, or otherwise discriminate or retaliate against” patients’ “compensation, terms, conditions, location or privileges” solely based on their status as registered medical marijuana users. Without knowing their medical marijuana status, should an employee or perspective hire be subjected to a drug test, random or scheduled, the initial finding of THC in a person’s system could generate an awkward situation, even if it cannot result in firing or refusal to hire. It may also increase the possibility the confidential medical condition is exposed beyond these with a need-to-know. If an employee or applicant volunteers or discloses use of prescribed medical marijuana to you when asked, it is sometimes advised to first focus on the disability (e.g., cancer, epilepsy) and then how the use of medical marijuana is needed to manage the condition during the work day.

Through our Abel Personnel blogs, we’ve recommended how to construct your resume and explained how your resume leads to your interview; however, it’s the interview that results in the job offer.
We also provided some initial insights on how to prepare for the interview. Digging deeper, let’s address behavioral interview questions and how you can build a tool box that will illustrate your soft skills in the best light.

ALWAYS REMEMBER: The primary purpose of a successful resume is to win an interview.

Melissa Davis is the Information Technology Recruiter at Abel Personnel, as well as a successful Certified Professional Resume Writer. From her experience, it is important that you know exactly what a company is looking for. Put yourself in the employers’ shoes and ask, “Who would make the perfect candidate?” Once you can answer that as best as possible, determine what it is about your background and who you are that makes you best suited for the job. Crafting an effective resume means convincing your potential employer that you are “just what the doctor ordered.” This is the first C of the 5 C’s of Resume Writing.

Prepare a convincing and clean resume that will put you in the best light possible. Be clear about the direction you wish to take and back up your statements with concise, clear, consistent facts about yourself.

The 5 C’s of Resume Writing

• Convincing
• Concise
• Clear
• Consistent
• Clean

At Abel Personnel, we’re accustomed to the unhappy tales of valued employees suddenly submitting a letter of resignation without any prior indication of dissatisfaction or interest in moving on. Replacing such employees can be an arduous, time consuming and costly task, beyond the process of posting the job, receiving resumes, arranging interviews, checking references and negotiating an offer. Even with Abel Personnel assigned the burden of most of those tasks, there is your time investment to address the morale dip when the news is shared, temporarily assigning job duties to others until a replacement is on board, notifying clients and vendors of the new temporary contact, training the replacement, and introducing the replacement to staff, clients and vendors. Your time spent in the transition might be better invested beforehand in actions that might mitigate the reasons for a departure.

In our experience, there are six actions that can reduce the risk of unexpected staff departures:

• Provide an Amazing Onboarding Experience.
• Reinforce a Culture of Caring
• Recognize Achievements
• Be Transparent
• Be Approachable
• Acknowledge the Reality of Job Changes

For recommendations on how to implement each of these actions, click here.

Employees will continue to change jobs despite their company’s best efforts a staff retention: families relocate, opportunities for advancement await openings to occur, a different work experience is sought. The key is to retain those employees who really want to stay by addressing misunderstandings and unintended consequences that unexpectedly prompts them to consider leaving. And if they do leave, be sure they have a great offboarding experience, too. Don’t burn any bridges: they may be interested in returning someday and may also be sending their colleagues your way based on how well they were treated.

In 2019, Texas A&M’s Anthony Klotz foresaw a “Great Resignation,” a significant number of US workers voluntarily quitting their jobs. A recent article in Inc. Magazine by Phillip Kane asserts that this prediction has come to pass in 2021, by presenting the following statistics:

• In May, June and July of 2021, 11.5 million US workers quit their jobs.
• One survey of over 30,000 workers found that 41 percent are considering quitting (54 percent for of Gen-Z).
• A Gallop poll found that 48 percent are now actively searching for a new opportunity.
• A third survey counted 38 percent are planning to change positions in the next 6 months.

We saw these numbers before, some as high as 70% employed-and-wanting-to-jump, during the Great Recession of 2008-10, but at that time there was pent-up desire to move to advance careers but waiting to leap until the risk of being last-in-first-out dissipated. The reasons for this turnover are different now. While the thought of 38%-48% of your workforce actively looking to leave is a scary proposition for any business or institution, there are opportunities here to make changes that will both retain existing valued staff and attract talented workers as they exit your competitors’ shops.