There is an easier way, though. By watching out for the following 8 warning signs on a resume, you can eliminate unqualified candidates much earlier in the selection process:

#1. Gaps in employment.

Many job candidates may have employment gaps because of situations beyond their control, such as the economy or bad luck. But you still need to watch out for gaps in employment because they could be a clue to a bigger problem. Also, watch out for resumes that include dates of employments listed as years, rather than including the month and the year, or resumes that don’t include dates at all.

#2. Short term employment at multiple employers.

It wasn’t too long ago that people stayed with the same company for 10, 20, or even 30 years. Today, that’s certainly not the norm. However, having numerous employers within a short period of time is still a red flag – particularly if there’s no viable explanation for the job jumping.

Whether you requested a salary history, a list of references, or resumes from only local candidates, failure to follow these simple directions can be a sign of what’s to come if you hire this person. Another red flag is failing to send along a cover letter. This is a sign that either a) the candidate is lazy or b) they are unqualified and don’t want to invest the time to write a cover letter.

#4. Typos.

Why should you care if a candidate spells a word wrong or uses incorrect punctuation? Because these mistakes can indicate a lack of attention to detail. They can also indicate the quality of work you can expect from the candidate.

#5. A career that’s going backwards or plateauing.

Be careful when a resume shows evidence of a plateau or decrease in responsibility. However, that said, don’t automatically dismiss such an applicant. For instance, that person could have had small children at home at the time and wanted a position with less responsibility. If that’s the case, the smart candidate will include an explanation of the situation in their cover letter.

Here a few other signs to watch out for when reviewing resumes:

#6. Sending a resume and cover letter from a current employer’s email address.

#7. A resume that isn’t customized for your job posting.

#8. Overqualified applicants that may only stay in your position for the short term, until a better opportunity comes along.

Tip #1: Use the “My Company’s Hiring” application on Facebook.

If your company has a Facebook page, use the “My Company’s Hiring” application to post a list of your most recent job openings.

Tip #2: Create a “Careers” page or section on your website.

Make sure this page or section is easy to get to from the homepage. You should also provide information that would be of interest to candidates, such as the company culture, recent job postings, and a form to submit a cover letter and resume.

Tip #3: Search for a specific professional title online.

Looking for a warehouse manager in Snohomish County? Then type in “warehouse manager in Snohomish County” into a search engine, such as Google. Profiles on social networking sites such as LinkedIn are indexed by these search engines, so you may be able to find qualified candidates through this approach.

Tip #4: Search for a candidate on LinkedIn.

Through LinkedIn, a professional networking site, you can search for job titles, locations, employers, and other keywords. The results include those in your extended network up to three levels of contact away.

Tip #5: Use professional association websites.

Use professional association websites to advertise a job opening. Many times, these associations also email out regular newsletters and communications with job postings. You may have to pay a small fee, but you’ll also be reaching a highly targeted audience, not the general public.

Tip #6: Email your business associates.

Put together a job description for the position and email it around to your professional network. Referrals are still one of the very best ways to find top candidates.

If you need help with your recruiting efforts, please contact Northwest Staffing. As one of the top staffing firms in Snohomish County, we can give you access to a larger pool of qualified candidates.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many managers have experienced this scenario. But what you may not know is that the reason you can’t find the right fit candidate is not necessarily because he or she isn’t out there. It may be because your attracting the wrong candidates with your posting.

So how can you create a job posting for your Spokane company that attracts candidates with the skills and experience you need? Here are some steps you can take:

Step 1. Grab attention with your job title.

Since the title is the first thing a job candidate will see, you want to create one that commands attention and differentiates your job opening from the hundreds of other similar job openings in Spokane. For example, rather than just posting your need for a “sales manager,” spice it up a little – “Superstar Sales Manager Needed in Spokane.” But don’t go overboard so that your job title becomes unclear or confuses candidates.

Step 2. Be concise.

As a staffing agency in Spokane, we often hear from our candidates about job postings that are so long and convoluted that the candidates simply give up on them. So if you’re writing a job posting, but feel like you’re actually writing a novella instead, then you’re on the wrong track. You don’t need to include every single bit of minutiae you can think of. If you do, you’ll lose good candidates who will get frustrated with your posting. Rather, be clear and concise. You can go into more detail during the screening and interviewing process.

Step 3. Don’t exaggerate.

Being descriptive is one thing; using exaggerated language is another. So don’t use too many industry buzzwords and a lot of hyperbole. Job candidates will see right through it.

Step 4. Be clear about your call to action.

Many posts include too many calls to action – mail, email, fax, a candidate website, and an “Apply Now” button for online job postings. This can lead to confusion – and it makes things more difficult for you when you’re receiving resumes from multiple sources. Instead, for online postings include a simple “Apply Now” button that links to an online application; or, if the posting is in print, then include an email address and a mailing address.

Step 5. Be consistent with the format of your job postings.

Create a template for your job postings so that all of them look the same and they’re easier for you to create. In each posting, include the following:

• Title of the job
• A short description of your firm
• Tasks/responsibilities of the job
• Required skills/credentials
• Any special instructions to apply (such as to send along three references or work samples)
• Call to action

When you’re creating your job posting, also be sure to use subheads and bullet points. This will not only highlight key points, but it will also make your job posting easier to read.

If you still need help creating job postings for your company, please contact Northwest Staffing. As a Spokane staffing agency, we can help you craft job postings that will attract the most qualified candidates for your position. We can also screen, interview, test, evaluate, and help you hire the very best people for your positions.

Whether you’re hiring for a temporary clerical job, or a high level management position, there are just some questions you simply can’t ask candidates – even when you wonder those questions in your head. Otherwise, you could get yourself – and your company – into hot water.

So what are some interview questions to avoid asking? As an experienced Skagit County staffing firm, we’ve heard from our candidates about all sorts of interesting – and illegal – questions they’ve been asked during a job interview. Here’s a list of the top seven and why you should avoid asking them:

#1. Do you have any health issues?

Of course you want to make sure a candidate is physically able to do the job. But asking directly about a candidate’s height, weight, or health is a no-no. Instead, ask whether the candidate is able to perform the essential functions of the position, but only after you’ve thoroughly explained the position.

#2. Are you available to work on Sundays?

Religious discrimination is another major no-no. Therefore, questions that are related to a person’s religion must be avoided. What’s more is that as an employer, you are required by law to make reasonable accommodations for employees’ religious beliefs and practices.

#3. Do you have kids? Do you plan on having kids?

These kinds of questions can be construed as gender discrimination. While you may think you’re simply making small talk with a candidate, or trying to get to know them, avoid asking these questions during an interview.

If you are asking these questions because you want to know whether a candidate will be able to travel, relocate, or put in the necessary hours, then ask about those issues directly.

#4. How old are you?

It’s illegal to inquire about the age of a job candidate, according to the Age Discrimination Act of 1967. However, you can ask if the applicant is over the age of 18 if that is one of the conditions of employment.

#5. Are you married?

You are not allowed to ask any questions about a person’s marital status.

#6. Can I have a copy of your military records?

While you can ask whether a candidate served in the military, in which branch, what their rank was, and about any job-related experience, you cannot ask for a copy of their military records or about their discharge status.

#7. Are you a U.S. citizen?

As an employer, you’re not allowed to ask about a candidate’s nation of origin or citizenship status. What you can ask, instead, is “Are you authorized to work in the U.S.?”

More Questions You Should Avoid:

Here are several other questions you should never ask during a job interview:

• Do you own or rent your home?
• Have you ever been arrested?
• What is your credit rating?
• What is your sexual orientation?
• Have you ever filed a worker’s comp claim?

To avoid any questions that could be viewed as the basis for discrimination, plan your interview questions well in advance. And if you need help screening or interviewing candidates, please contact Northwest Staffing. As an experienced staffing firm in Skagit County, we can deliver candidates that are matched to your exact position based on an intensive process that evaluates their skills, qualifications, and backgrounds.

So what are some of the most common HR mistakes – and how can you avoid them? Here are five:

Mistake #1: Failing to keep your workers union free.

Unhappy employees may look outside the company for proper representation if they think you don’t care about issues that impact them. So let your employees know that your door is always open, treat them with respect and fairness, and handle any grievances they may have as quickly as possible.

Mistake #2: Making a candidate take a medical exam before a job offer.

Due to the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), employers are not allowed to ask candidates about disabilities before a job offer has been made. However, once you’ve offered a position to a candidate then you are allowed to require the person to take a job-related medical exam.

Mistake #3: Not enforcing a sexual harassment policy.

Did you know that if one of your managers is harassing an employee, then you’re liable as well? It’s therefore critical that you not only establish, but also enforce, a sexual harassment policy at your company. Make sure all managers and employees are aware of the policy and if you do hear about any instances of harassment, deal with them swiftly.

Mistake #4: Not completing I-9 forms for employees.

If you’re audited by the Immigration and Naturalization Service and you don’t have I-9 forms completed, you could be in serious trouble with Uncle Sam. So make it a habit to complete these forms as soon as you hire a new employee.

Mistake #5: Not documenting any disciplinary action you took against an employee.

If you didn’t document it, it didn’t happen. That’s the reality of the situation when it comes to disciplinary action. If you ever have to fire an employee who was regularly disciplined, and they file a lawsuit for unlawful termination, you will need documents to back up your claim in court.

If you have further questions about employment law and HR policies, please contact Northwest Staffing. As a Snohomish County staffing and HR firm, we have the knowledge and experience to help ensure your company is in compliance with state and federal employment laws.

Here’s a look at three of the most popular:

Plan #1: Skill-based pay.

In this plan, compensation is based on the skills of the employee, rather than on the employee’s actual job. To utilize this compensation plan, you first have to develop a list of skills that are necessary to succeed in the position. The employee’s compensation is then increased as they master each skill on the list.

Pros & Cons: This plan creates a strong motivation to enhance job skills and can lead to higher productivity. But it can also be difficult to manage if skill sets change frequently.

Plan #2: Competency-based pay.

This plan is similar to skills-based pay, however general attributes are evaluated, rather than specific skills. Again, you will have to develop a list, but for this plan, it should include important characteristics, such as leadership and multi-tasking abilities. Compensation is then based on the extent to which the employee exemplifies these characteristics.

Pros & Cons: The competency-based plan encourages employees to consistently perform well, however it can also be hard to measure since competency can be subjective.

Plan #3: Variable compensation.

With this compensation plan, employees are paid a smaller base salary, but are given the opportunity to earn bonuses based on meeting certain goals. Goals can be individual, departmental, and corporate.

Pros & Cons: This plan rewards top performers and encourages employees to work together to achieve departmental and corporate goals. But, on the flip side,  when the economy is down, it can be difficult or impossible to meet certain goals, resulting in low employee morale.

Determining which compensation plan is best for your company will take some time and effort. But the result will be well worth it. And if you need help developing a compensation plan that’s right for your company, please contact Northwest Staffing. As staffing specialists serving employers throughout the Northwest, we can help you craft a competitive plan – one that will entice top candidates and also work well for your company.

Celebrate successes.

Whether you completed a tough project ahead of schedule or simply survived the busy season, a mini-celebration will show your employees how much you appreciate their hard work. It will also give them a greater incentive for completing future tasks on time and on budget.

Train your employees to take on more.

If you’re asking your employees to take on more tasks, or do more with less, then provide them with the training they need to do so. For instance, bring in expert speakers on issues such as efficient time management, creating a work life balance, or using technology more effectively. Training in such topics can help your employees deal with the extra work load.

Communicate with employees.

Make sure your employees are completely aware of your expectations and be sure to address any concerns they may have. Open lines of communication will build trust and loyalty, while also creating a more positive workplace culture.

Be reasonable about your expectations.

While you may be expecting more from each employee, it’s important to be reasonable about your expectations. Unfair expectations, such as an impossibly short deadline, will set your employees up for failure.

Encourage time off.

Allow your employees to take vacation time in smaller increments (such as two or three days) rather than a full week. A day or two off can sometimes work wonders.

Hire top performers.

Making good hiring decisions is now more important than ever. New employees will need to get up to speed and begin making positive contributions almost immediately. At this point, a bad hire could cause critical damage to workplace morale.

If you need help hiring top performers, or training your existing ones, please contact Northwest Staffing. As a leading Seattle employment agency, we have the knowledge and skills to help you hire and retain the people you need in tight economic times.

#1: Know – and accept – that you’re not their friend anymore.

If you’ve recently been promoted to management, you’ll most likely be in the awkward position of supervising your friends. But it’s important to realize that you’re now their boss, not their friend, and you must treat the whole team equally.

#2: Create a healthy workplace environment.

Good bosses achieve three goals in the workplace:

1)    They create a sense of fairness so that individuals feel like they are being appropriately recognized and rewarded for their contributions.
2)    They create an atmosphere of achievement, so that everyone is proud of the place they work.
3)    They create a sense of camaraderie among employees and make everyone feel like they’re part of a team.

#3: Consult with your employees.

One important way to gain respect is to ask your employees for input on what’s working well – and what isn’t. Giving employees the opportunity to offer input makes them feel more in control and helps to reduce any apprehension about the change.

#4: Don’t micromanage.

Once you’ve trained your employees, let them do their job. No one likes to be micro-managed (including you!). So let your staff handle their work without interfering.

#5: Understand that it’s not about you anymore.

When you’re an employee, you can focus on your own individual efforts. When you’re a manager, you have to focus on the entire team’s efforts. So, as a boss, it’s time to relinquish the spotlight and put your employees there instead.

#6: Show appreciation to your employees.

Never hesitate to pat your employees on the back or compliment them for a job well done.

#7: Share your goals with your employees.

Make sure your employees are clear about the goals you are trying to achieve. And be specific, for instance “I’d like to increase our sales by 10% next year.”

#8: Hire top performers.

People are your most important asset. And hiring top performers is critical to your success as a boss.

If you need help hiring qualified people for industrial, office, and technical positions, please contact Northwest Staffing. As one of Seattle’s leading staffing agencies, we know where to look to find great candidates for a variety of different positions. Contact us today. We can help.

First of all, many Seattle employers – and employers throughout the country – won’t allow any information to be given out other than to verify name, title, and dates of employment. That’s a good start. But you really need more to go on to make a good hiring decision.

Second, even when a reference will provide additional information, many times they put more emphasis on a candidate’s positive attributes and downplay the negative ones, providing artificially inflated information.

So how can you conduct an effective reference check that gives you the answers you need about a possible hire? Here are some tips:

Ask the basics.
Always ask these standard questions:

• How long did you and the candidate work together?
• What was his/her position?
• What were his/her job responsibilities?
• What was your relationship like when you worked together?

Ask some surprise questions.
A good way to get honest information is to ask unexpected questions, such as:

• Did the candidate ask for your permission to be used as a reference?
• How well did the candidate deal with stressful situations?
• What were the candidate’s strengths? Weaknesses?
• Would you rehire the candidate?
• Is there anything else you’d like to tell me about the candidate?

Ask the same set of questions.
In addition to asking the right questions, be sure to develop a set of questions and ask all references the same exact questions. That way, when it comes time to make a hiring decision, you are comparing apples to apples.

Ask only questions that are legal.
Generally speaking, any question that would be considered illegal during a job interview would likely also be illegal during a reference check. For instance, you can’t ask a candidate about their disabilities or religious affiliation; therefore, you are not allowed to ask references about such factors. If a reference starts to talk about out-of-bounds areas, bring the conversation back to job-related information.

If you need help conducting reference checks, contact the Seattle employment experts at Northwest Staffing. We have the experience and know-how to conduct more effective reference checks – helping you to make a better hiring decision.

Here’s what you need to know to when planning a retreat:

Select the right site for the retreat.
Retreats can be held on-site at your company, or off-site. Obviously retreats held on-site are far less expensive, whereas off-site retreats tend to encourage more creative thinking.

Define the objectives of your retreat.
What are you hoping to accomplish? Some issues you may want to consider during your retreat include:

• In what direction is our company headed?
• How are current industry and economic trends impacting our company?
• Are we succeeding in creating the right image for our company?
• Are we meeting our company’s corporate objectives?

Or you may simply want to hold a general teambuilding retreat in order to build stronger relationships with and among your employees.

Develop an agenda for your retreat.
Once your objectives are carefully defined, figure out how you want to structure the retreat. Should it be a no-nonsense event, or should it include some fun and play? Also, be sure to distribute the agenda prior to the retreat so that participants arrive eager and prepared, rather than apprehensive.

Consider hiring a facilitator.
A facilitator can help make your retreat more productive and effective by assisting attendees in gathering data, enhancing group participation, and being an objective voice without any vested interest in the outcome.

Keep a record of the event.
Make sure you record the decisions made, goals and objectives set, and assignments handed out. This record will be invaluable during the implementation process.

Evaluate the retreat.
After the event, solicit feedback from the participants about the retreat and the outcomes. Any feedback provided – whether positive or negative – will be helpful in planning the next retreat.