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Salary negotiations are always tricky when hiring new staff members. As a hiring manager you do want to be fair to new employees coming in; but, you have a responsibility to the company as a whole. There is a delicate balance between what is desirable, what is acceptable, and what is fair – for all parties. Keep these things in mind as you negotiate salaries with new hires or hopefuls and see if you can enjoy a favorable experience for everyone involved.

Attempt to Find a Salary Where Everyone Wins

The bottom line is that if you bring in new staff members with a salary that’s moon and stars higher than other people with similar responsibilities in the company it will breed resentment and make for an uncomfortable work situation (not to mention quite a few other unhappy staff members). If you make an offer that’s too low you miss out on the benefit of the candidate’s potential contribution to your organization (after possibly months of careful selection).

Be Prepared for a Counter Offer

You know, better than anyone else how much you can afford to pay and how much you feel the position merits. In other words, you also know how much you’re willing to pay. Usually there is a salary range that would be acceptable. Make your offer near the lower end or middle of that range and be prepared (you should even expect) a counter offer. This gives you a little negotiating room of your own when the time comes.

Keep Your Offers Appropriate for the Location

You’re not going to bring in new talent to high-salary, high-tech areas if you’re offering low-ball salary options. It’s just not going to happen. They won’t be able to afford the parking much less rent or a house note. If you want to attract top talent then you’re going to have to come up with a salary offer that is appropriate to salary situation in the local landscape.

Present the Salary Offer as Part of a Package

Don’t give a verbal salary offer. Present the salary offer as if it is part of something bigger – a “golden” benefits package. Some benefits matter more to employees than other benefits. Benefits you may offer include: generous vacation or PTO (paid time off) packages, profit sharing, stock options, tuition reimbursement, relocation expenses, matching funds for charitable donation, health benefits, retirement benefits, on-site recreational benefits, extended holidays, etc. It could be that you have a benefit package that is attractive enough to your candidate to make him or her overlook a lower salary.

Negotiating salaries with new hires may seem like a complex situation but if you display a fair-minded and balanced approach throughout the process it will work in your favor more often than not.

Advance Staffing Solutions in Sylvania is giving back to the community by participating in the annual Kilometers for Kidneys Walk on April 1, 2012 in downtown Toledo. We formed a team consisting of employees, family and friends that are excited to donate their time and raise money for a great cause.

The Kidney Foundation of Northwest Ohio’s Kilometers for Kidneys is a non-competitive, fundraising walk focusing on education and prevention of kidney disease. The Kilometers for Kidneys Walk presents an occasion for dialysis patients, families, transplant recipients, donor families, living donors, the medical and business communities, and the general public to celebrate life and create lasting community advocacy and long-term support for the Foundation’s mission.  It is a day for families and friends to have fun and enjoy activities to help others.

We welcome anyone to join our team, or to donate to a great cause. You may visit www.kfnwo.org to place donations. In the search box type Advance Staffing and you can make a donation thru our team.  You can also contact our Team Captain, Alicia Simms for more information, 419-882-7646 or aliciasimms@advancetemps.com

The American Staffing Association reached out to representatives in each industry sector to ask: What do you think will be the sector trend to watch this year and how do you predict your sector could change in 2012?

Our president, Stacey Bigelow, was chosen by ASA to speak for the industrial sector and made the following predictions:

• More businesses will experience additional production needs.
• Some of the clerical/administrative positions that were lost during the economic downturn will be restored.
• However, companies will continue to be cautious about committing to permanent hires.
• The biggest hurdle in this sector will be the shortage of skilled labor.

What else will affect the industrial sector?

Ms. Bigelow pointed out that in an election year, the business world tends to experience a feeling of being unsettled, as companies wait to see whether there will be changes in the country’s administration and therefore changes in how things are done. The financial troubles in Europe are also on many business owners’ minds.

What does this mean for you?

Between the uptick in work, the employee shortage and the global implications of the election and the European economy, more companies are utilizing the flexibility of staffing services. Why?

Simple. They help you work around those issues mentioned above.

• Need additional employees?
• Having trouble finding people with the skills you need?
• Not ready to add to your permanent payroll?

Your staffing firm can provide you with skilled, prescreened employees, whether temporarily or permanently. You don’t have to take the time to find them. You won’t have to pay overtime. You’ll have the people you need to get your work done, without worrying about layoffs or unemployment claims.

Economists predict that we’ll continue to see a slow but positive trend in employment throughout 2012, but it won’t be until 2013 until the economy really begins to pick up steam. Stay tuned to the Advance blog to stay up to date on industry trends and career advice—or call us anytime you’re looking for more.

Every event you attend, personal and business related, is an opportunity to network. Do not be the person that just shakes his head. Be the person that shakes hands, smiles and learns about the other person. Doing so could help you to find your next position. It may pay more, provide better benefits and serve your long-term needs better. The more people you meet, the more likely it is for you to find someone that needs your talents.

Positive Opportunities to Build Your Network

Putting yourself into a variety of positions will allow you to find the employment you are looking for and need. There are various ways that you can use your everyday event to get attention from prospective hiring managers, business owners or others who could be in the know.

• Set out to make new friends and colleagues. Rather than waiting for your friends to show up, set out to meet others. Doing so could help you to build a network that is more versatile. It shows you are interested in others too.

• Give back to those who you meet. As you start talking to new people, find a way to stay in contact with them. For example, if they had trouble with their vehicle on the way to the event, offer to send them a text message with your mechanic’s name. If they are interested in a news piece you were speaking about, ask for an email address to send them the article.

• Keep your job description to a limit. Even if you are out of work, keep things simple and straightforward. Instead of spending a full minute discussing where you work, say something like “I’m currently helping a small business succeed online.” That gets them interested.

• Keep some business cards in your pocket, along with a pen. Though it is easy enough to add someone’s contact information to your phone right onsite, some people are hesitant to give this out. Rather, be sure you can hand them a business card in case they are in town and want to together.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make within an event is not making an impression. Sitting on the sidelines and not participating may be the easy road to take but it will not help you to grow your business or help you to land a new job. Rather, be active. Smile and look people in the eyes. Be memorable in a positive way. When you step away after a few minutes, thank the individual for talking to you. Invite them to contact you at any time. Allow the other person to feel that you gave them something during that initial few minutes.

By taking these steps, you grow your network. It does not matter if you are at your friend’s wedding or a corporate event in your industry. There are connections to be made in virtually any situation. If you make the connections, you could land the position of a lifetime. You can also use Advance Temporary as an opportunity to work with more companies this year, further expanding your network to find a great job.

Hiring the right candidate takes more than just looking at what the professional can do based on his or her paper application. Many employers are spending time researching and learning about candidates more fully, outside of the standard resume. Recruiters want to know if a candidate is social and what their social skills are doing for them. After all, in a globally connected world, it is critical to communicate at the best level and that means being a socially active person, both online and offline.

What Is a Social Candidate?

The right candidate for any position needs to have the proper technical skills and the experience necessary to do the job. However, soft skills, including communication skills, are just as vital. Those who have limited social skills often lack the ability to use the knowledge they have to do their job properly. Turnover is higher. They often struggle with relationships within the workplace. Some never move from lower level positions due to their inability to communicate. They can even contribute to a poor morale among employees.

On the other side, a social candidate is one that does embrace working with others and has good communication skills to back it up. These professionals may stand out in an interview but they also stand out when researching them online. Here are some of the features to look for in the social candidate.

• Choose someone that understands and monitors the way his or her actions affect those around them.
• Does the candidate show concern for others through their actions and words? Do they understand how to manage other people’s feelings?
• Does the individual have good control over him or herself in terms of communication? When expressing emotions, do they do so in a negative, abusive or destructive manner? You do not want these traits in your workplace.
• Are they socially active? Often times, just noticing if a candidate is active in communicating with others (usually in a positive manner) helps indicate how effective communication skills are. Comparatively, a candidate that is not social active could be a factor.
• Is the individual highly judgmental? Does he or she describe others in a negative light or in a positive one? Those candidates that do not express positive insight but only negative information are often problematic in the workplace.

Why do social skills like these really matter to you?

As a business professional, every detail of the way a person looks, acts and speaks reflects directly on your business. A person that dresses inappropriately, for example, does not represent your company well. Likewise, hiring a candidate that has poor communication and social skills can mean that person’s interactions with your clients and business partners, as well as employees, can be negative. Rather, hire a social candidate with the skills to communicate properly and you could score a candidate you want to work with long term.