Aley Moyer

The Californian 2024 Q1 – OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE RETENTION & HIRING

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OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE RETENTION & HIRING

Josh Petro, TEAM Software by WorkWave, CALSAGA Network Partner

Throughout 2023, the job market stayed relatively consistent throughout. Economists reported that the U.S. was at or near full employment, meaning that virtually all the people who were able and willing to work were employed. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in 2023 that there were approximately one or fewer unemployed persons per job opening.

Researchers attributed part of the lingering shortfall in labor force participation to be primarily driven by people aged 55 and older. That part of the labor force retired early during the pandemic and was less likely to reenter the workforce. However, with 25 to 54-year-olds, the participation rate slightly surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

In short, the current job market is still tight for business owners throughout North America, and in order for businesses to meet their staffing needs in 2024, guarding firms will need to take advantage of actionable opportunities to help improve employee retention and hiring efforts.

Actionable strategies to improve hiring

Employees want to work for a company with a positive reputation and a successful track record for showing that they care about their workers. To help spread positive messaging, hiring and employer branding efforts can showcase that a particular workplace meets the needs of employees and encourages them to take pride in the company.

As the current job market remains tight, investing in branding lets employees stand out from the competition. Additionally, a strong employer brand can foster loyalty amongst current employees, which may boost the number of referrals from employees – a method that can also save valuable dollars on recruitment costs.

Successfully building and promoting an employee brand can start with utilizing a widely trafficked career website, such as Indeed.com. Since the majority of job applications come from career sites, potential employees will want to utilize these resources that can provide valuable information about your company. Promote your openings but also use this resource to showcase benefits and workplace culture.

Combining job sites with an applicant tracking system (ATS) can take things a step further to improve hiring and help a company source applicants at high volumes. Using an ATS will also help with transferring job and candidate information. Expect the hiring process to move much quicker since ATS platforms help recruiters post openings and better manage candidates.

With an ATS platform, it’s possible to reach a wider pool of applicants and review work history and qualifications more expediently, while running background checks and screening candidates more efficiently. An ATS can also help discern where exactly hires originate. For example, an employer may want to know how many hires found the Indeed job link online or via the company website, since that provides details pertaining to return on investment and cost per application.

Retaining qualified workers

Security professionals deal with high turnover rates, but it is possible to use modern technology to retain workers. In particular, earned wage access or on-demand pay is an alternative to increasing base pay that lets employers reap retention benefits.

Instead of employees relying on services, such as third-party payday lenders, who can charge high interest rates and create a cycle of debt – employees can request an advance of their pay without disrupting the actual pay cycle.

Business software solutions that provide earned wage access typically handle the calculations and distribute available funds to employees, while the normal payroll cycle of a business continues without any interruptions. In the past, earned wage access has encouraged good electronic timekeeping habits while reducing employee turnover.

In addition to providing a useful benefit to retain employees, security professionals can take steps to ensure that new hires show up for work on their first day. While background checks are being completed before hiring a new employee, it has been reported that a number of employees find other positions during the screening process, which could take weeks.

Business owners can consider implementing pre-boarding strategies to make sure they remain in contact with new hires and keep them engaged. A few examples of pre-boarding strategies may include sending follow-up greeting messages from their new manager to welcome them to their team. Human resource professionals can also engage newly hired workers in the onboarding process by providing answers about benefits and answering common questions.

Applying labor market research

To aid employers in the security industry in understanding employee turnover and low labor participation, our team of industry experts compiled this in-depth analysis of 2023 global trends for cleaning and security companies, providing a forecast for what to expect in 2024.

In this detailed guide titled Data Report: Labor Trends, we highlight opportunities for companies to become employers of choice, shorten their time to hire and implement proven strategies to combat high turnover rates, while outlining how to use labor market data to strategize during a tough economic climate. The content is accessible via the QR code in the TEAM Software ad within this issue, or it can be found on our website at https://teamsoftware.com.

Josh has been supporting customers for over a decade. After working as a Product Manager for over three years, he moved into a director role at the beginning of 2023, where he has continued to express his passion for crafting products that truly enrich the lives of others.

 

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Aley Moyer

The Californian Q4 2023 – Lead Your People Well Everyday: Tips for Effective Leadership

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Lead Your People Well Everyday: Tips for Effective Leadership

Anne Laguzza, CEO – The Works Consulting, Network Partner

Laws change. External factors impact the industry. Clients’ needs shift. There are many outside influences that impact how your operations function and the responsibilities of your team. However, what doesn’t change is the principles of effective leadership.

Follow these three tips to effectively lead your employees everyday – no matter the external factors. 

1. Communicate Daily

Communication is a critical component of actively managing your officers. Regular communication solves issues, often before they arise, and instills confidence in your workforce.

Effective communication is made up of 10% words + 35-45% tone + 45-55% body language. Go beyond text messages, instead have a voice or video conversation. Taking that extra step to make a voice or video call is critical to effectively communicating important assignments and avoiding miscommunications that happen when only using text. This is especially helpful for officers who work solo without seeing anyone in management for weeks or months and can get disconnected quickly.

Regular, effective communication builds trust with your team and boosts employee morale.

2. Convey Appreciation

 Conveying your appreciation for your people is another critical principle of effective leadership. You can do so much to make your officers feel valued and important with very little effort or cost and see an incredible return on your investment.

When I worked internally in the industry, my job was to turn around morale and reduce employee complaints among the 600 employees. I was able to do both, just by recognizing the “human” in these officers and treating them with respect with every interaction. The leadership of our company was very good at getting out in the field and communicating with officers and shaking hands. These interactions made our employees feel valued and important.

A simple phone call or other personalized communication to individual officers from the leader of your company to say thank you will go a long way in ensuring your officers feel valued.

3. Set and Communicate Clear Expectations

When you set expectations and communicate them on a regular basis, you provide your team with a clear path for success.

When your employees face a new or unexpected situation, they – on their own – will be able to reason through the problem and find a solution that aligns with your expectations and represents your company appropriately because you were so clear on communicating those expectations.

Another benefit of regularly communicating expectations regularly is that critical performance conversations will be easier to have with your employees because you have set expectations and can clearly point to where performance has not aligned without any confusion.

As we close out another year and look ahead to changes that every new year can bring, it’s important to  stay focused on what never changes – effective leadership because effective leadership builds high performing teams. 

Anne Laguzza is the CEO of The Works Consulting. As a seasoned business executive with human resources management, leadership development, and performance coaching experience, Anne works with clients from a variety of industries to develop better systems, maximize employee productivity, and enable management to focus on business growth.

Prior to founding The Works Consulting in 2001, Anne served as the Regional Human Resources Director for a Fortune 500 distribution company where she led a merger transition team and was responsible for strategic planning, implementing new policies and procedures, workforce restructuring, compensation structures, and integrating the work cultures for over 600 employees.

In addition, Anne was formerly the Human Resources and Training Director for a start-up entertainment company where she organized and implemented a company-wide change management program that involved new company direction and strategic planning. Prior to her work in the entertainment industry, Anne served as the Regional Training Manager for a nationwide retailer where she developed and launched a multi-state training program for human resources managers as part of a corporate expansion project.

Anne earned her Master of Arts degree in Organizational Management from Antioch University, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of California, Riverside. She is an active member of the Society of Human Resources Management, and is a board member for Harbor Interfaith Services and an advisory board member for Arthritis National Research Foundation. Anne has taught human resources and management courses at Long Beach City College and California State University, Dominguez Hills, and volunteers at non-profit organizations teaching interviewing skills to adults seeking re-entry into the workforce.

Social Media Links:

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/annelaguzza/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TheWorksHR/

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/annelaguzza/

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Aley Moyer

The Californian Q4 2023 – Better Engage Employees to Reduce Turnover

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Better Engage Employees to Reduce Turnover

Chris Shumaker, TEAM Software by WorkWave, CALSAGA Network Partner

Sourcing, recruiting and training new staffers is costly, which makes employee retention and turnover top-of-mind challenges in today’s tough job market. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 8.8 million job openings in July 2023. The unemployment rate was at 3.8 percent, while approximately 3.5 million workers left their jobs that same month.

The job market has been relatively consistent over the past few years. In early 2022, economists stated that the U.S. is at full employment. Currently, there are approximately one or fewer unemployed persons per job opening. However, reducing employee turnover could combat the challenge of hiring quality employees.

For security professionals, employee turnover is generally the highest business expense when compared to other labor costs. Security industry profit margins are reportedly thin, which makes reducing employee turnover even more of a relevant factor during this rough hiring period.

Research shows that companies with engaged employees tend to deliver higher service quality on contracts, leading to higher customer retention. In turn, by lowering employee churn, it’s possible to reduce labor costs related to employee turnover – estimated in some cases at 1.5 – 2 times the employee’s salary.

Earned wage access

Keeping workers engaged can take on different forms. For example, studies have shown that introducing earned pay models resulted in reductions in turnover as high as 90%, decreased hiring costs related to turnover, increased interest from job applicants and fewer employees experiencing financial stress.

Giving a workforce early access to money they have already earned is called earned wage access. This feature enables employees to take a portion of their pay as they need it, versus waiting for their regular pay cycle, and all of this happens without impacting the company payroll.

Employers who have implemented earned wage access have helped their workforce avoid hefty interest from payday lenders, late charges on bills and bank overdraft fees which have been reported as $35 billion annually in the United States. Engaging a workforce through earned pay encourages workers to stay longer, which can reduce hiring time, cut training costs and keep contracts covered.

Self-scheduling and self-service portals

Implementing time and labor management solutions can also help reduce employee turnover through increased engagement. These tools introduce a self-scheduling element, offering several benefits such as reduced overtime and improved employee engagement and retention. Additionally, supervisors can focus more of their time and attention on more important duties.

Self-scheduling enables staffers to offer their shifts to one another, and employees can make these scheduling changes without requiring support from a manager. Additionally, other staffers get to take advantage of the open shifts. All of this supports the company by keeping shifts filled and closing gaps without back-and-forth messaging from supervisors.

Another way that business owners have been keeping their workers engaged is through employee self-service portals, which allow access to paystubs, time off requests, schedules and W2s. By removing the legwork to request that type of information from supervisors, self-service software offers transparency and encourages engagement.

Become an employer of choice

Employee engagement also means speaking with workers directly through meaningful conversations and following up on issues raised during those meetings, which helps managers better understand the challenges and motivations their workers face while showing them that their concerns are valued.

Regular conversations with workers can also provide insights into what they need to do their jobs better and why they value their work. Another transparent way to do that is to give them access to data collected via quality assurance tools, such as checkpoints, audits or inspections. Employees could benefit from being able to better understand their on-site performance.

Without regular conversations and actionable feedback, it can be harder to improve or streamline the work they are doing to earn even better results. Also, an employee benefits program related to performance can engage employees and reduce turnover.

The future of employee retention

Some professionals hold onto the misnomer that it’s easier to find new workers to do the same job, instead of retaining quality employees. Hiring requires advertising, interviewing, background checks, onboarding, training and employee support. Altogether, hiring one employee can cost between $4,000 to $20,000, not including salary and benefits, according to Indeed.com. 

To continue learning more about reducing employee turnover by engaging employees through software tools, such as earned wage access, employee portals and self-scheduling resources, visit www.teamsoftware.com.

Chris has been supporting customers for the bulk of his entire career. He joined TEAM Software by WorkWave in January 2023, and since then he has built connections with customers by understanding their needs, educating them on the software and promoting value through customer experience.

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Aley Moyer

The Californian Q4 2023 – Discover How to Reduce Turnover, Increase Engagement, and Retain Your Security Officers

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Discover How to Reduce Turnover, Increase Engagement, and Retain Your Security Officers

Jeff DiDomenico, Trackforce Valiant + TrackTik, CALSAGA Network Partner

Around $11 billion is lost annually due to overall employee turnover, according to the Bureau of National Affairs. This isn’t only representative of the physical security industry, and that number considers more than just lost hours. It factors in the cost associated with finding, training, and equipping replacement workers as well as reduced productivity.

But nowhere is the issue of turnover more acute than in the physical security industry. High turnover rates, low retention, and low employee engagement have always been a challenge for security firms and corporate security departments alike. Today, the high turnover rate in the security guard industry is a key challenge almost all face.

Security officer and security guard turnover rates are thought to be over 100% annually. That means  the average private security firm has a completely new workforce every 12 months. And that high turnover has potentially immense consequences.

When short on personnel, the exposure to risk increases. This may lead to people getting hurt, businesses experiencing increased incidents of theft and vandalism, and an increase in stressful situations that quickly get out of hand, like a lost child, crowd control, or medical emergency.

It’s why it’s so necessary for security companies to do things like offer competitive wages for employees who put a lot at risk daily. This is one of many ways to help reduce churn in physical security roles as outlined in our guide.

In addition to speaking about wages, we cover common reasons for employee turnover and offer 10 ideas that can:

  •   Effectively help reduce your turnover rates,
  •   Increase employee engagement, and
  •   Retain your best physical security personnel.

Want to learn more? Download our latest guide, Top 10 Employee Retention Strategies for Security officers!

In 2000, Jeff joined Trackforce Valiant + TrackTik as a partner and took on the role of VP of Sales & Marketing. Before this, he successfully owned a computer supply company, which he later sold to OfficeMax. Throughout his tenure with Trackforce Valiant + TrackTik, Jeff has been dedicated to establishing the company as North America’s foremost provider of security management software.

In addition, Jeff has played a pivotal role in advancing the Valiant Partner Marketplace, the Security Executive Roadshow, and various client events. He is a frequent speaker at various security associations and is recognized as a leading figure and content curator in the security industry.

Moreover, Jeff also serves as the host and co-content creator of Thinkcurity, a dynamic platform revolutionizing education in the physical security industry. Through engaging content and profound thought leadership, Thinkcurity empowers individuals in all aspects of running a thriving security operation.

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Aley Moyer

The Californian Q3 2023 – The Secure 2.0 Act of 2022

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The Secure 2.0 Act of 2022

Nina De Forge, TEAM Software by WorkWave, CALSAGA Network Partner

In a move that could have a huge impact on employee morale, retention and recruitment,  President Joseph R. Biden signed the Secure 2.0 Act of 2022 into law to change the tax rules that apply to employer-provided retirement.

This new legislation is designed to encourage workers to save more for their future retirement and improve retirement savings opportunities. Some of the provisions already took effect on Jan. 1, 2023, while others take effect at the beginning of next year and into 2025. In total, there are 92 retirement-saving provisions, which include the following key benefits:

  • Automatic enrollment, automatic escalation
  • Catch-up contribution increases
  • Optional Roth treatment of employer contributions
  • Expanded eligibility for long-term, part-time employees
  • Treatment of student loan payments for matching contributions
  • Emergency savings accounts linked to retirement plans
  • Saver’s match, immediate incentives for participation
  • Expanded credit for retirement plan administrative costs

The Secure Act 2.0 also requires that employers make significant adjustments for their workers, which may need extensive IRS and DOL guidance. Additional IRS guidance is expected in late August or early September, based on findings from the open comment period.

Ensuring that staffers are informed of all the changes and know what actions are required of them will most likely require assistance from third-party administrators, pre-approved sponsor plan documents and updates to policies and administrative systems.

Increasing Administrative Responsibilities

Because of the retirement plan reform, business owners may have to take on heavier administrative burdens that could require more time and energy in terms of human resource departments.

Employers can also expect increased responsibilities in terms of keeping employee data up to date, as well as providing a series of communications updating payroll providers and third-party plan administrators.

Consult With Plan Administrators

Even though a significant number of the SECURE 2.0 Act provisions will take some time before they’re actually effective, as a business owner, there’s a few steps that you can take to make sure you’re prepared.

Businesses can begin to sponsor an employee retirement savings plan now, as opposed to waiting. The current labor market is particularly competitive in a number of areas – and the same is true in regards to financial advice or tax services. Also, applying available tax credits can offset some start-up costs, which makes this a great time to take action.

Educate Your Workforce

For business owners, a more robust retirement plan program will mean creating new educational resources or making significant updates to the learning tools already available to employees. Training may be necessary for companies who will have to comply with new regulations, since technology is available to help equip workers with the tools that they need to take advantage of newly available tax benefits.

Naturally, it may also be necessary to educate staffers on the changes to the retirement system as a whole. Participants and beneficiaries may wish to update their estate plans to account for differences in the amount and timing of retirement plan distributions.

Speak to Your Software Provider

If you use an integrated workforce management or ERP system to manage your human resources department, benefits and payroll activities, know that there is a plan in place for feature enhancements to cover new regulation requirements, such as automatic enrollment.

Learn more about available human resource tools by visiting teamsoftware.com or click the following link to set up a demo: Learn More.

Nina has 20 years of experience developing, managing and implementing applications with a focus on tax filing, payroll, benefits administration, and human capital. For the past 5 years, she has been working as a product owner at TEAM Software by WorkWave, where she combines her depth of knowledge and collaborative style with like minded product innovators.

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Aley Moyer

The Californian Q3 2023 – The Value of Data, Analysis and Exception-Based Reporting

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The Value of Data, Analysis and Exception-Based Reporting

Josh Petro, TEAM Software by WorkWave, CALSAGA Network Partner

Security businesses are often faced with this common data challenge: they possess a wealth of information but struggle to extract meaningful insights from it. Without that meaning, data is simply a collection of numbers on a page, leaving decision makers without concrete evidence, trends or patterns to help inform their next steps forward.

It’s important to be able to leverage the power of reporting and data analysis to transform raw information into actionable knowledge that provides business value. But doing so is easier said than done – especially when you’re already stretched thin by the demands of your business.

To help, I’m sharing key approaches to data management and analysis every security company should consider when striving to become more data-driven.

Exception-based reporting: Focusing attention and taking action

What does it mean to monitor by exception? Simply this: instead of closely monitoring every aspect of a process or operation, you set parameters or rules to identify and flag anomalies, irregularities, or significant deviations from expected outcomes. Instead of always monitoring everything and all at once, exception-based reporting operates in the background of your system, offering insights when issues need to be addressed.

In the security industry, a key exception you might experience is a missed shift or no-show by a guard. In this example, an exception-based monitoring system can compare scheduled shifts with actual attendance records or clock-in data. That way, if an expected timekeeping activity is not recorded within a specific time frame, the system will trigger an alert or notification, highlighting the exception. Think of it like this: you don’t need to see a report or receive a notification every time someone clocks in – that’s business as usual. You want to know when something isn’t going to plan so you can fix it before it becomes an issue.

This kind of reporting is key in helping security companies proactively manage their workforce, speed up incident response, minimize disruptions and maintain a high level of service delivery.

Data analysis: Extracting value from big data

The words “big data” are often used to describe a situation when organizations have access to vast amounts of information. When you’re dealing with large volumes of data, it’s especially important to have effective strategies in place to analyze and gain meaningful information from it.

One approach to accomplishing this is through the methodology of tiered reporting. Tiered reporting provides a structured approach to organizing data by using tiers. This allows for easy access and retrieval of specific data sets, making it simpler to identify relevant information for analysis. Tiered reporting also enables businesses to create user-specific reports tailored to the needs of different individuals and departments, based on the tiers of information that matter to them. This helps ensure the right people are able to make informed decisions based on their specific roles and needs.

Tiered reporting supports an exception-based approach, as businesses can establish KPIs – key performance indicators that can serve as benchmarks for your business performance – for each tier. When tracking these KPIs against predefined metrics, you can enhance your performance monitoring and identify areas for improvement.

Visualizing data with dashboards and business intelligence

Effective data visualization is essential for understanding complex information at a glance.

Dashboards provide an intuitive and user-friendly interface to monitor KPIs, trends and outliers. Through customizable visual representations – like charts and graphs – different stakeholders can gain insights into the health of their department or the business as a whole. It’s also important to be able to automate the sharing of these enterprise data reports with users on a schedule. That way, stakeholders can monitor data on a consistent cadence, increasing their ability to spot variances and make adjustments when needed.

Even within the same industry, though, every security business is unique. As you approach data visualization, ensure the tools you are using to do it can accommodate customized reports and analysis models based on your specific needs. In some cases, this may mean working with a tool with a separate business intelligence module that helps you look at your data in the way you want to look at it – and in a way that tells a clear story.

The future of data analysis and predictive analytics

As technology continues to evolve, the field of data analysis is on the brink of even more advancements. Predictive technologies are gaining momentum, with automation and artificial intelligence playing a significant role in how companies will be looking at – and interpreting – their data.

Even with these advancements, every security company needs an integrated workforce management solution that can first gather and record your operational and back-office data in an accurate way, promote shared data across all team members and then interpret those findings to achieve sustainable growth. Without this, you’ll be stuck in a never-ending cycle of looking at numbers – and only numbers – on a page.

To learn more about implementing a data-driven strategy into your security business, visit teamsoftware.com.

Josh has been supporting customers for over a decade. After working as a Product Manager for over three years, he moved into a director role at the beginning of 2023, where he has continued to express his passion for crafting products that truly enrich the lives of others.

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Kate

The Californian 2023 Q2: Discover How to Reduce Turnover, Increase Engagement, and Retain Your Security Officers

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Discover How to Reduce Turnover, Increase Engagement, and Retain Your Security Officers

Tavon Parris, Trackforce Valiant + TrackTik, CALSAGA Network Partner

Around $11 billion is lost annually due to overall employee turnover, according to the Bureau of National Affairs. This isn’t only representative of the physical security industry, and that number considers more than just lost hours. It factors in the cost associated with finding, training, and equipping replacement workers as well as reduced productivity. 

But nowhere is the issue of turnover more acute than in the physical security industry. High turnover rates, low retention, and low employee engagement have always been a challenge for security firms and corporate security departments alike. Today, the high turnover rate in the security guard industry is a key challenge almost all face. 

Security officer and security guard turnover rates are thought to be over 100% annually. That means that the average private security firm has a completely new workforce every 12 months. And that high turnover has potentially immense consequences.  

When short on personnel, the exposure to risk increases. This may lead to people getting hurt, businesses experiencing increased incidents of theft and vandalism, and an increase in stressful situations that quickly get out of hand, like a lost child, crowd control, or medical emergency. 

It’s why it’s so necessary for security companies to do things like offer competitive wages. This is one of many ways to help reduce churn in a role that can ask employees to risk their lives, as outlined in our guide.  

In addition to speaking about wages, we go over common reasons for employee turnover and offer 10 ideas that can effectively help reduce your turnover rates, increase employee engagement, and retain your best physical security personnel.  

Want to learn more? Grab your copy today. 

Trackforce Valiant + TrackTik combines over 45 years of total experience with the brightest and most influential minds to provide its customers with the industry’s most comprehensive security workforce management solution. Our cloud-based solutions help corporations and security guard service providers handle every aspect of security workforce management.

Tavon Parris
tavon.parris@tracktik.com
706-960-8158
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Kate

The Californian 2023 Q2: Top 3 Areas to Improve Your Hiring Funnel

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Top 3 Areas to Improve Your Hiring Funnel

Maddie Anders, TEAM Software by WorkWave, CALSAGA Network Partner

Consider the two different versions of the labor market.

First, there’s a candidate-driven market, where applicants have more power in determining where and what conditions they’ll accept working amongst. There are often more attempts at negotiations, especially with wages and benefits, and it can be harder to position yourself as an employer of choice as many markets are competing for the same pool of workers.

Second, there’s an employer’s market, where there is less flexibility for negotiations from the stance of an employer because the rate of unemployed persons per job opening is high.

Although economic factors may suggest the labor market is changing, the fact is we’re still operating in a candidate-driven market. To position yourself as an employer of choice and attract more quality candidates to your open roles, you have to do what you can to improve efficiency, enhance the customer experience and deliver measurable KPIs to your company’s bottom line.

Improved efficiency

In today’s highly competitive job market, organizations need to ensure that they have a streamlined recruitment process that can attract, hire and onboard top talent efficiently.

But what does efficiency really look like? In your hiring funnel, it should mean you’re able to get the right people in the right jobs at the right time and for the least amount of resources.

The first step in achieving this is to integrate applicant tracking, hiring and onboarding systems. With an integrated system, recruiters and hiring managers can manage the entire hiring funnel from a single platform. This includes posting job openings, reviewing resumes, scheduling interviews, checking references and onboarding new hires. It means removing paper-based documentation and filing systems for compliant and secure data storage and sharing. And, it means doing it all in a way that is repeatable.

Despite hiring significantly more than the national average, the net sum of workers in the security industry isn’t substantially increasing due to the amount of turnover. In proprietary data from TEAM Software by WorkWave and included in our recent data report, we’ve found that a security company must hire approximately 108 applicants a year, just to maintain an average

annual headcount of 100 employees. Knowing the demand for security guards is and will remain high, it’s critical to establish proven integrated recruitment processes that can be easily replicated again and again.

Enhanced candidate experience

Another key benefit of integrated recruitment systems is the enhanced candidate experience.

An integrated recruiting system can provide a seamless experience that enhances the employer brand and helps attract top talent. For example, you can streamline your recruitment requirements to only request critical criteria in the application process, instead of requiring page-long resumes and applications – and still capture the necessary information you need to begin screening. Even better, offer text-to-apply application formats, which reduce the barriers of application completion for prospective candidates in your industry. When a candidate applies for a job, they can receive automated responses acknowledging receipt of their application, including via text.

During the interview process, recruiters can use the system to schedule interviews, send reminders and follow up with candidates quickly. Once hired, you can collect necessary new-hire and onboarding documentation with easy digital methods, instead of sending supervisors to chase down employees at job sites.

Data-driven KPIs

Arguably the best benefit of an integrated recruiting system is the measurable results it contributes to your bottom line. TEAM Software’s own applicant tracking, hiring and onboarding system, for example, enables users to hire an average 42% faster than the national average. That equals 15 days of time savings gained back during the hiring process alone. This is a critical metric to consider when knowing that contract coverage depends on available employees to cover shifts.

It’s also important to look at your back-end processes and see where efficiencies can be gained. Ask yourself these questions: How much effort is going into tracking applications, reviewing work history and resumes, screening candidates, running background checks and moving new hires into onboarding? Of that time being spent, where could your back-office team’s efforts be redirected to contribute even more to the company’s bottom line? Could you be hiring even more applicants?

With TEAM Software’s ATS, hiring and onboarding software, clients report 60% savings of time spent on hiring activities.

Learn more about measurable results service contractors are achieving in their hiring process at teamsoftware.com.

Maddie started her career in the global banking industry as an Applications Programmer prior to joining TEAM Software by WorkWave. After working as a Quality Analyst, Maddie transitioned to Product Owner, where she combines her passion for problem solving with the guidance of product strategy to bring forward enhancements that add value to users while driving future innovations.

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Aley Moyer

The Californian Q1 2023 – 2023 Labor Trends: Retention and the First 90 Days

2023 Labor Trends: Retention and the First 90 Days

Andrea Willman, TEAM Software, CALSAGA Network Partner

The labor market has been, arguably, one of the biggest frustrations for security professionals over the past few years. The data proves it. 

National hiring rates during a six month period (industry agnostic) are trending up, although still slightly below pre-pandemic levels. As of September 2022, the labor participation rate across the country was an average .6% higher than the previous year, but 1.0% lower than pre-pandemic participation rates in December 2019 (63.3%).

When looking at sample data from TEAM Software by WorkWave, active employees within the security industry show a 2.2% average monthly increase for the 12-month period of October 2021 through September 2022.

Despite hiring significantly more than the national average, the net sum of workers in the security industry aren’t substantially increasing due to the amount of turnover. In order to maintain an average annual headcount of 100 employees, for example, a security company must hire 108 applicants a year. As such, retention remains a high priority.

The 90-day retention milestone

In the security industry, new hires are 53% more likely to retain for one year if they reach 90 days of employment. 

Some tactics industry leaders are including to increase retention, especially within the first 90 days, include: 

Job posting transparency

One of the biggest reasons new hires churn fast is because their job responsibilities don’t match expectations. Communicate responsibilities throughout the hiring process, from the job posting onward. Then, continue to reinforce expectations through accurate job instructions tied to your software solution. This should include digital resources on the job profile that can be easily shared or accessed, text fields for specific notes and job-specific documents, bulletins, events or links.

Flexible work

Flexibility is a growing demand in applicant pools. The nature of physical security means there will always be a need for on-site, shift-based work. However, introducing flexibility into your employees’ experience where you can – like self-scheduling, where employees can offer their shifts to others without needing to involve a schedule or supervisor – can improve employee engagement and retention while simultaneously reducing high-cost expenses, like overtime. Others can pick up open work and mark themselves as available if they want to pick up additional hours. This tactic can also alleviate some administrative scheduling tasks from your managers, while still ensuring contract coverage. 

Earned wage access

Earned wage access provides a way for employees to receive payment for hours worked, without having to wait for the next pay cycle to process. One of the biggest barriers employees face in succeeding at a field job is the reliability of their transportation. Sometimes, the gap between paychecks impacts a worker’s ability to afford transit, let alone living expenses.

This can make a big difference in employee financial wellness even during times of economic stability. In times of uncertainty that bring rising fuel prices, energy crises and more unrest, access to wages on demand can make a critical difference to employee wellbeing and workforce engagement.

Incentive programs

Employee referral programs exist as an incentive for an existing employee to refer a potential new employee to your hiring staff. If the candidate is hired, the existing employee receives a benefit, typically of monetary value. Many companies have programs like this in place, yet don’t see referrals as a leading hiring source. The reason why could be because the policy is out of sight, out of mind. Make sure your human resources staff are sharing incentive programs like employee referrals consistently and often. As you’re developing these programs, build them with retention in mind. Build in agreements that both the new hire and referring employee need to remain employed for a certain period of time – 90 days, at least – to qualify for the benefit. 

Any one of these tactics, or a combination of all, can help encourage retention to and past the 90-day mark, when the odds of longer-term retention increase. For more labor trend data you can use to help support your retention strategies, access TEAM Software by WorkWave’s recent data report, an analysis of recent trends and forecasts for the year ahead.  

For more information on technology-driven software solutions to help support your hiring, retention and other workforce needs, visit teamsoftware.com. 

Andrea has over 15 years of software-as-a-service (SaaS) marketing experience. In her role as Marketing Director at TEAM Software by WorkWave, she drives the company’s strategic marketing direction globally.  She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism.

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Aley Moyer

The Californian Q1 2023 – Recruiting That Works Requires a Recipe for Success

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Recruiting That Works Requires a Recipe for Success

Anne Laguzza, CEO – The Works Consulting, Network Partner

Do you have a recruiting plan? I am not talking about a haphazard list of open positions. I am talking about a detailed recruiting plan. In our current talent shortage, having an actual detailed plan is now more important than ever.

Many leaders feel pressure to hire immediately, and while rushing to do so, don’t take the time to develop a plan. Even experienced leaders need a plan to ensure that the best person is hired for the position that they have. 

Why have a recruiting plan? 

In hiring, you want consistency. Consistency leads to high performing teams that match your values and generate the best results for your business. You want to follow the same recipe every single time. 

Consider a recipe for muffins. In order to produce the same delicious, light and fluffy muffins every single time, you must follow the recipe exactly as listed. Any deviation from the list of ingredients and instructions will result in a completely different muffin. They could taste great or need to be tossed out.

THIS is why you need a recruiting plan. It is your “recipe” if you will, of how you will select new team members. You will follow the recruiting plan over and over again to ensure that you hire the best people for your position. You want to consistently hire the people that you need for your team to grow – not a “let’s see what happens” approach.

The benefits of a well thought out recruiting plan are:

  • It saves time.
  • It keeps you and others focused.
  • It maintains organization and consistency.

Some components of a good recruiting plan:

  • A job description or understanding of responsibilities.
  • Identification of the non-negotiables for a position.
  • Detailed behavioral characteristics and skills that are required for this position.
  • An engaging job posting.
  • Development of a job posting strategy – sources, timing, etc. 
  • Established interview questions.
  • A defined process of who will be involved in interviews and when.
  • A recruiting timeline with an estimated start date. 

Developing an effective recruiting plan takes time up front to plan. The time invested up front will save you time later on in performance management and having to refill the position if the person selected doesn’t work out. Not to mention the cost your bad hiring decisions have on team morale.

Hiring is likely THE most important thing you’ll do as a leader. Every time you have an opening on your team, you have an opportunity to evaluate the current strengths and identify what skills and qualities you need to help your team grow.

Don’t throw this opportunity away. You have a very important job as a leader and your current people are counting on you to carry out that responsibility by finding and hiring only the best people. Every single time.

Anne Laguzza is the CEO of The Works Consulting, a CALSAGA Network Partner. As a seasoned business executive with human resources management, leadership development, and performance coaching experience, Anne works with clients from a variety of industries to develop better systems, maximize employee productivity, and enable management to focus on business growth. For more information, check out theworksconsulting.com or email anne@theworksconsulting.com. You can also find Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn.

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