The Cost-Saving Benefits of Staffing Companies
As a business owner or manager, finding ways to cut costs and increase efficiency is always a top priority. One strategy that may not immediately come to mind is working with a staffing company to fill temporary or permanent positions. While it may seem counterintuitive to pay a middleman to handle your hiring, the benefits of staffing companies far outweigh the added expense. Here’s how partnering with a staffing company can actually save your business money. Reduced Recruitment Costs: Recruiting top talent is a time-consuming and costly process. Advertising open positions, reviewing resumes, scheduling interviews, and conducting background checks all add up. Staffing companies handle all of these tasks for you, saving your business the time and resources it would otherwise spend on recruitment. By outsourcing these responsibilities to a staffing company, you can focus on your core business operations and let the experts handle the rest. Flexibility to scale up or down quickly: Businesses often experience fluctuations in workload that require either increasing or decreasing the number of employees. Staffing companies allow you to easily adjust your workforce as needed, without the hassle and cost of hiring and laying off permanent employees. This can be especially beneficial for businesses in seasonal industries or those with project-based work. Lower training and onboarding expenses: Staffing companies typically provide their temporary employees with the necessary training and support to get up to speed quickly on a new job. This means your business doesn’t have to invest as much time and money into onboarding new hires. Plus, with temporary employees, you have the opportunity to try out a new hire before committing to a permanent position. Access to a pool of pre-screened and qualified candidates: Staffing companies have relationships with a large pool of qualified candidates who have already undergone background checks and skills assessments. This saves your business the time and expense of finding and evaluating potential hires. You can trust that the candidates presented to you by the staffing company are reliable and competent, allowing you to make a hiring decision with confidence. Lower benefit costs: Temporary employees provided by staffing companies are typically not eligible for the same benefits as permanent employees, such as health insurance and retirement plans. This can significantly reduce your benefit expenses. While temporary employees may not receive these perks, staffing companies often offer their own benefits such as holiday pay and referral bonuses to ensure their employees are well taken care of. Lower turnover costs: Staffing companies are responsible for finding and retaining their own employees, which means you don’t have to deal with the cost and disruption of employee turnover. When a temporary employee provided by a staffing company leaves, the staffing company takes care of finding a replacement. This can save your business the time and money it would take to recruit and train a new employee. Pay only for the hours worked: With temporary employees from a staffing company, you don’t have to worry about paying for benefits or overtime. You only pay for the hours the employee works, which can be a more cost-effective option than hiring a full-time employee. Avoid the risk of a bad hire: Hiring the wrong person can be costly in terms of lost productivity, training expenses, and potential legal issues. With temporary employees from a staffing company, you have the opportunity to try out a new hire before committing to a permanent position. This allows you to assess the fit and performance of the employee before making a long-term commitment. Specialized skills on demand: Staffing companies often have relationships with a diverse pool of candidates with specialized skills and experience. This can be especially useful for businesses that only need certain skills on a project-by-project basis. Rather than hiring a full-time employee with specialized skills that may not always be needed, you can bring in a temporary employee with the specific skills required for a particular project. Streamlined payroll and tax compliance: Staffing companies handle payroll and tax compliance for their employees, which can save your business the time and resources it would otherwise spend on these tasks. You can trust that the staffing company is taking care of all the necessary paperwork and tax deductions, so you can focus on your core business operations. In conclusion, working with a staffing company may seem like an added expense upfront, but the cost-saving benefits make it a smart choice for businesses looking to increase efficiency and reduce costs. By handling recruitment, training, and other HR tasks, staffing companies allow businesses to focus on their core operations and bottom line. Don’t overlook the potential cost-saving benefits of staffing companies – they may be just what your business needs to thrive.
The Miami Economic Outlook
After a few less-than-ideal years, the Miami economy is bouncing back. In May, the unemployment rate dropped to an impressive 4.6 percent, marking a notable decrease from the 5.7 percent realized during the same time period in 2015, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released on June 29, 2016. The Miami leisure and hospitality industry realized notable employment gains, increasing by 3.7 percent. In 2015, a record 15.5 million people visited Miami, spending a total of $24.4 billion locally — a 2.3 percent increase from 2015 — according to data from the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. Miami Hotel Industry Nearing Its Peak Hotel revenues and occupancy rates are starting to even out in Miami, causing experts to predict the industry could reach its peak in 2016, according to The Real Deal, a South Florida real estate blog. In 2015, more than 44 million people traveled through the Miami International Airport, which likely contributed to the 6 percent revenue per hotel room increase, reaching almost $153, noted STR data. As of January 2016, an estimated 6,000 hotel rooms were either under construction or soon-to-be, according to the Miami New Times, which will undoubtedly bring many new restaurants, bars, clubs and pools that need to be staffed. More places to stay will encourage even more tourism, as people can’t get enough of Miami’s incredible weather, gorgeous beaches and incredible nightlife. Miami Hospitality Workers Earn Top Wages A bustling hospitality industry doesn’t just mean big profits for Miami business owners. Hardworking hospitality workers earn higher salaries in Miami than in many other cities. In 2015, Miami made the BLS’s top 10 list for highest-paying metropolitan areas for bartenders. The mean annual salary for bartenders is $19,530, as of May 2015, but the Miami average salary for the job is $32,330. Similarly, the BLS defines Miami hotel managers as lodging managers who earn well above the national average for the job. The mean annual salary is $57,810 as of May 2015, but Miami hotel managers take home an average of $100,690 annually. The Miami hospitality industry is truly a fantastic place to be. Whether you’re an employer searching for top talent or a professional ready to take on a new challenge, RMG Staffing is here to assist. Contact us today to find out how we can make your future brighter!
Are You Between Jobs? How to Fill Those Gaps on Your Resume.
At some point in their career, many hospitality industry professionals find themselves between jobs — and that’s okay. If you’re in this situation right now, it’s time to take action. Whether you were laid off, quit or let go is in the past; what matters is how you handle this employment pause. Spending your days soaking up the Miami sun at the beach is tempting, but that won’t help you get hired any faster. Instead, consider taking on temporary jobs during this short-term break, as this is smartest way to get back on your feet. 3 Benefits of Temporary Employment Avoid Resume Gaps Your resume is usually the first impression you’ll make on a prospective employer, and if yours contains employment gaps, it won’t get you off to the best start. Temporary work effectively fills the gaps between permanent gigs, so you won’t have to worry about sending the wrong message. Hiring managers will be impressed with your initiative to take on temporary jobs during the interim, as this shows motivation, drive, and a true passion for working in the hospitality industry. Earn a Paycheck Bills still have to be paid when you’re between jobs, and it can be tough to make ends meet when you’re not earning a paycheck. Working as a temp allows you to wait until the right job comes along, instead of rushing into the very first opportunity that comes your way, simply so you can pay the rent. Instead of letting money woes guide your job search, focus on finding the right fit for your skills and interests. Make Valuable Connections Working as a temp in the hospitality industry is an invaluable networking opportunity. Treat each position as a permanent opportunity to show employers, colleagues, and clients what you have to offer. Oftentimes, companies extend job offers to temps who become a tremendous asset to the team, so this could quickly turn into a long-term gig. Regardless, you’ll still get the chance to meet many people who could change your future for the better, so don’t miss out! Need a little help making your next career move? Contact RMG Staffing. We offer various employment options for top hospitality industry staffers, including temp-to-hire, direct hire and payroll staffing positions, and temporary staffing for banquet events.
The Top Traits of Successful Hospitality Employees
Millions of Americans are employed in the hospitality industry — and many couldn’t imagine working anywhere else. It’s an area with a wide variety of career options, but this field isn’t a great fit for everyone, as a very special personality is needed to succeed. If you’re a professional considering entering the industry or an employer searching for workers to join your team, learn seven traits needed to excel in the hospitality sphere. Personable Most employees in the hospitality industry are frequently face to face with customers, so being friendly and outgoing is a must. If clients are made to feel unwelcome by a rude, unpleasant staff member, they’ll take their business elsewhere. Team Player First and foremost, the job of hospitality industry employees is to provide guests with an outstanding experience. Each staffer has a defined role, but the customer is always the number one focus, so people have to be willing to pitch in anywhere they’re needed. Patient Working with some customers can be trying, but the best hospitality workers are always able to remain calm and collected. Incredibly tolerant, these people don’t sweat the small stuff. Their easy-going disposition always makes guests feel comfortable and appreciated. Good Listener The ability to listen attentively is a must in the hospitality industry. Whether tending to the needs of a guest or taking directions from a supervisor, employees must listen carefully so they can take the appropriate action. Excellent Multitasker Everything moves at rapid pace in this industry, so employees must have the capacity to do many things at once. For example, bartenders must be able to greet customers sitting down at the bar, while making drinks for those who have just ordered. Organized Staying organized is the secret to successful multitasking, so employees need the capacity to put a system in place to maintain order at all times. Everything takes longer when working in a constant state of disarray. Detail-Oriented In this industry, it’s often the little things that mean the most, so staffers must pay attention to every last detail. For example, you want a hotel housekeeper who takes the time to carefully inspect every surface in the room to ensure not a speck of dirt is left, instead of someone who tries to get their job done as quickly as possible. The hospitality industry is a major force in Miami. Whether you’re a professional searching for a new challenge or an employer trying to find top talent to staff your company, RMG Staffing is here to assist. Contact us to today to learn more about our exemplary staffing solutions and outstanding career opportunities in a variety of roles.
Are Your Performance Reviews Effective?
Many managers and employees alike dread performance reviews, but when properly conducted, these meetings can be incredibly beneficial to everyone. If you’re currently brushing this task off as grating formality, it’s time to start taking it seriously. Turnover in the accommodation and food services industries increased from 66.7 percent in 2014 to 72.1 percent in 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, so if you don’t dedicate extra effort to employee satisfaction, your staff won’t think twice about moving on to your competitor. Performance reviews can be beneficial to make your company a better place to work and increase your bottom line. 4 Tips for an Effective Hospitality Industry Performance Review Give Meaningful Feedback Providing employees with vague feedback is helpful to no one, so take the time to gather truly relevant insights. Cite specific examples of things each person is doing well and areas for improvement. For example, instead of commending your bartender for doing great work, praise the person’s ability to make drinks customers rave about on Yelp, keep people engaged in conversation so they spend more money and fill orders quickly. Set Measureable Objectives Similar to giving unclear feedback, setting ambiguous goals creates more confusion than benefits. Get on the same page with your staff by creating specific goals for each person to achieve. For example, instead of asking a server to concentrate on upselling, challenge the person to increase their total sales volume by 10 percent in the next six months. Make it a Two-Way Conversation As the manager, you’re responsible for leading the performance review, but the discussion shouldn’t be one-sided. Use this time to gain valuable insights from each employee. Find out how things are going with the person’s job, ask about skills they’d like to learn or different roles they’re interested in transitioning into, get ideas to better serve customers and see if staffers have any suggestions to make the company more efficient. Meet With the Employee Regularly Holding performance reviews annually is never a good idea, but the hospitality industry’s sky-high turnover levels make it even more important for this to be an ongoing process. Meet with each person on your team at least quarterly — monthly if possible — to touch base. Job satisfaction levels increase when employees know their manager cares, so this can help boost retention rates. These meetings are also a great time to review progress toward goals and make any necessary adjustments. Partner with RMG Staffing to find passionate and engaged hospitality industry professionals to join your Miami company. We offer temp-to-hire, direct hire, and payroll positions and temporary staffing for banquet events.
Are Your Employees Brand Advocates?
Are Your Employees Brand Advocates? In today’s tech-savvy world, maintaining a reputation as a positive employer has never been more important. Having your employees serve as brand advocates is essential, because candidates place a heavy emphasis on their opinions. In addition to having your team engage in positive word-of-mouth advocacy, their written reviews can also generate serious influence. Find out some tips our Hospitality and Event Staffing Agency gives you. Top talent doesn’t just want a great job — they also want to work for an incredible company. Culture has become equally important to the job itself, so candidates do everything they can to search for clues about a company’s work environment to see if it’s the right fit. Social Media Most of your employees probably have a personal social media presence, so engage them as brand advocates on popular sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Create a solid set of guidelines to get everyone on the same page about the type of content you want them to share and certain topics to steer clear from. Encourage them to get online and share exciting moments during the workday and engage with other industry professionals. Job Review Sites Prior to applying at a company, savvy job seekers use review sites like Glassdoor to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what it’s like to work there. If assessments are generally negative, the type of talent you want to hire is going to steer clear of your company, because they have plenty of other options. Conversely, a number of glowing evaluations from current employees speaks volumes and will likely encourage top talent to submit their resumes. Since this type of brand advocacy is so important, ask your best team members to take a few minutes to write a review of their own. Testimonials They’re certainly not innovative, but employee testimonials are still a very effective way to promote a positive brand image. Ask your staff to write a sentence or two about their experience with various aspects of your company and post these statements accordingly throughout your HR site. If you want something a bit more long-form, consider profiling employees on your company blog and asking them to detail their favorite aspects of working for the organization. Need to find reliable and professional employees for your Miami area team? Partner with RMG Staffing. We offer temp-to-hire, direct hire and payroll staffing positions, as well as temporary staffing for banquet events.
Four Reasons Hospitality Employees Fail
There’s no getting around the fact that some employees are bound to fail. This is especially true in the hospitality industry, which can be incredibly fast-paced, diversified and downright stressful. However, there are some strategies that can be used in order to maximize the chances for employee success within your company. Provide Proper Training In some cases, hospitality employees fail due to a lack of training. This could be due to an unmotivated or otherwise uninterested employee who doesn’t pay attention or catch on to their training, or it could be due to the trainer’s ineffectiveness when it comes to training and mentoring. If the case is the former, the issue will need to be handled in cooperation with the employee in question. If the problem falls with an internal trainer, however, you may need to shuffle your roster in order to improve the effectiveness of your employee training programs. Disseminate Responsibilities Clearly and Concisely Sometimes, hospitality employees just don’t understand the responsibilities of their specific role in the workplace. This is most likely to happen when a staff member is constantly jumping between departments or when they’re asked to fill multiple positions on a daily basis. Sometimes, however, this is a result of an unclear or poorly written job description. Whatever the case may be, the issues mentioned above can usually be prevented altogether through an efficient interview and onboarding process. Clarifying exact responsibilities and mentioning any possible substitutions during the initial onboarding process ensures that your new employees have the direction and guidance needed to succeed in the hospitality sector. Ensure Employee Commitment and Motivation Hospitality employees might also fail as a result of their own lack of commitment of motivation. While there’s little you can do to motivate a stubborn or uninterested employee, most workers are easily motivated through competitive wages, fair treatment and the possibility of a future promotion inside the company. Preventing General Employee Burnout We’ve covered employee burnout in past posts, and it’s a real issue that can affect even the best employees. Although you can’t completely prevent burnout from happening, there are a number of steps you can take in order to minimize the risk. Giving your staff ample free time and vacation days, offering competitive wages and providing opportunities for career development or advancement are all great strategies when it comes to avoiding employee burnout in the hospitality workplace. Finding Great Employees in the Hospitality Industry While there’s nothing an employer can do to ensure ongoing success for 100 percent of their staff members, the tips described above can go a long way in preventing future career failures. If you need further assistance in the areas of recruitment, turnover or retention, or if you want to find out more information about the host of services we provide, please contact RMG today!
Interview: Expect the Unexpected
While some job seekers in the hospitality industry find the initial interview process to be a breeze, others struggle with the process. One of the biggest issues cited comes in the form of answering the unexpected or ad hoc questions that may be asked by their interviewer. While there’s no surefire way to prepare yourself for every possible question that may arise, there are a number of steps you can take in order to boost your confidence when it comes to providing answers to the unexpected. Recruit Friends or Family for Assistance Friends, family members and even previous co-workers or managers all make for great resources when it comes to helping you prepare for an interview. Not only can they ask you specific questions that you’ve come up with, they can also come up with some questions completely on their own. Apart from instilling confidence in your ability to answer unexpected questions, this also strengthens your ability to think on your feet without hesitation. Rely on Past Interview Experiences Think back to your past interview experiences. This is especially useful if you can recall interviews you’ve had within the hospitality industry. While you obviously won’t be able to remember every single question and answer from the past, this serves as a good launching point when it comes to ensuring preparedness for nearly any question that may be asked in upcoming interviews. Research, Research, Research! If you are new to the hospitality field, do your research beforehand. Not only will this give you an idea of the kinds of questions you can expect during the interview and onboarding process, it can also give you a better idea of whether or not the hospitality industry is a right fit for your skill set. Even if you’ve been in the field of hospitality for quite some time, it never hurts to research a company before entering the interview process. This is incredibly useful when it comes to preparing for any ad hoc or unexpected questions that may arise during the initial interview. Finding Help With RMG While the above tips are great when it comes to preparing for possible interview questions, it’s not enough to prepare you for every question that might be asked. If you find you are struggling with the interview process, please contact the Miami staffing professionals at RMG today!
What Do Online Reviews Mean for the Hospitality Industry?
Traditionally, brick-and-mortar establishments in the hospitality industry have relied on word-of-mouth and community-based advertising to build their brand and reputation. Given the prevalence of the Internet as well as the recent boom in online review sites, companies are now seeing more exposure than ever before. While there are some highly trusted review sites out there, there are some sites that simply aren’t reputable by any stretch of the imagination. Despite this fact, there is great potential for misuse and abuse of such online review sites. There are also a number of shady practices, shortcuts and other tricks that can result in an inaccurate reputation. Generating Reviews The first step to managing your online reputation is to generate reviews which can be done through a variety of different techniques. Some of the most popular strategies include interacting with patrons and increasing customer services standards. Others opt for the more direct approach of targeting and soliciting individual guests to post reviews online. While this practice is fine in theory, it should be done tactfully, professionally and without compensation. In other words, offering free products, services or cash for an online review is definitely frowned upon in the hospitality industry. If you are a startup company that is trying to make a name for yourself in the hospitality industry, you have no choice but to offer compensation for an online review. When doing so, make sure the customer posts a standardized disclosure stating they have been compensated for their review. By using this strategy sparingly, you’ll have a better chance of avoiding the negative stigma surrounding paid online reviews. Monitoring and Responding to Reviews Monitoring and responding to online reviews is a highly useful strategy that is used by many employers today. Not only is this a great way of keeping track of your reputation, it also gives you the opportunity to address any negative reviews you may find online. You can respond to positive reviews, either as a means of expressing thanks, answering a question or interacting with the community at large. In fact, a recent survey states that 79 percent of travelers are reassured by a company’s response to a bad review while 78 percent of those surveyed stated that managerial responses to good online reviews cause them to think more positively about the company in question. As you can see, it’s good idea to respond to the good reviews as well as the bad ones. Online review sites aren’t the only place you’ll find consumer criticism. Social media sites also provide your customers with an accessible forum to post their questions, comments, complaints or praise. As such, it’s important to keep an eye on these sites, too. Some companies, particular larger organizations, recruit full-time social media managers in order to keep track of customer reviews, field online questions and respond to complaints. Filling Your Roster Whether the majority of your recruitment strategies are online or off, it can be tricky to find top talent within the hospitality industry. If you’re having difficulty with the process, or if you just want to free up some of your resources for use in other areas, contact RMG Staffing right away!
Three Questions to Ask a Job Seeker Re-entering the Workforce
Assessing and interviewing a candidate that is re-entering the workforce after an extended absence can be a tricky task to handle. While some absences are legitimately explainable, others might not be readily excused. Moreover, those who place their career on hold for personal or unannounced reasons can complicate the matter even further. With that in mind, it’s important for an interviewer to ask the right questions of those candidates who are just now returning to the workforce. Not only can it help you locate and retain top talent in for your organization, it can even help the job seeker determine if your company is the right place to make their return. Why They Left the Workforce in the First Place From the recruit’s perspective, this might be the toughest question of the entire interview process. However, it should be asked when interviewing a job seeker who has recently returned to the workforce. While some candidates may have an answer ready, others may have personal or otherwise unannounced reasons for putting their careers on hold. Other times, a candidate’s reason for leaving their career may be entirely beyond their control. Sudden changes in living situation, unexpected lay-offs or terminations, and a plethora of other factors can all affect one’s ability to maintain constant and steady employment over a long-term basis. Reason for Returning and Choosing Your Company Next, you’ll want to find out a job seeker’s exact reason for returning to the workforce. It could be something as simple as a dwindling savings account or an overabundance of free time, or it could be a result of newfound training, education or professional development. In either case, find out their reasoning before committing to a new hire. Doing so can go a long way in securing and retaining employees that will have a positive impact on your company’s bottom line. Once you’ve established a candidate’s reason for re-entering the workforce, inquire about their reason for choosing your company. This could be something simple; perhaps your ad was the first one they saw or maybe they were recommended by a friend. Conversely, it could involve a lack of income, too much free time or the desire to advance one’s career to the next level. Whatever the case may be, it’s important to understand their reasoning in order to make sure their abilities align with the needs of your company as well as those of the job in question. What Have They Done to Keep Their Skills Fresh and Current Finally, ask these recruits how they’ve been able to maintain their skill sets and expertise during their absence. The answer may be obvious for those who are re-entering the workforce with brand new degrees and credentials, but others may have completely ignored their career skills during this time. Either way, it’s important to know what you’re dealing with before onboarding the latest interviewee. Finding Top Talent in the Hospitality Industry Depending on your exact area of expertise, it can be difficult to find talent that is reliable, reputable and experienced. If you have difficulty locating or retaining hospitality workers, please contact RMG Staffing today!