About The Applied Companies®:
The Applied Companies® strives to collaborate with employers looking to grow their workforce with professional, reliable, and ambitious individuals. The goal at TAC is simple: we want to help alleviate the stress of looking for a job as well, and make sure that our candidates are compatible with a role that’s right for them. For over 20 years, TAC has been an active member of the business community. With a Northern Nevada focus and national expertise in temp and direct hire, recruitment, executive search, human resources, PEO, and payroll administration, TAC provides businesses with solutions that are right for their organization.
As for working with job seekers, now is the right time to find employment with your local employment agency. We’re sharing some tried and true tips when it comes to finding your dream job and acing an interview:
You’ve wowed a company with your impressive cover letter and resume, so naturally the next step is either an in-person or phone interview.
First, a friend, family member or partner can help you practice through a mock interview and can be a great starting point to your job interview prep. This gives you a chance to receive feedback on your answers, posture, appearance, and nonverbal communication. Even paying attention to your handshake can make a subtle difference!
Another suggestion to gain confidence for the interview is to research the company and the individual(s) interviewing you. Learning about their roles and personal interests through their LinkedIn profile or through the company’s website allows you to mention highlights during the interview to give you common ground while standing out.
Print out extra copies of your resume so the interviewers can have a physical copy to keep referring back to. Make sure to bring a pen and professional notebook, in addition to your A-game: after all, people tend to hire other people with a positive and upbeat personality!
If you dress to impress, you’ll make a great first impression. We suggest choosing an outfit that is a step above the office standard to show professionalism, and conservative business attire is appropriate for every setting.
Above all, make sure to get a great amount of sleep and properly fuel up on the day of. Stick to healthy foods for breakfast or lunch, and hydrate throughout the day to prevent a dry throat when speaking.
Providing a portfolio and letting the interviewer take a look at previous projects can make a great first impression. Stick to asking questions about the job responsibilities, qualifications, or other key details about the position. This is also a great time to learn more about the culture of the company or the department, and what the structure looks like. Remember, this is also your chance to interview the company and see if this is a good fit for you and your values.
If an interviewer asks about any of your strengths and weaknesses, it’s sometimes hard to come up with an answer at the moment. Being honest and self-aware of any issues is a great start, but combining it with an action plan lets you stand apart from other candidates. On the contrary, finding a few traits that you tend to utilize in your work is important. Are you a problem solver or more numbers driven when it comes to tackling tasks? Is time management something you are really good at, too? If so, explain these traits and how you do in specific situations with them as a way to wow the interviewer.
Lastly, consider why you want to work for a place and what about the role is most appealing for you. Out of all the companies hiring, why did you choose this one? Hearing about why you specifically chose them can really score some bonus points with the interviewer.
After an interview, it’s important to elevate yourself as a candidate by keeping your name fresh in the company’s mind. It shows that you are eager for the role, especially if it’s a competitive field.
At the end of the interview, make sure to get the contact information of the hiring manager and ask questions that will give you a time frame for the decision making. Questions like “How many days will you need to make a decision?” Or “Will there be a second interview?” can help. Send any supporting documents like a page of references, written assessments, or background check approval.
Sending a thank you email is a fantastic way to stand out. Doing so will demonstrate your interest in the job, and showing appreciation is a good look during the search process.
It’s typically better for an interviewer to bring up the topic of salary and benefits, and always try to end on a positive note. Other questions not to ask include wanting to know about promotions and reviews. Any questions that beg “What’s in it for me?”, be it for hours, benefits, salary or growth, will be answered within the process and not on an initial interview. Many people interviewing for jobs must keep in mind that an offer doesn’t always come from the first step.
Lastly, interviewers often ask questions that ask you to share situations that you found difficult at previous positions. This helps them understand how you might respond in similar situations at this workplace, so prepare by reflecting on a few scenarios ahead of time.
For many people in Reno and Sparks, they took time to reassess their careers during the pandemic. Here at TAC, we saw this first hand as our trained professionals learned more about the workforce, search recruitment, and professional employer organizations as well.
We truly enjoy helping top-level candidates find the right position, the right culture, and the right company to thrive in.
Connect With Our Employment Agency in Reno
There are several other factors that contribute to the current state of the workforce and the high unemployment rate. These include elements such as extended unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, a reshuffle of the workforce, childcare and school disruptions, and foreign workers’ inability to come to the U.S. for jobs.
State-provided unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) were used to support those in need throughout the pandemic. The rate of $300 per week for 46 weeks made it easy for Americans to continue making roughly $17.50 an hour for almost an entire year from the comfort of their home. Because of this, there was little motivation for prospective employees to job hunt.
The recent significant changes in the workforce have been labeled as the “Great Resignation” as we’ve seen millions of Americans quit their jobs. Since the Great Resignation, many people have decided to change job or career paths and have jumped back into re-education. College enrollments across the U.S. increased for the Fall 2021 semester and people are looking to switch into new fields and careers.
Many individuals who left their customer service jobs at the beginning of COVID-19 chose to leave service for good in order to pursue employment in warehouse and distribution facilities, for example. Customer service jobs are in high demand as a result of this.
Another factor that significantly affected the current state of our workforce was parents’ ability to provide adequate childcare for their children who were no longer able to attend school in person. Most states kept public and private schools shut until the Fall of 2021. Due to this, many parents were required to be home with their children. Parents turned into teachers and more than 1.8 million women left the workforce entirely.
Foreign workers account for a large amount of job retention in the United States, but they were, unfortunately, unable to transfer into the states due to COVID health mandates. This left several industries including farming, hospitality, and ski resorts to be understaffed and at a disadvantage.
Given the current unemployment rate and the factors involved in what makes up today’s labor force, it’s evident that the state of our workforce is taking a major turn. Employers everywhere are having difficulties hiring and retaining quality employees which are putting several industries and businesses at risk of failing.
There are, however, resources at an organization’s disposal to help. An experienced PEO or staffing and recruiting company can help business owners and hiring managers find valuable candidates to fill their unoccupied job roles.
Working with a professional workforce administration company, like The Applied Companies, can help set your company up for success. TAC has been part of the Reno community since 2002 and prides itself on thoughtful solutions and authentic relationships.
Our Reno staffing solutions help employers in need of a professional, reliable, and ambitious workforce. We work to provide you with quality candidates to help you grow your business and decrease turnover to save you time and money. Connect with us today for help growing your team.
Too often candidates and employers make the hiring process much more complicated than it should be. The principle that more job seekers and hiring authorities should adopt is Occam’s razor, which advocates for simple assumptions to be used in the hiring process. Not only will this principle simplify the entire recruitment process, but it can also help employers find better candidates, and helps candidates better prepare for interviews. However, if you need further assistance in the hiring process, utilize our human resource consulting services which help candidates and employers find the best option for employment. Or, take a look below to learn more about how you can simplify the hiring process for yourself by not making complex assumptions.
William of Ockham created the problem-solving principle known as Occam’s razor, a theory that expresses a simplified way of coming to a more beneficial conclusion. His theory states that when considering the best possibility, the one with the fewest, or most simple, assumptions should be chosen. Today, this principle can be effectively used in the hiring process because it acts as a model for both candidates and employers to follow. For example, if more people made fewer assumptions during an interview, they would be able to get to key details more quickly and with less frustration. Not only would the recruitment process and interviewing be much more simple for both parties, but it would also provide better results.
Both the applicant and the hiring authority can benefit from making simple assumptions during the hiring process. Here’s how:
Typically candidates make too many assumptions about their resume. These commonly incorrect presumptions are that their resume will be read, the person reading the resume will already know what to look for, and lastly that the reader will understand the message they are trying to convey. However, using Occam’s razor will allow candidates to better prepare their resume for what employers are actually looking for. Candidates should write their resume with the simple assertion that “I am a good employee and this is why.” This uncomplicated assumption will make their resume more clear and garner them more interview opportunities.
And when it comes to the interview process, applicants should remember to also keep things simple. Your main goal as a candidate is to sell yourself to your potential boss. By straightforwardly explaining “here’s what I’ve accomplished and done for others and here’s what I can do for you,” you’ll easily get the attention of your interviewer and have a better probability of being considered for the job.
Using the simple assumption theory also helps interviewers, or hiring authorities, make uncomplicated assumptions that alleviate the stress of recruiting a new employee. Employers should consider these four simple assumptions:
These questions are uncomplicated and direct which allows hiring authorities to make better decisions in a shorter amount of time. This simplifies the entire process and typically provides better end results as well.
Another crucial way to find the best candidate for an open position is to test their critical thinking skills. To do this, start by giving your prospective candidate a business-related problem that would pertain to your company. Then ask them to solve the problem and analyze their results. When doing this you want to look for two key things - what their answer is (if it’s right or wrong) and how they came to this solution. The most important thing to figure out is how they think, so look for creative and surprising responses that you think will be a good asset to bring to your company.
Also, don’t be afraid of politely pushing back during an interview. A critical thinker will defend their answer and give reasons to back up that defense. This shows the type of personality that is beneficial to have on your team and displays whether or not the candidate is confident in their own abilities.
If the hiring process leaves you feeling overwhelmed, then connect with the experts at The Applied Companies. Our human resource consulting services are designed to help candidates and employers alike throughout the recruitment process. We help candidates find their ideal job and assist businesses in hiring appropriate employees. Whether you’re looking for a career or searching for the right candidate, we’re here for you.
Companies looking to find top talent in the current job market environment have their work cut out for them. The unemployment rate is at historic lows the United State has not seen in 50 years. As a result, skilled employees are in higher demand across all parts of the country, and Northern Nevada is no different.
It can be more challenging to recruit in an environment in which employment is so robust, as there can be stiff competition for top candidates. Many may be already employed and content with their position.
Throughout the United States, unemployment is at record lows. The unemployment rate nationally stands at 3.7 percent, the lowest it has been in decades – and in Reno, unemployment is even lower than the national average at 3.5 percent.
With record-low unemployment in Reno, businesses are hard-pressed to find qualified candidates. If you’re thinking about finding better jobs in Reno, now is a great time to do so! Employers are eager to find high quality candidates.
If you’re looking for jobs in Reno or throughout Northern Nevada in the new year, here are four tips on how to get ready for the job search.
If you’re looking for people to hire, an employee referral program can have many benefits. That’s especially true in today’s environment, in which employment is at record levels. It can be difficult to find qualified people, and the search can be extensive.
If you have employees who go above and beyond in their work, and they know more people who could help your organization grow, having an established referral system makes those connections possible. What benefits could your organization gain from setting up a referral system?
It can be tough to look for a job when you’re very busy. If you’re already working long days, you might not have time at the end of the day to find the new job you need. The very idea of tailoring resumes and spending hours searching job postings can get pushed down the list of priorities.
A Reno NV job recruiters can help you find the right jobs that fit your goals and needs when you don't have the time to job search. Check out these four tips for maximizing your time and finding your next opportunity as easily as possible.
Everyone approaches an interview with some level of anxiety and worry about whether they will get the job or not. Making a good first impression is key, so managing the start of the interview with confidence and carrying that throughout the hiring process goes a long way.
What can you do as an interviewee to prepare for success and land your next job?
One of the most common interview questions is “tell me about yourself.” In fact, the vast majority of interviews start with the exact same question.
Starting off the interview with a very open-ended question is popular with many interviewers. It can’t be answered with a yes or no, so it yields more information and helps the interviewee open up. More importantly, though, what a person chooses to answer with can be very revealing of their personality and how they think. It’s therefore more likely to give interviewers multiple layers of information.
How can you prepare a great answer and start your interview on a high note? Here’s are some tips to make you shine in the interview.
What can you do if you’re not getting candidates who are highly qualified for the positions you need? With unemployment continuing to reach historic lows, it can be tough to find the right people for the right jobs, so you face stiff competitive for high-level candidates.
If you’re struggling to find qualified applicants in Reno and across northern Nevada, The Applied Companies’ staffing team can help you build a comprehensive solution. What strategic steps can you take to attract higher quality candidates to your job openings?
The winter holidays are a great time to check out activities for the whole family. Nevada is full of special wintertime fun for all ages and all interests. Here are seven of our team’s top holiday activities around the Reno area and across northern Nevada!
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