A recent study conducted by Kelly Service found that 24% in the U.S. prefer social media to hunt for jobs! Please, if you are engaged in a career search- go beyond SM techniques. Network like crazy, ask friends/ family for referrals, call, walk your resume, send mail & Fedex resumes & well written documents, volunteer & do pro bono- Get Real & Creative! Use new tech & old fashion communications! Great combo!

When times get tough, leaders and companies do some strange things!

I received a sad call today from a National Director of a Top 3 staffing/ HR solutions company. I tried to be the shoulder to cry on and provided some support and reality based reflection on the situation that is taking place at this organization… and others like it. Companies/ leaders love to talk about innovative/ progressive things and promote their employees when times are great but it takes a forward thinking company to do this when the economy is down and revenues are tougher to secure.




Why would a top 3 global staffing company invest in the health care vertical & then quit it due to executive team’s short term vision and impatience? Why would that same organization keep a dinosaur to run their Science/ Medical & Engineering divisions… and continue to lose market share in those sectors? The company I am referring to can't even fill tech/ professional/ health care jobs in one of the hottest markets (S.F. Bay area). WTF? Answers: 1) They reward their tenured, complacent players that in reality are Idea Killers and don’t promote the Game Changers. 2) They rely on Generation One traditional revenue, stale staffing/ solution models and legacy clients. 3) They claim to be innovators, when in reality they are followers, taking tiny steps, not bold ones. 4) They quit before gaining traction in particular solutions sector- Rome was not built in a day, baby! 5) They acquire dynamic and entrepreneurial companies to increase their size and expertise but end up killing the culture of the companies they acquired…& in the process kill the revenues they lusted over… and talented people leave! 6) They don’t give people the right tools, leadership or time needed to be successful! Just sayin’!



More details on my blog soon! Are you working for an organization such as this? You are not alone. If you are an executive and seeing this happen before your eyes (or worst, engaged in this type of behavior)…take a stance and do something about it. Don’t just BS your employees and reward your minions and Yes Men to keep your job alive… and then claim what little successes your employees have had and promote them as your very own. Every Dog Has His Day! And as we move into a more transparent way of looking at business, your days are numbered. Change your ways and be a hero… or try and get your rest because you are beginning to look old and haggard!

Let Me, Help You!

I enjoy connecting the communities in which I serve to Best-in-Class resources. If you are an HR or Talent Acquisition Professional, Supply Chain Executive, or HR Solutions Executive…let me help you by answering any questions you may have on the following topics/ initiatives:




Temporary Staffing



Managed Staffing/ Managed Service Programs (MSP)



VMS Technology



Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)



Payrolling



1099 IC Compliance



SOW Management



Diversity Supplier Management



Health Care Recruitment



Workforce Planning



Specialized Verticals



Agency Start Up and Turn Around Support



Vendor Vetting and Selection



Funding and Financial Resources



Buying or Selling an HR Solutions Business



With 20 years of industry experience, I won’t steer you wrong and I will give you Reality Based/ Unbiased Advice. More importantly, if I don’t have the answer, I will connect you to a reputable resource within my network that will guide you with expertise advice and resources! Call me at 949.981.0055 or email me at mitchcardoza@gmail.com

Tips To Avoid Talent Acquisition Culture Shock

Many companies are experiencing slow or cautious growth. Others are, or soon will be, wrestling with sudden spikes in growth or customer demand. During times of abrupt expansion, companies often overlook how rapid growth affects the company’s culture.




Unfortunately, many companies today find that their talent acquisition strategies lag in their ability to respond to these immediate needs. In fact, our recent workforce trends study revealed that many organizations are simply not updating their talent acquisition strategies often enough.





What does growth have to do with a company’s culture? It’s a shock to the system, literally.





Culture shock can ensue when a company has a great influx of new employees or even large numbers of temporary employees, consultants, or independent contractors. Further, companies that choose to sit back and rely on static or outdated strategies for sourcing and recruiting talent risk compounding the effects of the shock.





Recently, a few articles highlighted the issues surrounding culture and change. Most notably, an article at The Hiring Site highlighted how difficult avoiding culture shock can be when a company grows and expands, sometimes at an unexpectedly fast pace.





Interestingly, the article doesn’t touch on talent acquisition strategies or the various staffing solutions a company should use in tandem with expansion. I think that’s an important starting point.





How did you address the need to add workers, skills, and recruiting resources in the first place? The method can have a great impact on the amount of culture shock your company endures.





Here are a few tips for reducing the initial culture shock that might accompany the need to hire large numbers of workers.





• Align talent acquisition and recruiting strategies with your culture. Don’t try to fit a square-peg outsourcing strategy into a round-hole company, especially if your organization is very internally focused or hierarchical. A recent Wall Street Journal article shed light on four types of company cultures. The breakdown is based on how an organization functions internally, including communication, decision making, and its methods for promotions. Think about the values that fuel your culture as you look for the most fitting solution.


• Forecast and plan for what is likely to occur. Get your resources in line and online before you need them. Most programs, especially large MSP or RPO programs, take a few months to ramp up. If you take a few months to decide you need to do something, then another six months to choose a provider, you’re already set back almost a year.



• Build agility into your talent acquisition strategies. Once you have all your options ready to go, be willing to change from one solution to the next if needed. For example, you might need to move from temporary staffing to permanent or vice versa. Identify which areas can benefit from specific types of staffing solutions. Then set the expectation that you might have to make adjustments as conditions change.



• Even the best companies have to deal with culture crises from time to time. Based on the results of a workforce study, it seems that some crises can be avoided if a company successfully factors company culture into the workforce equation. Organizations need to align and prepare their company’s talent acquisition strategies and staffing solutions to fit their culture.



• Prescreening also plays a big role in hiring the right people for the job (temp or perm). A company needs to screen for the right core competencies. So, if you are a non profit organization that is looking for development and fund raising talent, a candidate that has worked and developed their experience and core competencies in the for profit financial services industries or on Wall Street, may not be the best fit for your non profit/ charitable organization… as this type of candidate may not find your organization is a good fit for them and vice versa. Using behavioral interviewing techniques, checking references and administering personality profiling assessments may help you vet the right candidate. You'll be happy and so will the employee---and your culture won't suffer.


Thanks to the following sources: Matt Rivera, The Wall Street Journal, The Hiring Site & Us Here At Strategic Workforce Consultants

Continuing Education & Fun Networking Events

Hey Everyone - I get a bunch of invitations for HR/ Staffing Industry / Talent Management events - I enjoy going to the Big Shows and conventions where I get to meet some awesome folks that are in VP, C- Class and Board Level roles. These would include events put on by SIA, SAMA, SHRM and other prominent HR, Supply Chain Management, IT Solutions, Health Care and MBE organizations. My philosophy is to get out there, mingle and form some REAL RELATIONSHIPS... while learning and expanding your knowledge base!



Here is an ONLINE event I was invited to that seems rather unique and wanted to share with you all. ONLINE events can be cool too! Get in contact with Mike Prokopeak at: mproko@mediatecpub.com if you want more information.


AND I will be co-hosting my Workforce Now events at the luxurious, posh and swanky SLS Hotels in Beverly Hills & Miami, coming soon. My events will feature top SMEs and Executives in the HR Solutions space and will take place in a fun and resort like (Pool Party) atmosphere...just in time for SUMMER! Check Out: http://slshotels.com/ AND http://www.sbe.com/aboutsbe


Good luck with your event, Mike - See Mike's invite below:

Dear Mitch;

With summer finally here, that means the third annual Human Capital Media Summer School event is just around the corner. Join Chief Learning Officer, Diversity Executive and Talent Management magazines on July 17-18 for this FREE online event. Whether you’re on the beach or in the office, you can easily attend the sessions, spend some time networking and check out the expo hall.



Hosted by the Human Capital Media Convention Center, this two-day virtual event brings together high-profile leaders and experts who will delve deeply into current business issues, focusing on a variety of corporate learning, talent management and diversity topics.



Keynote Sessions Include:



The No. 1 Skill Set Required for Success: Embracing Radical Continuous Change

Jason Jennings, Author, The Reinventors: How Extraordinary Companies Pursue Radical Continuous Change



Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go! Career Conversations Employees Want

Bev Kaye, Co-Author, Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go

Julie Winkle Giulioni, Co-Author, Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go



The Faith, Fire and Focus of Top Performers

Alan Fine, Author, You Already Know How to Be Great



Bootstrap Leadership: Developing Your Leadership Brand

Steve Arneson, Author, Bootstrap Leadership: 50 Ways to Break Out, Take Charge, and Move Up

To view all of the sessions, networking opportunities, and to register for FREE today, click here.



I hope you’ll join me at this must-attend summer event!



Best Regards,



Mike Prokopeak

Vice President, Editorial Director

Human Capital Media

Chief Learning Officer Magazine

Diversity Executive Magazine

Talent Management Magazine

From a CHRO at a Top 5 Children's Hospital: What service metrics should be used to evaluate a Managed Service Program. How often are the metrics reviewed?

Last week I met with a CHRO at a Children's Hospital (University affiliate) who is looking to develop an RFI/ RFP for an MSP with VMS technology. This would be a first generation program evolving from a Preferred Supplier business model. The CHRO and her team were curious about what types of metrics should be tracked in the program. Even with organizations that have had familiarity with MSP/ VMS programs, this question seems to come up quite a bit. At the end of the day, the client organization must survey all stakeholders/ end users very carefully and craft SLAs and metrics that will be critical in defining the success of the program... and realistic measurements that will help in guiding the client organization towards its strategic vision and operational success.




Below are a few metrics that should be measured in a Best-in-Class program-



MSP Performance Metrics and Definition:



Response Time = Elapsed time from order receipt to resume submittal of a placed contractor



On-Time Fill = Percentage of engagements starting on-time based on the estimated start date



Cycle Time = Elapsed time from order receipt to confirmation of placement



Negative Turnover / Negative Performance = Percentage of engagements ended early for negative reasons (performance, resignation, etc.)



Contractor Performance = Overall level of Hiring Manager satisfaction relative to the contractor's performance



Customer Satisfaction = Overall level of Hiring Manager satisfaction relative to program quality, process, and PMO interaction



Supplier Satisfaction = Overall level of supplier satisfaction relative to program quality, process, and PMO interaction



Diverse Spend = Percentage of minority spend against overall program spend



Cost Reduction Savings = Negotiated conversions above and beyond contractual conversion schedule that save the customer spend towards a conversion fee



Contractor Conversion Savings = Total dollars saved by enforcement or further negotiation of contractual conversion schedule



Innovation = What types of solutions did the MSP/ VMS bring to the table?



Strategic Counsel = What type of workforce planning, market/ industry/ competitive intelligence and proactive initiatives did you bring to the table, thus producing added value, ROI and cost avoidance?







Typically, these metrics are reported on a quarterly basis back to the client. However, should it suit the needs of the client, The MSP provider should report them more frequently, especially in the first year of a newly implemented program. The PMO staff should monitor these metrics on an ongoing basis to ensure that targets are being met and that trends are identified before they become an issue. From the day-to-day interactions between the MSP program management team and end-users, to formal quarterly business reviews that occur at the highest level of the client relationship, a best-in-class MSP creates multiple opportunities to exchange information and proactively identify areas for improvement. Furthermore, leveraging a robust VMS and it reporting/ analytics functionality – The MSP provider should look to analyze unusual trends or spikes in contractor usage and incorporate some Workforce Planning strategies so as to reduce service issues and manage the supplier base and their fulfillment capabilities more efficiently.

Here is a business and fitness brand that keeps on growing! @lululemon I was their first customer at their NEW Studio City, CA store today! Well trained and friendly staff! Employees/ management provides High Touch customer care and the company is doing Awesome! Go Lululemon!