Provisional Blog

So you need to recruit IT or engineering candidates? The technical industry is always a challenge to hire in due to demand for top talent. However, COVID-19 has made it even harder. With the reality of this pandemic, your hiring process must change and this often means conducting remote interviews, during which you interview candidates online.

The good news is that today’s tech candidates generally expect companies to host these kinds of interviews. The bad news is that as an employer, they can be a bit trickier to conduct, not to mention harder to truly assess if a candidate is the right fit for you.

How can you handle remote video interviews in a way where you’re able to hire right, both quickly and in a way that’s cost-efficient? Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Prepare as you would for a traditional interview.

Even though the interview will feel a bit different than a face-to-face one, you still must prepare thoroughly. This means developing a list of questions that you’ll ask across all candidates, as well as specific ones to help you delve deeper into the background of each one. Also, research them online, read through their LinkedIn profiles, and send the interview time and link well before the actual video interview.

Troubleshoot to avoid any glitches.

Whatever software you’re using, make sure you do a technical check before each interview. Software can be glitchy and what worked yesterday, might hit some trouble today. So make sure that the visual and audio quality are good and you have time to troubleshoot if there is an issue. If you’re on a laptop or tablet, check that it’s also charged and ready to go ahead of time.

Have a plan B in place.

What happens if technical difficulties sabotage your interview? Have a plan B in place. This can include phone screens or rescheduling interviews to when you can conduct a traditional one, once it’s safe, using social distancing guidelines. In addition, if there’s a problem with the interview software or Wi-Fi at a certain time of day due to a high level of use, then try to schedule your interviews around it.

Get rid of distractions.

Remote interviews can be tricky because any noise or outside distraction is going to cause both you and the candidate to lose focus. If you’re both currently working from home, then dogs barking, lawn mowers, kids and other noises in the background might be the norm. But try hard to limit these distractions so you can focus completely on the candidate. The best way to do that is to conduct each interview in a private room with the door closed.

Assess body language.

The positive of video interviews over phone screens is that you can still see the candidate and therefore assess their body language. This can give you some additional insight into their level of confidence and enthusiasm, as well as their interpersonal skills. So don’t be so caught up in looking at your notes or jotting down thoughts that you don’t take time to watch the candidate and listen to what they say and watch how they say it.

If you’re not experienced with conducting video interviews and would like professional help, turn to Provisional Recruitment. Not only are we experts when it comes to all forms of interviewing, whether over the phone, in person or via a video call, but we have extensive experience in the engineering and IT fields. This means our engineering and IT recruiters know where to access top technical talent, so you can quickly fill your skill gap. To find out more and get help with your remote interviews, contact Provisional Recruitment today.

The economic shutdown in Washington State and across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for everyone, especially employers. Thankfully, Washington’s shelter-in-place guidelines are slowly being lifted, as the state starts coming back to life.

Under Gov. Jay Inslee’s plan to reopen the economy, manufacturers are allowed to resume during Phase 2 of the plan, but have to adhere to strict new procedures. These are designed to stop workers from transmitting the disease to others, leading to another potential outbreak.

So if your manufacturing company falls within the Phase 2 reopening plan, what do you need to know? Here’s a quick overview of manufacturing facility COVID-19 requirements:

Educate workers on how to stay safe.

Employers must explain to their workers the risk of transmission and what policies the company is putting in place to combat it and keep everyone safe and healthy. This needs to be provided in a language that each employee best understands.

Social distancing among the staff.

Manufacturing facilities must also incorporate social distancing policies, keeping workers at least six feet apart at all times. If this amount of distance isn’t feasible for a certain work task, then other measures should be taken, such as limiting the number of workers allowed in that area.

Provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Manufacturing facilities must provide their employees with all the PPE that’s needed, from gloves and face shields to masks, goggles and any other equipment that is appropriate. If an employee is working with others, all must wear a face covering or mask.

Make it easy to wash hands regularly.

Whether it’s by providing frequent hand-washing breaks or giving bottles of hand sanitizer to your workers, it’s important that they are sanitizing their hands regularly. Employees should also consider using disposable gloves where it makes sense to further prevent transmission.

Clean your facility daily.

Your manufacturing facility should be cleaned and sanitized frequently. There should be a particular emphasis on those areas and surfaces that are commonly touched.

Have a plan for screening employees and dealing with sick workers.

Finally, make sure you know the signs of COVID-19, as well as how to screen your employees for the disease. You should screen employees at the start of every shift to ensure they’re healthy. If an employee is sick, require them to remain at home, or if they’re already at work, send them home immediately.

For additional details on the Phase 2 reopening for manufacturing facilities, you can read the state’s guidelines here.

If you need help reopening and operated at capacity with enough workers, Provisional Recruitment is here for you. We can help you ensure your facility is able to meet all the guidelines required, so you can get up and running as quickly as possible.

With a record 15.4% unemployment rate in Washington state in April, there are many well-qualified professionals looking to get back to work. Provisional Recruitment can also give you access to skilled manufacturing and warehouse workers on a part-time, full-time, or contract basis. Whatever you need, simply contact us today and let us get to work for you!

Since the COVID-19 crisis hit, the economy has taken a big step back. For your company, this might mean furloughs and layoffs, even for those workers you truly need. If that’s the case when it comes to your accounting staff or bookkeepers, what can you do?

The solution is simple: hire a virtual bookkeeper. This is an accounting professional who will work for you virtually, on a contract basis. That means, you only pay them for the exact time they actually work, whether it’s a few hours each day or a couple days each week.

As a result, you don’t have to deal with fixed expenses that come with a full-time bookkeeper, like payroll taxes, salary and benefits. At the same time, you’ll get the accounting help and expertise you need to ensure your books are in order and your company’s finances are properly maintained.

So How Can You Find Virtual Bookkeepers?

With many other companies in the same position, cutting back on staff, there are a range of virtual bookkeeping job candidates in search of opportunities that are part-time and short-term in nature. If you need help sourcing, screening and hiring them, turn to Provisional Recruitment.

We’re accounting staffing experts and can connect you with skilled professionals who are the ideal fit for you. This means we can give you access to virtual bookkeepers with experience in your industry, or with your sized company. You’ll therefore be able to rest easy that you’re able to navigate the uncertain road ahead, while remaining in compliance with financial regulations.

What’s more is that with Provisional Recruitment we can give you access to bookkeepers in whatever capacity you need them, whether it’s working remotely, in-house at your company, or on a part-time basis. Our goal is to provide you with the level of staffing support that’s right for your company and its specific hiring needs, so you can continue to operate as seamlessly as possible.

Provisional Recruitment Can Help With SBA Loans Too

In addition, if you need help financing staffing support, Provisional Recruiting is here to assist you. We have access to SBA loan specialists and support personnel who can explain what you’re eligible for, how to access it quickly, and ways to put the resources to work for you.

If you’re ready to get started and find the virtual bookkeepers you need to keep company finances on track, contact us today. At Provisional Recruitment, we pride ourselves on giving the companies we work with access to the exact right talent, where and when they need it.

Nurses and other medical providers have challenging jobs during normal times, working long hours to care for patients. In fact, many work 10- or 12- hour shifts and often can’t find the time to take a break because of a high patient caseload and so many demands during their time on the job.

Now, the situation is worse due to the COVID-19 crisis. Not only are nurses, nursing aides, and other medical providers more at risk for the disease because they’re on the front lines, but also to the burnout and stress caused from it.

What is Burnout?

Burnout is defined by National Nurses United, the largest union of registered nurses in the country, as “physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion.” Even before COVID-19 hit, 63% of hospital nurses reported experiencing it.

Today, nurses and other caretakers are even more vulnerable to it because of the tremendous stress and pressure they’re under, as well as the anxiety due to this pandemic. They’re taking care of patients who are sick and even dying, causing a deep emotional toll, all while trying to remain safe and healthy from the disease.

The Impacts of Burnout in Healthcare

As a result, it can sometimes be difficult for them to stay on the job, leading to turnover at hospitals and healthcare facilities; organizations that need nurses and other caregivers now more than ever. According to one study, in 2018, turnover for bedside RNs was at about 17.2%, costing each hospital around $4.4 to $6.9 million each year. While we don’t know the exact numbers yet, they’re expected to be far higher in the face of COVID-19 as stress and burnout both mount.

What You Can Do to Combat Burnout

So if your healthcare organization is dealing with a high level of turnover while balancing more patient demand, what can you do? That’s where Provisional Recruiting can help.

As a healthcare recruitment agency, we can source, screen and vet candidates, all so you hire qualified ones for a range of positions in healthcare, including nurses and support staff. Not only can we give you access to skilled candidates, but do so faster, so you get the professionals you need where and when you need them.

In addition, when you hire a healthcare staffing agency, like Provisional Recruiting, we can recruit those with specialized skills, such as directors of nursing, certified nursing assistants, clinicians, and occupational therapists. This means you can focus on running your hospital or facility, while we ensure you don’t have a shortage of medical workers.

If you’re ready for expert help hiring from our healthcare staffing agency, contact Provisional Recruiting today. We’re here for you with an extensive network of candidates, experienced healthcare recruiting professionals, and the processes in place to thoroughly vet each potential new hire. You’ll be able to hire faster and gain more peace of mind with access to our top talent.

There’s a growing shortage when it comes to skilled job recruitment. As a result, competition is heating up and it’s up to you to get creative, so you can attract and retain these workers. To help you in the process, here are some steps to take:

Create an apprenticeship program.

Rather than looking for highly trained and skilled trades workers, develop your own through an apprenticeship program. This ensures you get the people with the exact right skill set you need. In the process, you’ll also reduce turnover rates, increase productivity and lower the cost of skilled job recruitment.

Partner with local trade schools and high school career counselors.

When you’re looking for skilled labor, make sure you’re creating long-term partnerships with area trade schools and high school counselors. They can send you the most promising talent that you can then train and put to work.

Focus on benefits and advancement.

Just like any other kind of worker, skilled trades professionals want to know there’s opportunity for advancement and growth within their position. At the same time, fair pay and generous benefits are vital to attract and retain the best people.

Create a pipeline of active and passive candidates.

Network regularly to create a strong pipeline of candidates that you can call on when you need to hire. This will not only make the recruitment process faster and more efficient, but will fill gaps quickly so other employees don’t get burned out.

Make the experience a positive one for candidates.

The demand for skilled labor is on the rise. If you want to attract the people with the most potential, create a positive recruitment experience for them. Let them know about next steps, keep them in the loop, explain the benefits and advantages your company offers, and treat them with respect.

Need more help hiring skilled trades labor for your company?

If you’re facing hiring challenges in the skilled trades, Provisional Recruiting is here for you. We offer an experienced skilled job recruitment team and can source, screen and thoroughly vet candidates, so you get skilled labor that’s the right fit for you. Contact us today to learn more!

Recruiting tech professionals is more challenging than ever. New technologies are constantly emerging and customer demands are ever-changing.

At the same time, the unemployment rate in the tech industry is especially low, making competition for developers and other tech professionals fierce. In fact, consider this: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for software developers will grow 3.5 time faster than that of other occupations by 2026.

The good news is that by taking a few small steps, you can improve your efforts in a big way and enhance your competitive edge in the process. To get there, here are a few recruitment strategies to consider when you’re hiring developers:

Use diverse methods and mediums.

While everyone thinks of LinkedIn when it comes to professional recruitment, it’s important to take a more diverse approach when you’re recruiting for IT. There are many other mediums and outlets where you should be broadcasting and trying to attract candidates, depending the type of technical skills and level of experience you’re looking for. These include GitHub, Stack Overflow, and Medium.

Network wisely.

For instance, don’t simply attend local job fairs and on-campus recruitment events. When it comes to hiring a developer, you need to go beyond these traditional networks and create a strong presence at developer meetups, attend or even sponsor coding challenges and hack-a-thons, and also turn to your existing tech team for referrals.

Get expert help.

If you don’t have a lot of time or manpower to devote to IT recruitment efforts, then hand off the job to a professional team, like Provisional Recruiting. We have existing relationships with both active and passive developers and other IT professionals and can match you with candidates who are an excellent fit for your needs. Meanwhile, you can focus on other business priorities.

Put Provisional Recruiting to work for you.

We have the recruitment strategies in place, along with an extensive network of tech talent, so you can hire the developers you need, quickly. Contact us today to learn more!

Keeping your financials in the best shape possible is a vital goal for your business. This not only helps you remain in compliance, but also gain the insight you need to make important business decisions. When you understand your revenue and your debts, you’ll have more peace of mind knowing what steps to take today and what to plan for in the future.

In some small businesses, the company president or owner handles these tasks. However, in most cases, it falls into the hands of an accountant, CPA or controller. So when you’re looking to hire one that will help keep your bottom line healthy and strong, what should you look for? Here are some tips to keep in mind when hiring experienced professional accountants:

Identify your needs.

In other words, do you simply require someone to help with basic bookkeeping? Or are you looking for an auditor for your records and to advise you on ways to save? Or perhaps there are issues with back taxes and you need help from a CPA. There are so many different kinds of professionals and levels of skills and abilities in accounting and it’s therefore important to first know what you’re looking for and the areas where you need help.

Consider an accounting firm.

If you’re not quite ready to bring in a full-time accounting professional, another avenue is to find an accounting firm you can trust. When you create a long-term business partnership with one, you’ll have access to the help, guidance and insight you need from experts you can count on.

Carefully vet candidates you’re considering hiring.

This means going well beyond their resume and interview performance. It’s critically important to conduct a background check, as well as to reach out to several business and personal references. After all, this is the person who will have a hand in the financials of your company and you need to ensure they have a solid track record along with strong ethics.

Look for any specialty skills or abilities.

For instance, if there’s a particular software program that your company uses, then it’s important for the accountant you hire to have experience in it. In addition, if you’re in a specialty industry, then candidates who already work within that field are going to get up and running faster with your firm.

Evaluate their personal and soft skills.

When it comes to accounting, the right professional has to be more than good at crunching numbers. It’s important for them to be flexible, manage their time wisely, pay close attention to detail and be able to articulate and communicate about numbers. During the interview process, identify which soft skills are most important for your position, and then ask candidates to give examples that demonstrate them.

Get professional help hiring experienced professional accountants.

Whether you’re looking for a mid-level accountant, a CPA or a practice accountant, Provisional Recruiting can help you find and hire the best-fit professionals. Contact us today to learn more!

Now more than ever you might be on the hunt for the right medical or nursing professionals to add to your team. But not all are equal and if you don’t look out for red flags, then you could wind up making an expensive or even dangerous mistake when it comes to nurse staffing. Instead, here are a few key areas to focus on in your nurse recruitment efforts and ways to stand out to the top talent in your field.

Go beyond technical skills.

Evaluating a candidate’s technical knowledge and skill set is vital to excellent patient care. However, it’s important to dig deeper and assess their soft skills too. It takes someone with the right personality and temperament to truly thrive in nursing and other medical roles. If they don’t have that ability, it could cost you in unhappy patients or mistakes made.

Promote your employer brand.

If you want to attract and recruit top nurses and other professionals in the medical field, then it’s important to have a reputation as an employer of choice. The best way to achieve this is with your current team. Ask them to advocate your organization’s brand and promote its employment opportunities. In addition, include blogs, videos, photos and other online content, created by employees, on your website and social media profiles, so applicants can getter a better sense of what it’s like to work at your practice or facility.

Place a spotlight on growth.

The top nursing and medical professionals want to grow in their careers. That means they want to learn new skills and acquire deeper knowledge while on the job. It’s therefore vital to offer employee development and training opportunities, as well as advancement opportunities, and promote these in your recruitment efforts.

Use the right mediums to target different audiences.

If, for instance, you’re looking for a seasoned nurse manager, then posting a job opening on Twitter might not yield good results. However, if you’re looking for a crop of new nursing graduates, then Twitter or Instagram could work well. The bottom line? It’s important to consider the kind of candidate you’re looking for and use the right mediums to target and appeal to them.

Looking for help with nurse recruitment and staffing?

At Provisional Recruiting, we’re one of the Spokane, WA area’s leading nurse staffing companies. We can help you identify professionals, as well as screen, interview and vet them thoroughly, all so you hire right, the first time. Contact us today to learn more.

Laborers and skilled workers are in demand. If you work in one of these areas, that’s good news. If, however, you’re an employer, that means there’s a lot of competition for the best people. So if you’re looking to hire skilled workers, you have to be smart about how you recruit them. To get the people you need, when and where you need them, here are some tips to keep in mind:

Offer competitive compensation.

Skilled workers are in demand and if you want to attract and recruit top ones, you must offer salary, benefits and other perks that are attractive to them, so they can support their families.

Before you start the hiring process, do some research ahead of time so you can ensure what you’re offering is fair and in line with what other similar companies pay their skilled workers. If it’s not, then you might have to consider contract or temporary staffing instead.

Develop a strong employer brand, online and in-person.

One of the best ways to recruit skilled workers is to create relationships with potential candidates, so you have a pipeline in place when you do need to hire. To do that, develop a strong employer brand. This means that your company’s name and reputation are solid, so that the top skilled workers want to work for you.

While creating one takes time, you should focus on both your online and brick-and-mortar presence. For instance, create compelling content for your online social media profiles. Also, make sure you have a strong showing at trade shows, job fairs and industry conferences. When you become an employer of choice for leading candidates, you’ll attract a higher quality workforce.

Create a referral program.

When it comes to recruiting, one of the fastest and most cost-efficient ways to find skilled workers is to ask your existing team for referrals. Even better, create a formal referral program where they’re rewarded if you hire someone they referred.

Communicate with candidates.

One of the biggest concerns candidates and all skilled workers have is automation. If they accept your offer, they don’t want to get laid off or let go down the line due to new technology taking their jobs. It’s therefore an important issue to address head-on with candidates, so they understand the realities of your business environment and what to expect if hired.

Consider apprenticeships.

The best skilled workers don’t want to stay in the same position, earning the same amount, forever. In order to retain your new hires and develop them for future roles, consider an apprenticeship program. This pairs younger workers with veteran ones, so that they can gain new skills, allowing for growth and advancement.

Partner with a professional recruiting agency.

If you don’t have the time or manpower to recruit and hire skilled workers, turn to a professional team, like Provisional Recruiting. We have existing and established relationships with candidates and can help you hire skilled workers that will set your company up for success. Contact us today to learn more.

Whether you’re building websites, apps or software, you need developers and programmers. Hiring them, however, can get tricky, not to mention costly, due to demand. So just how much does it cost to hire a programmer or developer?

There’s no fixed number. It will be different depending on a range of key factors, including the level of experience you’re looking for, as well as the skills you need. For instance, a back-end web developer will often get paid more than a front-end one. The cost will also depend on your location, industry and how much demand there is for candidates within it.

When trying to determine it all, so you can budget accordingly, here are some factors to consider:

Know the scope of your needs.

The scope of your needs is the first thing to think about. For instance, do you have a short-term project that requires help from a software developer or programmer? Then outsourcing and hiring a contractor can make smart business sense.

However, if you think you should hire on a full-time basis, make sure you include salary, benefits, additional compensation, like bonuses, employment costs, such as taxes, and hiring expenses. Only then will you be able to compare costs and have a good understanding of scope and which option is right for you.

Research salary averages.

Once you have a clear understanding of your hiring needs and what you can afford, you have to do some legwork to ensure the compensation you’re offering it not just fair, but competitive. With such high demand for programmers and developers, they have their choice of job opportunities. You therefore need to make a compelling case for why they should choose you and this starts with salary.

So what are some numbers to keep in mind?According to Payscale.com, the median annual salary for a software developer is $112,921. The cost for a contract one can range anywhere from $60 to $100.

Consider working with an IT recruiter.

Hiring costs can be high for many reasons, ranging from a lack of time and resources to a lengthy interview process. But you can streamline the process and make it more efficient when you work with an IT recruiter. They’ll not only have access to a larger pool of technical candidates, including software developers, programmers and other tech professionals, but will work with you to understand cultural fit. This leads to a new hire who has the right hard and soft skills for your organization, lowering turnover and future hiring costs.

If you’d like professional help when it comes time to hire a software developer or programmer, Provisional Recruiting is here for you. We have a broad network of experienced and qualified tech professional ready to hit the ground running with your team. Contact us today to learn more.