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EHS Recruitment in a Tough Market

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EHS Recruitment

We are in a tough market for finding quality EHS talent.  It’s pretty easy to point out reasons for the current labor market being so tight but much harder to know how to overcome it.  Let’s look at a couple of causes for the limitations on available talent and move on to how to succeed in spite of the short supply.

The Current EHS Labor Market

The value and associated need for pro-actively manage workplace safety and health has become clear to employers over the past several decades.  Investment in Environmental Health & Safety positions continues to increase by businesses across broad industry segments.  

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. OS&H positions are projected to grow at a 7% average annual rate over the coming years of 2020 – 2030.  The projected growth rate translates to approximately 8,800 additional positions / year nationally.  Simple math produces an estimated employer demand of 88,000 new OS&H professionals over the coming decade.  

The most recent National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, NIOSH, study on safety related education provides some insight into the supply pipeline of available safety professionals.  Total graduates from all OS&H related disciplines during the 5 year period of 2011 – 2015 was 12,000 graduates.  Simple math reveals an average annual graduation rate of 2,400 OS&H graduates / year.  

Contrasting the projected demand for OS&H professionals with the average annual supply of OS&H professionals may shed light on why the current EHS labor market is tight.  BLS data projects a demand of 8,800 position average adds / year while NIOSH data shows a supply of 2,400 average graduates / year.  There is a potential 6,400 shortfall in available OS&H professionals / year as we look forward.  

Recruiting EHS Professionals

How do you overcome a tight market supply for any professional?  

The levers you should pull to attract quality talent of course apply.  Competitive pay, benefits, culture, and opportunity will play a big role in how attractive your position will be to candidates.  All employers are competing with these tools for the prospective employees.  We’re not going to dwell upon these fundamental employment elements as they are foundational to all positions whether Safety Professional related or otherwise.  In short you probably already know to carefully evaluate all of these elements for all recruiting.  

What can you do with recruiting that is unique to Safety Professionals?

There are a few actions that if sustained over time will greatly improve your ability to source and hire EHS Professionals.  

Define the Position

As a company that specializes in Safety Staffing and Recruiting, we see major gaps in published job descriptions and actual employer expectations All-The-Time.  Safety related positions are very diverse and the professionals who fill them are not a one size fits all solution.  It is critical that the recruiting function do the work to understand the role, what’s required, what’s expected and the associated qualifications that will make a candidate successful in the specific role.  

Network

It’s a cliché because it works.  The safety community can be a tight knit circle and there is no better way to find good candidates than a strong personal referral from someone with knowledge of a candidates past performance and capabilities.  Interact with safety related trade organizations and social media boards to both publish your organization’s priority on safety and advertise career opportunities.  

Include Experience/Experts

By this we mean someone with expertise in the role as defined actively participates in the recruiting and interviewing process.  Including a subject matter expert in recruiting accomplishes two major objectives.  First, you minimize the risk that the candidate cannot perform up to their resume.  Second, you put your best foot forward as an employer when you can “talk shop” in a meaningful way with recruits.  

If you actively work the three bullets above in concert with a sound foundation of good employment benefits as described, you will improve your performance with EHS recruitment for your team.  

You’re not alone if you’ve read this post and feel that the principles make sense but you don’t have the time or resources to pursue making sure you accurately Define the Position, Network, Include Experience in Recruiting and cover all the employment fundamentals that you have to for all your positions.  

How ResponsAble Helps With EHS Recruitment

ResponsAble Safety Staffing has been successfully filling a wide variety of safety roles, writing Position Descriptions, Networking with Safety Professionals, and employing Experienced Safety Professionals for over a decade.  Our team of knowledgeable Safety Staff Recruiters and Safety Project Managers will provide any level of service you need staffing a temporary role, placing a temp to hire or serving as a turn key Direct Hire Placement Recruiter.  

Please contact ResponsAble Safety Staffing for any safety related staffing need.  

Be a Better Employee, Land a Better Job

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It’s no surprise that the global pandemic brought a lot of strain to the majority of job markets. Layoffs and furloughs left many jobless and searching for a way to get back on their feet. With everyone looking for new employment across all kinds of industries, here are ways to make yourself stand out as the best future employee.

The Job Search

Before you get the job, you have to find a way to make recruiters notice you.

Update your resume. Many industrial labor jobs involve specialization, so it is wise to make sure to include information about certifications for special equipment, machinery, vehicles, software applications or devices that are utilized in your industry or field. These can be listed in a separate category on your resume or weaved into different descriptions of your work experiences. It is important that the recruiter knows your qualified for the job you are applying for.

Don’t forget to emphasize your accomplishments. Working within an industry, you may not have access to specific numbers to showcase your growth. Often the inside jobs are about improving production, reducing costs, optimizing processes and saving time so think about your specific actions and how the result changed the bottom line. Include that action and result statement in your work experience section.

Your resume doesn’t have to be an artistic masterpiece, but you want to make sure that it is easy to read, and that important information can be found quickly. List your most recent work experience first with bullet points to describe job responsibilities and key areas of expert industrial knowledge.

The Interview

You’ve got an interview and now what? We all know first impressions can be tough.

Polish your interview skills. In the industrial field, communication is key. Truthfully, no matter the job, communication is always essential, but it is the top priority when safety is involved. Over-communicating is always better than not saying anything at all. Effective communication shows you can verbally problem-solve with other team members. Having strong communication skills will lay the foundation for a successful interview and a successful career.

Show the recruiter what you know. Employers want to hire someone who has an interest and aptitude for the technology involved in their field. Conduct some research prior to the interview so that you have an idea of what you are experienced in from previous jobs, and even if you might not know the technology or equipment used, then show a great desire to learn it. The desire to learn new things can send employers a message that you have long-term potential.   

Show up on time. If you are early, then you are on time. Arriving 15 minutes early to an interview, or a new job, is a good way to show your future employer that you are dependable. Industrial jobs can be large so there is minimal supervision. Supervisors need someone who is accountable and excels on with little oversight. Dependability is something to constantly strive for and is a trait that will carry you far in life and in your career.

On the Job

Your search has come to an end and you landed a new job! Start your first day on the right foot.

Teamwork and kindness go hand-in-hand. People will always want to work with someone who is a team player. Don’t become that employee that no one wants to work with because you can’t learn how to solve a conflict in a respectful and calm manner. Small kindnesses, such as saying “Good morning”, can go a long way. Always be the employee to step up and offer help. These things can go a long way to promote a productive work environment.

Be active and proactive. Do what you say you are going to do and take initiative. Make sure you know yourself and your strengths so you can accurately say when you are going to get things done. One of the most important things you can do as a valuable employee is follow through on work commitments. Get your tasks done in a timely manner, but make sure you aren’t sacrificing the quality of your work just to get things done. If you get your tasks done early, be proactive and take on additional responsibility. The willingness to take initiative shows employers that you are self-motivated and truly care about your work.

A proactive person also stays on top of their industry. Technology and equipment are constantly evolving so it is important to stay on top of what’s new. Knowing what you are doing and having the proper training are of the upmost important to keep the jobsite safe and running smoothly.  

Your perception is everything. If the job you have just landed is temporary or requires work that you don’t particularly like, adopt a positive attitude from the beginning. Looking at only the negatives in your work can decrease your productivity. Adopting an attitude of success ensures that you are actively working toward the goals your boss has set for you. These experiences can be steps toward great career growth.   

Need help finding your next job? ResponsAble has the resources you’ve been looking for. Apply for our open job listings and use some of these helpful tips.

Rest: A Workplace Safety Requirement

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Rest and workplace safety

Psychological research shows proven results that taking breaks from your work, in moderation, significantly increases productivity. Yet this is counter-intuitive to how many of our workplaces and even how our culture functions. Is this true for your work place? If so, there’s a few reasons why rest should be prioritized in safety staffing particularly.

Why is rest important in safety staffing?

Rest is important to safety for reasons that are probably fairly obvious. However, it’s so easy to lose perspective when the pressures and responsibilities of a job weigh on our shoulders. Adequate rest is critical to focus and decision-making. Ensuring safety staff have scheduled breaks allows your jobsite to be safer and more efficient.  

Staff fatigue can contribute to carelessness, lack of clarity, and higher risk for your company. A higher quantity of lower quality work should not be the goal of an employer. Particularly in safety staffing, cognitive energy is critical to effective work.  In the end, denying appropriate job-site rest only leads to increased liability, decreased productivity, and unmotivated staff.

Are breaks required on job sites?

Unfortunately, OSHA does not provide required mandates for employee breaks. There are not actually any federal laws in place to regulate work:break ratios. Some states do have guidelines for break requirements, but even here only 22 of the 50 states have these in place.

Therefore, standards for rest and break balance must be generated by the company. Even when these policies are in place it is not uncommon for employees to forego taking advantage of available breaks in an effort to get ahead or make an impression in the workplace. As a company, a culture that encourages rest must be encouraged.

How to implement a good break culture.

If you’re looking to begin to implement policies for rest in your workplace, here are some general rules of thumb to consider.

During a normal work shift of 8 or more hours:

  • • 15-20 minute breaks once or twice throughout the shift.
  • • A meal break of 30 minutes to an hour.

Once your break policies are in place, it is helpful for the manager and employee to introduce the practice in a way that encourages and uplifts utilizing the practice. Staff who feel safe to do so will be more likely to take advantage of the offer. Leadership should also honor the policy by taking advantage of it themselves. This results in a safer and more productive environment for staff and employer!

Your investment in creating a culture that honors proper balance and safety is worth it.

Deceptive Winter Hydration

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winter dehydration

With colder temperatures and less tangible loss of fluids, it’s easy to lose track of your hydration. Being mindful of your fluid intake and hydration levels is a lot harder to do when you’re not seeing beads of sweat of feeling the effects of scorching heat. However, this only increases the threat of dehydration.

Dehydration is a year-round threat. It occurs any time you use or lose more fluids than you take in, causing your body to lack what it needs to continue its normal functioning. This can occur regardless of temperature. Appropriate water intake is critical to your body’s functioning, and it will begin to shut down without appropriate fluid levels.

Some common misconceptions for winter months may be that if you’re not sweating you’re not losing as much fluids, or a lack of thirst indicates adequate hydration. However, the winter simply presents new challenges for hydration. The air is drier and requires higher lung functioning. The harder our bodies work, the more fluids are needed. Our bodies are also naturally processing fluids throughout the day, so replenishment is necessary regardless of external circumstances.

Signs of Dehydration

  • • Extreme thirst
  • • Less frequent urination
  • • Dark-colored urine
  • • Fatigue
  • • Dizziness
  • • Confusion

Be mindful of these symptoms for yourself and those around you. The deceptive nature of colder weather may compromise the safety others.

Combatting Winter Dehydration

The first step is mindfulness. Now you know that hydration is a critical component of health and safety regardless of the season.

Make a plan for intaking the same amount of fluids, even when you’re not prompted by thirst. Set a goal for ounces consumed per day and use that to determine effective hydration.

Be mindful that not all liquids are created equal. Common beverages of choice in the cold, such as coffee or tea with caffeine, actually have the opposite effect. The same is true for soda. Water is the best hydrator, but in colder months herbal teas that are caffeine free can be beneficial as well.

Consider the safety of yourself and others as you consider making a concerted effort toward hydration. It is easy to prevent, but also easy to experience. Make a system and implement accountability in hydration on your team.

Recruiting Tips To Build Your Best Team

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Helping companies with staffing needs is our business and we know the challenges of recruiting talent in today’s labor market.  Our clients have found significant value in staying focused on their core business by outsourcing much of the recruiting burden to us.

But for those who want to tackle recruiting internally, this post shares some basic tips for critical recruiting fundamentals that will help you build your best team.

1. Have an Effective Job Posting

Everybody has a job posting as you can’t really post a job without one; but, you need a good job posting.  What makes a good job post?

  • An appealing post will describe some positive attributes of the employer
  • A job post should be clear and concise about the description of the job role
  • A good post will sound appealing to the target candidate pool
  • The job post should provide enough detail to clarify required candidate qualifications

2. Advertise Your Job Post to Reach Your Target Audience

Armed with effective job posting copy, you are ready to promote or advertise your job.  There are a few things to consider when promoting your job posts.

  • Target the right audience and best platform to advertise your job. Different job boards appeal to different candidates so you need to put your jobs on the most appropriate board or combination for the target audience.
  • Consider the “key words” for search engine optimization, SEO, in the title of your job post. Using effective key words will put your post higher in search results which affects how many people see your job.
  • Sponsor or promote your post where available to maintain a page one to page two position in search results. Different recruiting sites have differing costs for sponsoring job posts so the optimum dollar amount will vary by recruiting site and the competing or similar jobs on each site.

3. Phone Screen Selected Candidates

A prepared phone interview to screen candidates selected from your applicant pool is an important step in the recruiting process.  The phone screen assures the candidate matches their resume and can communicate the same.  A thirty minute conversation by phone saves time by avoiding wasted time in bad interviews.

  • The phone screen should include the required candidate qualifications.
  • Review both parties’ expectations of the job to minimize risk of obvious deal breakers from turning up in a face to face interview.
  • Get a broad feel for salary expectations from the candidate

4. The Face-to-Face Interview

Be prepared for the face to face interview.  There are several parts to the face to face interview that we focus upon.

  • Use a written interview guide to ensure you cover all the key points to support a robust interview.
  • Have more than one employer representative participate in the interview process if practical. It’s good to have more than one perspective for the best results.
  • The first and most basic element is confirming the person matches the resume or application. Some people look great on paper but struggle to tell you the same story in person.
  • Include a few behavioral questions along the line of work problems they have solved, communicating in difficult situations examples, obstacles they have overcome, etc.
  • Character and integrity; arguably the most important traits after basic competency for building a good team. Pay careful attention to character, integrity and reliability indicators throughout the interview.  Ask a few charged questions about doing the right thing even when it costs you personally or how they respond to authority for example.
  • Be open and honest about challenges of job or work environment. In over 20 years of management, I’ve never seen a job that was not challenging in multiple ways.
  • Ask the candidate to score their interest level for you at the close of the interview. I am very weary of a candidate who can not sincerely tell me they are interested and want the job.
  • Lastly, score the candidate privately immediately after the interview. A simple 1 – 10 score with 10 being a perfect candidate and 1 being “really bad fit.”  We are naturally biased toward the most recent interviews so it’s important to score the candidates at the time we meet them.

5. Take the Hiring Process Seriously

This may sound obvious and it should, but I see business peers short cut a robust hiring process with regularity.

  • Don’t hire a friend or relative because you know them. Interview a friend or relative because you know them every time and encourage them to perform well through the interview process. Hiring a friend is easy while firing them for poor performance is painful for the business, the employee and the friendship.
  • The hiring process is part of the public relations and branding of your business. Be professional and represent your business as professional to the industry you serve.  It’s a small world.

Following a consistent and effective recruiting process for your business is fundamental to strong performance.  It’s good for the business and good for the employees.  Invest the time to make sure recruiting is done well or find someone to help you.  The strength of your team depends on it.

On Boarding: Why the Bother?

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on boarding employees

There are as many approaches to On Boarding an employee as there are employers.  Some have a methodical process that slow rolls the employee into their new position while others apply the sink or swim technique with a steep curve right to action.

Wherever your business falls along the On Boarding continuum, there are a few fundamental On Boarding process elements that pay large dividends in contributing to the success of your employees.  Technical skills and ongoing training are beyond the scope of this post.  Here we are covering the general steps to ensure a new employee integrates into your work environment well and as intended.  I recommend your check your current process to confirm the following are included.

1. Employee Files.

All required employee data, forms and signatures should be checked and completed as step 1 upon employment.  This may sound obvious, but I have seen employers allow employees begin work without I-9 documentation; thinking it is ok for the worker to bring it in later.  I have other examples but this one makes the point.

The data and form requirements to hire an employee all have purpose.  Any missing form, data or signature imposes risk to the employer, employees and customers.  Under the example of missing I-9 data, an accident involving the new employee may not have insurance coverage.  Employer liability normally protected may fall squarely upon the employer without the protection of insurance you pay for.  Any medical expense to the new employee may also go without medical benefit protection if they are not proven legal as an employee.

Step 1 in the On Boarding process is to review and confirm all required data, forms and signatures are complete and on file with the employer.

2. Orientation

Once you have confirmed that any new employee is properly processed and documented into your work environment, you should provide an Orientation session.  Orientation should be designed to communicate what the employee should expect, how they can seek help and what you are looking for from them through the On Boarding process.

Employees who are comfortable and confident in their surroundings are better learners. Your goal as an employer through Orientation is to ensure the new employee learns what you need them to know as effectively and quickly as practical.  Help the employees by making them comfortable and familiar with where they are, what they should be doing and what you expect of them through the On Boarding process. Smaller businesses don’t often have well organized Orientation programs for new hires but the needs are the same in small or large organizations.  The costs of new employees stumbling and bumbling through their first few days or weeks on the job is as negatively impactful to a small company as it is to a large company, maybe more so.

Make Step 2 of On Boarding a clear Orientation including:

  • • Familiarity with the physical environment
  • • What the employee should expect
  • • How the employee can seek help
  • • What the employer expects from the new hire through the On Boarding period

3. Supervisor One on One.

Every job is a distinct but a common need amongst employees is they benefit from a coach.  Whether a high level professional position or a line level worker, we perform better when we have someone to lead us in the right direction and talk us through obstacles.

The Supervisor One on One is a great time to take Orientation to the details of the individual job requirements.  Have the Supervisor or Manager position themselves as the “Coach” who is there to lead and ensure the success of the new employee.  The Supervisor One on One serves a dual purpose regarding establishing accountability.  The Supervisor One on One establishes the accountabilities of the new employee while also making the Supervisor accountable for the success of their individual team members.

Step 3 of the On Boarding process is to establish the relationship between a new employee and their Supervisor or Manager as one of mutual accountability.

As mentioned at the beginning of this blog, every situation is unique and On Boarding processes will vary widely by company and role.  I recommend you review your On Boarding process if you have one or create one if you don’t.  Take the time to maximize the likelihood that your new hires come up to speed safely and confidently so you and they wind up being successful.