Kirk’s Story: Advocating for the Unusual Applicant

Over the years that I’ve worked with our company’s recruiter at Abel Personnel, there were a handful of times that she reminded me, “Some people have unexciting resumés and are great potential employees; others have amazing resumés without the performance to back it up.” Perhaps a version of “don’t judge a book by its cover,” […]

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE VIRTUAL WORKPLACE

A reach out last month from Samantha was a jolting reminder that I had not connected with her since the pandemic began. “Sam” was one of my first applicants when I became a staff recruiter at Abel Personnel, both of us about five years since college graduation. I’ve placed her three times over the years […]

HIRING REMOTE WORKERS: WHICH POSITIONS, WHICH SKILLS, WHICH CANDIDATES?

While some local businesses had record revenues in 2021 despite (or due to) the pandemic, others had to shed staff owing to the drop in demand or patronage for goods or services. The client whose human resource manager, Kathy, contacted us just after the New Year reported that they were able to break even and […]

SWITCH TO PTO FOR EMPLOYEE RETENTION?

One of our client companies recently approached Abel Personnel for input on the subject of Paid Time Off (PTO). This topic just came up at a senior staff meeting when the discussion turned to how to revise their benefits package to retain existing employees, as well as attract high talent. Some managers had noted that […]

‘Tis The Season For Gingerbread Houses!

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RETAINING WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE

Judith has been an ally for over a decade, ever since I placed her at the company where she’s since risen to the position of human resources manager. While I am pretty sure mine is the only company she contacts when she has an opening to fill, just as often she will be in touch to […]

WHY ARE SO MANY WOMEN LEAVING THE WORKFORCE?

Marianne appeared visibly unsure of herself at the start of our Zoom call. A mutual friend had connected us, as so often happens in my long time in the staffing business. From her LinkedIn page, I knew she had excellent educational credentials as well as broad and challenging work experience, hard-charging, and now mid-career and […]

THE ART OF THE INTERVIEW

Both Abel Personnel’s clients and applicants confide to us that the job interview can be one of the most stressful parts of the job placement process. Hiring supervisors need to quickly confirm facts, gain an overall impression, give an even better impression, and try not to run afoul of any discrimination laws. The applicants want […]

EMPLOYEE RETENTION THROUGH SENSE OF PURPOSE

Working from home during the pandemic, or being unemployed at home, offers individuals more time to reflect on their life during moments of less activity during the day and evenings. Usually, downtimes offer opportunities for unscheduled socializing or errands. These unusual pauses now can result in a chance for deeper thought on how their work-life […]

Career Reset In 3 Steps

A recent survey indicated that 48% of American workers said that the pandemic has made them rethink the type of job and career they want in the future, and 53% of American workers said they would retrain for a career in a different field or industry if they had the opportunity. When asked to list […]