Top Takeaways from Staffing World 2019
Staffing World 2019, the annual industry conference hosted by the American Staffing Association, has come to an end! With 3 incredible keynotes, 25+ sessions, endless networking opportunities, and one heck of an afterparty, it was a can’t-miss event for staffing and recruiting pros. Of course, not everyone could be there. If you’re one of those who missed out, we have you covered. Here are five takeaways from this year’s Staffing World!
The staffing industry must be proactive in advancing diverse leadership
On Tuesday, Bullhorn and Mee Derby sponsored the pre-convention program, Advancing Women Leaders in the Staffing Industry, which featured panels, presentations, and a networking lunch all devoted to the subject of promoting women leaders.
Our Founder + CEO @lvickrey kicks off the "Looking Back to Propel Forward" panel, featuring powerhouse female staffing leaders @kboykin, @RhonaDriggs and @BethADelano. #StaffingWorld #WomenInStaffing pic.twitter.com/07ZBqsjcE3
— ClearEdge (@clearedgemktg) October 15, 2019
There were some great exchanges and plenty of illuminating conversation about the progress that still needs to happen to improve female representation in the industry. Some interesting takeaways:
- Companies with gender-diverse leadership outperform their peers by profitability by 21 percent.
- 59 percent of staffing professionals say diverse organizations are more effective
- Just 20 percent of c-suite leadership roles at large staffing firms are filled by women
Candidate engagement still requires a human touch
In his session, “Four Principles to Engage and Influence Candidates”, Mark Wolf of C&A Industries spoke on the role technology plays in modern candidate engagement.
“Technology has fundamentally revolutionized the way staffing companies do business, but is it also creating barriers to meaningful candidate engagement? TO really connect with a candidate and gain his trust and commitment you have to put the human back into the process.”
So how can you make lasting, genuine connections with candidates? Create an experience and develop strong emotional ties with your candidates. Staffing professionals who involve the candidate in every step of the journey are more likely to make a lasting impression on a candidate. When was the last time you mailed a hand-written note to a candidate? Your candidate won’t forget it.
Hiring by the rules is still a tricky process
Hiring can be a legally complicated process and mistakes are acostly. Luckily, Helen Konrad and Courtney Stieber walked the audience through some of the most pressing hiring questions facing staffing professionals in their session.
They discussed the laws surrounding background checks, I-9 forms, pre-adverse action notices, and more. They also performed live-polls with staffing professionals in the audience.
One interesting finding: thirty-nine percent of clients have asked to see the result of a background check. (Though it is in inadvisable to share the report unless a consumer has authorized it.)
Interested in the top staffing trends impacting the industry. Us too? Share your thoughts for our annual staffing trends survey and you could win one of 150 (!!!) Amazon gift cards!