Author: Christina Boland

As a hiring manager, there are certain soft skills you should be seeking in all EHS candidates. These skills will indicate whether a job applicant will be an engaged team member who is committed to working hard for your company. Here are eight essential soft skills you should look for in candidates:

1. Positive attitude: A good attitude is one of the best things a new employee can bring to your organization. You want new hires who are eager to learn and maintain an optimistic mindset. Staff members with negative attitudes can quickly impact the entire workplace by causing low morale and productivity among the entire team. This usually results in high turnover and can even discourage qualified talent to apply for open positions at your company.

2. Teamwork: The best workers understand that an entire team working together can accomplish more than just one individual. Candidates with strong teamwork skills listen to their colleagues, encourage cooperation, and get along with other team members even when they don’t necessarily agree with an opinion or idea.

3. Problem-solving: The ability to work through problems and devise solutions is vital for any job. When issues arise, good problem solvers are able to use critical thinking and come up with a resolution to keep things running smoothly.

4. Communication: The most successful workers are able to communicate with their team and managers both verbally and in writing. They are able to use tone and body language to support what they’re saying. Applicants with great communication skills also actively listen to their colleagues’ ideas and concerns.

5. Work ethic: Job candidates with a strong work ethic will produce quality work for your company. They’re not the types of people who will start to slack off just a couple of months into the job. They work hard and are willing to go the extra mile for your organization.

6. Attention to detail: When employees make an effort to be meticulous, they make fewer errors, saving your business both time and money. Attention to detail is an important skill for EHS job candidates in particular because you want to ensure that you’re hiring employees who are going to take the utmost care and safety precautions when they’re on the job.

7. Dependability: Candidates who are responsibility, hardworking, and punctual are typically the most dependable. Employees who are dependable produce high-quality work and follow deadlines, as well as make sure to keep confidential client and company data secure.

8. Initiative: In addition to hiring employees who have strong teamwork skills, you also want to make sure they can work independently. Having staff members who can drive projects forward and devise solutions to problems without a lot of oversight will save you a great deal of resources and time.

While it’s important to search for EHS candidates that have the hard skills they need to do the job well, don’t overlook important soft skills. This will ensure you’re hiring people who are going to be reliable, hardworking, and get along well with current employees and managers.

Adapted from:

7 Soft Skills You Should Be Looking For In Candidates, Global HR Research Blog, GHRR.com.

9 Critical Soft Skills to Look for In Candidates, Karli Kendall, Blog.CriteriaCorp.com. 

At Aarcher Talent, we are here to assist Environmental, Health, & Safety (EHS) candidates searching for new career opportunities and organizations struggling to find qualified EHS candidates. We’re excited to share some of our outstanding EHS job opportunities and a seasoned EHS Executive Candidate.

Featured Career Opportunities

1) Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Compliance Manager – Middletown, NY

We have an exciting opportunity in Middletown, NY, for an EHS Compliance Specialist who will direct, coordinate, and manage activities related to EHS Regulations at the manufacturing operations facility.

Middletown is located in Orange County, NY. It lies in New York’s Hudson Valley region near the Wallkill River and the foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains.

2) Stack Test Project Manager and Stack Test Technician – Starke, FL

We are working with a source testing and consulting company in Starke, FL. They are looking for a full-time Stack Test Project Manager and Technician to join their team. They provide air quality testing and consulting services to a variety of industrial and commercial clients. This individual will work in all aspects of testing projects including, but not limited to, field measurements, equipment repair/maintenance, and data analysis. Must have five years’ experience to be considered for Manager and two years’ experience to be considered for Technician.

Starke, FL, is a small town conveniently located between Gainesville and Jacksonville. One of the areas’ greatest attributes is the different types of water bodies (several freshwater springs, rivers, lakes, and beaches) within an hour to hour and a half radius. Starke is also centrally located between several towns that provide ample restaurants, shopping, nightlife, and outdoor adventures.

3) QSTI Project Manager – Billings, MT, and Tucson, AZ

This is a great opportunity for QSTI candidates to join a growing company and lead emissions testing projects in support of environmental compliance programs. Interested applicants must have at least three years’ experience in emissions testing with instrumental and isokinetic EPA testing methods. Must be QSTI certified in Groups 1-4.

Billings, MT, is the largest city in the state of Montana, and it’s close to mountains, rivers, and lakes. It’s a perfect location if you enjoy the great outdoors but still like to experience “city” life.

Tucson, AZ, is a great place for people who are looking for a smaller town with plenty of beautiful desert scenery and mountain terrain to explore.

Featured Candidate

Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Executive with over 20 years’ experience in a variety of industries. Willing to relocate!

• Leadership and strategic planning

• Unique and successful way of changing cultures and improving overall operations

• Dramatically reducing claims cost as much as 72%

• Significantly lowering incident rates as much as 92%

• Implementing sustainable safety cultures and EHS processes that contain best practices

Please email me at cboland@aarcherinc.com or call me at (443) 482-5785 if you’re interested in this featured candidate.

The best EHS managers value and trust their employees. They make a point of ensuring their workers have everything they need to excel in their jobs and grow their careers.

However, there are several mistakes both new and experienced managers can make when it comes to leading their staff. Here are five common mistakes that many managers make that you should avoid:

1. They don’t provide clear direction to employees.

For employees to do their jobs well, it’s crucial for you to provide them with expectations and goals. Many managers don’t do this, and they wonder why their employees fail. They need direction on which tasks to prioritize, the performance metrics they should be meeting, and how you define success in their role.

2. They fail to get to know their staff.

Employees are happier and more productive when they know their manager cares about them as a person and not just the work they produce. You don’t have to know everything about them, but spend some time getting to know your team members and their interests that don’t necessarily relate to work. Ask employees how their weekend was or if they watched the football game the night before, for example. When you demonstrate that you care about them, you build trust with them and they are motivated to do better work.

3. They micromanage.

No one likes a manager who is constantly looking over their employees’ shoulders. Trust your staff members to get the work done and give them the autonomy to make decisions on their projects.

4. They don’t provide feedback to employees.

Feedback is critical to employees’ jobs. It lets them know what they’re doing well and the areas they need to improve in. Provide feedback to your workers on a regular basis to help guide them to success.

5. They fail to listen to their team members.

Managers who don’t listen to their staff tend to have an unproductive, disengaged team. Ask your employees for feedback on their jobs, the company, and how you’re performing as a manager. Practice active listening to signal to employees that you value their ideas and opinions.

When you implement good management practices on a regular basis, employee morale and productivity increases, and your team members are more likely to continue working for your company for the long term.

References:

20 Rookie Manager Mistakes You Want to Avoid, The Manager’s Resource Handbook, ManagersResourceHandbook.com. 

Top 10 Mistakes Management Makes Managing People, Susan M. Heathfield, The Balance Careers.

2019 is quickly winding down and the new year will be here before we know it. Now is the right time to think about hiring new EHS employees to ensure you start 2020 on a high note. Here are some benefits of hiring now instead of waiting until the new year:

1. Take advantage of the year-end down time.

As the year winds down, you may have more flexibility with interview times and onboarding. Job candidates are also typically less busy during this time of the year. It may be easier for candidates who are already employed to leave their current workplace for an interview without having to explain why. “Between holiday parties and absentee co-workers, as well as a slow-down in the typical workload, they are simply less likely to be missed,” according to a post by Unmanned Power blog.

2. Position your company well for 2020.

At the start of the new year, you’ll likely have several initiatives to executive and goals to meet. Hiring before the end of 2019 will allow you to start the new year strong with new talent to help you drive those initiatives forward. 

3. Avoid losing out on talented candidates.

Unemployment is currently at its lowest. There are more jobs available than qualified employees to fill them. Other companies are on the lookout for talented staff. If you wait until 2020 to start hiring, those well-qualified individuals could already be hired by your competitors.

4. Use your holiday get-together as a time to introduce new hires.

Your holiday party is a great opportunity to bring new employees in to get acquainted with their co-workers in an informal setting. Even if new hires don’t start working until the first of the year, inviting them to the holiday get-together will allow them to get to know their colleagues better before being overwhelmed with projects on their first day.

Take advantage of the year-end down time to hire new EHS employees to prepare your organization to begin 2020 on the right foot. If you need some help finding qualified candidates, consider partnering with a recruiting firm that’s well-versed in your job market and talent pool. Whether you’re looking to fill a permanent position or add specific skill sets for temporary projects, Aarcher Talent offers a series of staffing solutions, including permanent placement, temp–to–hire, and contracted staff services. We’re happy to chat with you about our services and how we can help you find the right candidate.

Adapted from: The bountiful benefits of hiring before the end of the year, Bradsby Group, BradsbyGroup.com.

When you hire a new EHS employee, there are some important steps you should take to make sure the onboarding process goes smoothly. It’s essential to provide your new hire with a great first impression of working for your organization. This will help them be successful in their new job and motivate them to stay with your company for the long term.

Here are some strategies for an effective onboarding process:

1. Set goals and expectations early.

When new hires are clear on their job expectations, it prepares them to be successful in their roles. Establishing performance goals and articulating them enables employees to assess their own progress, especially during the first few months of working for your organization. When you keep open communication with workers regarding their goals, it will help them feel comfortable providing feedback on what is and isn’t working for them, potentially pointing out issues in your company that you didn’t even know were there. 

2. Provide effective and thorough training.

Make sure you provide your new EHS hire with the training they need to do their job well. Don’t just throw them into the fire. It’s crucial that you ensure your employees are following important regulations and protocols. Every new hire from entry level to veteran can benefit from on-the-job training to make sure they stay in compliance and excel in their new position.

3. Practice cross-departmental onboarding.

Consider pairing up your new hire with a few experienced employees, including those who are outside of their immediate department, to learn the ropes of the company. This will help an employe understand how their new position fits within the larger organizational structure, and can result in collaborations between departments in the future.

4. Don’t wait until Day 1 to begin the onboarding process.

Don’t give new employees the silent treatment during the time between offering them the job and their first day. Consider sending them an email with the information they need to know on their first day, mailing them a welcome package, or having their manager give them a phone call. This helps to start providing the new hire with a positive onboarding experience.

Onboarding is a good opportunity to ensure your new EHS workers succeed in your organization. When you take the time to provide them with a great onboarding experience, it makes such a positive impact on employee productivity and morale, and your company’s overall growth.

Adapted from:

Five Onboarding Best Practices New Hires Will Thank You For, Scott Wardell, SmartRecruiters.com.

How to Onboard and Train Employees into a Safety Culture, Travelers Risk Control, Travelers.com.

Each organization has a unique process for hiring based on their industry and needs. However, there are some critical etiquette guidelines that all EHS hiring managers should follow when recruiting new staff.

Follow these guidelines as you go through the hiring process in order to secure the most talented EHS employees:

1. Ensure that the candidate feels welcome. Every job applicant should leave your workplace after the interview thinking that your organization is a great place to work. Even if the candidate isn’t the right fit, they should still feel positive about their interview experience with you. Make sure you give them enough time to discuss their strengths and learn more information about your company.  

2. Be prepared for the interview. Just like candidates need to prepare for a job interview, as a hiring manager, you need to as well. When a candidate comes to your office for an interview and has to wait for you for a long time, or you’re not prepared with their resume in front of you and a basic knowledge of their skills and experience, it gives the candidate a bad first impression. This makes them less likely to accept an offer with your company if they are well-qualified for the job. In today’s environment of labor scarcity, you can’t afford to miss out on talented employees. Have a list of questions ready to ask the applicant based on the information you learned from their cover letter and resume, and be sure to avoid asking illegal questions.

3. Involve other employees in the interview process. The new hire will likely be working with other team members and departments. When you involve other staff members in the hiring process, it increases the changes that they will embrace the new hire and collaborate more effectively with them. Involve in the interview a few key employees that would be interacting with the new hire and take their feedback into consideration when making the hiring decision.

4. Reply to unsuccessful candidates. Many companies simply ghost job applicants who come into their workplace for an interview but are not offered the job. Take the time to send them an email letting them know that you appreciate that they took the time for the interview and that you chose to move forward with another candidate. You never know when an applicant could be a great fit for another job opportunity in your organization. If you leave them with a bad impression by ghosting them, they will likely turn down the offer.

5. Communicate your company’s core values. It’s essential for hiring managers to communicate their company’s values and mission to potential employees. This will put into perspective for candidates how they will help fulfill the business’s goals and objectives through their job role. When you help applicants feel as though they’re contributing to something larger than just their ole, it enables your company to stand out to talented workers as a great place to work.

6. Model the behavior that you would expect to see in a new hire. Hiring managers should demonstrate the behaviors they want to see in new employees. They should be knowledgeable in the job they are hiring for, as well as demonstrate strong communication skills. If they don’t, they shouldn’t be surprised if new staff members have similar poor behaviors at work.

7. Rely on a recruiting team to help the hiring process run more smoothly. Recruiters are well-versed in your industry and job market. A recruiting firm can be a valuable resource for hiring advice and revamping your hiring strategy to match the evolving job market. Consider partnering with a recruiting team to help you hire the best candidates, so you can focus on all of the other responsibilities that you have to manage.

Adapted from: 13 Essential Etiquette Tips for Today’s Hiring Managers, Forbes Human Resources Council, Forbes.

Unemployment is at an all-time low. There are more jobs available than ever before and not enough talented workers to fill them.

Because well-qualified individuals have more options for where they can work, standard HR methods, like a “post and pray” strategy, no longer work for employers. Instead, to find qualified EHS employees, organizations must look for passive candidates. These people are typically satisfied with their current jobs, but are open to hearing about new opportunities in their industry. Ninety percent of workers are interested in learning about new job opportunities, but only about one-third are actively looking, according to LinkedIn’s U.S. & Canada Talent Trends report.

Here are some tips for attracting passive EHS candidates:

1. Have clearly defined organizational values in place. Talented employees are attracted to companies that have a strong mission and values that are similar to theirs. Make sure to articulate these values throughout all of your messaging on everything from your website to job advertising to social media pages.

2. Ask your current employees for referrals. When you’re trying to fill an open position, ask your current workers if they know anyone who would be interested in learning more about the opportunity. Some organizations even have a referral program, in which an employee receives a bonus if they refer someone who their company hires.

3. Attend networking events, such as industry conferences. Events like these are great places to meet and talk with individuals who aren’t actively looking for a job, but who could be interested in potential new opportunities.

4. Take advantage of LinkedIn. This platform allows you to connect with thousands of professionals in your industry who may be interested in learning about job opportunities at your organization. LinkedIn profiles enable you to see more information about the professional and the skills and experience they have to determine if they would be a good potential job candidate. Because people know and trust LinkedIn, possible candidates would be more likely to reply to a message you send to them on the platform than to an email from you.

5. Work with a recruiting firm. Recruiting teams are well-versed in your industry and job market. They also have access to a wide pool of potential candidates, as they have spent a lot of time growing a network of individuals for possible future job openings. Recruiting companies typically have long-standing relationships with candidates, which helps them to be able to connect you to a wider range of talent.

Whether you’re looking to fill a permanent position or add specific skill sets for temporary projects, Aarcher Talent offers a series of staffing solutions, including permanent placement, temp-to-hire, and contracted staff services. We’re happy to chat with you about our services and how we can help you find the right candidate.

The growing talent scarcity has caused organizations to have to rethink their hiring approach. You can no longer just put out a job post and wait for the resumes to come pouring in. When you shift your strategy to attracting passive candidates, you’ll be more equipped to hire strong EHS candidates and grow your organization.

Adapted from:

How to Find Passive Candidates, Bridget Miller, HR Daily Advisor.

The Passive Job Seeker: How to Recruit Candidates With Passive Interest, Jon-Mark Sabel, Hire Vue.

The unemployment rate is at an all-time low. Organizations have to be more competitive to attract new talent and prevent current employees from quitting.

To stand out as an employer, it’s essential to provide relevant and attractive benefits that help your employees. Here are three to consider offering that will allow you to recruit and retain high-performing EHS workers:

• Health and wellness benefits. Traditional health benefits, while extremely important, are getting increasingly more expensive for employers. One popular way of managing healthcare costs is providing health savings accounts to staff. These allow for tax-free savings that can be used to pay out-of-pocket expenses that aren’t covered by health plans.

Also consider extending healthcare coverage to opposite- and same-sex spouses if you don’t already. The majority of organizations offer this benefit, with 95 percent of those surveyed by the Society for Human Resources Management (SRHM) in 2017 providing it versus 71 percent in 2014.

Other health and wellness benefits that more organizations are offering are standing desks for employees to use when they’re working in the office, as well as paid gym memberships to promote exercise and healthy living.

• Work-life balance opportunities. Having the ability to balance work and life is a significant benefit for employees. With so many things going on in workers’ lives, organizations that encourage work-life balance are going to attract and retain more people than those that don’t. Consider offering telecommunicating opportunities and flextime, which allows employees to choose their work schedule, when possible. Some companies also offer perks like free coffee, cafeteria food, and on-site parking to help employees save time when it comes to going out to get coffee or lunch, or looking for a parking spot.

• Options for retirement savings and loan relief. Today’s employees are struggling to save money and repay loans. In research conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the majority of employees surveyed were saving for retirement, but 40 percent of them said they have less than $50,000 saved. Consider offering some kind of 401(k) or similar contribution savings plan if you don’t already.

Additionally, more and more companies are starting to offer student loan assistance. According to SHRM, 88 percent of Millennials say that student loan repayment assistance is an important benefit for organizations to provide.

Companies frequently fail to communicate the benefits they offer to current and potential employees. Make sure your workers are aware of these benefits that could significantly help them in their lives and allow them to perform better at work. If you want to grow your business, and attract and retain the best EHS employees, consider offering these competitive benefits to help you stand out as an employer.

Adapted from: The Benefits That Will Attract – and Retain – Tomorrow’s Talent, Todd Wasserman, EHSCareers.

Hiring talented EHS employees can be quite a challenge. You probably have many candidates applying for an open position, but only a small number of them are actually qualified for the job and could do it well.

Here are some tips for refining your overall hiring process to increase your chances of hiring the best EHS candidate for the job:

• Evaluate your job applicants’ practical experience. You want to hire an employee who is both qualified and has experience in your industry. However, you won’t necessarily find the perfect candidate. Concentrating on applicants who have practical experience is essential because they will more easily be able to integrate into the new job and learn new skills. You also won’t have to spend as much time and money on training when the new employee already has the level of practical experience needed to do the job.

• Test potential employees. When you test candidates, it helps you get a better picture of their learning capabilities and analytical strengths. It allows you to dig deeper than just the candidate’s resume. Even if the job applicant has a great resume and they interview well, they might not be completely truthful. Testing allows you to determine if they have many of the skills they say they do.

• Consider whether candidates will mesh well with your organizational culture. It’s important for employees you hire to have similar values as your company and get along well with colleagues. When you ask applicants questions regarding their work history during interviews, it will help you determine if they are prone to work conflicts. Additionally, reference checks can help you find out more information on whether they worked well with former bosses and co-workers.

• Continue making improvements to your hiring process. As you hire new employees, you’ll learn what works best for your organization to find candidates who are the right fit. Be sure to make the requirements of the job as clear as possible to potential employees, so they know what to expect. Consider getting other team members involved in the interview process to help you make better hiring decisions, as they will affect the entire team.

• Find career-oriented candidates. As an employer, you want to hire workers who are committed to their career and are going to stick around long term. Pay attention to the length of time candidates spent at previous jobs. They don’t necessarily have to have spent several years at each previous company they worked for, but make sure they weren’t hopping from job to job every few months. 

• Consider hiring a recruiting firm. An EHS staffing team is well versed in the industry and job market, and knows where to find the most talented candidates. A staffing firm can help you refine your recruiting strategy, save significant time and money, and hire the best candidates for the job. Aarcher Talent offers a series of staffing solutions, including permanent placement, temp-to-hire, and contracted staff services to help you find the right candidates for your open positions, so be sure to visit our website to learn more.

Finding and hiring great candidate who can do the job well can be a time-consuming process. However, it’s well worth the time when you hire an employee who helps to push your company forward. Implement these tips to hire the best EHS candidates and grow your business.

Adapted from: 8 Ways to Ensure You Hire the Best Candidate, Brenda Savoie, RecruitLoop.

Most Millennials are now in their early and mid-thirties, and Generation Z is starting to enter the workforce. Generation Zers are anyone born after 1997 and make up 27 percent of the U.S. population, outnumbering Millennials and Baby Boomers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Gen Z “has remarkably different views on themselves, society, products and services than any past generation, including the close-in-age millennials,” says Jaclyn Suzuki, Innovation, Insights & Strategy Consultant at MADO, a boutique consulting firm.

How will this impact your EHS programs? Here are some important ways to prepare your company to work well with the talented Generation Zers entering the workforce:

1. Maintain transparency. You must be clear on your organizational values and what you stand for. Gen Zers want to work for companies that are making a positive difference in the world. This generation will quickly recognize businesses that are dishonest or insensitive.

2. Encourage work-life balance. Gen Zers value working for companies with flexibility. If you haven’t already incorporated flexible hours and/or locations into your business, consider rethinking your strategy. You’re much more likely to attract intelligent and creative Gen Zers when you offer these types of benefits that allow them to balance their work life.

3. Challenge your Generation Z employees. Gen Zers will appreciate it when you give them the autonomy to create plans to solve complex organizational issues. Challenge them to work beyond the current systems in your business. Encourage them to use critical thinking and speak up in the workplace.

4. Allow them to challenge you. Gen Z has more access to media and information than previous generations and won’t hesitate to dig deeper into an issue. Be prepared to answer more questions that provide insight into the way things are being done in your organization. Gen Zers look for ways to make things more efficient and won’t be afraid to question a business program or system when they feel as though they can devise a better, more efficient way of doing it. Don’t simply “tell” Gen Zers that this is the way it is, but keep open communication and answer all of their questions thoughtfully.

With the entrance of Generation Z into the workforce, things may look quite a bit different than what you were accustomed to in the past. If you aren’t open to adapting your company to the youngest generation, you risk a lack of growth in your business.

Adapted from:

Generation Z: Latest Characteristics, Research, and Facts. Business Insider.

Generation Z… They’re Here! Drena Howard, NAEM.org.