Job Advice

Four Simple Steps to Prepare for a Second Interview

April 11, 2019

You have gone to a job interview and left with the sense that the interview went well. Then your recruiter calls and says the company would like to talk to you again. Your first thought may be “why?”, but this is often a necessary step in today’s tight job market. How do you prepare? Here’s four simple steps to ensure you rock the second interview, just like you did the first time.

Dress the same. Whatever professional outfit you wore for the first interview, match that level of professionalism in your follow-up interview. Don’t assume that you should be more casual when meeting with the company for the second time.
Prepare questions. It is possible that you will be meeting with different people than you did the first time you interviewed at the client company – your recruiter can let you know. If this is the case, you can use some of the questions that were asked in the first interview. However, make sure you have at least three new questions to ask of your interviewer.
Be prepared. Whenever you are headed to an interview, you should be prepared. Your recruiter at That’s Good HR will help you with this step. For a second interview, review your answers from the first round interview, because it is possible that you might be asked the very same question. Check out these answers to the 31 most common interview questions.
Write a thank you note. It’s always a good idea to follow-up with a thank you note. Write one to each person you interviewed with. If you do not know what to say, not a problem – we’ve got you covered. An example can be found on our online resources page.

If a company is interested in talking to you for a second time, take it as a compliment. It means they liked you and want to get to know you more before moving forward. Once your second interview is complete, let your recruiter know and hopefully they will have good news for you shortly. Best of luck the second time around!

Staffing

Do you need a Staffing Firm? Don’t take our word for it…

Mary Springer

Partner

January 31, 2019

Why do businesses use temporary employees? According to the American Staffing Association, flexibility, speed, and access to talent are the top benefits to working with a staffing agency like That’s Good HR. Companies across the nation use staffing firms and it shows considering staffing employment hit an 11-year high in this month (January 2019).

It’s a candidate-driven market right now and many employers are finding it increasingly harder to find qualified candidates to fill open positions. As the BOSS Group’s blog points out, staffing agencies are the experts in finding qualified candidates. You know what – we agree! That’s Good HR employs a multi-targeted, multi-channel approach in order to continuously reach qualified candidates.

BOSS Group is not the only resource that thinks using a staffing firm is a good idea. The popular job board ZipRecruiter states that having the right staff is critical to a business’ success. Hiring a temporary employee gives a company the advantage of being able to “try before you buy”. You can bring an employee onto your team and make sure they are a good fit before committing to them in for the long run.

Team People also recommends “test-driving” an employee before hiring. They also point out that staffing companies have more resources to find high-level talent than most hiring managers do, which saves managers time and money. Who doesn’t need that?

Want to learn more? Reach out today and we would be happy to share our talent with you!

Taxes

Tax Changes are in Effect

Greta Cline

Partner, CFO/COO

January 14, 2019

Please note, this content was written for informational purposes only, consult your own tax or accounting professional before filing your taxes.

Our tax blog summarizing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was one of the most read blogs of 2018. The new laws that were passed in late 2017, will go into effect with your 2018 tax return that is due April 15,2019. As a reminder, one thing that will make an impact is the change in the dollar amounts and percentages of the 7 different tax brackets. Here’s the breakdown so you can see which bracket you fall into.

A new W-4 form was also released in February of 2018. A W-4, simply put, is the form you fill out when you start a new job. The W-4 determines your withholding from your paycheck. You can update this at any time even if you haven’t recently changed jobs. A copy of this form can be found here. Give your updated form to your payroll department. They will ensure the changes are recorded properly in your payroll record.

Next, there are new amounts for a standard deduction. As a taxpayer you can chose to take the standard deduction or itemize your deductions. For a single filer (or if you are married but filing separately), the deduction has increased from $6,350 to $12,000. For Head of Household, the deduction has increased from $9,350 to $18,000. For married couples, the standard deduction has increased from $12,700 to $24,000.

Normally about 30% of taxpayers file their returns utilizing itemized deductions. Because of the increase in the standard deduction amounts, be sure to compare your total itemized amounts to the new standard deduction. It could make sense to claim the standard deduction this year.

Also, educate yourself on the itemized deductions that have new limits, or if you are no longer eligible to deduct that item at all. A $10,000 limit was added to SALT (State and Local Tax itemized deduction). Property taxes are local taxes that would be included in the new limit. Some common deductions – like your tax preparer fees – are no longer deductible starting with this filing. Other deductions that have gone by the wayside include un-reimbursed employee costs, moving expenses, employer-subsidized parking, loses due to theft, and union dues.

This is a high-level glimpse of some of the inaugural changes our 2018 tax returns will experience. We hope this inspires you to meet with your own tax/accounting professional before filing your 2018 return.

Customer Experiences

From Candidate to Client

September 20, 2018

When Erin McLennan was about to graduate college, she wasn’t sure where she would land a job. She was no stranger to working, since she had been employed at a local hospital while balancing her studies. Erin majored in Psychology but was unsure if she wanted to head to graduate school or seek full time employment upon graduation.

Some of her friends from the hospital had used That’s Good HR (TGHR) to find a job, so Erin decided to reach out to a recruiter at our office. She made an interview appointment and met staffing manager Kate Stephens. Shortly after interviewing with TGHR, Erin was offered a position at an innovative company in Carmel as a lending associate on a temporary basis. After a few short months, her role converted to a permanent position and six months after that, based on her performance, she was made a supervisor.

After just two years at the company, Erin had gone from being a TGHR candidate to a TGHR client responsible for her own team. She was confident in the quality of TGHR temporary employees and knew it would make hiring employees a breeze.

Erin is now a product manager in the technology field working with software engineers. She credits TGHR for finding a career field that she is not only passionate about, but also excelling in. Erin never would have guessed she would be in the technology field after college. She is thankful she found a position where she can use her knowledge and creativity at the same time.

Erin’s favorite thing about working with TGHR could be credited to her psychology background. She loved having someone to go to as a mentor to counsel her through her job seeking journey. Erin felt supported by Kate right after college and found it helpful to know she had someone in her corner.

As a client, Erin appreciated TGHR’s high-level of customer service. When Erin was busy supervising 20 people, she was grateful that there was always a live person picking up the phone at TGHR if she had an issue or needed additional employees. When hiring, Erin looks for someone with a good personality and willingness to learn, just the type of candidates TGHR likes to work with – a perfect fit!

When she’s not working, Erin enjoys the outdoors with her black lab, Charlie, and is keeping busy planning her upcoming wedding. Wedding details can be stressful, but hiring decisions are not thanks to That’s Good HR!

HR Insights

Benefits to Using a Staffing Agency

Tiffany Moore

VP, Client Partnerships

August 23, 2017

According to a recent infographic released by American Staffing Association, staffing agencies are among the top 5 job search resources. Surprised? We aren’t. Here’s why:

Options, options and more options. We focus on finding temporary employees, employees that begin as temps then can be hired on full time or employees for direct hire. So you can decide what option is right for your open position. Whatever you choose, we’ve got options.
Take your pick. You tell us what you need and then we deliver a selection of candidates for you to choose from.
Save time. According to the most recent benchmarking study from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the average time it takes to fill a position is 42 days. Our goal is to provide you with resumes for review within 24 hours. That’s 98% faster than average!
Deep bench. We have a deep network to find folks for your position fast. Every day our trained recruiters are actively interviewing candidates. They get to know their technical skills, but also those important soft skills that you didn’t even know you were looking for.
Listen Up. We listen to what you need to understand what type of employee would be a good fit. Then we head to our aforementioned bench to find you top talent.

You deserve strategic staffing solutions, not some one-size-fits-all quick fix. We’re known in Indy for our personal, authentic approach to staffing that delivers long-term results. Reach out today and I’ll show you.

HR Insights

Interview Questions: What Not to Ask

Amber Crosby

June 28, 2017

Interviews are a great tool to discover candidates’ backgrounds, qualities, personality traits, and even hang-ups. But with a long list of off-putting—and possibly even unethical or illegal—questions, handling an interview wisely can feel like tip-toeing through a minefield. Not to worry, we’ve got you covered.

So, what can you ask and what’s strictly off limits? As a general rule, you want to avoid personal questions. These include direct questions about age, religion, gender, country of origin, disabilities, marital or financial status, and childcare arrangements.

You’re likely already astute enough to steer clear of blatantly inappropriate questions. However, sometimes these topics may be relevant to the role being filled. For example, your job may require a employee to be on-call after hours, and your candidate is a single mom. You shouldn’t directly ask if she has childcare in place, but you can describe the on-call hours needed and inquire if this work schedule would be doable. Best practice: stick to questions about the job itself and not about specific personal details.

Examples of Questions to Avoid

How old are you?
Where do you go to church?
Do you have a history of mental illness?
Are you married or single?
How many sick days did you take last year?
Do you plan on having kids soon or are your pregnant?
How’s your credit?

Examples of Acceptable Questions to Ask

Are you over 18?
This position includes duties after 5 p.m. Are you available to work evenings when needed?
What languages are you fluent in?
Are you eligible to work in the United States?
What are your career goals?
Can you lift items that could weigh up to 50 pounds?

Sometimes a candidate volunteers personal information, and while you can’t prevent it, it’s best not to jot it down. Ultimately that information cannot legally be used when making your hiring decision.

To stay on track during the interview, make a list of questions ahead of time. Not only will you be better prepared, but it’ll also help avoid any accidental slips with inappropriate or unethical questions. Or better yet, call us. At That’s Good HR, we’re experts at asking the right questions and finding you the right candidate. Let’s chat! Get in touch today.

Job Advice

2017 Hot Job and Employment Trends

Tiffany Moore

VP, Client Partnerships

January 8, 2017

Looking for a new job? Changing career paths? Landing a new job or switching careers can be a little scary, especially when we talk job security. Nothing can be more worrisome than wondering if your position or industry will still be around in the future. One way to play it smart is to check out labor data at the Bureau of Labor Statistics—a nifty website dedicated to all things employment. You can even assess a job’s potential security in the BLS’s Employment Projections area, which tell if jobs are likely to grow, shrink, or stay the same in the years ahead. We combed through it for you and made a list of growing industries and jobs for 2017.

Healthcare

Due to the increasing population of older Americans, the healthcare industry tops our list of in-demand jobs. Careers range from highly specialized and technical to those requiring high school diplomas with short on-the-job training.

Medical Secretaries
10-year job growth: 20.5%
Median salary: $33,040
Typical education requirement: High school diploma/GED
Medical Records and Health Informatics
10-year job growth: 15.4% increase
Median salary: 37,110
Typical education requirement: Post secondary certificate
Home Health Aides
10-year job growth: 38.1%
Median salary: $21,920
Typical education requirement: High school diploma/GED
Nurse Practitioner
10-year job growth: 35.2% increase
Median salary $98,190
Typical education requirement: Master’s degree
Ultrasound Technologist
10-year job growth: 26.4% increase
Median salary: $68,970
Typical education requirement: Associate’s degree
Registered Nurse
10-year job growth: 16% increase
Median salary: $67,490
Typical education requirement: Bachelor’s degree

Technology

It’s no surprise technology careers are in high demand. Our world is exploding with digital advances, changing the landscape of businesses everywhere that need an educated workforce to meet the industry’s ever-changing demands.

Database Administrators
10-year job growth: 11.1% increase
Median salary: $81,700
Typical education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Computer Systems Analyst
10-year job growth: 20.9% increase
Median salary: $85,800
Typical education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Computer and Information Systems Managers
10-year job growth: 15.4%
Median salary: $131,600
Typical education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Information Security Analyst
10-year job growth: 17.9%
Median salary: $90,120
Typical education requirement: Bachelor’s degree

Human Resources

This category hits a sweet spot with us at That’s Good HR—it’s our specialty! And it can be your specialty, too, as careers in HR continue to grow. The latest trend blends computer and information systems needs within HR settings.

HR managers
10-year job growth: 8.8% increase
Median salary: $104,440
Typical education requirement: Bachelor’s degree

Accounting/Finance

Now is a great time to open doors into the world of accounting. Businesses rely on detail-oriented personnel to keep track of finances, billing, accounts receivable, and analytics, just to name a few.

Accountant
10-year job growth: 10.7% increase
Median salary: $67,190
Typical education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Billing and Posting Clerk
10-year job growth: 12.9% increase
Median salary: $35,050
Typical education requirement: High school diploma/GED

2017 is looking like a great year for job seekers! Are you on the lookout for the perfect position? You’ve come to the right place. We specialize in matching the right people to the right job. You can search our open jobs right now or contact us to begin the journey of finding the career you’ve been hoping for.