About TGHR

20 Years of Staffing Stories: Mary Springer

Susie McKenna

February 20, 2020

If you had asked Mary Springer in college if she wanted to own her own business, she would have told you no. At the time, she was preparing herself to climb the corporate ladder, most likely in the area of finance. Upon reflection, she has always been metrics-driven and self-motivated, which are two vital skills for any business owner.

Upon graduation from Purdue University, armed with a degree in financial planning, she moved to Ft. Wayne to start a management training program to become director of finance for an educational institution. While she enjoyed the management aspect of the job, Mary was eager to move back to Indianapolis. Moving back without a job would be tough, so she found a new job in a way that many people get a job – through networking. A college friend had recently talked to a national staffing firm with a local presence in Indy and thought the job sounded like a good fit for Mary, not him. He was right and Mary worked at that staffing firm for six years and then was recruited to open the temporary staffing division at a new, locally based staffing firm that was just starting out – That’s Good HR.

There are some aspects of the staffing business that have remained the same since 2000, but many have changed. In 2000, there was an online job board – Monster.com, while today there are plenty to choose from like Indeed, Zip Recruiter, LinkedIn, Career Builder and more. The online job boards have provided access to more people, but everyone has that access. Mary recruited at college fairs in her early days, a practice that is still done today. And the number one thing that has stayed the same through the years is the fact that staffing is about connecting the right person with the right job at the right time.

Social media has also changed the landscape of staffing. As Mary points out, back in the day when you put an ad in the paper, the people responding didn’t have a LinkedIn profile that was readily available – not to mention that they were still reading a printed newspaper regularly. Online job boards and social media sites like Facebook have changed how we talk to people. In fact, That’s Good HR has only been on Facebook for the past decade! In today’s fast-paced world with technology at your fingertips, Mary remarked that finding that personal connection is harder, but she’s up for the challenge.

The biggest challenge in the past 20 years was the recession of 2008, as it was for many businesses. In theory, the staffing industry is “recession-proof” since when the market goes down, many companies hire contractors and there are more people looking for work, which is good news for staffing firms. But the recession of 2008 was different and forced more than 170,000 small businesses to close during the first two years of the recession. That’s Good HR was forced to reduce staff and do more with less resources but was able to not only survive but thrive amid a dismal economy.

As That’s Good HR continues to reinvent itself to meet the changing needs of the local landscape, Mary looks forward to what the next 20 years will bring. And the end of the day she is most proud of building a place where people want to come to work and help people find jobs to achieve their goals every day. Cheers to 20 years!

Do you have a story about how That’s Good HR has impacted you in the past 20 years? Let us know as we are sharing staffing stories all year long as part of our 20^th Anniversary Celebration!

Job Advice

Four Simple Steps to Prepare for a Second Interview

Staci Upmeyer

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!

About TGHR

That’s Good HR Named to Best of Staffing

Mary Springer

Partner

February 11, 2019

We are thrilled to announce that That’s Good HR has earned ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing® Client Award for providing superior service to our clients. That’s Good HR received scores of 9 or 10 out of 10 from 95.8 percent of clients, which was our highest NPS score to date. This satisfaction percentage is also significantly higher than the industry’s average of 35 percent. Less than 2 percent of all staffing agencies in the U.S. and Canada have earned the Best of Staffing Award for service excellence. On average, clients of winning agencies are 2.2 times more likely to be completely satisfied with the services provided compared to those working with non-winning agencies. We can’t thank our clients enough.

One of the best things about participating in the annual survey, is we receive direct feedback from our clients. This feedback validates the work that we do daily for our clients and candidates. Here’s a sample of our feedback:

TGHR does a great job at providing quality candidates and our company has been able to retain the majority of those candidates!
That’s Good HR, Inc. has been a solid provider of candidates when we’ve needed additional support. They have a lovely team that is communicative and helpful, and they are very knowledgeable about their industry and location.
They really care about their clients and their candidates and it shows. I love working with That’s Good HR!
Always a good experience working with TGHR to fill either short or long-term staffing needs.
The staff is very responsive, helpful, friendly and enjoyable to work with.
Read more testimonials here.

The survey was conducted in December 2018 and was sent to all hiring managers and companies we had worked with in a three-month period. The results are tabulated and were released in February 2019. The awards are presented by ClearlyRated in partnership with CareerBuilder. ClearlyRated (formerly known as Inavero) is an independent, international company that administers more staffing agency client and talent satisfaction surveys than any other firm in the world, reporting on more than 1.2 million satisfaction surveys from staffing agency clients and job seekers each year.

So, thanks. Thanks to our clients who let us help them find the best talent for their open positions. We are grateful for your support and your feedback. We share this honor with you!

Tips

How to be a Good Partner

Tiffany Moore

VP, Client Partnerships

December 3, 2018

On a recent visit with one of my longtime clients, he asked me a question that I appreciate more than any other – “how can I as a hiring manager be a better partner to you?”. I truly value each one of my clients and do not look at the work I do daily as transactions. I believe my relationships are partnerships that I value deeply. Client interactions are a two-way street where both parties benefit. So, how can you help best?

First, time is of the essence in today’s job market. Giving me feedback quickly will help secure the best candidates for your positions. We have seen that candidates with accounting experience such as accounts receivable/payable move incredibly fast – as do most other positions as well.

Next, don’t be shy! Tell me the specific job skills and experiences you require (or do not) require for a potential employee after you review resumes. When we learn your specific preferences, it helps us to screen candidates more accurately before sending them for your review. Be honest as the more information you give, the better.

Then, once you have received resumes, it is best to schedule interviews within a day or two. This ensures the candidates that you want are still available in this fast-paced, competitive job market.

Once a candidate interviews, one way we can be a good partner to you is by providing 360-degree feedback. This could include how your company and employees presented themselves during the interview and the candidates overall impressions of your company. This information can help you stay competitive with future employees.

In the end, That’s Good HR, Inc. has built our business in Indianapolis by creating client partnerships for 20 years. And I am proud to say that I am fortunate enough to be hitting my 11-year anniversary in January. The amazing partnerships I have built over the last 11 years with clients like the one mentioned above is the reason I still love my job today!

Seasonal

Attitude of Gratitude

November 7, 2018

November is upon us, which means Thanksgiving is right around the corner. A customary practice around the turkey table is to say what you are thankful for, but what happens if this was extended to a year-round practice? Practicing gratitude can make you a happier person this month and beyond.

Fifty-two percent of women and 44 percent of men express gratitude on a regular basis according to an infographic on The Muse. People who are grateful tend to be more satisfied and have more self-control – which could be key as holiday treats start to roll into the office this time of year.

Speaking of the office, according to a study done by Harvard Medical School, managers who remember to say “thanks” may find that employees feel motivated to work harder. It has also been shown that gratitude is more motivating than money. Gratitude is contagious, so practicing gratitude at work will help create a corporate culture of thanks.

Thanks can be given in a multitude of ways. You can stop by a coworker’s desk and say thanks for help on a project or send a friendly email. If you want to go old school, drop a handwritten note on someone’s desk.

To become more grateful yourself, keep a gratitude journal starting now. Write down three things every night that you were thankful for during the day. The key to this practice is two things: be specific and keep writing for more than 5 days. When journaling, do not just say “I’m thankful for my family or my job”, get down to the nitty-gritty and cite specific people or things that you appreciated that day.

If writing is not your thing, try a gratitude meditation. Never meditated before? Not to worry, take 10 minutes and try this guided gratitude meditation. It will lead you through every step of the way.

Need more ideas on how you can become more grateful at work or home? Here’s 10 ways to become more grateful. We are grateful for our clients and candidates not just this season but all year long!

Customer Experiences

Candidate Profile: Liz Noel

Susie McKenna

October 8, 2018

When the company Liz Noel worked for ceased operations back in 2013, she was immediately thrust into the job market seeking new employment. Her previous experience included a multitude of administrative and office management skills and her positions had all been in the marketing arena including a production house and advertising agency. Thinking a staffing agency may be beneficial to her search, Liz checked out online reviews of multiple agencies. She liked what others had to say about That’s Good HR and decided to throw her hat into the ring by sending her resume to the office.

Her resume was received and reviewed by Lindsey Curtis, who Liz now refers to as her “go-to-gal”. Liz’s first assignment was in a new industry for her – an engineering firm. Liz describes herself as a “lifelong learner” so she was excited and energized about the new industry.

After completing her temporary assignment downtown covering part of a maternity leave, Liz had the opportunity to move to the north side and take on a long-term assignment. As she is a naturally curious person who enjoys talking with others, she decided to take the time and get to know several people in various departments at her new company, realizing everyone had something different to teach her. In addition, even though she was a temporary employee she was given the opportunity to participate in many company-provided training sessions, and she took advantage of these classes to increase her knowledge and advance her career skills.

Temporary assignments were appealing to Liz as it gave her a chance to learn so much every day, meet new people and be introduced to so many interesting industries. She now works at a local startup company, where she began as a temporary employee. At the beginning of the assignment, not only was she a temporary employee, but the person she reported to daily happened to also be a temporary employee. As the company grew, she has had the rare opportunity to work on multiple sides of the business, ranging from finance to marketing to technical support, before landing her current permanent role.

Liz loves meeting new people and clearly does not mind a challenge. Working with That’s Good HR has surpassed her expectations and she’s thrilled that she had Lindsey to shepherd her through every step of her journey. Liz thinks working on contract is a two-way street and the perfect way to ensure that you are good fit at the company, and that the company is a good fit for you too.

Her advice for new temporary employees is to keep an open mind, as you never know where a temporary assignment might lead. Liz is living proof of that!

Customer Experiences

Candidate Spotlight: Shatalya Fields

Susie McKenna

July 26, 2018

When Shatalya Fields and her entire department got laid off, she did not know where her next job would be. She had served in the Air Force for five years and after leaving the military she had worked in several positions – from leasing agent to cashier – but was eager to start a career. She had dabbled in healthcare, accounting and insurance positions and thought that one of those avenues would be the best fit for her talents.

While job searching she talked with one of her former coworkers, who also had been laid off. Her friend suggested she call That’s Good HR. Shatalya reached out and was introduced to one of our staffing specialists, Kate Stephens. Kate immediately recognized Shatalya’s skills and great attitude and sent her resume to one of That’s Good HR’s clients.

Shatalya was hired for a cash applications position and after her temporary assignment ended, she was hired on full time. She continued in that position for a bit and then started to look for a different position in order to grow in her career. Seeing a position that peaked her interest with another staffing agency, Shatalya applied. She got the job but after working at the company she did not feel it was a good fit for her – the energy was all wrong. Realizing her error, she quickly contacted Kate again to see what jobs were currently available with That’s Good HR.

Kate placed her at a client around the corner from the That’s Good HR office in an accounting role. Shatalya now plays a key role handling ACH payments, making adjustments, and balancing the general ledger for a major Indianapolis company. She has an amazing, supportive boss who supports Shatalya’s career goals. She is on a management track now and in two to three years is poised to take over her department.

As an employee on track for management, Shatalya is now sitting in on interviews for new employees. Her best advice for interviewees? Ask questions at the end of the interview. She recommends asking at least two questions (make sure to prepare ahead of time). Asking questions shows the hiring manager how interested you are in the job. She also recommends being truthful and open in your interview. Being honest about her past experience of being laid off is one of the many reasons she has the job she does today. Shatalya is now learning so much and is on the path to become an incredible manager at her current company.

So, what are you waiting for? Start your career today by calling That’s Good HR. Whether it’s Kate or one of our other awesome recruiters that helps you out you’ll be on the path to success in no time!

About TGHR

What Do Employees Value?

Mary Springer

Partner

May 10, 2018

Recently, That’s Good HR was recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Indiana. In fact, in the small business category That’s Good HR took home the fourth-place spot. To say we were thrilled to be in the Top 5 the first time we applied for the award is an understatement. But we don’t share our accolade to brag, but rather to share how to build a corporate culture that matters to your employees.

That’s where it starts – with your employees. And the number one thing you can do to make a difference in your corporate culture is to ask your employees what matters to them. Multiple industry studies cite better health/dental/vision insurance as the number one benefit an employee looks at when choosing a job. Can you make changes to your health benefit package that would help your employees?

Or perhaps your employees would rather a benefit that helps them achieve a better work-life balance like flexible hours or the ability to work remotely. Once again, you won’t know until you ask them. Is unlimited vacation time the answer? According to the Society of Human Resources (SHRM) only 1 – 2% of companies offer unlimited vacation time, therefore this may be a way to stand out from other companies in your industry.

Other benefits that employees value include tuition assistance, free/paid gym membership, employee outings such as lunches and team building events. For us at That’s Good HR, there’s a combination of benefits that our employees value – the key is finding out what works for your company. One of the advantages of participating in a program like the Best Places to Work, is participating companies, no matter what their rank, get a detailed report of what their employees value and what areas need some work. This can provide company leadership with a road map for future policies and updates.

Want to know more about our company culture and how we can help you find great employees who will love working for you? Contact us today, we are happy to share our experience with you.

Job Advice

The Art of the Thank You Note

Madison Schacht

Manager of Talent Acquisition

April 26, 2018

You don’t have to be an Emily Post etiquette expert to know it’s a great idea to send a thank you note after an interview. Whether your interview was face-to-face or via phone, sending a thank you note as soon as you can is a best practice.

Sending a note gives you another opportunity to emphasize what most excites you about the position, including details that you learned in the interview. It also shows initiative and can demonstrate that you are good with details and follow through (especially important if that’s key to the position).

So, what should it say? For starters, address the thank you note – or thank you email – to the name of the person who interviewed you. If you were interviewed by more than one person then send a note to each person. Emailing the note is acceptable, especially since jobs in this tight labor market are moving quickly.

Next, express your gratitude for the interviewer taking their time to get to know you. Then, include some details of your conversation, which shows you were being attentive and gives you a chance to showcase some of your strong skills that would be a benefit in the position.

Finally, close out the note with a final word of thanks and sign your name. If it’s an email, consider adding your phone number under your name for quick reference.

It is best to send the note as soon as possible, in the same day as your interview occurs if possible. That way the interviewer knows that you are interested in the position and hopefully it will help them come to a decision sooner.

A thank you note is the perfect way to communicate to the hiring manager that you are a solid applicant and that you are enthusiastic about the potential opportunity.

Sample thank you note:

Dear Jan,

Thank you so much for taking the time to discuss your opening for a customer service representative today. I am very interested in this opportunity.

I really enjoyed what you shared about your company culture and I can see myself contributing to the team. My database experience would be a real asset in this position.

Thank you again for your time, please let me know if there is any additional information I can provide to help in your decision.

Warmest Regards,

Madison

Tips

Goal Setting: New Year, New You!

Kate Stephens

January 18, 2018

New year, new you, right? With the dawn of 2018, January is ripe for setting goals that you want to accomplish by the year’s end. But what makes a good goal and how do you reach them?

Be SMART! Goals should be smart. As in S.M.A.R.T., which stands for a goal that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time- bound. Sounds simple, but is it? It can be if you focus on exactly what you want to achieve, hence where the specific comes in. Making the goal measurable will let you know when you have achieved the goal you have set for yourself. You want to set goals that are achievable in your time frame and that are important to you. Accomplishing a goal will make you more likely to set another to take its place. Want to dive into SMART goals? Check out this link.

Write it down. After you’ve done the work to craft your goal (or goals), the next step is to write it down. Committing to it on a sheet of paper, helps you stay focused on what you want.

Sharing is caring. Care enough about your goal and share it with others. This helps keep you accountable and headed in the right direction.

Set a system. Another way to approach making improvements is to commit to a particular process, instead of creating goals. Some, like this author, argue that committing to a goal leads to unhappiness with what you currently have. Instead, try committing to a process or a system that will lead to a change in the long run. This way you have set yourself up for success along the way to improvement.

Create a plan of attack. Just simply stating something, unfortunately doesn’t make it come true. Although it can be helpful to put something out into the universe, you need to devise a way that you are going to get there whether it’s a system or another type of plan – do what works for you.

Pop the bubbly. It’s important to celebrate your successes to keep you motivated to create a new goal to take its place. Your celebration can be a simple reward, like treating yourself to a coffee or a great dinner. Or maybe just an hour by yourself to relax and reflect on a job well done.

What are your goals in 2018? Let’s TGHR know if they include a career change, we’re ready to help!