The webinar will be comprised of three cross-border experts, each of which will provide valuable insight and advice on the best ways to scale operations in America. Acara’s Managing Director, Peter Petrella, will offer an array of talent acquisition strategies designed to attract qualified candidates. Tronconi Segarra & Associates will be represented by David Lever, CPA, principal in the firm’s Cross-Border practice area, and Dan Spada, CPA, principal in the Client Accounting Services practice area.

“Our team at Acara Solutions is excited to join Tronconi Segarra & Associates to present this informational webinar,” said Peter Petrella. “Our comprehensive insight on effective talent acquisition and tax strategies will be valuable for Canadian-based companies as they look to establish a foothold in the United States.

To register for the webinar or learn more about the event, click here.

Interested in reading more from our team at Acara? Check out the blog on our website.

The post Cross-Border Expansion: Webinar Opportunity appeared first on Acara Solutions.

To guide leaders in helping their employees tap into their sense of purpose, we recently hosted the first episode in our Talent.ed webinar series. Michael De Guzman, a Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition at President’s Choice Financial and a widely recognized industry leader, joined our host, Spencer Greenwood, to discuss how an organization could come together in support of their employees during the pandemic.

If you missed the conversation, we’ve got you covered! Here are our webinar highlights, featuring four key takeaways that will help talent acquisition professionals lead through crisis:

Communication is key

Effective company leadership starts at the top, especially during COVID-19. Executive leadership teams were forced to come together and address their employees’ concerns at the start of the pandemic. As employees shifted to virtual workplace environments and took on new roles at the start of coronavirus’ spread, a brief period of chaos ensued as workers adjusted to their new circumstances. Businesses needed to tinker with different options to determine what was most productive for their teams. Many companies found success in holding daily conference calls to provide upper management with an opportunity to set the tone and establish goal-setting measures for the future. With clear and honest messaging and constant communication, companies were able to control their employees’ concerns and keep them motivated on crucial business tasks that were at hand.

Emphasize an “all-in-this-together” mentality

From company presidents and CEOs to entry-level workers, all employees were forced to make sacrifices at the start of the pandemic. As business needs shifted, workers were tasked with staying “on-the-clock” for longer periods of time to accomplish urgent assignments and other objectives. Organizations saw the need to pivot quickly and demonstrate unparalleled agility to remain successful. Many businesses scrapped KPIs and other performance measures and instead focused on a more team-oriented mentality to boost motivation and strengthen morale in their workforces. By working together as one, collective unit, some companies saw a huge increase in productivity and results.

Foster self-care

As employees faced mounting work pressures, they also were forced to handle the rising stresses caused by the pandemic. Leaders who chose to promote self-care and mental health often saw teams who were more motivated and focused. Encouraging employees to voice their feelings and open up about their pandemic experiences ultimately helped to foster a more inclusive working environment for many organizations. By leading with empathy, preaching positivity, and endorsing a healthy work-life balance, management teams proved that the safety and well-being of their employees were top of mind.

Help employees understand the “WHY”

For many frontline workers, the COVID-19 pandemic provided a one-of-a-kind opportunity to make a difference. From doctors and nurses to grocery store workers and sanitation employees, individuals from around the world made a positive impact on their communities during this time of crisis. Organizations that aided their employees in discovering a sense of purpose in their work lives motivated them to perform at a high level. By internalizing the positive impact that workers could have on society, companies helped give rise to heroism and selflessness at the perfect time.

To learn more about how you can help your employees to find their purpose, stay tuned for the next episode in our Talent.ed webinar series! Be sure to read Acara’s latest blog posts here.

If you have further questions from the webinar, connect with Spencer Greenwood, the webinar’s host, on LinkedIn. You can also reach out to our webinar’s featured guest, Michael De Guzman, on LinkedIn.

The post Webinar Highlights: How Finding Purpose Can Drive Teams to Success appeared first on Acara Solutions.

Earlier this month, I was pleased to join a panel of talent and recruitment professionals to speak at an event called “Building Skilled Talent” in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Alive with workshops, a trade show, and a panel discussion among industry leaders, the event spoke to the emerging talent needs of manufacturers in and around Mississauga.

Here is a quick recap of what we discussed and what we can do as HR, recruitment, and staffing professionals to meet the talent needs of our manufacturing communities—not just in Ontario—but across Canada and North America as well.

1. Improve the perception of manufacturing as a viable career path.

It is important that we work with grade schools, high schools, colleges, and universities to reinforce the benefits of studying, mastering, and pursuing careers in trades, such as manufacturing. Remember, college isn’t for everyone—nor should it be. Accentuating the importance of real-world skills in our schools will guide our more mechanically minded youths to explore viable job opportunities in manufacturing.

As Acara Senior VP of BD Chris Beckage points out in his article, “What Bypassing College Could Mean for Gen Z and Recruiters” published by Hunt Scanlon Media, younger people are beginning to set their sights on technical fields like programming, engineering, and robotics. As we continue to develop and promote these perspectives, we’ll be better positioned to fill critical positions in manufacturing and other similar industries.

Are you doing enough to partner with educational institutions in your community?

2. Successful companies must attract new and young talent.

It isn’t enough for kids to actively pursue careers in manufacturing. Employers must reciprocate by providing healthy, happy, and worthwhile opportunities for newer and younger talent to succeed at their businesses. So, how can they do it? Here are a few recommendations:

• Study industry trends to determine what people are looking for in an employer
• Use social media, video, and other channels to broadcast your brand
• Offer compensation that aligns with market averages
• Define compelling reasons a person should join your company
  • Culture
  • Company growth
  • Career advancement
  • Authentic voice for employees
  • Work/life balance
  • Purpose-driven mission
  • Opportunities for disruption

3. Identify hard-to-fill positions and upskill your staff.

The hardest-to-fill positions are skilled machine operators, machinists, millwrights, welders, and tool and die operators.

Why? Business owners and hiring managers are telling us that college graduates are not equipped with the practical skills and experience needed to perform these tasks. And because younger people are being persuaded to enter college, they are entering a supersaturated workforce of white-collar professionals. To make matters worse, older workers who do have the necessary skill sets are either retired or nearing retirement.

Successful companies realize this challenge or partner with staffing firms to implement strong succession plans. In some cases, employers are carrying an extra headcount to account for the time it takes to train and upskill employees.

What skills are most important to new hires in advanced manufacturing?

• Machining
• Fabrication
• Welding
• Tool and die operations
• Industrial mechanics
• PLC programming
• Adaptability (soft skill)
• Creativity (soft skill)
• Critical thinking (soft skill)

Related: Developing a Successful Workforce Upskilling Program

4. Mix in a fractionated HR solution to save time, money, and resources.

Many businesses become overwhelmed by the number of applications they get for a single position. In my work with Mississauga companies, a significant percentage of these applications are from applicants who do not possess the necessary qualifications. This can take up a lot of time for companies that have no HR Department to sift through applicants—especially small- and medium-sized business and family-run operations.

How can a fractionated HR solution be economical and help companies in this situation?

Look at the cost of having the position or positions vacant: the cost of allocating a manager to sift through resumes… the cost of time taken away from managing your operations… the cost of overtime needed to make up for the absence of production… the cost of working your employees too thin and its associated risk of missing deadlines.

Many companies are starting to understand that they need a talent solutions partner to source, screen, and present only the top profiles of high-quality candidates to optimize their hiring processes.

It’s also important to note that in many cases, the top candidate for the position isn’t the person who actively applied for the position. In today’s market, top candidates are already employed—they’re passive job seekers—they’re not even looking for new opportunities. That’s where Acara Solutions comes in. Our recruiters are trained to identify and generate interest from these candidates, and our ATS system allows us to automatically weed out profiles that do not meet your pre-set qualifications.

For more talent, staffing, and recruiting insights, connect with me on LinkedIn! Until then, learn more about how Acara Solutions can enhance your talent efforts at acarasolutions.com. And don’t forget to follow Acara on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram!

The post 4 Ways to Fill Jobs in Advanced Manufacturing appeared first on Acara Solutions.

The initiative will support job seekers who are facing hardships as they enter or re-enter the workforce. Our goal is to collect gently used clothing donations that will help people transition to new opportunities, build thriving careers, and achieve professional and personal success.

Acara Solutions will be spearheading the effort with friends and customers across our national network of locations with support from other Aleron companies.

To participate in the drive, contact an Acara Solutions location near you.

Dress for Success Donation Guidelines: Women’s gently used professional clothing

• Contemporary or seasonal clothing
• Nearly new clothing
• Shoes
• Handbags
• Accessories

Goodwill Donation Guidelines: Men’s gently used professional clothing

• Suits
• Sport coats
• Dress shirts
• Ties and accessories
• Sweaters
• Business casual pants
• Vests
• Dress shoes

Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Dress for Success has provided clothing, confidence, and career boosts to more than 1 million women around the world since 1997.

Goodwill helps people achieve their full potential through the dignity and power of work. This mission is accomplished through employment services, training programs, and affordable housing. The sale of donations enables the agency to offer a variety of employment and training services and the Goodwill Job Connection Centers provide free services to job seekers, helping them access resources and develop skills that can lead to greater employment success.

The post Acara Clothing Drive Kicks off in September appeared first on Acara Solutions.

Jobseekers today are dismissing employers that still rely on outdated processes and systems. According to recent industry surveys, 60% of candidates abandon complex online applications, 72% share bad experiences via social media and personal networks, and a whopping 85% will write an employer off completely if the candidate experience is lacking.

With the days of paper applications behind us, new technologies are paving the way for candidate experiences that are more personal, intuitive, intelligent, and engaging—experiences that mirror the ease, accessibility, and responsiveness we’ve grown accustomed to in other parts of our lives.

But improving candidate experience isn’t just about catering to jobseekers; it benefits the entire organization by reducing time-to-fill, lowering the cost per applicant, and giving back much-needed time to recruiting and human resources teams.

A better candidate experience also paints a clearer, more detailed picture of the candidates themselves. Innovative assessment and screening tools are growing in sophistication, offering employers and recruitment agencies a better understanding of candidates’ motivations, values, and work styles throughout the interview process. At a time when both jobseekers and companies are placing greater emphasis on cultural fit, these types of insights carry significant value.

In looking more closely at candidate experience, employers and staffing agencies also have a unique opportunity to affect social change. During his keynote address, noted disability rights advocate Dr. Richard Pimentel highlighted the importance of delivering a candidate experience that doesn’t overlook or neglect certain candidates. If companies truly want to attract the best, most qualified talent, they must offer a candidate experience that’s inclusive and accessible to all jobseekers.

Candidate experience has become a reflection of a company itself, and this trend is poised to continue as the discipline attracts more attention and investment. After all, when organizations invest in a better candidate experience, they’re investing in their greatest asset: people!

The post Lessons from the 2018 North American Candidate Experience Symposium appeared first on Acara Solutions.

Throughout the week, the Acara and Broadleaf teams spoke with and heard from a myriad of attendees who—like us—are determining the best paths forward in a labor market that’s evolving rapidly due to shifts in our business climate and the rise of new technologies.

Takeaway #1: Businesses of all sizes are feeling the impact of today’s tight labor market.

Many organizations are facing a conundrum that ten years ago would have seemed implausible: They need workers to meet growing demand for their products and services, while U.S. unemployment is at its lowest rate since 1969.

The tight labor market is not just a problem for local businesses; even some of the country’s largest companies are feeling the pressure. As one panelist put it, “The war for talent is over—talent won—now, we are in talent scarcity.”

To fill open jobs, businesses are exploring new talent acquisition models and strategies that leverage outside resources and technologies.

Takeaway #2: Middle-market companies, in particular, are seeking out MSPs to streamline and enhance hiring practices.

More so than organizations of other sizes, mid-market companies looking for managed service programs want customized solutions, outstanding customer service, and program teams that are highly qualified and experienced.

The largest firms offering MSPs can’t always deliver the white-glove approach and top-tier teams that midsized companies desire, leading to frustration and gaps between what was promised and what’s being delivered—but, at the same time, creating a niche for providers like Broadleaf that cater specifically to these types of clients.

Further, as much as businesses would like to manage their contingent workforces in-house, stakeholders recognize that they currently lack the expertise, experience, and bandwidth to do so properly. Partnering with outside firms to get programs up and running, then transitioning program management to internal resources, is a model that seems to be gaining steam.

Takeaway #3: Now more than ever, the staffing industry needs to bring new solutions to the table.

As organizations lean more heavily on outside firms to support their talent acquisition efforts, it’s vital that we continue offering new and innovative solutions that drive measurable results. It’s not enough to just maintain the status quo.

Outside resources must create value for their clients, bringing forth new ideas and solutions to deliver and manage qualified talent more efficiently and at a lower cost. To do this, we need to consider clients’ talent and workforce ecosystems holistically.

We cannot operate on an island, but instead should work closely with stakeholders to find process gaps and inefficiencies, and propose innovative ways to address them.

To learn more about talent and workforce solutions tailored to overcome today’s market challenges, contact Acara and Broadleaf today.

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Disruptive technologies are changing how consumers approach every day activities, from socializing and shopping, to traveling and exercise. Similarly, forward-thinking companies are adopting new data-driven tools to operate more efficiently. Within the human resources industry, technology aimed at streamlining talent acquisition processes and improving employee engagement is on the rise, with no signs of slowing down.

To stay on top of the latest trends, the Acara team headed to Las Vegas earlier this month for the 2018 HR Technology Conference & Exposition. Thought leaders and industry experts offered their insights on the evolution taking place in our field and its anticipated impacts, big and small. Below are a few key takeaways from the event:

Innovation is changing talent acquisition for the better

New technologies are not only streamlining processes to source, hire, and onboard the very best talent, they’re also providing us with unprecedented insights and data to help tackle these activities more effectively. For example, employers are increasingly concerned with finding candidates who will integrate well with existing teams and company cultures. As a result, we’ve seen more tools pop up that promise to gauge a candidate’s organizational fit.

We cannot lose sight of the jobseeker experience

Recruiters and HR professionals must continually evaluate and improve how they interact and engage with jobseekers. People today can order a pizza through a mobile app within seconds and track its progress until the moment it arrives at their door. The experience for jobseekers should be equally intuitive, quick, and communicative.

Employee expectations are changing

Employers that want to stay competitive must also be mindful of new and evolving employee expectations. Jobseekers aren’t just looking for opportunities for which they’re qualified and will be compensated fairly; they want a workplace that reflects their own values and beliefs. Company culture, organizational hierarchy, work-life balance, and opportunities for growth and development are critical factors that candidates weigh when seeking new roles.

Some tasks can’t be assigned to machines

Even as companies continue to embrace automation and artificial intelligence, some things still need a human touch. Skills like creativity (think: art director, choreographer), social perception (think: coach, mental health worker), and manipulation (think: chiropractor, oral surgeon) remain uniquely human—at least for now.

To explore how your business should be leveraging new technologies and trends to improve your HR functions, contact Acara today.

The post The 4 Key Takeaways from the 2018 HR Technology Conference & Exposition appeared first on Acara Solutions.

Conference attendees could choose to take plant tours across the city or listen in to one of several workshops on topics ranging from how to improve factory operations, to the various ways cybersecurity relates to manufacturing.

A popular and relevant topic discussed amongst attendees was the industry-wide current skills gap. This gap has become frustrating for organizations left wondering how the drought can be overcome.

According to manufacturers, the top three negative impacts of the skills gap rank as follows:

1) Ability to meet customer demand

2) Ability to invest in new technologies and increase productivity

3) Ability to provide effective customer service

Acara understands the impact this skills gap has on business, and specifically, within the manufacturing and technology industry. Our success with contingent and direct hire sourcing models in this industry encouraged us to attend and offer suggestions to the 1,800-plus conference registrants.

These three suggestions rank as important methods with which an organization can begin to close the gap.

Education:

• Scaling up training programs
• Providing opportunities to expose the upcoming workforce to manufacturing careers

Automation:

• The act of making tougher jobs simpler

Collaboration:

• Promoting manufacturing as a career path

If you’re experiencing this skills gap, discuss with your Human Resources department or Career Development staff, the importance of advertising the benefits of working within the manufacturing and technology industry. Another smart move is for companies to simplify job descriptions to instill confidence within those eager to begin a career. Both of these small suggestions make the industry appear more attractive and attainable to today’s workforce.

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Acara is excited to announce that it will be the presenting sponsor for Empire Genomics’ second annual Tee It Up For STEM golf tournament and dinner coming up on Monday, September 25^th. This will be the first year Acara is sponsoring the event, and we’re looking forward to participating in such a great cause benefitting students and our local economy.

Tee It Up For STEM was created to help benefit local students who one day wish to work in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) fields. As job markets like manufacturing, life sciences, and healthcare continue to grow in both demand and importance, Superior finds it critical to support these initiatives and do everything we can to help young, aspiring students accomplish their goals.

In the inaugural event last year, several students were awarded scholarships enabling them to participate in the Harvard HMX Fundamentals course. HMX certificate courses provide students with a foundational basis needed to hit the ground running in the next stage of their education and career.

The post Superior Tees It Up for STEM appeared first on Acara Solutions.

Five startups will be competing for a $20,000 grand prize at the 2017 Bright Buffalo Niagara Entrepreneur Expo, taking place today at Hotel Henry in Buffalo, NY.

The event features live pitches, both for the $20,000 grand prize and a $5,000 People’s Choice Award, a trade show providing the participating companies the opportunity to showcase their ideas and meet with potential mentors and investors, and keynote speaker Frans Johansson, renowned innovator and diversity expert.

Acara is proud to be a supporter of entrepreneurship in Western New York and is looking forward to participating in today’s event.

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