NEWS AND ARTICLES

The Colorado Staffing Association would like to invite you to attend a presentation hosted by UHY, a trusted Industry Partner.

Certain provisions of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act are set to expire at the end of 2025.  These changes, along with bonus depreciation phase-outs and changes to Section 174 will have a major impact on taxpayers and businesses.

Join UHY for our Annual Tax Update as we update you on the looming changes, share the best tax planning strategies and help you capitalize on tax deductions and credits.

Learning Objectives:  At the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• Understand how recent tax legislation will affect their business and individual taxation.
• Hear more about deductions that you may be missing out on.
• What tax changes are expected going forward.

UHY Presenter(s):

Paul Truber, Managing Director

Chris Oliva,  Managing Director

Registration Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8584601295555398496

By Mandy Wittschen

If your staffing and recruiting firm is like most, you invest a ton of money driving employers and job seekers to your website.

Sadly, most of those site visitors (up to 95%!) leave without ever taking a single action:

• They don’t apply for a job.
• They don’t opt into automated job alerts.
• They don’t request talent.
• They don’t fill out a form for salespeople or recruiters to follow up on.
• They don’t refer a friend to you for employment.
• They don’t subscribe to your newsletter or blog RSS feed.
• They don't inquire about staffing services.

All of these things are types of conversion: taking a desired action that drives them further down your sales or recruiting funnel. And every time a site visitor leaves without converting, you lose job candidates and sales leads.

Definition of CRO

CRO, or Conversion Rate Optimization, is the process that helps you increase the number of website visitors who convert (i.e., perform a desired action). The formula for calculating it is straightforward: # of visitors who convert/total # of website visitors x 100.

At a fundamental level, CRO requires an understanding of:

• Drivers: What brings people to your site?
• Hooks: What persuades visitors to act?
• Barriers: What stops people from converting and/or causes them to abandon your site?

Optimizing your site for conversion is all about improving drivers and hooks, while minimizing barriers.

Barriers: What gets in the way of conversion?

People's attention spans are short. If they don't find what they need quickly, and if you don't make it extremely easy for them to take action, they'll leave (can you blame them?).

When it comes to staffing websites, what are the biggest barriers to conversion?

1. Crappy design. If your site looks old, or if the look doesn’t match the words, people won’t trust you.
2. Confusion. The phrase "you confuse, you lose" is especially relevant when it comes to converting website visitors. Make sure your site clearly explains: What does your company do? How do you do it? Can you do it for me? Am I in the right place? What action should I take?
3. Lack of clarity (in the copy, navigation and/or CTAs). Be clear. Be direct. Don’t use jargon your audience won't understand. Make the desired action easy to understand - and to take.
4. Requiring users to jump through too many hoops (e.g., using an online application that takes 25 minutes to complete).
5. Bad copy. Copy that’s too long, too salesy or contains too much hype/empty promises just turns people off.
6. Inability to respond on any device (your website's buttons and forms must look great and perform flawlessly on desktop, mobile, tablet, etc.).
7. No offer. Or no clear offer. Or no compelling offer.
8. Offers that require a high emotional commitment. People resist doing something that feels scary to them. For example, submitting a resume might induce anxiety for some job seekers; they might want to speak with a recruiter first to learn more about the job before committing. Or an employer might not want to schedule a workforce consultation because they’re afraid they’ll look foolish or that they don’t know how to staff their own department.
9. Lack of social proof. Employers and job seekers want to do business with firms they trust – and they trust what others say about you more than what you say yourself. If reviews, testimonials, or logos of companies you work with aren't displayed prominently on your site, you're missing huge opportunities for building trust (and driving conversion).

So...how well is your site converting? What's working well – and what needs to be optimized? If you could use a hand sorting this all out, we have a great offer for you:

Get a Free Staffing Website Performance Review

If you want to attract, convert, and retain more employers and job seekers, let Haley Marketing’s experts perform a free CRO audit. We'll review your messaging. Your calls to action. Your site navigation. And provide practical, specific ideas for improving response. And it's free! Get your website CRO review here

Over the last few years, the labor market has been unlike anything we have seen. The influx of remote work due to COVID-19 and an increased emphasis on flexibility and work-life balance sparked a mass exodus of employees seeking more favorable employment arrangements that came to be known as The Great Resignation. Recruiting and talent retention were at the top of every business's priority list, and companies needed help to keep their top talent, constantly fearing losing them to the next highest bidder.

For as long as we can remember, there were many more open positions than there were people to fill them. So when they came to the negotiation table, employees and job seekers held leverage over employers and could keep high expectations for their next role. Recruiting teams and leadership have been scrambling to address recruiting strategies and talent retention programs to become more creative to show appreciation to current employees and fill new roles.

Since then, there have been sustained interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve in the ongoing battle against inflation, a short-term banking crisis, and the continued deterioration of financial market conditions on a national and global scale in some regards. And even despite those factors, the labor market remained relatively resilient, and some believe that a strong labor market keeps us from entering a recession. The tide is turning, and employers are beginning to regain leverage in the recruiting war.

Data shows fewer quitters and fewer job openings

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, both the rate of job openings and people leaving their jobs have declined since Q4 2022. Year over year, although a small sample size for 2023, the quits rate is down considerably from nearly three percent to much closer to two. Another key statistic that could be a factor in the decreasing quit rate is that the percentage of salary increases for job changes is at its lowest rate since the start of The Great Resignation in 2021.

Variable conditions between industry, sector

While The Great Resignation seems to be ending for remote, white-collar jobs in many sectors, opportunities still exist in blue-collar jobs and other sectors. For example, the quit rates for finance, information, and insurance were all well below the average of 2.5%. At the same time, sectors like food service, leisure and hospitality, trade, transportation and utility, and professional and business services were all higher than 2.5% and, in some cases, closer to 4%.

The numbers also vary by geographic location; in the Northeast, the quit rate was 1.9% in March, the Midwest and West were much closer at 2.4% and 2.3%, respectively, and the South was a whopping 3%. Many factors and variables must be considered, but business leaders must keep an eye on the market because we have seen how quickly it can turn.

Demand for skilled accountants and finance positions remains high despite hiring slowdown

Credentialed professionals from various accounting and finance areas are one niche where our team still sees significant demand and open positions. The nature of these positions and the technical expertise required continues to be a challenging area for companies to address, even as there is a pronounced slowdown in hiring.

Awareness and agility key to navigating dynamic market

Experts warn that while employers are regaining leverage, they must be cautious and adjust recruiting and talent retention strategies accordingly to avoid facing the same issues that came with The Great Resignation. Even though the quit rates are down from what we have been experiencing, they remain above pre-pandemic levels, leading some to opt for the term "The Great Rebalancing" over "The Big Stay."

No matter what term you choose to categorize the latest trends in the jobs market, employers in certain sectors can breathe a temporary sigh of relief that they won't be dealing with extreme turnover and rejected offers from prospective candidates, at least in the short-term.

With the frequent changes and dynamic nature of the labor market, it can be challenging for leadership to know where to begin when filling a vacant position. This is amplified in the search for qualified accounting and finance professionals.

UHY has helped companies for over 20 years by providing top candidates for interim positions, project consultants, and permanent placement. Uniquely positioned as part of a global CPA and consulting firm, we operate in the same field of finance and accounting, internal audit, tax, and treasury, working alongside other accomplished professionals. Building and nurturing these relationships can yield top talent not readily identified by other standard recruiting tactics.

The Real Secret to Content Marketing Success: Clicking Publish Is Just the Beginning

By Brad Bialy

It's easy to think that simply publishing your content is enough to attract and retain an audience. However, the truth is that the real work begins after hitting "publish." In a recent episode of InSights, the leading podcast for staffing leaders and recruiters, Matt Lozar and I discussed the importance of repurposing content, reusing it, and getting it in front of more people to help businesses grow (in fact, I’m applying many of the principles in this article).

Here's a recap of key takeaways from this episode:

Reuse, Repurpose, Redistribute

Great content can't just be released once and forgotten about. We need to reuse it. We need to repurpose it. We need to redistribute it. We need to get it in front of more people. That's because if you create 50 pieces of content in a year, a few will stand out. So, the goal is to take the best-performing content and reuse it in different ways, on different platforms.

What Is Your Goal?

Matt Lozar weighed in on the importance of tracking the right metrics to determine success.

"What is the ROI of our initiative? What are we trying to achieve by these social posts, by this email campaign, by this direct mail campaign? What are we trying to achieve? Is it likes on Facebook? No, maybe it's applications; it's actual job orders. It's contact form submissions. We need to understand what the number is that we're going to look at to dictate success," he said.

A Lesson in Content Marketing From Country Music

One of the most significant examples of repurposed content in recent memory comes from Warren Zeiders, who put out 15 videos through TikTok, all using the same sound. The goal being to expose a massive TikTok audience to his new single, "Pretty Little Poison."

The number one video had 1.4 million views, while the lowest had 177,000. However, Zeiders and his team were not afraid to press "Publish" despite the disparity.

Whether you’re in the music or the staffing industry, we as marketers don't know what our audience is going to love. We can look at research, we can look at data, we can factor in some other things, but at the end of the day, we don't know what's going to resonate.

Bearing this in mind, how can your staffing or recruiting firm make the most of your content?

Five Content Marketing Lessons for Staffing Firms

1.       Reuse the best-performing content in different ways and on different platforms.

2.       Understand the metrics that matter and use them to dictate success.

3.       Don't be afraid to press "Publish." You never know what will resonate with your audience.

4.       Look at research and data, but also trust your instincts.

5.       Reframe successful content in new ways to keep it fresh and relevant.

Matt and I want to stress that creating content is only half the battle. Repurposing, redistributing, and reframing that content differently are the keys to success. Clicking “Publish” isn't the end. It's really just the beginning.

Ensure everyone in your organization views content creation as an ongoing process rather than a one-and-done deal. By repurposing content, tracking the right metrics, and trusting your instincts, your staffing or recruiting firm can attract and retain a loyal audience.

Need a world-class content and digital marketing system?

Our solutions make it easy to drive staffing sales and recruiting. Check out our Digital Marketing Bundles or contact a marketing educator today.

News from our Partner and Silver Sponsor, UHY LLP

UHY Releases 2023 Middle Market Survey Trends Report

The 2023 UHY Middle Market Survey Trends Report polled over 250 executives across the public and private middle market to identify key performance successes, challenges and priorities businesses may experience throughout 2023.

Key findings include:

• Companies are experiencing more post-pandemic growth than expected, with most returning to pre-pandemic growth trajectories and higher in some cases. While it is a positive sign to see that companies have rebounded from the shock of the pandemic, business owners will not have much time to rest on their laurels as new challenges are rapidly approaching and existing threats continue to impact operations.

• Heavy focus on growth, process improvement, and becoming more efficient. The advent of automated business processes supplemented by artificial intelligence is not fully realized, but companies are recognizing the importance of embracing technology and considering its role in helping business owners improve efficiency.

• The importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy implementation should not be understated. Strategic deployment of ESG initiatives is still in its infancy. The adoption of ESG criteria is not currently a major component of overall business strategy. As we move forward, companies may find themselves scrambling to put a strategy in place as uniform reporting standards are established or required.

•  Companies must improve their recruiting strategies to remain competitive for top job candidates. Existing employees should not be overlooked and are key players when looking to improve retention. The Great Resignation has completely reshaped the way potential employees approach the process of finding a job. More value has been placed on diverse workplaces, flexibility, feeling valued, expanded benefits, and more, beyond better compensation. Businesses will have to adjust to stay relevant.

• Significant barriers to digital transformation still exist, but companies are more interested in exploring it as a part of their strategy. There are countless benefits to adopting digital transformation, but companies are having trouble assessing their own needs and, in turn, having trouble selecting a partner for implementation. Companies must look deep within their processes and current technology capabilities to confidently identify those needs so they can select the right partner. Resisting change may only leave them further behind.

• Most companies turn to a combination of internal IT resources and third-party vendors to manage cyber risk. With increased connectivity comes vulnerability. Having a cyber assessment conducted by a third-party vendor can expose vulnerabilities never imagined and can also help you manage other cybersecurity components beyond the scope of your internal IT function. Tightening up cyber policies will be a key component of risk management. Cyber breaches could be lethal for any company, and the attacks are only becoming more sophisticated.

• COVID-19 and hyperinflation cause the most angst for business owners, but there are countless other concerns on their radars. COVID-19 and hyperinflation were at the top of the list, but there are important lessons to be learned from both of these issues. In addition, the risk of recession, rising interest rates, climate change, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and increased hawkishness by the Fed are also areas of major concern.

• Businesses are plagued by a multitude of supply chain issues. Looking beyond the first tier to the second or third may reveal some weak points in a business’s supply chain. A comprehensive evaluation of the supply chain may allow a business to identify those weaknesses and make improvements to prepare for future issues.

UHY is one of the nation’s largest professional services firms providing audit, tax, consulting and advisory services to clients primarily in the dynamic middle market. We are trailblazers who bring our experience from working within numerous industries to our clients so that we can provide them a 360-degree view of their businesses. Together with our clients, UHY works collaboratively to develop flexible, innovative solutions that meet our clients’ business challenges.  Visit us at https://uhy-us.com/.

To download the full report, please click here: 

https://uhy-us.com/insights/2023/february/2023-middle-market-survey-trends-report