I experienced the best introduction to Avionté Staffing Software. I have been with Avionté for about a month, and much discussion concerned the Year End Party. “Katherine make sure you are free January 21, you do not want to miss this!”  The stories I heard about the past year’s party only added to my anticipation and excitement; hypnotists, dancing, coveted prizes, tigers (only kidding) and lots of dancing.

I am the sales and marketing assistant and part of my responsibilities include event planning and party prep. So the couple of weeks before the big event were spent covering every aspect of the Year End party in great detail. We needed prizes, games, munchies, transportation, name tags, booze (and lots of it), music (the Avionte band debut), and surprises! After all that planning and buying we pulled it off.

We held our gathering at the Dakota Lodge in West St Paul. The Dakota Lodge was a quintessential place to host a party. The night started off with a cocktail hour and many introductions. Just to put it in perspective, Avionte hired about 25 employees in the past year. Our Year End party guest list was double that of the previous year. After some initial mingling, everyone took their seats for dinner and a short presentation by our CEO, John Long. One of the best surprises of the night was the revealing of Operation See-A-Need, which was the launch of our Charitable Arm, The Avionté Hope Foundation. That topic deserves a blog all to itself!

We catered in dinner, enjoyed cocktails, played some highly competitive yet socially awkward team games, raffled prizes, listened to the Avionté band (New Order Wizard and the Worker Comp Claims), danced and sang.  While all of that made for a great party, it was really the amazing group of people that came together to celebrate what they had accomplished as a team over the past year that really made the night special.  There was camaraderie within this company that I had never experienced before in my previous positions and it was truly amazing to be a part of it.   Here’s to an amazing 2011 and looking forward to all that 2012 has to bring!

Avionté, a rapidly growing staffing technology firm, is seeking a dynamic, high energy Customer Care Rep.  Avionté’s Customer Care department provides exceptional customer service and support of our proprietary software system to our nationwide client base.

Avionté is a firm believer that our most important asset is our customers.

Customer Care Department Responsibilities/Specializations:

The customer care team has many facets and variety allowing individual team members to focus in specific areas.

• Customer Care/Account Management: you will be in charge of managing customer relationships with our clients that utilize our proprietary software.  From providing regular check-in calls to assisting with development requests or customizations, you will be their main point of contact.
• External & Internal Training:  this position requires the aptitude to learn a comprehensive software inside and out.  This department provides training on work flow, processes, new functionality, etc. to internal employees as well as external customers.
• QA: as we are constantly developing and improving the software, new functionality is always being added or changed.  This position will be responsible for driving quality assurance and testing functionality to increase efficiency and usability with version releases.
• Documentation:  Updating and maintaining documentation for the software.
• 3rd Party Integrations:  We integrate and partner with many other industry vendors to bring further efficiencies to our clients.  Relationships with industry vendors need to be maintained as well as future endeavors and customizations with other 3rd parties.
• Overflow Implementation & Sales:  As we are experiencing tremendous growth as a company, there will often be times where other departments need additional resources.  Avionté operates as a team and it will be expected that everyone steps in to ensure the best possible experience for our clients and prospective clients.   The Customer Care department has a great depth of knowledge and will be asked to use this at times to assist with sales demonstrations and implementation support services.

Skills/Qualifications:

• Staffing Industry experience (3-5 years)
• Extremely detailed oriented and very organized
• Great multi-tasking and follow-up
• Ability to work and thrive in a fast paced environment
• Bring an enthusiastic energy, drive to create lasting relationships
• Technical aptitude and motivation to learn a comprehensive software program
• Bachelor’s degree
• Previous account management experience a bonus but not required
• Excellent customer service skills, written and verbal communication skills

Perks:

• Work for a high growth, energetic organization
• Competitive benefits including retirement plan, company paid health insurance and profit sharing
• Work with others that share your drive and commitment for excellence
• A career with extreme advancement opportunities that will take you as far as you want to go!

Avionté is based in Eagan, Minnesota.  While there are other offices nationwide, the candidate must work from the Eagan, MN office.  This position is not ideal for timid, measured, slow thinking, coasting individuals.  This position is hard, fast and intense but also very rewarding.  If you currently are employed with one of our customers, we will require approval from the company before we could officially offer you the position.

Please email your cover letter and resume along with salary requirements.

Section 179 Deduction limit increased to $500,000 for the 2011 tax year

Section 179 of the IRS tax code allows businesses to deduct the full purchase price of qualifying equipment (including staffing software) purchased or financed during the tax year. This means if you buy (or lease) a piece of qualifying equipment, you can deduct the FULL PURCHASE PRICE from your gross income.

So, if you’ve been thinking of making a change, you won’t want to miss out on this significant tax savings.

Simplify your Year End Process- Online printing and reprinting of W2′s
What is it costing you in resources and product to print, mail, re-print and in many cases re-print W2′s? Allowing your employees to access and print their own paystubs and W2′s, not to mention the ability to re-print those W2′s for years to come, equates to an enormous cost savings for staffing firms.

Set the stage for the company you want to have in 2012
Have you already started thinking about what you want to change for 2012? How you want to improve your business, become more profitable, change processes to be more efficient, be more competitive and set the stage to become a leader in your market? Does your current software provide you the tools needed to make all of that happen and truly make a change in the right direction for 2012? If not, it could be time to re-evaluate. 

To learn more about Avionte Staffing Software, please give us a call at 651-556-2121 or send an email to info@avionte.com

MNRSA is dedicated to giving back to the communities in which our members own and operate their businesses. This winter we are collecting clean, gently used coats as part of the One Warm Coat community service project, and we need your help!

All of the coats collected will be donated to local individuals in need to ensure that nobody in the communities where we work has to go without such a basic necessity as a warm coat this winter.  Coats of all sizes are welcome, and coats for elementary aged children and men were identified as a specific need in our community this year. Hats, mittens and scarves are also needed and gratefully accepted.

Avionté Staffing Software has set up a drop box in our office to collect donations through January 6, 2012.  

Please stop in to drop off a coat to help keep another person warm this winter.
1270  Eagan Industrial Road  Suite 150  Eagan, MN 55121

Is it possible to create a report that will not only help your staffing company improve sales and service, but save you nearly $100,000 a year at the same time?  The answer is yes!  BONNEY Staffing Center is Maine and New Hampshire’s largest independently owned and operated staffing company.  One of the many ways it maintains the high level of service the company is so well known for is through ongoing follow-up and onsite visits that keep them connected with current clients. 

Read about how BONNEY took advantage of the Avionte Staffing Software reporting features to save the company a substantial amount of money each year while continuing to provide top quality service to its clients and employees.  FULL CASE STUDY

Well that might be a little bit of an overreaction since they do have some use like leaving funny notes for your co-workers.  They are pretty good for brainstorming new ideas too.  However, they have lost their place at the table when it comes to tracking job orders.

It doesn’t surprise or even amaze me to hear that very successful staffing and recruiting companies are still using whiteboards to monitor jobs, candidates and statuses.  What does surprise me is the inability to even think about letting it go!  A few months back I was onsite with a company and spotted the whiteboard.  I had to fight the urge to walk over and erase the board with all of its detailed information.  Each of the staffing specialists and recruiters could find the exact same information on their computer screen.  So why is it so hard to let go?

Staffing, as any other industry has processes, procedures or even tools that have worked well in the past.  If something is working why change it?  Well how about productivity and profitability?  Yes I have touted both of these in many of my ramblings, but how productive is it for you or your staff to write or change information about a job order or a candidate on a board?    And how profitable is it for you to not know exactly what is going on with each order?  Can you track time to fill or sources methods from a board?  How about the dollars lost on duplication of work?  Unless you have an amazing white board that is linked to your staffing software, the information is going nowhere.  Just because it used to work does not mean there is a better way to do something.  Companies that have the ability to quickly change and adapt to new technology are generally the ones still standing during tough times because they have learned how to do more with less.

Cons of using a whiteboard:

• Double work.  Writing it on a board and then entering it into your staffing software.
• Time for someone to write it all out. (If you are still using this method, do a time study for one week how much time is being spent writing, erasing, adding, etc.)
• Who else can see this information?  I certainly would not want my name being broadcast to everyone who walked into the office (most of the whiteboards I have seen are in plain view)
• Divulging who your job orders are for.  I’ve mentioned before that applicants are smart, if they think they can go directly to the source, they will.
• Difficult to get metrics and reports from a whiteboard.
• No audit trail.

I could go on and on with the cons of using a whiteboard, but I think you get my point.  It’s a lot of work for something that really isn’t going to offer much in return.

Pros of using a whiteboard:

• Everyone can see what orders you have, and I mean everyone.

I’m sure there are a few more pros, but I think our time will be better served talking about making the switch.

The biggest opposition that I have heard about letting go of the whiteboard is the motivation factor.  Many of the supporters state the whiteboard motivates them and it’s fun to get up and erase a job order that has been filled.  Or it’s exciting to see how many orders have come in during the day.  My response – dashboard.  With Avionté each user has counters to see new orders that have come in, new applicants or even applicants who are available today.  Want a little more information?  An integration with Qlikview offers a higher level dashboard to see in real time what is happening in each location.  Even better, reports can be generated in real time to fully understand what is going on with a specific branch or even customer.  Can your whiteboard do that?

Although I would like to see everyone who is reading this article jump up and remove their whiteboard, that simply is not going to happen.  When it comes to change management, baby steps are always best.  Talk with your staff as to why they are continuing to duplicate work.  You will then need to address their need to see a visual on the wall of this information.  Often times it is a lack of understanding of their software.  In the case of Avionté

it is very easy to see all the open job orders and who is available to fill them.  When a job order is filled, it simply drops off the list.  No need to get up and erase it (and risk getting marker on the side of your hand!)

One of the biggest hurdles will be the level of comfort.  Very few people embrace change quickly.  If they have worked in staffing for many years, this is comfortable to them.  Offer to have a push report created so each day at 4pm everyone in the branch or company receives an email with the key metrics for the day ie: new orders, new fills, resumes sent, interviews scheduled, etc.

Good luck to all in making the change! As always, I like to hear what is going on in your world.  Feel free to add a comment as to how you make the change over.

-Angela

by  Brenda Long

When you’re looking for a new technology solution that will essentially run the operations of your entire staffing business, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and caught up in the small details of it all.  What companies often lose sight of and many vendors are glad they do, is ask the very important big picture questions.

There are many more questions that need to be asked when making a staffing software purchase, but these 10 definitely shouldn’t be forgotten.

1. Upgrades: How often does your average client upgrade?  How long does it take to complete the upgrade?
2. Versions: How many different version of your software are in live use?  When was your last platform change for a major release?
3. Upgrade Costs: What costs are involved in upgrading?
4. Clients: How many clients have you lost in the last 12 months?  Why?  Who are they?
5. Data: If we are hosted, how difficult will it be for me to get my data if I leave?
6. Features: What happens if we need a new feature added to the software?
7. Price Increases: How often do you raise your prices?  When was your last increase and how much?  How much warning do you give before an increase?
8. Support: When I call support, do I get a live person or voice mail system?
9. Support Costs: How do you charge for routine support calls?  What is the average ‘extra’  monthly cost to clients besides contracted license fees and maintenance fees?
10. Company: How involved are the owners in the daily operations of the company?  What type of financial backing (VC/Private) does the company have?

Finally, the most important thing to do after you have asked these 10 questions….ask their current and former customers too.

I used to be quite particular with my staff when it came to posting jobs on the web.  Whether they posted it on our job portal or on an external site; this could very well be a first (and possibly last) impression to a prospective applicant or even customer.  Not only does it matter how the job is presented, it matters what information you are presenting.

Go ahead, take a look at your own postings and see if you spot any of the following:

One or two sentence descriptions.  I know it’s a posting for a TIG Welder and what you really want is to find someone with previous TIG experience.  However, the reader wants to know more about what it might be like to work for this particular company.  What kind of projects will they be working on, what type of benefits (other than traditional) might they expect?  Does this position have the possibility of going long term or even a direct hire?  Think about what is going to attract the right person that you want for the job.  I hear it all too often that people just “apply” to every open position.  Maybe you aren’t giving them enough to think about before applying?

Job Descriptions that are copied word for word from the client. First of all, I used to love this – on my competitors web sites.  Why?  I would simply take the first few lines, copy and put them in Google and search to see who they were recruiting for.  Next, I would call the client and see if I could work on the order.  Your professional level applicants are smart too; don’t think they aren’t trying to figure out who you are recruiting for.  We both know that an applicant would, in most cases, rather work directly with a client than go through a recruiter.  In most cases this is an applicant who is not aware of the many benefits of working with a recruiter.  In any case, try to use your own wording for the job description.

I thought about posting some samples, but then all of you would Google and see who it was, thus reveling the not so innocent.  So instead, take the time to check out your own postings.  Could they be better?  Are you attracting the right type of talent with your job postings?  What changes can you make right now?

Avionté, a staffing technology firm, is seeking a dynamic, high energy Technical Support Specialist. The Technical Support Specialist will be responsible for providing software and technical support to the existing client base. This includes researching issues, working with clients on the appropriate resolution, correcting technical issues and programming requested features.

What you will get to do:

• Maintain customer relationships through superior support and customer service
• Respond to calls and emails from current clients to prioritize, track, and resolve support issues
• Correct the issues and communicate resolution to the client
• Gain in-depth knowledge of the proprietary software system
• Assist in feature development utilizing SQL and C#
• Perform Software Upgrades to new versions
• Test new product features

Skills/Qualifications:

• SQL 2005/ T-SQL programming skill set
• Knowledge of C# programming and .Net 2.0 Framework
• 1 -2 years previous Help Desk experience
• Strong problem solving skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work in a fast paced environment
• Bachelor’s degree
• Excellent customer service skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Perks:

• High growth, energetic organization
• Work with others that share your same drive and commitment for excellence
• Significant opportunities for career advancement
• Competitive benefits including retirement plan and company-paid health insurance

Avionté is a fun, high-growth Technology Company based in Eagan, Minnesota. The company offers exciting opportunities for advancement and allows each employee to be intimately involved in the company’s growth and development. Utilizing the latest in Microsoft technology, Avionté offers a full suite of technology products to staffing firms across the country.

Tell us about what you have done!  Please include a quick introduction and responses to the following questions:

How many years of customer service experience do you posses?
Were your customers internal, external or both?
Tell us a little bit about your SQL and C# experience. What kind of projects have you worked on?
Rate your level of expertise with SQL and C# from 1-5 (5 being the highest).
What compelled you to apply for this position?
What are your salary requirements?

Please send us your cover letter, resume and salary expectations.

ASA Annual Convention and Expo

Staffing World 2011 is where the staffing industry’s top leaders join forces to focus on strategies for identifying and leveraging world-class business practices. It is also the world’s largest staffing industry marketplace, where you can explore the latest technologies, innovative products, and new services to help your firm keep its competitive edge.

Register today for Staffing World 2011, Oct. 11–14, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

ASA Releases Advance Program

In addition to the print Advance Program for Staffing World 2011, ASA has launched a digital edition on its new interactive publications platform, ASA Digital.

The Advance Program features all the information you need—including schedules and workshop descriptions. Plus, the digital edition gives readers one-click access to exhibitor information, makes it easy to share information via e-mail or on social networks, provides print options, and much more.

ASA Digital publications are also mobile-friendly. Using your smart phone’s browser, go to americanstaffing.net/digital.

Read the Staffing World 2011 Digital Advance Program