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Giant Container Ship Blocked Suez Canal!

Lisa Yannett Companies,Georgia Port,Jobs,Savannah Jobs,TWIC Comments Off

What an unbelievable story to hear about this giant container ship that blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week. This container vessel was carrying 18,300 containers of cargo. It is one of the largest container vessels and it ran aground on Tuesday after being lodged sideways across the waterway. I read that it cost the global economy an estimated $400 million dollars per HOUR?!?! Being in the port city of Savannah, this hits close to home. We see these container ships all the time coming in and out of our waterways. I also own a staffing company which works with many distribution centers who rely on these container ships to bring in their products. I am not sure if the Savannah Port was affected by this blockage but I know it hurt a great deal of the economy. Not exactly something we need anytime, but especially not in the middle of a pandemic.

At least 360 ships, carrying everything from cars to oil to grain, wait at the canal’s northern and southern entrances and an additional 300 ships were en route to the canal over the next two weeks. Some ships have already diverted to the African route. The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, making it the shortest maritime route to Asia from Europe. Since its completion in 1869, it has become one of the world’s most heavily used shipping lanes.

I will have to admit that I was not familiar with the Suez Canal. But it has been interesting to learn more about this because of where I live and my business. Thankfully the vessel was freed earlier today but I am wondering how long it will take the economy to recover from yet another misfortune?!? https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2021/03/26/how-evergreens-ship-got-stuck-in-the-suez-canal/7010375002/

Types of Warehouse Jobs

Lisa Yannett Job Search,Jobs,Uncategorized 3 Comments

When it comes to operating a distribution center or warehouse, it takes a lot of moving parts and people to keep things running smoothly. As a staffing agency that specializes in warehouse work, we are often asked what kinds of jobs we have available. Hopefully this list will help answer that question. Here are some of the common types of warehouse jobs that Horizon Staffing typically staffs.

General Labor

The most common warehouse job that Horizon Staffing fills is general labor. Responsibilities of a general laborer can include loading and unloading, picking and pulling orders, packing and fulfilling orders, and managing, retrieving and organizing stock. Responsibilities can vary based on the company, but these are just some of the general responsibilities.

Machine operator

There are several different types of machines that are essential to warehouse functions. Some include Stand-up forklifts, sit-down forklifts, and Electric Pallet Jacks (EPJ). These job positions often require the applicant to have relevant and recent machine operating experience, but some companies are willing to train a dedicated general laborer when it comes time hire a machine operator.

Stand-Up Forklift

Sit-Down Forklift

EPJ

Obviously, not all machines look the same. So, the forklifts pictured here might not be the ones our clients use in their warehouses, but these are the types of machines you will see in a warehouse.

These two positions – general labor and machine operator – are the main types of warehouse jobs that Horizon Staffing typically hires for.

Occasionally, we do get clients who are looking to fill administrative or supervisory positions. For individuals searching for these kinds of positions, we always recommend that the applicant complete the application process, even if we do not currently have a position available.

When we receive an order for a specialized position, we typically look within our database of applicants first. If we don’t find a qualified applicant in the database, then we list the position on different job boards. You may never know we were hiring for the position you were looking for if you aren’t in our database.

Are you looking for work? Our application is right here on our website! We hire in the Atlanta and Savannah areas.

How To Shine During an Interview

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The biggest mistakes that you can make in an interview are lying and not being yourself. Yes, your qualifications matter. But they don’t matter near as much as your authenticity. If you want to shine during an interview, you need to know and do these things.

Research:

We’ve said it before, and we will say it until the end of time. Do your research before you go into an interview. Research the company, its history, purpose, management, etc. Look up recent news articles about them and any press releases. Knowing your facts and being able to showcase that in the interview will give you so much confidence and help you put your best foot forward.

Practice

There are several common interview questions that you need to be prepared to answer. Those include things like “Tell me about yourself,” “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” and “Why do you want to work here?”

Practice your answers to these questions so that you aren’t spending the entire interview trying to think of answers. Just be careful not to over practice so that you sound like you’re reading from a script.

Be honest

While an interview is meant for you and the recruiter to get to know each other better, the recruiter did their research on you just like you did on the company. They performed reference checks and reviewed your resume. If they haven’t done that before your interview, you can bet they will after, so don’t lie. Don’t embellish your work experience or qualifications. They will find out and it will not be good for you.

Be yourself

You were called to the interview because the recruiter wants to get to know YOU. Not the person you think they want to see. The most important thing you can do to shine during an interview is to be yourself.

Do you have any more tips on how to shine during an interview? Drop them in the comments!

Benefits of Hiring Through a Staffing Agency

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There are many benefits of using a staffing agency. A staffing agency is inherently designed to benefit companies who hire new employees frequently or are constantly searching for specifically qualified candidates.

Staffing agencies typically have a niche or specialty that they exclusively hire for. For example, Horizon Staffing, located in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, specializes in light industrial positions. That means that if you need to hire for your distribution center, you should consider giving them a call, but if you’re a hospital looking for nurses, they probably won’t be able to connect you to the right candidates.

No matter the company, location, or position there is a staffing agency that can help connect your company with qualified candidates.

What do staffing agencies do?

Staffing agencies build a database of candidates. After meeting with a new client (hiring company) to get the specifics of what candidate the company is looking for and descriptions of the positions that need to be filled, the staffing agency then combs their database for candidates who match these specifications.

If one is not found, the recruiters then advertise the position to receive new applications. These new applicants undergo a screening process to determine their qualifications, skills, and eligibility to work.

During this entire process, the client does not have to do anything. When the staffing agency locates a qualified candidate, they then send them to the client for either a second interview or to start work immediately.

If you’re looking for more information about staffing agencies, check out the American Staffing Association for current statistics, trends, and news regarding staffing agencies.

Benefits of a Staffing Agency

1. Time:

Staffing agencies have spent years building their database of candidates. They have access to significantly more candidates than you will find with a simple job search. Where it could take you weeks to locate a qualified candidate, staffing agencies could have the right person sitting in their database.

Not to mention, all of the paperwork that comes with a new employee would be handled by the staffing agency. Not only are you saving time finding the candidate, but also after they are hired.

2. Expertise:

Another benefit of using a staffing agency is their expertise.

While you know best what candidate you need, staffing agencies know best how to find them. Because their sole job is to search through applications and locate qualified candidates, they know the market and trends. Even though staffing agencies have specific niches, they come into contact with more than one type of group of people, unlike a company’s human resource department.

Not to mention, your HR department probably has other responsibilities and can’t dedicate 8 hours a day to searching for a new employee. Staffing agencies can.

3. Cost:

This goes hand in hand with saving you time. If your HR department doesn’t have to dedicate the time to find a new employee, you don’t have to allocate the money to pay them for it. Also, costs related to marketing the open position would fall to the staffing agency instead of you.

4. Network:

It’s already been said, but let’s say it again. Staffing agencies have built an extensive database of job seekers. They have access to a larger network of candidates than the average HR department. While some positions will need to marketed, many positions are filled with existing candidates within the staffing agency’s database.

5. Retention:

There is a reason staffing agencies are commonly known as temp agencies, but it probably isn’t what you think. They aren’t called ‘temp agencies’ because their turnover rate is high. Rather, the name comes from the fact that most employees hired through staffing agencies start as a temporary employee.

After a trial period where they are able to learn the process, company, and position before they are offered a permanent position. When you hire through a staffing agency, the employee is on the staffing agency’s payroll, not yours, until they become a permanent employee. This means that if the employee quits before becoming a permanent employee, this doesn’t affect your turnover rate.

6. Providing resources and guidance:

Staffing agencies have experienced recruiters who know the ins and outs of the hiring process. They provide resources and guidance to job seekers including resume and cover letter tips and dressing for an interview.

Learn more about the benefits of using a staffing agency for job seekers here.

Unspoken Office Rules You NEED to Know

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Every office culture is different, but there are some unspoken office rules you need to know.

1. No loud music

It may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people crank up the tunes in the middle of a quiet office. If you want to listen to music while you work, invest in some head phones and keep the volume low enough that your coworkers can’t hear it.

2. Label your food

In many offices, a lot of items, such as coffee, food, and snacks, are provided for employees to share. For this reason, label anything you don’t want others to touch. Along with this, respect other people’s labels. Just because theirs looks better doesn’t mean you should help yourself.

3. Avoid strong smells

This goes for food and perfumes. Avoid bringing anything that has a very strong smell. Not everyone wants to smell you heat up the salmon you cooked last night. On the other side, strong perfumes can cause headaches. Don’t be that person

4. Don’t get too personal

It’s great to make connections with your coworkers. I mean, you almost spend more time with them than you do with your family, but make sure you set healthy boundaries and avoid getting too personal. Remember, you’re in a professional environment with other professionals.

5. Don’t discuss salaries

You’ve probably heard this one before, but let me break it down for you. People have different backgrounds, qualifications, job requirements and time with the company. All of those things go into deciding a salary for an employee. Don’t discuss your salary with your coworkers because it will inevitably lead to someone getting upset with their rate or how much you make. If you want to talk salary, meet with your supervisor.

Do you know of other unspoken office rules you wish you had known before you broke them? Share them in the comments!

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