How to Improve Your Workamper Staffing Experience…Without a Crystal Ball

by Steve Anderson, WKN President & Director of Possibilities

Recruiting, interviewing and hiring the right Workamper is a challenge! Then there’s the waiting and hoping they will arrive at your location on the agreed upon date.

The experience of staffing with Workampers is different today than just a year or two ago! The same steps you have always taken may not be as effective today as they were yesterday.

These days it would be awesome to have a crystal ball that would show you in advance how your Workamper staffing was going to turn out for the coming season.

Over the last couple of years there have been more and more employers who have turned away from hiring of Workampers!

They are turning back to local resources that originally were the catalyst that pushed them to seek out an alternative resource in the first place. They are replacing one agitation with another in hope that there will be overall improvement. But often times, this is not the reality of their experience.

You know you need a strong staff to support your operation. Your staffing outcome will have a major impact on your economic bottom-line, not to mention your own personal sanity.

Yes, things have changed from the hiring days of the past. It is more of a challenge to develop a strong staff…and going it alone like most employers, makes it even scarier.

But there is hope…in the form of something totally new, totally designed to make a difference for employers hiring Workamping staff. To give them a way out of the days of uncertainty and instead experience more assurance that their staffing decisions are the right ones…

A way to combine tested methods previously used…still viable today…with new systems and channels of communication to improve the odds of a strong Workamper staff for the coming season.

A way to leverage the power of Workamper staffing by combining already existing resources and methods along with new ideas, new systems and opportunities to communicate that will be like having your own crystal ball in your pocket.

I’m talking about a brand new program that’s unique and stands alone from every other program or system you have utilized in the past.

We are calling it “Workamper Agency Services, LLC.” – and it’s my brainchild. It will be a newly developed subsidiary of Workamper News, Inc., that will provide many of the crystal ball resources for your future decision making to ultimately improve your future Workamper staffing.

The decision to develop this new company was seeded from round-table participants over the past year…providing thoughts and ideas of how their staffing would be improved if they had certain resources available to them.

One theme that was reoccurring was the lack of accountability that seems to be more prevalent in the Workamping staff today. There was uncertainty and unrest that employers experienced until the Workamper rolled into their business…even then wondering if they can do the job they were hired to perform.

In the world we live today, close attention to the law is a must, especially in the consideration of personal privacy. The question of how to develop resources that would be of benefit and not be breaking the law has been the challenge in the development of such a resource.

Many employers in the past have asked for a simple “negative” list to be developed. This is not feasible under current law, and when you take a closer look, it would not actually provide the benefit to employers that many think it would!

As I continued my discussion of accountability, employers narrowed the focus down to whether the Workamper would actually show up for the position once hired. Everything else is a moot point if they don’t show for the job!

As Workamper Agency Services, LLC begins operations over the coming months it will be focusing on a system to assist employers with a resource to know if the Workamper is committed to your business operation. It will work within the law and will require input from employers and Workampers.

This resource alone will go far in assisting employers in their future staffing and confidence building that their staffing will be strong for the coming season. This is where we begin…

There will be other resources developed over time that will further assist employers in their recruiting, interviewing and hiring processes…and provide Workampers with the ability to provide employers with more useful information about them to assist the employer in their staffing decisions.

As operations begin over the coming weeks you will be receiving information by email on how you can become an Agency employer and begin providing and taking advantage of the resources that will be available.

Your participation will be very important to the future success of Workamper Agency Services, LLC. It will take time to develop the Agency into a valuable resource. Its strength and value will be determined by the number of employers and Workampers who participate.

Employers have spoken loud and clear about their problems. Now join Workamper Agency Services, LLC in helping us improve your future Workamper experiences.

Watch for new information in your email inbox. Make sure you have workamper.com on your safe receiver list so you are not left behind.

FEBRUARY CALENDAR

Deadline for the March/April 2012 issue of Workamper News magazine is Friday, February 10th!

Want to jump-start your hiring or fill a few more positions for the summer season?  Need Workampers year-round? Workamper News magazine will provide you with long-term exposure. Please submit your advertising by Friday for this upcoming issue. You can easily submit your ad using the secure online ad form, or please give our office a call if you prefer – 800-446-5627, 9-4 CT, M-F.

FREE BONUS! Add a Super-Charged Audio Recording for FREE if you’re a current subscriber. What that means is you can add an audio recording (up to 10 minutes) to supplement your ad. All you have to do is call the phone number provided and then give more details on your business, location, job positions, etc. We have created easy, step-by-step instructions. Just view this PDF and follow the instructions. We will include a link to the audio recording in your ad text. Workampers viewing the online version of the magazine will be able to easily click the link to listen to your recording.

Submit your ad via our secure online form now!

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RoundTable – Online Webinar Chat Session

Join us for the Employer RoundTable session in February 2012. Workamper News will be hosting this opportunity for Workamper employers to share about their successes and failures. To ask questions and answer questions via online webinar.

We encourage you to join the event with the capability to participate, which means you will need either a microphone in your computer (a external headset is suggested), or you can call in on a land line number that will be provided when you sign in to the session.

This is a great opportunity to get connected with other Workamper Employers. Join us on Thursday, February 16 at 3 p.m. Central Time. That will be 4 p.m. Eastern Time; 2 p.m. Mountain Time; and 1 p.m. Pacific Time. The event will run approximately 60 minutes.

I look forward to sitting around the table with you!

- Steve Anderson, President, Workamper News, Inc.

Register to attend by clicking here!

For all the details on registering for and attending webinars, click here.

Is There Magic in Your Help Wanted Ad?

I have seen first-hand how some Help Wanted ads, published in Workamper® News magazine or on the online Hotline, seemingly create a magical allure of interest, while others appear to be almost invisible on the printed page or on the Hotline email! What is it that causes this mystical difference?

You can answer this question by putting yourself in the shoes of the reader. When you read an ad that maintains your interest and causes your heart rate to increase, you are experiencing a magical allure. This is developed through thoughtful crafting by the employer who understands that Workampers are not as interested in the job as they are the experience.

The mystical ad that captures the interest has been crafted so it provides more information about the outcome for the Workamper. Do you see when you compare the ad that just lists the facts about the location, job description, duration and benefits, why one develops more interest than the other?

Please note that, yes, it is important to provide information such as location, job description, duration and benefits, but they should not be the embodiment of your ad. If the Workamper reader is more interested in the experience as compared to the job, you direct your attention to developing your ad text to address the overall outcome for the Workamper. As you design your ad copy include the specifics such as location, job description, etc.

For example, let’s take the ad placed by the XYZ Company of Somewhere USA for illustrative purposes:

XYZ Company in Somewhere USA looking for two Workampers, 15 hours/week/couple, FHU, laundry, propane. May thru September. Call 123-456-7890 or email job@xyzcompany.com

Same ad with more consideration given to the outcome or the Workamping experience with the same company:

You Will Be Telling Your Friends all about your summer experience with the XYZ Company. Be an important part of our campground team in Somewhere USA providing world class camping experiences for our guests. Workamping opportunities in registration and maintenance in exchange for 15 hours/week for FHU site and perks. During your stay, experience the beauty and wonder of Somewhere USA. For more information call: 123-456-7890; email: job@xyzcompany.com

The difference a few words can make in the flavor and attention your Help Wanted ad receives is amazing. The more emphasis you place on the outcome for the applicant the more attention your ad will receive. Improve your response rate and also begin developing your Workamping experience from the very beginning by adding some magic to your advertising.

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FREE!  Super-Charge Your Help Wanted Ad

Add an audio recording providing more details about your Workamping opportunities and environment to your Hotline ad or Print Magazine ad

You can call in on your telephone to make an audio recording (up to 10 minutes) to supplement your ad. All you have to do is call the phone number provided and then give more details on your business, location, job positions, etc. We have created easy, step-by-step instructions. Just view this PDF, follow the instructions, and we will get your audio posted to your ad to make it Super Charged!

A link will be added to your ad text that a Workamper will click on to listen to your audio.  This will HELP YOU by weeding more folks who may not fit or be looking for what you are offering.  It will SAVE YOU TIME!

Click this link for further instructions.

We can use your Super-Charge audio recording multiple times if you are running ads constantly, and the recording link can be added to an online Hotline ad and/or a print ad in our magazine.

Employer Summit – GOING VIRTUAL

Monday, October 3rd, 1 p.m. CT – 3 p.m. CT – ONLINE WEBINAR EVENT

Many who desired to come to the live event found it difficult to make it happen. So we thought, if you can’t bring people to the Summit – then bring the Summit to the people.

We will produce a modified version using our GotoMeeting online webinar program. The event will be Monday, October 3, 2011 – 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Central Time. There is no cost to participate and all you will need is a computer connected to the Internet, preferably with a higher speed connection.

To register your seat, type in the following address into your browser: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/968794850 (You can also find this link on the Employer Connection at Hireaworkamper.com)

The purpose of this event is multifaceted and will be beneficial to any employer who chooses to attend. Originally my goal for hosting such an event was to connect more closely with employers and collect input for future program development that would further meet the needs of employers. As we have promoted this event, additional questions and issues have been brought to the table that will provide additional content and value for the attendees.

So why should you attend this summit? Here are just a few of the reasons I can provide you that may help you with your decision to attend:

1. To ultimately improve your overall Workamper program.
2. To learn how to improve your strategic recruiting plans to enhance your future Workamper hiring.
3. To learn how other Employers are managing their Workamper staff to improve performance, retention, and return rates.
4. To have the opportunity to provide input that will impact future program development by Workamper News, Inc.
5. To learn from other Workamper Employers and to share what has worked and hasn’t for you in your operation.

Register to attend today by clicking here.

October – Employer RoundTable Webinar

Join us for the Employer RoundTable session for October 2011. Workamper News will be hosting this opportunity for Workamper employers to share about their successes and failures. To ask questions and answer questions via online webinar.

We encourage you to join the event with the capability to participate, which means you will need either a microphone in your computer (a external headset is suggested), or you can call in on a land line number that will be provided when you sign in to the session.

This is a great opportunity to get connected with other Workamper Employers. Join us on Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 3 p.m. Central Time. That will be 4 p.m. Eastern Time; 2 p.m. Mountain Time; and 1 p.m. Pacific Time. The event will run approximately 60 minutes.

I look forward to sitting around the table with you!

- Steve Anderson, Editor, Workamper News, Inc.

Register to attend by clicking here!

For all the details on registering for and attending webinars, click here.

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Awesome Applicants Resume Search Tool

If you have done a search in the AA resume search tool lately, you may have encountered an XML error window.  You can get past this error window by clicking on the red X in the top corner, scrolling down the window and clicking the Okay button, or by hitting the Enter key on your keyboard.  Your results should appear after that.  If you are not able to get past the error window, some instructions are below. We are working on an update to the tool to fix the error; it is happening because our grid software will not function with newer updates to internet browsers.

To access it, please do the following:

1. Go to http://www.hireaworkamper.com (this is not the red site, it’s the green site that’s just for employers)

2. Click the Subscriber Log In tab and then enter your login info

3. You are logged in to the website when the bottom left tab says Log Out & Settings.

4. Then click on this link: http://www.hireaworkamper.com/devAA/aaresumeFinder.cfm

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A few things that are not currently functioning with this update:

Here are some of the new functions:

• You view a resume by clicking on the applicant name.
• You can contact the applicant by clicking on the email address – which now appears in it’s own column in the results grid
• Resumes open in a new tab/window. Close this tab/window to go back to your search results.
• Photos on resume appear in full size – you no longer have to click on them to see a larger version.

Something to be aware of: We will be launching the updated resume search tool very soon.  With the new update, an unused function will be eliminated – the Edit Contact Info section.  We are eliminating this because 98% of employers using the tool are not using this section.  You can Edit Contact Info on a resume that is in your Saved section. You can add a note and a date of when you contacted that Workamper.  Again, we are removing this function for now. If employers seem interested in this function in the future, we will incorporate it again.

Free to Attend – Employer Summit October

Over the years, employers have been asking for a system to evaluate Workampers and to have some sort of reporting system. Many have asked for a naughty and nice type listing they could reference when making hiring decisions. I agree as a Workamper employer that something like this may have merit, but will not be a cure-all for evaluating and determining who will be a good fit for your staffing needs.

The legal issues of developing a referral system must also be taken into consideration. I am sure that you would rather not subject yourself to litigation that could come from a incorrectly developed Workamper referral system, that at minimum may be tested in the courts stacking up attorney and court fees.

If WKN takes the stance of developing a tool that could be used as a weapon (of sorts) – it may have some benefits, but in the long run will ultimately develop legal issues. So what is the answer? That is exactly what I have been racking my brain over the past months, trying to determine a path to explore for such a program.

During the June Employer Roundtable webinar, I asked for input from attending employers. Many shared thoughts relating back to developing a rating system that was more negative based and ultimately could be used as a black-ball system. This is where we could easily find ourselves in muddy water real fast. It would be a dive that I, as a small business owner, do not wish to put myself into in the future. So as you can see, it is much easier to do nothing but then the problem lingers on.

There is an answer to this issue, and I believe Workamper News can and will be instrumental in developing a program that will be a legal and ethical resource for you, the employer, and the Workamper. This brings the entire thought process back to considering a referral program that is positive based, instead of negative. What I mean by this, is not developing a naughty list or a black-ball listing, instead a nice list or a positive reference listing. This would be a pro-active listing that the Workamper signs up to participate in and would authorize their accountability. They would participate in the development of a reference file that they could make available to future Workamper employers.

The argument for such a system may be that only the Workampers who will not create issues will participate in such a program. That is exactly the point, and for such a program to have an impact upon all Workamper employers’ future, you the employer must sign on to only consider Workampers who are participating in this type of program. It will take some time for the Workamping world to become acclimated to the procedures and over time the positive resource files will begin to develop and become a great resource for all Workamper employers who participate.

I have many ideas of how Workamper News could develop and orchestrate such a program. What I want is to take the necessary time in the development stages to assure overall we are moving down the right path.

This coming October 3rd & 4th, 2011, I would like to invite you to come and participate in our two-day Workamper Employer Summit, taking place right here in Heber Springs, Arkansas. During this event we will be brainstorming and collectively evaluating the possibilities of the development of a Workamper reference system. This summit will provide you the opportunity to provide your input.

Also, during this two-day summit we will be touching on other topics such as effective recruiting – what works and what doesn’t. We will discuss various interviewing methodologies that will make a difference to your Workamper program. We will be covering many topics that will assist all Workamper employers in improving their future experiences.

Now, before you start thinking, “I don’t have time to attend some conference on such a narrow topic!” – I would ask you to think about just how important it is to hire the right staff for your business! Your staff will either improve your bottom line or hurt it! The right staffing can be more beneficial to your business than anything else you can do. So, you owe it to yourself to participate in the upcoming Workamper Employer Summit.

So, why not register today? The Workamper Employer Summit is taking place Monday & Tuesday, October 3rd & 4th. There is no fee to attend. The only thing I ask is that you be an EmployerPlus subscriber. This tells me you are already using the current tools we provide. If you are not, you can easily upgrade.

Your participation will be important to your future and the future of Workamping. I ask you to please consider attending. To register, simply drop me an email to steve@workamper.com or call the Workamper News office at 501-362-2637 and announce your plan to attend the Workamper Employer Summit.

I am confident that the participants of the upcoming Summit will take their future Workamping programs to the next level – making participation a must-do proposition.

NEXT WEEK!

Deadline for the July/Aug 2011 issue of Workamper News magazine is Friday, June 10th!

Want to fill a few more positions for the summer season? Ready to begin hiring for winter? Need Workampers year-round? Workamper News magazine will provide you with long-term exposure. Please submit your advertising by Friday for this upcoming issue. You can easily submit your ad using the secure online ad form, or please give our office a call if you prefer – 800-446-5627, 9-4 CT, M-F.

FREE BONUS! Add an Employment Enhancer for FREE if you’re a current subscriber. What that means is you can add an audio recording (up to 10 minutes) to supplement your ad. All you have to do is call the phone number provided and then give more details on your business, location, job positions, etc. We have created easy, step-by-step instructions. Just view this PDF and follow the instructions. We will include a link to the audio recording in your ad text. Workampers viewing the online version of the magazine will be able to easily click the link to listen to your recording.

Submit your ad via our secure online form now!

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Free – Employer RoundTable Webinar

Join us for the Employer RoundTable session for June 2011. Workamper News will be hosting this opportunity for Workamper employers to share about their successes and failures. To ask questions and answer questions via online webinar.

We encourage you to join the event with the capability to participate, which means you will need either a microphone in your computer (a external headset is suggested), or you can call in on a land line number that will be provided when you sign in to the session.

This is a great opportunity to get connected with other Workamper Employers. Join us on Thursday, June 16, 2011 at 3 p.m. Central Time. That will be 4 p.m. Eastern Time; 2 p.m. Mountain Time; and 1 p.m. Pacific Time. The event will run approximately 60 minutes.

I look forward to sitting around the table with you!

- Steve Anderson, Editor, Workamper News, Inc.

Register to attend by clicking here!

For all the details on registering for and attending webinars, click here.

EMPLOYER SUMMIT
- LIVE EVENT
OCTOBER 3-4, 2011

You may attend business-related conventions where one or two seminars are presented related to human resources. They tend to be more generic as the organizers realize they must hit a broader spectrum of attendees’ needs.

Coming up on October 3rd & 4th will be the first Workamper Employer Summit. This event will provide you with the opportunity to learn, share, and network with other Workamper employers. This first-of-its-kind event is being presented and hosted by Workamper News, Inc. in their corporate home town of Heber Springs, AR.

During the two days you will experience how-to seminars as well as live RoundTable events where every idea brought to the table could have value for you and your future program. The connections this event will provide you will be well worth your time to participate.

Watch for registration information coming soon via email and the Employer Connection. We are finalizing some of the planning that will impact the registration costs. Put it on your calendar today and plan to attend the first Workamper Employer Summit this Fall here in Heber Springs, AR – a beautiful time of the year to visit the southern Ozarks.

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ANOTHER IMPORTANT DATE – DON’T RUN OUT OF TIME!

Deadline for the July/Aug 2011 issue of Workamper News magazine is Friday, June 10th!

For all of your print advertising options, click here.

Want to fill a few more positions for the summer season? Ready to begin hiring for winter? Need Workampers year-round? Workamper News magazine will provide you with long-term exposure. Please submit your advertising soon for this upcoming issue. You can easily submit your ad using the secure online ad form, or please give our office a call if you prefer – 800-446-5627, 9-4 CT, M-F.

FREE BONUS! Add an Employment Enhancer for FREE if you’re a current subscriber. What that means is you can add an audio recording (up to 10 minutes) to supplement your ad. All you have to do is call the phone number provided and then give more details on your business, location, job positions, etc. We have created easy, step-by-step instructions. Just view this PDF and follow the instructions. We will include a link to the audio recording in your ad text. Workampers viewing the online version of the magazine will be able to easily click the link to listen to your recording.

Submit your ad via our secure online form now!

What is the Outlook for Workamping in America?

As a Workamper Employer – have you given much thought to the future of Workamping in America? Have you asked yourself if you will be hiring Workampers in five years or 10 years?

As you might guess, these are questions that I am curious about as I read about the numbers of Baby Boomers reaching retirement age. I invite you to become curious and to think forward to what your future may be like with regard to your business, and specifically, the utilization of Workampers in your business.

I find it exciting to think forward and to visualize what the future will be like as we see more and more Boomers adopting the Workamping lifestyle. The recent spring 2011 Roadsigns RV Report, published by RVIA, stated the following population trends. “RV sales will continue to benefit from the aging Baby-Boomers as more people enter the age range in which RV ownership is the highest. The number of consumers between the ages of 55 and 70 will total 56 million by 2020, 27% higher than in 2010.”

As you visualize the future, realize that a percentage of those 56 million who adopt the RVing lifestyle will also be searching out opportunities to either volunteer or work for wages to supplement their RVing lifestyle. The population of Workampers is sure to increase and that in turn will impact your available pool for future Workamper staffing.

Employers have shared that Workampers today are different than Workampers from 10 years ago! That is very true and we will continue to experience changes as the demographic grows older. The Boomers who will be entering the market soon are coming from a different career paradigm than the Workampers who are now in their mid to late sixties. As you look forward you will need to also begin educating yourself about these differences and how you will need to adapt in the recruiting, hiring and management of your future Workampers.

The future is exciting and I encourage you to embrace it and allow Workamper® News to assist you along the way.

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Getting the Most from the Awesome Applicants Resume Database

Are you using the Awesome Applicants (AA) Resume database? It is one of the benefits of your EmployerPlus membership. The objective of the tool is not to replace your need to advertise your opportunities, but to provide an additional resource of potential applicants for your opportunities. Another arrow in your quiver so to speak!

During the Employer RoundTable event it was brought up that employers are finding many of the resumes in the database are out of date. When they contact potential applicants they are being told that they already have a job. This is frustrating for everyone utilizing the database. For the record, we regularly promote the updating of AA resumes to our members who are utilizing the online tool. When they have accepted a position for the coming season, we ask then to update their resume to the next season they wish to be considered for employment. I am sorry to say that updating does not always happen! As long as we have humans involved in the process, it will never be a perfectly functioning system.

With that said, there are steps you can take to improve your experience and your search results. Below are some considerations for you with regard to the Advanced Search capability of the resume database.

In the past months we have been working to improve the ability for Workampers to provide more targeted resumes. These new tools will be available to the Advanced WorkamperPlus members. It is our hope that they will be marketing themselves more effectively to employers, which will be beneficial to them as well as you, the employer. (We are taking your input regarding the validity of a viewed resume into consideration.)

With the update to the Awesome Applicants resume, all Workampers will have a designated section to list past employers (and will be encouraged to include references).

One of the additional elements of the Advanced WorkamperPlus resume tool will provide the Workamper with the option to list references and to have them validated. When a Workamper lists a reference, the resume system will send an email to the past employer containing a link to click to confirm that the Workamper worked for them. This by no means provides you with the knowledge you will gain by making a call to the previous employer. The tool is intended to provide you with a beginning resource of reference.

Once the new Advanced WorkamperPlus tools have been beta tested and implemented, we will be working to enhance and update the AA Resume Finder tool.

Login at www.HireAWorkamper.com and then click on the Awesome Applicants tab to get started.

A few tips:

1. Make sure you are using the Advanced Search capability. Do not just pull up a general list using the state search – especially if in a popular snowbird state like Texas, Florida, Arizona, etc. It will be very large and will definitely have more of a probability of containing folks who have not updated their resume.

2. The Advanced Search tool provides you with the option to narrow your search field by choosing the length of time since the resume was last updated. I would choose 1 month which will most likely provide you with a more finely tuned list. We are considering adding other options that would provide a finer search capability.

Use the keyword search capability to fine tune your search even tighter. Realize you can use more than one option in the Advanced Search to focus your results. Some employers tell me they don’t get as many resumes when they focus it so tightly! As many expressed during the RoundTable, volume of resumes is not the answer. The quality of the resume and probability of success with the applicant increases as you fine tune your search.

3. Sort your search results. Once you have your results grid, you can sort it how you like by clicking on the headers of each column. To show the results in alphabetical order by name, click on the ‘Applicant’ column header. To see the most recently updated resumes, click on the ‘Updated’ column header twice.

June RoundTable Webinar for Employers

Join us for the Employer RoundTable session for June 2011. Workamper News will be hosting this opportunity for Workamper employers to share about their successes and failures. To ask questions and answer questions.

We encourage you to join the event with the capability to participate, which means you will need either a microphone in your computer (a external headset is suggested), or you can call in on a land line number that will be provided when you sign in to the session.

This is a great opportunity to get connected with other Workamper Employers. Join us on Thursday, June 16, 2011 at 3 p.m. Central Time. That will be 4 p.m. Eastern Time; 2 p.m. Mountain Time; and 1 p.m. Pacific Time. The event will run approximately 60 minutes.

I look forward to sitting around the table with you!

- Steve Anderson, Editor, Workamper News, Inc.

Register to attend by clicking here!

For all the details on registering for and attending webinars, click here.