When it comes to his company’s financial information, Sam Ibrahim can predict well into the future.  But when it comes to his employees’ daily workloads, he says projections are almost impossible.

The  workload unpredictability has led to staff-retention issues for Mr. Ibrahim, who is president and managing director of Arrow Professional Services, a Toronto-based recruitment firm with six locations and about 200 employees, which generated revenue of $11.6-million last year. 

Mr. Ibrahim says that short notice and quick turnarounds are the norm for the recruitment industry, and, as a result, there are often wild swings in how much work needs to be done in a day.

“We work with [our clients] as much as we can to get as much projection in the forecast as possible, but the reality is that we’re lucky if we get a week’s notice.”

This means employees need to be flexible. “There are certain expectations. At 3,  if a client just ordered some staff for tomorrow, then you’ve got to stay until it’s done. On the flip side, the next day, it’s okay to come in at 9:30 or 10.”

Arrow tries to prepare new employees for this unpredictability. “We really try to make it extremely clear in the interview process what someone is going to get themselves into,” Mr. Ibrahim says. “However, the reality is that they’ve got to see it firsthand.”

Some new hires simply can’t handle these wild swings in workloads, and end up resigning, he says. “I would say about 20 per cent, within the first three months, are completely overwhelmed by the expectations,” Mr. Ibrahim says.

Because Arrow’s training and onboarding costs are high, “we do lose a lot of money, directly and collaterally, when an employee doesn’t work out. It’s extremely detrimental,” he adds.

Arrow has tried to address its retention issues by hiring employees with demonstrated time-management and multitasking skills. Once on board, the company’s training program helps new employees further develop these skills. Additionally, Arrow tries to reduce wild swings by distributing work across its six locations.

These tactics have helped to reduce retention issues somewhat, but not as much as Mr. Ibrahim would like. “Overall, this year, it has gotten slightly better, but not enough to say that we’ve now figured this out.”

The Challenge: How can the company help employees better manage their unpredictable workloads, and reduce retention problems?

Click here to read what the experts have to say

The post Arrow Features on the Globe & Mail Small Business Challenge appeared first on Arrow Professional Services.

Each week, we seek out expert advice to help a small or medium-sized company overcome a key issue.

Most of Corrine Sandler’s new hires aren’t used to working at a small company.

Ms. Sandler is the founder and chief executive officer of Fresh Intelligence Research Corp., a Toronto-based market-research company she started in 2004.

It’s a boutique firm, but most of Ms. Sandler’s 18 employees were hired away from much larger companies, including some of the largest in the industry.

However, many employees who move from a large, multinational company to a small boutique firm often suffer from business “culture shock” when they first arrive, Ms. Sandler says.

At large companies, employees are used to clearly defined job roles, hierarchies, and access to a vast network of resources, she explains.

Read more on theglobeandmail.com

The post Arrow’s CEO Speaks on “Culture Shock” appeared first on Arrow Professional Services.

The 14th annual PROFIT/Chatelaine W100 list celebrates and honours 100 of Canada’s top female entrepreneurs. From presidents of Canada-wide agencies to CEOs of city-specific organizations, these women are perfect examples of how to be successful in today’s market amongst the many challenges.

Entrepreneurs were ranked by a combination of size, growth rate and profitability,according to PROFIT Magazine. Part of the requirements for nominated entrepreneurs was a yearly revenue of at least $200,000, and women must also be owners or significant stakeholders and have the responsibilities of making chief decisions within their companies.

Click Here to read more aboutPROFIT/Chatelaine’s Top 100 List at www.huffingtonpost.ca

The post Arrow’s Shaemin Ukani ranks 4th in W100 Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs appeared first on Arrow Professional Services.

 Toronto, August 29, 2012—Arrow Professional Services, a leading employment agency, has continued success as one of Canada’s Top New Growth Companies according to the 13th annual PROFIT HOT 50 ranking.

PROFIT HOT 50 2012

“We are extremely honoured to be recognized by PROFIT Magazine as one of Canada’s Top New Growth Companies.” says Sam Ibrahim, CEO of Arrow Professional Services. “Our continued growth is a direct reflection of the relationships and valued partnerships we’ve been able to build with our employees, clients and candidates and we thank every one of them for helping us reach this achievement.”

“A talented and diverse group of entrepreneurs have built this year’s HOT 50 companies.” says Ian Portsmouth, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of PROFIT.  “Their creativity and ambition spell a bright future for their businesses, and point the way to success in Canada’s ever-challenging economy.”

Arrow Professional Services is a full-service staffing agency that matches professionals with freelance, contract, try-before-you-hire and full-time job opportunities with some of Canada’s top employers.

Arrow’s success has come from being able to understand that changes in the employment market are occurring at an unprecedented rate and that to ensure continued success you need to connect with a responsive service organization that is not only proactive, but also visionary. Arrow is committed to creating value beyond simply quoting a price. They have become an industry leader by nurturing individual contribution and adopting best practices to deliver measurable benefits to all their customers.

About Arrow Professional Services

A leading full-service employment agency, Arrow Professional Services’ goal is to provide their clients with top quality candidates who meet not only their technical requirements but also are a fit into their corporate culture. Arrow Professional Services sources their candidates from many areas including the much-sought-after hidden talent market of passive job-seekers. Visit Arrow Professional Services at www.arrowprofessionals.com

About PROFIT Magazine and PROFITguide.com

PROFIT: Your Guide to Business Success is Canada’s preeminent publication dedicated to the management issues and opportunities facing small and mid-sized businesses. For 30 years, Canadian entrepreneurs and senior managers across a vast array of economic sectors have remained loyal to PROFIT because it’s a timely and reliable source of actionable information that helps them achieve business success and get the recognition they deserve for generating positive economic and social change. Visit PROFIT online at www.PROFITguide.com

For further information: Sam Ibrahim, Arrow Professional Services, (416)754-0009, sam@arrowprofessionals.com

http://www.profitguide.com/microsite/profithot50/2012

The post Arrow Professional Services Ranked No. 19 on the 2012 PROFIT HOT 50 appeared first on Arrow Professional Services.

Arrow – 50 Most Engaged Workplaces

ARROW PROFESSIONAL SERVICES RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE ACHIEVERS 50 MOST ENGAGED WORKPLACES™ IN CANADA

August 27, 2012- Arrow Professional Services today announces its recognition as one of the Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces™ in Canada. This annual award recognizes top employers that display leadership and innovation towards engaging their employees.

“The Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces™ understand these practices are not only good for employees but also the bottom line. Companies that focus on employee engagement tend to perform better financially, attract and retain the best talent and enjoy improved customer service and client retention,” said Razor Suleman, Founder and Chairman of Achievers. “These companies serve as role models for other businesses to engage their own employees and build success.”

The Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces™ Awards panel of judges evaluated each applicant based on the Eight Elements of Employee Engagement™: Communication, Leadership, Culture, Rewards & Recognition, Professional & Personal Growth, Accountability & Performance, Vision & Values and Corporate Social Responsibility.

The panel of judges included Bruce Bolger, Managing Director of Enterprise Engagement Alliance, Stacia Garr, Principal Analyst of Bersin & Associates, Debbie McGrath, Founder and Chief Instigator of HR.com and Razor Suleman, Founder and Chairman of Achievers.

“We are extremely honoured to be recognized by Achievers as one of the 50 Most Engaged Workplaces in Canada. We are proud to be a part of such an impressive list of winners. By empowering our employees to make decisions, it has created a culture of ownership within our company which has lead to great success for us.” said Sam Ibrahim CEO, Arrow Professional Services. “We sincerely thank everyone who has been a part of this journey to date.”

Arrow Professional Services will be honoured alongside other recipients of the Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces™ Award at the awards gala on November 14,2012 at the Arcadian Court in Toronto, Ontario.

About Arrow Professional Services

A leading full-service employment agency, Arrow Professional Services’ goal is to provide their clients with top quality candidates who meet not only their technical requirements but also are a fit into their corporate culture. Arrow Professional Services sources their candidates from many areas including the much-sought-after hidden talent market of passive job-seekers. Visit Arrow Professional Services at www.arrowprofessionals.com

About Achievers

The Achievers mission is to Change the Way the World Works. We are accomplishing this by helping companies around the world recognize and reward positive employee behaviors on a daily basis resulting in higher employee engagement and better business results. With our award-winning technology, unmatched customer service and industry-leading expertise we have powered the world’s most successful rewards and recognition programs. Check us out on the web at www.achievers.com.

http://www.achievers.com/engaged/winners-2012.php

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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 60 percent of U.S. workers don’t have a bachelor’s degree, but if you have an associate’s degree, a postsecondary non-degree award, or a high school diploma, you can still get a high-paying job.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The post 40 Highest Paying Jobs Without A Bachelor’s Degree appeared first on Arrow Professional Services.

A few hit the next level. Some employees are remarkable, possessing qualities that may not appear on performance appraisals but nonetheless make a major impact on performance.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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iPhone app developers did not exist 10 years ago!

Employment trend watchers have been pinpointing the sectors where jobs are anticipated to increase forever—every five years the BLS projects its own outlook and sites like our list what’s become old news: that careers in a handful of sectors (most linked to technology, a growing concern about the environment and an aging population) are on the rise while others continue to falter. But are they new occupations or simply new ways of meeting existing needs?

Still, each year as twenty-somethings leave college campuses in droves, industries on the rise offer something uniquely appealing: the opportunity to seize brand new positions where competition hasn’t reached critical mass. With that in mind, we scoured jobs data and career sites for the most promising positions in on-the-rise sectors that were only created in the past decade. They’re so new that they didn’t even exist a decade ago, which more than puts your parents out of the running.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The post 10 Jobs That Didn’t Exist 10 Years Ago appeared first on Arrow Professional Services.

Founded by Reid Hoffman in 2002, LinkedIn has grown to 161 million members in over 200 countries, making it the world’s largest professional network on the Internet (by comparison, Twitter has 500 million registered users, and Facebook has 900 million). Currently available in 17 languages, LinkedIn remains a relevant platform the world over.

That being said, we doubt you spend 20 minutes on LinkedIn per day, like Facebook’s power users do. So, if you need a crash course on what LinkedIn has to offer, browse the network’s most prominent features below. Or send this to your recent grad as he or she prepares to enter today’s daunting job market.

The post The Beginner’s Guide to LinkedIn appeared first on Arrow Professional Services.