HR and Management Tips - FootBridge Company

A Conversation with Alisia Ortiz, the FootBridge Company’s Payroll Coordinator

Today we’re highlighting the work being done by Alisia Ortiz, our payroll coordinator, who’s been with the FootBridge staffing company for eight years and counting. While she may be “behind the scenes,” processing payroll for hundreds of nationwide contractors, you can bet she’s on the phone daily, answering contractor questions and ensuring quality staffing services after every job placement.

Question: Recently, a contractor acknowledged your hard work. Tell us about that.

Alisia: Yes, John is a facilities engineer working on a contract for one of our commercial construction clients. He mentioned the contract work was the perfect fit because he was winding down his career but wanted to remain active. His assignment included performing inventory checks at different locations, followed by four weeks of data entry.

In the three years he worked as a contractor before going perm, John traveled to numerous sites, including Houston, MIT, Canada, Ohio, and California. Depending on his mobilization, we compensate his expenses, and with his Canada work, John would have questions about currency conversion. Luckily the software program we use for time entry does the calculations, which I gladly explained, and I think conversations like this are critical to a successful partnership.

Question: As a payroll coordinator for a staffing firm, are you surprised by how often you interact with contractors?

Alisia: Not at all. Communication is essential to ensuring contractors are getting paid. There’s also direct deposit set-up, pay stubs, and manual checks to mail. Also, we are constantly checking for accuracy. Everyone is human, and sometimes, a contractor enters the incorrect week. We also deal with new hires weekly, so it’s important to discuss using the time entry system and let them know we are always here to help.

Question: What’s a payroll coordinator’s schedule look like, and what can contractors expect from you?

Alisia: As a staffing company, we have payroll processing down to a science. On Monday, the team gathers payroll data, ensuring that hundreds of timecards are entered into Bullhorn and checking the entries for accuracy. We then check which contractors will have expenses so we can check they are entered correctly – which happens mainly on the power and energy side if a contractor is doing mobilization or demobilization.

As the week gets rolling, we enter sick time and PTO. Tuesday is payroll, and we gather all timecards and start processing payments. On Wednesday, we enter taxes, and Thursday, we mail checks and pay stubs to the individuals who request them. We also enter new hires into ADP and make sure they have direct deposit set up.

Question: That’s a lot of work. You’ve been at FootBridge for eight years; how did you get your start?

Alisia: I was a temp to perm, working as an accounting assistant. At the time, we didn’t have an electronic system, so the contractors sent paper time sheets. I would then spend two days performing data entry, gathering the invoices, and scanning them before emailing them. However, it wasn’t long before we transitioned to electronic invoicing and timecards, and by then, I was a permanent employee working as a payroll and billing coordinator. Then in 2022, I became the primary payroll coordinator.

Question: We’re so glad to have you! What do you like most about working at FootBridge?

Alisia: I like that every day is different! Also, my payroll coordinator position is constantly evolving, and I love the details. It really matters that the SSN is correct, the pay rate is right, and I enjoy being on the phone daily with all our contractors. I never imagined learning so much about the energy, construction management, and manufacturing industries, but here I am!

The FootBridge Company is a Burns & McDonnell Approved Vendor

Maximizing nationwide construction management job opportunities

Burns & McDonnell is one of the world’s largest, 100% employee-owned construction and engineering firms. They’re also as vast as the infrastructures they support, perpetually overseeing projects at power generation sites, wastewater facilities, high voltage power distribution centers, cybersecurity, roads, and more across various industries. With so many projects and hundreds of thousands of employees on their payroll, all of whom do a little bit of everything from entry-level positions to engineers, project controls managers, and in-between, requires vital vendor management contract-based delivery system, each with their own specialty.

This is why FootBridge is pleased to announce we are an approved “Burns &Mac” staffing vendor specializing in construction management positions including but not limited to:

Project controllers
Project managers
Engineers
Cost controllers
Superintendents
Safety specialists
Schedulers

For candidates, this is an excellent time to send us your resumes because we continuously receive requests for various Burns & Mac engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) positions. Maybe you’re concerned about whether your professional profile is up-to-date, and that’s fine. Our recruiters are happy to work with you and suggest updates. As a previously screened candidate, you’ll be a part of our inventory so that we can call upon you when a potential position arises without hesitation.

The ideal fit for Burns & Mac is:

Someone with a bachelor’s degree in project management or engineering with 4 to eight years of experience working in their field of specialty
Hands-on experience

What it means to work as a contractor for Burns & Mac:

All contractors will work full-time and be paid as FootBridge employees for a minimum of six months to two years before they are converted to permanent Burns & Mac employee-owner.
Some positions will require up to 50 to 60 hours per week
May include per diem

FootBridge is proud to have been selected as an approved vendor due to our commitment to safety, quality work, competitive pricing, and a proven record of on-schedule delivery regarding the project engineering and construction industry. “[Burns and McDonnell] are known for integrity and the close adherence to strong ethical principles. We expect the same from our suppliers.”

As a reminder, If you want to make a job change in the next couple of years, send us your information or follow us on LinkedIn. Typically, requisitions remain open from two weeks to a month. Please note we are very much interested in project managers, safety folks, and engineers. Furthermore, the FootBridge team is committed to building trusted relationships through our core values: accountability, transparency, integrity, and excellence. Click here for information on what it means to work as a FootBridge contractor.

Recruiting and Staffing Assistant Briana Lowe Celebrates Four Years at The FootBridge Company

This week we’re congratulating Briana Lowe on celebrating four years as The FootBridge Company’s recruiting and staffing support guru! Before working with us, Briana spent time as a server in the restaurant industry and worked as a customer service representative in life insurance. However, knowing she eventually wanted a more consistent role with benefits, she came to FootBridge, and we’re so glad she did so. Briana takes care of so many moving parts in our office, and the recruiters, admin, sales, and executive team are grateful for her contributions which is why we’re saying a heartfelt congratulations to Briana!

What’s it like working in the recruiting and staffing industry?

“Every day is different,” says Briana when it comes to supporting the recruiting and sales team she’s come to know so well since starting in 2018. Most importantly, Briana prides herself on sticking to a tight schedule to keep background checks, spreadsheet data, payroll information, and drug test scheduling in order. Otherwise, it would be challenging to keep up with so many variables. She’s also a big fan of writing notes to herself and placing them just about everywhere. “It’s a process, and we’re always so busy keeping up with open jobs I can’t imagine not sticking to a do-list,” she says.

Interested in salary possibilities? Click here to see what the experts at Indeed.com say.

In addition to learning about the various industries FootBridge serves, including power, energy, engineering, process industries, commercial construction, and oil and gas, Briana understands the importance of the candidate roles and why clients need to have a staffing firm relationship to remain competitive in their industry. Briana likes to remind candidates that manufacturing is an excellent opportunity for anyone with a similar background as hers because many customer service skills are transferrable. Briana iterates the primary goal of FootBridge recruiters is to ensure contractors are comfortable and on the right career path. “We are a hundred percent behind our contractors,” she says.

According to Briana, working at FootBridge has been life-changing as it’s an environment where she feels like she’s making a difference in candidates’ lives. She also gets that people may be nervous about entering a new career path as she did, but adds that’s normal. “It’s important to take the time to learn and grow, as no one knows everything the first time. Now I’m the person people come to for questions, and I’m always here for them.”

Supporting the FootBridge Recruiting and Staffing Team

“It’s crazy to think I’m celebrating four years here. It’s gone by so fast,” iterates Briana, who doesn’t like to unplug from her workday until her to-do lists and notes are crossed off.

“FootBridge takes care of its people, from those who work as recruiting and staffing support to our contractors,” says Briana explaining that when she had a terrible migraine, her co-workers advised her to go to the doctor, which surprised her. “They didn’t care if work wasn’t getting done because they cared more about me as a person feeling well. Working at FootBridge gives me the ultimate work-life balance I never knew existed.”

Speaking of balance, to celebrate Briana’s FootBridge anniversary, she’s going on a Caribbean cruise with her boyfriend – hooray! Something she said wouldn’t have been possible in previous roles because she never got her schedule in time to plan anything, nor did she receive paid time off. (At FootBridge, full-time employees have access to insurance, 401k, dental coverage, vacation and sick time, increased earning potential – and everyone looks after one another like family).

Want to work at an award-winning staffing firm with a dynamic team of recruiters? Contact Joe Squires or click here to learn more about awesome opportunities.

Not Sure Why Your Employees Aren’t Sticking Around? Try Tracking These 5 Metrics.

Hiring and retaining the right people is essential to the success of any business. However, in the oil and gas industries, energy, processing, power, manufacturing, and utilities, specialized knowledge and solid interpersonal ties on project teams are integral. If you’re hiring in the energy sector but struggling to find the right people for projects, it may be time to evaluate your hiring metrics.

When it comes to recruiting, people are “the” business, and establishing expectations, standards, and goals can mean the difference between finding candidates who stick and those who do not. “External” recruiters or staffing firms track metrics such as cost per hire (CPH), turnover, offer completion ratios, and more to ensure they are meeting client expectations. Not only is staffing an intuitive process, but recruiters should hold themselves to high standards and be willing to pivot their approach when the numbers aren’t working in the client’s favor.

At Footbridge, we celebrate successes and meet daily to discuss what we can do better. If you’re looking to do the same, here are five metrics today’s managers must track to understand and improve their hiring outcomes.

Time to Hire

Time is one of the highest costs during the hiring process, as every day a position is open represents lost productivity. Typically the larger the company and more complex the job, the longer it takes to complete the hiring process. By tracking the time to hire, you can identify and reduce inefficiencies that may be taking too long, such as background checks, interviews, candidate responses, and approvals.

On average, how long does it take to hire someone within your organization, from the date you post the job to the date the new employee starts work?
Does it take longer in certain positions? If so, which ones?

Cost to Hire

Time costs money in lost productivity, but other hidden costs are also attached to hiring new candidates. Examining costs can help you focus limited resources on the outcomes that provide the best results and give up methods that simply aren’t working for your team.

What is the return on investment on each of your candidate outreach methods?
Where do most of your new candidates come from, and how much are you spending?

Applicant to Interviewee Ratio

Job postings tailored to job demands and a fine-tuned automated system can ensure your applicant pool offers more qualified candidates, improving the quality of those you hire.

How many applications hit your applicant tracking system when your company posts an opening?
How many of these are filtered through for your consideration?
How many do you end up considering seriously – or scheduling interviews for?

Dropout Rates

Dropout rates provide rich insight into inefficiencies and other weaknesses in your hiring process. However, companies that don’t track them lose the chance to fix these problems. As FootBridge operations manager Joe Squires explains, “Put most of your efforts into candidates who qualify for your time. Chasing people who aren’t serious or don’t value what you do is a waste of time and energy.

How many applicants withdraw their applications or say “thanks, but no thanks” when you finally contact them for an interview – or worse, with an offer?
Where do most of the dropouts occur in the process?

Compensation Levels

While you don’t always have to offer the highest salary to attract the best talent, your overall compensation package must be competitive. By examining the numbers, you can find ways to make your offerings more attractive to top performers without breaking your budget.

What are your company’s compensation ranges for each position?
How do these break down into benefits, wages, salaries, commissions, and other compensation forms?
How do they match up with competing companies?

At FootBridge, our recruiters can help you create a strategic staffing plan that tracks necessary metrics and utilizes them to improve your hiring outcomes. Contact us today to learn more about our recruitment services.

Recruiting as a Career: Three Must-Have Tips That Can Lead to Success

As the General Manager at FootBridge, Joe Squires leads the recruiting, sales, and development teams while also providing strategic direction towards the staffing firm’s overall growth. One moment he may be working on pivotal initiatives to attract new clients, while the next, he’s evaluating tools and procedures to improve processes, and he’s worked hard to get where he’s at.

Squires started as a recruiter almost 20 years ago and since then worked his way up to a technical recruiter, lead recruiter, and recruiting manager to where he’s now at in his current role. To say he knows recruiting is an understatement and if you’re considering a career in energy recruiting, here are just a few tips to keep in mind. Meanwhile, if you’re interested in applying for a recruiting position at the FootBridge Company, please reach out to: JSquires@FootBridgeCompany.com.

**Tip #1 Work Hard and Smart**

Squires says it’s essential to work hard but doing so without being strategic also won’t cut it. “You have to work hard AND smart as doing one without the other will not result in success.”

All the hard work in the world won’t get you anywhere if you’re talking to the wrong contacts. “They are two separate things. If you’re calling a hundred people a day, but they’re not the right people, it’s wasted effort. You are essentially spinning your wheels. So, you have to have a combination of smart work ethics and effort. That’s the only two ways you can improve.” We spend time teaching our new recruiters not just about recruiting but also about the industries we serve and the clients they will help during their careers. Recruiting practices can change from industry to industry and understanding this helps our teams work smarter.

Joe Squires General Manager of FootBridge Shares Working Smarter Not Harder

Tip # 2 Be Open to Change

Recruiting and staffing has evolved significantly in the past ten years. “Some of it is the tools and knowing what the most effective communications are,” says Squires. For instance, nowadays, he’s finding in addition to leaving voicemails for candidates texting is also an effective tool.

Many candidates are responsive to text messages, and recruiters get faster responses about a candidate’s availability to follow up with a phone call by doing so. As evidence, 90 percent of people are said to open a text message within three minutes of its receipt.

To be sure, text messaging isn’t replacing an eventual conversation. It does, however, facilitate a smart discussion, according to Squires. “We’re finding we reach more of the right people and engage in more targeted conversations if we can touch base with them through a quick text message in advance of speaking with them.”

Joe Squires General Manager of FootBridge Shares About New Recruitment Technologies

Tip # 3 Recognize Recruiting Strategies are Always Evolving

In addition to simple communication tools like text messaging, another key area Squires has seen change is traditional job boards. Many candidates are using LinkedIn since it’s a platform where everyone can post a resume without it being obvious, they are open to a new job. Squires is seeing more and better qualified passive candidates as a result.

Another change has to do with the candidates themselves. Specific industries such as nuclear have a workforce reaching retirement age. Therefore, more and more clients who traditionally wanted years of direct nuclear experience must be more open to looking for people early or mid-career.

Want more must-have recruiting as career tips? Stay tuned for our ongoing series of must-have tips from Joe Squires. Here’s part 1!

Are you looking for your next challenge? The FootBridge Company believes in creating an energetic, fast-paced atmosphere with uncapped earning potential. We offer:

A flexible work schedule
Unlimited PTO
Tremendous opportunities for growth

Call or email us if you or someone you know is interested at (877) 807-8400 or jsquires@footbridgecompany.com

Energy Staffing Partnerships Can Put Your Company on Top

The energy industry is evolving at an ever-growing pace. Changes in market forces due to the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer preferences, government regulations, and other factors mean companies that thrive are those that stay in front. But that’s not all they have in common. Today’s energy firms also must be strategic to seize early market opportunities. Here, we review why working with an energy staffing company can help your business thrive because, after all, employees are one of your most significant assets.

The Energy Market Landscape

To put it all into perspective, the energy market landscape is transforming. Before the global COVID-19 pandemic, energy was one of the fastest-growing U.S. industries. However, according to the 2021 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER), the market saw a substantial decrease in jobs post-COVID. That’s not to say there hasn’t been a resurgence, but as energy jobs make a comeback, hiring qualified candidates continues to be a challenge for energy companies. Even before COVID-19 became our new normal, over 75 percent of energy employers found it difficult to recruit skilled workers.

With so much emphasis on flexibility and adaptability and hedging against potential market downturns, we’re finding many energy companies are looking for ways to increase efficiency while reducing cost. An energy staffing partnership does just that. Recruiters can help an energy company meet both goals simultaneously, especially since they can source contract workers.

Recruiters take on many strategic plan tasks, including prescreening candidates, ensuring a higher-quality candidate pool, and freeing hiring managers to focus on their day-to-day work.

Energy Staffing Benefits

A reactive company without an energy staffing firm relationship may win a project and require staffing fast but fall behind because they don’t have the resources to find the talent. Working with an energy staffing firm allows clients to respond quickly to project staffing needs and ONLY for the period needed. Suppose you’re reading this and considering a staffing firm partnership as part of a strategic hiring plan. In that case, our recommendation is to vet agencies now. The energy industry is unique in many ways, from its resources to the people and capabilities it needs to achieve its goals.

Successful companies have a solution to quickly get top talent or have a pre-empted model/strategy to get talent in place. Hiring for an energy project may be one task on a manager’s plate. At a staffing firm, it’s the ONE task. Working with an energy staffing firm affords you an easy, long-term relationship regarding hiring and gives you peace of mind that you have a strategic staffing plan supporting all your hiring needs.

Growth in Staffing

Here is a number to think about – did you know the staffing industry is one market that is experiencing growth? U.S. staffing firms hire 16 million temporary and contract employees in just one year. Let your recruiters know what positions you require, and they provide a selection of candidates so you can move forward. Just as today’s leaders need to plan for success, energy companies hiring new talent in all positions should do the same. According to the American Staffing Association (ASA), flexibility, speed, and access to top talent are the most significant reasons companies use staffing firms. What’s more, we can quickly help clients adjust the size of their workforce.

At FootBridge, our recruiters specialize in placing top talent throughout the energy industry. For connections to great candidates and help with short- and long-term staffing plans, contact FootBridge today to learn more.

Q&A with Ray LaMonica, Client Business Manager

Tell us about yourself and your position at FootBridge.

My name is Ray Lamonica and I’m a Client Business Manager here at FootBridge. We are an Energy Industry focused staffing firm and we help our clients in identifying specialized professionals in the engineering, construction management, and project control space.

You’ve been with FootBridge for 10 years, what do you like most about your role?

I really enjoy the people that I work with, and I know that sounds like a canned answer, but it’s true! I still work with some people that I talked to in my first month here at FootBridge, clients that have hired from us over the years, and candidates that we’ve placed. It’s kind of great to see some of the candidates that we place end up becoming clients at some point, and we’re able to help them as well. But I would definitely say the relationships and that I’ve been able to build over the past 10 years.

Why do clients typically partner with FootBridge?

Most of my clients reach out to me because they’ve identified a personnel need. It could be that they might have lost an individual and you need to backfill them quickly or it could be that they’ve gained additional scope on their project and they need to add additional people.

In both of those cases, they usually need people quickly and we’re able to source and recruit and present them with specialized talent, give them some options and we’re able to onboard them very quickly. When solving a problem for a client, we typically start by doing an intake call. I want to get as much info as I can about the problem that they have, the type of individual that they need, and I want to get an idea of what their budget is. We try to work within our clients’ budget, first and foremost, to help them with their issues.

Tell us about a recent problem you solved for a client.

We have a large utility industry client that has been putting together a Solar program and they’ve had some difficulty identifying engineers and project managers with the solar industry skill set. We cast a few of our recruiters with only talking to Solar industry professionals for the past month or so, and we were able to build up enough interest and build up a little network to get some referrals to a few individuals that we were able to then place.

https://vimeo.com/626787940

5 Essential Metrics to Track When Hiring in the Energy Sector

Hiring and retaining the right people is essential to the success of any business. It’s especially important in the oil and gas industries, energy, processing, power, manufacturing, and utilities, where specialized knowledge and strong interpersonal ties on project teams are integral. If your business struggles to find the right people for projects, it may be time to evaluate at your hiring metrics.

When it comes to recruiting, people are “the” business, and establishing expectations, standards, and goals can mean the difference between finding candidates who stick and those who do not. “External” recruiters or staffing firms track metrics such as cost per hire (CPH), turnover, offer completion ratios, and more to ensure they are meeting client expectations. Not only is staffing an intuitive process, but recruiters should hold themselves to high standards and be willing to pivot their approach when the numbers aren’t working in the client’s favor.

At Footbridge, we celebrate successes but also meet daily to discuss what we can do better. If you’re looking to do the same, here are five metrics today’s managers must track to understand and improve their hiring outcomes.

Time to Hire

Time is one of the highest costs during the hiring process, as every day a position is open represents lost productivity. Typically the larger the company and more complex the job, the longer it takes to complete the hiring process. By tracking time to hire, you can identify and reduce inefficiencies that may be taking too long, such as background checks, interviews, candidate responses, and approvals.

On average, how long does it take to hire someone within your organization, from the date you post the job to the date the new employee starts work?
Does it take longer in certain positions? If so, which ones?

2. Cost to Hire

Time costs money in lost productivity, but other hidden costs are attached to hiring new candidates as well. Examining costs can help you focus limited resources on the outcomes that provide the best results and give up methods that simply aren’t working for your team.

What is the return on investment on each of your candidate outreach methods?
Where do most of your new candidates come from, and how much are you spending?

3. Applicant to Interviewee Ratio

Job postings tailored to job demands and a fine-tuned automated system can ensure your applicant pool offers more qualified candidates, improving the quality of those you hire.

When your company posts an opening, how many applications hit your applicant tracking system?
How many of these are filtered through for your consideration?
Of those, how many do you end up considering seriously – or scheduling interviews for?

4. Dropout Rates

Dropout rates provide rich insight into inefficiencies and other weaknesses in your hiring process. Companies that don’t track them, however, lose the chance to fix these problems.

How many applicants withdraw their applications or say “thanks, but no thanks” when you finally contact them for an interview – or worse, with an offer?
Where do most of the dropouts occur in the process?

5. Compensation Levels

While you don’t always have to offer the highest salary to attract the best talent, your overall compensation package must be competitive. By examining the numbers, you can find ways to make your offerings more attractive to top performers without breaking your budget.

What are your company’s compensation ranges for each position?
How do these break down into benefits, wages, salaries, commissions, and other compensation forms?
How do they match up with competing companies?

At FootBridge Energy Services, our recruiters can help you create a strategic staffing plan that tracks necessary metrics and utilizes them to improve your hiring outcomes. Contact us today to learn more about our recruitment services.

The Advantages of Hiring a Contract Employee in the Energy Sector

Staffing strategies for energy companies often differ significantly from those created in other industries due to the significant “boom and bust” cycles driven by commodity prices, demand, and geopolitical considerations. Plus, just like the rest of the economy, the sector also suffered a downturn following the COVID-19 pandemic. Compound these issues with demand fluctuations, and it’s easy to see why hiring energy workers can be a challenge.

To help buffer your organization through the industry’s inevitable cycles, consider making contract employees a crucial part of your strategic staffing. Here’s why.

#1 Contract employees offer specialized skills

When many managers think of “contract workers,” they think of entry-level labor for rush periods – like the staff in the gift-wrapping department of the local mall during the holidays. While seasonal labor typically does fall under the contract category, contract staff aren’t limited to entry-level workers. Many seasoned professionals prefer to work on a contract basis because they like the constant flow of new projects and challenges.

If your company is looking at a sizeable one-time project, talk to your recruiter about working with contract staff who possess the technical skill to do the job well. You may be surprised at how quickly a recruiter can source the right candidate for energy work.

Studies show even before COVID; contract workers were a growing part of the U.S. labor force with wages growing 33% in 2020.

#2 Contract staff can help you control staffing costs

Hiring long-term staff can be expensive, whether they’re full-time or part-time. When hiring contract workers, many of the costs you would typically face are assumed by your staffing provider. As the employer of record, your staffing firm handles tasks like required state and federal employee paperwork, insurance, hourly rates, as well as other potential costs. Plus, there are no layoffs to assume. Once the job is done, the candidate can move on to another position with your company, or a recruiter can help them find another one. Unless, of course, you choose to make them permanent.

If you’re uncertain whether contract employees can help you manage cost or how working with contract staff will impact your overall staffing budget, talk to your recruiter.

#3 Contract employees want more flexibility

The workforce is undergoing many changes following the COVID-19 pandemic. More people want the flexibility to work from home, and although contract workers in the energy market, in many cases, will need to be on-site, they can pick and choose when to work. According to a Harvard Business Review Report, given a chance, most of the population would choose flexible hours and jobs in locations that allow them to prioritize family and personal interests.

#4 Contract employees help your company stay competitive

Just as soon as you need to hire a candidate for a project, a recruiter can start sourcing them. In many cases, they can have someone on sight the next day. Contrarily, waiting to hire a permanent energy employee could put your company at risk of losing a contract. Not to mention you still have to pay the benefits and insurances on behalf of the employee.

#5 Expand your professional network with contract staff

Many contract employees enjoy short-term work because it gives them a chance to connect with a broader range of professionals and companies than they would see as long-term employees. Likewise, energy companies who work with contract labor can see how many different professionals work in the field and “mesh” with their long-standing teams. Hiring managers can choose whether to extend a long-term job offer to a, particularly well-performing contract team member.

At FootBridge, our recruiters specialize in finding the contract talent our clients need, so you’ll always have experienced professionals ready to step into any project. Contact us today to learn more.