Why Work With PS&R?

Posted on 8th March 20238th March 2023

There are so many staffing and recruiting agencies in the Boston area, so why work with PS&R? Three major themes set Preferred Staffing & Recruiting apart from other recruitment agencies to make us the obvious choice: Trust, Experience and Action.

Trust
Kathy Orcutt, founder and president of PS&R, is hands on with each and every client and candidate. Her professionalism coupled with her phenomenal listening skills put people at ease, confident in the knowledge that she is truly working for them.

Experience
PS&R was originally established in 1984. Now, with over thirty years of experience, we continue to provide top quality staffing services to companies and institutions in the Greater Boston area and beyond. Kathy’s team has placed temporary and direct hire candidates across all industries. Here is a sample of the job placements we specialize in:

Executive Placements
• Director of Operations
• CEO’s
• VP of Business and Strategic Partnerships
• SVP of Product
• VP of Product
• Director of Facilities

Engineering Placements
• Application Engineers
• Sales Engineers
• Manufacturing Engineers
• Director of Manufacturing
• Electrical Engineers
• Senior Process Engineers
• Engineering Managers
• Manufacturing Technicians

Finance/Accounting Placements
• Controllers
• Senior Accountants
• Staff Accountants
• Bookkeepers
• Payroll Managers
• Accounting Assistants

Office Support
• Executive Administrative Assistants
• Personal Assistants
• Administrative Assistants
• Office Managers
• Receptionists

Action
It’s one thing to say you can place the right candidate but executing it is a whole different story! Our PS&R team succeeds because we treat every job opening as a new challenge, and we work tirelessly until the perfect match is found. We get back to our clients and candidates promptly with communication, so you know we are always at work helping you in your employment search.

Come and learn why Preferred Staffing & Recruiting’s collaborative and consultative approach makes us the best staffing agency in the greater Boston area and the perfect fit for you. Visit us at www.psandr.com or call Kathy today at 617.723.1919.

Three Reasons to Use a Staffing Firm to find an Executive Administrator

Posted on 7th September 20227th September 2022

The Executive Administrative Assistant is one of the most important – and difficult – positions to fill in any company. You need to find someone with the business acumen, emotional intelligence, and administrative competency to take on the challenging role of being the right-hand person to the leaders within your organization. In addition, you need someone who can guide these leaders, keep them on task, and handle each unique personality. Here are three reasons to use an experienced and knowledgeable staffing firm to help find your executive administrator:

1. Expertise. Preferred Staffing & Recruiting has been placing administrators for over thirty years. We know the experience and skills required in a candidate who will succeed at any given corporation.

2. Only See the Best. Posting a job online can result in an influx of applicants. Instead of sorting through hundreds of resumes followed by dozens of interviews to narrow down the talent pool, your recruiter can present you with top candidates right from the start.

3. Save time and money. Recruiting cannot be done passively; it is a strategic and time-consuming effort. Because we can find the right person right away, you avoid the extra expense of hiring for the same position more than once.

Preferred Staffing & Recruiting is a woman-owned staffing business providing permanent and temp to perm workforce solutions for Boston and beyond. Let us help you find your next great Executive Administrative Assistant by contacting us today!

Tips for Improving Employee Retention

Posted on 25th June 202125th June 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of workers to rethink their present employment situation. Not surprisingly, those who are choosing to find a new opportunity are ultimately searching for a more meaningful and fulfilling job. They are also looking for employers that care about their personal well-being. PS&R has come up with some strategies to help you with employee retention.

Recognize milestones to promote teamwork. All employees deserve to be recognized, not just your very top performers. Celebrating team milestones is a great way to make everyone feel included and valued.

Start employees on the right foot. This means thorough onboarding and an orientation process that introduces the new hire to company culture. Also inform them on feedback loops, timing and process of reviews and other communication touchpoints – this will show them you truly care about their future success with the organization.

Make wellness a priority. The pandemic has prompted many employers to increase their wellness offerings to employees, and for good reason. Employees are putting a greater focus on their work-life balance and their overall physical and emotional health. This means employers also must make it a priority if they plan to retain workers. Consider additional live and virtual wellness offerings, flex work schedules, and increased training and mentoring programs.

It’s easy to avoid the cascading fallout after the loss of an MVP if you use the tips above. If your employees know you’re there for them, they will be there for your company. When your organization is looking to make the next great hire, PS&R can help. Call us at 617.723.1919 to learn more.

Get The Most Out Of Your Staffing Agency

Posted on 25th February 202125th February 2021

If you only call your staffing firm when you have a specific job to fill, you are likely not using them to their full potential. Here are some ways to take advantage of everything your recruiting firm can offer you:

Increase your access to talent. We use a wide range of sites and tools to track down both active and passive candidates. Working closely with a staffing agency can give you access to candidates you otherwise wouldn’t know about.
Stay connected. Maintain regular contact with your executive recruiting firm so that they keep you top of mind. Touching base often and reminding them of the type of candidate you typically look to hire will make it more likely they will think of you when a talented candidate is uncovered.
Learn about trends. Your staffing firm knows the ins and outs of the current local hiring market. Why do the hard work yourself when you have a great partner who’s already done it for you?

Preferred Staffing & Recruiting’s collaborative and consultative approach makes us the best staffing agency in the greater Boston area and the perfect fit for you. Visit us at www.psandr.com or call Kathy Orcutt today at 617.723.1919.

Tips for Helping WFH Parents Succeed

Posted on 29th October 202029th October 2020

Parents currently working from home while their kids are remote learning are in a uniquely difficult situation, especially if both parents hold a full-time job. There are many steps employers can take to show these workers that they care, and that they are willing to help them succeed. Below are just a few ideas companies might keep in mind to make sure they retain these parents and help them avoid burn out.

Allow for Flexibility. Be sure to empathize with the challenges that these employees are currently facing. While these parents are likely reaping the benefits of no longer commuting to work, they are also facing new challenges to their work-life balance. Offer flexible scheduling or windowed work if possible. If needed, be prepared to spread the workload by bringing in interim staff. You should also consider what post-pandemic flexibility might look like. These employees may be incented by the idea that after their children return to school, they will still have options to work from home and have a more manageable schedule.

Provide Resources. Studies have shown that working moms are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. According to NPR, 865,000 women left the workforce in the month of September. Employers should help these employees understand that they are not alone in their struggle. Providing a platform for parents to connect with other parents at the company would be a great way to show that you care. Consider creating a spot on your company website to offer parents information on childcare options, children’s’ activities and field trips, recipes, stress relief and other helpful websites or webinars.

Communicate. It’s easy for remote employees to feel isolated from the company, especially when you add in the stress of managing a child’s at home learning. This is the time to overly communicate with your employees. Be sure to celebrate accomplishments and big wins. Schedule team-building events over zoom to keep up camaraderie and make everyone feel like they are part of the team.

Are you looking to add to your team? Let PS&R help you find your next great hire. Call 617.723.1919 to start working with one of our experienced executive recruiters.

Four Tips for Hiring a Stand-Out Administrative Assistant

Posted on 16th July 202016th July 2020

Administrative assistants are often considered the backbone of an organization. The most successful admins are trained and can execute a wide variety of tasks. The following tips will help you hire an administrative assistant who can make your company stronger:

Make a clear list of job expectations. You don’t know who you’re looking for until you know what qualities a successful candidate will need. Make an exhaustive list of responsibilities and from that, determine a list of skills and experiences that are required for the role. Now you can use that list to compose a well-written and compelling job description. It’s also important to understand salary trends and make sure that the scope of the role matches the range of salary you are willing to offer a candidate.
Let people know you’re searching. There are a lot of hard working, experienced executive assistants out there, and alerting your network that you are looking might uncover talent you wouldn’t have otherwise found.
Pay attention to certain details. When reviewing candidates, notice instances when they have gone above and beyond in past roles. Pay attention to the candidates that have shown an effort to better themselves through training or participation in industry organizations. These are good signs that they are highly motivated professionals.
Partner with a Staffing Agency. Preferred Staffing & Recruiting has been helping clients find great people for over thirty years. Our experienced staff is particularly skilled at finding qualified administrative assistants, from entry to executive level. We’d love the opportunity to work with you!

Contact PS&R today by calling 617.723.1919 or visit us at www.psandr.com!

Information Technology Jobs on the Rise

Posted on 20th February 202026th February 2020

These days we are using technology more than ever before. It’s not surprising that, as a global trend, computer and tech-related jobs are becoming more important. According to data provided by CompTIA, the information technology industry will grow at a rate of 3.7% in 2020. This information leaves companies scrambling to attract top tech talent to fill some of this year’s most in-demand positions. These roles range from data-focused to AI-related jobs, and everything in between.

Here is where Preferred Staffing & Recruiting can help! The industry is broad, so IT recruitment covers a diverse spectrum of technology related disciplines. PS&R works with a wide range of talented staff with varying degrees of experience. We know the Information Technology industry and we know how to recognize good people. When new projects begin, hiring managers return to us because of our excellent record of matching their requirements and budget.

Here are just some of the IT staff we can help provide:

IT Managers
IT Project Managers
Business/Systems Analysts
Help Desk/Desktop Support
Network Engineers/Administrators
Systems Administrators
Cloud/DevOps Engineers
Data Center Technicians/Engineers

Do you need IT Staff for ongoing technical work or for a short-term project? Tell us your requirements and let PS&R’s executive recruitment team find the right candidate for you!

Resolutions for Boosting Your Career

Posted on 26th December 201926th December 2019

As 2019 comes to a close and we usher in a new decade, it’s that time of year when everyone begins planning their New Year’s resolutions. This year, how about focusing on choices that will boost your career? PS&R has ideas for reasonable resolutions that you can make now to kick start your professional life in 2020. The best part is, they won’t be impossible to keep!

Connect

Have you lost touch with your core career network? This is a great time to strengthen relationships you haven’t been paying attention to, and to foster new ones. Be proactive! Invite an old colleague out to lunch, take the time to endorse someone you respect on LinkedIn, or share an article that you think a recent acquaintance might really enjoy reading. Connecting with key players in your network now will make it easier when you need to reach out to them throughout the coming year.

Commit to learn

Expanding your knowledge or learning a new skill are great ways to better yourself for your career. This could mean taking a course that is useful in your current position or that could help you get your next one. Another idea is to pinpoint an industry meeting or convention that you can attend to potentially make new contacts or learn tips. Subscribe to a new publication and dedicate time every day to reading it. Or, look into a career counselor or executive coach. There is always a way to improve yourself, and now is a great time to plan how you’ll do it.

Confront habits that derail productivity

Social media is probably one of the biggest causes of workplace distraction. There are simple steps you can take to eliminate constant pauses in your daily activity. First, turn off notifiers to get ride of the constant alerts regarding new posts, videos, and messages. You can also use site blockers to blacklist the biggest time-stealing websites. Designate a time in your day, perhaps on your commute home if possible, to catch up on whatever you have missed on social media during work hours. You’ll be thankful for the time you get back for more productive tasks.

If your New Year’s resolutions include finding the best executive search firm, then Preferred Staffing & Recruiting is here to help. Our experienced recruiters use a collaborative and consultative approach that makes us the best staffing agency in the greater Boston area and the perfect fit for you.

Tips for Recruiting Passive Candidates

Posted on 10th July 201910th July 2019

PS&R knows that sometimes the most talented candidates are not the ones looking for a new job. But just because someone is employed, doesn’t mean they are not open to a fresh opportunity. Here are our thoughts on how to successfully seek and attract passive candidates.

Take time to research. If you find a candidate you are interested in, learning about them ahead of time is key. Read their company biography and their LinkedIn profile. Check out what they post on Twitter and Facebook and try to find industry articles written about or by them. The more you know, the better equipped you will be to craft the right pitch.

Ask the right questions. Remember that you are trying to persuade someone who is not on the job hunt to make the leap to your company. This means you need to find out what interests them the most. Once you’ve given them your pitch you can ask questions such as; “What do you love about your current job?” or, “What would you like to see in an offer from us?”. Knowing what they are looking for will help you make an offer they will accept.

Get them excited. Make sure the candidate knows what your company is all about, and why they will be happy there. You’ve done your research, so use the information you gleaned to talk about things that will pique their interest: future projects that they will be involved in, plans for company growth, or potential new roles and opportunities.

If your company needs assistance recruiting passive and active applicants for top positions, Preferred Staffing & Recruiting can help. As a leading Boston recruiting firm, we will leverage years of experience and proven recruiting strategies to find you the best candidates.

Motivating Your Temporary Employees

Posted on 13th June 201913th June 2019

Making sure your temp employees are happy and feel valued is essential to ensuring that they will work hard for you. PS&R has gathered some ideas to help you incent and excite temporary employees in your workplace.

Treat your temps like part of the team. There is already a disparity between how temporary and permanent employees are paid, given bonuses, and given benefits. There can be a psychological difference between the two groups as well. Try to nullify any preexisting hard feelings by treating and rewarding all employees as a team. Be sure to project that each individual has contributed their part to the successful accomplishments of the group.

Choose the right incentives. If you know this assignment does not have the opportunity to become permanent, create incentives that workers can earn in a short period of time. You could also make the incentives something that will give the employee a sense of pride in the company; such as an employee discount or exclusive products or promotional items.

Consider taking them perm. If there is an opportunity for the temporary position to become permanent, let the employee know right away. This is the easiest way to incentivize someone to work harder and smarter, and to take an active interest in the success of the company.

PS&R has over thirty years of experience helping job seekers and employers in the Boston area. We enjoy taking the time to get to know our clients and our candidates, enabling us to consistently make the right match. If you are looking for a staffing and recruiting agency in Massachusetts, PS&R would be happy to assist you with your needs!