It seems each time we flip on the television or search the internet we’re exposed to advertisements for staffing agencies. From LinkedIn posts to television commercials and everything in between, the call for businesses to entrust staffing agencies with hiring their employees is apparent. Companies are increasingly answering this call and eliciting support from tenured talent acquisition specialists to manage their staffing goals. As a business owner, it’s reasonable to wonder, why should my company utilize a staffing agency? The answer is multi-faceted, but simple – they’re experts. Just as b ..read more

Look back on the elementary school days when we were tasked with the question, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Did you ever respond with, “I want to work in insurance!” I’m going to generalize here, but let me guess… your answer is a glaring “NO.” Let’s be honest, those of us in the insurance industry fall into the industry. Insurance professionals cultivate their knowledge, skills, and ability through tried-and-true efforts in real time. While many insurance professionals have enough cumulative experience to have “degrees in insurance”, there’s no insurance university! Without an ..read more

The Talent Acquisition Specialist Spotlight Series serves to highlight the Blair Kenner Group team. Each member of the BKG brings critical industry knowledge and expertise to their unique talent acquisition approaches. Through this series we shine the spotlight on one of our amazing experts and learn more about their experience at BKG! Let’s kick off the spotlight series Q&A style with BKG partner, Jennifer Higdon! Jennifer is located in Boise, ID and has over 20 years of property & casualty insurance leadership experience which includes C-suite and corporate consulting. Her areas of e ..read more

From Pliny the Elder to John Allen Paulos, a vast sea of individuals have explored the concrete certainties of our world. In true irony, the common sentiment among all of life’s philosophical explorers is that they’re positively certain, nothing in life is…certain. When it comes to selecting a career pathway, the uncertainty of when to accept a job placement becomes a prevalent woe. The worker’s compensation industry and insurance recruitment spaces are no exception to this reality. When working with your BKG talent acquisition firm to find the perfect career fit, you will be presented with ex ..read more

If you’ve perused LinkedIn, opened Facebook, watched the news…or had any interfacing with the internet recently, you’ve likely seen the words “quiet quitting” and “burnout” dance across your screen. Everyone from NPR to Tik Tok stars have commented on the phenomenon inspiring individuals to join the quiet quitting party and for employers to modify dated workplace practices. Many have coined it the new “Gen-Z” trend, others have gone so far as to state it’s just an excuse to be lazy at work, and some feel it’s a long-time coming workplace revolution. So, which is it? Let’s get down to brass tac ..read more

Now more than ever, it seems conversations around mental health are jumping into public eye. We are increasingly seeing the call to action for workplaces to promote balanced day to day practices that contribute to positive mental health and wellness for all employees. The integration of initiatives that inspire employee vitality have permeated every industry; worker’s compensation, property and casualty, as well as insurance spaces are no exception! Here at the Blair Kenner group, we have answered the call to action — we believe striking this balance begins during the employee recruitment jour ..read more

The last few years we have all been riding waves of uncertainty as we collectively navigate an unprecedented pandemic. Some of us caught the waves that cascaded gracefully onto the beach and melted delicately into the sand before receding. We eloquently shifted between in-office and work from home lifestyles, grew within our current roles, and made strides towards career goals. Others of us were tossed in waves that crashed violently on the shore decimating all in its path requiring us to make significant changes. For some of us this looked like leaving current roles to meet family demands, pi ..read more

Congratulations, you’ve done it! You have collaborated with your rockin’ talent acquisition specialist to discover your next career chapter. You nervously prepared for your interviews, showed up with confidence, and knocked the socks off the management team. It’s all peachy as you celebrate your newfound gainful employment and then it hits you…you must tell your current employer. Let’s face it, saying good-bye is never easy but writing your resignation letter can be. Let’s chat resignation letter how to’s! Let’s start with the basics. Here’s a simple formula to writing resignation letters: Cur ..read more

I spent some time at a local pool recently resting with my eyes closed, and I listened to the kids swimming around playing Marco Polo. “Marco!” they were all calling out blind of course! From outside the pool, I could hear the leaders, the followers, the helpers, and those who just weren’t interested in the game. Without watching, I could assess the experienced and the novices, the non-swimmers, and the ones who liked to just be a fish out of water. Many people have asked me why I got into “recruiting.” I do not have formal training in recruiting, but I spent my career assessing, hiring, train ..read more

Last spring, as the global pandemic was ramping up, hiring managers, recruiters and staffing agencies were making dramatic, long lasting changes to the hiring process. Specifically, they were shifting away from personal interviews. A survey by Checkster revealed that almost half of those surveyed saw a reduction in personal interviews and a quarter stopped them altogether. Phone and video interviews took over, along with increased assessment testing and believe it or not, reference checks! Many consider reference checks as passé and a hassle. After all, if you underestimate the value of good r ..read more