Green Squirrels - The Philly Temps Difference

Just saying, purple squirrels have been found in Pennsylvania

There is a lot of talk in the employment sector about Purple Squirrels - the mythical perfect candidate. A Purple Squirrel has a resume illustrating skills and experience that aligns perfectly with the job or event staffing description, bullet point by bullet point. They have fantastic presentation. Their salary requirements are in line with what the company is looking to pay. In theory, this nearly mythical Purple Squirrel could immediately handle all the imagined responsibilities of any position without any training, seamlessly integrating the the culture of the office and being a loyal, long term employee.

Much has been written about the Purple Squirrel conundrum - the excess of applicants in the job market and yet no one is 'qualified' for the vacant position. There are a lot of interesting articles out there trying to parse where the blame lies; the unrealistic expectation of those in charge of hiring, technical failings of HR software, the glut of applications to any position overwhelming the protracted hiring process, the psychological implications to your business of always hoping someone better is still out there. Despite this, every company still wants a Purple Squirrel. But what if a Green Squirrel is the answer?

Identifying and providing a Green Squirrel is the Philly Temps difference. It is building a trusting and communicative relationship with our clients so we can recognize a candidate that can integrate into the open job even though they may not appear right on paper. We strive to understand the ethos and energy of your office, as well as the technical duties of the position. It is getting to know our candidates, their skills and potentials beyond the piece of paper they initially present. We also continue the conversation with our candidates as they return from shorter term assignments with feedback and as their personal needs and development changes. We try to get to know how they will behave in the office, not just the interview. And then we use that knowledge to benefit you.

Although we are always looking for that Purple Squirrel for your company, the work in your office still needs to be done. Why not try a Green Squirrel? You may find that that was what you needed all along.

One of the most rewarding parts of being a staffing coordinator at Philly Temps is when our clients trust our experience and candidate pool enough to give the Green Squirrels a shot. I can share anecdote after anecdote of candidates rising to the occasion and impressing clients with abilities that may not have been evident from a resume: E who was a fairly recent graduate with some light teaching experience who ended up being one of the best administrative candidates in a commercial real estate company - they always request someone just like her, even though her background was completely different from what they were looking for. J who has her masters in fine art who ended up being the go-to admin in a busy small retail office. K who transitioned her librarian studies into a dynamic records management position. C the future medical student who was the perfect fit for a non-profit with an admin on a medical leave. I can go on and on.

You know what your business needs. Using Philly Temps give you the option to try a Green Squirrel while you continue your search for your Purple Squirrel. Try someone out who has the skills and presentation, but perhaps not the right resume without the commitment of hiring them directly. You may be pleasantly surprised how well a Green Squirrel fits in to the role. Or maybe, and this is crazy, even an Orange Squirrel is right for the job.