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The LLoyd blog: hidden talent.

Professional Certification… Gamechanging Expertise for Recruiters

At Lloyd, ASA-certified professionals are held in high esteem; they have the knowledge and legal awareness to provide superior service, win clients and attract talent

At LLoyd, the pressure is on to earn national certification. Currently, more than 75% of LLoyd’s professional recruitment staff has earned the distinction of Certified Staffing Professional issued by the American Staffing Association.   The big push for certification comes from the firm’s founder CEO Merrill Banks, who established Lloyd fifty years ago.  Banks is a longtime advocate for industry education and many staff members who have held long careers in the employment community realize as soon as they come on board with LLoyd, that this is one firm where certification is a major part of the corporate culture.

Certification is more complex than acquiring a Certificate.  It is earned upon completing a course of study  followed by a formal assessment of knowledge measured against a set of industry-defined standards. In the Staffing industry  it is a badge of distinction recognizing an individual’s expertise, knowledge and professional status. For Lloyd recruiters it offers a sense of pride in performance and empowers them to handle challenging search scenarios and/or contractor compliance situations.

“I believe we have a responsibility to our industry to require Recruiters operate at the highest level. Certification represents best in class and demonstrates to our corporate clients and candidate talent that we adhere to an established level of performance and ethics” says Banks. Just as certified public accountants seek CPA status and HR professionals pursue SHRM certification, CSP credentialing is issued by the American Staffing Association (ASA) and is an assurance of competency; credible, third party validation of skills is a powerful message and validates knowledge to those who work with a staffing firm.

After two years in the industry and at least one year at Lloyd, recruitment professionals are encouraged to go for their CSP status.  LLoyd absorbs the cost of the exam and provides some on-the-clock work time for study and learning sessions.  “The curriculum is pretty intense” says Lloyd’s EVP, Jason Banks, CSP who leads both the direct hire and contract talent communities.  “It covers a wide range of topics from pre-employment to candidate screening to co-employment issues, wage/hour laws, workplace discrimination and more.”

The test is a timed, two-hour online exam consisting of 100 true or false and multiple choice questions; 80 of the questions are federal and 20 are state-specific for the state selected. There are more than 15 areas of study including wage/hour laws, the Affordable Care Act, workplace safety and workers’ compensation. Once passed, certification is valid for three years and professionals must maintain their credentials by participating in 30 hours of approved continuing education.

Jason Banks acknowledges that the certification designation is a big differentiator when working with clients and candidates, especially in a market as competitive as the current one. He says it adds value to the relationships and has been helpful in helping clients avoid potentially costly legal missteps and helps protects both candidates and clients from legal liabilities. “Certification is a source of pride for LLoyd as a company, and like the human resources professionals we typically work with, we have tremendous respect for ongoing education and accreditation. We are a culture of certification.  It is a key component of our #LivingLloyd mindset and  is one of our core values as a company. It sends a strong message that we invest in our biggest asset – our people.”

 

Lloyd’s Roster of Certified Staffing Professionals
In Study…
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