6 Mistakes to Avoid During Year-End Employee Reviews

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – unless you’re elbow deep in the middle of performance reviews. These are tough to conduct and often a fine line for managers to walk.

You want to talk about performance issues, but not focus too much on them. You also need to define goals and expectations for the year ahead. Finally, you have to ensure your employees feel valued, so recognition is also a part of the conversation.

Clearly, there’s a lot to cover and a lot at stake. How can you make the most of it all? Start by avoiding these 6 common mistakes:

Mistake #1: Winging it.

When it comes to reviewing an employee’s performance and providing feedback, you cannot wing it. You need to prepare ahead of time, so you can offer insightful and meaningful comments on past performance, as well as what you expect from a staff member in the future. This isn’t an “off the top of your head” conversation, as a result.

Mistake #2: Not giving employees time to prepare.

It’s not only important for you to prepare for a review, but for your employees, as well. So give them ample time to do so. Let them know well ahead of time the date of their review and also what you’ll be discussing. This will help them to mentally prepare and also think about areas and issues they want to discuss. It will therefore be a more fruitful conversation.

Mistake #3: Focusing too much on recent events.

Don’t simply focus on recent events that were particularly positive or negative. Otherwise, you’ll miss out on important opportunities to discuss projects and performance throughout the whole year. It’s why making notes throughout during the year on each employee’s performance is so important and helpful.

Mistake #4: Not getting specific.

When it comes to feedback, whether positive or negative, it’s important that you’re specific. For instance, don’t simply say “you’re doing great overall”; instead, offer an example of an important way the employee has contributed to the team and the difference it made for the company. Not only will this motivate them more, but they’ll also feel more vested in the organization’s success, understanding the impact they’re making.

Mistake #5: Not regularly checking in.

End-of-year performance reviews are a great way to talk about what went right and wrong in the last year and to discuss future goals. However, it shouldn’t be the only conversation you have with your people about their performance. It’s critically important to connect on a routine basis in an informal way to give feedback, offer insight, and answer questions.

Mistake #6: Not conducting reviews.

There are pros and cons to the annual performance review process. But whatever approach your company takes, you need to offer your employees feedback and constructive advice. Otherwise, they’ll get off track and frustrated more easily, leading to higher turnover in the end.

Need year-end help with your hiring process?

While you focus on reviews, PrideStaff can handle all aspects of hiring, from sourcing and screening to interviewing, background checks and more. In fact, as one of Phoenix’s top staffing agencies, we make it easy to get the talent you need. Contact us today to learn more or get started.

The Importance of Following Up with Candidates after a Job Interview

Your successful talent recruitment process is a two-way street. You and your company are on trial, just as much as your job applicants. Though it takes time and effort, it’s well worth it to follow up with job seekers after their interview, as part of your overall positive candidate experience.

Show your respect.

Applying for a job can be stressful and time-consuming. You’ve been through it yourself, so you can appreciate why, at the very least, an applicant deserves the courtesy of a response. Moreover, a candidate’s experience will not only inform whether or not they accept the job, but also impact how they portray your organization to their professional network.

• Optimize the experience. Never leave a person hanging. Be fully transparent and alert candidates about your decision or the next step in your hiring process. Do this as soon as possible after their interview.
• Personalized follow up is best, but if it’s really not feasible, then send an automated response. Show that you respect people’s time, effort, and consideration of your company as a potential future workplace. And if you have to automate, at least make it friendly and constructive in tone.

Boost your brand.

Leaving a candidate in the lurch after an interview could prove detrimental to your employer brand, portraying your organization as cold, impersonal, impolite, or indifferent. Ensuing negative feedback on social media, review sites, and other forums could do severe damage to your reputation and credibility.

• According to a recent LinkedIn survey, 83 percent of candidates said a negative interview experience could change their minds about a role or company to which they were previously attracted. In addition, 9 percent said they would tell others not to buy from companies where they had a bad experience.

Improve your time to hire.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), companies reported spending an average of nearly $4,500 per hire – and this does not include the less tangible costs of lost time and productivity while a position sits open.

• A poor candidate experience extends time-to-fill even longer. Fewer people apply if an application or hiring process is lengthy or difficult to navigate.

Consider a partnership with PrideStaff Modesto ass you strategize, develop and implement a winning hiring process and candidate experience – from start to finish. We bring more than 30 years’ experience to the table, along with customer loyalty levels in the top 2 percent of the entire staffing industry. Contact us today to learn more.

How to Spark a Sense of Dedication and Commitment Among Your Workforce

Hiring in Las Vegas isn’t easy. In addition to finding skilled workers, you also want to choose candidates who plan to be with your company for the foreseeable future. Of course, a lot of that falls on you. 

Long-term employees are crucial to the lasting success of your company, so you need to do everything in your power to make talented people want to stay on board. Here’s some advice to help you nurture a sense of dedication among your staff. 

4 Ways to Create a Committed Workforce 

Make Room to Grow 

If employees view their jobs as a dead end, they won’t feel devoted to your company. Avoid this by forging a path for top talent to grow. Use one-on-one meetings to discuss future career plans with your best people, so you’re on the same page about their goals. Let them know you’ll always have a place for them on your team, even if you have to create a position for them — and keep your word.  

Offer an Incentive 

Inspire a greater sense of dedication among your team by giving them a stake in your success. There are several different ways to do this, including offering them a percentage of profits or a reward for meeting a set goal. When something is in it for them, you’ll see a major change for the better. 

Encourage Employee Bonding 

People don’t want to let those they care about down, so work on improving employee relationships. Investing in team-building activities will help people connect and develop deeper bonds. This will motivate them to work harder, because they’ll want to give their best to the team. 

Treat People With Respect 

If you don’t make them feel valued, it’s hard for people to care about your company. Show your hardworking team the appreciation they deserve — i.e., say thank you, pay them fair wages and give them credit for their contributions. Making the work environment a place where they feel respected will encourage them to happily stay put. 

Hire the Right People 

Searching for new hires who truly want to work for your company? PrideStaff Las Vegas is here to help you find the perfect fit. Contact us today to discuss a partnership! 

Dealing with Turnover? Here are Some Leadership Tips to Help

When employees turn in their resignations, common reasons they give are the new job has higher pay or more responsibilities; however, they tend to stay silent on why they started job hunting in the first place…likely because it may be the company’s leadership. Managers account for 70% of the variation when comparing the differences between workplaces with high and low engagement (Gallup) and low engagement means employees are less committed to their jobs. If you want to retain top talent, it is significantly under your control – avoid unnecessary turnover with these leadership tips:

Communicate with Transparency

A lack of trust in leadership is the beginning of the end for employee retention. To prevent your employees from viewing you with suspicion and having an “us versus them” mentality, communication is key. Be transparent and share information with them so they know you have nothing to hide or no ulterior motives, and that you respect them.

Avoid Micromanaging

If you want to keep your top performers from leaving, give them space to do what they’re good at without constant check-ins or controlling their work processes. Micromanaging employees, especially those who have proven their expertise and work ethic, will make them feel like you aren’t confident in their abilities or simply frustrate them until they reach their breaking point and leave.

Encourage Work-Life Balance

Resignation is often the course of action for employees once they’ve reached the point of no return and have completely burned out. Prevent burnout and keep your best employees by encouraging work-life balance. Be understanding about not infringing on their personal time, such as not contacting them about work matters outside of the office unless absolutely necessary. Also, ensure they feel comfortable taking their earned time off – many workplaces have a culture that looks down on employees that actually take their vacations, so make it clear there will no repercussions for it.

Recognize High Performance

Even if your employees are internally motivated to succeed, they still have the desire to feel like their work is noticed and appreciated by leadership. If high performance isn’t acknowledged while only shortcomings are brought up, morale will plummet and your employees will be inclined to leave. Recognize high performances and give specific compliments when a job is well done – it doesn’t take much time, but will make your employees feel valued by you.

Provide a Clear Future Path

Making the decision to leave your organization isn’t always an easy decision for employees. They may love your workplace, their colleagues, and your leadership style, but feel like they must leave if they want to advance in their careers. Prevent your top performers from feeling like working for you is a dead-end job by providing a clear future path for them. Ask about their long term goals, and provide training and professional development opportunities to help them advance within your organization instead of leaving.

Looking to reduce employee turnover for your business in Akron?

Reduce turnover by developing a strategic hiring process with the help of PrideStaff Akron. PrideStaff Akron’s experienced specialists know how to evaluate candidates to determine their likelihood of a successful fit, based on your criteria. Contact us today to learn more about our staffing services in Akron.

How to Stay Stress-Free at Work During the Busy Holiday Season

For some, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. For others, it’s too busy and full of stress. If the latter sounds familiar, there is good news. There are steps you can take during the holiday season to cut down on stress and enjoy this time of the year, while still reaching productivity goals at work. Here’s a look at a few of them:

Make a list and check it twice.

If your mind is filled with a million to-do’s to get ready for the holidays and stay on track at work, it’s no wonder you’re stressed. Plus, you have your normal, day-to-day personal obligations to factor in. The best way to deal with it all? Make a list. Putting it on paper gets it out of your head, so you feel less anxious about it. It also helps you to better prioritize what needs to get done now and what can wait until after the New Year.

Get out the door and on the move.

You might think exercise is the last thing you have time for in the busy holiday season, but it’s a great way to de-stress, as well as ensure you don’t pack on those extra holiday pounds. Even just walking on a treadmill or outside a few times a week can go a long way in helping you manage your busy life and feel better about it all, boosting your energy in the process.

Keep the season merry and bright.

Remember, it’s not about finding that just-right gift and having perfect decorations. Instead, shift your mindset to focusing on what really matters most; for instance, being grateful for all you have and spending time with family and friends. Also, try to be more mindful and in the moment, making memories with the ones you love rather than thinking ahead to all you have to do.

Laugh it off.

Laughter might not be the best medicine, but it can surely help to release a lot of tension. So watch a funny holiday movie, read the comics, or check out your favorite comedian on YouTube. Finding humor in all the busyness is a good way to release stress.

Is your biggest source of stress your job? Ready to find a new one in the New Year?

Turn to one of Phoenix’s leading employment agencies, PrideStaff. We can connect you with some of the area’s top employers, so you get off to the best start possible in 2020. Search our jobs now!

The Best Low-Cost Talent Retention Tips

Keeping your good employees is essential for building long-term success. However, the goal can be tricky. Sometimes, when faced with a hard budget ceiling, you need to get creative about your retention strategies. You must find low-cost ways to convince a place to stay for the long term.

Obviously, retention becomes easier when you can pay a high salary. Offer more money than anyone else in your industry, and keeping people becomes a cinch. However, that isn’t always possible. You must conserve your resources, meaning you might not be able to pay the highest wages.

But, having budget restrictions doesn’t mean you have to give up on holding your best employees. There are other steps you can take. Here are some low-cost talent retention tips that will help you lock in your best employees for the long haul, without forcing you to bust your budget:

Give Praise

A simple pat on the back and go a long way to boosting spirits. If you can’t offer a bank account-breaking salary figure, you can at least provide a positive environment for your workers. Give praise loudly and often, while keeping your criticism as constructive as possible.

Let Employees Shine

People thrive in jobs where they can stretch their abilities. Positions involving a lot of simple-minded repetitive action tends to burn people out, sending them searching for more interesting roles elsewhere.

By providing interesting and exciting opportunities, you make it more likely that you can keep workers over the long term. As such, you should empower your employees as much as possible, so that they feel invigorated by their work. Meanwhile, look for ways your team members can use their leadership skills and creativity.

Encourage Relationships

Personal relationships can help cement employees together. A strong team atmosphere will keep people around, even if they have higher-paying opportunities for other companies. To promote this kind of environment, help your team members build relationships with one another. Sponsor social gatherings and assign projects that include group input.

Know Your Employees as Individuals

Each member of your team will have different priorities. Some will be looking to maximize time with your families. Others might be searching for opportunities to learn new skills. Knowing each person’s individual goals will help you create situations that make them happy.

Find Low-Cost Perks

Not every perk has to break the bank. Sometimes, small investments create significant value in improving the workplace environment. Providing things like drinks and snacks can help keep people satisfied with their day-to-day work lives, lowering the chance that they will start scanning job postings for a better position.

Support Work/Life Balance

Not every employee is looking to maximize their workplace situation. For these team members, their jobs only exist as part of their overall lives. In other words, these workers are looking to get the most out of their work-life balance. You can keep them on your team by making that possible.

Respect and encourage your employees’ outside interests. Allow flexible scheduling and telecommuting (when possible) so that they can get the most out of their home lives.

Retaining your best workers represents a key concern for any HR department. Of course, retention only comes up when you have a strong team you want to keep — finding the right people in the first place gets easier when you partner with a strong staffing firm, like PrideStaff. They will help you find (and keep) the best possible team.

Contact PrideStaff Bend’s leading recruiters today to learn more.

5 Ways You Can Motivate Your Team During the Holidays

With all the festive cheer of the holiday season also comes major distractions for the workplace. It can be challenging for employees to focus on the work at hand when they’re thinking about social events, shopping, decorating, and other holiday-related tasks – and not to mention any upcoming time off from work. Although it may be helpful to adjust your expectations to account for less coverage and engagement from your team, key work still needs to be done. Here are five ways you can motivate your team during the holidays:

1. Recognize Their Effort

If you want to boost your team’s motivation, using positive reinforcement will be more effective than threatening consequences, which would likely just make morale plummet (and still not increase output). To get your employees more engaged with their performances during the holiday season, make it a point to recognize the effort they do put forth. A simple thank you and acknowledgment of a job well done will make them want to continue doing more for you, since you clearly appreciate them.

2. Make Goals More Fun

When motivation is lacking, don’t double down on setting difficult goals for your team. Instead, aim to make goals more fun so that it doesn’t feel like so much effort. Think of ways you could gamify key tasks or projects, such as creating teams for friendly competitions or giving out ways to track their performances and keep score.

3. Offer Incentives

Make the holiday season work for your team’s motivation levels instead of against it by offering compelling incentives for achieving results. For example, you could take the team out to lunch, give gift cards to the highest performers, or if possible, offer a monetary bonus or allow them to leave early or have an extra day off if they produce agreed-upon results.

4. Ensure They Take Breaks

If the holiday season means more work for your team, whether due to reduced staffing levels because of vacations or an increase in business demand, it’s crucial to prevent burnout if you want to maintain their motivation. Ensure your employees are taking their allotted breaks, no matter how hectic things get. They may want to continue to push through the busy periods, but taking breaks allows them to recharge and return better able to focus and perform.

5. Add Some Holiday Cheer to the Workplace

Just because your employees are at work during the holiday season doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get to enjoy some festive holiday cheer. Add some seasonal decorations, plan some fun activities, bring in treats, etc. These simple touches can make the work environment a little more pleasant and help keep morale up, which in turn, improves productivity.

Do you have hiring plans for 2020? We can help.

Find qualified candidates to join your team by working with experienced staffing firm PrideStaff Akron. Our team of recruiting experts is dedicated to learning your needs and providing you with candidates that meet your needs. Contact us to learn more about how we can help with your employment needs.

How to Answer the Interview Question “Why Should We Hire You?”

Although you may not know where to begin when asked, “Why should we hire you?” this is one of the most common questions raised during job interviews. Your response should be a concise sales pitch explaining the unique value you would bring to the position and the company if hired.

Here are some tips to follow as you craft your answer:

Talk about yourself.

As you reply, don’t make the mistake of only listing the benefits for the employer if you were to come on board. Balancing their needs with what’s in it for you will provide insight into why you’d stay driven – a trait all interviewers are seeking in candidates.

• Show what you have to offer that others do not. Start by demonstrating your knowledge of the company and its current priorities – based on the comprehensive research you did ahead of time, of course. As you dive into this area, you can emphasize your enthusiasm for the opportunity, as well as how you handle something you’re passionate about.
• Consider which accomplishments make you stand out. For instance, it may be an additional accreditation that makes you more knowledgeable about the company’s products. Whatever it is, stay positive and professional as you reiterate your interest.

Excel as a problem solver.

Often, filling a position is about identifying a company’s pain points and showing that you’re the best person to relieve them – whether it’s boosting sales, streamlining processes, or building a brand.

• Focus your response on the future and explain how you could make your interviewers’ lives easier by addressing their most important issues. This shows that you’re forward-thinking, a team player, and ready to hit the ground running.

Tell a compelling story.

Although your response should be no more than a minute or two in length, be ready to tell a story of how your abilities and accomplishments have prepared you for this role. Conclude by emphasizing the measurable, positive outcomes that have resulted from relevant actions you took.

• Make a list of requirements from the job description, including personality traits, skills, and qualifications. Then, make a list of the qualities you have that meet these needs. Try selecting five or six of your best strengths that correspond closely to the description. Use these as the core of your response when explaining what distinguishes you as a candidate.
• Don’t regurgitate your resume. The employer already has this information. Rather, supply new data and background to strengthen your case further.

As you prepare for your next interview, let a professional career coach from PrideStaff Modesto be your greatest resource. In fact, we can work with you throughout your successful job search, from finding the right openings to finessing your resume, interviewing, following up, and transitioning into your new role. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

4 Ways to Get a Job with Little Experience

Finding a job with little or no work experience presents a daunting challenge. It’s difficult to get hired, because no one wants to deal with the learning curve or take a chance on an untested talent. The circumstances create a Catch 22-type situation: how do you get experience when no one will hire you?

Building a career is like rolling a snowball downhill. As you get experience, you build up more momentum, which, in turn, lets you pick up additional experience. Once you get rolling, finding positions becomes increasingly easy.

That still leaves the basic question: How do you get started? How do you achieve the necessary experience if you can’t get your foot in the door in the first place?

Solving the problem requires finesse, but there are steps you can take. Here are four ways to get a job, even when you are lacking in the experience department:

Make the Best of What You Have

You might have more experience than you think. Even though your resume is short on traditional professional posts, that doesn’t mean you don’t have skills that an employer would value. Your goal is to show how much you’ve extracted from the experience you’ve had.

Look for non-professional roles you have exceled in. Think about clubs and volunteer organizations. Even your participation on a school sports team can display key attributes like discipline and teamwork.

Take What You Can Get

With limited experience, you aren’t going to get your choice of positions. You are going to have to pay your dues and start in entry-level situations. Embrace that fact.

Don’t waste your time on positions that require significant experience as a minimum qualification. Instead, seek out areas where you can get your foot in the door, and build towards a more substantial role down the road. This might include taking part-time assignments or looking into freelance work. Even a few of these lower end starting points can fill out your resume enough to make the next development stage possible.

Volunteer

You might not have the kind of experience necessary score of the professional roles you crave. However, you still have an option that allows you to earn the reps required to reach the next level. You should investigate volunteer work. After all, if you can’t find someone to pay you for a job, you can work around this limitation by being willing to work for free.

This process can involve volunteer positions at non-profit organizations, allowing you to pick up experience while making the world a better place. Or, you can look for no-pay corporate placements, opportunities like internships. These programs provide another avenue to build up your resume and scoring one of these positions can get you a foot in the door with a potential future employer.

Get Creative

Sometimes you must create your own opportunity. If no one else will hire you, you might need to take control on your own. Starting your own small business allows you to gain experience without requiring you to convince someone else to hire you (though you will still have to find clients).

You can also fill in your resume with self-started projects like blogs. These help you prove your knowledge and depth of understanding of a industry, all without having to work within a normal corporate structure.

Getting started in a career, or switching to a new field, can pose a seemingly insurmountable challenge. However, you don’t have to face the problem alone. A strong recruiting partner, like PrideStaff, will help you find positions that will set you up for your long-term career growth.

Contact PrideStaff Bend’s leading recruiters today to learn more.

Why You Should Hire Full-Time Employees During the Holidays

If you’re looking to hire new full-time employees, you might be tempted to put the effort on hold until after the holidays. But really, now is actually a great time to start the process. Here are 5 reasons why:

#1: You’ll find more motivated active candidates.

During the holiday season, many job candidates take time off from their searches to enjoy the festivities. However, those who are deeply driven won’t stop their hunt. As a result, candidates who are applying to your posting at this time of year are often more dedicated and focused, doing whatever it takes to find their next great position.

#2: You’ll tap into the aspirations of passive candidates.

If there are certain passive candidates that you’ve been wanting to recruit, then now’s an ideal time to reach out to them. At the end of the year, many professionals start looking back at what they’ve accomplished in the past year, as well as looking ahead to their future goals in the months ahead. They could come to the realization that the position they’re in won’t enable them to accomplish all they hoped for, making your opportunity more attractive to them.

#3: You’ll get more referrals to candidates.

Now’s the time of the year when your existing employees are going out to holiday parties and catching up with those in their personal and professional networks. During these events and encounters, they might connect with a candidate who could be your next great hire. So now’s the team to reach out to your people and ask them to keep your job opening in mind and to recommend any possibilities.

#4: There’s less competition for them.

It’s common for many companies to put hiring on hold during this time of the year, with the goal of ramping it back up in January. Therefore, there’s less competition for top candidates during the holiday season. You can also spend your January onboarding and training new employees, so they’re ready to hit the ground running earlier in the New Year.

#5: It’s often easier to schedule candidates.

If your business experiences a slow down at this time of the year, you’ll have more space on your calendar to schedule interviews. Likewise, it’s easier for candidates to ask existing employers for time off without raising any suspicions.

Interested in professional hiring help during the holidays?

Whether you’re looking for new full-time staff members or temporary assistance to get you through a busy period, PrideStaff can help. We’re one of Tempe’s leading staffing agencies and know where to look to find top-quality talent, faster. Contact us today to learn more!