4 Ways to Retain Your Top Employees

As reported by Harvard Business Review, one in five top-performing employees is likely to leave their positions within the next six months.

What?! Judging by that statistic, this could amount to losing up to 20 percent of your best team members. That’s a terrifying thought, especially in today’s candidate-driven job marketplace. And here’s another stat to make you stop and think: The high performers on your payroll can deliver 40 percent more productivity than the average worker.

• You can’t take your top employees for granted. Even the best of the best need your support to continue thriving – or they may seek it elsewhere. And your competition would love to have them!

Show your best employees how valued they are.

According to HBR, which studied more than 2,800 employees in 27 countries, when high performers were asked what they most wanted from their jobs, “personal recognition from higher-ups” was listed among the top 10 responses. It was cited by 42 percent of respondents – ranking even higher than updated technology (41 percent) and healthcare (36 percent).

• If your employee is doing great work, make sure they know you’re not only aware of it, but that you value and appreciate it – and them. Find out exactly how they prefer to be recognized and rewarded, and make it happen.

Actively solicit their feedback.

Regularly ask your employees for feedback on what you can do better to support their careers. As their manager, you are in a unique position to support them as no one else can.

• In the HBR study, conducted in collaboration with global forecasting expert Oxford Economics, 50 percent of high-performing employees said they expected at least a monthly sit-down with their managers to share feedback. Continuing to rely solely on annual or semi-annual performance reviews puts you squarely behind the times when it comes to robust talent retention.

Support their growth and development.

Especially in North America, professional development is a high priority among top talent – and people expect more than just self-directed options.

• Two-thirds of high performers in the HBR/Oxford Economics study reported that their bosses failed to deliver in terms of supporting them with formal training opportunities. Where do you stand?

Encourage them to teach others.

As part of their own skills development, as well as career enrichment, the best workers thrive on sharing their expertise with others. There are numerous ways to fulfill this drive, including teaching, coaching, mentoring, or authoring articles, podcasts, or team presentations. Leave the format up to them, and facilitate them as they run with it.

The workforce development experts at PrideStaff Modesto can help as you create the right talent retention strategy to keep your company strong, growing and competitive. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

The Key to Keeping Your Workforce Safe This Fall

As an employer, you’re responsible for keeping your team safe while they’re on the clock, but that isn’t always easy. For example, there were approximately 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Proper training is the key to a safe workplace, so it’s important to make sure any company providing hiring support in Vegas shares this commitment. Here’s some advice to help your team have a safe and healthy fall season.

Three Training Tips to Keep Your Team Safe

Create a Comprehensive Onboarding Program

Every company has its way of doing things. You hire talented people, but they can’t just walk in and get to work without any — or very minimal — training. Care enough about your team to invest in them from the very beginning.

Requiring all new hires to complete a mandatory onboarding program allows them to become fully acclimated to your company, before setting off on their own. This provides them with the tools needed to do their job the right way.

Offer Different Types of Training

Classroom learning isn’t for everyone. Different people absorb knowledge in different ways, so create training programs that offer something for everyone. Including a mix of classroom, interactive, and hands-on learning ensures you’re catering to the different needs of your team. When training is presented in a manner that’s conducive to everyone, it sticks.

Provide Ongoing Training

Most jobs evolve with time, so it’s essential to make sure your training methods follow suit. When employees are given new responsibilities, they should always be trained before assigning them work. This ensures everyone knows how to do their jobs the right way, increasing the chances no one will get hurt on the job.

It’s also wise to provide periodic training sessions that help employees sharpen skills they already have. Over time, people can forget the proper way to complete certain tasks, so refresher courses allow everyone to get back on the same page.

Build the Strongest Team You’ve Ever Had

Need to fill a few open positions at your company? PrideStaff Las Vegas wants to help you do it right. Contact us today to get started!

How to Find a Job You Love

There are countless employment opportunities in and around the Phoenix area. How do you find the one that you really love? It can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack at times. However, the good news is that there are some simple steps to take to find a better job and more career satisfaction. Here’s a look at a few them of them:

Take stock.

Before you randomly start applying to new employment opportunities in Phoenix, make sure you take a step back and take stock of what you really want out of your career. Is it a similar role with a different company? A promotion with your current employer? Or making a move to a new industry or field entirely?

You don’t want to get a job only to find yourself in the same unhappy position. That’s why you need to first think through what you want out of your career. To do that, ask yourself questions, such as:

• • What do you like most about your existing job? Least?
  • What tasks or duties do you want to do that you currently aren’t?
  • What skills do you want to gain?
  • What does your ideal job look like?

Be practical.

Your ideal job might be a role in management. But if you don’t have the skills and experience to advance into that kind of position, then identify what steps you need to take to get there. For instance, do you need an advanced degree or a training certification? While you might have big dreams, don’t set yourself up for failure by setting goals that are too lofty or undefined. Instead, set small, measurable goals that you can achieve, little by little.

Expand your search.

You might have worked in a certain field for a number of years. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only place to look for a job. Likewise, don’t simply stop at the major job boards in your search. Expand your efforts by reaching out to your network, alumni association and business groups for potential opportunities. You never know where in Phoenix you’ll find your next great job.

Don’t apply everywhere.

That said, don’t apply to everything that sounds remotely appealing. Instead, take a more targeted and focused approach, only applying to those positions that truly inspire and excite you. You’ll have more time and energy to customize your cover letter and resume, increasing your odds of getting called for an interview.

Stay patient.

Finding a great new employment opportunity in Phoenix takes time. So don’t accept the first offer that comes your way if you know it’s not really the right fit. Instead, stay patient and continue your search until something comes along that you’re truly thrilled about. It will be well worth it in the long run.

Interested in professional help with your job search?

Call PrideStaff. We’ll get to know your background, experience and goals, all to find that perfect-fit job for you. Contact us today to learn more.

This Odd Action Could Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Your Candidate

You spend a lot of time crafting the perfect interview questions. But as much effort and research as you put into the process, you might learn as much about a candidate from a simple response to a seemingly innocuous offer.

“Do you want a glass of water?”

On the surface, it seems like common courtesy. However, you can learn a lot about people from how they respond to tiny social cues. The way a candidate answers this question provides some clues into their character.

After all, you don’t get much time in a standard interview to learn everything you need to know. In the course of a half-hour or so, you want to probe every candidate’s psychological depths. You want to learn about their mental strengths and weaknesses and come to understand their underlying characters.

Unfortunately, you don’t have a lot of tools to achieve these goals. However, if you watch closely, you can pick up subtle signs from seemingly meaningless exchanges.

That’s where the water comes in. Offer the candidate a glass of water when they first come in and then track their response. This shouldn’t become your end-all test. But it can provide some hints as to your applicant’s personality.

Thinking Ahead

Interviews are nerve-racking experiences. People tend to get nervous, and this can lead to some unfortunate physiological consequences. Namely, candidates sometimes suffer from dry mouth or excessive sweating.

Both of these can be averted by a glass of water. If a candidate refuses the water and then finds themselves needing some later on, you can conclude they aren’t very good at planning ahead.

Sometimes you offer water only to have it refused because the candidate brought their own bottle. This presents a significant sign of forward-thinking and preparedness.

Confidence

Many people will turn down your offer of water because they don’t want to bother you. They are trying to be as accommodating as possible.

In one sense, you can consider this courteous. However, you might want to question the candidate’s comfort level. Are they confident enough to excel in this position?

You don’t want to make any definite conclusions based on the simple refusal of a glass of water (there are plenty of reasons why someone would turn you down that have nothing to do with self-confidence). However, you can use this as a way to steer the later conversation. Explicitly test their confidence with your formal interview questions to get a better gauge.

Politeness

Don’t just take note of whether they take the water or not. Track how they respond. This will show you how they deal with personal interactions in the workplace. You’ll get a sense of how they might respond to customers and other employees.

You want someone who’s going to show politeness and engage in a constructive manner. Once the interview gets started, candidates know to calibrate their response to a formal setting. However, a question like “Do you want some water” can catch them off guard. You can get a more honest emotional response.

Getting to know a candidate can present a tricky problem. You often have to hire without much information. That is, unless you work with a strong recruiting partner, like PrideStaff, who can pre-screen and vet all your potential team members. You’ll find better workers with less investment on your part.

Contact the expert recruiters at PrideStaff Bend today to learn more.

4 Things You Should Immediately Do after a Job Interview

The immediate post-interview period is just as critical to your job search as the interview itself. It may be tempting to pat yourself on the back, sit back, cross your fingers and wait for the phone to ring. But … not just yet! During the 24 hours or so after you leave your interview, stay proactive and do whatever it takes to tip the balance in your favor when it comes to getting a second interview – or even an offer.

You can relax after you do a few more things, such as:

1. Get contact information and find out the next steps.

After your interview, ask about the employer’s hiring process moving forward. How soon should you expect to hear from them? What’s the next step? Knowing this will help reduce your anxiety and ensure that you follow up appropriately.

• Get the contact information for all your interviewers. Ask for their business cards – or ask the person who coordinated the interview. Also, track all the key points you discussed, and with whom. Do this as ASAP, while it’s still fresh in your mind.

2. Write thank-you notes.

In one HR industry survey, 56 percent of employers said not receiving a thank-you note after an interview indicated to them that a candidate was not serious about a position. And, 22 percent said they would be less likely to hire someone who didn’t send a note.

• Decisions about candidates are often made quickly. So, if possible, send your thank-you notes within 24 hours of your interview. Keep them succinct, and send personalized notes to each person on your interview panel. Thank them for their time, and then refer to some specific things you discussed with them. Leave a good impression with all parties involved, and be memorable.

3. Connect with your interviewers online.

Use your contact information to connect with your interviewers online. Even if you don’t land this job, this can be the start to building a long-term professional relationship.

• Start by connecting via LinkedIn. You may want to attach an article relevant to your conversation, their business or make a similar connection.

4. Ask yourself: What could I have done differently?

As you assess your interview, make note of anything that caught you off guard. Work on any responses that may have blindsided you. Be honest with yourself: What might you do differently the next time around?

• Whether or not you get this particular job, learn something from your interview experience. Discuss it with someone knowledgeable and trustworthy. Or, do a little journaling about what went well and what could have gone better. This process will also help you determine more solidly whether this role is really, truly the right one for you.

By working with a staffing firm that specializes in your field, you can not only access the best job openings currently available, but also get the coaching you need to excel throughout your search process. If that field is administration, customer service, IT, accounting, finance, legal support, healthcare or production, the PrideStaff Modesto team can help. Contact us today, so we can tell you more.

Do You Have A Referral Program? Here’s Why You Should

Finding quality prospective candidates for your available positions can be challenging, but you may actually have a wealth of leads you aren’t currently utilizing: your current employees. If you don’t have an employee referral program, you could be missing out on successful hires.

Learn more about why you should have an employee referral program:

• Candidates are Vetted

When you turn to your current employees to suggest prospective candidates, the quality of these candidates will likely be much higher than normal. Your employees already understand the work and company culture, so they will generally make recommendations for their contacts who would be a good match. Plus, your employees will have an incentive to ensure their referrals are thoroughly vetted since a bad hire via their suggestion could reflect badly on their professional reputation and judgment.

• It Streamlines the Recruitment Process

Having an employee referral program in place gets you one step ahead because you’ll already have a pipeline of potential candidates to mine. Instead of having to brainstorm to think of the best ways to target applicants, you can quickly get started assessing your referrals. When you’re not starting from scratch to find prospects, it will streamline the recruitment process and make hiring more efficient overall.

• Builds Your Employer Brand

Having a positive reputation as an employer is crucial in recruiting top talent. By creating an employee referral program, your current employees essentially serve as ambassadors for your company by telling people they know (and who trust in their judgment) that your company is a great place to work and an opportunity they should consider. This organically builds your brand as an employer in an authentic manner since it’s your employees being the mouthpiece, rather than your company touting its own positive qualities.

• Keeps Employees Engaged

The benefits of having an employee referral program extend beyond improving your recruitment process – it can also boost the overall culture and productivity of your team by keeping employees engaged. By being open to referrals from your team, you are giving them a voice and showing that you respect their input. In turn, they will feel like a valued contributor and be more personally invested in your company’s success by working hard and going above and beyond.

Add Valuable Talent to Your Team by Working with PrideStaff Akron!

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

3 Ways Your Job Descriptions Can Scare Candidates Away

You know that classic breakup line, “it’s not you…it’s me.” Well, in this case, it might be you. You might be the reason the right candidates don’t apply for your open positions. Specifically, your job description might be scaring people away.

We know the feeling. The position has been open forever. You keep posting and reposting the job description, but the results are the same: mediocre resume after mediocre resume. Where are the real candidates?

The problem might start with your job description. It represents your chance to start a conversation with potential candidates. If you don’t present your company or the open position in strong enough terms, you can turn people off.

However, there are steps you can take to improve the situation. Make some small tweaks to the description and you can open up a wave of qualified applicants.

Here are three main reasons why your job description might be scaring candidates away:

Too Many Requirements

We get it. You want the best candidates. And you don’t want to wade through a pile of unimpressive resumes. So, you decide to narrow the field as much as possible.

That means setting the bar high. Since you only want the most promising candidates, you include every requirement and desirable skill you can imagine. You describe the perfect applicant.

Unfortunately, there might not be too many perfect candidates out there. By including such restrictive requirements, you are leaving out a big chunk of the qualified people.

On top of that, you are cutting off any hope that something surprising will happen. You assume you can describe the right candidate in advance. But sometimes the perfect fit emerges as part of the job search process. You might find someone with a skill set you didn’t envision at first.

Not Specific Enough

Too many requirements make the field of potential candidates too small. However, you can go too far the other way. Leave things overly vague and people get wary.

An unfocused job posting can throw up a red flag, especially for the most qualified candidates. The position seems unfocused, and they turn their attention to positions more suited to their specific skills.

Of course, combining this with the “don’t include too many requirements” rule creates an inherent tension. It makes the situation a hard one to navigate. And, in truth, it requires a Goldilocks approach. However, with a little attention to detail, it’s possible to calibrate the job posting appropriately.

You Don’t Do Enough to Sell the Position

Job descriptions don’t just exist to candidates the opportunity to apply for your job. They also provide you with the chance to sell the company.

If the job description is too dry or boring, it can give the impression that the position will not carry any excitement. Don’t fall into this trap. Craft a job description like you would a piece of marketing material. Engage the reader and get them excited by the opportunity.

Also, try to match the tone of the description to your company’s culture. You want a personality match with the candidates applying. So, try to add some personality to the writing.

Finding the right candidates for your open positions can feel like a shot in the dark. Take luck out of the equation by using a staffing firm. Partnering with a top-flight recruiter, like PrideStaff, ensures you get the perfect fit for your organization.

Contact PrideStaff Bend today to learn more.

So, What Exactly is a Staffing Agency?

When you’re job searching, trying out a variety of strategies is your key to success. Rather than trying to go it alone in your job search, there is the option of working with a staffing agency. A staffing agency can help you find a job that is right for you. So, what exactly is a staffing agency and how does it work? Learn more about what a staffing agency is and how they can help with your job search:

What does a staffing agency do?

Fill Available Positions

Staffing agencies work with employers to find candidates to fill their available positions. This includes temporary positions (such as for seasonal work or to provide coverage for an employee on leave), as well as full-time jobs.

Recruit Across Industries and Levels

Staffing agencies recruit for positions across industries and levels. Whether you are looking for an entry-level general job or a specialized higher-level position, a staffing agency can help with your job search goals.

What are the benefits of working with a staffing agency?

Variety of Opportunities

When you look for job leads on your own, you’re viewing the same set as other candidates, which can make for steep competition and difficulty standing out. A staffing agency’s job postings won’t be available elsewhere, giving you access to a wider variety of opportunities.

Saves Time

There are many time-consuming aspects to job searching, especially looking for available positions, and then researching them to ensure they’re legit. Working with a staffing agency saves time since you’ll have fewer (but higher-quality) job openings to review.

Offers Flexibility

You have more options for job types and duration when working with a staffing agency. If you’re interested in trying out a new industry or don’t want to commit to a full-time job because of your current circumstances, a staffing agency can match you with more flexible arrangements that meet your needs.

Provides Expert Advice

Have you ever wished you could know exactly what you’re doing right (and what you need to improve) when it comes to your job search? Since staffing agencies work directly with employers, they can provide you expert advice on how to represent yourself most effectively as a candidate.

Free of Charge

There are so many beneficial aspects that staffing agencies have to offer job seekers, but there is truly no catch – it is completely free of charge. Staffing agencies are hired by employers to find them candidates, so the employers are the ones who pay.

Find Your Next Job with Help from PrideStaff Akron!

Find new opportunities by working with an experienced staffing agency like PrideStaff Akron. Our team of recruiters can match you with the best jobs from employers across multiple industries. Search our database of current available jobs to get started.

Not Sure How to Answer an Interview Question? Here’s What to Do.

It happens more often than you might think. During a job interview, a hiring manager throws a curve ball: A question the candidate cannot answer. Sometimes, the person simply doesn’t know the right response. Or, their brain freezes at the moment. Another possibility is the interviewer may be deliberately trying to stump the applicant to see how they act under pressure.

Being prepared for this possibility can alleviate the anxiety any help you make the most of a difficult situation.

Don’t panic.

Your mindset throughout your interview is critical to your success. You don’t have to have a perfect performance to land the job. Often, a solid but imperfect experience is enough to move you on to the next step in a hiring process. Nobody’s perfect. This simple realization can help keep you from panicking if you don’t know an answer.

Take your time.

You may feel you have to fill up any empty airspace to avoid an awkward silence. This is a natural reaction, but it’s not necessary. Instead, take some time to gather your thoughts, versus blurting out something that gives away the fact that you’re stumped.

• Acknowledge the question, and state you’re thinking about it. You can often buy more time by rephrasing the question or asking for clarification. By the time your interviewer answers, something may have come to mind.

Think aloud.

About half the time, interviewers ask tricky questions not so much to hear the exact correct response, but to get a better sense of how you think through problems. So, after taking a minute to think, try to succinctly explain where those thoughts have been – and then go forward from there.

• For instance, you may be asked to “walk us through your process for handling a call from a disgruntled customer.” Imagine you’re getting that call. Then, share the steps you would take out loud. Use some transitional adverbs like “first,” “then” and “lastly” to give your response some structure. Finish with a qualifying statement such as “my process might vary depending on the specific nature of the call.” This shows that you’re flexible, even if your answer isn’t exactly what the hiring manager would do.

Have a fail-safe.

You may get a question that no amount of thinking can help you answer. In this case, turn to the research you’ve done on the position and the company.

• If you’re applying for a finance job and are asked “What is working capital?” address it by talking about your enthusiasm for the opportunity and your knowledge of the industry. You might say, “I’m not overly familiar with that just yet, but I have been keeping up with the current deals your company is involved in and I look forward to learning more and more as I grow with your team.”

As you prepare for your next job interview – and throughout your search process – consider partnering with a career coach from PrideStaff Modesto. We have more than 30 years of experience placing professionals in accounting, finance, administration, clerical, HR, customer service, call centers, healthcare, IT, insurance, legal, management, sales and marketing, and the skilled trades. Contact us today to learn more.

Interviewing Candidates? Look Out for These Red Flags

When you’re interviewing, you have a lot on your plate. You’re trying to get to know candidates on a more personal level; assess their skills, abilities and experiences; and evaluate their personality, habits and attitudes to check for cultural fit. One wrong move in any of these areas can lead to a hiring mistake. What can you do to lessen your risk?

The Tempe recruiting professionals at PrideStaff have the answers you need. Start by looking out for these red flags:

Red flag #1: Running late.

If a candidate can’t show up on time to an interview, then tardiness is likely a problem that will continue if hired. In some cases, they’ll have a good explanation and offer any apology. But if they don’t, then it could spell trouble in the future if you hire them.

Red flag #2: Vague or suspicious answers.

When you ask questions, you need detailed answers to determine whether the candidate is a good fit. If they’re talking in circles, giving answers that are vague or incoherent, or can’t answer simple questions, then it’s a sign that something’s off.

Red flag #3: Poor body language.

You need people who are calm and confident, those who can operate well under pressure. If you have a candidate who doesn’t make eye contact or shake hands and seems jittery and uncomfortable, it’s a good indication they lack assurance.

Red flag #4: Not asking questions.

Candidates should be asking questions not only to demonstrate their preparedness, but also to evaluate the role to determine whether it’s a good fit. If they don’t, it could be out of laziness or a lack of enthusiasm or ambition.

Red flag #5: Talking badly about a past employer.

The candidate should be putting their best foot forward during an interview. That’s why if they start bashing a past employer, boss or co-worker, it’s signals that their maturity and level of professionalism could use an improvement.

Red flag #6: A list of demands.

The interview is a time for you and the candidate to get to know each other to see if there’s a fit. It’s not, however, when the candidate should be demanding a certain salary, vacation time, hours or other wants. If they do, then they’re probably going to be a high-maintenance employee and difficult to manage.

Interested in getting expert help with your interviewing efforts?

Reach out to the team at PrideStaff. As Tempe recruiting professionals, we can handle the sourcing, screening and vetting process, so you get reliable, skilled and hard-working employees. Contact us today to learn more.