Candidate Employment Gaps? Here’s How to Assess Them

When it comes to resumes, gaps in employment can often be a big red flag. You see one and filter out the candidate. But in reality, your next great hire might have a huge glaring hole in their employment history – and it could be for a good reason. You won’t know, though, until you ask.

To ensure you don’t overlook a star candidate just because of a resume gap, PrideStaff, one of Phoenix’s top staffing agencies, offers these few steps to take first:

Ask about it.

Before you make a judgment call about a candidate or their resume gap, ask about it. Find out why they were out of work or took time off. Discuss whether their lack of employment was a personal decision, or whether it was due to a lay off or termination. If it was the latter, find out why. Once you have a better understanding of the situation, you can make a more informed decision about the candidate and whether to pursue them.

Find out what they did during the gap.

Beyond talking about the specific reason for the gap, ask what they did to keep their skills sharp. For instance, if they had to resign to move home and take care of an elderly parent, perhaps they accepted consulting work or took the opportunity to earn extra certifications. Just because a candidate wasn’t working in a conventional situation doesn’t mean they weren’t putting their time to good use.

Think about the positives.

When you’re hiring someone with a resume gap, they often want to prove themselves and help you to understand their value and worth. Not only that, but they could be willing to work on a contingent basis for a short period or be more flexible in terms of salary until they reach certain milestones. These are all positives when it comes to hiring and to your business bottom line.

The bottom line? Considering a candidate with a gap in employment history is certainly a risk. But it could pay off in the end with a smart, hard-working new hire who’s willing to go the extra mile to impress.

Need more help finding the best-fit people for your team?

If you’d rather leave the resume screening and interview process to experts, call in one of the top staffing agencies trusted across Phoenix: PrideStaff. Then get back to your other business priorities. We can hit the ground running sourcing and evaluating top-quality additions for your team. Contact us today to learn more or get started.

Team-Building Tips to Take Your Team to the Next Level

If your goal is to build a more cohesive and productive workforce, then it’s worth your investment to develop a robust team-building program. Get creative! Take your team from good to great, and then from great to extraordinary. Use these tips to make your team-building initiative not only effective, but also enjoyable for everyone.

The “How To” of Team Building

In one recent study, 31 percent of workers said they disliked their company’s team-building activities. Engagement is key, so be sure you:

• Find out what your employees want. Create a common vision for all team members. Learn exactly what people are looking for to enhance their work and efforts, before you begin designing your program. One of the most common pitfalls of team-building programs is they don’t match the needs of the team.
• Create an action plan. Once you’ve determined what will work best for your organization, create an action plan to make team building an integral part of your culture. Make it happen on a regular basis and you’ll see trust, cooperation and understanding build with each successive event.
• Ensure management support. Call on your managers to keep the learning alive. Make sure they follow up with staff regarding what their needs are and how team-building efforts could be improved.
• Encourage collaboration, not competition. Choose activities that encourage employees to work together to solve problems, versus “contests” where teams face off against one another.
• Take it out of the office. Schedule team-building during regular work hours but, if possible, hold your activities off-site. Just getting outside the four walls of the workplace often helps people interact more freely. Plus, this helps eliminate everyday distractions.
• Have fun! While ensuring that participants are challenged throughout the process, make sure your activities are fun, engaging and meaningful. Don’t let your employees become a part of those negative statistics.
• Gather feedback. A few days after a team-building event, reach out to attendees and ask for their constructive feedback. It can be very useful for future planning. Equally important, it shows your employees you really care what they think – and are giving them ownership into the company and their growth.

The workforce development experts at PrideStaff Modesto can help you design and administer a customized team-building strategy for your company. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

It’s Not A Bad Thing To Talk To Your Biotech Boss…

It can be a strange and awkward relationship. You see each other every day. You know almost everything about each other’s hobbies and personality quirks, but you’re not really friends. Sometimes your adversaries and you almost never have a meaningful two-way dialogue.

It can be even harder in an industry like biotech. It’s a highly specialized field, led by managers with intimidating levels of education and a daunting skill set.

In a stereotypical setup, most of the communication with your boss goes one way. They tell you what to work on and you work on it. However, by building a more meaningful rapport, you can create a richer, and ultimately more rewarding, work experience.

Moreover, biotech is a close-knit world. Getting your boss on your side can open doors down the way, both at your current company and at any future opportunities that come up. Your boss can teach you more about the industry and provide a valuable resource (and reference) even if you move on.

Here are three conversations to have with your boss from time to time:

Your Boss’s Expectations

Typically, people avoid talking to their bosses. They put their heads down and do what they’re told.

As such, encouraging a conversation about your boss’s expectations may seem dangerous. Just thinking about it might be enough to induce flop sweats. After all, you’re basically inviting criticism. But ultimately, it will help you perform better and build a better relationship with the boss.

Simply by asking for more details about their expectations, you’ll show them you are interested in improving and doing the best possible job. Plus, you might learn some long-term information that can shape your decision making as things progress. And you make the act of talking to your boss less scary next time.

The Company’s Goals

Your boss is a conduit to the rest of the company. Most of the directives and policies are decided elsewhere and flow through your boss to you and your co-workers. Besides rumors and casual conversations around the coffee machines, you don’t have much contact with the corporate decision-making apparatus outside your team.

Other divisions are like a foreign country. Your boss is their ambassador. This can be key in a fast-moving industry like biotech, where mergers and buyouts are frequent, and the financial viability of the company can change suddenly.

Finding out about general company goals can help you shape your career. Also, knowing about the company’s prospects can clue you in on whether you can plan to stick around for the long haul or if it might be time to start looking around for another opportunity.

Your Personal Ambitions

It may seem like your boss won’t care. Sometimes that’s true. A bad boss doesn’t see you as a person, only as an instrument with which to complete work.

But a good boss is interested in the whole package. They know that the best way to draw out a stellar performance is to help you achieve your personal goals. By getting you invested in doing a good job, the team can accomplish more, as well.

The boss might also keep your personal situation in mind when making decisions that affect you. Going to night school? Your boss might stop asking you to work late. Taking care of a sick relative? Your boss might be able to offer some work-at-home options you didn’t know existed.

Find a Job With the Right Boss Today!

Conversations with your boss get easier when you have a great boss to start with. Biotech is a vibrant, growing industry and strong organizations find a way to have strong leaders in charge. Find these situations by teaming with a first-rate staffing agency. PrideStaff can help you find the perfect position. Contact our top staffing specialists today to find out more.

4 Easy Ways to Achieve Better Work-Life Balance

Feeling stressed at work and in life? It’s only just beginning with the holidays around the corner. The good news is that before things escalate, there are some steps you can take to achieve a better work life balance and live your best life. Here’s a look at a few of them from PrideStaff, one of Tempe’s top employment agencies:

Find your sweet spot and strive to stay there.

It’s only normal to get out of balance at certain points during the year. This can be the result of many factors, from a demanding project to a sick child at home.

However, most people feel their best when they’re working hard, but also making time for the fun stuff in life and the healthy activities too. So know where you operate best and strive to remain there. Don’t search for perfection, instead be realistic about your goals and what you can successfully manage.

Make more time for your health.

You can’t get much done if you’re constantly battling medical issues or if your health is a big concern. That’s why, no matter how busy you are at work, you need to make your health a priority.

Again, it’s about setting realistic goals. Going to the gym seven days a week probably doesn’t make a lot of sense for your lifestyle. However, aiming for four days is more doable. In addition, try to improve your eating habits, little by little, drink more water and get more sleep. Over time, you’ll feel better and become more productive at work as a result. You’ll also be better able to handle stress.

Unplug regularly.

In today’s world, with technology, it can feel like you’re working 24/7. But that leads to high anxiety and burnout, which is why it’s so important to make some changes and unplug regularly.

Make time at night strictly for family or for your own personal interests when you’re not connected to work. Just check your email a couple times over the weekend, rather than several times throughout the day. It’s important to cut ties with the world of work if you truly want to recharge, recover from weekly stress and live a balanced life.

Assess your job satisfaction.

If you don’t like your job, then you’re not going to win the balance war no matter how hard you try. If work is taking a serious toll, then it might be time for a change. Perhaps a move to a different position or department is all you need. Or maybe you need to switch companies entirely. But if you’re consistently unhappy in the office, then you’re not going to achieve the balance you want.

Interested in dipping your toe into the job search waters?

Connect with the team at PrideStaff. As one of Tempe’s top employment agencies, we can help you find your next new job, so you can achieve better balance in your life. Contact us today to learn more or get started.

Resume Round-Up (Part 11): Three Tools to Help You Proof Your Resume to Minimize Errors

Your resume is the first impression you make on a hiring manager, so it has to be perfect. As a top temp agency in Las Vegas, PrideStaff Las Vegas sees a lot of resumes — and to be honest, many aren’t very good.

Issues that might seem small — i.e., a misspelled word or a grammatical error — might not seem like a big deal to you, but they speak volumes to a potential employer. From their perspective, if you can’t be bothered to carefully proofread the document, you’re probably lazy or simply not that interested in the job.

Submitting a resume with errors will likely cost you the job. Avoid getting passed up by using use these three online tools to catch any mistakes you missed while reviewing it on your own.

Three Tools to Help You Proof Your Resume to Minimize Errors

Grammarly’s Online Proofreader

Not just spellcheck, Grammarly’s free online proofreaderv scans your document for more than 400 advanced grammar issues. It also reviews word usage, highlighting word repetition and offering up appropriate synonyms that flow with your resume. Of course, it also covers the basics with spellcheck, but takes it up a notch by ensuring words are used in the right context.

SentenceChecker.org

Polish your resume to perfection with SentenceChecker.org. Not only does this free online tool review your document for basic grammar and spelling errors, it also scans for issues with punctuation, word usage, structure, impact of language and can help you structure your ideas better.

Slick Write

Proofread your resume in record time with Slick Write. This free tool checks your resume for grammatical errors, possible stylistic mistakes and more. Enjoy feedback customized to fit your writing style, designed to make your resume sound more professional. Feel confident that you’re submitting a resume that reflects your superior communication skills.

Take Your Career to the Next Level

If you’re ready to launch a search for a new job, PrideStaff Las Vegas wants to help. Contact us today to connect with top Clark County employers ready to fill temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire positions with talented professionals like you!

The Guide to Presenting New Ideas to Your Team…and Getting Their Buy-In!

As the boss, it’s your job to push your team toward innovation. Presenting new ideas challenges employees and keeps your company on the cutting edge, but getting their buy-in isn’t always easy.

Here at PrideStaff Las Vegas, we know people are creatures of habit. Running a top staffing agency in Las Vegas allows us to frequently see both candidates and employers resist change. The unknown can be intimidating, but instead of becoming discouraged by your team’s reluctance, use these tips to get them excited about trying something new.

How to Successfully Present New Ideas to Your Team

Detail Its Importance

If employees don’t understand the reason you want to implement a new idea, it can be hard for them to wrap their heads around it. When presenting the initiative, explain the benefits it offers. For example, implementing a new process might allow a task to be completed 25% faster and 30% cheaper. Getting everyone on the same page will help them accept the plan.

Explain How Each Person Fits In

A new idea impacts everyone expected to help implement it. When employees don’t understand what their role will be, they become apprehensive. Ease their minds by detailing exactly what you expect from each person. Failing to properly explain the plan can cause people to panic, fueling a rumor mill that can easily spin out of control.

Encourage People to Ask Questions

When something changes at work, people are bound to have questions. Some might not feel comfortable speaking up without being prompted, so encourage them to ask anything. Take all questions seriously, so employees don’t feel intimidated into staying silent. If people are able to get their concerns off their chest, they’ll feel much better about the change ahead.

Request Feedback

It’s a lot easier to accept change when you’re part of it. Ask employees to weigh in with things they like and dislike about the new idea. Really listen to their comments and implement those that make sense. You hired really talented people, so take this opportunity to improve your plan with their suggestions.

Find a Candidate With Passion

Steering a job search is hard work, so stop trying to go it alone. The experts at PrideStaff Las Vegas are here to fill your temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire positions with professionals who can’t wait to join your team. Contact us today to get started!

Tips for Properly Training New Employees

Starting a new job is stressful for anyone. As a manager, you can make the experience a lot easier for your new hires – and at the same time, successful for your company. Because, the sooner an employee is comfortably on board, the more quickly they can ramp up to full productivity.

Give a Tour – A Really Helpful One!

Workplace tours are a fairly standard part of employee onboarding, but take it a step further and be sure your new hire is familiar with places like the mailroom, the security office, and the best vending machines and break rooms.

• Work with the employee’s new colleagues to create a list of places to visit on the tour.
• Provide a list of key contacts for your new employee to meet. Include brief background information on each person, including their name, title, department and role within your company. Also point out any personal ties between each individual and your new hire. For instance, they may have children of a similar age or enjoy the same hobbies or interests.

Wine and Dine

Make sure new employees have lunch plans for their first few days on the job, either with you or with other people they should meet. If they’ve relocated from out of town, set up a dinner or two as well. During their second or third week, consider a happy hour or similar after-hours get-together, so they can get to know people in a relaxed, informal setting.

Provide Needed Resources

Make up a packet of annual reports, contact numbers and links, staff directories and recent company marketing materials and leave them on your new hire’s desk or workstation. Be sure their phones, computers and passwords, and other practical tools are up and running. Leave them a company coffee mug, T-shirt or baseball cap as an added welcome.

Be Accessible

Make yourself available at least a few times a day to check in with new employees. Encourage them to come to you whenever needed and ask questions as they arise.

Blend In-Person and Online Training

In a recent survey, 50 percent of employees said they believed in-person training helped them to effectively retain key information. By incorporating both in-person and online training resources, you give new hires a better understanding of the information they receive, and they also have references to turn to in the future.

• Hands-on training gives employees the opportunity to apply what they’re learning before doing it entirely on their own. Whenever possible, let people try out and experiment with their new skills in a controlled environment. This helps them build confidence without risking the chance of a harmful mistake.
• Consider mobile training apps. Apps give every employee an option to learn in an environment where they feel comfortable and free of distractions. And even if only a small percentage of people opt to complete training remotely, your company saves time and resources that would otherwise be spent on on-site programs.

As you build and onboard your winning team in customer service, IT, finance, legal and administrative support, production and distribution or healthcare, consider a partnership with PrideStaff Modesto. Backed by our national network of clients and resources, we can help you achieve your talent-management goals effectively, efficiently and successfully. Contact us today to learn more.

5 Inexpensive Ways to Show Your Employees You’re Grateful for Them

If you want to make employees feel appreciated, you don’t necessarily need to go for grand gestures, but you probably want to go beyond a simply stated, “Great job!”. It’s the little gestures that go the longest way. So here are five suggestions to make your employees see your gratitude.

1. Small wins

Too often we focus on only the big “gets”, the finished projects, the newly landed client. But it’s all the work that goes before which makes those big wins possible. Make sure to celebrate the small wins, too. Make the recognition small as well – but significant. For example, if you’re trying to get that new client and your employee gets a meeting, acknowledge it either in person, at the next staff meeting, or in a company-wide email. It makes employees feel appreciated for all the work they put in, not just the end game.

2. Treats at end of month/quarter

These two periods of time usually come with a bit (or a lot) more stress due to monthly or quarterly deadlines. Thus, having a little free food such as a lunch or a sweet treat again tells your employees you feel grateful for their hard work – thus encouraging them to continue their efforts in the future.

3. Flexible schedules

If you really want to make your employees feel valued and appreciated, consider adding in the opportunity for flexible scheduling. This will show them every day that not only do you appreciate them at the office, you recognize they also have a life outside of it, and you’re willing to let their working schedules reflect that. Let them know that if they meet their deadlines, they don’t have to clock the usual 40 hours at a desk. This also creates a sense of trust between employer and employee.

4. Health

Often employees put exercise and good eating on the back burner in order to focus on their work lives and home lives. Yet both of those “extra” allow them to stay healthy and focused, as well as manage stress. This will, in turn, promote a stronger, healthier office culture. So, if possible, take steps (pun intended) to help them: Offer healthy snacks or employee-based fitness classes that require little to no money. This shows you care about their well-being.

5. Ask them!

If, after these suggestions, you still feel unsure of what to do, go to the source: Ask your employees how you can best show them your gratitude. Let employees vote on options that won’t break the budget. As part of the survey, ask open-ended questions that allow for honest input as to changes they would like to see in order to make it a friendlier working culture. And giving them a voice once again shows you value and trust them.

Remember: The main goal of recognizing employee efforts should go beyond increasing productivity; you want them to know you value them, just as you would do for your clients. For suggestions on your next great employee, work with PrideStaff.

5 Simple Ways to Show Employees You’re Thankful for Them

A lot of families have the same Thanksgiving tradition. They go around the table and everyone lists at least one thing they are thankful for. For you, the phrase “good employees” could get mentioned every year.

Efficient and reliable workers make everything easier. When you complete a project or beat your production quotas, it’s because your employees made it possible.

You are infinitely thankful for them. But this can be an awkward sentiment to express. Below are five ways to tell your employees you are thankful for them.

Just Say It

It’s amazing how simple solutions sometimes elude us. Want to thank your employees? Then say, “Thank you.” Stop work for a few minutes and let people know you appreciate them.

The results might barely register in the moment. They might seem like they barely heard you. You might see a few people roll their eyes. But it’s still worth saying.

Make It Personal

Part of the reason a generic “thank you” doesn’t always land well is that it can come off as insincere. People can see through a message that comes off as “thank you for all you do, whoever you are.”

To avoid this, individualize the sentiment. Instead of speaking to the employees as a group, pull them aside as individuals and tell them the specific reasons you are thankful for them personally.

Give a Gift or Bonus

Nothing says appreciation like a check. It may sound crass, but the relationship between employee and employer is ultimately financial in nature. It’s not the way you’d show appreciation to a friend or relative. But companies can say “thank you” with cash.

If your employees have helped you have a good year, spread some of the wealth around with a bonus. If there’s not enough to make a cash bonus meaningful, buy smaller presents instead.

Have a Party

You might not have enough in the budget for a bonus for everyone, but you can still spend a little money to show you care. Get everyone together for a “thank you” party. It doesn’t have to be fancy or elaborate. It could just be a trip to happy hour on you. It just gives a chance to show they matter to you.

A get together has the added benefit of building morale and team spirit. The party might add to productivity in the long run.

Bring a Treat

Or you could bring the party to them. Surprise them with pizza or donuts – a little gesture that shows you notice them. You could also go to the next level, a step beyond food in a box. Have a catered lunch from a popular restaurant. Or bring in some food trucks or set up a BBQ outside. Or, if you’re showing appreciation near Thanksgiving, you could go with a full turkey lunch with all the trimmings.

Find the Right Employees to Thank

Having to think of a way to thank your employees is a nice problem to have. It means you have good employees to start with. The best way to get good employees? Work with a good recruiter. PrideStaff can help you find the kind of workers you’ll be thankful for. Contact our staffing specialists today to find out more.

How to Set Yourself Apart in a Job Interview

Your job interview is your opportunity to set yourself apart from equally qualified candidates and establish your personality and cultural fit with a company. Your resume has gotten you this far. Now, you need to step beyond the skills and qualifications outlined there and really shine.

It all comes down to communication. According to one recent study, verbal communication was the number-one skill valued by employers as they evaluated recent college graduates. At any career level, being well spoken is the best way to gain a competitive edge.

So, polish your communication skills and practice for your interview. Be prepared to:

Convey your enthusiasm.

Make your excitement about the position obvious. Companies want to hire people who are eager to work for them.

• Your passion sets you apart as someone who is not simply looking for a job, but is building their career. When you talk about what truly drives you, your passion shines through. Address this, especially when you respond to such questions as “Why do you want this job?” and “What do you like to do outside of work?”

Avoid generic responses.

Don’t force your interviewers to dig for the answers they want. Be prepared with specific examples from your past experience that quantify your value. Use numbers and statistics to illustrate successful results.

• Candidates with strong communication skills can talk about their past achievements in precise, confident terms. Before your interview, anticipate which questions you may be asked. Rehearse your answers, so you can deliver them seamlessly and naturally, without sounding rehearsed.

Be growth oriented.

Express your desire to grow within a position for your own good and the good of the company – not necessarily to climb the ladder.

Be yourself.

Be genuine in your delivery of all interview responses. Come across as authentic, so you build rapport with your interviewers. They should come away with a good idea of what it would be like to have you on their team.

Ask good questions.

Be prepared with your own questions as you head into your interview. This shows your interest, initiative and organizational strengths. It also helps to engage your interviewers and facilitate two-way dialogue.

• Most importantly, your questions help you to determine whether the job is right for you. An interview is a two-way conversation. You’re evaluating the company as much as they’re evaluating you.

The career counseling experts at PrideStaff Modesto can coach you through your entire job search process, including how to prepare for and nail your next interview. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.