When Your Top-Pick Candidate Turns Down Your Job Offer

Finding the perfect candidate is a relief. But when they turn down your offer, it can quickly turn into a nightmare. Considering the amount of time and resources that go into the recruiting process, it’s important to find out the reason for their decision. For instance, did hiring with your firm take too long? Did they get a better offer from your competition?

Whatever the case, here are a few tips from PrideStaff – one of Tempe’s top staffing agencies – to help you figure it out and learn from it.

Touch base with the candidate.

In most cases, a candidate will simply send an email thanking you for the offer and letting you know they’re turning it down. Respond and ask them to get specific as to the reason. Just don’t get defensive in whatever you say. Simply approach it letting the candidate know you’re looking to improve your hiring experience and what, if anything, they would have changed about it.

If they got a better offer from another company, ask about that too. Be diplomatic with your approach and simply say something like:

“I’m so sorry to hear you won’t be joining our team. But I’m glad you found an opportunity you’re excited about. Would you be willing to share what made that offer more enticing for you?”

When you’re friendly and professional, most candidates will be willing to offer you insight into why they chose another offer or decided to stay with their existing employer.

Evaluate the offer.

You need to make sure what you’re offering candidates is in line with what’s competitive on the employment marketplace. If it’s not, then it’s no wonder candidates are turning down your jobs for other opportunities. So do some research and take stock not only of salary, but also benefits and perks, too.

Assess your hiring process.

In some cases, it’s not the specifics of the offer that’s an issue. It’s the hiring process. It might be too long, too cumbersome, or candidates are consistently kept in the dark, waiting and wondering where they stand. That’s the point when they’ll often accept another offer. It’s important to evaluate all aspects of your hiring process to ensure you provide a positive candidate experience from start to finish.

Do you need more help hiring for your team?

Call Tempe’s leading staffing agency at PrideStaff. We know what today’s top candidates are looking for in employers and can help ensure your offerings meet their needs. Contact us today to learn more or get started.

What To Do When All Your Manufacturing Workers Request Off For The Holidays

The holidays are coming. Along with the traditional seasonal pressures of picking out the perfect present for your spouse and dealing with distant relatives with unorthodox political views, this time of year comes with a lot of business stress.

For managers, this includes holiday schedules. Everyone wants time off. And they all want the same days off.

When you’re running a manufacturing facility, some choices are off the table. Working from home isn’t an option. Flexible shifts likely won’t work.

Still, there are things you can do to make the process easier for your employees, better for the business, and less stressful for you.

Have Clear Rules

Setting a clear policy about vacation days avoids on-the-spot disputes. There are a number of potential structures. Selecting the one that fits your business will depend on factors like the size of your business, the makeup of your workforce and the specific seasonal contours of your industry.

Some businesses go with a first-come-first-serve approach. Others go with seniority. Still others rely on a lottery. The important thing is to have a tie breaker in place when two people are looking for the same day off, but you can’t give it to both of them.

Stick to the Rules You Have

To a certain extent, it doesn’t matter what rules you set up. The key is setting out clear policies, communicating them transparently and, of course, sticking to them.

This minimizes hurt feelings and jealousies. It also gives people a chance to plan. They know what the rules are, and they can make their decisions with the policies in mind.

Holiday Bonuses

Offer your employees a bonus or overtime pay to work the time around a holiday. With the additional incentive, many will likely volunteer for the shifts.

Say ‘No’ to Everyone

Call it the nuclear option: Don’t allow any vacation days during the holidays. It may induce groans and angry muttering, but it has the benefit of being entirely fair. By creating blackout days surrounding the holiday, you end any debate and make sure no one can accuse you of playing favorites.

Say ‘Yes’ to Everyone

Instead of fighting the trend, lean into it. Schedule a brief shutdown during the holiday, and let everyone have a few days off.

You could tie the additional off days to increased production headed into the holiday – build up inventory with selective overtime ahead of time. Your employees will be motivated to work a little harder – after all, there are days off at the end of the rainbow. Meanwhile, the shutdown might give you an opportunity to catch up on some maintenance and cleanup that isn’t possible when production is in full swing.

Have Some Seasonal Backups Ready

There is a way to say “yes” to everyone’s holiday requests without shutting down production: Bring in some seasonal help. Give at least some of your full-timers a few days off and keep things going with short-term backups.

Manage the Holidays Like a Pro!

The key to this choice is preparation. Working with a top-flight staffing firm can streamline the process. Contact our PrideStaff staffing experts today to find out what we can do for you!

How to Have a Great Review When You Don’t Get Along with Your Boss

We’d all ultimately like to have a boss we at least have a decent relationship with, but the cold hard facts sometimes intrude: Sometimes you’re going to have a boss you simply don’t like, and vice versa. Yet this person gives you reviews, so how do you manage to put personal feelings aside and get the most out of your professional relationship when getting a weekly or monthly review?

Plan it out.

You need to attend these sorts of one-on-ones with an agenda, so you can make the most of your time together. You’ll need to do some pre-prep, and you might even use a template to send to your boss beforehand.

Keep it short, sweet, and to the point.

You want to share what you’ve accomplished over the last week/month, but make sure to prioritize first. Figure out which updates are the most time-sensitive so if you need input, you can get it right away (before a problem arises). Then figure out the complexity of your update. If it’s brief, you can probably get by with an e-mail. If you find yourself writing something more in-depth, you’ll get more out of meeting in person. And share good news if you have any – consider this an opportunity to toot your own horn, let your boss see your progress, and potentially have them share it with upper management you don’t get to see often.

Ask questions.

Spend the majority of your time here, asking for help solving a problem, getting guidance on a next step, or receiving feedback on something you’re trying. Make sure to cut to the chase quickly with your questions so you make the most of your time. If it involves a problem, make sure you’ve thought about it first and offer your solution, so it doesn’t appear that you want your boss to solve it for you.

Figure out next steps together.

Before leaving, articulate out loud what you’ll do next in terms of which of you takes on what tasks. That way you have clear expectations set up to go over the next time you meet to see where you’ve gotten in the process and whether you need to go in a different direction.

Look to the future.

Your weekly sessions don’t always have to focus on the immediate future – you can and should discuss your long-term career path. If you want to use one of your sessions for this, make sure to add that to your agenda ahead of time so your boss can prepare thoughtful feedback. And it gives you time to think about what they might say, as well as your answer.

Note that all these suggestions involve keeping it on a professional level and avoiding personal conflict – something every employee should practice. For advice on how to best have these sorts of conversations with a difficult superior, ask the experts at PrideStaff.

How to Use Your Cover Letter to Show Off Your Personality

Before you even begin to get in the door, you make a first impression when you send a cover letter for a job opening. On the one hand, you should keep it professional. On the other, there’s nothing wrong with letting a little of your own personality shine through so yours doesn’t sound like the hundreds of other generic cover letters the hiring manager gets. So how do you balance both and help yourself stand out from the crowd?

Avoid the formula.

It’s so easy to simply write one letter and change the name of the company for each one you write, but that practically guarantees that you’ll come off sounding formulaic. Make sure to include specific keywords from the job description in your letter (which also makes it more likely to get pulled by cover letter-reading software programs that companies use). You might also want to make a specific reference to the company itself by mentioning a newsworthy article or a specific reason why you want to work there. And make sure you send it to a specific person – finding out the hiring manager’s name shows you’ve taken that extra step.

No cliches!

Do yourself a favor and look up some of the most overused phrases that candidates tend to add to their cover letters so you can avoid them. How can you find different ways to show them who you are? Make sure you do show them by using an example or two in your cover letter. You also want to look at how you open your letter – again, consider first impressions. Rather than starting with, “I am applying for the position of X, figure out a “hook” that tells them who you are. Perhaps you begin by telling them briefly how your childhood lemonade stand was your first foray into sales or open with an anecdote about looking up the company and getting inspired.

Watch your tone.

Look at the industry and company you’re applying to. Do they seem corporate and formal, which warrants a more traditional approach? Is it a marketing company known for its out-there taglines? Go a little more off the beaten path. You want the tone of your cover letter to match theirs; this also helps show them that you would fit in with the company culture. Always keep it professional, however. This means no errors and a focus on why you want the job (the point of writing in the first place). And always keep it positive.

Consider your cover letter your first chance to show a potential employer who you are and why they want you. For advice on writing your next one or for any job seeking needs, work with PrideStaff.

Common Mistakes of First-Time Managers…That are Totally Preventable

Being a first-time manager is exciting, but also incredibly terrifying. You want to be an effective boss that gets things done, while being liked and respected by your team.

As a top staffing agency in Las Vegas, PrideStaff Las Vegas understands the pressure first-time managers are under. Learning to juggle your new responsibilities will take time, but here’s a few tips to help you get off on the right foot.

Five Common Mistakes of First-Time Managers

Changing Everything Immediately

You might be the boss, but you’re also the new person on the team. If you walk in and start making changes left and right, your team will resent you. Instead, ease your way in by learning how and why they do things. This will allow you to make meaningful changes that actually make sense. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to make your mark, so just take things slow.

Trying to Do It All

Being a new boss comes with a lot of pressure. You don’t want to drop the ball, so you might be tempted to push yourself into overdrive and handle all the work yourself. Not only will this lead to burnout, it will also cause your team to feel like you don’t trust them. Delegating won’t be easy at first, but when you see how amazing your employees are, you’ll be glad you did it.

Allowing Power to Go to Their Head

For the first time in your career, you’re in charge of people. Having this new power feels pretty great, but keep your ego in check. Being the leader isn’t an excuse to treat people poorly, so maintain a humble attitude. If you behave like a tyrant, your employees will hate you, and that’s not what you want.

Imitating Another Manager

Right now, you’re still trying to figure out how to lead a team. It makes sense that you might try to mimic the style of your own boss or one you admired in the past, but resist the temptation. The only style that will truly work for you is your own, so give yourself the time to find it.

Promising Too Much

You want your employees to like you, so you’re eager to grant every request that comes your way. This quality is admirable, but it can also get you in trouble. If you’re not able to deliver on your promises, your team will lose trust in you. Avoid this by agreeing to look into certain requests, but only make guarantees when you know for sure you can deliver.

Hire Right on the First Try

Finding the best person for the job isn’t easy, so leave the work to PrideStaff Las Vegas. Contact us today to connect with talented professionals eager to fill your temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire positions!

PrideStaff Live: Winning the Talent Wars

At PrideStaff, we’re always looking for new ways to help you overcome your toughest business challenges. Through our Innovations LIVE webinar series, we’ve partnered with some of the world’s leading experts to tackle your biggest HR, recruiting and talent management issues.

Our next free Innovations LIVE webinar, “Winning the Talent Wars,” is coming up on Wednesday, November 14th, from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET. Here’s a quick overview:

Winning the Talent Wars: How to Build a Winning Culture of Attraction, High-Performance & Retention

Presented by: Bruce Tulgan, Renowned Author and Expert on Performance Management, Founder, Rainmaker Thinking, Inc.

The number one issue troubling business leaders today is the increasing difficulty of recruiting, motivating, and retaining the best talent. There is a talent shortage at every level, in every industry. The talent wars are back on and more heated than ever. Organizations and individuals are forced to adjust to the ‘new normal’ of constant change and uncertainty.

Make no mistake, the talent wars are affecting organizations of every shape and size:

Average durations of employment are decreasing
Voluntary unplanned turnover rates are increasing
Departure demand is increasing
Open-position rates and time-to-hire rates are increasing
Early voluntary departure of new hires is increasing

At this webinar, you will learn how to:

Build a culture that attracts winners.
Develop a strategy to grow and retain internal leaders
Foster an environment that supports innovation and hard work
Reduce time-to-hire
Overcome the talent shortage

This event is also HRCI certified and will allow attendees to earn PHR, SPHR and GPHR credits.

You DON’T Have to Answer These Interview Questions

Hiring a new employee is a very big decision, so understandably, interviewers want to be thorough. However, there’s a fine line between meticulous questioning and just plain illegal.

As one of the top staffing agencies in Las Vegas, Nevada, PrideStaff Las Vegas knows exactly what topics the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission deems unacceptable. Generally speaking, questions involving race, height and weight, financial information, religious affiliation, citizenship, marital status, number of children, gender, disabilities and health issues are off limits. The EEOC put these laws in place to ensure all candidates are treated equally.

Seven Illegal Interview Questions You Don’t Have to Answer

What year did you graduate?
Have you ever been arrested?
How long have you been sober?
Where did you grow up?
How many kids do you have?
Will you need time off for certain religious holidays?
Are you comfortable working with much younger colleagues?

What to Do If You’re Asked an Illegal Interview Question

All illegal interview questions don’t come from a malicious place. Many inexperienced interviewers simply don’t know the rules, so sometimes they inadvertently wander into inappropriate territory. Still, that doesn’t mean you should answer the question.

If you’re asked a question you feel is illegal, don’t be afraid to challenge it. It’s perfectly acceptable to tell the person you don’t feel comfortable answering the question or to ask them to explain how it’s relevant to the job. If you feel the interviewer has really crossed the line, you can even reach out to the EEOC and file a complaint.

Ultimately, you’ll need to weigh several factors when deciding how to handle the situation. Consider the interviewer’s intent and how much you really want the job, as unfortunately, biting back could hurt your chances of getting hired.

If you decided to speak up, good for you. It takes a strong person to stand up for themselves against a potential employer. Feel very proud of yourself and know your actions might teach the interviewer a lesson, so they’ll treat future candidates in a respectful manner.

Get the Job You Deserve

Ready to explore new career opportunities? PrideStaff Las Vegas is here to steer your search. Contact us today to secure a rewarding temporary, temp-to-hire or direct hire opportunity with a top Clark County employer!

Feeling Hopeless About Your Job Search? Take These 6 Steps

At best, job searches are stressful. At worst, they can make you feel hopeless and unwanted, especially if you’ve been at it for a long time. When this happens, PrideStaff can help. As leading Phoenix recruiting experts, we know there are some steps you can take to turn things around. Here’s a look at 6 of them:

Step #1: Think about a change.

When you’re not getting calls for interviews or with offers, it’s time for a change in strategy. Are you applying to positions you’re truly well suited for? Is your resume as strong as it could be? Does your LinkedIn profile align with your resume? These are all factors to take into consideration when it comes to why you’re not getting the results you want.

Step #2: Take a short break.

If you’ve been searching for a new job for a long time, it’s easy to feel drained or overwhelmed. That’s why it’s a good idea to take a short break from it all. When you do, you can set it aside and enjoy some down time. You’ll come back to the job refreshed and re-energized.

Step #3: Keep it positive.

It’s easy to get down on yourself if you haven’t found the job you want yet, and it’s been months or even longer. But stay positive. The right position is out there, perhaps it just hasn’t come available yet. If you let yourself go down the path of pity, however, it’s going to impact your attitude and energy, which hiring managers will pick up on.

Step #4: Celebrate the little successes.

Sure, you might not have gotten an offer. But when you get a call for a phone screen or an email about setting up an interview, celebrate it. You don’t know where it could lead, however you should feel good about the progress you’re making.

Step #5: Learn new skills.

In the midst of your job search, you can make yourself more marketable to employers by learning new skills. Simply take a look at the job postings you’re most interested in and which skills they list that you don’t have. Then sign up for a class, seminar, or course where you can acquire them.

Step #6: Don’t search alone.

Whether you’re just starting your search or have been looking for a long time, it’s never fun to go it alone. Instead, join a professional group – whether on- or off-line – that can offer support and resources to help you navigate your search.

You can also get help from a Phoenix recruiting professional who will work to understand your background and career goals, then connect you with the best-fit opportunities. Whatever you do, don’t stay isolated in your search. Look externally for outside help, especially from experts.

Ready to put the power of a professional recruiter to work for you?

Call the Phoenix recruiting experts at PrideStaff. We work with some of the most well-respected companies in the area, as well as new and upcoming businesses, and can give you access to top jobs at them. Contact us today to learn more or get started.

Resume Round-Up (Part 10): How to Properly List and Include Transferable Skills on Your Resume When Applying to a Job in a New Field

You’ve accomplished a lot in your current field, but you’re ready for a new challenge. You’re ready to begin an entirely new career, but that doesn’t mean you have to start from scratch.

As a top temp agency in Las Vegas, PrideStaff Las Vegas knows transferrable skills hold a lot of weight. Therefore, it’s important to showcase them front and center on your resume, to show potential employers what you have to offer.

Three Ways to Highlight Transferrable Skills on Your Resume

Use a Non-Traditional Format

A reverse chronological resume is the standard format, but it’s not the only one. In this case, you’ll want to steer clear of this layout, because it focuses on work history, instead of your transferable skills. Instead, you’ll want to use one of two other formats — combination or functional.

A combination resume is a mix of both the reverse chronological and functional formats. This layout starts with a summary of your most relevant transferable skills, followed by a list of your past work experience in reverse chronological order. Just as with a standard resume, bullet points describing your responsibilities and accomplishments are included with each position.

On the other hand, a functional resume begins with a summary of your career goals, followed by a list of your transferable skills. A brief work history should be included at the bottom, containing only the company name, location — city and state — and your job title.

Focus on the Most Relevant Skills

No doubt, you’ve acquired a lot of valuable transferable skills, but not all will be relevant to each job opportunity. Carefully read each job description and highlight your most applicable transferrable skills. This will allow you to present yourself as the best possible fit for each position.

Include Examples

If you choose a combination format, continue highlighting your transferable skills in the work history section. Share specific examples to bring your abilities to life. This will further emphasize the depth of your experience and what you could bring to the company.

Make a Big Career Move

Ready to try your hand at a new field? PrideStaff Las Vegas is here to help you make the transition. Contact us today to start the next chapter of your career!

Learn About Great Ways to Reward Your Employees

The right strategy for employee rewards and recognition goes a long way toward building engagement and ultimately, strengthening your company’s bottom line. Studies have shown the ROI on a robust recognition program can equate to up to 50 percent higher productivity and 20 percent better business outcomes.

Make It Meaningful

Employee recognition can take many forms. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it does have to be meaningful. Be sure to customize each reward to the individual team member – because what works for one may backfire for another.

If you’re not sure, ask. Before starting a recognition program, consider surveying your workforce to see what type of recognition would resonate most with them. For one worker, it may be a bonus in their next paycheck; for another, a paid day off or the chance to attend an off-site seminar or workshop would be preferable.

If employees get to choose their rewards, they’ll be even more likely to work toward the performance levels or milestones that will get them there.

Be Creative

Here are some ideas to get you started on your successful recognition program:

Offer opportunities as proof that an employee is valued by your company. This could mean selecting a person to participate in a training or mentoring program, or making them the trainer or subject matter expert. For example, choose a top customer service rep to create a script and use it when onboarding new hires. This also serves to build engagement in training efforts, as well as in daily operations.
Provide personal praise. It can be as simple as a thoughtful thank-you note, singling a person out and acknowledging their performance. Or, provide company-wide acknowledgement via email or during a town hall meeting. By showcasing what people are doing right, you encourage the same type of behavior in others. Just make sure a person is comfortable with widespread recognition before you implement it.
Time off is like gold. Not surprisingly, an extremely popular employee reward is paid time off from work. At one company, once they began offering flexible work hours as rewards, they saw an 80 percent improvement in employee performance.
Give gift cards, shopping vouchers and similar awards. Bonuses are good, too. But additional options are shopping vouchers or gift cards, which can be customized to fit employee preferences. These can include tickets to sporting events, shows, cultural events and attractions, and family theme parks or other destinations. Or, donate to a person’s favorite charity in their name.

As part of your talent management strategy, PrideStaff Modesto can help you design and implement a successful employee recognition program. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.