Career-Boosting New Year Resolutions Every Job Seeker Should Make

A new year is a perfect time for a career assessment. If you’re not happy in your current job, you owe it to yourself to make a change. Now that we’re nearing the end of January, it’s time to make a plan to find a fulfilling opportunity that makes you truly happy.

PrideStaff Las Vegas, one of the top job agencies in Las Vegas, knows there’s a lot more to a successful job search than simply updating your resume. Getting the job you truly want is a process that won’t happen overnight, but you owe it to yourself to dedicate the necessary time and effort.

Three Career-Boosting New Year’s Resolutions for Every Job Seeker

Decide Where You’re Headed

You deserve a new job that makes you excited to go to work each day, so take the time to figure out what you really want. Think about what you like and dislike about your current position and use this to determine what would make you happy in a new opportunity. Getting on the right track before starting your search is essential, because you don’t want to find yourself in another job that leaves you unfulfilled.

Enhance Your Resume

Now that you’ve determined your target job, it’s time to make sure you have what it takes to be a competitive candidate. If you’re lacking the skills and/or experience needed, make a change for the better. The actions you’ll need to take will depend on your unique situation, but there’s plenty of great ways to boost your resume. Some of these include relevant volunteer work, completing a side project applicable to the job or going back to school.

Make Networking a Priority

Who you know can make all the difference in your job search. Employers largely prefer to hire candidates they already know and those recommended by someone they trust, because choosing the wrong person for the job is costly in many ways. Boost your network by putting yourself out there in 2018. Vow to attend networking events on a regular basis, because having the right connections can get you very far in a job search.

Make a Change in 2018

If you’re ready to take the next step in your career, PrideStaff Las Vegas wants to help. We have connections at many top Clark County companies looking for temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire talent just like you, so get in touch today to start your search!

Resume Round-Up (Part 1) – How to Effectively Showcase Your Skills at a Past Job

Your work history is a story of your professional past, but if you’re not sharing it effectively, you can’t expect to get hired. Whether you’ve been in the workforce for decades or are a relative newcomer, you’ll have to work hard to prove you’re the perfect fit for any job you set your sites on.

It doesn’t matter if you’re searching for temp jobs in Las Vegas or a full-time opportunity, you won’t get hired if the employer doesn’t think you’re right for the job. Find out how to put your professional history to work.

Three Ways to Effectively Showcase Your Past Work Experience

Share Specific Examples

A list of skills on a resume gives the reader a general idea of what you have to offer, but provides no context. Highlight the breadth of your experience by providing specific examples from your past. Effectively putting your money where your mouth is proves you really do have the skills and experience you claim, which will enhance your credibility.

Quantify Results

Hiring managers know many candidates elaborate when describing their past work experience, but numbers tell the raw truth. Showcase experience from your past jobs by quantifying your accomplishments. For example, instead of simply saying you had a high customer satisfaction rating, drive that point home by adding that your customer satisfaction rating was 95%.

Whether on a resume or during a job interview, quantifying your experience is always an effective way to make your fit clear. Increase your chances of getting hired by finding a way to work impressive numerical values into as many statements as possible about your work history.

Tailor It to Fit the Job

Employers always focus on your work history, because it helps them gauge your fit for the job at their company. Make this as easy as possible for them by explaining how your past experience has prepared you for the position. For example, share an accomplishment from a previous job that would help you solve a problem currently faced by the company.

Achieve Your Potential

You already have the skills, so team up with PrideStaff Las Vegas to get the connections needed to land your dream job. Our team is here to help you find the right temporary, temp-to-hire or direct hire position for you, so contact us today to get started!

Passed Over for the Job Promotion? Here’s What to Do

It’s your worst nightmare. The promotion you thought you were a shoo-in for actually went to your colleague. Now you have to get back on your feet again and act as if nothing ever happened. The trouble is you’re still reeling. How will you survive?

As one of the top employment agencies in Phoenix, Gilbert and Tempe, PrideStaff is here to help. Start with these simple tips:

Stay calm and don’t get angry.

Don’t lose it at work; wait until you get home to do it. In the office, remain calm, cool and collected. Whatever you do, resist the urge to barge angrily into your boss’s office or to call out your colleague who did get the promotion. These kinds of emotional outbursts are often regretted.

Find out why.

If you have a good relationship with your boss, reach out and schedule a private meeting with him or her. Then ask for the reason why you got passed over. It could be due to a lack of skills in a certain area, or a colleague with more experience. But whatever the case, at least you’ll know where things went wrong so you can work toward fixing any weaknesses or skill gaps in the future.

Create a plan of action.

Now that you know “the why” behind the situation, what can you do about it? If you have a lack of experience or skills that led to getting turned down, then you can certainly work on those. Enroll in a course, sign up for a seminar, or ask your boss for any resources he or she recommends.

Be diplomatic.

Being around your newly promoted colleague is going to be tough. Accept it. And always be diplomatic. They could potentially wind up being your boss one day, so you don’t want to burn any bridges.

Launch a new job search.

If you think you were unfairly passed over for a promotion – and you don’t see things changing any time soon – then consider employment elsewhere. Pull out your resume, polish it up and start sending it around to job opportunities that seem like a good fit. You never know where it could lead.

Interested in professional help with the process?

Call in Phoenix’s choice in employment agencies: PrideStaff. We can help you with every aspect of your search, start to finish, all so you can find the job of your dreams. Contact us today to learn more about how we can boost your career, so you can get the promotion you want.

When Interviewing Potential Employees, Are You Screening for Cultural Fit?

Filling open positions on your team is hard work. Finding the right skills fit is challenging enough, but many managers don’t realize cultural fit is even more important.

As a leading Las Vegas temp agency, PrideStaff Las Vegas knows skills can be acquired, but changing a candidate’s personality is nearly impossible. Making cultural fit a key part of your interview process is a must. Find out how to do it right.

Four Ways to Screen for Cultural Fit

Ask Behavioral Interview Questions

Right now, many of your interview questions can probably be answered with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no.’ While an adequate way to find out if a candidate has certain skills and experience, this method doesn’t offer a glimpse at their personality.

In contrast, behavioral interview questions allow you to assess the person’s disposition. Questions like ‘Tell me about a time you clashed with a team member’ and ‘Describe your preferred management style’ work in conjunction with those ‘yes’ or ‘no’ skills-based questions to help you find a candidate who is an all-around fit.

Make It a Team Effort

Your employees will have to work alongside the person you hire, so it’s only fair to include them in the interview process. This is a fantastic way to gauge the candidate’s cultural fit, because you can see how they interact with the team. You’ll also get valuable feedback from each of your employees that will help you choose the right person for the job.

Create an Immersive Experience

If possible, invite top contenders to spend a day — or part of a day — doing the job at your company. This will give you a preview of what to expect if they’re hired, and will also help the person decide if your company is the right place for them.

Check References

Often viewed as a formality, checking references can be monumentally helpful when screening for cultural fit. A candidate’s former manager, colleague, client or professor really knows their personality, so they can help you decide if your company is the right place for them. Just as you did during the interview, ask behavioral questions to learn as much as possible about the candidate’s disposition.

Find the Right Fit

Choosing a candidate who perfectly blends with your company culture can be a challenge, but you don’t have to steer your search alone. PrideStaff Las Vegas is here to help you hire right every time. Contact us today to launch a partnership!

Teamwork Interview Questions You Should Be Asking Candidates

Regardless of their role, no employee works alone, or in a vacuum. Even in the most technical jobs, the ability to effectively interact with team members is essential to success. There will always be colleagues who need to know the status of tasks or projects and, in general, what’s going on.

While teamwork skills are just as important as the abilities, experience and education required for a role, they may not be as easy to identify – unless you dive below the surface, ask the right questions, and really get to know a candidate.

What to Look For

Every interview should include a thorough assessment of a candidate’s interpersonal and teamwork strengths. Your goal is to identify how well an individual works as part of either a departmental or cross-functional group.

Gauge a person’s level of self awareness. Can a candidate make a connection between their actions and overall team outcomes? Look for good instincts. This indicates that a person takes an empathetic, optimistic and team-oriented approach to their work.
Seek signs that a candidate thrives on teamwork. If they frequently use terms such as, “We accomplished this goal …” versus “I did this …” it’s a good sign. A team-oriented person naturally shares credit.
Listen for a person describing effective results achieved through collaboration. This enables you to learn what an individual believes about why teams succeed. Will your work environment and culture mesh with their values? In addition, you’ll hear what kind of support and resources a person thinks a successful team needs.

What to Ask

Open-ended questions are powerful in gauging teamwork skills, as they lead to further discussion. They can also help you ensure the right cultural match. Here are some samples:

Based on your experience, what actions and support make a team successful?
Share an example of a situation where teamwork enhanced your ability to achieve your goal.
Have you ever worked with a difficult team member? Share this experience, and tell me what you did to resolve the situation and encourage ongoing progress.
Do you feel more energized working alone, or as part of a team? Why?
Have you been a member of a team that struggled or failed to accomplish its goal? What assessment do you make of the reasons for the shortfall?
Have you ever worked with a virtual team? If so, what special dynamics and actions did this require? How did you create team cohesiveness in a virtual setting?
Have you successfully managed a team? How did you build the group’s sense of collaboration so you could achieve success?

For additional tips and resources for interviewing success, turn to the PrideStaff Modesto team of hiring experts. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

What’s Next for Staffing Agencies in 2018?

Every year brings about changes, and quality staffing agencies know to adjust with the growing needs of their clients and candidates, as well as the ever-shifting hiring landscape, especially the lowered unemployment rates. So, what might you see this year in terms of the staffing agency you work with?

High demand and tight labor supply may affect staffing.

The combination of the two will lead to more churn, which, in turn may mean more need for temporary or temp-to-perm placements as employees move from one job to the next.

Compensation changes.

After years of little change in pay raises as compared to the economic upturn, workers now have more leverage to ask for and receive higher pay. This will likely mean a modest rise in revenue growth for staffing agencies, primarily coming from increased bill rates for clients.

Customer relationships are more important than ever.

With a smaller talent pool to choose from, leading to frustrated clients, staffing agencies must work doubly hard to ensure they have good relationships that will weather the difficulties of easily finding the employees they want.

Low rates of unemployment mean less growth opportunity.

Staffing firms will find this a difficult year for growth, what with unemployment currently holding steady at 4 percent. Focus on keeping your talent pool as current and updated as possible.

The White House and Congress’ decisions will affect staffing agencies.

Sharp staffing firms will keep an eye on how tax and healthcare changes affect companies, particularly healthcare-based ones. And considering we may see serious rollbacks in regulations, staffing agencies should also keep on top of city and state regulations in terms of more local labor advocacy.

Remember international candidates as possibilities.

Immigrants with legal work status remain an important resource for staffing, as they very much have the skills and experience companies need, plus they can help companies compete on a wider scale. While crackdowns on immigration may well hurt that population, don’t hesitate as a staffing agency to seek them out as a valuable resource.

2018 will indeed see some different trends than in previous years, so make sure to work with a quality staffing agency like PrideStaff who will stay on top of any changes and help you find the best talent available.

Important Questions to Ask Your Interviewer

Success in your job interview is not only about nailing the responses to questions you’re asked. It’s also about asking good questions of your own. There’s no better way to show your excellence as a candidate than by asking the right questions.

Make a Statement

Your goal is to make a statement, in the form of a question. You want to further highlight your qualifications, demonstrate your confidence, reinforce your commitment to the job, and advance your candidacy.

In addition to making your interviewer sit up and take notice, you need to ensure that the position on the table is right for you.

What – and When – Should You Ask?

It’s important to head into your interview with some questions of your own. You may think of more as the conversation ensues, but there are some basic questions you can start with. Save these questions for the right time – or, wait till the end, when often, your interviewer will ask, “Do you have any questions for us?”

Ask about:

The job. Be sure you understand the day-to-day responsibilities of the position, both in the short and long term. What does a typical day look like? What skills and experience is the employer seeking in an ideal candidate? What are the biggest challenges someone in this role would face? Does the company expect the responsibilities of the job to change in the near future?
Performance expectations. Set yourself up for success by learning the goals of the job, and how your work will be evaluated. Ask about the employer’s performance expectations over the first 30, 60, 90 and 360 days on the job. Find out what the performance review process is like. Ask what metrics or goals your own performance will be measured against.
Your interviewers. This helps you build rapport with key decision makers. How long have they been with the company? Why did they decide to work there? What do they like best about their jobs?
The company. You’re not going to be working for just one manager, but for an entire organization. Ask your interviewers where they see the company headed in the next few years. Can they tell you about any upcoming plans or new product launches? What excites them the most about the future of their business?
Your possible future team. The people you work with every day can make or break your work life. Ask about the team you’d be working with, if you accepted an offer from the company. Who will you work most closely with? To whom would you report? What are the strengths, weaknesses and challenges of any direct reports you would have?
Company culture. What’s unique about working here? How would your interviewer describe the work environment?

And, don’t forget to ask about the next step in an employer’s hiring process. Be sure your interviewers – and you – have all the information you need before you shake hands and say goodbye.

A professional career coach from PrideStaff Modesto can help you prepare for your next interview, as well as walk you through a successful job search from start to finish. Contact us today so we can tell you more!

4 Tips to Better Job Postings in 2018

It’s the start of another new year. And, if you’re like many companies in and around Phoenix, Tempe, and Gilbert you might have a budget for adding employees to your staff in 2018. But if you’re still relying on old job postings, it’s time for a new approach.

Here are four tips to help you attract stronger job candidates through better job postings:

Tip #1: Focus on what makes the opportunity attractive.

As a leading provider of staffing services in Tempe, PrideStaff knows your job postings should read more like a marketing document and less like a technical manual. Unfortunately, too many fall into the latter category.

But employees will use your posting to evaluate your company and the position. They want to get a real sense of what it’s like to work there in the environment, and also of the specific role. They can’t do that if your posting simply consists of a laundry list of qualifications and traits you’re looking for.

Tip #2: Skip the jargon and legalese.

Bigger words don’t necessarily translate into better job descriptions. Instead, use simple and clear-cut language that provides a true sense of what the job is like. So skip the jargon and legalese that most job candidates won’t understand anyway.

For instance, rather than writing something like “the administrative assistant is charged with accurately and efficiently executing PowerPoint presentations,” write “the administrative assistant is in charge of creating PowerPoint presentations.”

Tip #3: Talk about the perks and positives.

This doesn’t necessarily mean talking about financial bonuses and benefits. But it does mean talking about what makes your company unique. In other words: why would a strong candidate want to work there? What’s exciting, innovative, cutting edge or different that would appeal to them?

Tip #4: Don’t try too hard.

This includes language like “looking for our next great sale star!” Top candidates don’t want fluff. They’re looking for facts – and don’t want to waste their time on potential jobs that aren’t the right fit. Rather, they want opportunities where they can make a positive contribution; those that are also going to help them advance their careers. So use straightforward language instead of trying too hard to be hip or trendy.

Need more help with your job postings – or any part of the hiring process?

Call the experts at PrideStaff. As a leading provider of staffing services in Tempe, we have the knowledge, proven processes, and candidate network to help you fill positions quickly with qualified, dependable people. Contact PrideStaff today to learn more about how we can help you.

How to Create a Company Culture That Supports Business Goals

“Culture” has been a corporate buzzword for a long time; but what does it really mean for you and for the ongoing success of your business? And, how can you build a culture of engagement, productivity and success as you move forward in 2018?

In a word, culture is the personality of your organization. Entrepreneur.com describes it as “a blend of the values, beliefs, taboos, symbols, rituals and myths all companies develop over time.” Culture is defined by what a company stands for and how it treats others.

Culture and Retention

Numerous studies have illustrated a direct correlation between company culture and employee turnover, which in turn impacts productivity and long-term business success.

Recent research at Columbia University shows that the likelihood of turnover at companies with rich cultures is 13.9 percent, versus 48.4 percent at those organizations with poor cultures. Unhappy employees tend to do only the minimum required of them. Good workers who feel unappreciated are likely to quit – and poor managers negatively affect their team members.

As noted by Harvard Business Review blogger Rob Markey, “Loyal, passionate employees bring a company as much benefit as loyal, passionate customers. They stay longer, work harder, work more creatively, and find ways to go the extra mile. They bring you more great employees. And that spreads even more happiness – happiness for employees, for customers, and for shareholders.”

Culture and Profit

The Department of Economics at Warwick University has reported that happy employees are 12 percent more productive than the average worker, whereas unhappy employees are 10 percent less productive. Dissatisfied workers cost American businesses more than $300 billion dollars each year. And, happy people are more likely to solve problems in an efficient, effective way.

Numbers talk. Low-level engagement within companies can result in a 33 percent drop in operating income, and an 11 percent slump in earnings growth. By comparison, companies with high-level engagement enjoy an average 19 percent rise in operating income and a 28 percent increase in earnings growth.

How to Craft a Winning Culture

If your culture and your people share values, but those values don’t align with your business goals, it can be hard to achieve desired results. To avoid this disconnect, learn what guides your company culture and influences the way your teams work.

Set clear intentions. Define goals for your culture, and then enact change. Ask yourself and the other members of your leadership team: What values do we want our employees to share with each other, and with our customers? What are our primary communication tools … and are they working? What sets us apart from the competition? And, what does our ideal employee look like?
Involve your employees. Identify culture ambassadors. Personal attitudes and values are most influenced by the people we spend the most time with. For the average worker, this is their fellow team members. Your culture ambassadors should be strong communicators and good listeners, who are able to provide reliable feedback and inspire their co-workers.

PrideStaff Modesto has a proven record of success in designing custom workforce growth solutions and helping leading companies build industry-leading cultures. Let’s make 2018 your year for cultural success! Contact us today to learn more.

3 Simple Tips for Rebounding After Job Search Rejection

As professional recruiters in Phoenix, Tempe and Gilbert, PrideStaff knows that looking for a new job can be stressful. But getting rejected for a position you really wanted is downright depressing. How can you rebound, make the most of the situation and eventually move on? Start by following these tips:

Tip #1: Give yourself some time to process things.

Give yourself some time to deal with your emotions. You might be reeling from feelings of anger, shock, disappointment and sadness – which are all normal. So take some time to process your thoughts and feelings. Then try to vent or express them in a healthy way, such as by talking with your spouse or a loved one or friend about it. This will help you to move forward, faster, in a more positive way.

Tip #2: Think through what went wrong.

If you’re not sure why you didn’t get the job, try to pinpoint any possibilities during the hiring and interviewing process. Were there certain answers you gave that were weak? Did you show up unprepared? Were you running late to the interview? Also, don’t be afraid to ask the hiring manager for feedback. They might not always give it; but there’s certainly no harm in asking.

Tip #3: Stay busy with your job search.

When what seems like the perfect opportunity comes along, it’s easy to focus on it. But going forward, when this happens, don’t fixate on any one job. Stay busy keeping up your job search – even when you have your fingers crossed about a particular opportunity. That way, if it falls through, you still have plenty of other possibilities out there that you’re working on.

Also, never take a wait-and-see approach, stopping your job search until you hear back from a prospective employer. Keep up your search even when you’re nearly certain you’re going to get a particular job. You never know what can happen and you shouldn’t take any drastic steps – like quitting your job or your search – until you have an official offer in hand.

Interested in professional help finding your next job?

If you’re sick of job search rejection and want to partner with professional recruiters in Phoenix who can help you find a new position, turn to the experts at PrideStaff. We have the experience and connections to help you locate and land your next great job, faster. Contact PrideStaff today to learn more about how we can help you.