Thinking of Hiring a Staffing Agency? Ask These 6 Questions First

There are over 6,000 staffing agencies in the U.S. alone. So if you’re interested in partnering with one, where do you begin? Start by asking the following 6 questions so you can find the right staffing agency in Tempe for your company’s unique needs:

Question #1: Do you have experience recruiting in my industry?

Studies show that industry experience is one of the biggest indicators of success when partnering with a staffing agency. So find an agency that knows your industry and has placed people within it in the past. When you do, they’ll understand the issues and challenges you’re facing when hiring, as well as where to source hard-to-find talent for key positions.

Question #2: How do you source candidates?

Every staffing agency has a different methodology for recruiting candidates. Some agencies use traditional methods, others use more modern, tech-based approaches, and still others employ a blend of both. The agency you decide to work with should use an approach you’re comfortable with and confident in.

Question #3: How do you decide whether a candidate is a good fit for my company?

A staffing agency can recruit great candidates. But if they don’t understand your company and its culture, they’re not going to be able to match you with candidates who are a good fit. A reputable agency will do their homework and answer this question by explaining what they know about your company and how they’ll go about evaluating candidates to ensure a good fit.

Question #4: What’s your turnover rate for internal staff?

Once you find a staffing agency to work with, you want to build a long-term relationship with them. That can’t happen if they have a revolving door of recruiters. Every company will have some turnover – that’s normal and even healthy. However, if a staffing agency has a higher-than-average turnover rate, then start looking elsewhere.

Question #5: What staffing trends are important for me to know about?

You want to work with a staffing agency that does more than just fill empty seats. They should be a strategic advisor, with the ability to provide you with useful information and valuable recommendations in regards to hiring and staffing.

Question #6: Are your rates comparable to other staffing agencies?

At the end of the day, you need to partner with a staffing agency that you can afford. That’s why it’s important to get costs from a few different agencies so you can compare and contrast.

That said, it’s important to make an informed decision based on the value they can provide, not just on how much they cost. Keep in mind too, if you decide to work with a cheaper, but sub-par staffing agency, it can wind up costing you more in the long run in the form of bad hires.

If you’d like to partner with an experienced staffing agency in Tempe, put PrideStaff on your list.

As one of the leading staffing agencies in Tempe, Phoenix, and beyond, we can assist you with every aspect of hiring – so you find exceptional people who can deliver the results you’re after. Contact PrideStaff today to learn more about how we can help you.

How Job Agencies in Las Vegas Can Help You Improve Your Resume

If you’ve been applying to jobs for awhile now, but haven’t been getting too far in your search, your resume, or the lack of a resume, is likely to blame. This essential document is the first impression you’ll make on a hiring manager, so if it fails to resonate, you’ll be immediately passed to the rejection pile.

Stop waiting around for the phone to ring and contact a Las Vegas job agency for assistance. As a staffing professional, your recruiter knows how to get ahead in the professional realm. They’ll work with you to create a step-by-step plan to increase your marketability and get you on the right track to achieve even your more most ambitious career goals.

Gain a Wide-Variety of Experience Quickly

A traditional job can be a great learning experience, but there’s only so many skills associated with one position. If you’re just getting started in the workforce or are in the midst of a career change, working as a temp can help you gain a host of valuable skills in a very short period of time. Each company you’re assigned to will have their own ways of doing things and different projects for you to complete, so you’re always acquiring new abilities and experiences to put on your resume. This will make you look like a well-rounded candidate, effectively boosting your marketability.

Avoid a Resume Gap

Employers don’t always take too kindly to resume gaps, so if you’re between jobs, taking on temp work in the interim can make a huge difference. Not only will you get to earn a paycheck and keep your skills updated until you find the right fit for your future, the hiring manager will also be impressed by your ambition and drive. Many professionals have incurred periods of unemployment throughout their careers, but taking the initiative to work as a temp in the interim really speaks to your level of motivation.

Get Help Writing a Winning Resume

Hiring managers have resumes coming across their desks all the time, so if you want to stand out, yours needs to be impeccable. Of course, writing a perfectly polished can be very tricky, but when you work with a recruiter, they’ll help you make yours shine. From proper formatting and helping insert all the right keywords to composing bullet points that really sell your skills and experience, your recruiter will work with you to craft a resume that won’t be passed up.

Start Climbing the Ladder

Getting ahead in the workforce takes careful planning, so partner with PrideStaff Las Vegas to get on the right path to success. We offer a variety of temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire opportunities to enhance your resume and make you more marketable. Contact us to discuss your future!

Becoming an Effective Decision Maker is Easier than You Think

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing you can do is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”

With these words, President Teddy Roosevelt wisely summarized the core of effective decision making.

Like all skills, being a good decision maker requires practice and a well-honed process. Learning it starts with acknowledgement of the factors that influence decisions, including emotions, perceived risks and rewards, stress and deadlines. You need to alleviate any irrational factors and embrace the rational ones. When all is said and done, decision making is one of your most critical business skills.

A Decision-Making Checklist

Good decision making comes down to four basic steps: identifying the problem or issue, analyzing possible solutions or outcomes, evaluating the possibilities, and then making a choice and taking action. Use this checklist to structure your own decision-making process:

Assess the situation. Take time to accurately identify the circumstances and then organize any challenges that must be addressed. Listen to your intuition as you gather facts. Be clear on the ultimate objective, and seek out all the strengths and weaknesses to stay out of trouble. Don’t get too absorbed in the urgency of having to make a move that you fail to see the full picture.
Take a fresh perspective. Step back and look at the issue with new eyes. Always make decisions based on letting the past guide you while looking ahead to the future. Involve others as appropriate to provide additional data points and insights. Remember to be clear about their roles.
Consider all the options. Brainstorm and generate the most alternatives possible. Be creative. Think outside the box and don’t rule anything out – even possibilities that may seem absurd at first. Analyze each one, considering the positives, the negatives and who and what it would impact. Are they achievable? Do they meet your long-term goals?
Get unstuck. The answer may not always be crystal clear, but the only way to find out is to take a deep breath, gather courage, and make the decision. It can be difficult. You may become stalled because nothing seems acceptable. Know that every decision is a compromise and none is ever without its down side. A big part of your effectiveness is knowing when to be decisive.
Communicate and implement your decision. Convey the necessary details, as well as your expected outcomes, to everyone who will be affected. Continue to provide updates as you implement the related action plan. In doing so, be aware that anxiety due to change is part of the process. This does not mean you’ve made the wrong choice.
Recap and learn from everything you have done. Build awareness of what is working and what is not. Share this newfound knowledge and revise your plans as necessary. Evaluation is critical to gaining experience in making decisions and improving your ability to continue doing so. By applying lessons learned, you will better recognize similar situations in the future. The key is to be effective, not just to be right or wrong.

The recruitment and retention partners at Pridestaff Modesto can provide ongoing workforce growth solutions including better leadership, communication and decision-making skills. In addition to helping you build your industry-leading team, we can assist as you develop employee skills and foster their ongoing growth. Contact us today for more information.

When Your Employee Disagrees With Their Performance Evaluation

Performance evaluations serve a clear purpose – to measure performance, set goals and expectations, and ensure both employee and manager are on the same page.

It’s not rocket science.

But what happens when an employee disagrees with your evaluation? Not just a little bit, but all or most of it?

As one of the leading staffing service firms in Phoe nix, PrideStaff understands it can certainly be an awkward situation. But as a manager, there will be times when you have employees who aren’t living in reality. It’s your job to bring them back down to earth. Here’s how:

Try to reach a common view, but also be firm about your authority.

If your employee doesn’t agree with you, then it’s important to find out why. Ask questions and truly listen to their issues and concerns. Make an effort to hear your employee out and strive to reach a common view of the situation – to a point. It’s also important to make sure your employee understands that you are the final decision-maker.

Don’t try to convince your employee that you’re right.

If you do, you’ll spend hours going back and forth. For every example of a performance issue you bring up, your employee will to try to explain it away and you’ll get absolutely nowhere.

Instead, communicate what the issue is and why – and then move the conversation onto what needs to happen going forward. Get specific about actions and behaviors you’ve seen – and what you’d like to see instead.

Be prepared to diffuse tense talks.

When you’re giving an employee constructive feedback – and they don’t agree with it, things can get tense, fast. That’s why it’s important to be prepared to diffuse the situation with phrases like: “I hear what you’re saying and I understand why you see things differently. But ultimately I really need you to improve X, Y and Z.”

One final point – if an employee won’t sign off on their performance evaluation, give them an option. Ask them to write a response to the appraisal and why they disagree. This way, even if you don’t have their signature on the actual evaluation, you do have a paper trail in the event the employee is let go in the future.

Do you need help finding top performing employees for your team?

Call the staffing experts at PrideStaff. As one of the leading staffing service firms in Phoenix, we can assist you with every aspect of hiring – so you find exceptional people who can deliver the results you’re after. Contact PrideStaff today to learn more about how we can help you.

Sure, You’re a Boss … But Are You a Leader?

Think back on the best boss you ever had. Was that person someone whom you feared or respected? Did she inspire you to do work, or did you do it because you had to — she was “the boss”? How did others feel about him as a superior? Do you, as a boss, emulate that person’s best qualities? And do you actually lead your employees? The best bosses do.

Quite simply, leaders lead rather than dictate.

Consider the important difference between the two: When a boss leads, he sets a good example for those underneath him to follow — he acts in a way that others respect and want to emulate. Everyone knows that stereotype of the boss who sits in his office and commands from on high, telling others what to do while leaving early and not working as hard as the employees. And when you truly lead, others will follow. Be a boss whose leadership inspires others to emulate your good example…and you will earn loyalty without fear. It’s the fine but important line between commanding respect and demanding it: leaders command it through their actions — they earn respect. Dictators demand it because of their position.

Leaders think in terms of the team.

Again, rather than issuing directives from on high, work with your employees to help them improve and make positive changes to the company. Make yourself available for questions and concerns — and truly listen to what employees have to say, considering their efforts can mean the difference between success and failure. When you make goals, do it with the mindset of what will work best for the team and what you can do to help them do their best. Listen to their needs and supervise well enough to meet them. The boss who leads thinks in terms of bringing everybody up rather than simply focusing on the bottom line; she knows the former influences the latter.

Leaders motivate.

Some bosses prefer to rule using scare tactics, knowing that their employees will do their work out of fear of repercussions. However, that only goes so far, and it certainly doesn’t inspire loyalty in most employees. When you have a large project coming up that necessarily requires some longer hours or harder work, the boss who encourages his employees and views it as a chance to create something positive for everyone will get a more genuine effort than the boss who demands his employees stay late and lets them know their jobs are on the line if they don’t produce.

So consider again: Are you a stereotypical boss, or would others consider you a leader as well? Work on making yourself the person who extends a hand to employees rather than pointing a finger at them. For advice on how to work well with employees, visit PrideStaff.

Combatting a Drop in Summer Productivity

Typically viewed as the most fun season of the year, summer is a time to relax and bask in the beautiful outdoor weather — albeit very hot in Las Vegas — but work still needs to be done. As the boss, summer can be a very challenging time, because most of your employees are daydreaming about lying poolside, instead of focusing on their jobs. You’re tasked with motivating your team to concentrate on work while they’re in the office, to keep the business running smoothly.

It may seem impossible to energize your employees when they’re in full summer mode, but with a little creative thinking you can make it happen.

Four Ways to Combat a Drop in Summer Productivity

Offer an Incentive

People love a good competition, so create a fun office rivalry by challenging your employees to meet a certain goal by a specific date. Whether you put people on teams, make it an individual contest or treat it as a group effort is up to you, so use your discretion to maximize effectiveness. Inspire them to work hard by offering an incentive that both fits your budget and motivates them — pizza party, extra PTO day, cash bonus, etc.

Switch Up Standard Routines

Monotony is boring, so add a burst of fresh air into your employees’ predictable work days by changing things up a bit. Move a daily team meeting outside, allow people to adjust their work hours, encourage everyone to take breaks, put a ping pong table in the break room, or anything else that effectively makes the day less stagnant.

Relax Your Dress Code

It’s hard to be productive when wearing uncomfortable attire. If long-sleeved shirts, suit coats and pantyhose are part of your dress code, consider loosening the reigns for the summer. The average high temperature in Las Vegas during August is 103 degrees Fahrenheit, so wearing heavy clothing isn’t just unpleasant — it’s also unhealthy.

Allow People to Take Vacations

Managing constant vacation absences during the summer months is rough, but denying your employees the right to use their PTO won’t make them happier or more enthused at work. If you’re worried about having enough people on staff to cover the bases, hire temps to fill in during the summer. Your staffers will be much more efficient when they come back relaxed and refreshed from a fun vacation.

Don’t Lose Traction This Summer

If you need new staffers to fill a few gaps on your team, PrideStaff Las Vegas is here to help you find the best and brightest professionals in Clark County. Contact us today to learn what we can do for your organization!

Feeling like a Broken Record? Get Your Team to Listen

You are only as good as your team – and the way you communicate with team members is critical to meeting objectives and motivating people. You need to make sure that everyone is focused on common goals. Communication must be delivered in a way that is truthful and honest, in order to create a true connection between you and your employees.

Make Sure People Are Listening

The key to getting your staff to really listen to you is to show empathy and transparency. This inspires employees to greater collaboration.

Be open. Even if you don’t have the answers … after all, nobody knows everything. By developing a trust-based relationship with every team member, you will build overall loyalty.
Tell compelling stories. Don’t just reel off facts and figures when providing communication updates. Try and bring every discussion back to real-life situations. Personal accounts are much more meaningful and effective.
Actively listen. Let others speak 90 percent of the time. Don’t interrupt. Then paraphrase what they said as you respond. If you’re not totally there with your employees, they won’t be there with you either. By truly listening, you earn respect.
Show empathy. If you show genuine concern for your team members, they will work harder and focus on exceeding expectations. Remember: They are real people with real feelings and emotions. If you stand by them, especially when they are experiencing difficulties, you will be rewarded with dedicated, loyal employees.
Know the value of body language. Be mindful not only of verbal cues, but also of the power of non-verbal communication. Facial expressions, nods, eye contact and gestures can lead to an understood communication between people, which shows that they are attuned to each other’s thoughts and needs.
Get some formal training. Just as you should provide opportunities for your staff to grow professionally, make sure you are constantly improving as well. Take communication courses, find a coach, or read, surf the web and talk to other business leaders to become a better motivator.

As you build your team and continue to develop employees for their – and your – future success, consider working with the experts at PrideStaff Modesto. We’ll work closely with you to address all your human capital challenges. Contact us today to learn more.

Get Rid of Fluff That is Bogging Down Your Resume

Fluff words are those vague, tired clichés that your include on your resume just to fill it out. They do nothing to help you stand out as the best candidate. Considering that the average reviewer or applicant tracking system (ATS) spends less than 10 seconds on an initial resume review, it’s imperative that you nix fluff for specific, relevant and compelling information.

LinkedIn recently released a list of the top 10 overused terms on the profiles of U.S. professionals:

Extensive experience
Innovative
Motivated
Results-oriented
Dynamic
Proven track record
Team player
Fast-paced
Problem solver
Entrepreneurial

Turn Fluff into Marketable Facts

Your resume is your most important document to advance your career. Turn fluff into highly marketable facts by:

Replacing character-describing traits with specific content: For instance, instead of saying you are “results-oriented,” include as one of your bullet points the fact that you “exceeded sales quota by 20 percent in an extremely challenging economic climate.” Rather that describe yourself as “innovative,” tell how you “developed a new customer service process that improved customer retention 10 percent in a 12-month period.”
Using percentages instead of numbers. The same number, such as a “$750,000 sales increase,” may be significant to one employer but minor to another. Also, many companies do not like people giving out private information.
Detailing only specialized technical strengths: Today’s employers expect all candidates to know basic computing skills and programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. List only those that are highly specialized and applicable to the job. When you describe a technical ability, illustrate this strength by detailing what you have created or done with it.
Focusing on keywords: Pay attention to the exact language the employer used in the job description and include the same keywords on your resume. This will ensure that it grabs and holds the reader’s attention. Add on your best skills that your competitors may lack.
Describing outcomes instead of simply listing responsibilities. The shortfall with simply itemizing job responsibilities is that it does not tell an employer how successful you were at executing your ideas. Be sure to clearly demonstrate your actual performance.

Do you need help in perfecting your resume so you see successful results? The recruitment experts at PrideStaff Modesto can help with this and all facets of your job search strategy. We specializing in matching the best candidates with leading employers in California and nationwide. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

When You’re Hiring, Don’t Buy Into These Millennial Myths

When you think of the term “Millennial,” what comes to mind? Lazy, entitled, arrogant? As one of the leading staffing agencies in Tempe, PrideStaff knows these are the pervasive stereotypes surrounding this group of young workers.

But considering that Millennials became the largest generation in the workplace in 2015 – and will continue to increase in the coming years, it’s important for employers to have a better understanding of who they really are and how to help them thrive.

To that end, here are 4 myths about Millennials you shouldn’t buy into when you’re hiring:

Myth #1: Millennials are a whole new breed of workers.

Actually, Millennials aren’t that much different from Gen X-ers and Baby Boomers, according to a recent study by the IBM Institute for Business Value. The study shows that all three generations have similar needs, attitudes and career aspirations. Generations across the board want financial security, to be inspired by leadership, have clear strategies and goals in place, and be recognized for good performance.

Myth #2: Millennials only want to communicate via apps or on their phone.

Sure, Millennials like texting – just as much as other generations do. However, according to a survey conducted by Bentley University called “Millennial Mind Goes to Work,” more than half of the Millennial respondents would rather communicate with a colleague in person. Only 14% chose texting as their preferred method of communicating.

Myth #3: Millennials are job hoppers.

Actually, it’s Gen Y workers who gained a reputation for job hopping. However, according to the Bentley University survey, 80% of Millennials stated they believed they’d work for four or fewer companies during their careers.

Myth #4: Millennials put a premium on work-life flexibility.

This one is actually true – but they’re not the only ones. According to a PwC NextGen study, employees across all generations said they would be willing to forego some pay and delay promotions for a more flexible work schedule and a reduction of hours.

It seems that creating a healthy culture where every generation can thrive is easier than most employers think. Studies across the board confirm that Millennials want many of the same things as previous generations – rewarding jobs, fair pay, work-life balance, and a strong leadership.

Do you need help recruiting a new generation of workers for your company?

Call the experts at PrideStaff. As one of the leading staffing agencies in Tempe, we can assist you with every aspect of hiring – from screening and hiring great candidates to training and retaining them. Contact PrideStaff today to learn more about how we can help you.

4 Tips to Grow Your Talent Pipeline

As you consider your hiring needs, you want to make sure you have access to a constant flow of talent so when you need your next employee, you already have quality applicants waiting in the wings. It may seem difficult to create, but doing so will create a quality pool of candidates ready to pull out when you need them. So how do you make your pipeline more than a pipe dream?

Plan, plan, plan.

If you want to create a solid talent pipeline, you first need to know what you’re looking for. Consider your needs and values: What sort of employee do you want? What are your company growth goals, short and long term? Can you get your senior management involved in the process and what sort of candidate will best line up with your company’s needs and values? Do you have a strong enough brand to bring in the sort of talent that you want? Once you have answers to these questions, figure out what core competencies you want to bring in, and start attracting the talent.

Don’t beat around the bush.

Want great talent? Reach out to them. Use social media such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and a company blog to hone in on top choice candidates. You may even want to consider upping your LinkedIn profile to premium so you can join groups based in your industry and personally send direct messages to prospects who seem interesting and a good fit. Use a bit of subtlety in sending them an article or link of possible interest rather than turning the message into a cold ask. Once you’ve established a relationship, it’s that much easier to reach out later when something opens up.

Use your referrals.

Remember that you have a great network right at your fingertips: your current employees. Consider putting together some sort of reward system for referrals and talking up the company to prospective talent, which can include friends and any potential candidates they may meet through their work. Word of mouth often works as well or better than putting up an online ad, and you have the benefit of bringing in a candidate whom a valued employee can vouch for.

Work your internships.

If you want to create a solid pipeline, look no further than the person who’s already with the company. Employers (and the interns themselves) should consider any internship a long-range working interview where you can try each other out and see how you fit. Plus you don’t have to make any extended commitments; consider it a sort of “try before you buy” option.

As you put your talent pipeline together, consider building a relationship with a quality staffing firm like PrideStaff. They’ll definitely know how to add the best candidates to your pool of potentials.