Why You Should Review Candidates with Your Team

“No one of us is as smart as all of us.”

In a nutshell, this adage summarizes why you should review job candidates with your current team members. In fact, you should take it a step further and actively involve them in the hiring process. Everyone wins as a result: you, as HR leader; your company; your employees, and last but not least, the candidate.

Taking this approach is advantageous because it:

Keeps Communication Transparent

Transparent communication, in which employees are kept up to date on what’s going on at their company and have an impact on decisions that affect their work, is very powerful. Could anything be more relevant to a worker than the process that hires their colleagues?

Ensures Cultural Fit

Cultural fit is a deal breaker when it comes to avoiding costly hiring mistakes. You can – and should – trust the instincts of your top employees when it comes to the potential cultural fit of a prospective hire.

Makes the Entire Team Feel Valued

By letting your employees have a voice in the hiring process, you show them that you value them, that you respect their input, and that you want the selection process to be a truly collaborative one.

Provides Leadership Training

Some of your current individual contributors are your future managers. Participating in the hiring process gives them valuable experience in candidate evaluation and insight into how decisions are made.

Creates Ownership

If an employee is part of the candidate selection process, they are committed to making that person succeed. They take this responsibility seriously because they are staking a bit of their reputation on it.

Gives You a Broader Perspective on Candidates

Having more people involved in the hiring process gives you a broader perspective and more insight into candidates. Your employees may see things you don’t, or they may confirm or contradict the qualities that you observe.

Gives Candidates More Insight

The hiring process is a two-way street. You’re choosing someone to join your team – and a candidate is making a choice of which company to work for. Having exposure to more teammates allows an individual to get a broader feel for the people they would be working with and the culture of your organization. Candidates need to make an informed decision, and interaction with future colleagues is invaluable in terms of making that happen.

Are you looking for additional tips and resources to enhance your hiring process? Turn to the recruitment experts at PrideStaff Modesto for workforce solutions customized to your company and its vision. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you achieve your HR goals.

PrideStaff Las Vegas Awarded Nevada’s Veteran Owned Business of the Year for 2016

Las Vegas, March 17, 2016 — PrideStaff, a national staffing organization, is pleased to announce that their Las Vegas office has been named Nevada’s Veteran Owned Business of the Year for 2016 by the United States Small Business Administration.

Nominees were judged on a variety of criteria including staying power, growth in number of employees, increase in sales, financial reports, innovative products or services, response to adversity, evidence of contributions to community-oriented projects and small business advocacy.

When interviewed, Bob Daniel, Owner/Strategic-Partner of PrideStaff Las Vegas, attributed his win to a number of factors, including: developing strategic business relationships; helping clients successfully weather the Great Recession; capitalizing on post-recession business opportunities; and having the support of a great corporate family.

“I’m humbled and honored by this recognition,” said Daniel. “I’d like to thank the PrideStaff Family for helping me to win this award. Their support and confidence has fueled my entire team’s success, which ultimately made winning possible.”

Recipients of the 2016 Nevada Small Business Awards will be honored at the annual SBA Awards Luncheon, scheduled to be held May 4, 2016 at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas.

About PrideStaff

PrideStaff was founded in the 1970s as 100 percent company-owned units and began staffing franchising in 1995. They operate over 74 offices in North America to serve over 5,000 clients. With over 40 years in the staffing business, headquartered in Fresno, CA, PrideStaff offers the resources and expertise of a national firm with the spirit, dedication and personal service of smaller, entrepreneurial firms. PrideStaff is the only commercial staffing firm in the U.S. with over $100 million in revenue to earn Inavero’s prestigious Best of Staffing Diamond Award for three years in a row, highlighting exceptional client and talent service quality.

For more information on our services or for staffing franchise information, visit www.pridestaff.com.

8 Simple Ways to Become the Best Boss in the Building

Think about the best boss you ever had. What qualities did they possess that made them so good? Do you feel you have those same qualities as a leader, or would you like to improve yourself as a boss? Read on to see what you can do to earn the title of the best boss in the building.

1. Accept and invite criticism. Your status as the boss doesn’t mean you can’t improve and have figured everything out perfectly. If you want your employees to continuously work on their weak points, you should do the same (and you probably do have a few). Create a system wherein employees can leave constructive feedback without fear of reprisal — the boss who asks for criticism but then responds negatively has essentially derailed the system. Then accept it professionally, demonstrating your commitment.
2. Acknowledge your mistakes publicly. To that same end, if you do make an error, accept it and recognize it to those it affected. A good boss will admit to her mistakes rather than trying to sweep them under the carpet or pass the buck, and employees will appreciate that. In addition, the boss models good behavior for her employees. This also fosters a culture of honesty, empathy, and responsibility.
3. Give employees free perks. Who doesn’t like free stuff? However, this goes beyond mugs and “Team Building Exercise ‘16” T-shirts. Give out something that makes a memory — free lunch Fridays, a once-a-month happy hour, the occasional raffle…get creative. These little gestures go a long way toward feeling appreciated.
4. You don’t have to be the “cool” boss. A good boss can find that sometimes-elusive balance between authoritative and approachable. As the authority figure, you do need to distinguish yourself from your employees, but go beyond clothing and the key parking space. Your actions and will speak loudest, such as coming in early and staying past “quitting time” and showing genuine enthusiasm for the work. Avoid forcing friendly relationships; those will develop if they’re meant to.
5. Take care with creating the workforce “family.” While you may get close with your employees, “family” brings with it certain unbreakable obligations that you don’t want to creep into the workplace. Enjoy shared moments and special jokes, but avoid hard-and-fast rules and an excess of company culture. Have a good relationship; but remind yourself that work is work.
6. Find the right degree of visibility. Avoid making yourself a target by limiting your presence just enough to allow people to discover your good, tangible qualities but not enough to see your less-stellar ones. Be the bearer of good news when possible and take care with the tone of your interactions — that hilarious joke may not land well with everyone.
7. Remember, everyone wants to feel needed. More specifically, ask for small impromptu favors that will be easy for someone to do (but that don’t make you appear petty) and that could ingratiate you to them in some small way. Asking someone to do you a favor that falls under the realm of their expertise is acceptable. Stress that it shouldn’t take long, so if it’s more difficult than expected, staffers will feel comfortable telling you so.
8. Use the competition to alleviate tension. Do you hear dissention in the ranks or have low morale? Bring up a competitor to focus employees on coming together to outperform them. Hone in on an external deadline for a product launch or public appearance that will give employees something to work toward and do their best at. Give them a chance to “beat the bad guys” – then they’ll be the heroes.

Being a great boss requires a sometimes delicate balancing act, and the best ones manage it by taking these points into consideration. PrideStaff can give you solid advice on how to put these strategies into play.

Why The Best Managers Need to Step Away for a Minute

Being a manager is a huge job with a great deal of responsibility. If you’re like many people in leadership roles, you probably rarely take a break throughout the workday, much less a vacation. What you may not realize is constantly working is wearing you down and this is impacting your ability to lead.

Even Bill Gates enjoys time away from the office, friends and family for his annual “Think Week,” so if the founder of Microsoft is willing to get away from it all for awhile, you can too.

3 Benefits of Stepping Away From Your Desk

It’s time take a pause from work, whether you have 10 minutes or 10 days to do so. Learn three reasons to block some time off your schedule, for the good of yourself and your team.

Avoid Burnout

As a hardworking manager, you’re probably the first one in the office and the last one to leave most days. You enjoy your job, but balancing the needs of your employees with your own work can be very demanding. If you keep charging through at 100 mph, you’ll achieve burnout in no time at all. Taking even a 10-minute break can relieve stress and boost your mood, helping you to better manage the pressure.

Broaden Your Prospective

Constantly looking at goals, processes and standard day-to-day activities can cause you to develop a close-minded prospective. When you allow yourself to get away from it all, you’re able to clear your head and see that everything isn’t as black and white as you envisioned. This allows you to better relate to your team and make decisions that aren’t solely based on one objective.

Reignite Your Passion for the Work

It’s hard to stay inspired when you’re constantly rushing to and from meetings and trying to tackle a seemingly never-ending workload. If you don’t take time to slow down, you start focusing only completing items on your to-do list, instead of the reason you’re actually doing the work. Stealing a little time for yourself allows you to reassess your priorities and rediscover the passion that led you to this line of work in the first place.

Build a Winning Team

Need assistance finding the right person for the job? Partner with PrideStaff Las Vegas to gain access to the best and brightest candidates in Clark County.

Use Your Social Media Pages to Attract Candidates

To attract the best talent on the market, you need to sell your company. And recruitment is a two-way street. As A-list candidates check out your employer brand, social media typically is their first point of contact.

In a recent Jobvite survey of 1,800 recruiting and HR pros, 93 percent of respondents said they use or plan to use social media to boost their hiring efforts. When asked which venues they felt were most important for drawing in desired candidates, 35 percent cited social media platforms, compared to 29 percent who listed their company websites and only 17 percent who listed job fairs.

With the right social media strategy, you can build your brand, market your business-critical openings, and zero in on your most promising prospects.

Understand the unique features of each online platform.

Each online community has its own target audiences and rules of engagement. Customize your content so it is relevant to the specific site readership.

• LinkedIn remains the leading social platform for building professional relationships.
• Facebook is friendly and more casual, and can be a strong venue for active candidate engagement.
• Twitter offers quick, concise exchanges as you maintain ongoing dialogue with your talent pool.
• Research and include other platforms such as Instagram, You Tube, Flickr and Pinterest, using the best approach for each hiring situation.

Include your entire organization in your online efforts.

Your current employees are your best brand ambassadors. They are prime messengers for your online branding and talent acquisition initiatives.

• Encourage your current team to share blogs, postings and other good news with their own connections.
• Social media referral programs allow your best employees to help you recruit talented friends who are already pre-qualified based on their established relationship. The Society for Human Resource Management has noted that employee referral program lower overall cost per hire, speed up time to hire, improve long-term retention rates, and boost morale.

Keep an eye on your competition.

Monitor your competition’s online hiring activity. After all, you are probably wooing the same candidates.

• Use Google Alerts, Glassdoor, Twitter, Indeed.com and LinkedIn.
• Watch closely to see relevant comments, as well as track new hires made by your competitors.
• Research salary data to stay at the forefront of your industry.

Maintain a strong commitment to your social media presence.

Dedicate the right quantity and quality of staffing to provide social medial strategy, execution and analytics.

• An additional tip: Don’t overlook the legalities. Create a social media policy with the help of an attorney. On a related note, always let candidates know that you will be reviewing publicly posted content.

The recruitment and social media experts at PrideStaff Modesto can partner with you as you develop and implement the most effective hiring strategy to optimize your brand and drive your business forward. Contact us today to learn more.

PrideStaff Names President’s Circle Award Winners as Top Achievers in Growth

Modesto, CA, February 20, 2016 – At its recent Annual Conference, PrideStaff, a national staffing organization, awarded top revenue producers the President’s Circle Award. This honor is reserved for Strategic-Partners and company-owned offices who have grown their staffing offices and exceeded revenue goals for the year.

The PrideStaff Modesto office was named a winner of the annual President’s Circle Award for being a top producer in revenue and profits in 2015. Alisa Torlai and the entire Modesto team were recognized at PrideStaff’s annual meeting in Phoenix, AZ.

“In today’s tight labor market, we at PrideStaff Modesto realize that success requires a clear understanding of clients’ needs, combined with a proactive approach to recruiting,” said Alisa Torlai, Owner/Strategic-Partner of the Modesto office.  “I am honored to receive this award for our achievements, and I’m extremely proud of our entire team’s hard work and dedication throughout the past year.”

“Alisa Torlai has done an exceptional job of exceeding the challenging targets she set for growth and profits in 2015,” says PrideStaff CEO George Rogers. “We’re pleased to recognize her team’s hard work and dedication to living out PrideStaff’s Mission – “Consistently provide client experiences focused on what they value most.”

For more information about PrideStaff, please visit www.pridestaff.com.

About PrideStaff

PrideStaff was founded in the 1970s as 100 percent company-owned units and began staffing franchising in 1995. They operate over 74 offices in North America to serve over 4,500 clients. With over 40 years in the staffing business, headquartered in Fresno, CA, PrideStaff offers the resources and expertise of a national firm with the spirit, dedication and personal service of smaller, entrepreneurial firms. PrideStaff is the only commercial staffing firm in the U.S. with over $100 million in revenue to earn Inavero’s prestigious Best of Staffing Diamond Award for three years in a row highlighting exceptional client and talent service quality.

For more information on our services or for staffing franchise information, visit www.pridestaff.com.

Have an Interview? Do Your Homework

The biggest mistake a job candidate can make is not being fully prepared for an interview. Interviewing is a skill in and of itself – and like any skill, practice and preparation make perfect.

Follow these tips to wow your interviewers and demonstrate your interest, passion, knowledge and unique qualifications:

Research the organization.

Learn as much as you can about the job and the company. Begin your research on the organization’s website, but don’t stop there.

• Review recent press releases and annual reports.
• Get to know the company’s products or services, clients and competitors.
• Read business and investor publications. These may include Value Line, Lexis-Nexis, or businessjournals.com for news on specific industries or locations.
• Visit the organization’s LinkedIn and other social media pages. Use your own connections to contact current and former company employees and vendors. And don’t forget your alumni network as a potential information source.

Align your attributes with the job requirements.

Analyze the job description or posting. Outline the abilities, traits and knowledge required. Then, match these up with your own skills and qualifications.

• Conduct a thorough self-assessment. Be ready to present your best accomplishments as they relate to the job on the table.

Rehearse your answers and presentation.

Make a list of anticipated interview questions. Write down your responses. Then, practice with a trusted friend or coach or in front of a mirror. Videotape your rehearsal for evaluation afterwards.

Prepare your own questions, as well. These may include:

• “What makes this a great place to work?”
• “What do you consider the most important criteria for success in this position?”
• “Tell me about your company culture.”
• “How is performance evaluated?”
• “What are the prospects for advancement?”
• “What is the next step in your hiring process?”

Plan what to wear and bring.

Dress for success and look the part. Try and find out the appropriate dress code for the job. Then, for your interview, kick it up a notch. If you are unsure of what to wear, a conservative business suit is always acceptable.

• Keep it conservative. Choose neutral colors and minimize jewelry, makeup and accessories. Be sure your clothes are dry cleaned or wrinkle free. Do a test run of your outfit to be sure it not only looks professional, but makes you feel comfortable and confident.

Accompany that outfit with a professional binder or briefcase. Its contents should include:

• Copies of your resume and list of references. On that note, be sure you give your references a heads up that you will be interviewing, so they are prepared in the event they get a phone call.
• Samples of your work, if relevant. Package these neatly into a folder or portfolio.

Pay attention to your non-verbal communication.

Body language speaks volumes. Project confidence – and be assertive, but not aggressive. Smile, offer a firm handshake, and maintain eye contact with your interviewers.

• Mind your posture. Sit up straight, but not ramrod. Avoid nervous gestures such as tapping your feet. Use only minimal hand gestures.
• Be attentive, but don’t stare. When responding, address all aspects of a question, without rambling.

As you prepare to ace your next interview, consider working with a professional coach from PrideStaff Modesto. Your success is our success – so contact us today to discuss your ongoing career strategy.

Why Your Business Is Better Off Firing a Toxic Worker Than Hiring a Star

When putting your ideal staff together, you want to have the best and strongest employees possible. However, it may help you more if you look at the staff you already have and work on getting rid of a worker whose very presence poisons the rest of the team. When you think about it, you know who this person is; quite possibly, a name has just popped into your head. If you find the general atmosphere at work improves when this person isn’t around, consider how improved morale and productivity will be if you drop the toxic worker rather than spending time and energy bringing on a “star.”

• It’s more cost-effective.

Hiring a top candidate can bring in some good revenue, but dropping a toxic employee saves you even more money. A November 2015 working paper from Harvard Business School, including 11 global businesses and about 58,500 hourly employees, discovered that while hiring a “star” employee can bring in $5,300, firing a toxic employee can save a company three times that — $12,500.

• They can bring unwanted legal trouble.

Toxic employees, defined as those let go for violating company policies such as fraud, sexual harassment, or workplace violence, can bring on legal and regulatory fees and liabilities, putting a black mark on your company with regard to clients and other employees. And considering putting an end to such cases can take up significant amounts of time, it’s best to stay on top of any serious violators and let them go before they bring about a domino effect of trouble.

• Know the signs.

Interestingly, many employees who fall into the “toxic” category also have tendencies to strictly follow other rules and demonstrate more productive output than the average employee. Be warned, however, they may produce more, but the quality doesn’t always match the quantity. Look out for signs of overconfidence and self-centeredness. If you get the impression that a certain employee fits this mold, don’t wait — talk to a manager and see what you can quietly find out.

Everyone wants to hire a star employee, but you first have to make sure you don’t have a destructive force already on your staff. If you want vetted, quality employees every time, visit PrideStaff.

5 Customer Service Job Interview Questions to Expect

Customer-facing roles carry a lot of weight, so most companies won’t hire just anyone to fill these positions. If you’ve been invited to interview for a customer service job, you need to be able to answer some pretty tough questions. Make a great impression by spending a lot of time preparing for the big day, so you’re ready for anything that comes your way.

5 Customer Service Job Interview Questions to Expect

Prepare responses to these five questions to make your customer service job interview a success.

What do you know about our company’s products/services?

As a customer service representative, you need to know the company inside and out. If you’re hired, you’ll be trained extensively, but this question allows the interviewer to see how interested you really are in the job. Prior to the interview, spend time learning about the company by reviewing its website, blog and social media accounts to ensure you’re well-informed.

Tell me about a time when you had to work with a very difficult customer.

Unfortunately, all customers are not pleasant to work with. This question allows the interviewer to learn more about how you’ll handle yourself when a customer is mean, rude and just plain disrespectful. Make it clear that no matter what, the customer is always right and your ego will never get in the way of providing your absolute best service.

Why do you want to work in customer service?

Companies want to hire customer service representatives who truly enjoy working with the public, not someone who thinks they’re just getting an easy job. Highlight the fact that you’re in it for all the right reasons by explaining that you’re a natural people person who enjoys interacting with others and helping solve their problems.

Explain a time when you went the extra mile for a customer.

People don’t forget when a customer service representative exceeds expectations to help them out. This level of service is what makes loyal customers and builds a positive reputation for the company. You definitely need to impress with this response, so make sure you’ve thought long and hard about it prior to the interview, to ensure you have a dynamite example ready to share.

Define what you consider really great customer service.

Outstanding customer service means something different to everyone. The interviewer wants to make sure your definition aligns with company values, so don’t forget to read the organization’s customer service policy when conducting your research. Use this to craft a response that’s tailored to company needs, but also from the heart, because you want to appear genuine.

Find the Career Success You’ve Always Wanted

Searching for a fulfilling job in customer service? Contact PrideStaff Las Vegas. Our services are designed to match skilled professionals in Las Vegas with truly rewarding career opportunities.

Tips for Listing Measurable Accomplishments to a Resume When You Don’t Think You Have Them

When creating a resume, it should look as complete as possible — while you don’t want to fill it up with too much or make it too wordy, you also don’t want to have large blank spaces because you simply don’t have the numbers to make it look complete. Everyone says that it helps to have concrete numbers — employers want to see what’s quantifiable so you can demonstrate your accomplishments. But how do you do that if you don’t work in a number-driven industry?

You need to look at what you do and see where you can logically fit numbers in. Teachers, IT specialists, nurses, writers/editors, administrative assistants, and others in similar positions can look at what they do and turn numbers to their advantage.

If you’re a writer/editor, perhaps you…

• …write 12 posts of 350-500 words monthly focusing on the employment industry.
• …edit copy for a weekly university online newsletter that reaches an audience of 20,000 people, including shareholders and alumni.
• …contributed research for 5 published articles on the benefits of diet and exercise for improving health.

If you’re a nurse, you may have…

• …an average weekly caseload of 100 patients whom you see and treat for long-term illnesses.
• …provided aid to doctors in a major area hospital that specializes in critical care and see an average of 50 patients per day.
• …researched alternative methods of care over a period of six months, resulting in positive changes in patient care.

If you’re in the IT industry, point out that you have…

• …improved network system upkeep by 5.4% (86.4% up to 91.8%), upgraded systems, and heightened security.
• …provided ongoing maintenance for Linux software systems for three major companies.
• …shortened the turnaround time for customer service from three weeks to 10 days.

If you’re in the teaching profession, you can add that you…

• …teach five elementary level classes with an average of 27 students, including five with special needs.
• …have improved the average score on the state English test from an average score of 87% to 90%, with all passing.
• …provide math SAT help in your spare time to help students better prepare and improve their scores.

The resume may seem like a bit of a numbers game, but you can make those numbers work in your favor. For help with writing your next resume, visit PrideStaff.