Is Your Online Company Reputation Harming Your Hiring Efforts?

When it comes to building a strong employer brand, your existing and former employees can be your best advocates…or your worst nightmare. With websites like Vault, LinkedIn, Indeed and Glassdoor, they can post reviews about your company that can have a significant impact on your ability to recruit and hire the best people. And if the reviews aren’t good, it can take years to undo the damage.

As an employer, how can you tell if your online reputation is wreaking havoc on your hiring and recruiting efforts – and what can you do about it?

For starters, as one of the top staffing agencies in Phoenix, PrideStaff can tell you that you need to monitor your online reputation. If you don’t know what’s being said about your company, then you’re essentially putting your proverbial head in the sand. Also, you’ll want to know if reviews are from unhappy former employees or customers, and also whether the details they posted are accurate.

To begin your monitoring efforts, simply conduct a Google search with your company’s name plugged into the search engine. You’ll likely get a whole slew of results – and you’ll start seeing what job candidates are seeing when they research your company. Your objective here is to find any negative mentions of your organization so you can take strides in countering them in a timely manner.

In the future, you should also be constantly monitoring what’s being said about your company online. To do so, consider using websites and tools such as:

• Twitter: You can conduct a manual search via Twitter or use tools like TweetDeck and Twitterific to find out what people are said about your brand.

• Google Alerts: Set up Google alerts for your company, your products and your senior leaders. That way, anytime there is an online mention with any of these keywords, you will be automatically notified. You don’t have to spend hours sifting through the Internet.

• Social Mention: Social Mention is a social media search engine that searches user-generated content such as blogs, videos and comments. It allows you to easily track and measure what people are saying about you, your company, or a new product.

In today’s day and age, candidates research companies online before accepting offers…or even interviews for that matter. It’s up to you to ensure what’s being said about your company offers a fair and accurate view of all you have to offer as an employer.

Need more help recruiting the best candidates for your company?

Call PrideStaff. As one of the top staffing agencies in Phoenix, our specialists can help you with the process from start to finish, giving you access to the skilled and dependable people you need, where and when you need them. To learn more, contact us today.

4 Ways to Make Job Seekers Line Up to Become a Part of Your Culture

To land top talent, you need to borrow a page from your marketing department and apply some serious selling strategy to your hiring process. Just like your company competes for customers to buy your products or services, you’re in a competitive bidding war for the top talent on the market.

Share what makes your organization the best place to work by following these tactics:

Share Your Success

Tell candidates about your company’s greatest achievements and accomplishments. Show how the entire team – including them, if they come on board – is responsible for this success, and reaps the rewards.

• This includes recognizing individual milestones. Tailor your employee recognition programs to the individual wants, needs and preferences of each person. Celebrate successes, both with individual shout outs to those who go the extra mile and team recognitions to further boost morale and future innovation.

Show How You’re Unique

You don’t want to lose a top-tier candidate to a competitor because they offer something that you don’t. During the hiring process, share insights about your culture and team environment that entice the right candidates.

• Highlight product innovations unique to your company. Focus on those that involve state-of-the-art technology. Knowing that they will get to work on the “latest and greatest” is a surefire way to get the attention of the best talent.
• Emphasize the differences between your firm and others in the industry, especially if the candidate is already employed elsewhere. They may just be testing the waters, so it helps to illustrate how it would be worth their while to come and work for you.

Provide the Best Benefits

Tailor each compensation package to a candidate’s individual requirements. For some, this includes tuition reimbursement and free gym memberships. For others, family health insurance and an on-site day care center will be the fulcrum points.

• Show that yours is a culture that values them, their contributions, and their personal well-being. For many, including the millennials who are now the dominant global workforce population segment, work-life balance takes precedence … even over salary.
• Benefits can be key differentiators. Leading the pack in terms preferences are flex time, telecommuting and job sharing. Competitive matching 401(k) plans will never lose their luster, and profit sharing options boost employees’ sense of leadership and incite them to work as hard as possible to ensure success. But the bigger point is: Find out what a candidate wants and make it happen.

Offer Growth & Development

The best employees want to work at companies where they can continually advance their careers. From the start, give them the assurance that there will be opportunities for this to happen.

• Fine-tune your training programs. Show candidates how they can develop the skills they need to move up, versus move out.
• Support employees in their growth. Cover the cost of professional memberships, seminars and workshops, and allow people ample time to participate. Let them adjust their schedules to take a course. Everybody wins, as your employee is happier and more engaged, your company benefits from their well-honed skills, and word of your positive employer value proposition quickly spreads.

The PrideStaff Modesto team of specialized recruiters can help you develop the strategy you need to effectively sell your company and its culture – and build an industry-leading team for your future. Contact us today to get started on your customized talent management plan.

4 Ways to Stay in Full Production as During the Holidays

The holiday season is upon us and your employees have probably been saving up their vacation days to enjoy time off with their family and friends.

As a generous employer, you want your team to take their paid time off when they please, but things can get a bit dicey when everyone wants the same days off.

Granting your employees the time off they want, while staying at full production capacity can be a challenge, but it is possible. It’s important to start preparing early, to create a plan that covers all the bases. Learn how to let people take their vacation days during the holidays, without your operations coming to a halt:

Create a Coverage Calendar

Ask employees to submit their requests for time off before the holiday season begins. Use this to create a coverage calendar, ensuring you have enough people to keep production running each day.

Cross-Train Employees

Allow as many people as possible to enjoy time off during the holidays — without your company having to take a hit — by cross-training them. Have employees with similar jobs train each other on pertinent tasks and share key client information, so they can provide adequate coverage for one another.

Provide Flexible Working Options

If possible, grant employees the ability to work from home when necessary during the holidays. Some people may simply need to be off so someone is home to watch their children during the school break, so they’ll still be fully functional if you allow them some flexibility.

Offer Incentives to Work

Reward those who are willing to work during the holidays — especially the most requested days off — with bonuses, gift cards, free lunches and even extra vacation days that can be taken after the holiday season is over.

Hire Seasonal Workers

Take on temporary workers to fill the gaps, so your employees can enjoy as much time as possible with their loved ones. Happy employees are much more loyal, engaged and satisfied than those who resent their employer, so everyone wins. Staffing firms can provide highly skilled workers with all the necessary training, who are ready to get to work from day one.

Need to grow your team to keep up with production?

Partner with PrideStaff Las Vegas to find highly skilled professionals you can count on to fill temporary, temp-to-hire and direct positions at your company.

Start Showing Your Co-workers That You’re Thankful for Their Help

The holidays are just around the corner, so it’s a great time to show appreciation to your co-workers for what they do for you all year round. You may even want to set your first New Year’s resolution – and make acknowledging your peers at work a regular practice, regardless of the season. Some of these items may require an expenditure, but others don’t cost a penny. And every one is well worth the effort!

Just Say It

Simply thanking a co-worker face-to-face for their support proves the meaning behind your words. A more thoughtful workplace is appreciated by everyone, and your heartfelt expression of gratitude may become contagious.

• Don’t forget to say “please” as well as “thank you.” Social niceties do belong at work. In fact, they can contribute to better comradery, collaboration and morale.
• Make sure the boss knows about it. Verbally let your co-worker’s manager know how much they have helped you – and then put it in writing, so it’s on record. All it takes is a brief email spelling out the ways a colleague has gone the extra mile to assist you, your department or your team.

Offer a Work Favor

Especially at the end of the year, which is crunch time for many people and businesses, offer to help a co-worker with a project that needs a boost – or take another step to make their lives easier.

• Extra time off can be a lifesaver. If you’re the manager, post a schedule so people can balance their time off with their personal needs. If you have a peer who’s feeling the strain, offer to trade days off or work extra hours to help them out – with the boss’s OK, of course.

Rewards and Recognition

Does your company have an employee recognition program? If so, nominate a co-worker who has helped you out and made your life easier. Or, give them a meaningful gift to show your appreciation. Try a gift card to their favorite restaurant, coffee shop or store. What could be better, with all the shopping and holiday hustle-and-bustle going on?

For more ideas on showing appreciation for your staff and co-workers – from simple gestures to comprehensive programs and strategies – contact the workforce development experts at PrideStaff Modesto. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help build and maintain your industry-leading team – or take your career to the next level in the weeks and months ahead.

How to Effectively Manage a Remote Team

With technology bringing people closer together, and more and more people desiring to have flexible options for work, it’s imperative that you know how to get everyone working together as if they were all in the same building. Fortunately, there are ways to make this happen successfully, allowing for a better work-life balance for employees and a much larger pool of talent for you to bring to your team.

First of all, consider both the pros and the cons. As mentioned, allowing for remote work lets you choose from a wide group of candidates and actually allows for more efficiency because each person focuses on his own work rather than getting distracted by co-workers. On the other hand, there’s something to be said for in-person camaraderie and having the ability to learn from each other in the moment. So how do you make it work?

Hire the right people for the job

You need to find people who have more intrinsic motivation, who don’t need a boss or manager in the same room to get them to do the work. You also need workers who can still foster strong relationships with co-workers and clients remotely, as well as get their work done efficiently.

Make a work plan

Whether you’re in an office or at home in your sweats, work hours still remain in effect. Let your employees know that by putting together a daily or weekly assignment plan that lets them know of deadlines and assignments to complete. Use some sort of project management system to keep track of everything (such as Asana or TeamworkPM)

Find time for face time

Even if it’s virtual only, make time to see each others’ faces on a regular basis, particularly considering so much information come through nonverbal cues. Plus it brings employees together, literally and figuratively, even if it’s just through Skype or Google Hangout and not in real life. Additionally, you can plan company retreats once or twice a year that get the employees together face-to-face for a different level of communication.

Clarify intentions

You want to make sure employees know you have certain expectations that they have to meet and appreciate, so use your work plan (as mentioned above) and strong communication via phone, email, and video chats to voice them. On the other side of that, make sure you understand your employees in terms of what they want moving forward in the company. Check in to discuss their taking on more responsibility or a new position. Clear communication in general is key to a successful remote team.

Managing a remote team can be a delicate balance, but it can also yield great results. For help with yours, visit PrideStaff.

Are You Asking These 5 Essential Job Interview Questions?

As one of the top staffing services firms in Tempe, PrideStaff knows there are many common interview questions employers ask. “What are your strengths?” “What’s your biggest career accomplishment?” “Tell me about a time you failed on the job.” And, of course, “Why should we hire you?” While these are certainly worthwhile, there are several questions that employers almost never ask – yet are vitally important to getting behind the candidate mask. What are they? Here’s a look at 5 of them:

Question #1: Tell me about the industry trends you see impacting our company.

Asking this question offers you a wealth of valuable information about a candidate. First, it demonstrates whether a candidate prepared for the interview and took the time to learn about what your company does. In addition, it shows that they keep their finger on the pulse of industry trends, which can help you improve your company’s competitive advantage if you do choose to hire them.

Question #2: What do you think an employer should offer its employees?

The information you elicit from this question will help you find out what’s important to a candidate. They may say fair pay, a flexible schedule, the opportunity to learn and grow, or something else entirely. But asking it will give you a sense of whether your company can meet their needs and expectations – and therefore whether they are a good fit for you. For instance, if flexibility ranks high on their list, and you know that’s something you simply can’t offer or the job doesn’t allow for, then that particular candidate isn’t right for you.

Question #3: Describe a time you had to deal with a challenging person, whether a colleague or a client.

Regardless of the job you’re interviewing for, everyone has to deal with difficult people at one time or another. Finding out how a candidate handles these sticky situations will give you some insight into their interpersonal skills. This is especially important to ask if you’re hiring for a position in which the employee will have regular contact with customers.

Question #4: Tell me about a risk you’ve taken at work or in your career.

In today’s business climate, competition is fierce. And you need people who are comfortable with taking calculated risks. When a candidate is especially risk averse, they’re not going to bring much innovation or creativity to the job. But when an individual is willing to take some risk, then they may be able to help keep your company on the forefront of innovation.

Question #5: What’s the most valuable feedback you’ve ever gotten from a boss?

Rather than asking about a candidate’s weaknesses, ask about the feedback they’ve been given in the past – both positive and constructive. The information they give you will indicate what areas they are strongest in, as well as their weak spots.

Do you need more help interviewing candidates for your company – so you find the ideal one?

Call PrideStaff. As one of the top staffing services firms in Tempe, our specialists can help you source, screen, interview and hire top talent for your team. To learn more, contact us today.

How to Survive Your First Day Back from Vacation

We as Americans don’t always take advantage of our vacation time… Perhaps it has something to do with the immense pressure we immediately put on ourselves after coming back to work. That first-day-back transition can feel fairly ugly if you don’t anticipate it before leaving, so take some of these tips to heart so that the next time you take a getaway, the “come-back” doesn’t feel quite so harsh.

• Anticipate what you can.

Considering a vacation has to be planned out weeks or even months in advance, do as much of the same as possible when it comes to your work schedule. Avoid scheduling large projects during your time away or get them done before leaving so you don’t have to play catch-up when you return … and you don’t spend your vacation thinking about unfinished business. Let your co-workers and clients know when you’ll be out so they can plan accordingly as well.

• Tell your co-workers when you’re returning … but give it one more day with clients.

Leave your “away” message on your voicemail and email the first day you go back to work. That way, your co-workers know that you’re in the office and available, but it allows you some time to catch up on emails and other items you missed while you were gone – before clients start contacting you with their next big concern or project.

• Don’t shortchange yourself on sleep.

Chances are good that on vacation you allowed yourself some late nights and slow mornings, so that alarm going off on your first day back may have felt like a true rude awakening. For the first half of the week, do what you can to get to sleep a little earlier than usual to get back on track.

• Talk about the vacation upon return.

Just because you’re back from the vacation doesn’t mean it never happened – on the contrary, it may take some of those stress-free feelings into your work week to speak with colleagues about where you went and what you did. Look at it as a small way to connect with your colleagues and remind yourself of the good times you had, putting you in a positive mindset for the week.

Coming back from a vacation isn’t easy, but you can make that first day back a little more bearable. For help with any work-related frustrations, visit PrideStaff.

How to Maintain a Level of Professionalism During Crisis Mode

Crisis mode can happen to any company, at any time — and it rarely comes with a warning. When panic sets in, you’re seemingly pulled in a million directions at once, which is overwhelming, to say the least. Maintaining your cool when you want to scream is a challenge, but one you must accept to get through it with your image intact.

5 Tips to Stay Cool During Crisis Mode

Use the following five tips to stay calm the next time your company is in a state of panic:

1. Keep Your Emotions Out of It.
   When you’re stressed out and deep into crisis mode, it’s easy to unravel. However, yelling at your staff and falling apart won’t do anything but cause your team to lose respect for you. If you feel like you’re about to come unglued, take a minute to yourself to regain your composure before making your next move.
2. Don’t Act Impulsively.
   In a crisis situation, you need to move fast to try and resolve the situation as quickly as possible. Often times this leads to impulse decision-making that ends in disaster. Make a point to stop and think before acting to keep yourself from doing more harm than good.
3. Maintain a Positive Attitude.
   Crisis mode isn’t fun for anyone, but how you handle yourself can hugely impact the outcome. Focusing on the positive allows you to inspire those around you to keep the chaos to a minimum. Your team looks to you for guidance during tough times and models their behavior after yours, so set a great example.
4. Accept Accountability.
   No one wants to be the cause of a crisis, but nothing will ever get resolved if everyone plays the blame game. Take control of the situation by accepting full accountability and immediately stepping into action to resolve the issue. Mistakes are unavoidable, so it’s how you handle them that reveals your true character.
5. Seek Outside Help, If Needed.
   There’s nothing wrong with asking for help. If you realize you’re in too deep, request backup from outside sources. Some problems are simply too large to handle internally, so make things much less stressful for everyone by calling in assistance from those who can help resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Grow Your Career in Vegas

Ready to move up the ladder? Contact PrideStaff Las Vegas. Our team is committed to helping you find the type of job that supports your career ambitions by connecting you with some of the leading companies in the Las Vegas area.

Should You Take a Recruiter’s Call?

You might not be actively searching for new employment in Tempe. But what if a recruiter reaches out to you about a potential opportunity? Should you decline – you’re happy where you are, after all? Or should you pursue the position?

While the decision is certainly up to you, there are several advantages to working with a recruiter when it comes to career advancement. Here’s a look at few of them:

Access to jobs that aren’t always advertised.

Companies don’t post every job opening they have. Instead, they rely on internal sources, such as referrals, as well as recruiters to source candidates for potential positions. As a result, there may be an ideal position for you available – one that’s more challenging, more rewarding, or more lucrative than your current job – but you won’t know about it unless you work with a recruiter.

In addition, some organizations use recruiters exclusively to fill positions. So if there is a company you’re interested in working for – and they outsource their hiring process to a recruiter – then you’ll have to work with one in order to get your foot in the door.

A robust network of connections.

A big part of a recruiter’s job is to network. A reputable recruiter will have established relationships with employers, other candidates and industry organizations. As a result of these connections, they are able to keep their finger on the pulse of the employment marketplace. They’ll know who’s gearing up to hire – and when.

Better fit opportunities.

When evaluating job opportunities in the past, you may simply have considered whether or not you could do the work. However, when it comes to true career satisfaction, fit within a company and its culture is critically important. When you work with a recruiter, you can leverage their inside knowledge of each employer. They’ll already know what the culture’s like and can give you a sense of whether it’s a fit for your lifestyle and career goals without having to go through the entire hiring process.

Help negotiating compensation.

What are your skills worth on the employment market? If you don’t know or are uncertain, a recruiter can help you determine that number to make sure you’re paid what you are worth. They can also ensure you’re matched with opportunities that offer an appropriate salary, as well as help you negotiate your compensation package.

Input about your interview skills.

If you do interview for a job, but don’t get the offer, your recruiter will oftentimes be able to tell you why. It may be something you can’t change, like the number of years of experience you have, or something you can, such as body language. Whatever the case, you’ll get the feedback you need to boost your interview skills and perform better next time around.

If you’re interested in working with a recruiter to find new employment in Tempe, call PrideStaff.

We can partner with you to get to know your career goals and needs. We’ll then get to work finding opportunities that are a great fit for you. Contact PrideStaff today to learn more about how we can help you.

Stop Hearing “No”! | How to Get Team Members to Help With Requested Tasks

As the boss, it’s beyond frustrating to ask your employees to do something and be met with a resounding “No.” In some cases, this means you have a bad seed on your hand, but in others, you may actually be the problem. Good workers are hard to come by, so it’s important to get to the root of the issue before making a judgment call.

You expect your employees to respect you, but reverence is a two-way street. If you’re not treating them fairly, it’s no wonder they’re not willing to go out of their way to please you. Learn four ways to get people to do as you please, without much effort at all:

• Be Patient.
  Your employees have a lot on their plate. Sometimes it’s not easy for them to drop everything on a whim to do something for you. Before asking them to complete a task, decide whether or not it’s actually urgent. If not, learn to be patient and allow them to complete the assignment on their own time.
• Share Background Information.
  It’s hard for employees to understand the importance of a task when it’s taken out of context. Motivate them to do their part by explaining exactly how their contributions impact the big picture. When they know why they’re being asked to do something, they’re much more likely to actually do it.
• Don’t Pressure Them.
  Intimidation tactics aren’t effective and they don’t belong in the workforce. Employees aren’t inspired to complete projects that are demanded of them. Conversely, people enjoy doing work for those they admire and respect, so prepare to see impressive results if you stop bullying your team.
• Concentrate on Building a Relationship.
  You don’t want an employee who will complete an assignment this one time — you need someone who will be with your team for the long-term. Focus on building a great long-term relationship with your employees, so they stick around and feel personally invested in the company. When people feel like they’re part of something big, they want to contribute.

Make bad hiring decisions a thing of the past. Partner with PrideStaff Las Vegas to find highly skilled professionals you can count on to fill temporary, temp-to-hire and direct positions at your company.