Looking for Long-Term Success? Consider Mapping Out Your Career for Measureable Benchmarks

Career success rarely happens by chance — it takes a great deal of strategic planning to reach your ultimate goal. If you feel like you are aimlessly moving from job-to-job just to collect a paycheck, it is time add some structure into your professional life. As a talented, hardworking person, you deserve a fulfilling career that you can be proud of. Now is the time to take the necessary steps to map your path to career success.

• Take Inventory of Past Roles
  Think about what you liked and disliked about jobs you have held in the past. Evaluate everything from contributions you have made that have been the most rewarding, to the type of work environment that allows you to thrive. Identifying what you want and do not want in a future position allows you to find what you are looking for a whole lot faster.

• Conduct a Skills Assessment
  Do you have what it takes to position yourself as the most competitive candidate for the types of jobs you want? Make a list of the skills you have and compare it to those needed to get your ideal job. It is much better to identify your strengths and weaknesses early on, rather than wasting valuable time applying for jobs you are not qualified for.

• Create an Action Plan
  If you feel like your skills are lacking in any area, create a plan to make a change for the better. Take a training course, head back to school to get your graduate degree or grow your skills by volunteering at a local nonprofit. You will not make any progress if you do not figure out how to move forward.

• Set Measureable Benchmarks
  Tackling all the work standing between you and your goals can seem daunting. Break it down into manageable pieces and attach each one to a measureable benchmark. Keep your plan moving by adding an expected date of completion to each objective, to hold yourself accountable. Dates can always be changed if necessary, but it’s great to have something in place for reference.

Work Your Way Up the Ladder

If you’re tired of being stuck in dead-end jobs, contact PrideStaff Las Vegas. We’re here to help you find the type of job that supports your career ambitions and paves the way for a bright future.

3 Interview Questions to Ask a Warehouse Management Candidate

When hiring for warehouse management, you want someone whom you can trust. This job requires a combination of good communication, good organization, a cool head, and physical fitness. Addressing the first three qualities takes the most time, so here are three questions to ask your candidates to see if they measure up to your standards.

1. Describe your management style

 You’ll get a good sense of how the candidates communicate with others and how they interact with those around them, both those they are managing and superiors, as well as customers. Are these take-charge kind of people? Do they delegate with authority or seem like they’d rather let others take the reins? Do they respect others and the roles they play? Are these people you can trust on the floor with minimal supervision? Having the candidates tell you about how they manage people and projects will give you those answers. 

2. What programs or systems have you used/introduced to streamline internal operations?

 You want a manager who does whatever it takes to make the warehouse run as smoothly as possible. If the candidates can tell you about steps they’ve taken to make internal operations more efficiently, they understand the big picture and appreciate that time is essential in getting product in and out with few to no mistakes. This question can also give you insight as to how they deal with co-workers and subordinates. 

3. Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a problem on the job

 This gets at the heart of whether the candidates have a cool head in hot situations. It tells you whether they can think on their feet or, if the situation warrants, if they took the time to think about the problem and then act accordingly. A great manager can do both and knows when to do one or the other. You’ll also once again get a great sense of how they deal with difficult employees or customers.

Finding a good warehouse manager is a must, as they have many hats to wear, as well as many responsibilities and people to be held accountable to. For help finding the right fit for your company in Akron, OH and surrounding areas, visit PrideStaff.

Do You Really Need a LinkedIn Profile?

Will hiring managers overlook you if you don’t have a LinkedIn profile? And does having a LinkedIn profile boost job search results?

As one of the top employment firms in Tempe, PrideStaff can tell you: It depends.

If you’re searching for a job in marketing or social media, then hiring managers will certainly question the wisdom of not having a LinkedIn profile. That being said, for many positions, a hiring manager isn’t going to reject you for simply not having a LinkedIn profile.

But if a hiring manager likes what they see on your resume, they’ll likely go to the web first to do some basic research on your background. Again, if you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, that hiring managers will wonder why. They may also think you’re not current on the latest trends in technology, which isn’t a point in your favor.

So while having a LinkedIn profile may not be a deciding factor on whether you get hired, it certainly makes professional sense, especially when you think about how easy it is to post a profile.

If you don’t have a profile – and don’t know where to begin – below are some tips to help you get started:

• Go to LinkedIn, complete the registration form and click the “Join Now” button.

• Compile your profile, which should include your professional headline (who you are and what you do), a professional headshot, and information about your background. Give as much detail as you can and if you have samples of your work, don’t forget to include or link to those.

• Start networking by searching for people you know and inviting them to connect with you. You can also expand the reach of your network by browsing through your contacts’ connections and asking them to introduce you.

• Remember, the more connections you have, the more likely you are to be found by those who want to hire people like you. That said, your network should be as relevant as possible. So don’t send out or accept invitations to anyone and everyone.

• Join any industry or discussion groups that are of interest to you. This will help you establish more contacts with common interests, as well as share your business expertise.

• Finally, keep in mind that LinkedIn isn’t a social networking site like Facebook. You need to always be professional in what you say and do online.

Need more help finding your next job? Call PrideStaff. As one of the top employment firms in Tempe, we can help you with the entire job search process, from writing a resume that gets results to connecting you with rewarding opportunities that aren’t always advertised.

Contact PrideStaff today to learn more about how we can help you.

Is Your Organizational Culture Hindering Employee Growth and Creativity?

Behind every successful company is a team of hardworking employees giving their all to the organization each day. If you’ve noticed that your team seems to check out as soon as they step into the office, it’s time to make a change. Take a good long look at your company culture to see if it’s keeping your workers from reaching their true potential.

5 Ways to Create a Culture of Growth and Creativity

Need to make a few changes to your company culture? Use these five tips to make your organization a place that promotes employee advancement:

Provide Regular Training Opportunities

Encourage growth and development by offering your team opportunities to expand their skillsets as often as possible. If you don’t have the budget to send them to conferences and training classes in other cities, choose topics that many people can benefit from and bring a trainer to your office to teach a group session.

Promote from Within

Talented employees feel like they have nothing to work towards if they know they’ll be passed up for a promotion by an external candidate. Make a habit of always trying to fill positions from within before ever reviewing resumes from outside talent.

Stop Micromanaging

It’s very discouraging when your boss doesn’t trust you to do your job. You hired your team members because they’re bright, competent people so stop looking over their shoulders and let them complete assignments their own way.

Allow Side Projects

Creative people are always filled with innovative ideas and visions they wish they had more time to work on. Make this a reality by allotting a certain amount of time each week or month for people to work on side projects they’re passionate about. This is a great way to stimulate growth and make people feel fulfilled. Their ideas may even result in some groundbreaking advances for your company!

Make People Feel Heard

When your thoughts and opinions are constantly shut down, feelings of discouragement are inevitable. Encourage your team to share their ideas and really listen to what they have to say. Not giving people a voice is a great way to stifle their creativity.

Make Top Talent Want to Work at Your Company

Searching for the best and brightest candidates to fill your open positions? Contact PrideStaff Las Vegas. Our services include temporary staffing, temp-to-hire and direct recruiting for a wide-range of industries.

What Generation of Candidates are You Appealing To?

Looking at the available candidates for hire, you’ll see a wide array of ages – many companies have three different generations all working at the same place: baby boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y (usually referred to as millennials). These three groups grew up in extremely different times, and as such, they often approach work differently. One isn’t necessarily better than another; each brings something special to the table, and all of these groups are viable members of the workforce. So how do you create a multi-generational office that runs successfully?

• Baby boomers tend to focus more on work than family life because they grew up during a time when that was the norm. This post-WWII generation, growing up during a time of strong inflation and civil rights, has a very strong work ethic and tends to prefer offices that focus on employee work achievements and a steady culture – they’re probably the most resistant to change of all three groups. However, baby boomers are still eager to learn new skills to stay current. 

• Generation X treads the line of having become adults at a fascinating time when technology really began to explode, so they’re technically knowledgeable. Thanks to their Vietnam-era parents, they value diversity, and they began the trend of wanting more of a work-life balance, so be sure your company offers flexibility. They’re usually well educated, adaptable, and quick to add new skills, adding a great deal of value to any company. 

• Millennials currently make up about 36% of the workforce, and that number will grow as baby boomers retire. They’re very connected through social media and view the world as a place where everything’s just a few clicks away. They prefer to work in teams, and a job with group collaboration appeals to them. Contrary to popular opinion, many millennials have a great work ethic, especially when it comes to something that appeals to their passions.

It is possible to create a workplace where everyone will fit into the culture. Assigning projects and setting expectations based on each generation’s strengths will help things flow smoothly. For example, allow time for baby boomers to receive technical help from millenials, as long as millenials schedule one-on-one meetings with baby boomers rather than groups. Gen Xers may wish to work outside the hours of a standard workday in order to meet all of their personal and professional obligations. Their team members should feel confident that all of their projects will be finished and all deadlines will be met. Baby boomers should be utilized when it comes to verbal communication as email was not in existence when they began their careers. Although these are very different generations shaped by cultural events and technological breakthroughs, they are able to work together to provide a stronger, more well-rounded workforce. For help bringing in a certain generation, visit PrideStaff.

Make Your Meetings More Productive

If you’re like many managers, you spend 20 hours or more a week in meetings. And, as you know, meetings typically produce more meetings. But they don’t have to be frustratingly long affairs with little accomplished. Here’s a look at how you can manage your meetings better and make them more productive.

Think about whether you really need to hold a meeting.

As one of the top recruiting firms in Phoenix, PrideStaff knows meetings are critical for certain tasks, especially if you’re looking for group input or a group decision to be made. However, they’re unnecessary for other tasks. So before you set your next meeting, think about whether or not you really need one. Holding a meeting may not be the best way to get the job done.

Don’t invite unnecessary attendees.

In many companies, inviting a lot of people to every meeting is the norm. But it doesn’t have to be. Before you schedule your next meeting, think about who really needs to be there and who doesn’t. Afterwards, email out meeting notes so everyone is kept in the loop. But that way, you’ll increase the odds of making good and quick decisions.

Hold shorter meetings.

Most meetings today run an hour or long. But there’s no need to schedule a 60-minute meeting when you really only need a 20- or 30-minute touch base. Keep in mind too, the longer your meetings are, the more money it’s costing the company in the form of lost productivity.

Boost efficiency.

Make every minute of the meeting matter. Follow certain habits, such as defining the purpose of each meeting ahead of time so everyone is on the same page; spelling out each person’s role in the meeting, including what you expect from them; and having someone take notes and write down any action items that need to be taken or decisions made during the meeting.

It’s a fact that many meetings are time-sucks. They often accomplish little and force employees to spend time catching up on work after hours because they were stuck in meetings all day. So if you’re a manager in charge of setting and running meetings, follow the tips above to ensure your next session is as productive as possible.

Do you need help boosting your team’s productivity? If you do, call PrideStaff. As one of the top recruiting firms in Phoenix, our specialists can help you find the people you need to improve productivity – and boost business results.

Contact PrideStaff today to learn more about how we can help you.

Is Your First Impression Hindering You From Landing the Job?

When you’re trying to get a new job, the first impression you make on the hiring manager is huge. If you’ve been on a number of interviews and still haven’t received an offer, there’s a good chanceyou’re sending the wrong vibes.

Use these seven tips to figure out what you’re doing wrong and make some positive changes to your interview routine:

1. Don’t Be Late
   Showing up late to a job interview is one of the top — if not the best — ways to make it seem like you don’t really want the job. Leave extra early to allow plenty of time to get to the interview. If you’re too early, calm your nerves by getting a cup of coffee and relaxing at a café around the corner for a bit.

2. Dress Professionally
   The way you present yourself speaks volumes to a hiring manager. A job interview is your one chance to prove you’re the right person for the position, so always dress in a professional manner.

3. Bring Minimal “Baggage”
   Avoid showing up to an interview carrying a cup of coffee, a snack, your smartphone, a giant bag and other needless extras. This alone won’t necessarily keep you from getting the job, but it may cause you to look like an amateur. Pitch the coffee cup, put the accessories away and bring no more than one small, sleek bag with you.

4. Be Cognizant of Your Body Language
   What you don’t say may actually be more important than your well-rehearsed responses to common interview questions. Maintain good eye contact with the interviewer, sit up straight, don’t cross your arms and avoid fidgeting.

5. Show Everyone Equal Amounts of Respect
   The hiring manager isn’t the only person at the company that you need to impress. Be polite to the secretary, interns and everyone else you come in contact with during your time in the building. If word travels around that you were rude to anyone on staff, you can be pretty sure you’re not getting the job.

6. Ask Intelligent Questions
   The interviewer expects to come to the meeting prepared with questions. If you don’t have anything to ask or if your inquiries center on trivial matters, such as hours you’ll be expected to work, they’ll assume you just want any job — not this specific opportunity.

7. Display Enthusiasm
   No one wants to hire a candidate who doesn’t seem excited about the job. Be sure to smile a lot and make it seem like you’re really enthusiastic about both the position and the company as a whole.

Get the Type of Job You Deserve

Ready to find a fulfilling new job in Las Vegas?

Contact PrideStaff Las Vegas. Our team is committed to helping job seekers like you find truly rewarding career opportunities.

Benefits of Social Media Recruitment

Are you fully capitalizing on the value of social media to source and recruit top talent? Because your competition most likely is. Social media can expand your pool of applicants and yield valuable information on candidates that you may not find elsewhere. Especially among Millennials, you’ll be out of the competitive loop if social media is not an integral part of your hiring strategy.

• In a recent study of 1,855 hiring managers, 93 percent of respondents said they used or planned to use social media in their recruitment efforts.
• According to survey respondents, leveraging social media increased candidate quality by 44 percent over the use of only traditional techniques, such as phone screens.

Benefits of Social Media Recruitment

Social media provide not only information on applicants’ experience and skills, but also a glimpse into their lifestyles, values and cultural norms. This is crucial as you seek to hire the right talent and ultimately build robust retention rates.

• Eighty percent of hiring managers surveyed said the use social media to assess candidates’ potential cultural fit.
• Social media is ideal for broadcasting your social mission. You must sell your culture, especially to passive candidates, in order to influence their decisions about where to work and to attract like-minded talent.
• Use social platforms to advertise your open positions. It’s a highly effective strategy for reaching broader segments of your industry in hopes of luring in potential employees. You also should utilize social media for job postings.

More Tips for Success

Keep these additional tips in mind as you plan to optimize your social media hiring plans:

• Use LinkedIn’s Skills section. You’ll find candidates with highly specific skills, delivering connections up to three degrees removed from your own network. This is great for finding people who can introduce you to promising prospects.
• Add career offerings to your company Facebook page. By integrating job postings into your Facebook page, you make it more likely that candidates who don’t visit your website will still see your listings.
• Be interactive. Participate in conversations where you can meet prospective candidates, such as #HireFriday on Twitter. Use tools like HootSuite to follow relevant threads. In your company’s profile description, use keywords such as “careers” and “jobs” to connect to job seekers.
• Cast a wide net. Don’t put all your eggs into the social media recruitment basket. Continue to use job boards, newspapers, job fairs and other traditional methods as part of your comprehensive strategy.

For more tips on the benefits of social media recruitment, read our related posts or contact the experienced Modesto, California recruiters at PrideStaff Modesto today.

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Why Fact-Checking Your Resume is Crucial

Everyone wants to give the best impression when job searching, especially on a resume. So what’s a little padding to get your foot in the door in a tough job market? A lot, and none of it good, according to employers. Even if you don’t fact-check your resume, prospective employers do, and resume fraud can get you in serious trouble, particularly if you want to find a job in the future.

Make the truth work for you

This can be both literal and figurative: You’ve worked hard and should show that clearly in a resume. Put your strongest skills at the top of your resume, and quantify your achievements with hard numbers whenever you can – just make sure they’re correct, of course, because employers will verify them. Even if your accomplishment happened behind your boss’s back, it’s still yours to claim, as long as it occurred within the proper confines of your employment; sometimes you have to take calculated risks to make something happen, and employers will value that.

Do NOT take foolish risks

When listing a job that you worked at five years ago, if you’re off by a month or two regarding the time of employment, most HR people aren’t going to fault you for that. If you state you worked there for four years instead of the three you actually did, that’s a problem. The same goes for trying to fake education credentials: Don’t ever claim a degree or GPA you haven’t truly earned – colleges have those records easily on hand. And even if you managed to “get away with it” to get hired, it may well come back to bite you later. Stories abound of veteran employees getting fired (or worse) for lies they told on resumes years before.

Don’t sell yourself short

If you want your resume to get past the initial review stages, you need to demonstrate what kind of value you would bring to the position and the office. In terms of fact-checking, make sure you put in all of those accomplishments and skills that would make you the best candidate for the position. Find a way to concisely and clearly list what you’ve done – this is the time to toot your own horn, not downplay. Go over your resume not only to check correct dates and statements, but also to ensure that you’ve painted the clearest and best picture of yourself.

Dismiss fact-checking at your own peril. Your resume needs to be accurate and truthful for your own and your future employer’s integrity to remain intact. For any kind of resume help, visit PrideStaff.

Importance of Progress Reviews in the Workplace: Your Key to Effective Coaching

As a manager, it’s your job to help your employees learn and grow. One of the best ways to do this is to provide them with progress reviews at least twice a year — but preferably on a quarterly basis. This is a time for the two of you to reflect on the strides the person has made towards reaching their annual goals.

In general, a progress review typically consists of the following activities:

• Reviewing the set of goals the two of you set for the employee at the beginning of the year.
• Asking the person to gauge the headway they’ve made toward achieving these goals and explain their progress — or lack thereof.
• Making any necessary adjustments, due to a shift in their responsibilities or the company focus.
• Praising the employee for any outstanding performance.
• Creating a plan to combat any subpar performance.
• Scheduling a date for the next progress review.

Importance of Progress Reviews in the Workplace

You always set goals for your team members at the beginning of the year, but often times these objectives get pushed to the side due to competing priorities. It’s beyond discouraging to look back on unmet goals at the end of the year and realize you fell short.

Scheduling regular progress reviews with each member of your team is a savvy way to make sure they stay on track to meet their goals. When people know they’ll be held accountable for achieving their targets, they’re much more likely to work hard to get there. It’s difficult to stay motivated when you’re well aware that management won’t know — or care — if you actually succeed.

When you show an interest in the development of your employees, your efforts will be rewarded with a loyal and engaged workforce who truly wants to do their very best work for your company. Investing in your employees pays in more ways than one.

Hire the Right Person for the Job

Need a little help filling an open position at your company? Partner with PrideStaff Las Vegas. Our experienced recruiters are here to assist you in finding the best candidate to join your team.