Discrimination In The Workplace? Five Ways To Avoid It

Workplace discrimination is alarmingly common – 70% of employees surveyed reported having had experienced discriminatory or abusive behavior at work before. Beyond the ethical responsibilities as an employer to ensure employees feel psychologically safe, actions to prevent workplace discrimination must be taken in order to maintain productivity and engagement, as well as improve talent acquisition and retention. Here are five ways to avoid discrimination in the workplace:

1. Establish a Firm Antidiscrimination Policy

It is essential to communicate in clear detail that your company explicitly prohibits any form of harassment or discrimination. State that any discriminatory behavior based on race, gender, age, religion, or other protected class, will not be tolerated. Provide concise examples of discriminatory behaviors, such as inappropriate jokes, invasive questions, or excluding employees based on being a member of a protected class. Also, outline your company’s process for employees to report incidents of discrimination. 

2. Commit to Ongoing Training

From federal regulations to best practices for inclusivity, there is a lot of information to learn to develop and maintain a workplace free of discrimination. Commit to ongoing training for your workplace, especially for those in supervisory positions. Not only will it provide the actionable steps necessary for managers to recognize and effectively handle unacceptable behavior, it sends a clear message that avoiding discrimination is a core value of your organization. 

3.  Take Action on All Complaints

Stating a commitment to preventing workplace discrimination is not enough if employees don’t feel that your organization truly takes it seriously. Take action on all complaints of harassment or discrimination with an immediate, in-depth investigation. This will demonstrate that you care about ensuring all employees are treated respectfully and will not be retaliated against for having reported. 

4. Analyze Your Hiring Practices

Workplace discrimination, even inadvertently, often starts in the hiring process. If your organization lacks diversity in its staff, it could be an indicator that bias, either implicit or unconscious, is occurring during the selection process. Analyze your hiring practices to eliminate any opportunities for bias, such as standardizing the interview process and using objective criteria for decision-making rather than subjective judgment calls.

5. Build Inclusivity Into Company Culture

Avoiding discrimination in the workplace is about more than policies and training – it is an everyday, group effort. Build inclusivity into your company culture to support and encourage your employees (and to make it clear to any intolerant employees that they would not fit in). Be a champion for your employees’ differences – provide any accommodations to make them feel more comfortable, whether that’s time off for religious practices or gender-neutral restrooms, and regularly ask for feedback and let employees know they are always welcome to come to you with any issues or concerns. 

Partner with Us for Recruitment

Find top talent to join your team with PrideStaff Akron. Our experienced team of staffing experts will work with you to understand your needs, and provide you with qualified candidates. Contact us for more information. 

Are You Asking the Wrong Questions to Candidates? Find Out What to Ask (And What Not To)

Less than an hour. Typically, that’s all the time you have to meet with a prospective employee before you have to make a hiring decision. Sure, you can invite them back for another conversation. But you still need to base your next recruiting move on a relatively short discussion.

That dynamic puts a premium on the questions you ask during the job interview. All told, you might only get a chance to ask a half dozen questions or so (maybe not even that many). Make them count.

To get the most out of these crucial conversations, here’s how you know if you’re asking the right questions:

What to Ask:

Determining the specific questions for a job interview will depend significantly on the precise job. However, there are some general rules you can follow while selecting your prompts. Here are some concepts to help guide your process of writing interview questions:

Find out about their skills

Generic questions will get you generic answers. Going into an interview, think about the precise skills and background that will best suit the open position. With that context in mind, craft questions that will draw out the information you need most.

As part of this strategy, involve others in the question-writing process. Talk to current employees who currently do a similar job. At the same time, gather insights from managers and relevant people from throughout the organization. This will give you a strong base of information to pull from as you write your questions.

Uncover their potential

Learn about your candidates’ long-term development potential. If possible, you want to find someone who can grow with your company. Even within the current job, however, you can learn interesting facts about your prospective employee that will help you choose the right person for the current role.

Discover their professional passions

An engaged workforce provides significant benefits. You’ll see higher productivity, increased retention, and enhanced innovation. Getting your workers excited becomes easier when you understand their motivations.

The interview gives you an excellent forum to begin this process. Learn what your candidates love about their previous jobs. At the same time, find out what might inspire them if they join your organization.

What Not to Ask:

It’s surprising how few questions your get to ask in an interview. Even a conversation of an hour or more will likely center on only a few key queries. As such, it’s crucial to know what topics to avoid. That way you don’t end up wasting precious time.

With that mind, here are some guidelines on what questions not to ask at a job interview:

Time-wasting questions

You only get a short time with each job candidate. Make the best out of the situation. Don’t ask questions that prompt a retread of their resume or sparked canned responses. Rather, design your questions to evoke a real conversation.

Inappropriate questions

Some areas are out of bounds for a job interview. Asking these questions doesn’t just poison the mood of the conversation. It can create potential legal issues for your company. Here are topics to avoid:

• Birthplace or country of origin
• Race or ethnicity
• Gender or sexual orientation
• Health situation (including disability status)
• Age
• Family situation (including marital status, size of family and pregnancy)
• Religion

Trick questions

As an interviewer, you want to come at topics from unexpected angles. After all, you don’t want a robotic response from your candidates.

However, there’s a danger in going too far in this direction. Tricky and confusing questions can derail an interview. You can end up dismissing a candidate for failing to live up to a situation that ultimately has little to do with their ability to perform the job.

Contact PrideStaff Bend Today

Looking to get the most out of every job interview? Start by finding the right candidates. A top recruiter, like PrideStaff, can bring you the top talent you need to take your company to the next level.

Contact PrideStaff today to find out more.

5 Quick Tips for Choosing Job Search References Wisely

While your resume and interview answers play a key part in whether you’ll get the job, so do references. Employers use these to verify details, ensure there are no discrepancies, and fill in any gaps of information.

The right references can secure the offer, while the wrong ones can sabotage it. To help you choose wisely in the process, here are some tips to keep in mind.

Tip #1: Use managers.

Employers don’t want references for only those you worked alongside. They want references primarily from those who managed you. This will give them the most insight into your performance, strengths and weaknesses, and whether you’re the right fit for the job. So think carefully about which past managers will paint you in the best light during a reference phone call.

Tip #2: Review the job description.

What are the most important traits or abilities for the role? Outline two or three and then choose references who can verify that you have these skills.

For instance, if problem-solving is a key part of the job, then think about a past boss or colleague who can discuss specific ways you solved problems. The more relevant that your references can make your background, the better your chance of getting the offer.

Tip #3: Go outside of paying jobs for references.

If, for instance, you served on the board of a charitable organization, then an individual you served with might be the ideal reference for a certain position. The same goes for any consultant or pro bono jobs you’ve performed.

Tip #4: Customize your references.

You might submit different references depending on the specific position. For instance, if a past project you worked on with a colleague is highly relevant for one employer – but not necessarily others – just submit the individual for that particular job. You don’t have to provide the same list of references to every employer.

Tip #5: Prepare your references.

Before listing someone as a reference, ask for their permission. Once you have it and you’ve submitted their name and contact information, prepare them for the call. Explain details about the job and why you think you’re the right fit. If there are any specific projects, accolades, or skills you’d like them to discuss, be sure to let them know.

Looking for professional job search help?

At PrideStaff, we’re a leading employment firm serving Tempe, Phoenix, and nearby areas. We can make the job search easier, so you land your dream job faster. Find out more by contacting us today.

3 Tips for Getting More Traffic (And Leads) to Your Website

Expanding your business requires finding fresh customers. In the digital age, this means connecting with your target online audience – a process that makes your website the key hub for connecting with potential new buyers, as you look to maximize your traffic.

However, many firms struggle with this crucial task. More than one in five companies (21%) say that low traffic is the most substantial problem they face with their website. If you fall into this category, it’s time to take action.

Here are three major steps you can take that will get you more traffic (and ultimately more leads) to your website:

Engage with SEO

You don’t just produce content for your intended audience. There are also algorithms to consider. As you produce offerings for your website, you need to engage with the process of search engine optimization, or SEO.

These techniques ensure that search engines like Google give your work the highest-possible rankings. This makes it easier for users to find your content. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you look to get the most out your SEO efforts:

• Research key words
• Leverage social media
• Use paid search
• Connect with influencers
• Get more from technology

Invest in Content Creation

Ultimately, bringing people to your website means providing value to your audience. As part of this, you need to create enticing offerings to capture the potential customers you want. By investing in content development, you can craft the type of information that will bring in users primed to receive your message.

Here are a few techniques to keep in mind:

• Become a thought leader: Offer data and insights about subject matters that appeal to your target audience.
• Present proprietary information: Don’t just repeat content available elsewhere. Develop proprietary data that users can only find through you.
• Include multi-media elements: Plain text gets boring. Enhance your content with video and images.
• Encourage repeat users: Use techniques like email newsletters to build a long-term connection with potential customers.
• Provide tools like calculators and calendars: Helpful applications will bring users back over and over. These offerings will encourage your audience to bookmark your page and make it a routine resource.
• Form content partnerships: Connect with other content creators on the web. This will help you populate your webpage as well as give you a new distribution platform.
• Bring in guest contributors: Complement your internally created content with posts solicited from outside experts. These collaborations will provide your users with interesting new voices as well as expand your online footprint.

Improve the Customer Journey and User Experience

Getting traffic is just one part of the equation. You also need to turn those visitors into leads — and eventually into customers. To do this, you need to consider the customer journey.

This starts by integrating your content with your sales and marketing goals. Your website should grab an audience, providing the wide end of your sales funnel. From there, you need to direct visitors towards a closer relationship with your company, educating them about your offerings and (hopefully) gathering information about them — including contact information that can be used in the sales process.

At the same time, worry about the aesthetics of your site. Having great content won’t matter much if it is not delivered in an appealing way. Consider user experience and make the necessary upgrades.

Contact Our Experts at PrideStaff Bend Today

A growing business doesn’t just need a strong marketing plan. You also need the right team in place. A strong recruiter, like PrideStaff, can bring you the talent required to take your firm to the next level.

Contact PrideStaff today to learn more.

What Can You Do to Find Your First Job Faster?

Searching for your first job is an exciting time in your life. It’s also stressful, frustrating, and at times, disappointing. But in the end, it’s all worth it, as you land a role that’s an invaluable first stepping stone for your career.

Where should you start, to make your job search efficient and successful?

Have tailored resumes and cover letters for every position.

You may have one master resume, which is a great start. But be sure to customize it for each job you apply for. Also, pair it with a thoughtful, well-crafted cover letter that’s also tailored to each position. One-size-fits-all documents … don’t!

• Study each job description carefully and match your skills and qualifications to the qualities an employer is looking for. Think honestly about why you might be interested in a particular opportunity. Then, convey this message accurately and succinctly through your resume and cover letter.

Network, network, network!

You may not think you have a professional network yet – but you also may surprise yourself. Consider anyone you know who may be able to help you with your job search – including professors, alumni of your alma mater, friends, parents’ friends, fellow church members, coaches, and managers from summer or volunteer jobs, to name a few. Then, reach out to them all in a way that demonstrates your commitment and maturity.

• Many of the most desired jobs are never even advertised. Rather, they are filled via personal networking.
• Your goal at this point is not to ask outright for a job. Instead, treat each conversation as a way to gather more information and contacts.
• Now is the time to learn first-hand that networking goes both ways. What can you do for the person you’re networking with? For instance, you may be more adept at a new software or technology that could benefit them. See how you can help each other out. You may begin to foster a long-term professional relationship that will be beneficial to both of you.
• Don’t forget to join – and get actively involved in – your professional association. Along with alumni organizations, there’s no better place to extend your networking reach.

Have a dynamite personal website.

This is an excellent way to feature the skills and experience you do have, as well as showcase your personality to potential employers. This is your own “real estate” where you can easily post your updated resume, achievements, work samples and other collateral that may pique the interest of hiring managers.

• When someone refers you to a contact of their own, they can easily direct them to your site so they can learn more about you.

The expert career coaches at PrideStaff Modesto can help you with all these steps and guide you through your successful job search from start to finish. This includes making you part of our extensive job network, which is constantly in motion with new openings and opportunities. To get started, contact us today.

Looking for Candidates in Las Vegas? How PrideStaff Can Help You

You’ve been trying to fill an open position on your team for a while now, but it’s not going so well. The candidates you’ve connected with haven’t been particularly impressive, and the process has already taken longer than expected.

The delay has caused productivity to take a hit while making your existing staff feel overworked. You realize something has to give, so you’re considering joining forces with a staffing firm. Here’s what you have to gain by allowing our team of expert recruiters to handle the search for you.

Three Reasons to Let PrideStaff Las Vegas Handle Your Hiring

Connect With Passive Candidates

In most cases, the people browsing job boards are actively seeking new opportunities. However, they’re not always the best fit for the job. Sometimes the right candidate is currently employed elsewhere, but willing to make a change if an incredible opportunity comes along.

Recruiters work hard to maintain talent pools filled with passive candidates. When you partner with them, they’ll reach out to any passive candidates they think would be a good fit, allowing you to connect with talent that wouldn’t have otherwise been on your radar.

Find the Right Fit

Technically speaking, filling an open position isn’t that hard — it’s finding the right person that’s tricky. If hiring isn’t the main aspect of your job, this probably isn’t your area of expertise. Therefore, it can be hard to spot any red flags that indicate a candidate isn’t the best choice.

However, recruiters hire for a living, so you can count on them to get it right. They’ll become fluent in your company culture, so they can choose the candidate that’s the best fit for your team.

Fill Open Positions Faster

When done properly, hiring is a full-time job. The thing is, you already have one of those. Therefore, trying to hire on top of your competing responsibilities puts a lot on your plate.

Understandably, this can make the hiring process drag on much longer than necessary. This places added stress on your existing team and can also cause you to lose top talent along the way. When you work with a recruiter, this is a non-issue because they’ll dedicate all day, every day, to finding the right fit for your open position.

Hire the Best

Need help finding top talent in Las Vegas? PrideStaff Las Vegas is here to guide your search. Contact us today to build the best team you’ve ever had!

Just Got Your First Job Interview? Here’s How To Nail It!

After putting in so much effort in your job search, landing your first job interview is so rewarding. However, now the pressure is on to convince the hiring manager that you are the best choice. Even the most experienced professionals can get nervous before an interview, but the key to success is preparation. Nail your first job interview with these tips:

Do Your Research 

The more information you gather before your interview, the easier it will be to answer questions in an informative, compelling manner. Do your research – review the company’s website, social media accounts, and recent press releases to get a sense of what they do, the customer/client base they serve, and its overall mission and core values. Also, thoroughly read the job description to ensure you know the most important responsibilities and skills needed, so you can highlight your most relevant qualifications in your responses.  

Make a Strong First Impression

The beginning of your interview is highly influential in the hiring manager’s overall perception of you as a candidate. Make a strong first impression by being dressed professionally, punctually, and ready with extra copies of your resume. Convey confidence with your nonverbal language when you greet the interviewer. Make eye contact, smile, and give a firm handshake as you introduce yourself and let them know that you are happy to be there. 

Prepare for Common Questions

Although you don’t want to create and memorize word-for-word responses, it is crucial that you prepare for common questions to ensure you make your key points in a concise manner. Common questions to be ready to answer include:  

• Tell me about yourself.
• What made you interested in this job/company?
• What is your greatest strength and/or weakness?
• Why do you think you would do well in this job?

It is always best to be truthful in your responses, rather than trying to tell the hiring manager what you think they want to hear. Also, hiring managers are more persuaded by what you have done in the past, not what you could hypothetically do if hired. As much as possible, prepare specific examples of times you have demonstrated in-demand skills, such as teamwork, communication, time management, and bouncing back from mistakes. 

Ask Questions of Your Own

The quality of your answers is equally important to the type of questions you ask of the hiring manager. If they open up the discussion and ask if you have questions for them, you want to demonstrate your professionalism and enthusiasm for the opportunity. Have questions ready to ask that pertain to what the employer is looking for in an employee, such as:

• Can you tell me what an average day is like in this role?
• How is success measured in this position?
• Are there training or development opportunities?
• What is the next step or expected timeline in the hiring process?

Follow Up

After the interview is over, you have one last opportunity to solidify a positive impression for the hiring manager. Within 24 hours, follow up and send an email in which you thank them for their consideration, let them know it was nice to meet them, and then reiterate your excitement about the prospect of working for them. 

Find the Right Job for You

Make your job search more productive with the help of PrideStaff Akron. We work with area employers to fill their open positions and can connect you with opportunities you’re qualified for, saving you time and effort. Search our current available jobs to get started.  

Important Soft Skills All Accountants Should Have

Becoming a great accountant takes talent and dedication. It also requires a broad approach to professional development. After all, achieving your potential involves more than mastering basic accounting abilities.

Instead, you need an eclectic approach. Getting ahead requires a wide-ranging selection of soft skills. These will complement your foundational financial competencies, giving you a chance to open up your professional horizons.

With that in mind, here are some important soft skills all accountants should have:

Attention to Detail

Accounting means taking a deep dive into a business. You need to have an eye for even the tiniest aspects. Details surrounding expenses, inventory, and a host of other categories can make a big difference in financial statements. This makes attention to these intricacies crucial to your ability to become the best accountant you can be.

Time Management

You’ve entered a seasonal profession. Like farmers and ski instructors, you have to follow the rhythms of the year. Annual tax time, as well as the ebb and flow of quarterly financial statements, dominate your work habits.

As a result, you need to be able to match your efforts to the calendar. That means recognizing deadlines and parsing out tasks in a way that makes it possible to comfortably meet your obligations. In short, you’ll need strong time-management skills to survive over the long haul.

Organization

The precision necessary to excel at accounting requires very structured work habits. A sloppy approach to your tasks will ultimately lead to bad outcomes. At the very least, a loose approach will likely lead to added work. Meanwhile, at the extremes, you could end up risking potential disaster by missing key components.

Given this situation, a high level of organization makes your life significantly easier. This will feed into other aspects of the job, improving your abilities in areas like time management and teamwork.

Communication

Most people don’t speak accounting. FIFO, LIFO, depreciation, amortization — these represent foreign terms to most people outside the profession. However, much of your job will involve contact with collaborators who don’t have your depth of knowledge on financial matters.

This dynamic places a premium on communication. If you can discuss accounting matters intelligently with non-accountants, that gives you significant value within an organization. You’ll become the go-to presenter when talking to other stakeholders, from customers to coworkers in other departments to groups like investors and regulators.

Teamwork

As the emphasis on communication proves, accounting represents a collaborative endeavor. In most organizations, you’ll work with the team of other financial experts to achieve your goals. Meanwhile, the accounting department as a whole connects with almost every other part of the company. As such, your career will be boosted by your ability to collaborate effectively and to get the best out of those around you.

Problem Solving

You are going to run into challenges as your accounting career develops. That’s just part of the process. Your success will be determined by how deftly you can overcome these obstacles.

As such, problem-solving becomes a pivotal skill for accelerating your professional development. To do so, you’ll apply creativity to your hard-won accounting skills to get through unexpected situations.

Reach Out to Our Experts at PrideStaff Bend Today to Learn More

Ready to take your accounting career to the next level? Beyond developing the right set of soft skills, you’ll benefit from partnering with the right recruiter. A top staffing agency, like PrideStaff, will find the perfect accounting job for you.

Contact PrideStaff today to give your accounting career the boost it needs.

Take a Gamble and Apply for the Job

You just found your dream job — but you don’t think you’re qualified. This has you feeling pretty bummed, because you assume there’s no point in applying.

The thing is, hiring managers don’t always abide by the qualifications on their job postings. Used as a guideline of sorts, most place a heavier emphasis on candidates that feel like a great fit for their company culture.

This means it always makes sense to apply for a job, because you have nothing to lose. Still not convinced? Here’s why you should always give it a try.

Four Reasons to Take a Gamble and Apply For the Job

Get Hired

The most obvious reason to always apply for a job you want — even when getting hired feels like a major stretch — is because you might actually be selected. You never know what the hiring manager is looking for in the ideal candidate.

Your resume could pique their interest, and if you’re invited to interview, you might form a connection that makes it impossible for them not to choose you.

Make New Connections

If you don’t get this job, there are going to be more openings at the company. Even if you don’t make it to the interview stage, your resume might be put on file, so you can be contacted when another relevant position comes along.

It’s also possible you’ll be invited to interview for the position but not selected. In this case, you still get to meet the hiring manager — and maybe a few other members of the team — and dazzle them with your personality and expertise. If so, they might go straight to you with the next applicable job opening, instead of posting it publicly.

Learn More About the Job

Taking on a new job can feel intimidating because it’s a role you’ve never actually held. Applying for a job can help you learn more about the position, so you can better gauge your interest in it. Whether you’re asked to complete a skills assessment or invited to interview, you’ll gain new insights that will either reaffirm your interest in the position or cause you to realize it’s not for you after all.

Hone Your Interview Skills

It’s not uncommon for candidates to feel like they’ve wasted their time when they interview for a job they don’t get. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Every time you interview for a job, you become more polished. Therefore, when you don’t get the job, all that means is it was just a dress rehearsal for the right opportunity that’s still headed your way.

Bet on Yourself, With The Help of PrideStaff

Taking the next step in your career can feel intimidating, but you don’t have to go it alone. PrideStaff Las Vegas is here to help every step of the way. Contact us today to get started!

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