These Productivity Tips Will Help You Get More Done…In Less Time

Twenty-four hours seems like a long time. Taken over the course of a year, that’s over 8,700 hours to divvy up among all your responsibilities. Yet, there never seems to be enough time.

One study showed that CEOs typically worked an average of 62.5 hours a week. Even with those long hours, less than one out of 10 corporate leaders (9%) felt they were satisfied with how they occupy their time. Obviously, these executives need to learn how to get more out of their effort.

The key is to boost productivity while preserving your ability to keep going over the long haul. Pushing yourself into burnout will only lead to less achievement in the long run. As such, it’s important to optimize the hours you work and still take a holistic view of the problem.

With that in mind, here are some productivity tips that will help you get more done…in less time:

Prioritize Your Action Items

You might not have time in your day for everything you want to accomplish. Still, there are steps you can take to ensure that you get the most out of your limited time. That takes a rational approach to ranking your to-do list.

To that end, prioritize your goals. Do this by organizing your objectives by deadline and importance. That way, you can target your limited resources on the highest-value action items.

Plan Your Day

Once you have your goals prioritized, you can sketch out a clear plan for your day. Include any scheduled events, like appointments or meetings. From there, assign blocks of time for each of your other tasks for the day.

This way, you can more precisely allocate your time. Meanwhile, having a plan in place lets you track your progress as the day unfolds. This will help you stay motivated and active as you proceed through your objectives.

At the same time, don’t pack your schedule too densely. Push too hard and you’ll burn out. Meanwhile, having some gaps will give you the flexibility to respond to any emergencies that arise. Keep a steady, sustainable pace that maximizes your long-term output.

Delegate Anything You Can

You are surrounded by high-quality staffers. Use them to open up your schedule. Delegate everything you can to your team. Every task they can perform without your participation represents more time for you to focus on top-level considerations.

While you offload some of your responsibilities on your talented staff, make sure to protect your time. Avoid meetings that don’t require your input. At the same time, when you participate in a discussion, keep them as efficient and focused as possible.

Take Care of Yourself

To get the most done possible, you need to stay in peak physical and mental health. That way, you’ll have the stamina necessary to continually push forward and aggressively pursue your goals. Here are some steps you can take:

Eat Healthy: Rushing around often means skipping meals or relying on fast food. Over time, this will leave you tired and groggy. Plan meals for yourself and have ready access to healthy snacks.
Work Out: With a busy schedule, exercise often falls out of your routine. However, maintaining your physical conditioning can help you get through those long days, while giving you great stress relief in the process.
Get Adequate Amounts of Sleep: A busy schedule often means giving up sleep. The extra working hours will help you achieve your short-term goals. However, longer-term, you risk draining your energy and limiting your productivity.
Protect Your Mental Health: A high-stress schedule can take a toll. Without adequate rest and relaxation, you risk burnout. As such, take time for yourself. Ultimately, this creates more sustained production over the long haul.

Contact Our Team at PrideStaff Bend

Getting the most out of your professional endeavors means finding a position that perfectly suits your skills and background. A top recruiter, like PrideStaff Bend, can put you in the ideal situation to maximize your talents.

Contact our team today to find the best fit for you.

Experiencing Work-From-Home Burnout? Here’s How to Recover

Working from home has many benefits, like flexibility, lack of commute, and increased autonomy, but it can also contribute to burnout. Living in the same place that you work can mean that you truly never feel like you are fully able to separate personal and professional obligations, leading to feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. If you are experiencing work-from-home burnout, here is how you can recover:

Prioritize Your Physical Needs

You may not be able to control your workload or personal obligations, but you can put yourself in the best position possible to handle them by prioritizing your physical needs. Getting a full night’s sleep, eating nutritional meals, staying hydrated, and making time for physical activity will fuel your body and make your tasks feel like less of a struggle.

Set Strict Boundaries

To overcome work-from-home burnout, you must implement separation between your working hours and your personal time. Set strict boundaries both physically and mentally between working and personal needs. Create a defined workspace and decide what hours you will be working and stick to them. This will prevent your work life from slowly creeping into your personal time and then feeling like you are always working and never decompressing.

Take Breaks Throughout the Day

When you are in a physical workplace in person, you would be getting brief respites throughout the day, from water cooler chat to having to get more steps in to walk for a restroom break. At home, it can be difficult to not inadvertently overwork yourself because of the lack of interruptions. Pace yourself by taking breaks throughout the day when working from home so you can recharge. For example, you can set an alarm once per hour to remind you to get up and move around for five minutes to get your blood flowing and give your brain time to rest.

Connect With Your Coworkers

Even if you enjoy working independently, you may find yourself feeling isolated occasionally when you work from home. Connect with your coworkers, such as setting up a group chat to have casual conversations on a regular basis. This can make you feel like more of a member of the team and make your workday more satisfactory.

Ask for Support

If you have tried to alleviate your work-from-home burnout on your own and it isn’t working, it is crucial to let your manager know so they can help. Set up a time to chat and ask for their support, such as requesting more flexibility or clarifying expectations together.

Find New Opportunities

Chronic burnout may mean it is time for you to pursue a new role. Team up with PrideStaff Akron to explore the possibilities! We work with employers in the Akron area for their hiring needs, and can match you with the job opportunities that are the best fit for you. Search our database of current available jobs.

The Ultimate Guide to Cover Letter Introductions

Getting started on anything can be the hardest part – and the cover letter that accompanies your resume is no exception.

Yes, cover letters are still important. They are your initial introduction to a potential employer and may even be the deciding factor in whether or not you make the first cut toward landing an interview and from there, ultimately, a job.

Make sure every cover letter you send is uniquely tailored to the position – just like your resume. Don’t blow your chance, literally within your first few words to a hiring manager.

Here are some tips to help you instantly grab positive attention with the opening lines of your cover letter:

Send your cover letter to an actual person.

Avoid the cookie-cutter “Dear Sir or Madam” salutation. It may have worked in 1970 or 1980 (even that’s questionable!!), but even if so, its time has long passed. Use whatever contacts and means available to find out to whom your cover letter should be addressed.

Show the employer you’ve done your research by personalizing your application. Often, the simplest way to find the right contact name is to use LinkedIn or the company’s website.

Write an attention-grabbing opening paragraph.

Recruiters receive hundreds of resumes and cover letters daily. If yours has made it past your greeting, make sure your first paragraph is engaging and compelling.

Keep it customized and personal. For example: “Dear Ms. Ryan: My name is Cooper and I’d like to help XYZ Company exceed its targets as a Sales Manager. During my five-year experience as a District Sales Representative at ABC, Inc., I have consistently exceeded stretch goals, including topping KPIs by more than 50 percent during the last three years. Further, I am already very familiar with the territory I would be responsible for in the role. I believe my strong track record and market intelligence make me the perfect candidate for your position.”

Think passion and admiration.

Talking about your passion for the opportunity and admiration for the employer’s brand conveys the fact that you’d be an engaged, motivated, and loyal team member. Be specific and genuine as you tell the employer a bit more about yourself and why you’d love to work for their company. For instance:

“Though I am happily employed as a PR Manager at Acme, Inc., seeing the job description for Super Sneakers’ Regional Communications Director position stopped me in my tracks – no pun intended. I’ve been wearing your shoes since I could walk – and I’ve been impressed again and again by your sterling reputation and the way you treat your employees, customers, and the Niagara regional community at large. I live here, too, so the opportunity to work for Super Sneakers takes on an additional level of meaning and importance to me.”

From here, summarize your accomplishments and proudest career achievements, without being too wordy or regurgitating what’s already on your resume. Keep things short and sweet to make the best possible impact.

For expert guidance with your job search in the Central Valley and beyond, reach out to PrideStaff Modesto today. Our career development experts can work with you from start to successful finish and match you with the right employer in areas including administration, warehousing, manufacturing, skilled labor, finance, and accounting. Contact us today to learn more.

Best Methods For Implementing a Company Wellness Program

Your company doesn’t currently have a wellness program — but that’s about to change. This benefit is highly coveted by both your current employees and candidates seeking Las Vegas jobs hiring immediately, so you’re ready to set one up.

Not sure how to get started? Here’s some advice to help you build a wellness program that employees actually want to participate in.

Five Tips to Implement a Company Wellness Program

Form a Wellness Committee

Set your program up for success by creating a wellness committee filled with employees who are dedicated to the cause. This group will be tasked with creating and implementing the wellness initiatives that your employees participate in. You’ll want to include people from a variety of departments, at all levels of the company, to ensure the group accurately represents the needs and interests of your entire team.

Seek Employee Input

If you want employees to participate, you need to give them the program they want. The best way to do this is asking them about their goals and the types of activities they’d like to join in. Sending an anonymous survey is a great way to achieve this because it’s a quick and easy way for people to share their opinion, increasing the chances they’ll take part.

Set Goals

You decided to start a company wellness program for a reason. Whether you were hoping to lower health insurance premiums or decrease the number of sick days taken by employees, you have an objective in mind. It’s important to formalize this by setting SMART goals that will specify exactly what you want to achieve and how you’ll measure success. This will make it easy to know whether your program is working or if adjustments are needed.

Create Incentives

Some people might be inspired to participate in the wellness program simply to improve their health, but most will need an extra push. This might include gift cards for reaching certain milestones, lower out-of-pocket health insurance costs or free fitness club memberships. The more enticing you make these incentives, the more buy-in you’re likely to get.

Find the Best Person for the Job

Need more time to get your company wellness program up and running? Delegate your hiring to PrideStaff Las Vegas. Contact us today to discuss a partnership!

4 Reasons to Retrain an Employee Rather than Firing Them

If you have an employee who’s underperforming, it’s a tricky situation. They’re not working out in their role, yet the thought of trying to find a new employee amidst a post-pandemic worker shortage is daunting. What can you do?

One way to resolve the situation without having to resort to recruiting is to train employees and re-assign them. If an employee has a good attitude and is a hard worker, they might simply need a shift in their tasks in order to reach their full potential.

Some other advantages of training and re-deploying workers include:

You know their skills and abilities.

Just because an employee isn’t a fit for one assignment doesn’t mean they won’t thrive in another. When you find the right role for them, you won’t have to worry about their attitude, work ethic, and whether they mesh with the team. You already know them and have an understanding of their personality, so you don’t have to worry about a potential cultural mismatch like with a new hire.

You’ll save on hiring costs.

In today’s candidate market, between the worker shortage, skill gaps, and inflation, hiring is expensive. Re-training an employee for a different role, on the other hand, can be far more cost-efficient. Plus, there’s no guarantee you’ll get the right person. However, by training employees and re-assigning them, you can actually strengthen your team without a huge expense.

You’ll enhance your employer brand.

When you invest in your people by training and developing them and taking the time to re-assign them to different roles, you’re sending the message to your team that they matter. This builds loyalty and longevity with your staff and also helps you to develop a more appealing employer brand.

You’ll maintain good working relationships.

When your team gets along and has strong ties, it’s a boon to your company. Removing someone from this dynamic can therefore impact morale and even productivity. When you re-train and re-assign employees instead, you can retain this social capital that is intangible yet so valuable to your company. Fewer disruptions mean a staff that can stay on track and deliver the results you need.

Of course, there are certain situations when letting an employee go makes sense. For instance, if they’re contributing to a toxic or negative culture, it’s not worth re-training them when you can’t change their attitude. Likewise, if it’s clear an employee’s work ethic is lacking, they won’t suddenly gain more motivation simply by switching positions. In these cases, it’s best to cut ties and move on.

Do you need help hiring?

When that happens, PrideStaff can fill the gap. As one of Phoenix’s top recruitment teams, we know where to look to find skilled and talented individuals for a wide range of roles in many industries. To learn more about how we can help you, simply contact us today.

Three Reasons to Partner with a Staffing Vendor for Your Summer Hiring Needs

Summer is here! Do you have the workers you need? As you ramp up your seasonal operations in the wake of the pandemic, you’ve likely run into unexpected problems. A staffing vendor represents the partner you need to build the best team possible.

Now more than ever, expert advice will help you maximize your profits during the summer rush. Learn why you might have additional problems this summer, as well as three key reasons why partnering with a staffing vendor can make it easier to fulfill your summer hiring needs:

3 Reasons to Partner with a Staffing Vendor This Summer

Given the complicated economic situation, you need all the help you can get this summer. As part of this, a staffing vendor can improve your team-building operations on multiple fronts at once. Here are three of the top benefits you’ll see from turning to a recruiter:

Speed the Hiring Process

Summer will be here before you know it. And once it starts, the end of the season is a few short months away. When you need extra work for a specific period, it’s imperative that you staff those positions as quickly as possible.

A staffing partner can provide this quick response. The recruiter has already done much of the searching and vetting. The firm can connect you with qualified help immediately.

Find the Best Talent

You let lawyers deal with your legal concerns. Along the same lines, accountants handle your taxes. Recruiters bring the same type of expertise to the challenge of locating the best employees.

Professional third-party guidance will let you get the most out of your recruiting process. You’ll tap into a wide network of qualified candidates, letting you find better talent than you will on your own. This will lead to shorter training periods and better eventual productivity.

Lower Recruiting Costs

Finding talent comes at a cost. You need to dedicate resources to the recruiting effort. At the same time, the hiring process can become a distraction. Managers have to dedicate themselves to the rote tasks of filling positions — like sifting through resumes or scheduling interviews — rather than getting the most out of their teams.

Engaging with a recruiter streamlines the process. Suddenly, an expert takes over the annoying tasks, freeing up time and money for other priorities.

Contact PrideStaff Today

Ready to find the best recruiter for your summer needs? PrideStaff Bend offers the expertise you need to upgrade your hiring process. Contact us today to learn more about our Bend, OR hiring experts.

Important Questions to Ask During Your Next Performance Review

Performance reviews don’t have to fill you with dread or anxiety. Rather than feeling like you are only there to be judged, make the meeting more enjoyable and useful for you by turning it into a back-and-forth active conversation. Check out these important questions to ask during your next performance review:

What skill sets should I focus on developing?

Your manager will likely focus their feedback on how you are performing at your predetermined goals. Don’t just leave it at your current performance – instead, broaden the conversation by asking what additional skill sets you should focus on developing for the future. This can give you valuable insight into proactively planning your own long-term goals rather than simply working on what your current role entails.

How should I measure my progress?

The reason performance reviews can bring about such nervousness is because of the potential uncertainty that despite your best efforts, you still fell short of your boss’s expectations. Be in a better, more informed position for your next performance review meeting by getting clarification on how success will be measured in their eyes. Having clearly defined expectations will help you guide your efforts and have stronger confidence in where you stand.

Is there anything I can do to help the team more?

Demonstrate to your boss that you don’t just want to fulfill the duties and goals assigned to you but also care about the bigger picture. Make it clear that you want to be a valuable asset by asking if there is anything else you can do or learn to help the team more so everyone can succeed.

What is a realistic timeline for growth opportunities?

Your long-term career progression is up to you – unless you advocate for yourself, your boss will likely assume that you are happy with your current position and don’t wish to move up. Requesting to learn more about the finer details of how promotions, raises, or other growth opportunities work at your employer will not only show your boss that you are indeed interested but also puts you in a positive light by making it clear you are willing to be patient and put in the work, versus coming across as entitled.

Explore Your Job Options

Find opportunities that are right for you by working with an experienced staffing agency like PrideStaff Akron. Our team of recruiters can match you with the jobs that are the best match for employers across industries. Search our database of current available jobs to get started.

The Best Ways to Support Your Remote Employees

Whether your employees are remote or on site, certain key aspects of workplace processes, routines and culture that impact how connected people feel to their company and team members do not change. But it may be a bit more challenging to support these connections when employees are working from a distance.

Do your remote workers have sufficient social networking and teamwork opportunities? Do they feel cared for and included in what’s going on at your company?

These are the questions you need to ask yourself as you define the best ways to support your remote employees. Their coworker and manager relationships still need to be meaningful, they need to feel like they belong and have each other’s backs, and there should be an authentic sense of camaraderie and fun, along with a focus on delivering desired results.

Offset feelings of isolation with acts of group kindness.

Remote workers may feel isolated at times. Acts of shared kindness, such as donating to a crowdfunding campaign, can help offset these feelings and keep people engaged and motivated. If you’re not already doing so, also consider getting your team involved in a group charity event that has a virtual aspect. Or, invite all your employees to send one-on-one e-cards of appreciation to colleagues who have helped them out or made significant inroads for their team and/or your business.

Celebrate accomplishments and special events.

Often, the most valued forms of employee acknowledgement and reward are the simplest and most personal. And, they translate just as well to remote workers as they do to those on site. Here are a few ideas:

Invite a senior executive to a team video call to recognize employees’ accomplishments.
Treat team members who have gone the extra mile to takeout or dinner at their favorite neighborhood restaurant. This not only personalizes your reward, but also supports a fellow community business.
Mail hand-written notes to employees’ families telling them just how much you value their loved one’s contributions.

Check in with employees one on one.

In addition to Zoom and other virtual group meetings, set up one-on-one chats with remote workers to check on them, offer encouragement, and keep their spirits up.

For new hires, buddies and mentors may be even more helpful to remote workers. They need and deserve extra personal attention as they get their feet wet at your company.

Make time for fun.

Inject some fun into employees’ days by creating an online channel for non-work chatter, where people can talk about their families, their pets, their hobbies and interests, or their favorite sports teams. A few other ideas include:

Inviting a musician or other artist to give a virtual performance.
Have an end-of-day wine or beer tasting.
Start an online Trivia Night, Bingo game or book club.

Like most management best practices, get creative, get input as to what people want and enjoy, and don’t be afraid to go off the rails just a little – in a good way. It will all add up to enhancing your company culture and building employee loyalty, motivation and engagement, regardless of where people are located.

Turn to PrideStaff Modesto for additional ideas on building and optimizing your winning workforce, both on and off site. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

How Might I Help a Friend Who Is Currently Struggling to Find a Job in Las Vegas?

Your friend is in serious need of hiring support in Las Vegas. Whether they’re new to the area or recently lost their job, they’ve been trying to get hired for a while now, but haven’t had any luck.

Watching a friend struggle to pay the bills isn’t your style, so you want to help with their job search, but you’re not sure what to do. Here are a few tips to provide the kind of assistance that will actually make a difference.

Three Ways to Help Your Friend Find a Job in Las Vegas

Talk to Your Boss

If your company isn’t currently hiring, you probably haven’t given much thought to your friend joining the team. However, your manager might have a hiring plan in the works that you don’t know about.

Simply having a quick conversation about your friend and the type of job they’re looking for can give them a competitive advantage at your company. After all, your boss certainly values you, so they might jump at the chance to hire a friend of yours.

Reach Out to Your Contacts

You’ve built a network filled with talented local professionals, so use this to your friend’s advantage. Contact former managers, colleagues, and clients to see if they know of any job openings that might meet their needs.

It’s very possible someone will know about a position that would be a good fit. A recommendation from you will increase their chances of getting hired because your contacts know you wouldn’t vouch for someone you don’t truly stand behind.

Connect Them With a Local Staffing Agency

Your friend has tried just about everything to get hired — except working with a recruiter. If this is something they’ve never done before, it can feel intimidating, but it can help them get their dream job.

Encourage them to connect with a top local recruiter, because they have massive local networks and access to opportunities not listed publicly. This is a recipe for success, so tell them not to delay.

Help Your Friend Get Hired

If your friend is having trouble finding a job, PrideStaff Las Vegas wants to help. As a top local staffing agency, we’re confident we can solve this problem — and fast. Just tell them to contact us to get started!

“Why Should We Hire You?” How to Respond to This Tricky Question

When a hiring manager asks: “Why should we hire you?” your brain might go in 100 different directions. How do you answer this question? Do you talk about what you love about the company, the unique skills you have, why your personality is a great fit or something else entirely?

It’s a lot to think about and why you shouldn’t wing it when it comes to answering this question. Instead, before the big interview day, make sure you think about why the company should hire you and develop a clear, concise response.

Even if you’re not asked this question specifically, you can still weave your thoughts into other answers, helping you stand out in the process. Here are some tips for not just answering this question, but acing it:

Understand why a hiring manager asks this question.

Every employer is looking for candidates who can fill gaps and solve problems. So, when you’re answering this question, keep this in mind. This isn’t a chance for you to talk about what it’s in it for you – such as advancing your career – but instead, what you can bring to the table for the employer.

Review the job description and match your skills to it.

Next, take a look at the job description again. This will give you a sense of what’s most important to the hiring manager when they’re screening candidates. Then think about your own skills, abilities, and traits that are a fit for what they’re looking for. What makes you stand out and aligns best with their needs? Start jotting down notes, so you can develop a cohesive answer.

Compose your response, focusing on strengths and accomplishments.

Once you have a list of your key strengths, then compose this into an answer that shows what makes you distinct as a candidate. Focus on any special skills or experiences you have that are different or unique. You can also discuss key accomplishments that demonstrate your proven record in other similar roles. In addition, reiterate your interest in the company and your enthusiasm for the role.

Here’s an example of a response:

“After doing a little more research on the position and the company, I’ve learned that you’re looking for someone who is a people person. A candidate who can interact with all kinds of customers and build strong, loyal relationships. That is my sweet spot. My past record of bringing in new clients at my previous employer and increasing sales by 15% in just one year alone is evidence of that. I plan to bring that same focus on customers and relationships to this position. I believe that is the core of good business – building relationships – and I am excited to bring that particular passion and strength of mine to your company.”

Whatever you do say, don’t be vague in your answer or say something generic. Make sure you have a specific example or even tell a story in order to give a meaningful response. Remember, there are many other candidates vying for this same role, and you need to stand out among them.

Need more help finding your next job?

At PrideStaff, our goal is to connect top employers with talented professionals. To get there, we will get to know you first, learn about your goals and skills, and then provide help with your resume, interviews, job leads, offers, and more. You’ll be able to find a new job faster with help from our expert team. To learn more, simply contact us today.