Are You On Track to Meet Your Mid-Year Goals?

If you set your annual goals in January, now is the time to check up on how things are going as mid-year approaches. To ensure you are able to achieve your desired results by the end of the calendar year, take some time now to adjust accordingly. Learn more about how to determine if you are on track to meet your mid-year goals:

Assess the Relevance of Each Goal

Just because you set a goal at the start of the year doesn’t necessarily mean it is still the best use of your time to pursue, so mid-year is an opportune time to make the choice so you can focus on more pressing goals. Assess the relevance of each of your goals to decide if they fit with the direction your company is going in and its broader organizational goals, as well as the needs of your own department and specific position.

Evaluate Progress

Take a look at your individual goals and clearly define the current state to evaluate your progress and how you need to approach them moving forward. If you have already achieved them well ahead of schedule, perhaps you need to challenge yourself more, while those you have barely made progress on may require more time actively set aside to devote to tackling them.

Review Prioritization

Once you’ve clarified how far you’ve come toward completing your goals, you may now need to make a choice on how much of your time should be geared toward each specific goal. Review the prioritization level for your goals to decide if they should remain a focus, get pushed further down your list, or perhaps be postponed to a later time period.

Identify Roadblocks

Often mid-year can be a wake-up call that you are critically behind in your annual goals. Take this opportunity to objectively identify the roadblocks that are preventing you from achieving them. For example, do you struggle with procrastination, getting distracted, not having the tools you need, or having an overly heavy workload? Clarify what issues you are having so you can determine the support or changes necessary, and then use your findings to solidify your goal strategy for year-end.

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 on how PrideStaff Akron can help you with your staffing needs.

Tips to Lead with Confidence

Confidence may seem to come naturally for some people, as though they were simply born with it. Maybe that’s true to some extent, but more often than not, it comes from life’s experiences, with all their bumps, bruises, setbacks, and victories. The same is true when it comes to being a confident leader. It takes time, patience, practice, and the choice to be a lifelong learner. And at any point in your career, there are steps you can take to keep honing and perfecting your confidence level.

Here are some tips to lead with confidence:

Pick a role model.

From your network of managers, colleagues, and contacts outside your company, pick someone whom you admire and respect for their leadership confidence. Which of their qualities would you like to emulate and adopt?

An added bonus: Having a network of mentors and other experts is a healthy way to share common, real-world challenges. You can help one another as you focus on what you need to continuously get better in your careers.

Learn about leadership.

The more you know about a subject, the more confident you’ll become. Take courses, attend workshops, join and participate in professional organizations, and participate in social media groups and discussions so you can see what other leaders do and master the tools, techniques, and strategic tactics of successful leadership.

Project confidence.

You may be terrified on the inside, but learn to ooze confidence from the outside. Are you terrified at the thought of public speaking or making a big corporate presentation? Then, consider taking a course on public speaking.

Self-confidence is the mark of someone with high emotional intelligence. EI isn’t an innate quality; rather, it can be learned and perfected throughout your life and career.

Be decisive.

Don’t give in to self-doubt. It’s not an accident that you’ve been put in a leadership position. Know that you have what it takes to be there.

Confident leaders are decisive. They’re comfortable taking calculated risks, which can mean making decisions even without 100 percent certainty. They would rather ask for forgiveness than permission.
Trust your gut. Your experience, instincts, and EI will lead you in the right direction. Actively listen to input from trusted team members, then make it happen.

Take stock of all you do.

Confident leaders are humble, but that doesn’t mean being modest 24/7. Take a few minutes to write down everything you’ve accomplished in the past week or so. Chances are, you’ll be pretty impressed – and others would too. Slip one or two of these wins into your next conversation with your manager, a company leader, or a customer.

Be good to yourself. Set realistic expectations, even if it means changing your timetable for reaching certain goals or asking others for help. This is a sure way to boost confidence – and, you deserve it.

As you develop your leadership skills, turn to the expert career coaches at PrideStaff Modesto for insight, ideas, expertise, and the secrets to your ongoing professional success. We can help as you grow in your current role or take things to the next level with the right new opportunity. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

How Can You Help Your Team Feel GOOD about Their Work?

Being the boss is a big job — but your employees make it pretty easy. You feel very fortunate to have a talented and engaged group of people on your team, so you’re always looking for ways to make them see how amazing they really are.

You’re busy searching for candidates seeking Las Vegas jobs hiring now, but you still want your current employees to feel valued. Here are a few tips to show them how exceptional they really are.

Four Ways to Help Your Team Feel Good About Their Work

Give Them Ownership

Nothing shows trust more than giving employees freedom to do work their own way. Help them feel good about their contributions by standing back and letting them take charge. This sends the message that you believe in them and know they will produce quality work without you standing over their shoulders.

Compliment Them

Your employees look up to you, so words of encouragement mean more than you can imagine. What might seem like a simple compliment can make an employee’s day — or even week — so when you’re really impressed by something, let them know. This will make them feel special and reaffirm the value they bring to your team.

Celebrate Their Wins

When your employees do something great, the entire team benefits from it. Therefore, it’s important to treat individual wins as something great for everyone. When your employees really impress you, let them know you’re proud of them. Celebrate their success together as a team will boost their confidence and make them feel great about all they bring to the group.

Show Appreciation

Your employees work hard every day, so let them know their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. Simply giving people a “thank you” will show them you’re grateful for all they do.

If you’re able to do so, occasionally giving rewards for their hard work — i.e., a gift card or an extra vacation day — will really show people you’re aware of the contributions they make to the team. This will make them feel great and boost their confidence, encouraging them to keep up the great work.

Find the Right Person for the Job

Need to fill an open position on your team? PrideStaff Las Vegas is here to guide your search. Contact us today to find out what we

Are You Offering On-the-Job Training? Here’s Why It’s Key

Work is busy, and you’re short-staffed. The last thing on your mind is employee training. However, it’s actually key to remaining competitive and keeping your employees happy. Here’s why.

The Many Benefits of On-the-Job Training

When you offer job training to your employees, you’ll give them a boost and your bottom line too because:

Employees will be more satisfied at work, which will improve morale. This impacts your culture overall, as well as customer and employee retention.
Employees will be more motivated when they are learning new skills or expanding existing ones, so they’re able to reach company goals.
Training employees can lead to improved efficiencies, better products and services, more creativity and innovation, and improved financial gains as a result.
Training employees also helps you to recruit better-quality candidates. You can promote your training efforts, showcasing how you invest in your people and enhancing your image as an employer of excellence.
You can reduce hazards and associated liability in areas such as safety, diversity, sexual harassment, and more when you offer regular training.

In addition, with employee training, you can address any particular weaknesses, improve performance, and increase happiness at work overall. If an employee is underperforming in an area, you can also retrain them in a different role, one better suited for them.

Different Types of Employee Training to Consider

Training clearly offers a wide range of benefits to your company, your team, and even your customers. There are many different types to consider, though, before you make a move and implement a formal training program. This way, it will be as meaningful and effective as possible.

Some different types you can consider include safety training, communication and public speaking classes, diversity conferences, micro-learning videos, mobile applications, computer and software online courses, and more. Just keep in mind the best kind of employee training is relevant, timely, helpful to the employee, and targeted to their specific performance needs.

In addition, if you have high potential employees, job training is key to developing them into your company’s next leaders. This way, you can avoid the high costs of recruiting executives and simply promote from within. Some ways to do this include through a mentoring program, job coaching, and leadership conferences and seminars.

Need Help Hiring & Training New Employees?

At PrideStaff, we’re one of Phoenix’s leading staffing agencies and work with all kinds of companies in a range of industries. We can help with recruiting and hiring, as well as onboarding and training, leading to better retention and a more successful team. To learn more, simply contact us today.

The Best Ways to Calm Your Interview Nerves

Nervousness is no fun. Your heart may beat faster or your breathing may accelerate. You may become flushed and sweaty, or cold and clammy, and you may even tremble uncontrollably. In fact, it’s not atypical to experience all these symptoms.

But it’s also normal, especially when it occurs in anticipation of a major event or performance or when meeting someone new. And a job interview is all three. Landing a job is a milestone occurrence in your life, and you need to put on the best “show” possible as you face your potential employer for the first time.

Here are some ways to calm your nerves and set a tone of confidence and control when you interview:

Be prepared.

One of the biggest reason for interview-related nervousness is fear of the unknown. So, do whatever you can to be in the know about your desired job, the company you hope to be working for, whomever will be interviewing you, and anything else that will put you at ease.

Do your research. LinkedIn is a great place to start as you learn as much as possible ahead of your interview. Ditto the company website. Pull out all the stops, including anyone you know – including friends of friends or second or third-level connections – who may be able to help you.
Do a practice run. Plan your travel or commute to your interview in advance. If it’s virtual, make sure your technology is working and you have a quiet, professional looking spot from which to take the meeting or call. If you’re interviewing in person, you may want to actually take an advance trip to see how much time will be required, where to park and enter the building, and other details that may seem minor now, but could seriously rattle you when the time comes.

When the big day arrives, give it your all.

Start the day of your interview on the right foot by giving yourself ample time, energy, and just the right amount of calmness and coolness to give it your very, very best shot.

Leave yourself some extra time. Plan your day around your interview. This starts with getting plenty of sleep the night before and allowing yourself extra time to get ready. You can’t predict the weather, traffic jams, or other unforeseen circumstances. And even if everything goes smoothly, it’s a bonus to be able to just sit and breathe, meditate, pray, or listen to some calming music before you more into “go” mode. This also includes leaving time for a healthy pre-interview meal.
Last but not least, remember: an interview is a two-way conversation. They’re assessing you – but you’re assessing them, too. It’s not an interrogation. You’ve made it this far, so prepare your own questions about the opportunity and don’t hesitate to ask them.

Need additional tips?

The PrideStaff Modesto team of career development experts can help you prepare to ace your next job interview – along with all the steps of your successful job search, from making initial contacts with the right employers and preparing your resume to networking, interview techniques, follow-up communication and much more. Reach out to us today to learn more.

Resume Rework: Clean Up your Resume With These Quick Tips!

Your resume is the most important tool you have for professional growth. The effort you put into refining it is an investment in your future that will pay off when hiring managers consider you for the opportunities you desire. Clean up your resume with these quick tips:

Read It Aloud

Go beyond silently reading your resume and actually read it aloud. Doing so can help you spot any misspellings or grammatical errors that you may miss just by skimming it. Plus, this helps you notice any clunky phrasing or overly wordy sentences.

Review Older Information

Your resume does not have to be a comprehensive document with every detail of your professional life – it is intended to be an informative overview for hiring managers to determine your qualifications for their roles. Review any older information and remove it if it is not closely relevant to your current career path, such as your high school education if you have a college degree or jobs from 10-15 years ago.

Add White Space

Hiring managers quickly glance at resumes to determine which applicants seem to have the minimum requirements before reviewing them more thoroughly later. Clean up your resume and add more white space for maximum skimmability. Ensure there are line breaks between sections, bullet points, short lines of text, etc.

Swap Out Keywords

Before human eyes ever see your resume, an applicant tracking system (ATS) software reviews it first to determine if it meets the minimum qualifications. Swap out any keywords on your resume that an ATS wouldn’t be able to identify as a match, such as only using acronyms or less commonly used jargon.

Save the File Correctly

All the carefully curated formatting on your resume can be for nothing if you don’t save it in the correct format. You never know what program or operating system a hiring manager will be using to open your resume file, and some fonts and other formatting you use may not work for them. To ensure you know exactly how your resume will look to the hiring manager, save it as a PDF which will maintain the appearance of your document. Also, be sure when you’re saving it that you give it an appropriate, clear file name, such as “LastNameFirstName_Position_Resume” so they know what they’re opening and can easily save it without having to rename it for their own later use.

Find the Right Job for You

Make your job search more successful with the help of PrideStaff Akron. We work with area employers to fill their open positions, from temporary to full-time employment. Search our current available jobs to get started.

What Should My Executive Talent Search Look Like?

Finding an executive that fits into your organization can involve a grueling effort. One study found that it can take up to two months just to make a shortlist of candidates, with a final decision likely happening more than three months after the search was launched. It’s a complicated process.

However, this level of scrutiny is necessary to fill crucial executive positions. Your job is to conduct a thorough, successful process as quickly as possible. But what does that involve?

The key is to break the intricate task of running an executive talent search into manageable chunks, while making sure each step gets completed in an efficient manner. With that in mind, here’s what an executive talent search should look like:

Create a Search Team

The quality of the decision you make in hiring your new executive will ultimately come down to the people you put in charge of making that choice. A strong search team will be better positioned to locate strong candidates. As such, your first step should involve gathering the optimal group of leaders tasked with filling the vacant role.

This effort comes with some built-in challenges. Even determining the size of the search team can be fraught. Too big and the process becomes unwieldy. Too small and you might not have a sufficient number of voices in the room. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind as you create your search team:

Define Roles Clearly
Build a Diverse Team
Provide Adequate Resources to Conduct the Search
Assign Support Staff, as Needed
Set Reasonable Timelines
Document Progress
Conduct Regular Reviews

Research the Market and Your Options

Once you have your decision-making body in place, you need to arm them with the information they need to conduct their search. That means getting a broad view of the current circumstances. Invest in thorough research, so you have a in-depth understanding of the market.

Consider Internal Candidates

The perfect fit for your executive position might already receive a paycheck from you. Internal candidates offer significant benefits. Ideally, you’ve cultivated a solid bench of talent — now might present the perfect time to call one of your top performers to the big show.

Determine Your Ideal Hire

Before you talk to any candidates or even begin gathering a long list of possibilities, think about the type of individual you want to hire. List the technical qualities they need and the experience that would best fit the situation.

At the same time, think about the skill set that most suits the role. Do you need a strong leader? A personality that will resonate with customers? A meticulous technician who can fine-tune your operations? Knowing the traits you most require will help you target your search.

Use Networking Skills to Find Candidates

Once you’re ready to begin your search, have members of your search team reach out to their networks. The perfect candidate might be waiting to be discovered. Meanwhile, recommendations and suggestions from knowledgeable contacts can streamline your search.

Target Specific Executives

Don’t be afraid to recruit. Your ideal candidate might not be sitting at home waiting for your job to become available. Rather, consider getting aggressive if you have particular executives in mind for the role.

Partner with an Executive Placement Firm

Professional guidance can help you maximize your executive talent search. By partnering with a top recruiter, like PrideStaff, you fast-track the process of finding your next superstar leader. You open yourself up to the best candidates, while simultaneously availing yourself of indispensable industry knowledge.

Contact PrideStaff today to learn more.

I Have No Motivation to Look for a Job. What Should I Do?

You haven’t been employed in quite some time — maybe even never. Getting a job is something you should be doing, but you just can’t seem to get enthused enough to start searching for one.

Getting a job is something you need to do sooner, rather than later, so you’re looking for ways to make a positive change. Here’s some advice from HTSS, Inc., a top staffing agency in Las Vegas, to help you do just that.

Four Tips to Get Inspired for Your Job Hunt

Look at Your Bank Account

If you don’t have a job, there’s good chance money is a little tight right now. Doing an honest assessment of your current financial state can help snap you back into reality. For example, if you look at your bank statement and see there’s only $20 in your account, but rent is due in two weeks, this should concern you enough to immediately start searching.

Commit 20 Minutes to the Cause

Sometimes getting started is the hardest part of a job search. Procrastinating looking for a job can create a mental barrier that quickly becomes hard to breakthrough. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all that’s involved with a job search, start by taking baby steps. Dedicate 20 minutes to the cause each day, and before long, you’ll feel more excited by it than daunted.

Change Your Mindset About Work

Right now, you’re probably enjoying your fair share of relaxation. This is nice, but you’re far too talented to waste your day away. If you’ve been out of the workforce for a while or hated your last job, you might associate work with negative feelings. However, it doesn’t have to be like that. It might sound cliché, but when you find a job you’re passionate about, you won’t work another of your life.

Talk to a Recruiter

Embarking on a job search isn’t easy, but you don’t have to go it alone. Reach out to a reputable recruiter to get the help you need. They’ll work with you to update your resume, figure out what type of job will make you truly happy, prepare for interviews and introduce you to top employers looking for new hires like you.

Find a Job You’re Passionate About

Having trouble getting motivated to look for a job? PrideStaff Las Vegas is here to help. Contact us today to get started!

How You Can Show Appreciation to Your Employees

Where would you be without your employees?

It takes the right team to make a business succeed and keep it running. One of the best ways to keep your best team members happy and loyal is to first recognize them for jobs well done. Then, you should plan to follow-up consistently to show them they are valued members of your team.

Here are some of the best ways to show your employees they are valued.

Employee appreciation efforts can help your business in numerous ways, including:

Building trust: According to one survey, 86 percent of employees felt they could trust managers who had shown them recognition within the past month.
Enhancing productivity: Employees who feel appreciated feel invested in the success of their company. As a result, they make a more calculated effort to perform. If your team members feel that you genuinely care about them, you’ll see it in the results they deliver.
Decreasing turnover: Because employee recognition boosts morale, it can ultimately reduce turnover as well. The result of this is reducing your cost and fallout from having to rehire and onboard new talent.
Boosting your brand: In today’s day and age, word spreads in real time, via online reviews and social media. You want to be known as the organization that takes care of its people, not the one to avoid employee wellbeing. Plus, customers love to support businesses that they know treat their employees well.

Be creative – and make employee recognition count.

As you develop ways to show you appreciate your employees, think outside the box. You will want to keep in mind the individual employee whom you wish to honor. Whatever you decide, acknowledge people appropriately and tailor your recognition awards to each individual so they are thoughtful, meaningful and memorable.

Here are some ideas:

Create an employee recognition program: Establish a formal and ongoing program to formally show appreciation via peer recognition. Involve your employees in the development and administration of your program by forming an employee recognition team.
Celebrate milestones: Provide gifts for service anniversaries. Celebrate milestones, including employees’ birthdays. Paid time off is one of the best appreciation gifts you can give. Gift cards tailored to people’s specific interests and preferences also work well.
Express your appreciation on social media: As well as describing employees’ value and contributions to your organization, include photos or videos to bring your content to life.
Sponsor volunteer opportunities: Giving back to the community is the right thing to do, and it makes people feel good. Support charities that are near and dear to your employees by sponsoring events or giving people a day off to volunteer.

To help design an employee appreciation program that works for your business – or for extra tips and resources as you build your winning workforce and keep your superstar performers happy, motivated and engaged – reach out to PrideStaff Modesto today.

How a Polished LinkedIn Profile Can Help You Get Hired

When you’re starting a new job, your focus is on creating a strong resume, searching for leads, and networking. However, don’t forget about reworking your LinkedIn profile.

Not only should it be updated so all the information is current and aligns with your resume, but it must be optimized, as well. This way, hiring managers and recruiters will be able to find you when they have an opening that’s a fit.

Here are some tips to help you strengthen your profile so it works harder for you:

Make sure your headshot is professional.

You don’t need to spend big bucks on a professional headshot. However, do make sure the photo is clear, not blurry, and in an appropriate setting. Remember, it only takes a moment to make an impression, good or bad, and you want your photo to paint you in a positive light.

Enhance your summary with a story.

Your LinkedIn profile is different from your resume in that you can tell more of a story about yourself. Explain why you got into your particular field, what you love about it, and any skills or accomplishments that help you stand out. Give examples, share facts and figures, and be concise and engaging.

Optimize your profile with your location and keywords.

Beyond making sure the content hits the mark for potential employers, your LinkedIn profile should also be optimized so they can find you. To do this, include your location, such as the name of the city, region, or metro area, in your LinkedIn profile. Also, sprinkle keywords and phrases related to the kind of job you’re looking for throughout your profile.

Update your work history and education.

Review these areas in your profile to ensure they are as up-to-date as possible. Make sure you include your most recent job title, as well as any important achievements in the role. In addition, be sure to include your alma mater, degree earned, and any collegiate organizations you belonged to. This can further enhance your profile and optimize it at the same time.

Add to your skills and ask for recommendations.

Evaluate your Skills section and ask for endorsements from colleagues. You can also ask for recommendations from your network to further strengthen your profile. This will give potential employers some insight into what makes you a strong candidate and will help you stand out among other professionals.

Need more help with your LinkedIn profile?

At PrideStaff, we help professionals across Phoenix find great-fit jobs. We can help you, too, from polishing your resume and LinkedIn profile to preparing for interviews 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.