What’s the Business Outlook for Modesto and How Can You Position Your Company for Long-Term Success?

Even in today’s roller coaster economy, Modesto, California is on a sustainable growth track, with long-term businesses at its core. The reason is simple: businesses tend to stay in Modesto.

Surrounded by one of the world’s greatest agricultural production areas, this city of 215,000 is located in the center of the North San Joaquin Valley region, within 90 minutes of San Francisco and the Silicon Valley. The climate is Mediterranean, the cost of doing business is low, real estate is affordable, and there’s a diverse population and a strong sense of community. In addition, numerous new business parks are under development. Modesto encompasses a number of Federal Opportunity Zones, including its downtown core area.

The Recipe for Business Success

Like their counterparts around the world, successful Modesto business leaders have faced unprecedented challenges since the Covid-19 pandemic hit nearly two years ago. The keys to overcoming them and positioning their organizations for long-term success despite today’s new normal have been nimbleness, empathy, and a stronger-than-ever focus on casting a vivid vision for the future.

Here are some of the key ingredients in this recipe for success:

Vivid Vision Casting

Dive deeper into your business goals and the reasons behind them. Allow yourself to think outside the box as you envision what your company might look like and accomplish moving forward – with your people and their needs top of mind. Because you can’t get there without them.

Continuous Financial Assessment

Continuously review your company’s finances so you can make calculated moves faster and minimize negative fallout if you need to pivot on a dime – no pun intended – if circumstances suddenly change. No one will soon forget what happened in March 2020!

Sincere Employee Relations

With people leaving their jobs en masse this past year, staff stability and retention are what will keep your business afloat. Your people need you to sincerely relate to them, acknowledge their talents and value, and restore their confidence that they will grow, succeed, and find balance in their lives by staying on your team for the long run.

Laser Focus

Stay laser focused on your vivid vision. As you do so, prepare for every imaginable outcome in times of uncertainty. This will empower you to match your productivity to your priorities and your plans to the needs of your employees and external customers. When it comes to long-term success, the rest will follow.

Looking For Employees in the Modesto Area?

Recognized as the Modesto Bee Best of Staffing Agency in Stanislaus County, PrideStaff Modesto is locally owned and has been a fixture in the Modesto community for well over three decades. As you look to grow your business, call on us for your temporary, temp-to-hire and direct recruitment needs. Because we know Modesto, we love Modesto, and we’re proud to call Modesto home. Contact us today to learn more.

The Most Sought-After Leadership Skills

People often talk about “leadership” as if it’s a singular thing. But really leadership exists at the nexus of a series of skills. Given that fact, what are the key components of leadership?

It’s an important question. Every organization wants successful managers. But beyond those supervisory roles, organizations seek out frontline employees who show leadership skills as well. No matter what position you apply for, your prospective employer will want to test your abilities in these areas.

And yet, companies continually guess wrong. Even though they value leadership skills, a Gallup study showed that firms pick the wrong person for management roles 82% of the time. That means they make the right selection fewer than two out of every 10 times.

So how can you show your leadership skills if companies aren’t even sure what they should look for? The key is to drill down on the component abilities and build your leadership credentials from the ground up.

With that in mind, here are the most sought-after leadership skills:

Integrity

A leadership position comes with a large amount of trust. You’ll have important safety and financial oversight, which, in unscrupulous hands, could create significant problems for the company. As such, firms will place a high value on integrity as a starting point for any leaders.

Problem Solving

Leaders need to be able to react effectively in an emergency. The ability to discover creative solutions to unexpected obstacles will make you a sought-after choice for management positions.

Foresight

Reacting to surprise problems helps define a leader. But you know what makes an even better leadership trait? Avoiding problems altogether.

The ability to predict potential difficulties and design effective responses saves time, money, and headaches. Demonstrate this ability for contingency planning and you’ll increase your value dramatically.

Flexibility

As good as you are at planning and predicting how situations will unfold, you will face surprising challenges. (The last few years provide ample evidence of that.) As such, you need to be ready to change your tactics as circumstances evolve. A high degree of flexibility lets you maximize your response to particular conditions.

Communication

We often think of leaders in terms of decision-making. They determine the right thing to do and decisively turn that judgement into action.

But there’s another crucial step to the process: communicating a decision. By definition, a leader gets others involved in facilitating any action. That requires effective, constructive communication.

Accountability

Sure, you love getting credit when your team succeeds. But do you take as much responsibility when it falls short? Companies want leaders who solve problems rather than making excuses. As such, accountability becomes a crucial trait for ultimate success.

Effective Delegation

You can’t do everything. In fact, you shouldn’t want to do everything. A strong leader makes the most of their resources, including the talents of everyone on the team.

Doing this requires effective delegation. Let your team members share in responsibility. Get more done by assigning whatever tasks you can.

Empathy

You have a great sensitivity to markets and business situations. But what about emotions? The ability to connect with people makes you a better manager and a better leader.

Ready to put your leadership skills to the test? A top recruiter, like PrideStaff, can find the perfect situation for your skills and background.

Contact PrideStaff today to learn more.

Avoid These Missteps When Setting Goals

There’s a good reason why sports like hockey and soccer use the term “goal” to describe points scored, hopefully toward a victory. In business, as in athletics, goal setting can also be really, really good – or woefully disastrous – just like seeing your opponent shoot the puck through the net instead of you. In fact, when it comes to marketplace competition, this comparison is very applicable.

You score enough – and you win. But if your scoring strategy fails, well, you go home with a letter “L” next to your track record. And nobody wants that, ever.

• When done well, goal setting is magic. It’s powerful and positive, and it leads to increased engagement, enthusiasm, and results. But when it falls short, it can backfire and undermine your success, which was the whole point of doing it in the first place. Poor goal setting can result in confusion, frustration, and a dangerous lack of credibility in your company’s leadership.

Be SMART When Setting Goals

The acronym SMART is often used in reference to goal setting. Why? Another good reason: Because it works.

SMART stands for goals that are:

• Specific: This makes your goals clearer and easier to understand for everyone involved, and it’s key to effective, ongoing planning.
• Measurable: Be sure your goals define which evidence will prove that you’re making progress toward achieving them, as well as enable you to reevaluate them if and when needed.
• Achievable: You need goals that can be reasonably accomplished within a given time frame.
• Relevant: Goals are worthless unless they clearly align with company values and objectives.
• Time Based: Set goals that have realistic end dates. This will help in numerous ways, including effective task prioritization and motivation.

If you lose sight of smartness when goal setting, you’ll find yourself investing time, energy, creativity, and money into the wrong things.

Don’t Get Carried Away

When it comes to setting goals, quality trumps quantity every time. Because, if you set too many goals, then none of them are a priority. And that’s where all focus is lost.

Companies – and people – with too many goals suffer these consequences:

• They feel disorganized and stressed, and like they can never accomplish a complete task.
• They don’t know what they should focus on next. Effective prioritization goes out the window.
• They fall prey to simply checking tasks off a list, losing sight of where their actions fit into the bigger picture of helping your business to succeed.

Again, nobody wants to see things headed in that direction, right?

Do you need more insight as you set goals for your business headed into the new year? The PrideStaff Modesto team is here to help you stay on track and avoid costly missteps. Contact us today, so we can help you set the right strategic direction for your business and your workforce.

Fighting Employee Fatigue: 4 Tips for Managing Your Team

The last couple of years have been incredibly difficult for everyone. No matter the personal situations of those on your staff, you can assume they are suffering from pandemic fatigue, stress from worker shortages, and the myriad other issues coming their way.

This constant and high level of stress can lead to mistakes on the job, injuries, errors, turnover, disengagement, and a host of other consequences. So, how can you support your people through this challenging season while helping to keep their heads in the game?

Here are four tips to keep in mind:

Tip #1: Set your expectations realistically.

If you have unrealistic expectations in terms of performance or deadlines, you’re setting your team up for failure. This is especially true of your staff is facing a crunch due to a worker shortage. Instead, make sure you are clear about your expectations and that they are doable. This will keep workers engaged yet not overloaded.

Tip #2: Check-in with your team.

Meet with your employees regularly to check in and see how they’re doing. Don’t simply ask questions about day-to-day duties. Instead, talk about the bigger picture in terms of their career and their life.

For instance, many workers are rethinking their career goals and are changing paths because of it. Is someone on your team interested in a different assignment or a new track at work? Also, it’s important to find out about any challenges they’re facing, whether at work or at home. This will help you provide any necessary support, so they can continue to thrive.

Tip #3: Encourage healthy behavior.

Now more than ever, healthy habits are essential. Make them easy for your staff to follow. For instance, if you’re ordering lunch in for a team meeting, skip the pizza. Instead, offer salads and a fruit tray. Also, offer opportunities for stress management webinars, access to wellness information, and even on-site yoga classes. You can think outside the box and infuse some fun into your workplace, all while keeping healthy living central.

Tip #4: Set a good example.

If you work around the clock, never take breaks and skip vacation time, you’re sending the message that you expect the same from your people. While doing this for a short period to finish a project might be reasonable, this approach is not sustainable in the long term.

Your people look to you as their guide, so make sure you are encouraging breaks, taking time off, and getting regular wellness checks. This will demonstrate that you make health and wellness a priority on your team and in your own life.

Are staffing shortages putting stress on your people?

At PrideStaff, we can help. As one of Phoenix’s leading staffing agencies, we offer services, from temporary and temp-to-hire staffing to direct hire solutions. We can offer access to short-term workers, as well as full-time talent, so your staff isn’t stretched thin and stressed out. Simply contact us today to get started.

Unhappy in Your Career? Here’s Why You Should Work With a Recruiter

Launching a job search can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to go it alone. Working with a recruiter to find new opportunities may be the solution to help you land a new opportunity with less stress. If you’re unhappy in your career, here is why you should work with a recruiter:

You Can Uncover More Opportunities

Since many employers opt to outsource their hiring process to recruiters, their open positions are not shared with the general public. Your recruiter will be able to give you access to job listings you otherwise wouldn’t have been able to find on your own. This also has the added benefit of having less competition from other candidates since the overall pool of applicants is likely to be smaller than normal. 

It Saves You Time

Job searching requires a significant investment of your free time to track down and vet potential opportunities. Your recruiter will contact you directly with the opportunities that are the right fit for you, saving you time. This is a major advantage over job searching on your own, especially if you already are employed or otherwise have personal obligations that don’t allow for much dedicated job search time.

You Will Get Expert Advice 

Your strategy for presenting yourself in the best light possible as a candidate is likely based on some research and your own guesswork. By working with a recruiter, you can get their expert advice on everything from crafting a compelling cover letter to making a great first impression at your interviews. Since recruiters interact with so many employers, they have insight into what hiring managers are looking for in candidates and can guide you accordingly. 

You and a Recruiter Have a Shared Goal

A recruiter’s job is to fill employers’ open positions; therefore, you have a shared goal: finding you the opportunity from their clients that’s the ideal fit for you. This means they won’t waste your time or theirs, and will work hard to only match you with jobs for which you are most likely to be a top contender.

Our Recruiters Will 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 I Say if I Want to Email a Recruiter My Resume to Keep on File?

You’re interested in high-paying jobs in Las Vegas, but you’re not sure how to find the right fit. Therefore, you’ve decided to seek the help of a recruiter. This is the first time you’ve asked a staffing professional to keep your resume on file, so you’re not sure what to say in your email.

Since this is likely the first time your name will come across the recruiter’s desk, you want to make a great impression. Use these tips to send the right message.

How to Write an Email to a Recruiter

Introduce Yourself

Recruiters want to learn as much as possible about the candidates they assist. Every bit of information you provide will assist them in their search for your perfect job. Therefore, you’ll want to briefly summarize your career history — share the number of years you’ve worked in the industry, highlight a few key accomplishments and note recent relevant work experience  — so they can have a better idea of where you’re at in your career and where you’re headed.

Explain What You Want in a New Job

You know the kind of positions you’d like the recruiter to send you, but they’re not a mind-reader. Help them understand what you want in both your next job and employer by briefly describing what you’re looking for. This will allow them to tailor their search, so they’re able to send you jobs you’re truly interested in.

Show Enthusiasm For the Next Steps

Recruiters want to work with candidates who are excited about their future. In your closing paragraph, tell them you’re really hoping they’ll be able to help you and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your career further with them.

Thank Them for Their Time

Finally, you’ll want to end the email with a line thanking the recruiter for taking the time to read both your email and your resume. Remember, they don’t have to work with you, so it’s important to be gracious. No one wants to help someone who doesn’t appreciate their efforts.

Start the New Year With the Right New Job

Finding a new job that checks all your boxes is hard work, so allow PrideStaff Las Vegas to assist. We’re pleased to connect top talent like you with leading local employers. Contact us to learn more!

In-Demand IT Skills Employers Are Looking For in 2022

As technology advances and the needs of the marketplace change, your skills can quickly become outdated. Whether you want to upskill and land a promotion or find a completely new opportunity elsewhere, it’s crucial to have an understanding of what proficiencies will make you most competitive. Check out the in-demand IT skills employers are looking for in 2022:

Cloud Computing

Businesses are no longer limited to a physical location due to the advancements in cloud computing. From servers to data storage to applications and more, cloud computing allows for on-demand internet access to a vast amount of resources hosted remotely by a cloud services provider. As cloud computing grows, there is a high demand for IT professionals who can configure cloud infrastructures and those who specialize in cloud security.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more ingrained in day-to-day business operations. No longer futuristic, AI is a common way to utilize data in a practical way, such as predictive algorithms used by chatbots to answer common questions online, voice recognition for quick and accessible commands, or facial recognition software to make accounts ultra secure. AI professionals require a background in programming languages, software design, and engineering.

User Experience Design

The goal of websites and apps for companies is frequent customer interaction. To accomplish this, user experience (UX) design is crucial in order to ensure intuitive use and overall enjoyment. In addition to understanding programming and prototyping, IT professionals who excel in UX design are also adept at observing and researching user behavior and understanding their perspectives in order to anticipate their needs within the website or app.

Data Science

Collecting data isn’t useful for a company unless there’s an expert who can also analyze the information to help make strategic business decisions or solve problems. In addition to having a strong foundation in programming languages in order to build algorithms and predictive forecast models, working in data science also requires mathematical, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Cybersecurity

As the sheer amount of sensitive data stored by organizations continues to climb, the dangers of this information being accessed and stolen by cyber criminals are also growing. Cybersecurity skills are in high demand as companies want to protect their data and prevent the costly consequences of hacks and breaches. IT professionals who want to transition into cybersecurity must be able to demonstrate aptitude in creating and maintaining effective security measures, identifying and troubleshooting vulnerabilities, and staying on top of federal regulations.

Explore New Opportunities

Are you ready to start your job search? Team up with PrideStaff Akron for help finding the new opportunity that’s right for you. We can match you with available positions that align with your professional goals and skills. Search our available jobs to learn more.

Improve Your Employee Retention Strategy for 2022

As the year starts, 2022 looks like it will experience a complicated labor market. Companies are still scrambling for workers and facing the prospect of higher wages. You need to do everything you can to keep your best employees happy.

The current economic conditions put a premium on retention. But are you doing enough to hold your top talent? Even if you think the answer is “yes, of course,” there’s probably more you could do.

With that in mind, here are a few tips that will allow you to improve your employee retention strategy for 2022:

Stay Competitive

You need to keep up with the market. This becomes especially important in a dynamic situation like the one that has accompanied the post-pandemic economy. In the face of labor shortages and rising wages, you can’t afford to get complacent.

To hold your employees in place in 2022, you need to provide a competitive compensation package. Make sure your pay scales at least match your industry’s baseline. At the same time, consider the benefits and other incentives you need to offer to retain your top talent.

Study the Turnover Problem

Why are your employees leaving? Answering that question will help you build a winning retention strategy that attacks the challenges you face the most. Gather information from current and departing employees to better understand the problem. Here are a few techniques you can use:

• Conduct exit interviews
• Send out employee surveys
• Create a method for receiving anonymous feedback
• Leverage data to understand trends

Start Your Retention Efforts Early

Don’t think of retention as a problem for veteran employees. Even recent hires can jump ship for new opportunities. At the same time, you improve your overall retention rate by building a bond with employees as soon as possible. As such, integrate retention programs from the earliest possible point:

• Hiring Process: An organized, candidate-focused recruiting process nurtures a good impression from the first moment a potential employee begins interacting with your organization.
• Onboarding: Start developing long-term connections during the onboarding process. Meanwhile, you can use the opportunity to highlight your welcoming, supportive culture.
• Training: A personalized, comprehensive training program will ensure that your new employees feel confident in their new role and get integrated quickly into your operations.

Maximize the Feedback Loop

Conversation is the key to building long-term relationships. That’s true in your personal life, among your professional contacts and as part of a retention strategy. Make your employees feel connected to the organization by cultivating a two-way ongoing dialog.

Here are some areas to consider:

Constructive Criticism

Every employee can benefit from advice and training. How you present this information can make a major difference in terms of retention. Keep all critical feedback positive and constructive.

Give Praise

Don’t only talk to your employees when they do something that requires correction or improvement. Rather, find opportunities to deliver praise as well. This will make the overall communication process more uplifting and give positive reinforcement for the good work they produce on a regular basis.

Encourage Employees Feedback

Foster a team spirit within your organization. Learn from your employees. By setting up systems to collect regular feedback from your workers, you open yourself up to good ideas and make them feel more like essential contributors to the company. This, in turn, will make them more likely to stay for the long haul.

Maximize Your Recruiting Strategy

Looking to build long-term relationships with your team members? It helps to have the right employees to start with. A good hiring system will match the perfect candidates with your organization, creating a strong foundation for enduring success.

In this effort, a top recruiter, like PrideStaff, makes a big difference. You’ll find the ideal fit for every open position.

Contact PrideStaff today to learn more.

These Tips Will Help Ensure Your Employees Feel Valued

Who doesn’t want to feel valued? It’s human nature, in life and at work. Employees who feel they are a valuable part of your business have greater motivation, loyalty, productivity, and innovation.

There are numerous research studies to prove it. To cite just a few recent statistics:

Consistency is Key

It’s important not to drop the ball when consistently reminding your employees how valuable they are to you and your business. After all, where would you be without them? Don’t let recognition be a Flavor of the Month. Instead, embed it into your culture. There are several steps you can take with just a little extra effort in your day.

For additional ideas on making your employees feel valued every day at work, and continuing to grow and develop your winning workforce, contact the PrideStaff Modesto team today.

Looking Back on 2021 — What Were the Biggest Management Lessons Learned?

As a manager at a successful company, you’re preparing for staff augmentation in Las Vegas next year. This is fantastic, as it means your team had a successful 2021.

However, as someone committed to growth, you want to wrap up the year by taking a look at management lessons learned. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly presented most businesses with unique challenges this year, and this will likely continue into the foreseeable future.

Therefore, you’re eager to make sure you’ve learned from your experiences and are interested in the hurdles other managers have been forced to overcome. Here’s an overview of some of the biggest management takeaways from this past year.

Four Management Lessons Learned in 2021

Prioritizing Employee Needs is a Must

The pandemic changed life as we know it, causing many workers to require more flexibility from their employers than ever. No doubt, you felt this with your team in more ways than one. For example, parents likely needed to adjust their hours while homeschooling kids.

Many workplaces previously had rigid rules in place regarding everything from work hours to the ability to work from home — more on that in a bit — but this had to change. To keep top talent on board, managers were forced to put employees’ needs ahead of those of the company. When they didn’t do that, they saw a mass exodus of talent.

A Whole Lot of Jobs Can Be Done Remotely

The ability to work from home is nothing new, but many employers weren’t into it. However, a whole lot of companies were forced to pivot on remote work policies in 2020, as this was the only way to keep their team safe and functional. While many employers called people back to work in 2021, others have kept people remote — and scores of employees aren’t unhappy about this.

Resilience is Key

Without question, 2021 has been a challenging year. Since the start of the pandemic, managers have been forced to pivot from the way they’ve always done things. Whether they had to lay employees off and figure out how to work with a barebones team or help their staff adjust to a new business model, staying strong and remaining flexible has been a must.

Anticipate Challenges

For the second year straight, 2021 has been filled with unforeseen circumstances. To remain successful, managers have needed to stay one step ahead of the game. Expecting challenging situations to arise and having a plan in place to combat them has allowed the savviest managers to lead their team to success.

Make 2022 Your Team’s Strongest Year Yet

Filling open positions on your team the right way isn’t easy, so join forces with PrideStaff Las Vegas to hire right every time. Contact us today to discuss a partnership!