What Are Some Good Pieces of General Career Advice?

You’re ready to take your career to the next level, but you’re not sure exactly how to go about it. Searching for Las Vegas job openings is part of your plan, but you know there’s more to it.

There’s plenty of general career advice out there, and you want to learn the best of it. Here are some words of wisdom that can help you enjoy a very bright future.

5 Excellent Pieces of General Career Advice

Take Every Opportunity to Learn

When a chance to learn presents itself, always opt-in, because you never know what skills might be useful in the future. This is a great way to boost your resume and discover new interests you might not have uncovered otherwise. There’s no such thing as having too much knowledge, so enjoy expanding your horizons.

Don’t Burn Bridges

The professional world is much smaller than you might realize. While you might be tempted to speak harsh words to a terrible boss on your last day at a job or tell an annoying colleague what you really think of them, doing so is always a terrible idea. There’s a very good chance you’ll run into these people in the future, and even if you don’t, word of your actions will get around. You don’t want to get into a situation where your bad reputation proceeds you, so bite your tongue.

Dress for Success

The old adage “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have” is actually very solid advice. If you want to be taken seriously at work, you need to dress the part. This means always maintaining a neat, well-groomed appearance. You might even consider dressing more like the management team than your peers, as this will allow you to be seen in a more professional manner.

Learn From Your Mistakes

No one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s what you take away from them that counts. Treating each mishap as a learning experience will allow you to grow from the situation. This will make you an even better employee, because you learned what works and what doesn’t, so you won’t make the same mistake twice.

Make Networking a Priority

Who you know can make a huge difference throughout your career. Since hiring decisions hold a lot of weight, managers prefer candidates recommended by someone they know and trust. The more contacts you have, the better your chances of meeting someone who can help you get your big break. Therefore, it’s important to get to know your colleagues, join at least one professional association and attend networking events to expand your circle.

Get Your Career on Track

Tired of aimlessly moving between jobs? Allow PrideStaff Las Vegas to help you figure out what you really want from your career. Contact us today to get started!

8 Common Mistakes Management Makes

Top executives like to take credit when things go well. But do they blame themselves enough when things go wrong? A key part of leadership involves realizing your own mistakes and taking the steps necessary to become a better manager.

According to one estimate, bad management costs U.S. corporations $360 billion a year. That’s right, more than a third of trillion dollars are lost each year from leadership mistakes. These figures include such items as productivity loss, high turnover costs, and healthcare expenses related to increased employee stress.

Clearly, bad management can undermine an organization in many ways at once. But how can you avoid such crucial errors? Here are a few common management mistakes you should avoid:

Micromanagement

Directing every moment of your employees’ days ultimately wastes time. You might think that you get a better end result. But, in the end, both productivity and team spirit suffer.

Making Friends with Employees

You want to respect your employees. You can even like them. But don’t mistake them for your buddies. That just complicates your job and ultimately leads to hard feelings down the road.

Not Setting Clear Goals

Your team works hard. To get the most out of that effort, it should be directed towards distinct objectives. If you don’t establish clear goals, you can’t get the most out of your workforce.

Not Sharing Strategic Visions

Think about the relationship with your staff as a partnership. In that paradigm, you encourage them to innovate and to be creative. By sharing your strategic vision, you engage your team more deeply in the process.

Letting Problems Fester

Being a manager is a busy job. Sometimes, if an issue doesn’t have a glaring “Fix me!” sign, it’s easy to let it slide.

But that’s a mistake. Small problems today can become major disruptions tomorrow. Don’t let small issues persist. Intervene as early as possible to avoid the necessity of even more aggressive steps down the road.

Not Doing Enough Contingency Planning

Fixing problems is part of a manager’s job. So is avoiding them entirely. Spend time trying to predict possible roadblocks and invest resources in planning workarounds. Then, if an emergency hits, you’ll have a detailed plan in place.

Not Delegating Enough

Turn over as many tasks as possible to your team. This will empower them and give you additional capacity for higher-level planning. Ultimately, everyone will get more done and you’ll use your available resources (including your own time) as wisely as possible.

Not Listening to Employees

Being a manager isn’t about giving orders. Sure, you have to direct your team. But the communication process should move in two directions.

Open yourself up to feedback from your staff. This way, your management skills can improve over time. You’ll also increase the chances of discovering game-changing ideas. At the same time, you’ll see more engaged employees and a tighter team spirit.

Becoming a good manager gets easier when you have the right team in place. A top staffing agency, like PrideStaff, can find you the perfect people for your organization.

Contact PrideStaff Bend today to upgrade your hiring process.

Set Your Employees Up for Success This Fall With These Tips

Fall is here, and the holidays are just around the corner. It’s a busy time of year, and you need your people performing optimally. How can you set them up for success and keep them motivated yet happy and satisfied during the autumn and winter season ahead? Here are some tips:

Tip #1: Make sure goals are clear and realistic.

When employees aren’t sure what they’re supposed to be doing, goal posts keep shifting, or objectives seem unattainable, your team will become disengaged. Avoid this by meeting with staff routinely, make sure everyone knows what to do and when, and address any challenges or concerns. It’s a win-win when everyone is on the same page.

Tip #2: Give your employees more control.

If you have helicopter-boss-type tendencies, try to tamp them down. Employees want to know their boss trusts them. They also want freedom to make some decisions on their own. Give them that and empower them to innovate, create, and deliver their best results. You might be surprised by what they come up with.

Tip #3: Offer praise and positive reinforcement.

Even your most experienced people need praise and positive reinforcement. This communicates they’re on the right track and that you’re pleased with their performance. It also motivates them to keep working hard and meeting goals – and can even inspire others to do the same.

Tip #4: Be a good listener.

Don’t do all the talking when it comes to communicating with your employees. Listen first and ask questions so you can truly understand any issues they come to you with. When you create an atmosphere of open communication, they’ll be more apt to come to you with problems and concerns, so you can deal with them before they escalate.

Tip #5: Celebrate the wins.

When your team achieves an important milestone or a critical goal, broadcast and celebrate it. Make sure they know how much you appreciate them and how proud you are that they are part of your team. When they feel valued, they will be more loyal and want to continue working hard for you. Plus, taking time to celebrate offers an opportunity to build stronger relationships with your staff.

Need highly motivated people to add to your team?

At PrideStaff, we have a network of candidates who are skilled, dependable, and ready to get up and running with you. We can give you access to talented individuals for a range of positions. We can also help train them, so the learning curve is shorter, and they are productive faster. Get started today by contacting our team.

Is Your Newest Hire Not Working Out? Here’s What You Can Do

Although new hires will have an initial adjustment period, it’s crucial to take immediate action if you’re concerned that your latest employee doesn’t seem to be acclimating into the role. You can either get the employee on the right track, or if they are realistically beyond improving enough to get to a satisfactory level, you can cut your losses before you invest more time and resources. Learn more about what to do if your newest hire isn’t working out:

Take a Look at Training

As the hiring manager, it is ultimately your responsibility to provide adequate training to set your new hires up for success. Be objective and take a look at the training the employee has received so far and determine if it was comprehensive enough. If not, offer your new hire additional training to see if it helps their performance. 

Communicate Expectations

If your new hire has been appropriately trained but still isn’t performing to your standards, it may be an issue of misunderstanding what you want from them. Communicate your expectations clearly, whether it’s specific processes you want them to follow, results you want to see, deadlines to meet, etc. This will help you figure out if your new hire has the best of intentions but lacking awareness or if they are actually low performers. 

Clarify Skills Gap(s)

Once you feel confident that your new hire has been provided the information they need and yet are still not meeting expectations, narrow down the source of the problem. Clarify the skills gap(s) your new hire has, and make a judgment call on if you think they could get up to speed with coaching or if the disparity is too much. Then, have a frank conversation in which you let them know their performance issues, what improvements you need to see within a specified time period, and what the consequences will be if the results are not met. Ensure you also document these terms to have records of the conversation and plan. 

Know When to Part Ways

After the determined timeframe for improvement has passed, it’s time to decide if your employee has met the performance standards you agreed upon. If not, you’ve done everything you could to ensure they had the tools to succeed, and they still were not able to work out. At this point, it’s time to contact your HR or company counsel and officially terminate the employee. 

Evaluate What Went Wrong

Whether the new hire ends up improving and meeting standards or ultimately being terminated, set aside time to debrief your hiring process, evaluate what went wrong, such as red flags you ignored in the interview or the criteria you used to make your decision, and put steps into place to prevent it again in the future. 

Attract Top Talent

Find employees to join your team by working with the experienced staffing firm PrideStaff Akron. Our staffing experts will assess candidates and connect you with the ones with the right qualifications. Contact us to learn more about our services. 

Learn Why Onboarding is Important to Retaining New Employees

A new hire’s first days, weeks, and months on the job can make or break their future with your company. And if they don’t stay, the reason for their departure is often related to an inadequate onboarding process.

Twenty-three percent of new employees in one recent study said that if they had received clear guidelines about their job responsibilities, it would have helped them stay rather than quit. Other factors contributing to early resignations, all of which can be directly or indirectly connected to onboarding, included:

Keep Your Superstars On Board

Especially in today’s marketplace, you can’t afford to lose the valuable talent you’ve just invested a significant amount of time, energy, and dollars into hiring. The simple fact is: there aren’t nearly enough candidates out there to fill all the open positions, especially in light of what has become known as The Great Resignation of 2021. And the cost of a failed hire remains painfully high.

For additional guidance in shoring up your onboarding program – or improving any and all aspects of your industry-leading hiring process – consider partnering with PrideStaff Modesto. For more than 30 years, we’ve been a leader in Central Valley’s staffing and workforce development business, with our customer loyalty in the top 2 percent of the entire industry. Contact us today to learn more.

Become a Better Leader by Reading These Books Before 2022

Being a great leader is something that’s very important to you. Right now, you feel like you’re pretty good at it, but as an ambitious person, you always strive to do better.

As a top staffing agency in Las Vegas, being excellent leaders is also important to the PrideStaff Las Vegas team. Here’s a look at three New York Times best-selling business books we’ve really enjoyed, that offered key insights on becoming a better leader.

3 Business Books All Leaders Should Read Before 2022

“Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones”

Written by James Clear, this book focuses on small changes you can make that offer big results. Serving as a framework for improving your everyday life, Clear — a habit formation expert — shares tips to help you form good habits and break bad ones.

An especially great read if you’re struggling to adjust your habits, this book will teach you how to implement the correct system for change. Some other key takeaways include learning how to become more motivated and increasing your willpower, creating an environment conducive to success, and getting back on track when you become sidetracked.

These lessons will be useful to you personally and better equip you to help others learn and grow.

“Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.” 

Based on new research conducted with leaders, changemakers, and culture shifters, author Brené Brown shares advice on putting these ideas into practice to become a better leader. Learn how to ask the right questions, share your power with others, have difficult conversations, and be vulnerable — when necessary.

Written in a straightforward, no-nonsense style, this book shares stories and examples to help you become braver and more daring. You’ll also learn to create a culture of courage, so you can empower those around you.

“Outliers: The Story of Success”

Something sets high-achievers apart from everyone else, and for this book, Malcolm Gladwell went on a quest to solve the mystery. He determined we pay too much attention to what successful people are currently like, instead of where they came from.

Learn what drives these ambitious people, so you can find your own inspiration — as well as helping others do the same. Entertaining and insightful, this book will help you make the positive changes you’ve been craving.

Build the Best Team You’ve Ever Had

Finding the best person for the job isn’t easy, so stop trying to do it on your own. PrideStaff Las Vegas is here to help you hire right every time. Contact us today to find out what we can do for you!

What to Do If Your Quality of Hire Isn’t Up to Par

You invest a lot in your hiring process. A study conducted a few years ago by the Society for Human Resource Management found that the average cost-per-hire tops $4,000. Meanwhile, the process of bringing in a new employee takes more than 40 days on average.

That doesn’t even take into account the resources and effort necessary for onboarding and training. At the same time, a bad hire creates a major opportunity cost. With the wrong decision, you lose time and momentum that allows your competitors to gain an edge.

Meanwhile, bad hires are frighteningly common. One survey found that fewer than two out of 10 hires (19%) are judged successful. Meanwhile, nearly half of all new employees (46%) fail in the first 18 months.

Why is quality of hire important?

With these stats, it’s clear that most companies can benefit by improving their quality of hire. With these procedures, you can upgrade your organization in several ways at once:

• Improve Performance: Quality hires lead to quality work. By upgrading your hiring process, you create a more efficient organization.
• Build a Better Team: You won’t just benefit from improvement in your individual employees. There’s a multiplying effect. Good employees get the best out of their coworkers. The overlapping value of your better workers will lead to even more impressive performance.
• Lower Turnover: You won’t need to fire your hiring mistakes. At the same time, having strong coworkers and a dynamic organization will help you keep top talent over the long haul.
• Create an Excellent Leadership Pool: Your current frontline workers represent your talent pool for future management positions. Better talent coming in the door means a higher grade of future leaders for your organization.

How do you measure the quality of a candidate?

Most executives see the value in improving their quality of hire. However, the task itself remains elusive. Achieving success in this area means understanding how to measure the value of your incoming employees.

Look at the End Results

The precise metrics to track your employees’ performance will depend on your exact business. But you’ll need some quantitative measures — otherwise known as key performance indicators, or KPIs — to understand how well your workers achieve their goals.

If your team consistently falls short of expectations, you need to run through a series of questions:

• Do you need to improve training?
• Are your expectations too high?
• Are you using the correct KPIs?

Once you control for other factors, you can see how well your hiring process delivers strong employees. From there, you can decide what steps need to happen to upgrade your team.

Track Each Recruitment Step

Don’t just look at your final hiring decisions to track the quality of your recruitment process. You need to find ways to track every stage in the system. That way, it will be easier to identify snags in your procedures.

For instance, look at measures like:

• total applicants vs. number of quality candidates
• number of quality applicants vs. amount of interviews
• amount of interviews vs. number of offers

With these relatively simple ratios in mind, you can spot bottlenecks. For instance, say you get flooded with resumes for each open position, but identify very few quality candidates among those applicants. In that case, you might look at your job description, which is clearly attracting the wrong type of job seekers.

How do you improve your quality of hire?

Once you’ve identified your crucial areas of need, you can take the steps necessary to improve your quality of hire. Here are a few tips to make that possible:

• Clearly Define Open Positions Before Launching a Hiring Process
• Communicate Effectively with Candidates
• Create Skills Tests
• Emphasize Culture
• Involve More People in the Recruiting Process
• Check References

Are you ready to find the perfect candidates for your organization? Turn to a top recruiter, like PrideStaff. You’ll get the expertise you need to maximize your hiring process.

Contact PrideStaff today to learn more.

Unhappy at Work? Launch Your New Job Search With These 6 Tips

If you’ve been unhappy at work for a while and can’t seem to turn the situation around, it’s a good time to launch your search. Many employers are having a difficult time finding talented candidates, and you can land a rewarding opportunity faster; that’s a better fit for you.

What are some ways to stand out and find a new job you love? Here are some tips from our Phoenix recruiters:

Tip #1: Know your goals.

Don’t just jump into a new search without thinking about what you want to achieve. Set some goals around the kind of work you’d like to be doing, as well as the company culture that you’d mesh well in. This way, you can focus your search and won’t waste time applying to poor-fitting jobs.

Tip #2: Create a strategy.

Once you know what you’re looking for in a new job, create a plan for how you’ll approach your search. For instance, set aside a certain time, like 5:30 – 6:30, every evening, when you’ll look for leads, send in your resume, respond to emails, and network online. Once time’s up, walk away and focus on something else. You’ll feel productive in your search without getting too stressed out.

Tip #3: Solidify your resume and cover letter.

If your resume and cover letter are weak, you’re going to get passed over for interviews. Instead of this happening, take time to really craft a strong persuasive resume and cover letter. Also, edit both documents slightly to make them as relevant as possible for each job you’re applying to. Get professional help with your resume and cover letter if you’re struggling.

Tip #4: Update and polish your LinkedIn profile.

If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile or if yours is outdated, it’s going to reflect poorly on you. Once your resume is complete, invest some time and energy into creating an effective LinkedIn profile.

Keep in mind it doesn’t have to be quite as formal as your resume. You can showcase more of your personality and background and even upload and include work samples. Just make sure everything on your profile is consistent with your resume.

Tip #5: Network and reach out.

Use your network to reach out to those you know inquiring about job opportunities. Also, if there is a particular company you want to work for, send a letter of interest to the HR director explaining your background, why you’re a good fit for their needs, and inquiring about any openings. In addition, follow companies online on social media and sign up on job boards for weekly alerts based on your job title keywords.

Tip #6: Work with a professional recruiter in Phoenix.

When you turn to experts, you can get help with every step of this process, from identifying career goals, enhancing your resume, and improving your interview skills to accessing excellent job opportunities. You’ll also have someone to offer insight into each company’s culture, as well as provide you with feedback to increase your chance of getting an offer.

Ready for help from Phoenix’s favorite recruiters?

At PrideStaff, we’re happy to help you through your job search. We know it can be stressful and overwhelming. But with our trained team, we can make it simpler, easier, and far more effective. Our goal is to help you find a great new job.

Get started today by contacting our team.

Tips for New Managers to Succeed

When you’re first promoted to the job of manager, it can be an exciting time. However, once the initial emotion wears off, you might start to get nervous. After all, managing a team of people doing a certain job is completely different than just working on your own. What tips should you keep in mind to get off to a good start? Here’s a look:

Look at it like a new job.

Even if you were in your previous role for decades, if it wasn’t a management position, then look at the situation as if you’re new to the job. You’ll have to put a completely different skill set to use and will be more likely tapping your interpersonal skills versus your technical abilities.

Learn about your employees.

Work to get to know your employees. Keep an open-door policy and meet with each one individually to get to know them. Find out more about them professionally and personally, so you can best manage them and keep them motivated. This will also help you to build a strong relationship with each one, so they’re more loyal and vested in your team.

Actively listen more.

As a new manager, listen more than you talk, especially in the beginning. This includes your boss, your staff, and your customers. This will help you learn what to prioritize, any issues that are escalating, and what challenges you’re facing.

Focus on the big picture.

In your previous role, you might have been a detail person. Now, as a manager, it’s your job to focus on the big picture and delegate the details to your employees. This can be difficult to get used to, but if you don’t, you’ll burn out.

Deal with performance issues quickly.

If an employee isn’t getting their work done, don’t ignore the situation or hope it will go away. The previous boss might have swept the issue under the rug. But it will only cause a toxic workplace if you allow it to continue. It’s why you must face performance problems quickly and head-on.

Get help when you need it.

Don’t think just because you’re a manager, you don’t need help. Reach out to other department heads or your superiors when you have a question or require clarification. If you don’t have a mentor, now’s a good time to find someone to offer you support and guidance as you transition into this new role.

Would you like help in one area of your new job – hiring – from experts?

At PrideStaff, we can offer professional hiring and staffing services. In fact, as one of Tempe’s top staffing agencies, our recruiters are experts with years of experience and a robust network of talented candidates. Whether you need someone on a temporary basis or full-time new hire, turn to us for qualified and hard-working professionals faster.

Get started today by contacting our team.

5 Benefits of the Gig Economy

Gig economy refers to employment that is based on working short-term jobs or assignments rather than one steady job with an employer. Whether you’re having trouble landing a full-time job or have other obligations that don’t align with full-time work, trying out temporary employment may be an option that fits your needs. Check out these five benefits of the gig economy: 

1. You Have Flexibility

With the gig economy, you don’t have to fit your lifestyle around your job – instead, you have the flexibility to only take on assignments if/when it works for you. This allows you to have control over your schedule, employer, and type of work you do. 

2. It Prevents Resume Gaps

Having gaps on your resume of extended periods of time between jobs can be seen as a potential red flag to future employers who may be concerned about your skills being stale from being out of the workforce or that you lack ambition or professionalism. Working short-term jobs prevents resume gaps by giving you consistent and recent work experience to put on your resume in case you want to eventually transition to a full-time job again. 

3. You Can Learn New Skills

If you’re looking to gain experience in a different industry or role, temporary employment can be a strategic move for your long-term career goals. You can learn new skills by trying out a variety of different gigs, which can then help you be a more marketable candidate for any jobs you apply for in the future. 

4. There’s No Commitment 

If you end up not liking a particular job or you’re not a fit with company culture, you can easily move on without burning bridges or concern about looking like a job hopper. There’s no commitment with the gig economy – you can do as many or as few assignments as you want and as often as you like.

5. It Provides Variety 

If you’re the type of person who thrives off new experiences, the gig economy can help you switch up your work life and get to try out new things. It provides variety so you can step outside your comfort zone or follow your interests easily.

Find New Opportunities 

Are you ready to pursue a short-term job? Team up with PrideStaff Akron! We work with employers in the Akron area for their hiring needs and can match you with the temp jobs that are the best fit for you. Search our database of currently available jobs.