Is Your Team Struggling? Here’s How to Help

Maybe it’s a stretch assignment. Or a lack of communication. Maybe a project has been misassigned … but whatever the problem is, if your team is struggling, it’s up to you to help its members overcome their issues. By being patient and understanding, and taking a few thoughtful steps, you can help that team return to productivity – not to mention being happier and more engaged.

Listen.

Instead of assuming you know why a team is struggling, sit down and listen to their input. Determine exactly where the problem lies. Only then can you effectively help. Once you understand their point of view, assure team members that you’ll support them as they work their way through their assignment.

Make your expectations clear.

Make sure everyone fully understands what results are expected of them and by when. In addition to an initial meeting, you may want to schedule times for team progress updates, especially at first. These will be additional opportunities to ask and answer questions and keep things on track.

Give team members extra face time.

Often, struggling employees will “hide” from their managers so as not to expose their weaknesses. So, reach out to them one-on-one and instigate a conversation on their progress. Then, you can guide them individually as well as in a group setting. This may entail helping them break larger assignments down into smaller, more manageable pieces.

Provide training where it’s needed.

Now that you understand the issue at hand, identify areas where employees may need extra training or remediation. It may be in hard job skills or equally important soft skills like communications, negotiation, or conflict resolution. Then, make that training happen. It will be worth the investment as you start to see desired business results.

Praise efforts in the right direction.

In short, what you reward, increases. Celebrate individual and team victories, both small ones along the way, and the full completion of a project. It can be as simple as a pizza party or a heartfelt email acknowledging someone for achieving a desired outcome. Appropriate recognition and reward go a long way.

As a last resort, reevaluate the makeup of your team.

Suppose, despite all your best efforts, a team continues to experience failure. In that case, it may have to be realigned by removing or replacing one or more members – because when an employee is not performing well, they will be unhappy. It may be painful at first, but it will be best for everyone in the long run.

Are you seeking higher productivity through teamwork and other best talent management practices? Would you also like better access to hard-to-find candidates, especially in today’s highly competitive marketplace? If so, contact PrideStaff Modesto today. We’ll design a strategy that works for you and your unique business needs.

Are Unrelated Summer Jobs in Las Vegas Good to Add to a Resume?

You’re updating your resume, and you’re not if you should include your entire employment history. Over the past few years, you’ve had some great summer jobs, but they don’t really relate to your desired career path.

Whether you’re searching for accounting opportunities or casino jobs in Las Vegas, past employment experience is always a good thing. If you’re years into your career, it’s typically wise to remove unrelated summer jobs from your resume. However, if you’re relatively new to the workforce, including these positions can be a wise move.

Here’s a look at what you have to gain by highlighting jobs that don’t relate to your search.

Three Reasons to Add Unrelated Summer Jobs to Your Resume

Boost Your Work Experience

Irrelevant work experience is better than having no employment history at all. This shows potential employers you’re able to hold a job — i.e., can show up on time, follow directions, work as part of a team — which is important. When you have at least a couple jobs in your field under your belt, including unrelated jobs can be distracting, but right now, it’s beneficial.

Highlight Transferrable Skills

On the surface, your summer jobs might seem completely unrelated to your current career path, but that probably isn’t the case. It’s almost inevitable that you gained a host of transferrable skills that apply to the job at hand. For example, skills like problem-solving, communication, adaptability, listening, and leadership are important to potential employers in every industry.

Showcase Top Achievements

If you made a great impression at your summer jobs, highlighting a few of your greatest accomplishments can show potential employers what you have to offer. For example, if you worked in a call center and had a high customer satisfaction rating, this makes it clear you’re good at working with others. The job you want might involve working with clients, but even if it doesn’t, this underlines your hardworking nature and winning personality, which would make you a great team member.

Get the Job You Want

Need a little help taking the next step in your career? PrideStaff Las Vegas is here to assist. Contact us today to find out what we can do for you!

Have a Skill Gap? Tap Your Existing Employees

Many companies are struggling to find and hire the quality candidate they need. If you’re one of them, how can you gain access to workers quickly and affordably?

The answer: you might already have them under your roof. In other words, by reassigning and training your existing staff, you can fill a critical skill gap until more candidates join the workforce.

Here are some other ways it can benefit you:

You’ll avoid hiring mistakes.

When you move employees around and make some changes to assignments in order to complete orders or finish projects, you’re still relying on your existing staff. You know them, their abilities, and their work ethic. You, therefore, don’t have to worry about making an expensive hiring mistake.

You can cut down on hiring costs.

With so many steps in the process, hiring is expensive. You can instead invest this money into training your staff to be able to perform the roles you need them to handle. This way, you won’t be spending on advertising your job opening or salary and benefits for a new employee. Instead, you can promote a current employee and boost their salary while having them take on more responsibility, saving money in the long run.

You’ll give workers a chance to grow with you.

When you cross-train your people and offer them different opportunities, this gives them a chance to acquire new skills, forge relationships with more colleagues, explore a new area of the company, and become a more valuable asset overall. If they’re able to advance into a higher-level position, they’ll also be more loyal as a result.

While cross-training and promoting staff works in some situations, in others, you’ll still need outside help. If that’s the case, and you’re having a hard time recruiting, turn to the Tempe recruiters at PrideStaff.

We have an existing network in place of both active and passive candidates we can tap and provide you with access to. We also have recruitment experts on our team who understand the local talent market, what candidates want in a potential employer, and the salaries and benefits that are expected.

Every step of the way, we can help you through the process, so you ultimately find and hire the skilled people you need. If you’d like to learn more or get started, contact us today.

How to Properly Conduct a Job Interview

Job interviews can be as nerve-racking for hiring team members as it is for candidates. After all, it’s a two-way process, and for an employer, it can make or break a really important decision: will you embrace a potential hire or cut them off at this point? The stakes are high.

The good news is: With the right understanding and a little preparation, every member of your interview team can be more than ready when the time comes. It’s a process – and here are some tips for success at every stage:

Be prepared.

Make this your motto in advance of every interview. Have a game plan. This should include a checklist of hard and soft skills required for a job, interview questions, and talking points for anything you anticipate a candidate might ask. The plan doesn’t have to be followed to the letter, but nor should interviewees veer too far off course.

Facilitate the conversation.

The secret to a good interview is connecting with a candidate. So, keep the tone friendly yet professional, and try to find something interesting on an applicant’s resume or cover letter to break the ice. This will lay the groundwork. From here, continue to use eye contact, smiling, and friendly curiosity to establish rapport and keep the conversation flowing.

Get to know your candidate.

This is the whole point, yes? A good way to work on that needed rapport is to ask, “Why do you think you’re a good fit for this job?” This invites a candidate to share their reason for applying. It also enables you to gauge their levels of genuine interest, self-awareness, and motivation.

Learn a person’s work style.

It’s very helpful to check on this now to avoid friction in the workplace later on. Ask an applicant to describe a typical day in their current or most recent role. Then listen to understand how they structure their time, prioritize tasks, adapt, handle crises, and how long it takes them to get things done. Is this rhythm and pace consistent with your workplace?

Finish strong.

If you haven’t already, toward the latter part of an interview, scope out a candidate’s professional goals to see if they will grow with your organization. Where does this position fit in the larger picture of their career trajectory? Once you get the response you need, you should also:

The PrideStaff Modesto team can help with strategic staffing solutions at every step of your hiring process, starting with candidate sourcing, selection, and successful interviewing. We’ll ensure all your s short and long-term needs are met – including both temporary and direct-hire options – and that you can be confident in every hire. Contact us today to learn more.

Tackling the “What is Your Biggest Weakness?” Interview Question

Discussing your shortcomings is one of the most difficult topics in a job interview. After all, you’re trying to sell yourself as the best candidate and leave the most positive impression possible. However, hiring managers will generally ask you about your biggest weakness to gain insight into what type of employee you truly are, so you must be prepared to respond to it in a way that doesn’t hinder your standing. Learn more about how to tackle the “What is your biggest weakness?” interview question:

Be Sincere

The strategy of responding with a weakness that isn’t really a weakness (i.e., “I’m a perfectionist” or “I work too hard”) will typically backfire because it comes across as dishonest, and hiring managers can see right through it. Be sincere when you decide how to answer this question. Do some self-reflection prior to your interview and think of a few actual weaknesses you have so you are prepared to discuss the topic rather than avoid it genuinely. 

Be Selective

Once you’ve narrowed down some of your genuine weaknesses, consider if any of them would come across as making you unqualified for the position. For example, if you’re interviewing for a position that would include numerous administrative duties, don’t say that you have trouble multitasking. Be selective by discussing a weakness that isn’t related to a core part of the job for which you’re interviewing (i.e., if you’re not great at public speaking, it shouldn’t matter if you’re not expecting to sell products or give presentations). 

Be Self-Aware

Conclude your interview answer regarding your weakness by highlighting steps you’ve taken to address it. Provide a specific example of when you realized your weakness was holding you back professionally, what you did to improve, and how exactly you are better now. This shows that you are self-aware and can objectively receive feedback, take a holistic view of your own actions without getting defensive, and be open to gaining new skills and growing. For example, if your weakness was shyness and not speaking up, you could elaborate on how you overcame the intimidation by making a goal to speak up at least once per meeting and writing down your ideas beforehand until you started to gain more confidence. 

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.  

Why You Should Do More Than Use Templated, Canned Questions for a First Interview

You’re preparing to conduct first-round interviews to fill a position on your team, and you’re planning to ask candidates the same standard questions you always do. While many common interview questions provide key information, the best staffing agencies in Las Vegas know they shouldn’t be the only thing on your list.

Templated interview questions appeal to the masses because they’re at least somewhat relevant to most jobs. However, they’ll only provide part of the details needed to make an informed decision, because they weren’t specifically created for this role on your team. Here’s why going beyond canned interview questions will help you find the best person for the job.

Three Reasons to Ask More Unique Interview Questions

Tailor Questions to Fit the Position

Your company is unique, and so is every position on your team. Therefore, it’s important to customize interview questions to help you find the right fit. Standard interview questions can be a great starting point, but you need to tailor them to fit the position you’re working to fill. The candidate might be a great worker, but you won’t know if they’re right for this role, unless you ask questions that explicitly relate to it.

Get a Genuine Response

Before meeting with a hiring manager, savvy candidates spend a significant amount of time preparing responses to common interview questions. This is great, because it shows their enthusiasm for the job. However, having ample time to rehearse can also lead to misleading responses. When you ask more unique questions, you’ll likely get a more authentic answer, which offers a better look at their fit for the position.

Follow the Natural Flow of the Conversation

Every job interview is different, so sticking to a list of templated interview questions can actually end up feeling forced or even monotonous. Having the ability to improvise at least a few questions will help you get the most from the conversation, because you’re adapting to the natural flow. Not following a rigid structure will allow you to learn more about each candidate and the unique attributes they bring to the table.

Hire the Best Every Time

Ready to find the right person for the job? PrideStaff Las Vegas is here to help you build the strongest team you’ve ever had. Contact us today to discuss a partnership!

Do I Really Need to “Job Search” At the C-Suite Level?

Securing a spot in another C-Suite requires tact and the application of a special set of skills. Yes, you need to take steps to find a new position as an executive. But that process doesn’t look the typical “job search” you would use for other professions.

Adding your name to another company’s leadership roster isn’t a matter of answering online ads. You can’t just email your resume in response to the CEO WANTED job posting.

But how do you land a C-Suite position? Here are the proper steps to running an executive job search:

Understand the Market

Going into a search for a new position, do as much research as possible. Obviously, this requires reading up on the industry and gathering quantitative stats. It also means talking to your contacts and getting a more qualitative feel for the situation.

This process will help you direct your search. You’ll be able to pinpoint opportunities and focus your efforts efficiently.

At the same time, the added research will make it easier for you to land a position once you’ve identified your best targets. You’ll have extensive knowledge to share on industry-related topics. At the same time, you’ll have formulated in-depth opinions about the market. These insights will help you impress prospective employers.

Hone Your Pitch

Convincing someone to give you a choice job resembles any other sales pitch. You have to highlight your best qualities and minimize your drawbacks. You also have to match your presentation to the selected audience.

As you prepare your job search, perfect your sales pitch. Use your research to fit your best qualities into the current market needs. Also, figure out the language that will best express the value you’ll bring to a company.

Ramp Up Your Networking Efforts

Research has shown that up to 85% of jobs are found through networking. This makes cultivating connections the main effort in any job hunt, especially for executive positions. This is where you should put most of your time and resources.

How do you get the most out of your networking attempts? Here are a few steps to keep in mind:

1. Constantly build your network: Continue to add to your list of connections, even when you’re out of work.
2. Reach out to your contacts as needed: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Of course, use tact and charm, but this is the purpose of having your professional connections.
3. Invest in relationships: Take steps to build connections. Take friends to dinner. Remember birthdays. Spread good spirits whenever you can.
4. Participate in conferences and industry events: Get out there. Now that COVID is lifting, your chances for face-to-face meetings have started to improve.

Get Noticed

Networking is essentially a one-on-one activity. To throw a wider net, you’ll want to create a general presence. This will put you on the radar of companies looking for passive candidates. It will also give you materials that showcase your abilities for potential employers.

Here are a few steps you can take to get noticed and build a brand for yourself:

• Optimize your LinkedIn profile
• Maximize your social media footprint
• Showcase your expertise by publishing thoughtful articles
• Find speaking opportunities

Turn to a Top Recruiter

Why not let a professional help you find the perfect position? By partnering with a top recruiter, like PrideStaff Bend, you raise your chances of landing the ideal C-Suite landing spot.

Contact PrideStaff Bend today to learn more.

How to Optimize Your Resume & Get it into the Hands of Hiring Managers

With summer nearly over, you might be thinking about starting up a job search this fall. Before you do, you need to have a strong resume ready to go. To ensure you get called for interviews, it must showcase your strengths and abilities. In today’s world, it also has to be optimized for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

What’s an ATS?

These are simply software systems companies use to scan the hundreds of resumes they receive for every opening. It helps cut down on the time hiring managers have to screen resumes and funnels the best-fit ones to them.

For you, this means if you don’t optimize your resume properly for an ATS, it might not get into the hands of the hiring manager. To avoid this happening, make sure you:

Send the right type of file.

While PDFs will maintain the design style and fonts, ATS software can’t always read them. This could mean you get to cut out of the competition for simply sending the wrong type of document. Instead, play it safe by sending your resume in an MS Word file unless otherwise specified by the employer.

Use the right keywords.

Review the job description and identify keywords and phrases that are important. Then make sure you include them once or twice in your resume. Also, if there are keywords, such as a certification or degree earned, that are important for your job or industry, include those as well. Just don’t overuse them, which can make your resume awkward to read.

Don’t use the header and footer space.

Instead, keep all your content, including your name and contact information, in the body copy of the document. An ATS system doesn’t usually read these areas, so it could cause issues when it’s reviewing your resume.

Format your resume carefully.

Creating a resume can be tricky today because you have to optimize it for humans and for software systems. To do that properly, make sure you create a summary of your strengths at the top, use bullet points and bold fonts to call out job titles and duties, and avoid any graphics or script-like fonts. Keep it simple, well-organized, and easy to read.

Need more tips for crafting an ATS-friendly resume for your job search?

Turn to PrideStaff. We’re one of the leading employment agencies in Phoenix and can help you with all steps of your job search. We can ensure your resume is strong, it gets into the hands of hiring managers, and you find your next great job. Contact us today to get started.

Persevering Through the Emotional Process of Job Hunting

Job searching can be an emotional rollercoaster, from the initial excitement of new possibilities to the disappointment of rejection. It can be particularly stressful since so much is unknown and out of your control, so it’s crucial to be prepared for these situations when you are looking for a new job. Persevere through the emotional process of job hunting with these tips:

Establish a Framework

Maintaining a steady pace is essential for keeping a clear mind during your job search. Establish a framework for your job search – set a consistent, manageable job search routine that leaves you time for leisure, and stick to it. Break down the steps into the smallest sub-steps possible to prevent feeling overwhelmed.  If you don’t create boundaries and devote too much time to it, you will likely burn out and not be in the right headspace to deal with the ups and downs. 

Reach Out for Support

Don’t feel like you are overreacting if you find yourself in a funk during your job hunt, especially after a particularly upsetting experience. Reach out for support, whether it’s to a friend, trusted mentor, or even anonymously online in a forum. The emotional process of a job hunt is universal, and being able to express your feelings and feel validated by others can go a long way in making you feel a bit better. 

Develop Coping Strategies

Everyone has their own unique emotional triggers, and understanding yours can help you overcome the lows of the job-hunting process. Before you dive into your job search, reflect on what aspects tend to discourage you the most and come up with strategies you can take if those occur to prevent you from sinking into a negative headspace, such as journaling, calling a friend, or taking a few days off to do a fun activity. 

Keep Perspective 

In the midst of a job search, the challenges can seem all-encompassing, but once it’s over, you’ll likely look back and realize it was all a part of the process. Keep perspective by imagining the future version of yourself at a new job and how you’ll look back on this experience. Remind yourself that all job searches inevitably have ups and downs, and it is just a momentary experience that eventually won’t even be a blip on your radar. 

Explore New Opportunities

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

Do You Have to Provide References on a Job Application

You’re searching for full-time jobs in Las Vegas, and you want your resume to make a great first impression. The last thing you want is to leave out valuable information that will cause you to be disqualified, so you’re wondering if you should include references.

The answer to that question is no. Employers don’t typically request references until you’re at least invited to a first-round interview, so hold off on taking this step just yet. Here’s why you shouldn’t be overly ambitious and include them anyway.

Why You Shouldn’t List References on Your Resume

Use Valuable Resume Space Wisely

Your resume is the first impression you’ll make on the reader, so you need to really sell yourself. A reference list tells the employer nothing about you, but it does take up valuable real estate. In most cases, your resume should only be one or two pages long, and the content should be entirely focused on your relevant strengths.

It’s also unnecessary to write “references available upon request” on your resume. If asked, hiring managers know you’ll produce a reference list, as failing to do so will likely eliminate you from consideration for the job.

Don’t Burn Bridges

By offering to vouch for you, your references are doing you a massive favor. Therefore, it’s important to ask their permission each time you list them and do so as sparingly as possible. Placing their name and contact information on a resume you send out to a variety of companies can result in many unsolicited calls and emails they won’t appreciate.

Make Sure References Are Prepared

Employers put a lot of weight on references because these people actually know you and can speak to your job-related skills. If you list references on your resume, you probably won’t end up briefing them on every position you apply to, because that can be a lot.

Consequently, they might be caught off-guard if a potential employer reaches out. The lack of preparation could inadvertently cause them to provide a response that isn’t the strongest, despite fully believing in your ability to shine at the job.

Start the Next Chapter of Your Career

Finding a new job that checks all your boxes is hard work, so allow PrideStaff Las Vegas to assist. Contact us today to find out what we can do for you!