Help Your Employees Achieve Work-Life Balance

There’s a lot of chatter around work-life balance, with good reason.

What it all boils down to is this simple but profoundly important tenet: When you put your people first, they’ll put you first as well. The rest will follow from a business standpoint: higher engagement, better morale, increased loyalty and retention and improved productivity.

Here’s another simple truism: Work-life balance matters to people. This is because of this balance:

To improve your employees’ work-life balance, start with these tips:

Offer flexible hours and remote work options.

Flextime shows you value your employees as people, not just worker bees. People appreciate employers who empower them to manage their own time.

Lead by example.

If you show that you value your personal time, your employees won’t feel guilty for prioritizing theirs.

Support causes that matter to your people.

Increasingly, employees are more motivated by social action on the part of their employers. Allow people the freedom to give back while on work time. They’ll feel better about themselves and their company, they’ll spread the word and enhance your image in the process, and – last but not least – worthy organizations in your community will benefit.

For more than 30 years, PrideStaff Modesto has been committed to helping Central Valley companies build and retain winning workforces. This means constantly striving to innovate and make things better for our clients, job candidates, and community. So, we can help as you strive to be the employer people are lining up to work for, including maintaining work-life balance and overall well-being for all your team members. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

How to Job Search As a Busy Executive in the 2021 Job Market

Will you be one of the high-ranking executives looking to upgrade their careers following the pandemic? If so, it’s important to have a clear-eyed view of the job market in 2021. You’ll also want the best strategy to find a better position while still maintaining your schedule as a busy executive.

The end of the COVID restrictions could spark an unprecedented wave of career changes. One study suggested that up to 30% of the workforce will search out new opportunities as the pandemic restrictions lift.

For you, this will mean both new opportunities and increased competition. You’ll need to be strategic about your efforts. At the same time, you’ll have to make the most of your resources to land the perfect executive position for you.

Clarify Your Goals

What do you want out of your next career move? It’s a big question. The answer will largely determine how you will conduct your next job search. Here are a few points to keep in mind:

• Take Stock of Your Skills: Determine your most marketable selling points. From there, you can look for companies that most need your top qualities.
• Consider the Best Type of Company for You: Build an ideal company profile for your next employer. Do you want to join a large organization? Or seek to inject experience in a fresh startup?
• Look Outside Your Career: Think about your personal goals as well. You might want to save time for family or launch a philanthropic effort. Look for a position that gives you room for your non-professional objectives.

Keep Networking

Obviously, most of your best opportunities will come through personal connections. As you seek your next executive role, you’ll want to accelerate your networking efforts in order to unearth those chances.

The key here is consistency. Most people start their job search with great enthusiasm. However, many tend to trail off a bit if they don’t see immediate success.

Don’t fall into this trap. Keep pushing ahead, even if you meet some early resistance.

Routinely ping your contacts to check for new openings. At the same time, work to strengthen ties with your existing connections. Don’t forget to make efforts to find fresh names to add to your network as well.

Create a Brand

Don’t just seek out opportunities. Create an environment where opportunities will seek you out.

This is the underlying purpose of creating a public brand. This might seem like bragging or posturing, but take a broader view of the situation. In truth, these techniques just offer a way to trumpet your accomplishments and showcase your hard-won knowledge.

How do you do this? Here are a few possibilities to consider:

• Find publishing opportunities.
• Start a personalized blog.
• Get active on social media.
• Find speaking opportunities.

Consider Consulting

Why commit to a full-time position? Consulting gigs can let you keep your resume current, while still maintaining your strategic flexibility. You can collect a paycheck while waiting for the perfect direct hire position.

Consulting provides a number of secondary advantages as well. The strategy lets you add skills and experience. At the same time, you’ll get to meet new people and expand your professional network.

Ready to find those perfect opportunities? Turn to a top recruiter, like PrideStaff Bend. You’ll find the ideal role to jumpstart your career.

Contact our leading recruiters at PrideStaff Bend today.

Politics at Work: Dealing with Employees Who Don’t Get Along

These days, it seems like everyone is more stressed, leading to conflict and strife. When you’re noticing it in the workplace, it’s not only a hassle to deal with, but could infect your whole team if you don’t take the right approach.

So how do you tackle any rising tension at work and handle these delicate situations effectively? Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Step in quickly.

With a lot on your plate, it’s easy to think that employees can resolve their own conflicts. Sometimes they can. However, when it’s ongoing, or there’s a big problem brewing, be sure to step in. When you intervene quickly, you can get to the root cause of the issue, resolve it, and get everyone back on track, working together.

Identify the source.

It’s easy to cast blame or take sides if you think you know what’s going on. However, reserve judgment until you’ve talked to all parties involved and those who have been sitting on the sidelines, watching it unfold. This is the only way you’ll get the details you need to understand the true source of the issue. You can then take steps to effectively resolve it and de-escalate the situation.

Tap outside assistance if needed.

If your whole team could use a boost, consider getting outside assistance from an HR company. For instance, if your staff has been remote, then hybrid, and now is back in the office, they could be having a hard time adjusting. This can lead to interpersonal conflict and problems. An expert can quickly identify the challenges and help you solve them. They can also bring issues to light that you might not have even been aware of.

Monitor employees.

Even when a problem is resolved, for the time being, it’s important to keep tabs on it – and your employees. Make sure they’re following the action steps you outlined and ask if the situation has improved. They don’t have to be best friends. However, they do have to work together toward shared team goals and a strong, healthy workplace.

Do you need hiring for a team that’s off track?

If the source of your workplace woes is lack of staff, turn to PrideStaff. As a leading Tempe recruitment team, we can give you access to skilled professionals, whether on a temporary, temp-to-hire, or full-time basis. We can connect you with your next great hire who can bring new energy to a tired team. Contact us today to get started.

How HR Leaders Can Better Support Their Non-Binary Employees

Non-binary refers to a gender identity that is neither female nor male. According to a 2021 population study from the Williams Institute, there are approximately 1.2 million nonbinary LGBTQ adults in the US. If your workplace is dedicated to fostering an inclusive culture, it’s crucial to take action to ensure your non-binary employees feel comfortable and welcomed. Learn more about how HR leaders can better support their non-binary employees:

Establish a Zero Tolerance Discrimination Policy

Non-binary employees can, unfortunately, experience hurtful discriminatory actions, such as others misgendering them intentionally, asking inappropriate questions, or purposely excluding them from workplace activities. Establish a zero-tolerance discrimination policy regarding gender identity with clear and consistent disciplinary action and encourage all employees to report any instances of harassment.

Edit Language In Existing Policies

There are likely many instances within your company’s documentation that include references solely to “male” or “female” only or variations of these. Review current policies for gendered language and edit them to be inclusive by removing instances of “he” or “she” in favor of “they” or simply “the employee.” 

Conduct Sensitivity Training for Employees 

Demonstrate that ignorance will not be tolerated as an excuse for bigotry in your organization by taking steps to provide education on non-binary issues. Conduct sensitivity training for all employees on being inclusive regarding gender identity so they can be respectful to their fellow colleagues and understand what types of questions, comments, and behaviors are inappropriate. 

Encourage Pronoun Identification 

It can be awkward and uncomfortable for non-binary employees to correct others, especially employees who are more senior level, on their pronouns. To show support and facilitate smoother interactions between colleagues, encourage pronoun identification for all, such as including a “preferred pronouns” field in email signature templates, business cards, or name badges. When recruiting new employees, also ask for preferred pronouns on applications, so non-binary job seekers understand that your organization is inclusive. 

Offer Inclusive Physical Spaces 

If your workplace currently only has bathrooms or locker rooms with male and female designations, non-binary employees will be forced to use a space that doesn’t match their gender identity and can feel excluded. Work with facilitates management to determine what options are available in order to offer inclusive physical spaces for non-binary employees. 

Attract Top Talent with PrideStaff!

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. 

Helping Others at Work Will Help You Become More Successful

You know the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” But did you know the benefits of practicing it at work?

Not only is it the right thing to do, but showing kindness and helpfulness can enhance your competitive edge in the workplace. It demonstrates your collaboration and interpersonal skills and that you’re a good, caring person – someone who could be welcomed to their team. It also has a ripple effect. When people are on the receiving end of kindness, they tend to pay it back, not only to the same person but often to others as well.

Say “hello.”

Instead of just blowing past people in the hallway, smile and say hello. And if you meet a new employee for the first time, introduce yourself and include a few warm words to ward off their feelings of stress and trepidation. Remember when that was you?

Say “yes.”

Unless the request is unreasonable, say “yes” when someone asks you to do them a small favor – or maybe even a larger one. It works both ways – you never know when you might need a colleague to do the same for you.

Say “great job.”

Receiving a word of compliment, recognition, or praise can help a person feel more fulfilled, boost their self-esteem, and trigger other positive emotions. It aligns with their view of themselves, confirming their self-worth.

Say “thank you.”

Make eye contact and say thank you to everyone you encounter who provides a service or makes your life easier, even in small ways.

Say “I got you.”

Know someone who is going through a rough patch, having a bad day, or just in need of a quick boost? Show them that you have their back. It could be as simple as holding the door or carrying a package when someone has too much to handle.

As you build your career and become the best at what you do – be it hard job skills or softer strengths like teamwork and cooperation – you can count on PrideStaff Modesto to help you succeed. For more than 30 years, we’ve been helping professionals in the Central Valley area enhance their careers and realize their dreams. Contact us today to learn more.

How to Evaluate a Candidate on Their Problem-Solving Characteristics

Hiring a new employee is a very big deal, so you want to make sure you choose someone with the problem-solving skills to thrive in the position. When you seek out staffing support in Las Vegas your recruiter will thoroughly vet candidates for this ability, because it’s important for essentially every job.

It’s impossible to know how a candidate will handle specific job-related issues until they’re hired. However, these three tactics will offer a telling preview that can help you determine their ability to thrive as part of your team.

How to Evaluate Candidate’s Problem-Solving Characteristics

Ask How They’ve Previously Handled Challenging Situations

Past performance is an excellent indicator of future behavior. Learn more about the candidate’s problem-solving abilities by finding out how they’ve tackled tricky situations in the past. Questions like “Tell me about the biggest work-related problem you’ve faced and how you handled it” and “Describe your problem-solving process” will allow you to understand how they react to issues and work to resolve them.

Offer Up Hypothetical Scenarios

Think about common problems associated with the job that the person hired will likely face at some point. Turn these into questions to find out how the candidate would react. For example, you might ask “How would you handle an irate customer?” or “What would you do if you were faced with a problem you weren’t sure how to solve?” This will help you better gauge their ability to excel in the position.

Put Their Skills to the Test

Get a glimpse of the candidate’s problem-solving skills by giving them a test or exercise to complete that will allow you to gauge their abilities firsthand. This could be anything from an online aptitude test to an immersive VR assessment, depending on the technology available to you. Tailor the activity to the job, so you can really understand each person’s relevant abilities.

Find the Right Person for the Job

Need a little help filling an open position on your team? Allow the expert recruiters at PrideStaff Las Vegas to guide your search. Contact us today to make your hiring process easier and more efficient than ever!

Why Your Job Offers Are Being Turned Down

Finding the best candidate is hard enough. Then you have to convince them to accept your job offer. But what if your top picks keep turning you down? It creates a frustrating (and costly) recruiting bottleneck.

According to Glassdoor, more than 1 in every 6 job offers (17%) get rejected. And that figure represents a pre-COVID statistic. In the tight labor market that has followed the pandemic, you could see even more challenges landing your preferred candidate.

At the same time, remember that those rejection figures aren’t distributed equally among candidates. Sure, there are plenty of people who would jump at your offer. But when you approach the top tier of talent, you will likely face stiffer competition.

How do you overcome this challenge? What things can you change to make sure you have the best chance of landing your chosen candidate? Here are some common mistakes companies make that cause their offers to be rejected:

Problems with the Hiring Process

Sometimes, you lose your favorite candidate before you’ve even sent an offer. The way you handled the recruitment process has doomed your chances.

Why does this happen? There are a few factors that can come into play. Here are three of the most common:

1. You took too long to render an offer. By stretching out the hiring process, you opened the door to a competitor.
2. You were hampered by limited or bad communication. A confusing or unpleasant set of interactions could send a prime candidate looking for other possibilities.
3. You didn’t sell the position effectively. Remember: you aren’t just looking for the best candidate. You also need to sell the position and your company.

Compensation

At its basic level, compensation represents the core of any job offer. If you don’t have competitive levels of pay and benefits, the other factors around a position won’t matter much. You’ll have a hard time landing top talent.

Remember to consider all parts of a compensation package. Keep in mind things like:

• Pay Level
• Health Insurance
• Other Benefits
• Sick Days/Vacation

Challenges with Work-Life Balance

Yes, you’d love a 24/7 employee, someone completely dedicated to driving your business forward. But that’s not a realistic ask when you are looking to fill a position. Instead, look for ways to underline what your organization does to nurture a strong work-life balance.

If you see your offers constantly getting turned down, here are a few culprits you might look into:

• Long Hours
• Shift Not a Good Fit for Candidates
• Your Office Location
• Lack of Schedule Flexibility
• Position Has Too Much Stress

Organizational Issues

The job itself might not be the problem. The issue might come with your organization. If you develop a bad reputation within your industry, top talent will be reluctant to sign on.

No Growth Opportunities

Your top employees will want to drive their careers forward. Do you offer those kinds of opportunities? If not, you’ll have trouble luring ambitious people into your company.

Management Style

The mismatch may be more personal in nature. Some management styles don’t mesh well with certain workers. In many cases, this is just a matter of personal preference. But a reputation as a “difficult” boss can make recruitment more challenging.

Lackluster Employer Brand

In the modern age, everything gets a review. That’s as true with employers as it is with restaurants or movies. Make sure that your online presence helps your recruitment cause.

Culture

Are you inclusive? Do you value work-life balance? Do you listen to your employees? What are your larger missions beyond making a profit?

The answers to these questions could play a key role in your candidates’ decision-making processes. Articulate an enticing culture and take steps to make that vision a reality. What’s more, learn how to communicate those values to your incoming job applicants.

If you’ve had problems with your job offers getting rejected, the problem might not be with you. You could also be searching for the wrong candidates. A top recruiter, like PrideStaff, will help you find the ideal workers for your organization.

Contact PrideStaff Bend today to learn more.

Boosting Your Relationship with Your Boss

If you’re not happy on the job, it could be due to many issues. However, if the relationship you have with your boss is the source of the strain, how can you approach the situation and improve it? Whether it’s due to a lack of chemistry or different work styles, here are some tips for starting fresh.

Tip #1: Change your perspective.

From your point of view, you don’t understand why your boss says or does certain things. However, from their perspective, their approach might make perfect sense. Instead of getting frustrated, try to put yourself in their shoes. Think about the pressure, struggles, and challenges they’re facing managing a team. You only have to focus on your work; your manager has to stay on top of the entire staff’s productivity.

Tip #2: Connect with your boss in a private meeting.

Whether it stems from how they communicate with you or changing goals and expectations, sit down and talk to them about it. Don’t get emotional or angry; simply state the facts as you see it and how it’s impacting you at work. They might be completely unaware they’re causing tension and stress. So, communicating with them is often a good way to open the door to a fresh start, particularly when you need them to clarify goals and expectations.

Tip #3: Try to get to know them personally.

You’re not going to be best friends with your boss, and that’s not the goal. However, if you learn more about their background and their personal life, you might find out you have more in common than you realize. Is there a sports team you both love? Are they into classic cars like you? Do they run marathons or go antiquing? Whatever the case, the more you see them as people and can find common ground, the better. This can then set the stage for a healthier, more fruitful relationship.

Tip #4: Move on if it’s time.

When it gets to the point where you can’t change the relationship for the better, perhaps it’s time to move on. Once you’ve made the decision, don’t go around badmouthing your boss. Always be polite and keep it professional.

Get professional job search help.

If you’d like help with your next job search, turn to one of Phoenix’s top employment agencies. At PrideStaff, we can work with you to connect you with leading employers and exciting new opportunities. We can find that next great boss who can help you advance your career in a positive way. Contact us today to get started.

Do You Want to Develop a Better Relationship with Your Boss? Check Out These Tips

Building a lasting professional relationship with your boss leads to significant career benefits. For starters, your mood, morale, and productivity level will improve, making work each day easier. If that’s not enough, it also makes you more motivated, can earn you status as a trusted team member, and can put you in the fast lane when it comes to promotions and career growth.

So, what’s not to like?

More importantly, how do you develop and nurture this relationship?