Work-Life Balance: Why It’s Critical to Employee Longevity

Trying to manage all the responsibilities of both their professional and personal lives can be draining to employees. Employers who are understanding of this fact can reap significant benefits, both in terms of productivity and employee satisfaction. Learn more about how work-life balance is critical to employee longevity.

• Better Focus

When employees have a good work-life balance, they tend to be less distracted because they have clearly established boundaries for when to concentrate on work and when to think about personal matters. Being more able to focus reduces the likelihood of mistakes and missed deadlines. It also not only improves the amount of work they get done but also the quality. Working too much to the detriment of their personal lives will make employees’ minds race with worry, so even if they are physically working, they might not truly be present mentally.

• Higher Morale

Workplaces with cultures that place a high priority on work-life balance generally have higher morale because employees aren’t so stressed and may actually look forward to their workdays instead of dreading them. Employees spend a significant amount of their time in the workplace, so morale is very influential in job satisfaction, risk of burnout, and turnover. Happy employees are productive and committed employees.

• Increased Engagement

Work-life balance pays off since it increases engagement, making it so employees find internal motivation to excel, rather than doing so from a negative place of fear or panic. They are more likely to go above and beyond and suggest creative new ideas, problem solve, collaborate together effectively, and find satisfaction in a job well done rather than performing at the bare minimum standard.

• Reduces Healthcare Costs

From a fiscal standpoint, work-life balance positively impacts your company’s bottom line by reducing healthcare costs. Overworked employees with high-stress levels are more likely to get sick or injured and develop chronic physical or mental health conditions. In addition to the actual healthcare costs, companies with poor work-life balance will pay the price with increased absenteeism that affects productivity.

Hire Better Candidates with PrideStaff Akron

Attract top talent to join your team by working with experienced staffing firm PrideStaff Akron. Our team of recruiting experts is dedicated to learning what candidates you’re in need of and providing you with qualified prospects that are the best match for your company. Contact us to learn more about how we can help with your employment needs.

4 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Interviewing Candidates

You know that job interviews are your gateway to finding and hiring great talent. But too often, employers make mistakes during the process that sabotage their efforts. To ensure your interviewing process is as efficient and effective as possible, here are four mistakes to avoid.

Mistake #1: Not asking good questions.

Your hiring decision is deeply impacted by the questions you ask during the interview. If you ask the wrong ones, then you’re not going to get the information you need to make the best choice possible.

Instead of following boilerplate or generic ones, take the time to review the job posting, make a list of what you’re looking for, and develop meaningful questions that will help you screen for the qualifications you need.

Also, before you meet with each candidate, review their resume again. This can spark some candidate-specific questions you have and help you to dive deeper into their background so you can better discern if they’re the right fit.

Mistake #2: Not asking the same questions across candidates.

While your conversation with each candidate will often lead you into different directions about their unique abilities and experiences, it’s important to ask every candidate the same core questions. If you don’t, then you won’t be able to compare them easily at the end of the process and will have a much harder time making a decision, as a result.

Another helpful tip to ensure consistency is to create a scoring system for answers. You have a certain set of expectations. So as candidates respond to each question, give them points – from 1 to 5 – based on the quality of their answers and how well you think they’ll meet your hiring needs.

Mistake #3: Letting bias impact the process.

Unconscious or not, bias is a very real problem when it comes to the interview process. The best way to ensure it doesn’t become an issue when you’re hiring is to follow the steps above by asking every candidate the same questions and using a scoring system to assess their answers.

Another way is to rely on a panel of people to interview candidates. Having multiple perspectives from others with diverse experience can help cut down on bias.

Also, just being aware of bias – and the fact that people naturally gravitate toward others that are like them – can go a long way to ensure it doesn’t impact your hiring decision.

Mistake #4: Scheduling too many interviews in a day.

If you set aside a whole day just for interviewing, it might make sense for your schedule. However, the candidates you screen in the late afternoon won’t get the same level of attention as those you interviewed earlier in the day. This isn’t fair to them and can also impact the effectiveness of your hiring process.

Instead, only schedule a few interviews, three or four, in a single day and take breaks in between. That way, you can ensure you’re as fresh as possible, giving every candidate your full attention.

The interview process is critical for hiring success. Yet, it’s full of pitfalls. So make sure you avoid the mistakes above so you can find the right people for your organization.

Need hiring with hiring in Tempe or Phoenix?

If you’d like help with the process, turn to PrideStaff. As a top recruitment team in Tempe, we’ve got access to the people you need and have the processes in place to fully vet them, so you make a great hiring choice. Contact us today to learn more or get started.

How to Help Build Up Your Employees’ Confidence

As you assess your employees’ skills and growth potential, don’t overlook one of the most critical traits of all: confidence.

No matter how smart, educated, or talented they are, people will perform below par if they lack self-confidence. Individuals with healthy levels of it can achieve more new goals and develop better ideas. Plus, they tend to be more engaged – and higher engagement, in turn, means higher productivity.

Put your team first.

Leaders who are committed to strengthening their teams are more successful in earning respect. And making an ongoing effort to improve employees’ confidence is an important step in this direction.

• Identify each team member’s unique skills and gifts. Have them share them with others. If you reassure them that they excel at something specific, they’ll have more confidence to speak about it or teach it to their peers.
• Celebrate as a team. Express appreciation for work done well. People crave positive feedback – and a lack of it can do serious damage to confidence and morale.

Personalize your approach.

Get to know each of your employees personally – and actively listen to what’s going on in their work and their lives. Be alert for both verbal and non-verbal clues they may give about any lack of self-confidence. According to one workplace expert cited by Forbes, the most common reason employees lose confidence is because of a bad relationship with their boss.

• In order to address people’s needs, you have to know what they are. Too many leaders make the mistake of assuming that one employee’s needs match the next person’s.
• Empower people to be authentic. In the words of Mark Ellis, co-founder of marketing platform company Liftoff, recognized as one of Inc.’s 2019 Best Workplaces, “If we can allow people to be their authentic selves, be transparent in decisions we’re making, where we’re going, when we don’t hit the high mark, why we fell short, what we’re going to do about it … It breeds confidence in our innate to figure things out, and it breeds confidence that you can be yourself.”

Consider partnering with the workforce development experts at PrideStaff Modesto as you help your employees enhance their levels of confidence, engagement, performance, and productivity. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

Dress to Impress: What Should I Wear to the Interview?

You’ve just been invited to interview for a job you really want. This is simultaneously nerve-wracking and exciting, because there’s a lot on the line.

In addition to devising responses to common interview questions and other standard prep work, it’s important to put some thought into what you’re going to wear. As a top job agency in Las Vegas, PrideStaff Las Vegas knows just how important it is to dress for success.

As a general rule, your interview attire should always be one step above the company’s standard dress code — i.e., business professional for a business casual environment. Here are a few tips to ensure you make a great first impression by looking presentable.

Four Tips to Look Your Best at a Job Interview

Plan Ahead

There’s no room for spontaneity in job interview prep — including in your attire. As soon as the interview date is set, head to your closet to weigh your clothing options. This is a must even if you have a standard interview outfit because you can’t take any chances. The manner in which you present yourself to interviewers can make or break your chances of getting hired, so don’t leave it to chance.

Try Your Outfit On

The last thing you want is to find out your chosen interview attire doesn’t fit right, as you’re getting dressed on the big day. Always try your outfit on in advance to make sure it’s not too tight or too loose. Be sure to sit down in it — as you will during the interview — to make sure you’re comfortable. Don’t let ill-fitting clothing get in the way of your success.

Carefully Examine for Imperfections

Your interview look needs to be perfectly polished, so make sure your clothing is free of rips, stains and any other flaws. Take an extra minute to do this when planning your look — i.e., far in advance of interview day — so you have time to take clothing to the dry cleaner or choose an alternate outfit.

Get a Second Opinion

It can be hard to be objective about your own attire. Make sure your look is flawless by asking a trusted family member or friend for approval. Choose someone who will give you the honest truth — even if it isn’t what you want to hear.

Take Your Career to the Next Level

Need a little help finding your dream job? PrideStaff Las Vegas is here to assist. Contact us today to start your search!

5 Tips to Showing Your Boss You’re Irreplaceable

Worried about getting edged out of your current position by some low-cost, up-and-coming hotshot? Looking to add some leverage to your next salary negotiation? Your best bet on both fronts is to make yourself irreplaceable in the eyes of your boss. By making yourself the center of your team’s operation, you gain job security and set yourself for long-term career growth.

Of course, becoming irreplaceable is one of those tasks that’s easier to conceive then it is to accomplish. You might as well declare that your dating strategy is “to become irresistible.” However, there are some practical steps you can take to make yourself more important to your team, and make it difficult for your boss to think about moving someone else into your role.

Here are five tips to prove to your supervisor that you’re irreplaceable.

Seek Out Responsibility

You’ll never become irreplaceable by merely following instructions. At some point, you have to lead. To do this, you need to seek out responsibility and take on projects.

By doing this, you show your boss that you can take charge of situations and complete complicated tasks. At the same time, you add to your overall importance. Each responsibility you add is another task your boss will have to reassign if you ever left the organization.

Solve Problems

Do you ask for help every time you run into a problem? If so, you probably aren’t doing much to impress your supervisor. Instead, when you reach a difficult situation, attempt to solve it on your own.

This way, you become the “go-to” member of the team. Eventually, your boss will recognize your problem-solving skills and call on you when other people hit a wall.

Find the Crucial Jobs

Not every responsibility has the same impact on the overall organization. You may be necessary for a particular task, but if that task isn’t important for the company as a whole, you might find yourself outside the loop. Because of this dynamic, you need to be judicious with the responsibilities you target.

Don’t just acquire any task you see available. Make sure the added effort is worth it. Seek out roles that hold a crucial place in the firm, allowing you to acquire real influence over big-picture initiatives

Be a Connector

Anytime you look for a job, you’ll hear the same advice: “use your network.” You can apply the same concept once you have a position. Utilize networking skills to improve your situation within an organization.

Communication is a key aspect of running a successful company. If you serve as the hub of your team’s communication network, you become central to how things get done. To get this position, cultivate your role as a connector. Organize team Interactions and facilitate communication. If everything goes through you, you become virtually irreplaceable.

Keep Adapting

Conditions change over time. That’s the nature of business. Your place in the company may seem irreplaceable right now, but there’s no way to know how the situation will look in the future. To maintain your central role in the organization, make a commitment to adapt to an evolving marketplace.

Set aside time to research the industry and anticipate trends. Seek to alter your responsibilities over time as priorities change. This way, you’re not just set for the time being. You’re also ready for whatever comes up in the future.

It’s easier to become a crucial part of an organization if you’re a perfect fit for the company. By working with a strong recruiting agency, like PrideStaff, you can find the ideal positions for your skills and background.

Contact PrideStaff today to learn more.

Why You Should Partner With a Staffing Firm for Your Next Hire

The quality of the workers you hire is crucial for your organization’s success. However, often hiring decisions are rushed or handled by managers who are already stretched thin with their workload. Working with a staffing firm may be an ideal solution – learn more about why you should look into partnering with a staffing firm for your next hire.

• Higher Quality Candidates

Finding and hiring new employees is likely a task you don’t perform on a consistent basis, but staffing firms do. Not only do they have expertise in targeting the right prospects, but they also have the time and connections necessary to reach out to passive candidates. This means your company will have a more expansive pool of high-quality candidates from which to choose.

• Quicker Turnaround

The dedicated focus which a staffing firm can pay to your hiring needs allows for a much faster process than if you handle it in-house. With a quicker turnaround, you’ll be able to reduce the impact of understaffing and keep your current team from becoming burnt out in the duration.

• Increased Flexibility

If you’re unsure of the appropriate staffing levels for your company, working with a staffing firm increases the flexibility you have in terms of hiring. Staffing firms offer temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire, so whether you need employees for vacation or other extended leave coverage or just want to assess if business demand would justify more employees, you can figure out what’s right for your business before committing.

• Experienced at Evaluation

Bad hires are a common challenge for managers and generally catch them off-guard as there weren’t obvious warning signs of a poor fit. Staffing firms are skilled at evaluating candidates for maximum capability, from technical qualifications to soft skills to culture fit, and know how to spot subtle red flags that indicate a candidate may not be the best choice.

• Vested Interest in Success

Ultimately staffing firms have a vested interest in the success of the candidates they recommend to clients because they want to maintain a positive reputation and ongoing professional relationship with employers for future business needs. By working with a staffing firm for your hires, you can save time, money, and stress while being provided with top talent.

Find Better People with PrideStaff Akron!

Turn to a staffing firm you can trust to understand your needs, like PrideStaff Akron. Our team of experienced specialists know how to evaluate candidates to determine their likelihood of a successful fit, based on your criteria. Contact us today to learn more about our staffing solutions.

What to Do When Your First Job Offer Isn’t Your First Choice

Congrats on your new job offer. But what if it wasn’t your first choice? Should you accept it and just be grateful? Or wait to see if you get the position you really want? The Tempe recruiting team at PrideStaff has the answers you need. Here are a few questions to ask yourself, so you make the right decision:

Is it a smart career move?

It’s flattering to get an offer and tempting too. But don’t let that cloud your judgement. Assess the offer critically and ask yourself whether it’s a good career move.

For instance, if it’s not the ultimate job you want, but will be a great steppingstone to it, then perhaps it’s the right position for right now. However, if it’s going to be a step back or not in the direction you want to go in, don’t accept it simply because you’re eager to find a new job.

Is the culture a fit for you?

Even if you have all the right skills and experience to perform well on the job, how do you feel about the culture? Is it too fast-paced for you, too casual, or too formal? Did you immediately feel at home or more uncomfortable? Keep in mind you’ll be spending the majority of your time at work. So if the employer is a leading-edge one with a culture that’s a fit, the offer is certainly worth considering. It could also lead to another, more advanced opportunity within the organization if you succeed in the role.

Is the compensation package fair?

The last thing you want to do when accepting a new job is take a step down in terms of compensation. And if that’s what’s holding you back from saying “yes,” then talk to the hiring manager. There’s often room for negotiations and even if there isn’t, at least you can walk away from the offer without any questions or regrets.

What’s your financial situation like?

If you’re currently employed and looking for a job, then this might not be an issue. But if you’ve been unemployed for a while, then your bottom line might have to play a role in this decision. Even if it’s not your first-pick job, if you feel it’s a good position with a solid company and a competitive compensation package, then it could be risky to turn it down.

However, if you’re willing to wait, it’s helpful to know that you do have the upper hand on the employment market. With low unemployment rates, there are plenty of companies out there searching hard for qualified, talented people like you. So if your first offer isn’t a match, then chances are, you’ll find the right fit opportunity sooner rather than later.

Want professional help in your job search?

Call the Tempe recruiting team at PrideStaff. We can assist you with all aspects of your search, from start to finish, all so you secure a position, one you don’t have to think twice about. Contact us today to learn more or get started.

Are Your Employees Stressed? Learn How to Help Them

Why should you invest in stress management for your employees?

As noted by experts at Farleigh Dickinson University, the work impact that symptoms of stress can result in include higher absenteeism, turnover, workers compensation and medical insurance costs, lower morale and productivity, and damage to your employer brand, as word spreads quickly about a company with a negative, stress-inducing work environment.

What do those symptoms look like? According to the American Institute of Stress, they rear their ugly head in the form of:

• Frequent headaches and colds.
• Neck aches and back pain.
• Excessive anxiety, nervousness, frustration or defensiveness.
• Difficulty concentrating, learning, making decisions, or effectively communicating.
• Constant fatigue.
• Weight gain.
• Mood swings.
• Increased smoking, alcohol or drug use.

You don’t want to experience any of these effects – and neither do your employees. Use the following tips to avoid stress in your workplace and help those who may already be feeling its effects:

Set clear goals for employees.

Be crystal clear about each employee’s goals and expectations. Make sure they understand them and how they support the overall mission and goals of your organization. This gives people peace of mind, as they know what to focus on and why. Involve employees in developing their goals, so they buy into them and feel part of the process.

Foster work/life balance.

The operative word is “flexibility.” As long as deadlines are met, give people as much freedom as possible to get the job done at their own pace and in their own time. Allow for remote work, telecommuting, and flex scheduling to accommodate family and other personal needs.

Help employees stay focused.

According to research at the University of California, Irvine, every time a person is interrupted during a task, it takes 23 minutes and 15 seconds for them to regain focus. Discourage employees from multitasking unless it’s absolutely necessary. Encourage them whenever possible to complete one thing before moving on to the next.

• Eliminate distractions. Unless they need them to do the work, have people turn off their phones and other devices while working.
• Recommend short breaks every few hours. This helps the brain to recharge, allowing employees to better focus on their next activity. Plus, they can plug back in and catch up on anything they may have missed while they were laser-focused on work.
• Lead by example. Make sure you’re fully present at meetings or in other employee interactions – not looking at your own phone or tablet. Give yourself time between back-to-back meetings to catch up, so neither you nor others feel stressed about emails and other messages piling up.

Partner with the experts at PrideStaff Modesto as you build and nurture your industry-leading workforce and help your team members to be the best they can be – every day – and flourish with your company. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

How to Incorporate High-Tech Training at Your Warehouse

Your typical warehouse seems a long way from the glass offices of Silicon Valley. However, technology lives everywhere. It’s right at home in the back area of any facility. In fact, with product tracking, just-in-time inventory, and a focus on short delivery times, the warehouse has become a hive of tech innovation.

A new high-tech solution can do wonders for your business, boosting productivity and improving margins. However, the rollout can pose a challenge. You need to train your employees to implement your new toys. Otherwise, you can’t reap the benefits.

These dynamics make training a key concern. The more adept your workers get at implementing your high-tech tools, the better results you’ll see. But how do you accomplish this? How do you get the most out of your high-tech training procedures?

Here are a few steps you can take.

Start Early

As soon as you get a new hire into the warehouse, make sure they know that your organization stresses high-tech training. Ideally, the process should begin even before that. During your hiring process, emphasize technology skills as you sort through candidates. Look for experience with the latest tech, or at least a familiarity with certain key concepts. This will give you an enormous head start when it comes to training.

Teach One Lesson at a Time

Technology can be amazingly complex. However, operating any tool, no matter how complicated, typically breaks down to a series of discrete steps. Take these one at a time, making sure your employees understand each concept completely before moving on to the next lesson.

Let your workers gain experience and familiarity with basic concepts before moving on to more complex ones. If you try to introduce everything at once or push the pace of training beyond reasonable limits, it might ultimately slow down the process.

Consider Outside Experts

Both technology and the act of training can benefit from specialized skills. For that reason, you might be better off retaining an outside consultant to handle your high-tech training. They will have intimate familiarity with the technology you are trying to implement. At the same time, they can leverage well-tested training techniques. As a result, your team will earn a better understanding of the technology, and the training process itself will go faster and more smoothly.

Track Progress

Training should represent a long-term process. Don’t think of it as a single, discrete event. Instead, integrate it into your worker’s day-to-day routines.

This process should include regular checkups to make sure that your employees are operating the technology effectively. Have benchmarks in mind when you roll out a new application, so you know whether the implementation is proceeding on schedule. Meanwhile, track the progress of individual employees to better understand how each person is adapting to innovation.

Give Regular Refreshers

Part of this long-term approach to technology training involves setting aside time for regular updates. You should incorporate follow-up training into the regular work routine. Periodically, take people out of rotation at the warehouse and give them brief refresher courses on all aspects of the technology that they are using. You can also use this time to provide updates about what technology might be coming down the pipeline.

Implementing an effective high-tech training regime will help your warehouse keep up with a changing marketplace. This process gets easier when you have the right workers in place. Partnering with a high-quality staffing firm, like PrideStaff, allows you to find the kind of team members who can easily learn new skills and effectively implement any technological innovations you introduce.

Contact PrideStaff today to start improving your team today.

5 Signs It’s Time To Look For a New Job

Making the decision to leave your current job isn’t always a simple one. It can be difficult to determine what are normal ebbs and flows in your job satisfaction, and when it’s truly time to go. Feel confident in whatever choice you make – check out these five signs it’s time to look for a new job.

1. 1. You Feel Complacent

When you first started your job, you likely had excited, passionate energy. While it’s natural it would decline somewhat as the novelty wears off, if you feel like you’re just going through the motions of your job, it may be time to move on. Feeling complacent and only performing the essential requirements of your job and nothing more (such as volunteering for additional projects or suggesting new ideas) is an indicator that‘s no longer right for you.

1. 2. There is No Room for Growth

Even if you are comfortable in your current job and enjoy the work itself, your boss and colleagues, and the culture, it may be time to leave for something new if you are unable to make any progress in your career. If there are no opportunities for professional development, like learning new skills or gaining more responsibility, you may hold your career back if you stay. Consider your long-term professional goals – if you are unable to make any more progress toward them in your current role, it’s time to start looking elsewhere.

1. 3. Your Health is Negatively Impacted

Ongoing work stress is a contributing factor to a variety of physical, mental, and emotional conditions. If your job is stressful to the point where you’re regularly not getting enough sleep, getting sick more often, experiencing chronic headaches or stomach pain, or are constantly irritable and moody, you could be putting yourself in a precarious position by not finding a new job. If your current job is incompatible with your health, it’s a definite sign to quit.

1. 4. There is Constant Change in Leadership

Even if you enjoy your job and are a top performer, you may not necessarily have a future at your current employer – through no fault of your own. Change in leadership can be a good thing and improve company success, but if there is a constant change at the highest levels, it could mean the company is unstable. Look out for yourself and be proactive about leaving to find a more reliable workplace.

1. 5. Your Gut is Telling You

It can be challenging to break out of your comfort zone, but if you keep having recurring thoughts about wanting to leave your job, it’s worth exploring to see what other job opportunities are out there. Your gut telling you that it’s time to leave means that deep down, even if you don’t have concrete or logical reasons, you know your job is no longer right for you.

Find Your Next Job with PrideStaff Akron

Once you feel ready to see what opportunities are out there, work with PrideStaff Akron for your job search. We can help you find the openings that are the best fit for you. Contact us to learn about our job seeker services.