The Best Ways to Stay Productive While Unemployed

Being out of work is scary and even demoralizing. The loss of stability that comes with the end of a job can cause you to sink into despair if you’re not careful.

Don’t lose hope! This may actually be a blessing in disguise. You could emerge with a better position and a higher chance of success in your future endeavors. Your pathway to success starts with making the most of this time you suddenly have on your hands. In fact, you still do have a job – and it’s finding one! So, dust off your resume, turn on your networking finesse, and make it happen.

Freelance

Freelance work – either in your current field or a new one – can tide you over financially, while keeping your skills sharp and your toes in the water, so you stay current with industry trends, contacts and developments.

The extra cash you earn will remind you that you’re still a vital part of the workforce. Plus, you can earmark it for a new interview suit or a special treat like dinner out with friends, to keep your spirits up.

Whether your goal is to change careers or avoid a gap in your resume, freelancing may be just the ticket.

Volunteer

Volunteer work may not be profitable from a money standpoint, but the benefits can be endless. You can boost your resume, add to your professional network, and maybe even open doors to new career possibilities. Last but not least, realize how lucky you are to be able to help those less fortunate.

Go Back to School

Take an in-person or online course or master a new skill in your chosen field. This may just remind you of why you selected this career path in the first place.

Become better prepared for interviews by staying fresh on current industry happenings.
Meet new people. Again, it’s a chance to build your network. Or make new friends. Both are great options!

Socialize

In addition to face-to-face networking, use this time to optimize your social media and online presence.

Make sure your existing profiles are professional. Delete any content that may portray you in a less than favorable light. Put your best foot forward on all social media channels.
Create a website, or refresh your existing site. Use this as a tool to showcase your achievements and strengths. Opt for a site with a built-in blog, so you can write posts that highlight your particular expertise.

Consider Temporary Work

A temporary job or contract assignment can be a key job-search step, as it may lead to a full-time offer or be a portal to important contacts and connections. PrideStaff Fresno offers access to both temporary and full-time opportunities in administration, customer service, IT, finance, healthcare, production and distribution. Check out our current open positions – or contact one of our professional career counselors to partner with you throughout your career transition.

Tips for Writing an Eye-Catching Job Posting

What does your job posting say about your company? The words you use matter and can make a big impact in terms of who responds. Crafting a compelling posting is like writing any other good advertisement: You need to know your audience, address them in a language they understand, and offer them what they want.

Tips for Success

Here are some tips for writing job postings that get noticed by your most desired candidates:

Use a strong job title and introduction. Be specific about the role. This will allow candidates to compare what is required with their own skills and experience. And, it will discourage those who are not qualified from applying. Following the job title, add a single paragraph with three to five details applicants will find most enticing about the position.
Tell your company story. Provide information that applicants want to know; for instance, number of years you’ve been in business, how long employees stay, interesting clients and projects, awards, accolades and work culture facts. If you want to keep the name of your company under wraps, do so. But include a description of your industry, business size and any other details that show why your organization is a major player.
Sell the position. Include only requirements that are essential to the job. Try to limit this to one to three things. Then provide information on work hours, interesting co-workers, location, education and growth opportunities, and benefits and perks. Use keywords to make the right candidate match.
Recap why they should apply. Provide a quick, bullet-pointed summary of the top reasons people should apply for your job. This will help keep these key points top of mind when a candidate is hovering over the apply button.
Explain your application process. Detail everything from when a person first applies to when they are either hired or turned away. Don’t leave good talent in the dark about what will happen next.
Have other people read it before you post it. Treat your job posting like any other important marketing piece. Have multiple people review it and provide honest feedback, before releasing it.
Improve your email responses. Look at the emails you send to candidates at each step of your hiring process. Make sure they are clear, personal and continue to sell the applicant on the role at every step. A poor first response can undo all the hard work you did in getting them to apply.
Remember: job descriptions are not job posts. A job description should be a detailed account of the responsibilities and expectations for a job that is used internally at your company. A job posting is meant to sell applicants on your organization, team and all the things that make working for you great.

Do you need help with your job postings or with finding the right candidates for your open positions in customer service, administration, IT, finance, production and distribution, or healthcare, legal and customer service support? If so, contact the career and recruiting experts at PrideStaff Fresno today.

The Top 6 Skills You Need to be Successful in Customer Service

As noted in a recent report by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, “businesses where employees have a positive service climate have customers who are more satisfied,” contributing toward “increased competitive financial performance for the company, often including a stronger market value.”

So when employers hire for customer service positions, they seek candidates who can demonstrate strengths in certain areas that will help make their company stand out. These include the following traits.

Patience

Great service tops fast service, without exception. Patience is important, especially when someone reaches out to you when they’re angry, dissatisfied, or frustrated. It’s critical to stay calm under pressure and not let heated customers cause you to lose your cool.

Attentiveness

This is the ability to really listen, paying attention to the language customers use to describe their issues, as well as the feedback you receive from them. They may not use the right technical terms to describe a problem, so staying attentive enables you to accurately decipher what’s going on. For instance, someone struggling to explain a problem with a software dashboard may ask, “How do I work the search function, again?”

Product Knowledge

To excel at customer service, you need to know your product from A to Z, as if you used it yourself every day, and then some. This not only ensures you have options ready to help someone navigate even the most complex situations, but also helps you build an understanding of their experience so you can become a strong advocate for them.

Time Management

This strength needs to work in balance with patience. While you want to spend as much time as needed with a customer, there are limits. You need to focus on getting people what they want in an efficient manner. At some point, you may need to conclude that you simply can’t help a particular customer. If you don’t know the solution, the best support you can provide is to turn them over to someone who does. Don’t wind up wasting both your time and theirs.

Ability to Read People

More and more often, customer service interactions are conducted online or by phone, versus face-to-face. Regardless, it takes really knowing your customers to create a positive personal experience for them. You need to be alert for even subtle clues regarding their current mood, patience level, and personality. You don’t want to misread them and wind up losing them as a result.

Closing Ability

As a customer service rep, you will often get messages that are more about curiosity regarding your company’s product than problems with it. To truly take your skills to the next level, you need to have some mastery of persuasion so you can convince interested people that your product is right for them – if that is the case.

If you’re looking for a temporary or full-time job in customer service, contact PrideStaff today. We’ll share our expertise, resources, and vast network of clients, and help you find a position where your unique strengths are put to the best possible use.

How to Become an Indispensable Employee

Any employee – in any department and at any level of an organization – can be indispensable. It’s not about power, title or position. It’s about being essential to the overall success of your team and your company.

Being indispensable means your supervisor and co-workers count on you so much that, without you, productivity would suffer greatly or even come to a halt. Their feeling is that you are absolutely necessary and valued. You may have knowledge, a skill, or a position within the organization that is unique to you.

The Benefits of Being Indispensable

There’s a great feeling of satisfaction in knowing you’re doing a good job and making a significant positive impact. In addition, being indispensable boosts your morale because you enjoy your job more, knowing how valuable you are to your company. Plus, you have greater job security, and are more likely to get a raise or promotion or be sought out for special projects, opinions and direction.

How to Get There

If you want to become indispensable, remember that actions speak louder than words. People who go around saying they’re indispensable never really are. Make a great name for yourself by:

Helping others, without asking for anything in return. Learn to find satisfaction in watching others succeed.
Committing to high standards. Consistently bring your best to everything you do and constantly raise the bar for yourself.
Keeping your promises. Never make commitments you can’t keep.
Adding value to every interaction. Become the one people reach out to and from whom they seek advice, guidance and mentorship.
Embracing change. Be open and adaptable. Never get stuck in the silo of taking an action because “that’s the way we’ve always done it.”
Taking ownership and being honest. If you make a mistake or miss a deadline, communicate openly about it and work doubly hard to find a solution. Never engage in blame placing.
Going the extra mile. Do work that matters, not just work that’s easy. Go beyond the scope of your job description as needed to focus on whatever matters most to your company and its success.
Being a team player. Focus on inclusion and collaboration. To be indispensable, you need to prove yourself not only to your boss, but also to your co-workers. If they regularly look to you to lead them and be the point person on projects, this speaks volumes about you. Offer to help others, and recognize and appreciate them for what they do.
Maintain a positive attitude. Everyone prefers working with people who seem like they’re enjoying the journey, not just focusing on a project finish line. If the choice to eliminate an employee comes down to two people who are equally good at their jobs, a manager is more likely to hold onto the more positive one.

As you strive to become indispensable at work, and for other valuable tips to build your career, turn to the experts at PrideStaff Fresno. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

Do You Know Your True Hiring Needs?

Strategic staffing is an ongoing process. And you’re so busy each day that you may find yourself filling positions on a “must-have” basis, rather than stepping back to evaluate whether or not your company’s true hiring needs are being met. It happens to the best of HR pros.

If you miscalculate staffing, you run the risk of poor customer service, the inability to generate repeat business, wasted resources, and high employee turnover. Like your business itself, staffing needs constantly evolve. What worked five years – or even one year – ago may no longer apply. How can you keep your talent management strategy on track and up to date?

Look at the Big Picture

Take a bird’s eye view of your current hiring situation. It should tie in directly with your company’s overall strategic plan. Does that plan predict growth in the years ahead, or downsizing? Are there seasonal fluctuations that will merit temporary versus full-time staffing? These are among the key questions to be addressed.

Study customer traffic patterns. Every business has its ebbs and flows. Pinpoint as accurately as possible when yours will occur, so you can adjust staffing accordingly.
Observe your employees. Pay attention to determine if they seem stressed or overburdened, or if they have a good deal of downtime during which productivity lags. Ask your managers to report on staff efficiency to ensure essential tasks are being completed on time and within budget.
Get additional staff and customer feedback. Find out how your current staffing and its impact on business results are perceived. Are customers complaining about long waits for products or services? Are employees concerned about regularly having to stay late or perform double duty? If your team members feel challenged, but not overburdened, and your customers are happy with the degree of care they’re receiving, you’re right on track.

Build Your Plan

Once you’ve established your direction, you can zero in on which positions need to be filled and when. From here:

Composed detailed job descriptions. Your JDs should be not merely descriptors, but also powerful marketing tools for your employer brand. Of course, it’s critical to include the required skills, experience and competencies for the job. But also incorporate attractive details about working for your company, and about its culture.
Consider where you advertise. One of your best tactics may be niche employment sites, where you increase the chances of finding not just any candidates, but the right Professional organizations can also be a huge help in reaching pre-qualified and passive talent. After all, their members already know and work within your industry.

Working with the right recruiter is another crucial element to your short and long-term staffing success. PrideStaff Fresno has a proven track record in successful temporary and full-time hiring in areas including administration, customer service, IT, finance, legal support, healthcare, and production and distribution. Contact us today so we can set up an informational meeting with you and your leadership team.

Reasons to Choose PrideStaff Fresno When Looking for a Job

There are lots of agencies out there, and all are in the business of helping people find jobs. How do you decide which one to pick?

A niche agency is one that knows your industry and has a robust client base in that field. If you’re searching for an administrative, customer service, IT, finance, legal support, healthcare or production and distribution position in the Fresno area, PrideStaff is a great place to start. PrideStaff Fresno works with the most-respected companies in the region, as well as a growing number of new and upcoming businesses.

PrideStaff Fresno is proud to be a five-time winner of the Best of Staffing Award for providing remarkable service quality. Only 2 percent of all staffing agencies earned this award this year. Winners stand out for exceeding expectations as they enable candidates to access opportunities where their skills can be put to the best use.

Candidate Services

Not only is PrideStaff quick and efficient at placing candidates, but as noted by one job seeker, “My recruiters are extremely helpful and informative. They make sure they have my best interest at heart in regard to finding my ideal company to pursue my career.”

Among the candidate benefits offered by PrideStaff are:

Free service to you, as a job seeker. PrideStaff is compensated by its clients.
Training on several software systems, including Microsoft Office.
Resume writing. PrideStaff specialists will evaluate your resume, or help you start one from scratch. In addition to feedback, they’ll provide samples to help ensure a successful search and hiring experience.
From reaching out to contacts and building your professional network to interviewing, following up and negotiating job offers, PrideStaff career counselors will work with you throughout your job search experience.

Temporary Work Opportunities

PrideStaff places temporary, as well as temp-to-hire and direct hire candidates. Often, working as a temporary employee is a stepping stone towards a full-time position. Or, if it better suits your lifestyle, you can continue temping, setting your own pace and schedule.

PrideStaff offers comprehensive health benefits to its currently placed field associates. Eligibility starts after 60 days of work. The company’s field associate plan includes medical, prescription and wellness benefits, dental and vision plan options, a fixed indemnity plan, life insurance and a 401(k).

If you refer someone to PrideStaff and they successfully work a minimum of 160 hours, you’re entitled to a $100 referral bonus.

Read our related posts for additional tips and resources. And contact PrideStaff Fresno today, as the next step on your successful job search journey.

The Benefits of Pursuing a Skilled Trade Career

In today’s competitive world, you may think a college degree is a prerequisite to finding a good job and a stable career.

Not always. For many, a career in a skilled trade is perfect – and equally lucrative and satisfying. And you can be working in the “real world” anywhere from six months to two years, starting down your career path with the right combination of education and experience.

There is no single definition for skilled labor. It is any type of occupation that requires some level of skills training, but not a four-year college degree. Electricians, plumbers, construction workers, welders, landscapers, cooks, brewers, and employees in the repair and maintenance industries are examples.

Why Choose a Skilled Trade?

Regardless of which career you choose, it should be something that interests you, incites your passion, and is the right fit for your life. Here are some reasons why your decision may lead you to a skilled trade:

You’ll always be in demand. The trades are always in demand. But with members of the baby boomer generation retiring, there are currently more tradespeople leaving the workplace than entering it. As a skilled tradesperson, you can expect ample job opportunities and security. You can easily start your own business or apply for the position of your choice, and most likely get it.
You gain immediate experience. Opting for a skilled trade career versus a four-year college degree takes half the time and allows you to simultaneously earn experience and an education. Apprentices are immediately involved in hands-on projects, under the guidance of skilled professionals.
It’s affordable. By attending a trade school or community college and learning a skilled trade, many students graduate with little to no loan debt. There also are scholarships and grants available.
You can make a good living. Paychecks for skilled trades often match or exceed those of other careers. Salaries vary between geographic regions, companies, industries and years of experience, but most people in the skilled trades earn attractive salaries. A range of $40,000 to $90,000, depending on your specialty, is not uncommon.

Do you think a career in a skilled trade may be right for you? Let the experienced recruiters at PrideStaff Fresno provide guidance and resources as you make your decision – and check out our career portal for a sampling of available positions, both temporary and full time. Good luck as you pave the way to your future!

How to Determine the ROI of a New Employee

When you hire a new employee, you make a significant investment of time, money and resources. How do you know if you’ll realize a worthwhile return on those expenses?

Hiring success is determined by the quality and performance of a new hire. Here are some barometers to gauge these factors:

Percentage of goals and qualifications met: At the time of hire, define specific production goals and qualifications you expect a new employee to achieve, along with time frames for completion.
On-the-job performance: Give a new hire time to acclimate to their role. Then review their output and performance, compared to others who have recently been brought on board, as well as to an overall average of your entire team. Review the numbers at the one-month mark and again after six months – or according to other parameters as determine by your organization.
Subjective assessments by managers: Use a standard set of measurements, so comparisons are fair and provide value. 360 team assessments can also be very beneficial.

Steps to Take

Try these tactics for determining whether a new hire will be justified:

Do a cost-benefit analysis. If you think you would miss out on profits by not hiring a candidate, then you have your answer. Remember to include all the costs associated with recruiting, onboarding, and training. Some are more obvious than others. For instance, how much productivity is being lost or how deeply is morale being impacted due to a business-critical staff vacancy?
Do the right work upfront. Know exactly what your company wants and needs in an employee. Clearly define roles and responsibilities. Make sure your job descriptions are thorough and up to date, and they align with broader business goals.
Empower your recruitment team. Give interviewers and other members of your hiring team the tools and resources they need to be successful. Of paramount importance is having the right data on hand so decisions can be made efficiently and objectively.
Pay attention to roles not directly related to revenue. Some positions are easy to assess and track. Salespeople, for example, either make quotas or not. ROI may not be so clear cut for “back office” roles such as HR, IT, or call center services. But it’s just as important to put a dollar value on them.
Hire only A players. It will be much harder to realize a positive ROI on hires who are less than stellar. You don’t want to make a costly hiring mistake, and then try to justify what happened.

To ensure a winning return on every hiring investment you make, consider a partnership with PrideStaff. We’ll help identify your unique talent needs and build a customized recruitment plan around them. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

Tips for Helping Employees Improve Accountability

Accountability means being responsible and answerable for your actions. When employers and employees are accountable to each other, employees can trust their work will be valued and rewarded appropriately. Accountability allows people to exercise autonomy and feel more invested in the company. This incites them to perform better, more creatively and more efficiently.

Lead by Example

One of the best ways for managers to foster accountability is to lead by example. The leaders of a company serve as its foundation – and it’s important this foundation is built on accountability and integrity. As you demonstrate and build accountability among every member of your team, follow these tips:

Set expectations early. Present your team members with a clear set of expectations, starting as early as possible. In fact, begin during your hiring process, as you evaluate candidates. If there’s a disconnect, it’s like diagnosing a disease: the earlier the better.
Establish common values. In addition to constantly reinforcing your company mission and vision, develop systemic objectives you want every team member to prioritize. Having these points to focus on when feeling overwhelmed or swamped with projects goes a long way in helping people to keep this simple, maximize productivity and stay accountable.
Provide feedback often. Provide your employees with frequent and actionable feedback, both positive and negative. This way, they will continually grow their understanding of how to be better at their jobs. And constant contact with their manager strengthens their sense of being connected and valued in the workplace.
Establish a culture of empowerment. Empowerment stems from having control over your work. A great starting point is allowing employees to take charge of their schedules. This demands a high level of trust, but the return on your investment makes it worthwhile. Let employees trade shifts – and trust them to do this on their own. Of course, you need to step in if a problem arises, but you’re accomplishing a dual achievement: freeing yourself from cumbersome scheduling tasks and encouraging people toward greater ownership of their work.
Make rewards – and consequences – clear. Your response to people meeting or exceeding expectations is fundamental in building accountability. Reward people regularly and appropriately for a job well done. By the same token, it’s essential that employees understand the consequences associated with failure to complete tasks.
Take a human approach. Formal meetings can cause undue stress for some people, so whenever possible, keep things casual. If one of your employees is failing to pull their weight, try taking them out for coffee instead of having a more structured office or conference room meeting. This informal setting may make it easier for them to be open and honest, without things devolving into an awkward conversation. You want your employee to leave feeling rejuvenated and comfortable about taking accountability over their responsibilities.

As you develop your employees and management team for greater accountability, turn to the PrideStaff Fresno team of experts. Tied into your overall talent management needs, we’ll help you craft a plan designed to achieve results quickly and successfully. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

Why Being a Good Culture Fit in Your Company Matters!

Knowing who you are and what matters most to you is the first step on the road to career success. Combine this with the right research and strategy, and you’ll soon find yourself in the job that’s just right for you.

Stay Happy at Work

Every individual varies in their personality, attitude and values. An understanding of these differences is critical in optimizing your happiness and satisfaction at work.

If you’re a full-time employee, you spend about a third of your life at work. So, you need your job to maximize your potential, keep you fulfilled and satisfied, and achieve a good balance with your personal life.

As defined by organizational psychology expert Adrian Furnham, “a fit is where there is congruence between the norms and values of the organization and those of the person.” For instance, an introvert prefers the seclusion of separate cubicles, and dislikes the noise and activity of an open-plan workspace, while an extrovert shows opposite preferences.

Studies have shown that employees who fit well with their co-workers, managers and organizations have greater job satisfaction, identify more with their companies, are more likely to remain there, and are more committed to superior job performance.
If your job fits your personality, you’re less likely to experience symptoms of stress, depression or anxiety – and you might even live longer. The average correlation between good culture fit and these positive outcomes equaled about 0.43. In other words, culture fit accounts for nearly half the variance between employees in terms of job satisfaction.

Is Your Work Culture Right For You?

Culture can be the engine that drives your passion – or the boulder that crushes your spirit and the stressor that keeps you up at night. Opting to work for a company without first considering its culture is a recipe for disaster.

Consider culture fit before you even apply for a job. Know what best motivates and inspires you. Some people can zero in on this right away, while others have to give it longer, more careful thought before reaching the right conclusion.
Talk to a company’s current and former employees. Interact with as many of them as possible, both before and during your interview process. Ask for a facility tour if you’re not offered one. During the tour, start with the physical space: Are there lots of private offices? Cubes? Open workspace? Then move on to how employees look and relate to each other. Are they happy, engaged and productive, or clock watchers, just waiting for the day to end?

Remember, as a company is evaluating you during the hiring process, you’re also assessing them. The whole point is to enter into a mutually beneficial relationship.

The experienced career counselors at PrideStaff Fresno can help ensure you find the right fit with potential employers. From access to jobs you may not otherwise hear about and fine-tuning your research and interviewing techniques through negotiating final offers, we’ll partner with you for ongoing success. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.