3 Signs Your Resume Needs Updating

Resume trends have changed drastically in recent years. But … if you think about updating your resume in terms of “years,” you are already setting yourself up for failure. You should review and refresh your resume every six months or so. This way, when the next awesome career opportunity arise, you’ll be ready.

Recruiters spend only about six seconds on the initial review of a resume, so you can’t afford for yours to be anything less than outstanding if you want it to make the cut towards final selection as a job candidate.

Here are three signs that your resume is outdated – and ideas for correcting them:

Your resume lists no social media contact information.

Showcase your social media addresses at the top of your resume.

LinkedIn is the most critical. It remains the top social networking tool for job seekers and career builders. LinkedIn reaches more than 400 million registered users. Two new members join the site every second, and more than 100 million people visit it each month. LinkedIn provides a platform for you to easily search and connect with hundreds of thousands of career resources. Make sure your profile is complete and current – and engage with LinkedIn on a regular basis.

You still use a “vanilla” objective statement.

Replace your “ho hum” objective statement with a new and improved Summary. At a length of about 25 words, it should be a “wow!” statement that highlights who you are and the unique achievements you have realized.

Most objective statements focus on what the candidate wants. In your Summary, emphasize what you can do for the company. Tailor each resume – and summary statement – to the specific position. Include keywords from the job description or posting. Each resume you submit should have a totally different flavor. There is no “vanilla”- or generic buzzwords – involved.

Your resume ends with “references available upon request.”

It’s assume that you will provide career references. There is no need to waste space on your resume with this information; in fact, by including it, you automatically date yourself. Besides, reference checks are not undertaken at this point in the hiring process. This makes this section of your resume even more irrelevant.

If your resume needs updating and you’re not sure how to best do it, contact the recruitment pros at PrideStaff Fresno. We can partner with you on this and all the steps in your successful job search process. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

3 Ways to Rein in a Problem Employee

Difficult employees will always be there. Your job as a manager is to determine the best path to ensure that your team is productive, despite this reality.

Seek First to Understand

If you look beyond the disruptive behavior of problem employees, there is probably much more going on. It’s important to understand these underlying factors before you can find solutions.

There are some individuals you will be able to turn around, while others will need to be let go. It may take some time to make this determination.
Difficult employees are typically unhappy or negative in general. Getting to the root of why and helping them realize how it plays into their performance is significant in their transformation. This also may be an opportunity for you to see who is coachable and who is not.

Effective Steps to Take

When dealing with difficult employees, it’s important to identify problem behaviors head on. Let these individuals know that their actions are overshadowing their contributions, and if they really want to be valued players, they need to rethink their approach.

Problem employees tend to:

Want to be liked: This may seem like a contrast to their behavior, but they do want to fit in. Speak to them one on one. Have a conversation about their self-brand and how their behavior has led them to it. Discuss the value of being respected over being liked, as that will carry a person much further in their career.
Want to be noticed: Highlight an individual’s positive performance attributes while coaching the less desirable ones. Problem employees need to know they are contributing. If the good they do is ignored and only the negative is talked about, they will gravitate toward that which gets them recognition – much like a mischievous child.
Be hard on themselves: They dwell on their own mistakes, and then in an effort to self-soothe, they point out the mistakes of others. The way they interact with their external environment is a good indication of how they treat themselves. Turn the tables. Ask what they would say if they were coaching an employee in this situation. This may give them insight to how connected they are to their own behavior.
Be emotional: Difficult employees demand perfection from themselves and become emotionally abusive when they fall short. They demand the same perfection from their environment and the people around them. They feel compelled to emotionally react when things don’t go as planned, and lack the emotional intelligence to be respected, even when they are good at what they do. Provide tools and awareness to help them recognize and change their outlook.

The Value of Mentoring

Even if you have a dream team, being an effective manager has its challenges. If you have a talented, yet difficult employee, mentoring may be your solution. It can be enormously valuable for individuals who thrive on interaction with influential colleagues. It may be tough to find the perfect mentor/mentee match, but once you do, it can be an excellent employee retention tactic.

Let the workforce experts at PrideStaff provide guidance and resources as you deal with problem employees. And, we can work with you to land top talent and make a smooth transition if you have to part ways with team members. Contact us today to learn more.

It’s Q2: Time to Re-Evaluate!

More than a quarter of 2016 is already in the books, so it’s a great time to take stock of how the year is going from a talent management standpoint. Is it time for some “spring cleaning” when it comes to your plans for the rest of the year?

Quarterly goals are important. They tend to be more successful and easier to achieve because they feel more attainable than longer-range objectives. But even if you feel you’ve fallen short year to date, it’s not too late to get things back on track.

The Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t make these missteps:

Overdo your social media job post push. Social media is about people connecting with other people, not pushing every job opening you have to anyone and everyone. Be strategic in your approach, send fewer job posts per day, make them personal and authentic, and invest in resources that promote your employer brand through influential contact. Connect first – and then recruit.
Rely too much on job ads. Job ads are an important recruitment tool. But, don’t rely solely on them to attract A-level talent. Consider your talent acquisition spend both in terms of your cash resources and your team’s time. If most of your recruitment staff days are spent wading through endless piles of resumes for unqualified candidates, you need to rethink your process.
Overlook candidates who don’t have the “right’ experience. Skills can be taught on the job, but work ethic and values – once developed – stay with a person for life. Instead of limiting your talent base, broaden your scope by scouting primarily for attitude and cultural fit. At the same time, build your in-house training and development strength. Not only will you have people working on your company’s exact processes, you will also contribute toward filling your skills gap, versus widening it.
Mislabel candidates as job hoppers. More than 90 percent of millennials expect to stay at a job for less than three years. This indicates a growing trend toward more diverse work experiences. The benefits of hiring candidates who fit this category tends to far outweigh any negatives. Be creative in your recruiting by considering applicants with a variety of professional experience.

Do follow these best practices:

Optimize mobile technology. More than half of today’s Internet usage is through a mobile device – and 89 percent of job seekers believe that their device is a key tool for their search. Consider developing your own mobile app solution. It will quickly become a necessity.
Enhance your content strategy. Close to 80 percent of consumers believe that organizations with custom content are interested in building good relationships with them. Strong content strategy has a direct impact on search engine optimization.
Invest in an industry-leading website. In one recent Web perception study, 46 percent of respondents said site design was their number-one criterion for judging credibility. If you want to be taken seriously among your competitors, start by investing in a visually appealing, easy-to-use, and mobile-friendly website. This keeps you relevant, enhances the user experience, and makes you stand out.

As you fine-tune your talent management plans for the remainder of 2016 – and beyond – consider partnering with the experts at PrideStaff Fresno. We get to know you and your business, and will custom design a solution to best meet your needs. Contact us today to learn more.

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What to Do When an Employee Resigns

When an employee resigns, it creates stress and uncertainty among their co-workers – within their team, their department and possibly even the entire company. How you handle it can have a significant impact on the rest of your organization. As a leader, you set the tone. Have a proactive plan in place, and be ready to begin implementing it immediately.

Take the high road.

If the departing employee is a high performer, news of their resignation will sting. Your initial reaction may be anger, betrayal, frustration, disappointment, or all of the above. Stay Professional, and take the high road.

Congratulate and thank the employee. Wish them well in their future endeavors. Regardless of their reason for leaving, it’s up to you to understand that this person has made a decision. Accept it and then move on, without hard feelings.
Counter offers are often counterproductive. Whether or not to make a counter offer comes down to how critical a person is to you and how much of a disruption their absence will cause. But, most experts caution against taking this step. Once a person has gone through the process of leaving, it’s hard to trust them again. A better strategy is to retain a relationship with them and possibly re-recruit them in the future.
Consider the reasons for the resignation. What might you do differently to increase retention in this role in the future? For example, do you need to reassess your salary structure or benefits package? Should you be more flexible with hours? This is an opportune time to make whatever changes are needed to enhance your employer value proposition as you prepare to rehire.

Have a communication plan.

Have a plan in place to communicate the resignation to the rest of your company.

The departing employee’s team should be the first to know. Before the individual leaves your office, agree on who will deliver the news to the team, and when. Decide collaboratively what the message will be. The sooner the team is able to prepare for the pending change, the better. There is nothing worse than hearing via the grapevine that your boss or close co-worker is leaving.
Agree on an end date. Assuming that the resignation is on good terms, give the employee the benefit of the doubt that they will fulfill their responsibilities and set the company up for a smooth transition. Mutually agree on an end date that makes the most sense for everyone.

Have a transition plan.

Iron out a transition plan for the employee’s day-to-day tasks during the coming interim period.

Ask for written documentation of work in progress, as well as related details, contacts and deadlines. If the employee leads a team, it’s a good idea to get this information for the entire group’s projects. Get input on who can pick up some of the employee’s duties in their absence. This may have the added benefit of positioning another team member for a future promotion.

As you manage your workforce through change and transition – including filling business critical vacancies created by resignations – consider partnering with the recruitment and employee development experts at PrideStaff Modesto. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do to help you succeed.

What Should You Include in Packets for New Hires?

Presenting a well-organized hiring packet helps get you off to a great start with your new hires, as it portrays your company and brand in a positive, well-organized fashion. The contents must be comprehensive and legally compliant, and should immediately create the right impression.

Designing the best possible new hire packet is not difficult, but it does require some thoughtful planning on the part of your hiring team. Be sure to include the following factors in a new hire packet.

A Welcome Letter

Address a welcome letter to each new employee by name and print it on company letterhead. Include warm words of introduction, along with some general background information on the organization and relevant plans for the future.

Wrap it up with contact information for the new hire’s HR representative, in case they need guidance during their critical first few months on the job.

An Employee Handbook

Your employee handbook should be a complete guide with all the information a person needs to be successful on the job. This encompasses everything from your company mission statement to detailed policies and procedures.

Go over your employee handbook with each new hire. Ask them to sign off and acknowledge that they have read it in its entirety.
You may also want to integrate a digital version with access to online safety, harassment, and other training.

Employment Forms

Include all standard employment forms required by law, such as the W-4, 1099, and EEOC surveys. Be sure all the necessary documents are included to legally identify new hires and ensure they are eligible for employment.

To make it easy for payroll to set up correct tax deductions, have the employee provide you with an authorization form, which also can be used for direct deposit.

Insurance, Payroll and Benefit Information

New employees need to know what to expect in terms of health and disability insurance, retirement options, and related payroll matters and benefits.

Include a copy of insurance rates for individual and family plans, as well as any applicable retirement options.
Provide information on pay dates and procedures, as well as where to direct related questions.
Include a listing of all benefits and perks available to your new hire, along with time frames and deadlines.

Uniform and Equipment Forms

If your workplace or a job requires a uniform or special equipment, your new hire packet should contain forms and instructions for obtaining these items. Make the process easy both now and in the future, for replacement purposes.

A Company Directory

Be sure new hires have access to the resources and information they need to do their job. Understanding who various leaders and team members are – and how to reach them – is key to this process. Provide access to your company directory, with names, email addresses, and telephone extensions.

Employee Contact Information

You need general information on every employee, beginning with emergency contacts in the unfortunate event of an on-the-job incident or illness. Have a form where your new hire can fill in this information, along with their correct mailing address, birth date, and any special health or personal requirements to keep them safe and comfortable at work.

To ensure that you provide the best, most comprehensive, and compliant new employee information, consult with the workforce development experts at PrideStaff. We can help you with this and every step of your successful recruitment and onboarding strategy. Contact us today so we can tell you more!

How to Negotiate Severance Pay

Do you suspect that you may be laid off or terminated in the near future?

If the writing is on the wall, you should be prepared to negotiate the best possible severance deal with your employer when the time comes. The emotional shock can be devastating, so it helps to have a strong advance game plan.

Generally, if you lose your job as a result of a large group layoff, you may have a tougher time negotiating a better severance package. But it’s always worth trying, especially if you have a long history of service at your company and have built strong relationships there.

To find closure and move on to a brighter future, you will need to stay focused and as objective as possible. Here are a few key points to keep in mind:

Take some time to digest your initial severance offer.

Your tenure in your position is just one consideration. If you are being fired because your boss feels that you have failed to meet performance expectations, your offer is likely to be on the lower end of the scale. But if your company has been bought out or your termination is the result of other economic factors, you may have more leeway.

Don’t sign anything until you consult a lawyer or professional coach. Companies routinely ask employees to sign a document that waives virtually all rights to sue under federal discrimination statutes or state or local law. You also may be presented with a non-compete agreement. Under federal law, workers aged 40 and older can take 21 days to review a severance agreement. This time period is routine for employees of all ages at most companies.

Negotiate for a better deal.

Begin negotiating for a better severance agreement by reviewing your work history in detail. Examine any and all documents that chart your history at the company and how well you performed your job. Then:

Find out where there may be some flexibility. Simply put, there are some things your employer can negotiate and others that are outside management’s control. For example, healthcare and insurance coverage may be determined by carriers, not your company. But, you may be able to boost your severance package to help foot the bill for COBRA coverage.
If you’re in the midst of a long-term project or see a particular need in your department, as to complete your assignment or take on another task. This may turn into an opportunity to demonstrate your value, so your employer reneges on your termination. At the very least, you may buy some time.
Address future job references. Your separation agreement negotiating can address what is put into writing when prospective employers check into your work history. It can spell out just who provides a reference and what information may be shared over the phone, as well.

If you need to negotiate severance pay now – or sense this may be a possibility in the future – consider joining the Talent Network at PrideStaff Fresno. You’ll have access to a broad range of positions where your skills can be put to the best possible use and the fit will be just right for advancing your professional future. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

How to Look for Teamwork Skills in a Candidate

Knowing how to interview is the most effective way to assess a candidate’s teamwork skills, which are critical to your hiring success. The key is to ask the right questions and listen for any indicators to determine if a person has a true team player mindset.

Definition of a Team Player

The old school definition of a team player – someone who always goes along with the majority and supports company programs – is no longer applicable. In today’s world, you need to recruit forward-thinking individuals who can:

Provide meaningful feedback to their colleagues.
Raise questions and question the status quo, without hampering relationships.
Work well with both horizontal and vertical coworkers.
Put the success of their team first – even above their own.

Interview Questions to Ask

As you interview prospective hires, your goal is to identify how well they work as a part of either a cross-functional or departmental team. Listen actively and gauge how well candidate values teamwork.

With the right questions, you can discover what your prospect believes about why teams succeed – or fail. At the same time, you are learning what must be present in your culture and work environment in order for a candidate to succeed there.

Your questions may include:

When you’re on your way to the first meeting of a new project team, what questions are on your mind?
Let’s say you are on a virtual team and you’ve never personally met most of your teammates. How do you develop mutual trust?
Is it possible to be a good team player if you disagree with your manager?
Is it more important for a team player to have solid technical skills or effective interpersonal skills?
In today’s world, what team attributes are most valued?
In this company, you would most likely be working with several different teams, each with separate goals. How will you adapt your style as you move from team to team?
Describe a successful project that you were part of. What was your role? How and why did the project succeed?
Describe a situation from your past experience in which you determined that a team was the best solution to a problem, a needed process improvement or a planned change. How did it work out?
Have you ever been part of a team that fell short of accomplishing its goal? What assessment did you make of the failure? What did you learn from it?

As you listen to responses, consider how frequently a person uses “we” versus “I” answers. True team players will tell you that “we effectively enhanced productivity and quality” rather than the first person, “I succeeded in raising quality and productivity levels.”

The experienced recruitment experts at PrideStaff Fresno can provide insight and guidance as you optimize your candidate hiring process. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more about how we can partner with you for your success.

Who NOT to Use As a Reference

Your professional references can make or break your chances of landing a job. Think strategically about your reference choices, limiting them to people who can strongly attest to your qualifications, personality and work ethic. Choose individuals who truly know your strengths and will say only positive things about you.

Questions a Reference May Be Asked

Eliminate from your list of possible job references anyone who you feel may not respond well to questions such as:

Can you describe how you know the candidate?
How would you rate the candidate’s skills in (a specific area)?
How well does the communicate work with others?
How well does the candidate work under pressure?
How well does the candidate take constructive criticism?
How would you describe the candidate’s honesty and integrity?
Can you describe the candidate’s key strengths and weaknesses?
How receptive is the candidate to change and new ideas and procedures?
If you were in a position to hire the candidate, would you?
Can you describe the candidate’s leadership skills?

Never use as references:

Family Members

Hiring managers generally assume that close relatives cannot give an objective view of your credentials, work history, or how you would behave as an employee. As noted by one expert, “Your family’s opinion will always be biased.”

Friends

Unless you’ve worked with or for them, friends are not going to be able to provide the kind of information that potential employers are looking for. Be honest about who your references are and how you know them.

Anyone Not Expecting a Call

Be sure to ask your references if you can use them before you do so. (While you’re at it, ask them to keep an eye out for postings and openings that may suit you.)

Notify your references when you are going for an interview.
Provide your references with your most recent resume, so they have it handy and are up to date on what you’ve been doing.

If you are unsure about your choice of professional references, or need direction at any point in your job search, contact the professional recruiters at PrideStaff Fresno. We can partner with you to help you land your next great job and set your career on the path to success in 2016.

3 Benefits of Employee Recognition

Why should you implement an– or improve your existing – employee recognition program?

Rewards and recognition that help both an employer and their employees to get what they need represent a win-win business strategy. There is always room for a program that continues to set your performance bar higher, and at the same time, builds positive morale.

Three benefits of employee recognition include:

Improved Productivity

The cost of a recognition system is relatively small, and the resulting benefits are large from a productivity and profitability standpoint.

For every five percent increase in employee attitude scores, Sears, Roebuck & Co., saw a rise of up to three percent in customer satisfaction and a 0.5 percent increase in revenue, after implementing its recognition program.
On the other hand, the cost of extremely negative or actively disengaged workers makes up approximately 10 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product each year. This includes the impact of related workplace injuries, turnover, absenteeism, and fraud.

Greater Employee Satisfaction

Not surprisingly, a company’s bottom-line results often tie in directly to its reputation as a place to work, and the level of ongoing satisfaction experienced by employees.

After establishing its recognition program, the Walt Disney World Resort realized a 15 percent increase in staff satisfaction. These results correlated directly with high guest satisfaction scores.
The results of a recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)/Globoforce Employee Recognition Survey revealed that among companies that spent one percent or more in payroll on recognition programs, 85 percent had seen a positive impact on employee engagement. A total of 815 global corporate leaders responded.

Higher Retention

As an employer, you are well aware of the importance of retaining top talent. Among HR leaders in one recent survey, 51 percent said their companies had an increase in retention rates as a result of their recognition programs.

In the SHRM/Globoforce study, it was shown that companies with well-structured rewards programs experienced a 22 percent lower turnover rate than those without such programs.

As noted by Globoforce CEO Eric Mosley, “Employee recognition provides quantifiable business results. It’s these types of findings that cement recognition as a critical program for any HR leader.”

Need help structuring, or restructuring, your employee recognition program? Turn to the recruitment and workforce development experts at PrideStaff Fresno. We can lead you in the right direction to build productivity, engagement, and long-term employee loyalty and retention. Contact us today to learn more.