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Ways to Approach an Interview Perfectly

Raza Rauf on November 13, 2012

After searching for months for a new job, you’ve just received an invitation to interview for a great new assignment with a dream company. So, how do you prepare for what could be the opportunity of a lifetime?

The way in which you approach the interview process can be the difference between being asked back for a second interview and being disqualified from consideration. Have you ever heard the expression “The first impression you make is a lasting one”? This means you need to walk into the interview with the confidence and right approach to the questions you may encounter.

Perfect Approach to Interviewing for the Best Impression

Here are some ways to approach an interview in the most perfect way, to impress the interviewer and make a positive impression the first time.

  • Arrive early and dressed for success. People often make their judgments by the way they see others, and recruiters are no exception to this fact. Therefore, you will want to approach any interview with tact by dressing professionally and conservative for the corporate culture you may be working in. You’ll also want to arrive at least 15-minutes early for the interview so you can appear to be punctual and get acclimated beforehand.
  • Bring a printed copy of your resume and references. Recruiters often see multiple people each day for interviews, especially those who conduct the initial screening sessions. Therefore, you can make their job easier by bringing a copy of your resume and your references with you. In some cases, they may be calling your references before you even leave the building.
  • Provide access to your work portfolio. Today’s hiring managers are more concerned with seeing results than hearing about your former job duties. While you are explaining your achievements, have visual representations of your portfolio in a “show and tell” style.
  • Have a shortlist of questions prepared. During an interview, the company is getting to know more about you. However, very few people use this time to find out more about the company too. Prepare yourself and show more interest in the company as a whole by having a list of at least 3-5 questions relevant to the type of company, projects, clients and work you may be dealing with.
  • Talk in a positive and focused manner. Keep all your answers and comments positive, even when talking about former employers. This bodes favorably with recruiters who are looking for people with positive attitudes and smiles. Keep your conversation going in a focused manner, and find out all you can about the position you may be offered, such as salary, growth opportunities, and corporate objectives.

No interview is 100 percent perfect, but it can be a lot more productive if you understand how to best approach it. Get prepared for interviews by working with the caring experts at Advance Staffing Solutions in Ohio and Michigan.

Developing Core Values and Company Culture as One

Raza Rauf on November 7, 2012

As a general rule of thumb, a company’s leader is the key person to turn to when it comes to developing a set of core values for the company. In fact, this will ultimately make a difference in the company’s culture.

What are your company’s core values? For that matter, do you know what your own are? To find out, ask more questions and get to the heart of what makes your business operation. A good way to do this is to consider what makes the leaders of the company tick.

Feeling Alive

One of the key questions to ask leaders is when they feel the most alive within the scope of the business. For example, in some settings, the thing that drives a young company is the determination and the push to grow that is present in the leaders. They want the start-up to succeed and that is why they work so hard at it. In other words, ask, “What makes this business culture come to life?” You want to address the specific factors driving the company.

What Brings Up the Negative?

It is also important to determine what brings up the raw, negative emotions so common in some business environments. What gets under your skin as a business leader? For example, if one leader is arrogant, this can affect the remaining team members. Sometimes, a sense of failure that is looming could put the brakes on the successes you feel. Identifying this could help you to refocus the business, as you need to do so.

What Can You Borrow From?

Another way to look at the core culture of your business is to consider other systems you can borrow from. For example, there may be various narratives to use to help you create a value system. No matter if, it is religious or not, you need to have a set of standards that employees and leaders follow. You may practice displaying the worth of the employee. You may be focusing on avoiding instrumental behavior. The key here is to have some set of rules, written or not, that help to demonstrate where your business’s core values stem from. This can make the biggest difference in if everyone is focused on the same thing.

As you consider your business and core values, ask yourself if you, as a leader, are doing everything it takes really to be the best example for your company. Your company culture may be dependent on the way you interact and respect each other in the workplace. Take some time to consider these factors. Consider them at a personal level as the leader of your company and again at the company level. Your business culture could be founded on these, whether you realize it or not.

Advance Temporary Staffing Solutions can help you find the right employees to help you build your company culture based on your core values. Learn more about the benefits of hiring temporary workers to build your team focused on your corporate culture, by reviewing our previous articles on this topic.

The Secrets to Being a Great Leader

Ways Teams are Built for Long Term Success

The Secrets to Being a Great Leader

Raza Rauf on October 29, 2012

Every strong company needs a great leader. No matter what position you are in with a company, striving to be a great leader is always a good goal to have. After all, it can provide you with the tools and resources you need to mold employees into what you need them to be, not to mention help you to achieve the goals of the organization. Being a leader can also help you take your career to a higher level. However, most people do not know what goes into being a fantastic leader.

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell, Author and Spiritual Leader

What Traits Do Great Leaders Have?

Do you have the traits that good leaders have? In some cases, you may be lacking some of those basic, good-for-your company traits that can help you to take the company further. Do you have these?

  • Are you the type of person to walk past a problem (no matter how big or small) and not do anything about it? Even at the top of the management chain, you can still stop to pick up trash, handle the small quarrel, or deal with the customer concern. Even if someone else can do it, you still should.
  • Do you allow employees to do what they do best without getting involved? In the industrial workplace, for example, do you tell those operating the machinery how to do their job or do you allow them to do what they know best? The best leaders play to the strengths of the employees and understand their weaknesses.
  • Do you do your own work? Are you accountable to the tasks you are supposed to perform? Delegating tasks is one thing. It is definitely something you can do. However, there’s a difference in delegating the organization of a problem and getting up to get your own coffee. Leaders use people where they fit best not to make their own job easier.
  • Do you shine or do you let your company shine? Even in the biggest companies, the worst thing for the company is for a leader to be an “I” leader. In other words, this person is happy to take the spotlight and run with it. A good leader focuses the spotlight on the people who make the company successful.
  • Do you tackle problems fast? Do you jump as quickly as you can for the offer? In other words, great leaders tackle problems right away as soon as there is one. What if your customer’s lose service for hours, how quickly do you react?

All of these factors are critical when it comes to being the best person for the job. However, not every leader realizes that the role he or she plays directly affects the way the company functions. A great leader leads by example. He or she is accountable, hard working and dedicated to making the company shine. Though it may seem cliché, the fact is, a great leader strives to better the employee.

Advance Staffing Solutions has many opportunities to let your leadership abilities shine in your career. Contract and full time management assignments in Ohio and Michigan can help you become the leader you know you can be. Look for great career opportunities on our Advance job site today, and let your leadership grow.

Advise on Using Social Media in an Industrial Job Search

Raza Rauf on October 22, 2012

Finding an industrial job can be a challenge. As a job seeker, social media may be the best tool available to you to find the right job. Social media is a method of interacting with others in the employment world in a more social manner than you may be used to. If you are a professional who has focused his or her career on applying for positions through written applications, it may be time to brush off your computer and learn about social media sites.

Where to Start with Social Media Job Searching

If this is the first time you are looking for a job in this manner, you’ll need a few tips to help you to get your foot in the door. Social media sites, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and dozens of others, allow people to connect with each other online. This can be a great way to find out about others in your industry and where the best industrial jobs are.

As a job seeker, your goal is to connect with those who you may be able to apply with or those who may know about job openings in the industrial field. This could include hiring managers in industrial companies. You can also connect with industrial businesses that you would like to work at directly. The key is to gain as many connection points as possible.

Set Up the Right Social Media Profile

Another step to take is to set up a stellar profile. A profile is like a resume, but on a much less formal manner. It communicates who you are, what your job history is, what you are looking for and who you want to connect with. Every social media account worth belonging to is free to use and set up like this. Make that your goal.

Connect and Interact in a Positive Manner

You do not want to use social network connections as a type of sales platform in which you are trying to sell yourself or your skills. Rather, you want these interactions to be more social. For example, if you hope to land a job with an industrial company, interact with the hiring manager about trends in the industry.

Should You Ask for a Job on Social Networks?

It is a good idea to connect with individuals on a professional level and then to drop a hint that you are looking for a job. It is best to ask for recommendations for positions or to be alerted if a specific type of job opens up. This allows you to ease your way into that interview, instead of appearing “desperate” for employment.

Remember, with industrial jobs, the competition is often fierce. No matter if you are looking for a floor position or upper level management, chances are good you’ll be better able to achieve that interview if you interact with the company socially rather than just turning in an application. Learn more about social media by reading our previous related posts:

6 Ways the Job Search has Changed

Best Ways to Use Social Media for Your Job Search

 

Ways Teams are Built for Long Term Success

Raza Rauf on October 15, 2012

Success is the name of the game in the world of business today. It’s more important than ever that companies do their hiring with serious team building in mind. However, companies that are just beginning to embrace a team building atmosphere have to work with the tools they have on hand. It is up to team leaders to pull their teams together and help them realize their potential. Here are a few critical steps that can make your efforts to build a stellar team infinitely more successful.

Take the Time to get to Know the Players

You have to know the players on your team in order to figure out how to motivate them, encourage them, challenge them, and play to the strengths while minimizing the weaknesses of each individual on the team. You also need to know the areas wear a little additional attention and guidance may be needed so that you can give it to them. Don’t rush in and start making plans and setting goals until after you’ve taken a moment to find out what kind of players you’re dealing with—and you know that you’re all playing the same game.

Understand How You Work Best

The most important person on the team for you to understand is yourself. You have to figure out how to do all the things to motivate, cajole, and, sometimes, castigate yourself just as you do for all the members of your team. But you also have to understand how you lead best too. Here are a few of the things you need to know about yourself and your role as the team leader before you even think about trying to lead your team.

  • How well is your team likely to accept your leadership attempts?
  • How qualified are you to lead this team?
  • How do you plan to hold yourself accountable for any problems that may arise with your team?
  • What do you plan to do to correct these problems?

It might not look like much in black and white but these questions can mean a lot as you’re working to build a stronger team and become the leader you need to be to keep them motivated.

Motivate and Reward

Even small praise can mean a lot to the team members that are working so hard under your leadership. It doesn’t take much to let them know they’re appreciated and the reward for doing so is well worth any effort you might have to expend. Acknowledge their contributions, praise their good work, and keep them motivated to continue their successes.

Building a team that will enjoy long term success isn’t always easy. There are tough decisions that will need to be made along the way. However, if you do these things you’re doing your part to make your team work as a formidable and effective unit within the company.

Ready to start improving your team structure with augmented talent? Have a need to build a new and effective team? Advance Staffing Solutions has highly-skilled contract professionals in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan ready to improve your long term team success.

Manufacturing on the Agenda: Presidential Campaign

Raza Rauf on October 5, 2012

As the US Presidential campaign heats up and the candidates hit the debate stage in full force, it seems that the future of manufacturing and energy is high up on the agenda. While the manufacturing industry is still rebounding from years of recession, there is a renewed focus on how those involved in the management of energy resources and re-building of America will become a critical factor in the coming administration.

While President Obama has consistently pushed for the enhancement of manufacturing and clean energy development, stating that “We can’t have an energy strategy for the last century that traps us in the past. We need an energy strategy for the future – an all-of-the-above strategy for the 21st century that develops every source of American-made energy.” (March 2012)

His opponent Mitt Romney, has released a comprehensive energy plan that could potentially open up more avenues for manufacturers around the nation, including those previously ignored coal and oil manufacturers.

Says the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons in a recent article “Manufacturing continues to occupy center stage in the presidential campaign discussion” and “For U.S. manufacturers to be able to compete successfully in the world marketplace, they need access to a consistent supply of affordable energy. To achieve that, a true ‘all-of-the-above’ approach is necessary.”

The overall concern among many manufacturers is whether the next generation of workers will be available to manage the responsibilities of this difficult industry. There are fewer and fewer college grads willing to work in the manufacturing business because of the uncertainty of future jobs in this sector – stemming from massive layoffs of the earlier part of this decade. Manufacturing is also a career in which specific, specialized skills are needed to be proficient. This is in an era when many candidates have diversified their skills in order to be eligible for more jobs.

While the future of manufacturing still hangs in the balance, one thing is clear. The United States must find a solution to sustainable energy sources that will support the manufacturing infrastructure for future generations. We also must be willing to train and provide career growth opportunities in manufacturing to attract tomorrow’s talent. These are the people who will reshape and rebuild America.

Looking for manufacturing workers for your organization? Advance Staffing Solutions has pre-screened, talented contract employees ready to support your manufacturing business goals.

Build a Smart Foundation for Manufacturing Productivity

Raza Rauf on September 24, 2012

When it comes to building a smarter manufacturing company, companies need to do what’s important to them – putting together the pieces to make a product. Yet, manufacturing productivity is often a factor. There are some companies now taking steps to make the technology aspect of manufacturing so foolproof and easy to manage that companies can get back to focusing on what they do best – manufacturing without having to figure out where technology comes into place.

Productivity Matters

In nearly all situations, productivity is a big discussion point within the manufacturing industries. As staffing agencies, you know the value of finding team players that can meet productivity goals – it keeps the business going. However, for these companies, it is also important to find a way to get around technology difficulties.

Many manufacturing companies are facing a higher demand for increased productivity. Though some of this comes from staffing the right people, there is much more to the process.

Smarter Manufacturing Systems

Some companies are taking the goal of improving productivity to a new level. They are building smarter manufacturing systems (something your staff may soon see rolling out more frequently in the coming months.) The goal is to allow manufacturing companies to get back to managing what they produce and to leave the technology aspects of putting together manufacturing systems to the experts.

Staffing Agencies and Productivity

Could your staffing agency do something the same? Consider what some companies are doing to enable increased manufacturing productivity. For example, some are developing systems that provide mobile capabilities to keep business managers and operators in constant, instant access of each other no matter where they are. Cloud-based services are making the process secure, reliable, and real-time. This enables far more to be accomplished in a matter of a shorter period of time. This is a clear benefit to increased productivity.

In some cases, manufacturers are facing pressure to see significant productivity gains in a short period of time. Massive demographic changes as well as global competition are encouraging this demand. According to some reports, an estimated 70 million people will be moved out of poverty and will become consumers. Those 70 million people, over the course of the next ten years, will contribute to $8 trillion in spending. As this clearly demonstrates, it is critical for massive improvements in productivity to happen. Realizing it cannot come from just people and staffing enhancements, many companies are pushing for smarter manufacturing systems as a must-have.

Want more productive manufacturng employees in Michigan and Ohio? Advance Staffing Solutions has many temporary and contract manufacturing laborers ready to help your company reach maximum productivity levels.

Why Your Manufacturing Company Should have a Blog

Raza Rauf on September 17, 2012

Blogging is big business these days. Retail businesses and major corporations fully understand this. Unfortunately, some manufacturing businesses have been slow to understand this trend. Venturing into social media can seem like a scary concept for those who are new to online marketing.

However, blogs aren’t going away and they can actually be important tools for businesses of all shapes and sizes—even manufacturing businesses. Here are just a few reasons why your manufacturing company should have a blog.

Brand Promotion

Your business is a brand. Public perception is almost everything to businesses in the information age. The more information that makes its way onto the World Wide Web, information that is controlled by you, the better it will be for the health and long-term wellbeing of your brand.

Blogs are an excellent resource for providing frequent updates about all the good things going on in your business. More importantly, they are excellent tools for solidifying your brand with existing and potential customers. When you control the information on the Internet, at least a majority of that information, you’re able to have a huge impact on public opinion about your business.

Recruiting Tool

Keeping an active business blog for your manufacturing company is also a great way to recruit top talent in your field. A large percentage of job seekers today do the bulk of their job seeking online. The Internet is a major tool in the job search process these days and that isn’t likely to change.

By posting openings in your company on your blog you’re going to come up with a larger potential pool of knowledgeable and skilled employees than with a random job posting on most job boards. If you need specialized skills, this is the place to let people know about the positions that are available and which specific sets of skills are needed.

People who are reading your blog are likely to be people involved in the industry, first of all, so they’re likely to have the skills you need. Second, these may be people who weren’t necessarily looking for a job, but may be intrigued by the specific jobs you have available. Finally, it’s another way to bring attention to your manufacturing business and establish yourself in the eyes of potential employees and customers as a legitimate force in your particular manufacturing field.

The bottom line is that all businesses in today’s competitive marketplace, whether they are manufacturing businesses or fast food restaurants need blogs to provide a steady stream of data and information to the buying public while building their brands and reputation online. If you’re not controlling the conversation about your business on the Internet, to some degree, it leaves the doors open for people who do not have the best interests of your business in mind to control that information.

For more tips on the use of blogging and other forms of social media marketing in the manufacturing sector, be sure to check out our previous related posts on this topic: 

Treat Every Event as a Networking Opportunity

The Importance of Hiring a Social Candidate – Who Doesn’t Just Look Good on Paper

Social Media Recruiting 101: Make Friends, Not Fans

How to Conduct a Job Search with a Criminal Record

Raza Rauf on September 11, 2012

Getting a job in this economy is tough for everyone. For people who have a criminal record, it’s tougher still. Even in the best of times, it can be slow going to find the job that will net you that all important second chance. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to help you find a job and get the new start you’ve been looking for.

Be Honest about Your Past

There is some truth to the saying that honesty is the best policy. It’s better, even if it costs you the job initially, to be honest up front and not get the job than to get it and be fired later on for failing to disclose your criminal record.

Some businesses will not hire anyone with a criminal record while others will, depending on what your former criminal activity involved. Obviously, you’ll have a hard time finding a job dealing with a company’s finances if you were convicted of embezzlement in the past. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find employment in positions that do not require the handling of money and/or finances.

Apply for Jobs You’re Qualified to Perform

As with any job search, it’s important to apply for jobs you have the skills, knowledge, and qualifications to perform. If you’re a perfect match for the job, skill-wise, employers will be more inclined to overlook a criminal history and give you a chance.

When you’re applying for jobs where employers would already be taking a chance because you don’t have a history of experience or education in the field, it’s difficult to get them to overlook your record in order to do so.

Have a Positive Attitude

It’s hard when doors keep being slammed in your face, but it’s very important to remain positive as you look for a job. Every interview is a new opportunity. If you’re still dwelling over the negative outcome of your last interview, you’ll have a very difficult time making a good impression in this interview.

Also, it helps the interviewers to see the positive attitude coming from you. It’s one other thing that makes hiring you feel like less of a risk to the employer. The main thing you want to project to potential employers is that you will be an asset to the team. A positive attitude is half the battle in most businesses.

Consider Getting Help for the Job Search Process

There are services in most cities and states that are designed to help people with criminal records get jobs. Whether it’s your first job after being released or you’re looking to change fields and improve your situation, there are resources to help you accomplish your goals. You might also consider vocational rehabilitation services, the Salvation Army, and other resources for assistance in finding employment. Don’t rule out employment agencies as well.

There are jobs out there for you, despite your criminal record. Patience isn’t something you can always afford however. These tips will help improve your odds of getting the job you need regardless of your past.

Need help with your job search? Advance Staffing Solutions gives you access to a wide range of temporary and contract assignments in the Toledo, Ohio and Troy, Michigan areas. Be sure to check out our career portal for more informaton and resources for job seekers.

Lean Manufacturing Is About Your People, Not Tools

Raza Rauf on September 6, 2012

Lean manufacturing may be all that you are hearing about as a manufacturing organization or business owner. Yet, business owners who are putting all of their time and attention into lean tools are missing the fundamental key aspect of this movement. It is not just about putting in place a system for getting the work done on the floor. Rather, businesses need to think people, too.

The Mistake So Many Are Making

Going lean is the big goal. Many businesses are being told that by implementing lean tools in their organizations that they are going to see significant improvement and achieve global competitiveness. In fact, there are dozens of authors promising this type of outcome if we just implement lean. They are basing this on the performance results Toyota has achieved with their TPS production system – known for its effectiveness. However, TPS is not just about lean tools. Without the true connection to people, there’s something major missing that’s going to hold you back.

What Is TPS Really?

Two components make the Toyota Production System so ideal. One element is continuous improvement. The second is respect for all people. Yes, it is a simplistic symptom, but that comes from maintaining these two aspects. For those businesses in the U.S., learning about lean tools, such as value stream mapping, poke yoke, and kanban, there is a huge disconnect from what the TPS methodology really is. For lean technology and methods to be effective, there must be a change in culture within the business, too.

What Does This Mean?

To ensure that a business “going lean” is able to succeed at it, they must change their culture and way of thinking when it comes to people. The business owner must trust people within the manufacturing plant to solve problems regardless of where the problem came from. The goal here is that businesses must focus on obtaining a critical mass of people who will act, think and believe lean and rely on them to push the business forward.

Solve problems with a TPS perspective. Here are some examples.

  • Keep hitting your numbers is the old way of thinking. The new is to product only items that the customer has ordered.
  • Avoid too many problems with unions or vendors is the old thinking. The new is never to skip past a problem.
  • Make sure there is plenty of work in the backlog you say with lean focus the goal is to work to continually improve the processes.

Do not let people handle problems alone. Do skip over something that can be handled right now. This changes the job of the plant manager significantly.

The bottom line is that before manufacturing industries focus on lean tools in their business, they need to teach their employees the way of seeing the operation through lean eyes. Be respectful of the team. Teach them. Learn from them. Adapt together to approach a lean methodology.

Looking for the best manufacturing staffers? Get the right team members for your manufacturing business growth by working with the staffing experts at Advance Staffing Solutions in Michigan and Ohio.

Are You Taking Unnecessary Risks with Your Supply Chain?

Raza Rauf on August 27, 2012

Risks are a part of managing the supply chain in any business. There are going to be situations where taking risks are a good thing, like launching a new product or replacing one item with another. Yet, in order for a business to maintain success, most of the risk needs to come out of this process. More so, there needs to be steps in place to minimize risk and to realize it is there.

What You Can Do

As a business owner, there are steps you can take to minimize the amount of exposure you have to bad risks. Ultimately, you need a way to measure and control risk in order to run your business successfully.

Visibility

To minimize risk to your supply chain, the first step is to know where your blind spots are. Extended supply chains are constantly growing and changing and this inevitably leads to potential problems associated with areas you cannot see as risky. Improve your ability to handle risk by knowing what risk factors are affecting your business on a regular basis. A good way to do this is to look at events as they are happening rather than just using historical data.

Know and Trust Your Professionals

The next step in minimizing risk is to put trust in your people. You have vetted them. They know their job. Now, it is your job to trust them. Use technology to help enable your team to respond to concerns right away. To mitigate risk, you need to know how well your human assets are able to respond to the situation and handle it. Of course, training and preparation will help here.

Practice

The only way to know the outcome of any what if situation is to practice. If you plan a process to follow for various scenarios that could occur, your people will know how to react and will be able to do so faster. While scenario planning is not a given, it can reduce risk factors significantly.

 Maintain your supply chain with quality staff from Advance Temporary. Get in touch with us today!

Motivating Your Employees to be Productivity Machines

Raza Rauf on August 20, 2012

Motivating employees in the industrial and manufacturing sector is not always easy. The work can be dull and boring. It can be something that people dread doing. However, as an HR manager, you should be fully understanding of the fact that productivity will make or break any business. Without hard working employees, even to the point of having productivity machines in them, you could end up lose valuable profits.

How to Motivate Employees Now

How can you turn uninspired workers into motivated, power-working machines? It all starts in knowing how to get under their skin and ensuring you have the right people on the job.

  1. Hire the right people for the job. The first step is to hire those who are willing to work hard and are detail driven. You also want to ensure that candidates are not over qualified as this can lead to the boredom some suffer from.
  2. Set goals and educate employees on those goals. Nothing is worse than waiting for employees to achieve objectives except finding out that they did not know what needed to be done first. Be clear about goals expected.
  3. Pay a fair rate. If employees believe they are being paid at a fair rate, they are far more likely to hit objectives. Those who feel they are underpaid, on the other hand, are more likely to slack off when they can do so.
  4. Keep productivity high by being around. Walk the floor from time to time, but never the same time every day. When employees see that you are around and that you are monitoring progress, they are more likely to stay on task.
  5. Manage incentives properly. Sometimes, incentives can be a great way to motivate your team to achieve bigger and better things, but you need to use them properly. Don’t let employees become so dependent on them that they do not work when no incentive program is in place. At the same time, do make incentives achievable goals. Who wants to work towards a goal they do not think they can reach?
  6. Manage people as if they are human. Yes, you may want them to work like machines, but you also need to ensure there is a human factor in place. Employers like personal attention. Companies that are able to learn an employee’s true potential, likes and dislikes and skill set and use them wisely will get more out of the employee than those that do not.

Overall, motivating your employees to achieve goals in this industry means you need to be creative and positive. Work hard to set reasonable goals and say thank you when employees accomplish those goals. Build trust with your employee base, too, so they know they are look up to their leaders.

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