Can You Become a Respected Leader Overnight?

HMG Success on October 29, 2015

Do you dream of being an industry expert and someone who others look up to for leadership? If so, it won’t happen overnight. These things can take time. But there are some ways to fast-track your way to success. Here’s how to become a respected leader in your career.

Become a subject matter expert

Everyone is good at something, but the better you are at your job and the more knowledgeable you become, the more others will look to you for direction. Take the time to learn as much as you can about the processes and products that help you do your job, the industry updates and trends, and the people who make your industry great.

Align yourself with other leaders

As soon as you can, associate yourself with other thought leaders and become one of the pack. Attend industry association meetings and networking groups in the local business community. Network on social media groups. Elevate yourself through credentials and partnerships. Most of all, gain a mentor who you will be like someday.

Demonstrate leadership ability

If you want to be seen as a leader, then you must act like one. Find ways to stand out among your peers at work. Rise up to challenges and take on new responsibilities. Take the time to teach others what you know, when they ask. Demonstrate that you have what it takes to be a leader on your team. Learn to be a powerful speaker and presenter. Think about ways to solve problems and make your boss and co-workers look good.

Think beyond the four walls of your workplace

True leaders have a strong sense of community and the impact they are having on the rest of the world. Find a cause you believe in and support it. Volunteer once in a while and see how good it makes you feel and how you stand up for something good. The world needs more leaders, and it’s time to take your place.

By using the above methods, you can elevate yourself to leadership status in very little time. Be strategic and consistent with how you present yourself.

How to Turn Renegade Employees into Valuable Team Members

HMG Success on October 22, 2015

Do you often walk by your work teams and see several people missing, off doing their own things? These are your renegade employees, and while they are very talented, they are somehow disconnected from the rest of the team – and need to be reeled back in. How can you turn renegade employees into valuable team members who can add to the collaboration and innovation to your company?

Invite all employees to share

As a manager, it’s your job to bring your people back together. Invite all to a project kick-off meeting to allow all employees to share what they are currently working on and learn about a new team project. Look at the individual projects and match employees up to collaborate and get them finished more efficiently. Advise employees you will expect them to work together on the new project and have daily touchpoints.

Give all employees rewarding tasks that honor skill sets

Now is the time to make sure the renegade employees don’t get bored and wander off again. Bring them in and ask employees on an individual level what part of the project they’d like to work on. Then ask them to identify the top-three colleagues they are most comfortable working with. Sometimes renegades become annoyed by other employees, or they may self-ostracize because there are personality conflicts. Weed these out now.

Open up the lines of communication

Using the technology available to you, make sure that there is a central team location for sharing updates and information. Include all team members. Open up communication with weekly staff meetings and project touchpoints. Assign a few of the renegade employees as team leaders to head up certain portions of the project, which forces them to stay involved with others.

Bring in additional talent

Augment your current team with some temporary contractors to take the pressure off your employees. Renegades often take on too much and become overwhelmed and frustrated, leading to their isolation. Temps can alleviate some of the stress and take on administrative and tedious tasks so that all employees can focus on the project and the team building activities.

What To Do With “Out of the Box” Job Candidates

HMG Success on October 15, 2015

As a hiring manager, you’ve probably seen a wide range of candidates who vary from underqualified to perfect for the company. But, every once in a while, a candidate comes across your desk with skills and experience that fall outside of the box. This is someone who could potentially add a great deal of value to your company, even be considered as a future leader, but you don’t have a position available at this time. These people are:

Creative thinkers who bring a lot of energy to their careers
Extroverts with above-average leadership and communication skills
Highly respected and recommended by past employers and colleagues

What do you do with a candidate like this – put them in a pile for later consideration and risk losing them to a competitor, or giving them an opportunity at your company? Read on to learn what you can do with these rare candidates.

Get them on the phone for a screening interview fast

Don’t miss out on the chance to talk with a candidate who has the above traits. Get on the phone and introduce your company and the opportunities there. Find out what the candidate is looking for. Arrange for an in-face interview as soon as you can.

Offer them a contract project

If you don’t have a position already available for a candidate like this, create one with a contract project. Tap into the candidate’s strengths and experience to come up with a project that will challenge the candidate. Let them know successful completion of this project may lead to a permanent job. Offer a generous contract rate to get them on board.

Bring the candidate on as a consultant

An alternative to offering a paid project is to offer the candidate the chance to share their unique knowledge as a consultant to your current team. Set a meeting and introduce them to your leadership team, then come up with an agreement to have them come in for a nice fee to direct your team on certain issues they may be having. When the time is right, offer this candidate a job.

Refer them to a complimentary firm

If you cannot do the above, the very best action you can take is to refer them to a colleague at a complimentary firm. In the future, you can still offer a position or work positively with this person, who will be forever grateful, and your colleagues will thank you for sending a great candidate along.

What To Say to Your Workforce, Instead of “I Don’t Know!”

HMG Success on October 8, 2015

There are times in a manager’s career when a lack of enough information may leave no other answer but “I don’t know” to subordinates. However, this is not a good phrase to use because it takes away from the management role. How? Employees need strong leadership, so a wishy washy answer that implies the leader is really not in control of the situation leaves them feeling confused and worried. In order to maintain your status as a leader, you need some other ways of expressing yourself without saying you don’t know. Here are some other things you can say.

“This is what I know, and I will have more information for you soon.”

When employees know that an immediate supervisor has their best interests in mind, they are often good with this kind of response. It shows that you are going to share what you know (and maybe share some managers-only information) and that you are going to update them as soon as possible. This conveys you have things under control and they will be the first to hear when anything new develops.

“I’m not the right person to ask about this, let’s find out who can answer your question.”

As a manager, you will never have all the information and you may not always be the go-to expert on a particular subject. This is OK. Employees are simply following the chain of command when they ask a manager about something. It’s up to you to direct them to the right resources and experts in the company for more clarity on some subjects. For example, if an employee has a benefits-related question, you will use this phrase and then walk them over to the human resource office for more support.

“I hear your concern, so give me an opportunity to get the right answer for you.”

Being a good listener and using reflective phrases like this can go a long way towards fostering good relationships with subordinates. By stating that you hear what the employee is saying, you acknowledge their concern and want to do something to help them. However, if you don’t have the right answer, which is reasonable, you are asking the employee to trust in you as a manager to get the correct information for them – something they can respect.

Use the above phrases to demonstrate your ability to lead others, without leaving them scratching their heads.

There’s No Guarantee You’ll Get the Job — But This Will Help!

HMG Success on October 6, 2015

Have you gone weeks and even months without so much as a response to the hundreds of applications you’ve been submitting to employers? Unfortunately, just as in life, there are no guarantees with getting a job. However, there are some factors that can put you ahead of the game in terms of landing work sooner. The smart job seeker goes after jobs like a savvy marketer, using every opportunity to pitch their worth to the organization. When you approach your job search in this way, it can certainly help you get a job offer. Here’s how to go about it.

Make a strong pitch from the start.

You’ve only got mere seconds from the moment a hiring manager looks at your resume. Take a look at yours. Does it “wow” you? If not, it’s probably not doing a good job impressing any hiring managers either. Take the time to boost the top half of your resume (above the fold) and include power words that speak to your true value. Look at the company website and the job listings for ideas. Use bold headings for your name and contact information, and include a web link to your portfolio.

Get your applications to stand out.

A job application can be a dull and tedious process, but it doesn’t have to land at the bottom of the pile. Use the additional space for comments and other information for writing an outstanding cover letter, sharing more details about your abilities, or inviting the hiring manager to connect with you. This often grabs the attention of the recruitment team faster. You will also want to update your online applications weekly as most applicant tracking systems list people by the date they are active in the system.

Prove to hiring managers you are a good investment.

Your goal as a candidate is to make sure that any hiring managers and recruitment professionals you meet understand and can see your value in a matter of minutes. How can you do this? Take the time to share your skills and how they are relevant to the job, but go a step further. Dig into the corporate goals and find a direct link between your skills and the direction the company is going. Check for any recent press that indicates what the company is focused on.

If you use the above tips, you’ll soon be getting a job offer and being able to prove your worth to the company.

Can You Afford Employee Recognition? (You Can’t Afford Not to!)

HMG Success on September 30, 2015

Employee recognition is such an important part of the business world today because it shows employees how much their time and effort are valued by their employer. It is such a valuable aspect of doing business that companies really cannot afford not to perform employee recognition in one form or another. You do not have to spend a ton of money to get your point across, but you definitely cannot ignore employee recognition either.

Think Outside the Box

One of the best ways to perform employee recognition is by thinking outside the box. With this method, you might have to spend a little bit more money than any other methods, but it will be well worth it. Get to know your employees inside and out so that when it comes time to reward someone, you know how to impress them. Learn who their favorite band is or favorite sports team and find a way to get the employee two tickets to a concert or game to show them how much you appreciate their hard work.

Reward Extra Time Off

Since a major discussion these days is work-life balance, why not consider rewarding extra time off for employees who have earned it? Employees don’t want to spend every waking minute sitting in the office. They want to enjoy life with family and friends as much as possible. Give an employee who performs well an extra day off or the ability to work from home at their choosing for a month.

Offer Opportunities for Growth

If you really want to show an employee how much they are valued, provide them with opportunities for growth within the company. This includes reimbursing them for a training session they attended, a conference they took part in or a seminar they visited. You can also assign them more high-profile projects to work on if their previous project work was exemplary. All of these methods will give the employee the recognition they deserve.

Day Out on the Town

Small businesses can do this more than large businesses since they have a smaller group of employees. If your team recently completed a major project or hit a milestone, consider going out as a group at the expense of the company. Go see a movie, attend a ballgame or even go shopping at the outlets together.

Employee recognition is not something to ignore. Your employees put in a ton of time each week and should be rewarded for a job well done.

Exit Interviews: Do you know why your employees are leaving?

HMG Success on September 24, 2015

Employees leave companies for many different reasons, but sometimes the HR team won’t be able to explain why past employees left. In some cases, employees leave for better advancement opportunities or because they are not happy with their current employer. The only way a company can know or learn why employees are leaving is by taking advantage of the exit interview, and then learning from this feedback.

Encourage Honesty

The next time you hold an exit interview, make sure you encourage honesty on the part of the employee who is leaving the company. Few employees will be brutally honesty during an exit interview, especially when leaving smaller companies, because they do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Try to encourage honesty as much as possible so the employee explains the exact reasons why they decided to leave.

Ask These Questions

The following questions should be asked of the employee during an exit interview:

What will you get from your new employer that you didn’t get from us?
How do you feel things went here for you?
How are your career goals being fulfilled at your new job?
Can you give us any suggestions for improvement?
Would you like to be notified of any opportunities here in the future?
Is there anything we could have done to prevent you from leaving?
In what areas did we come up short?

Reveal Undiscovered Problems

For all you know, there could be some major problems hiding at your company. The only way you can find out about these problems is via the exit interview. The questions from the previous section could help to reveal these problems, which could include issues with the culture and competition that continues to aggressively recruit your talent. An outgoing employee will be able to shed light on these issues and much more if you ask the right questions and encourage honesty.

Make Appropriate Changes

Once you conduct the exit interview, you should begin to make appropriate changes to the company. This could include improving the company’s culture, offering better benefits, increasing salaries and offering more opportunities for advancement.

Companies need to know why their employees leave for other opportunities. They also need to know if an issue at the office led to the employee searching for a new job. The exit interview is the perfect time to find out this information.

The Secret Key to Employee Development

HMG Success on September 15, 2015

Employee development is an important part of a business being successful, and it is also a hot topic right now. Companies are constantly looking for new ways to develop their employees into leaders, so they can promote them to management positions. Having employees who can move up the corporate ladder at the same company is a major goal of companies today. There is a secret key to employee development that can help almost any company solve this problem.

Change the Employee Performance Review

A common way to improve employee development at your company is to change the employee performance review. You do not have to change the review entirely, but it should be edited or altered in a way that the review is not just about evaluating the employee.

Even though most of a performance review involves discussing what the employee did wrong, or needs to improve upon, it also includes discussing what the employee did correctly. During the part of the evaluation where you discuss the positive aspects of the employee’s performance, be sure to talk about how they can develop within your company.

What’s In It for the Employee?

If you are considering changing the employee performance review, you must ask this question: What’s in it for the employee? Based on the job the employee has now, the track they can take within your organization, and how much experience they have, you can now determine the best method of development for the employee.

Tell employees during their review that the company is dedicated to their development and will help them develop in their career. Have a plan ready to discuss, because the employee is going to want to know what’s in it for them. The employee will want to learn something right now that they will be able to keep with them and use the rest of their career.

Find Out What the Employee Wants

Another option you have during the performance review is to find out what the employee wants. Maybe they have been thinking about career development and have an idea, but have not spoken up about it yet. If this is the case, the employee will be able to discuss their development idea with management or HR during the performance review. It is quite possible that the idea the employee has is right in line with the plan the company wants to implement.

In order to better develop your employees, think about changing the performance review to include discussions about development with each employee. Outline goals during the discussion and make sure employees know they are valued.

Where Are All the Temps Going? How to Make a Hiring Plan After Peak Season

HMG Success on September 8, 2015

As the busy season comes to a close, seasonal and temporary employees may be leaving to head back to college or to take other permanent jobs. This can reduce your staff dramatically, which can take a toll on the business and the employees who are left behind. How can you design a hiring plan after the peak season that supports year-round growth and new opportunities to bring on at least a portion of your temps? Here are some helpful tips to accomplish this.

1. Communicate with your temp agency in advance of your hiring goals

The sooner you can let your temporary agency know you intend to hire some of your seasonal workers on permanently, the better. This helps the temp agency screen all employees to find out if they are looking for something for now or for the long term.

2. Provide rewarding projects that challenge seasonal workers

One of the ways to identify employees who may be suitable for long-term hiring needs is to assign tasks and projects that challenge them. This often brings out the leaders in each group of temps, who may be looking for better work opportunities in the future.

3. Understand the skill and knowledge gaps you have

Your seasonal employees may possess the right skills and knowledge that you need to plan your staffing after the peak season passes by. Conduct a thorough analysis of the present skills of your team to find out where there are gaps. Then offer employment opportunities to your seasonal workers who have the right skills to close these gaps.

4. Offer to rehire seasonal workers for next year

You can plan your hiring by offering to rehire the seasonal workers who perform well and who express an interest in coming back again next year. Consider that some of your seasonal workers will be college students who will be looking for careers once they graduate. The sooner you can get them to commit to coming back, the better for your business.

5. Give seasonal workers an incentive to stay employed

If you want to hire at least a portion of your seasonal workers who have done well, you can also offer a sign-on bonus for those who accept permanent placement with your company. Try offering some employment perks too, like benefits and a new office environment to work in.

Use the above tips to help retain your best seasonal workers and boost your company growth as part of a smart recruitment plan. You can secure top seasonal and temp workers from Advance Staffing Solutions.

Your Perfect Hire is a Special Bond – How to Nurture It

HMG Success on August 27, 2015

It is not often that a company comes across a perfect hire, but when it does, it is important to nurture the relationship with that hire from the start. The company must build a bond, making it as strong as possible, so the employee stays with the company for the long haul. Nurturing the relationship with a perfect hire can be tricky, but it can be done.

Here, we will discuss three great ways for your company to nurture their relationship with a perfect hire.

1. Share Mutual Passions with the Employee

The old adage “opposites attract” really does not apply when a company is looking for the perfect hire. Companies rely on their employees having the same values and beliefs when it comes to business in order to succeed. When employees do not share the same views as the company, the culture and bottom line will suffer. Because of this, companies must look for employees who share like passions in order to turn them into perfect hires.

In terms of sharing like passions, two important ones are culture and the job opportunity. This can be determined during the job interview. If the candidate does not show enthusiasm for the job, they likely won’t change if hired. The same can be said for the office culture. If the candidate does not seem receptive to the company culture now, there’s a strong chance it will remain the same if hired.

2. Paint a Realistic Picture of the Company

The job interview is the first time you will present your company to a potential employee. It might make you a little nervous at first, but the more realistic a picture you paint, the more receptive the candidate will be to what you have to offer. As the interviewer, you cannot lie about the company or the job because eventually the truth will be set free. If you put on a front or lie, the candidate will likely decline your job offer and even warn others about applying in the future.

3. Seek the Whole Truth

Do your best to seek the truth when screening job candidates. This will help you down the road when cultivating relationships with any perfect hires. It is not uncommon for job seekers to tell tiny lies on their resumes or in their cover letters. You can check their honesty by looking into their social media profiles and other information found on the Internet. If none of it matches up, then you have an issue with honesty. If the candidate boasts how strong their communications skills are, and they submit a strong video resume, then you likely found a truthful candidate.

As you can see, it takes quite a bit to cultivate a relationship with a perfect hire, but the steps are well worth the positive outcome. By making this effort, your company will reap the rewards of a long and positive working relationship with your new hire and will get a good ROI from this.

5 Ways To Find Hardworking Millennials

HMG Success on August 18, 2015

Millennials are overtaking the workforce as baby boomers continue to retire, which is why companies are trying to find new ways to land hardworking millennials. Some are incredibly easy to find because they work internships with a company before receiving an offer of employment. Others might not be so easy to find because they do not want to be found, or are not actively looking for a new job. Use these five tips for finding hardworking millennials.

Check Their Hunger for a Job

One of the best ways to find a hardworking millennial is to check their hunger for a job. There are millennials out there who accept an entry-level job and then walk away from it two weeks to one month later because they feel that they are above the work they are doing, simply because of where they went to school. In order to avoid this type of behavior and attitude, you must perform a hunger check. Tell the candidate up front that they will be doing entry-level work, and if the conversation ends, so be it. If it doesn’t, you might have someone hungry for the job.

Brutal Honesty During the Interview Works

The second method to finding hardworking millennials is to be brutally honest with the candidate during the job interview. Explain to the candidate exactly what the job entails, what you don’t want at your office and what you do expect at the office in terms of behavior and attitude. If the candidate is still sitting there at the end of your speech, they must really want the job.

Be Open to Shaking Things Up

There are companies out there that love employing millennial workers because they know how to handle them. They are open to shaking things up at work. There is nothing wrong with being a fair boss who is also tough on employees. It is one of the best ways to get strong work from employees. In some instances, you have to be like a tough parent with millennials in order for them to perform at the levels they are truly capable of.

Candidates Show Themselves in Interviews

Whether you know it or not, candidates will show their true selves during job interviews. Even if you think they are putting on an act simply to impress you and receive the offer, at some point they will show you who they truly are. If this is the case, and it scares or frightens you, do not hire that candidate. You will only live to regret the decision.

Help Millennials Advance

Do your best to help millennials advance when you find strong ones, even if it means they climb the corporate ladder at a different company. This will help your company build a strong reputation for taking care of employees, which will make it easier to recruit top talent in the future.

Try to use all five of these methods in order to bring in the best talent possible for your company. If you need more help finding and bringing talented millennials or other employees into your workplace, contact Advance Staffing Solutions today!

Making Temporary Employees Feel Welcome in Your Workplace

HMG Success on August 13, 2015

Why do many temporary employees feel awkward and unwanted on the job? Temporary employees generally don’t receive the same attention that permanent hires get, because they are here one day, gone the next. Managers and employees view them as, well, temporary — so no one takes the time to welcome them to the company. Many temps arrive on their first day and get little more than a second glance from other employees.

The problem with this is that the company is losing out on the productivity and performance that a temporary employee can provide if they are made to feel welcome. Investing in an onboarding process for temps is important to the success of an organization. In fact, a temp could become your next great hire so making a positive impression on them from day-one is good for your business.

Here are some ways to make temp employees feel more welcome and valued in your workplace.

Host a temporary orientation session
Just because someone may be only working for a short period of time for your organization, it’s not OK to skimp on a formal orientation. On the first day of contract work, greet the temp at the front door, show them around the workplace, introduce them to a few key people, and then guide them to an orientation room. If you can group a few temps together, this is even better. Go over the company background, the temp assignment requirements and any special company rules and guidelines.
Assign a team mentor
For each temp employee, you should assign a more-seasoned employee who can help support this transition into working for your company. This person will be a mentor and will be training the temp on the basic tasks of the assignment for the first few days. Then the mentor will check the temp’s work, give appropriate feedback, and report the progress to the immediate supervisor. Other employees can help this process too, by providing positive feedback and praise to the temp.
Provide a welcoming work environment
The work environment has as much to do with the temporary employee’s experience. Create a welcoming area for the temp between or near other friendly employees. Give the temp a clean and clutter-free workstation. Encourage the temp to decorate their work space as they like, to give it a personal touch. Provide a comfortable chair, good lighting, and an ergonomic work surface for completing tasks. Have all technology ready to use, company office supplies handy, and a special handbook waiting on their desk to welcome them to their new job.
Offer the temp a free lunch on the first day
Temps often feel strange about eating lunch on their first day on the job, so you can lessen their worries by offering a free catered lunch to your new worker. Breaking bread with your temps can also help to make others feel welcomed and comfortable. Make it a point to help the temp feel included in any group lunches or outings from here on out, too.
Check in daily with each temporary employee
To help the temp employee to feel welcomed and supported, touch base in person or by phone at least once a day near the end of the shift. Over time, decrease this to once a week and as needed. The temporary employee will be glad to report their work, ask questions, and get help if needed. This makes them feel welcomed and part of the company objectives.

Need help onboarding temps at your workplace? Let Advance Staffing Solutions do the hard work for you, and you can reap all the benefits of top-notch temporary employees!