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How to Be Anything But Average in Your Career

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

How to Be Anything But Average in Your Career

Let’s face it – nobody really wants to be “average” at anything, much less a career. This is the place where one doesn’t get noticed, doesn’t get promoted, and certainly doesn’t earn the kind of money that’s desired. Why be average when you can be spectacular? Read on for some tips on how to be anything but ho-hum in your career.

Build a strong career brand

Every individual has something special that can help them to stand out from others in a career. Take the time to evaluate your unique background, knowledge, and interests. Then leverage these factors to create a new career brand. You can develop this brand by establishing a personal blog and social networks to share your expertise. In everything that you do at work and in your career, be mindful of the personal and professional brand you are developing.

Get some extra training

Elevate your present skills by tapping into free and low cost learning opportunities that are out there. And there are many. From Udemy classes to community education sessions held at local colleges, there are many ways to learn new skills that can take your career from boring to brilliant. Make sure to let your boss know you are interested in learning more in case the company also has some employee training opportunities available.

Be known as the go-to expert

To stand out as a professional in any industry, work hard to be known as an expert in some area that’s valued by your employer. Learning new things has a lot to do with this, but also a commitment to excellence in your work. For example, you could be known for being a stickler for details and everyone will come to you to review their documents before they are published. Try learning some new tricks to make your work better or more efficient. Share new ideas and ask for time to prove they are better for the company.

Take on something new

You don’t have to stay in an average career for long, if you do at least one thing right – ask for something new in your job. That’s right. Stop waiting around for a promotion and go after it by taking on new responsibilities and trying new projects. Your boss will be impressed by your willingness to advance in your career, you will be seen as a leader by your peers, and your skills will continue to grow. You can leverage this to take on a better job in the future.

Your career is only going to be as thrilling as you choose it to be. Step outside of mediocrity and into a career that offers personal and professional reward.

 

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You’re Losing Top Talent Because…

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

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A certain amount of employee turnover is to be expected, particularly in tough industries that chew up and spit out people on a regular basis. But, when turnover rates remain high or become unusually high; there’s a problem. As a human resource or recruitment professional engaged in the active pursuit of talent, the issue of losing top talent can become a frustrating and costly issue.

Asking yourself why you are losing top talent to the competition? Here’s some of the hidden reasons this may be happening.

Not offering the best possible compensation

The number one reason why employees leave companies, according to workforce surveys, is because they do not believe they are being paid fairly. To prevent the loss of your best talent, make sure that all job types are matched to current salary surveys for the skills, knowledge, and region they exist. Provide above-industry benefits and other perks of employment.

Did not use an onboarding process

Not having a formal onboarding process for new hires is a recipe for disaster. It sets employees up for failure, even months after they are working for your company, because they feel lost and have no clear direction. If you match employees up with more seasoned employees, after a brief onboarding week, your talent is less likely to slip through the cracks. The extra bonus is that they can be more productive sooner.

Forgot to prepare managers to do their jobs well

People often leave companies over conflicts with managers and team leaders. When this is the case, and they do not feel supported by a manager who is interested in their career success, the only alternative is to seek employment elsewhere. To prevent losing talent this way, provide career training for managers on a continual basis, and have an open-door policy for mediating any employee and management problems in a safe environment.

Neglected to provide promotional opportunities

Most working professionals want to move up the corporate ladder. If you want to keep good people, then it seems like a no-brainer to provide opportunities to be promoted into higher positions in the organization. Not doing this well? Then it’s probably in your best interest to start doing some succession planning efforts around the workplace.

The company mission statement is out of sync with the culture

Perhaps your employees are leaving because what they thought was a good match for their work style, based on your corporate culture, is really not the case? Take a good long look at what your mission statement and vision is about, then evaluate whether or not your corporate culture fits into this context. If not, it could be time to survey your employees to come up with better ways of communicating and promoting the work culture that fits the mission of your company.

 

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When is the Right Time to Start Planning Your Hiring?

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

When is the Right Time to Start Planning Your Hiring

Running a company is incredibly difficult, and one of the most important parts of it is hiring new employees. Many companies tend to wonder when the right time is for planning the next round of hiring. The simple answer is … now! Companies need to put together their hiring plans as soon as possible in order to prepare for unexpected staffing needs. The sooner you have the plan created, the easier it will be to implement the plan when the times comes. Below, we will discuss when the right time is and how to create that plan.

 

Look at the Present Workforce

 

When you begin to put together a hiring plan, take a long look at your present workforce. There is nothing written in stone that you need to find a new employee from outside the organization. In fact, there might be some diamonds in the rough within your current workforce. Give a current employee a chance to improve their skills by promoting them to an open position that you might otherwise fill from outside the company. Invest in the job satisfaction of your current employees in order to put together a plan that helps you find future employees based on collaboration.

 

Develop a Plan That Meets Two Needs

 

Your hiring plan must meet two different needs for your company. Those two needs are staffing for the present and staffing for how you see your company growing in the future. When you have a hiring plan in place, you make it easier to deal with the risks and costs of hiring part-time, full-time, permanent, temporary or temp-to-hire employees. Your hiring plan will be able to ensure that hiring is consistent across all of the departments within the company. The plan needs to have a process for hiring in the present and in the future when you need to expand.

 

Perform an Analysis of Jobs at Your Company

 

An important part of putting together a hiring plan is to perform an analysis of the jobs at your company right now. Even though a job might open up, does it need to be filled immediately? Take a look at how it might fit into your company’s plans in the near future. How did the job fit into the company’s plans in the past? Was the job more effective in the past? Will it be more effective if it is altered in the future? Take a long, hard look at all of the jobs at your company and analyze them when putting together a hiring plan.

The definitive answer to the question posed in the title of this article is that now is the right time to start planning your hiring. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to find new talent.

 

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Simple Ways to Promote Employee Loyalty and Motivation

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

As an HR manager, it is part of your job to promote loyalty and motivation within the workplace. These are two items that are needed in order to keep employees engaged so they can be productive. If you want to prevent employees from leaving for greener pastures, then make sure that loyalty and motivation are on the top of your to-do list.

Here, we will discuss how you can promote these two aspects so employees don’t start looking for a new job.

Improve Hiring Practices

The easiest answer to promoting loyalty and motivation among employees is to improve hiring practices. This is easier said than done for most companies, because it is nearly impossible to avoid making bad hires. No matter how intricate and in-depth your screening process is, every now and then a bad candidate will slip through the cracks and wind up receiving an offer of employment. Always keep in mind that happy employees will be less likely to search for work elsewhere.

Offer Strong Benefits Package

Not every company will offer employees a strong benefits package. This is a major reason why employees are unhappy with their job and tend to find work elsewhere. Your company needs to offer a strong benefits package in order to keep employees happy and loyal to your company. The package should include health insurance, a 401(k) plan, vision, dental and other perks. Paid time off, sick days and bonuses can also be lumped into this section because they are all benefits to some extent.

Access to Ongoing Training

Companies that offer their employees different types of training will find that their employees are loyal and motivated to succeed. Employees want to learn new skills and further their careers as much as possible. Training can either be offered in the office or at an off-site location. Some companies even help their employees pay for college classes if they choose to go back to school for an advanced degree.

Reward Strong Performances

If your company is in dire need of loyalty and motivation from employees, consider rewarding strong performances. This can be done by installing a rewards program that sends out gifts to employees once per quarter, or you can pick and choose when to reward employees for a job well done. Rewards can include extra paid time off, gift cards to local businesses, tickets to sporting events or concerts and even a plaque or an assigned parking spot.

Competitive Compensation

Even though it is the most important part of keeping employees happy, we still need to mention that your company must provide employees with a competitive salary and benefits. If employees working the same jobs are being paid more at another company, you will likely need to fill those jobs quite often due to high turnover.

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It is not difficult to keep employees loyal and motivated in today’s workplace. So long as you offer workers one or more of the items discussed in this post, you should see an increase in loyalty and a drop in turnover rate.

3 Good Reasons to Turn Down a Job Offer

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

As a job seeker, it can be easy to jump at a job offer as soon as possible. After all, you’ve been applying and interviewing everywhere and it’s taking a long time to get one. However, not every job offer is lined in gold. Some may lead to disaster for your personal life and for your career.

It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of every job offer before you accept it. Why is this important? There are several reasons, and today we will talk about the three valid reasons you may want to turn down a job offer that you’ve received.

#1 – The company has a history of failing

A job offer may seem wonderful at first, until you dig a little deeper into the company itself. A huge red flag would be a company that has a history of failing in many ways. This could be a high turnover rate among employees due to no work life balance, or it could be a company that has a shoddy financial history of layoffs and being bought out by other companies. If the company has posted financial earnings and stock reports in the last quarter or two, you can review this to see how the company is performing. Take the time to review company ratings online and you may see a pattern of problems.

#2 – The money isn’t even close to being enough

If the job offer has come with a very disappointing salary attached to it, take the time to negotiate for a higher compensation now before you accept it. Failure to do so could lock you into a job that pays a lot less than you need to support yourself and your family. This will lead to resentment and financial stress. It’s possible to go online and research salaries before walking into an interview so that you can discuss this before the job offer comes. Follow your gut on this and do not accept a job offer that pays far below what you deserve. A better job that pays more is out there.

#3 – The job is another dead end road

When people get desperate for any job they often accept a job offer that does not offer much room for advancement. Don’t get caught in this trap. Find out from the recruiter what the career path looks like for this job. Get the job description in writing during an interview or when the offer is made. Let the recruiter know that you are looking for long-term career success and the opportunity to learn more in the industry. Find out how this job will enable you to grow in your career. If it looks like it will be a dead-end job, run in the other direction.

Perhaps one of the best ways to get a great job offer is to work through a staffing agency with caring representatives who will be focused on helping you land a job that is well matched to your skills and aspirations. Often times, a staffing agency can negotiate a much better job offer then if you tried to do this on your own. You can even work temporary assignments until a better job offer comes. So, never settle for a bad job offer – instead connect with Advance Staffing Solutions for career support.

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

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

Exit Interviews

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.

 

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

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

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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.

 

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Why Resilience Is a Sought-After Job Skill

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

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If you’ve spent a long time searching for a job, you know how important resilience is as a personality trait. Being able to hang in there and bend as things change can also help you in any career you choose. In fact, this is a trait that is often sought after by hiring companies. Learn how demonstrating resilience can support your journey towards a wonderful job and career, and how to develop this trait.

Waiting is just a part of being an adult

Being resilient is a trait that adults develop over time and experience. If you can be patient, wait for the right moment, and bounce back when things don’t go the way you expect, you are most likely a well-adjusted adult. This is a good sign. Be ready to talk about circumstances where you were able to demonstrate resilience on a job.

Resilience is a trait all leaders have

Think about some of the leaders of industry you’ve heard or read about: The one character trait they’ve all had was the ability to be resilient in the face of the impossible. Want some inspiration? Read about Richard Branson, the Founder and CEO of Virgin Airlines, or Henry Ford, the Founder of Ford Motors. They failed over and over again, but eventually they found amazing success.

Employers are looking for loyal employees

Another reason to develop and demonstrate resilience as a work trait is that employers want to hire people for the long term. They invest much in recruitment costs and efforts, therefore if they can keep an employee on board for a while, they’ve earned a nice return on this investment. Resilience shows you have what it takes to stick it out, even when things become a challenge.

Make sure you highlight and explain key examples of times when you have been resilient. And also be prepared to show this on your resume. Being resilient also means keeping up with your job search and treating it like a job, taking on temp assignments, and staying active in the business world.

 

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Can You Become a Respected Leader Overnight?

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

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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.

 

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Scared of December New Grads? Make Sure That You’re Not Discriminating on Age

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

DecemberGrads

 

This is the time of year when a whole group of new college grads will begin looking for work. With an influx of new graduates in the job market, it is important that employers are aware of ways that they can avoid discriminating based on age. Age discrimination in the workplace is something that you want to shy away from at all costs. People are staying in the workforce longer, and this can be difficult to deal with. The type of industry that your business is in will have a major influence on the amount of ageism that exists.

What is Ageism?

In order to make sure that you are not discriminating based on age, it is important that you are aware of what ageism really means. Ageism is essentially age discrimination and can be seen in the workplace in a number of different ways. If the decision to hire or not hire an employee is based on age, this is an example of ageism in the workplace. Age is not something that should be relevant in the workplace. There are a number of reasons why a business might benefit from making age a factor, but this is not something that should play a role in the hiring process.

Avoid Ageism

It is important that all businesses are aware of the ways in which they can avoid ageism in the workplace. This means that businesses need to be aware of all local and national ageism laws that are in place. Being knowledgeable is always the first step. It is important that you are not hiring people who you shouldn’t be. This might not seem plausible, but it is much more common than you might realize. There is a minimum age requirement and you need to be sure that you are always following this law. It is important that you always ask for proof of age before your hire potential employees.

Advertising

It is also important to be aware of the role that advertising has in the age of potential employees that come applying for jobs. The way in which you choose to advertise your business can play a big role in the age of applicants that you see. This means that the way you advertise jobs could make it look like your business has an age discrimination issue, when it really simply gets one type of applicant.

 

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How to Hire the Best of December’s New Grads

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

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New grads don’t have a uniform approach to seeking jobs. Some grads would prefer to work for large companies while some would be happy enough if they get a job. Usually, the best grads will be selective and they wouldn’t have to reach out to many companies because the companies will reach out to them. If you want to hire the best of December’s new grads, then you must have a strategy. You cannot expect the best grads to walk in for interviews, unless your company is a brand that is high on the list of preferred organizations to work for.

Here are a few strategies that can help you to hire the best of December’s new grads:

  • Roll out an internship program for undergrads. This is the best policy to hire talent at affordable wages or stipends. You would be able to assess the potential of undergrads. There are many grads who have otherwise done well in their exams and may have some accolades from their colleges or universities but whether or not they are ready for the jobs being offered is a different context altogether. By having interns and then hiring them when they graduate, you would know exactly who you are hiring, what their strengths and weaknesses are. Grads too would prefer this as they can have some continuity in their career. There is an increasing difference between educated youth and those who are educated and ready for the professional challenges.
  • Campus placements or onsite job interviews are instrumental if you wish to hire the best of December’s new grads. Every year, major companies fan out across the length and breadth of the country and try to tap the best talent in respective niches. As a company, you must target the relevant universities and conduct campus placements. You can work with the career center at a college or some students associations to facilitate such arrangements. You can conduct job fairs at colleges to generate some interest.
  • There are many staffing agencies or recruitment companies that specialize in hiring graduates. You can contract such recruitment firms that will send you a select collection of resumes of new grads who have the potential to work in the specific jobs you have to offer. These recruitment firms know exactly where to source the best grads from and will tick the checkboxes or criteria you have. Advance Staffing Solutions keeps a pulse on the top graduates and helps them find matching careers in the fields of their choice.

Need help hiring new grads, or any new candidates? Contact Advance Staffing Solutions today and let us place your next superstar employee tomorrow.

 

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Can You Answer This “Off-the-Wall” Interview Question?

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

January_2016_Off-the-Wall

Going into any interview, it’ expected that you will be asked a series of common interview questions. Things like: “what are your weaknesses”, “why should we hire you”, “why do you want to work here”, “what are your goals”, “why did you leave your past job”, “what can you do for us that other candidates can’t”, “what are three positive things your last boss would say about you”, “what salary are you seeking” and technical questions relevant for the job or to your profile. But, as a smart job seeker, you can also expect and plan for some of the more unusual interview question you may be asked.

Examples off the wall interview questions

There are many odd questions that some interviewers like to pose. You may be asked what would you do if you were the one survivor in a plane crash, what’s your favorite 90s jam, if you woke up and had 2,000 unread emails and could only answer 300 of them how would you choose which ones to answer, who would win in a fight between Spiderman and Batman, if you had a machine that produced $100 dollars for life what would you be willing to pay for it today, what did you have for breakfast, describe the color yellow to somebody who’s blind, if you were asked to unload a 747 full of jelly beans what would you do, and how many people flew out of Chicago last year, among others.

While preparing for a job interview, you need to be ready to face all kinds of odds. Every question being asked has a specific reason and you need to focus on that. The trick is not to answer the question “correctly” but to use it to your advantage, so you can present a certain trait of yours while answering.

For instance, here is an off the wall interview question that can be quite puzzling but it is extremely simple to answer.

“If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?”

Many job seekers get perplexed and they start imagining Superman, Batman, Iron man, Spiderman, Hulk and Thor or perhaps the more realistic Hawk Eye. The question doesn’t pertain to fictional superheroes but real life superheroes. The question basically pertains to the most special quality you have. Tony Stark may be infamous for his idiosyncrasies but he is Iron Man and it is the suit that makes him the superhero, of course along with his grasp of technology.

If you were a superhero, your superpower has to be your biggest strength. For some people it could be enthusiasm while for some it could be curiosity. For some, it could be knowledge and for others it could be experience. Anything that you think is your most important attribute or strength is the answer.

Want help preparing for your next interview, or need help even finding an interview? Contact the staffing pros at Advance Staffing Solutions today!

 

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