 Imagine this scenario:
You walk into work on Monday morning. Your boss comes to see you, and he says this: “I want to meet in five minutes to discuss the career goals of every member of your team. Oh, and one more thing. If you don’t know what they are, you’re fired.” What would your reaction be? Turnover is almost impossible to prevent 100% of the time, despite the latest and greatest retention techniques and tools. It’s always tragic when a supervisor loses a key player on their team. However, it’s the reason behind the loss that can turn a tragedy into a catastrophe. Not knowing your employees’ career goals and ambitions and not helping them to achieve those goals and ambitions should absolutely, positively never be a reason that a key member of your team leaves to go to another company (quite possibly your chief competitor). It all comes down to what you can influence and what you can’t. There are some reasons an employee leaves that you have no influence over—say, they move to the other side of the country to care for an elderly parent. But you can and should have a direct influence over how an employee perceives their position with your company as an avenue to reach their goals. This is an effective retention technique, but one that requires you to be pro-active. More than likely, employees aren’t just going to come into your office and start gushing about their long-range career goals. For one, they probably don’t know how you’ll react. It’s your job to “break the ice” and get to the heart of the matter. It’ll be better for both of you in the long run. The old adage that you’ll never know until you ask is certainly true in this instance. And the information you gain by asking is crucial to the retention process. Not only that, the fact that you’re asking your team members about their goals will help to cultivate loyalty with those employees, simply because you’re showing that you value them and their careers and that you’re interested in investing in their future. And the more loyal they are, the less likely they’ll leave. So here’s your assignment: meet with every member of your team individually. Broach the subject of their career and the goals they’ve set for themselves. Brainstorm ways that the company can help them to achieve those goals. Make sure that the employee is fully participating in the process, and make sure that you’re showing enthusiasm. If you’re excited about how the company can help them, then they’ll be excited about how the company can help them. Remember, non-excited employees become former employees. If possible, set a concrete plan of action. For example, perhaps the employee would benefit from additional or different duties, ones that more accurately fit their plans but would still benefit the company. You’re only limited by your imagination, and since the employee is fully vested in the process, ideas should be plentiful. (So long as you create an environment that’s conducive to sharing, that is.) Retaining key employees becomes easier when you identify what they really want, and one thing they want is to know that the company they work for considers them valuable enough to invest in—now and in the future. Don’t let a golden opportunity to increase retention pass you and your company by. Find out as soon as possible what your employees’ plans are—before you find out the hard way. Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%. Contact Time Staffing today to find out more about our placement services for employers! Asking questions is an important part of a face-to-face interview, not only to find out more about the company, but also as an approach for building a relationship with people who might be future colleagues (and even your future boss).
While some questions are easier to ask than others, asking the more difficult questions can definitely help you get to know the company and the people with whom you might be working. Below are five difficult and awkward questions that you should ask during your interview: #1—“How would you describe the company culture?” The more you know about the culture—and by extension, your potential colleagues—the less likely it is that you’ll regret taking the position. In addition, asking this question will show your interest about not just the job itself, but also the people who work at the company. #2—“On what areas should I focus my development?” This question shows that you’re a bold thinker and demonstrates that you’re more than happy to change and improve yourself. What’s the worst-case scenario? You discover that there are gaps in your development that are holding you back from this position. That information will certainly help you during future interviews. #3—“Are you optimistic about the company's future?” This question shows that you care about the future of the company, and it will also help you decide if you want to take the position. These days, one of the most important considerations for candidates is whether or not a company has a bright future. People want to work for companies with vision, potential for growth, and room for advancement. #4—“Why do customers choose your company?” This is another way for you to know more about the organization and its future. You may get answers that are similar to what you’ve seen on the company website, but you might also receive a completely different answer from the person conducting the interview. #5—“Is there flexibility related to dress, work hours, vacation schedule, etc.?” It’s typically not a good idea to ask questions about salary or vacation schedule during the first interview. However, when you’ve received a formal offer of employment, that’s a different matter altogether. You have the right to ask any questions, but just remember to do your homework first and approach your questions in an appropriate manner. Once you miss the chance, it will be difficult for you to bring up a conversation about these items or to make any changes. Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%. Contact us today to find out more about the employment opportunities that are available in your chosen field! Quick--what are your company’s core values?
How quickly were you able to list them? Were you able to list all of them? Or just some of them? Your answer to the above question is crucial to your company’s ability to attract and retain great workers in today’s market. Money, compensation, challenging work, and opportunities for advancement are all important factors for job candidates when they’re making their final decision, but how much they identify with a company’s core values often seals the deal. Workers are looking for an all-around fit. What they really want is a place where they feel comfortable, a company that fits as well with them as they do with it. There are companies all around the country that are having trouble hiring because the candidates don’t believe they’re a “core values” fit for them. So where do you start? By finding out exactly what your company’s core values are. If you already know because they’re practiced and preached on a regular basis, congratulations. You and your company are ahead of the curve. However, if you’re only partially certain or if you’ve never even heard the words “core values” spoken at your company, it’s time to find out what they are. This might involve some investigation, but it will pay off in the long run. Remember, these are the criteria against which many applicants are measuring you. If a candidate asked during an interview if your company offered health insurance for its employees, “I don’t know” wouldn’t be an acceptable answer. The same principle applies to core values. The second step is to ensure that the company is living out its values at every level of operation. This entails, of course, making sure that everybody in the organization knows exactly what they are and how they’re expected to be carried out. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, including through the company newsletter, signs and posters, and even in a “core values” employee booklet. And it’s essential that they’re also listed, in some form, on the company’s website. What it comes down to is this: if you don’t believe in your company’s values, how do you expect a current—or prospective—employee to believe in them? What do you need to do differently? To do more of? Less of? How can you weave the company’s core values into its everyday transactions and activities? Asking these questions and formulating answers to them can dramatically increase your chances of hiring better in today’s challenging job market. Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%. Contact Time Staffing today to find out more about our placement services for employers! Almost everybody has moments when they feel they don’t like their job. However, what should you do if you feel like you hate your job... and you just started it?
How can you “smooth out the rough edges” of such a situation? Well, there are five things you can do: #1—Figure out exactly what is bothering you. Try to pinpoint what you don’t like about the position and employer. Keep a work journal to discover what may be ailing you. Writing out your issues and concerns will help you make sense of why you feel the way you do. Also ask yourself, “Is the dissatisfaction I feel now greater than the dissatisfaction I felt in the previous job, company, or career?” #2—Have a frank conversation with your new boss. Think carefully and know what you want before you ask for it. You might inquire about different work assignments, a new reporting structure, or maybe even moving to a different team entirely. Also keep in mind that there are a lot of variables at play in such a situation, including your role, your experience level, your boss, and the size of the company. As a result, be prepared to be flexible. #3—Give it time. Starting a new job is always difficult. Everyone struggles to make connections, understand the company and its culture, and develop relationships, so try to have realistic expectations for the transition and don’t make any irrational decisions. Unless you’re in an unsafe situation, there’s no reason to give up on the new job immediately. Give yourself at least six months before deciding to go somewhere else. #4—Start networking. If you’re convinced that you’re in the wrong job at the right company, get to know people in other departments so that you can ask polite questions about whether people there are happy, how they ended up there, and whether there are positions that might better fit your interests and skills. Developing a personal network within the company is one of the smartest things you can do if you want to stay there, but in a different role. Remember, people will typically hire people they know and trust over external candidates. #5—Launch a casual job search. Launching a job search can be as simple as just looking around at what postings are out there or putting out feelers to people in your network. You might start getting useful data about the market that will push you one way or the other. Even just taking small steps can sometimes make an unhappy job more bearable. If possible, try not to quit your current job without having something else lined up first. You might be feeling some regret at the moment, but all is not lost. Follow the steps outlined above, and take your job in the direction you want it to go! Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%. Contact us today to find out more about the employment opportunities that are available in your chosen field! |
