 You’ve probably asked yourself this question at some point in your career: “Why do I need a resume? I have a LinkedIn profile, after all. Can’t I just direct people to my LinkedIn profile and forget about my resume?” (Actually, that’s more than one question . . . but you get the idea.)
While it might be tempting to believe that the resume is outdated in this new and modern employment marketplace, it simply is not the case. The resume is as important as ever in terms of helping employers screen candidates during the hiring process. What has happened, though, is that LinkedIn has “joined the party,” so to speak. This means that as a professional, you must pay ample amounts of attention to both your resume and your LinkedIn profile. That’s probably not the answer for which you were hoping, but it is the one that is the most firmly rooted in reality. Let’s start with the issue of how often you should keep your resume and LinkedIn profile updated. The answer is as often as you can! However, it’s unrealistic to think that you’re going to update both every month or so. What’s more likely is updating them once every quarter or once every six months. There are some obvious times when you should update your resume and LinkedIn profile. Those times include the following:
While those are the obvious times to update your resume and LinkedIn profile, it’s a good idea to update during other times, as well. These updates don’t have to be very big. However, in the interest of making yourself look as good as possible, small tweaks here and there can go a long way. You should also update your resume and LinkedIn profile when you want to:
And then we have the reason that nobody really likes to discuss. You should keep your resume and LinkedIn profile consistently up-to-date in the unlikely event that you are laid off. Yes, we’re currently in a candidates’ market and we’re light-years away from the Great Recession. But things happen. In this world of mergers and acquisitions, you never know what the future will bring. And in case it brings unexpected unemployment, you’ll have the twin weapons of your updated resume and LinkedIn profile to help you rejoin the workforce. And there’s another reason that you should update and use both your resume and your LinkedIn profile. That reason is this: because hiring managers use both. Specifically, a hiring manager will look at your resume. Then they will go to LinkedIn and find your profile. What’s important to them is that your resume and the profile reflect the same information. If there are discrepancies, then that might signify a “red flag” in their mind. (And of course, they’ll also probably try to find you on other social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter. But that’s a story for another day.) So the bottom line is that when it comes to your resume vs. your LinkedIn profile, both are important. So don’t fool yourself into thinking that the resume is an outdated tool. You need it—and your LinkedIn profile—to reach your career goals and potential. 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! While it’s true that the economy is good overall and we’re in a candidates’ market right now, there are still things that candidates must do during the hiring process to stand out.
Yes, job seekers have more employment options at their disposal. However, as a candidate, you still want to be hired by an organization that is offering a premium employment opportunity. To receive an offer from that organization, though, there is a certain protocol involved. Those job seekers and candidates who recognize that protocol and follow it give themselves a much better chance of receiving an offer of employment and enjoying professional success. Now, of course, employers want the requisite amount of experience and the proper skills in the candidates they’re considering. That should go without saying. (Although we’re going to say it, anyway.) No, what we’re talking about here is what they’re looking for beyond that. Let’s assume for the moment that the candidates in question already have what is necessary in terms of skills and experience. With that in mind, below are five things that employers really want from job seekers and candidates during the hiring process: #1—Honesty It all starts here, and honesty starts on your resume. And keep in mind that exaggerations are a form of dishonesty. Don’t be tempted to make yourself look better than you are. But be sure to state your value and also quantify it. This also applies to the face-to-face interview. It’s all about value. Tell the truth about yours and enhance your candidacy. Don’t lie about it and derail your candidacy. #2—The ability (and willingness) to communicate You want the hiring manager to communicate well with you during the hiring process, so can you really blame the hiring manager for wanting the same from you? No, you can not. If something changes with your situation or there’s information that the hiring manager should know, then you should communicate that information as quickly as you can. This is professional courtesy. Even if it could be considered bad news, you should communicate it! #3—Follow-up Once again, you want follow-up from the hiring manager, and they want the same from you. If you say that you’re going to do something, they expect you to actually do it. This includes showing up for a phone screening or a face-to-face interview. Doing what you say you’re going to do is very important during the hiring process. #4—Decisiveness This is a trait that employers look for in potential new employees. As a result, they also look for it in the job seekers and candidates that they interview. Being decisive is a valuable characteristic, while being indecisive is not. That’s why you should do more than just say that you’re decisive. You’re going to have to show it, as well, and this includes the offer of employment. If an offer is made, the employer expects you to be decisive about it. #5—Commitment Speaking of the offer of employment, if you accept it, then you’re making a commitment to the organization that offered it. If you accept an offer, you should not accept an offer from another employer if they extend one to you after the fact. A commitment is just that: a commitment. It’s the equivalent of giving your word. 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! Organizations are always on the lookout for top-performing individuals, candidates who can become new employees and drastically impact the bottom line. However, what about current employees?
Of course, you want to retain your best employees. And once you hire more good employees, you want to retain them, too. But what if you have underperforming employees in your organization? How should you deal with them? First of all, how do you spot such employees? In actuality, that is rather easy:
And this is just a starter list. It’s plenty, though, if you’re looking to identify employees who are underperforming. Now, there are basically two types of underperforming employees: those that an organization removes relatively quickly and those that stick around for a while. You might wonder about the latter scenario. Why would an organization allow an underperforming employee to remain on the payroll for an extended period of time if they’ve been underperforming for nearly the entirety of that time? There is a litany of reasons, including the following:
However, all of these reasons are past considerations. What’s important is the present (and the future). That’s why management must deal with and address underperforming employees, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done in the past. With all of this in mind, below is a three-pronged plan of attack for dealing with underperforming employees: #1—Investigate. It’s always good to gather as much information as you possibly can about the situation. Perhaps the person is enduring a tough personal setback or something else about which you do not know. Sit down with the employee and have a conversation. Ask them if there’s something they need in order to do their job better and if they’re enjoying their work. They might just come right out and tell you what’s wrong. #2—Make suggestions for improvement. Try the collaborative approach. Secure their buy-in regarding the changes that are needed. If possible, put together a plan that both of you can implement and execute. #3—Challenge the employee to improve their performance. This is where you set concrete expectations for the employee, especially if you do assemble a plan together. They need to know what is expected of them. And it should also be inferred that there will be consequences if they do not meet expectations in a timely manner. There could be any number of reasons why employees within your organization are not engaged. If there appears to be many of them, perhaps there is a problem within the organization. It could indicate a troubling trend that needs to be addressed at a deeper level. 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! Believe it or not, we’re halfway through 2022. (That happened rather quickly, didn’t it?)
This is a good time to take stock of your employment situation and also your career. It’s a time to reflect on what has happened during the past six months and contemplate the rest of the year. It’s only human nature to do so. However, this should not be a “head in the clouds” day-dreaming type of endeavor. It should be taken seriously if you’d like it to have a positive impact on your life, both personally and professionally. (Because they’re not exactly separate—your professional life definitely has an impact on your personal life.) We’ve addressed the topic of being and feeling comfortable before and how being comfortable and clinging to the status quo can actually be a hindrance to your career. There is a difference between being comfortable and being satisfied. Being comfortable means you don’t have to put forth maximum effort to maintain your employment or the way of life that your employment provides for you. Being satisfied, on the other hand, is reflective of a feeling of achievement, the knowledge that you’ve accomplished something that you wanted to accomplish. Being comfortable is based in the status quo and basically doing what you’ve always done and staying right where you are. Being satisfied is rooted in achievement and moving forward in the pursuit of greater things. So the question, as we sit here hallway through the year, is this one: how satisfied are you in your current position and with your current employer? It’s a valid question, one that many people are asking themselves right now. But how you answer the question is even more important than the simple act of asking it in the first place. Your beliefs and your feelings shape your attitude about your job and employer. In other words, they affect your satisfaction. In turn, there are six factors that directly affect your beliefs and your feelings . . . which as we’ve pointed out, affect your satisfaction. Below are the six factors by which you should gauge your job satisfaction before the end of the year: #1—Job security Is the organization on sound financial footing? Is there the possibility there might be a merger or acquisition? These are valid questions. Even if the economy is good, thing happen outside of your control that can jeopardize your job security. #2—Work-life balance This has become increasingly important during the last few years. In fact, for some professionals, it’s even more important than starting salary and benefits. Do you work to live . . . or live to work? #3—Relationship with boss or supervisor You’re probably heard the expression, “People don’t quit their job; they quit their boss.” By and large, that expression is true. #4—The level to which your contributions are recognized If you provide value and contribute to the organization in a positive fashion, how are your contributions recognized? Are they recognized at all? Are you satisfied with that level of recognition? #5—Compensation and benefits For many people, this is not #1 on the list. That’s why we have it here. These days, people crave a lot more than just money and benefits. However, it is a consideration and has a place in this analysis. #6—Company culture This has also become increasingly more important in recent years. This includes both how you interact with colleagues and co-workers and what the organization itself does to foster a positive company culture. What are your beliefs and feelings regarding these six factors? Are you satisfied with all six as they pertain to your current employment situation? Do they prove that you’re merely comfortable and perhaps not truly satisfied? 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! |
