​It doesn't matter if you're working a temporary assignment or a direct hire assignment. You want to prove yourself to be a valuable employee. You want your employer to value you so that they:
 

• Give you a raise, bonus, and/or promotion.
• Give you a glowing reference later in your career if you eventually move on.

 
In other words, you want to enhance your employment tenure. You want to make it the best that it can be. (Or at the very least, you should want to make it the best that it can be.)
 
One way to accomplish this, of course, is to be productive. This involves helping the company make money or helping it to save money. There are big ways to do this, including with an innovative idea or a strategy that allows you to accomplish more in a shorter period of time.
 
However, there are also "little things" that can be done. These "little things" may appear to be less impactful, but when you add them up, they definitely have an impact on how your employment is viewed by management, and by extension, on your employment tenure.
 
Below are five "little things" that can make a big difference:
 
#1 - Arriving on time
 
This one should be easy. However, it's not easy for everybody or everybody would arrive at work on time. If you're one of the people who can do this consistently, then you're adding to the value you provide and enhancing your employment tenure in the long run. If you're not one of these people, then you should become one of these people.
 
#2 - Staying late to finish work (if necessary).
 
Yes, you'd like to punch out when you're supposed to punch out. But what if something is nearly finished and needs to be finished? Putting aside your burning desire to leave for a few minutes to get done what needs done is an intelligent strategy.
 
#3 - Not complaining
 
Nobody likes to be around a complainer. If you're an employee and you complain a lot, people will not want to be around you. This includes your boss and members of management. And when they don't want you around, they have the power to make that happen.
 
#4 - Not saying "That’s not my job."
 
While you might be tempted to say this, resist the temptation. To maximize your value, remember that anything that needs to be done is your job. If you try to "pick and choose" what you do based on what's in your official job description, you will be seen as less valuable than those co-workers who do not try to "pick and choose."
 
#5 - Having a proactive, positive attitude
 
Whereas people don't like to be around co-workers who complain all the time, they do like to be around people who have a positive attitude about their job and are proactive about their work. True, not everybody is naturally chipper. However, everybody can make adjustments to their attitude and keep their tongue in check if they're having a bad day.
 
Are you currently engaged in a job search? Then Time Staffing can help!
 
Contact us today to find out about the employment opportunities that are available in your chosen field.

​We addressed in a previous blog post the importance of accumulating experience, even if that experience is the result of a temporary work assignment. That's because experience can add value to your candidacy, and the more valuable you are, the more likely an employer will be to hire you.
 
As we've mentioned, an employer will hire you for two main reasons:
 

1. Your experience
2. Your skills

 
We've talked about your experience. Now let's discuss your skills, especially your "people skills." There are two main categories of skills - hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills refer to the work that you do. Soft skills deal with how you interact with people.
 
In other words, these are your "people skills."
 
Now, perhaps you do not consider yourself to be a "people person." After all, not everybody can be such a person naturally. Some people are extroverts, while others are more shy or introverted. It's a safe assumption that an extrovert is more of a "people person" than an introvert. (While that is not always the case, it's usually the case.)
 
Even if you are an introvert by nature and even if you do not consider yourself to be a "people person," you should strive to improve your "people skills." That's because you should never underestimate the importance of "people skills."
 
There are three main reasons why this is the case:
 
#1 - It gives you an edge over other people in the job market.
 
If you have the same skills and experience as another job seeker, but you have better "people skills," then an employer will want to hire you. This is essentially the tiebreaker in situations where a hiring manager can't decide between two candidates.
 
#2 - It can help you to do your job better once you're hired.
 
Let's face it: you work with other people. It's unavoidable. The better that you're able to deal with other people, the better that you'll be able to do your job. The better that you're able to do your job, the more value you will provide to your employer. And the more value that you provide to your employer, the more likely it is that you will receive a raise and/or bonus.
 
#3 - Networking is a crucial component of a person's career.
 
You've probably heard the phrase "It's not what you know, it's who you know." Well, it's both what you know and who you know. So it's a good idea to know as many people as you possibly can in your quest to both grow and enjoy your career.
 
With all of this in mind, if you're not confident in your "people skills," then you should take steps to remedy that. There are training materials available that will help you, and keep in mind that the more you do something, the better you become at doing it.
 
So push yourself out of your comfort zone. Interact with more people and do it more frequently. Ultimately, the person you will help the most is YOU.
 
Are you currently engaged in a job search? Then Time Staffing can help!
 
Contact us today to find out about the employment opportunities that are available in your chosen field.

​Every boss and manager wants to build loyalty and improve retention rates. However, that is easier said than done. (If it wasn't, then everybody would be doing it. But they are not.)
 
However, a lot is offered to employees in the name of building loyalty and increasing retention. Those things include the following:
 

• Better salary and benefits
• Better working environment
• A more flexible schedule
• Mentoring programs
• Continuing education programs

 
While all of that is well and good, there is another strategy that can also help, one that costs much less money. That strategy, believe it or not, is asking questions.
 
Of course, we're not talking about asking any questions. We're talking about asking the right questions, which include the following four:
 
#1 - What do you need to do your job more effectively or efficiently?
 
You can never go wrong asking for feedback from employees, especially if that feedback is directly related to the work that they're doing. This question can create a win-win situation, too, since the answer they provide could eventually make them a more productive employee. So not only can you retain more employees, but you can retain more productive employees!
 
#2 - How could the organization improve the things that it's doing?
 
Once again, you're asking for feedback, which shows that you value their opinion. Employees want to feel as though they're valued. With this question, you're taking it to the next level, shifting the focus from their job to the organization at large. Once again, though, this could set up a win-win situation. That's because the answer they provide could help you to do things better, which could further improve worker productivity.
 
#3 - How can the organization help you to achieve your career goals?
 
You must show that you and the company have a vested interest in the employee, specifically their career. You may look at their job as just a job, but that doesn't mean that's the way they look at it. They view it within a broader context, and that context is their career. They want to succeed, and they want to know that you want them to succeed, as well.
 
#4 - Would you recommend employment at this organization to a friend or colleague of yours?
 
This is usually a question that's saved for an exit interview, but why save it? There's no reason to save it. Ask it now, and you might not have to ask it later. That's because you may find out something that will help you to keep this particular employee from eventually leaving in search of new employment.
 
And THAT is how you achieve higher rates of retention.
 
If you need temporary or direct employees for your workforce, Time Staffing can help! We have experience identifying and screening top-notch candidates in numerous fields for a variety of employers. Our goal is help you hire the right employee at the right time to get the right results.
 
Contact Time Staffing today to find out more about our placement services for employers!