1 Stop HR

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Tips to Kick Start your Career!

Have you been looking to make a change? Have you been job searching but you have found yourself in a slump? Here are some tips and tricks to get yourself prepped for new opportunities and New You!!!!

 

 

 

  1. Make a plan. Where would you like to see yourself a year from now? How about 5 years from now? Once you have an idea…draw a roadmap. What are the things you need to do to get there. Make the plan one that is SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and has a Time Line to it.
  2. Review your resume. If you have been using the same resume with minimal results – there is something wrong. Re-vamp it, or get a professional to do it. Make sure it “Speaks” what you are looking for, highlights your qualifications and shows an absolute match to the type of role you would be applying to.
  3. Be prepared to make your job search your new job! There is a lot of competition out there, be prepared to be in it for the long haul. Don’t give up – stay positive, keep your head held high…you have skills, now go get ’em! If you are currently working, you will need to set aside time each day to push and continue embarking on your quest for your new role. If you are not currently working – set aside specific hours that are geared to execute on your plan.
  4. Brush up on your interview skills. How do you interview? Are you polished? Are you confident in your interviewing skills? If not – enlist a professional to assist you in your preparation. It is worth the investment in your future.
  5. Look for motivation. A job search can be time consuming and can be a long tough road. Look for things to motivate you. Create and celebrate milestones whether it is an interview, steps to get you closer to your goal, or… What are the things that help motivate you during tough times? Going to the gym? Hanging with friends? Inspirational Quotes? I have printed off inspirational quotes and put them on the mirror so that I see them each day…do what makes sense to keep you motivated.

Get all of this in line and be prepared to make your effort count! Surround yourself with people that are positive and network with those that can help you propel your career forward. You can do it! This is YOUR year! Good luck!

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How Engaged are YOUR Employees?

In a 2015 study of 3,300 businesses and HR leaders from 106 countries completed by Deloitte, engagement and culture was classified as the number one challenge facing global companies.

How is your employee engagement and culture? Have you measured it? How do you know where it lies? Deloitte also found that 29% of workers in North America report to be disengaged. As well, only 7% of respondents rated themselves as “excellent” at measuring, driving and improving engagement and retention.

If your company is struggling in this area as many are, here are some tips and tricks to help boost your efforts toward improving employee engagement:

  1. If you utilize annual or semi annual performance reviews – they tend to be backward thinking – that is that they measure past performance. Look to add elements like goal setting, linking your company mission and vision and goals into the review.

 

  1. Meet with your employees more often. I like to call these “check-ins”. These can be formal or informal – but they are scheduled chats to sit regularly – maybe once per month to talk about employee performance, any issues, or general discussion topics. This gives the employee a more regular “touch base” session with their manager, increases satisfaction and understanding of job duties and goals.

 

  1. Make employee engagement a corporate priority. Measure and evaluate it regularly. Report on it.

 

  1. Ensure your leaders are engaging in coaching and providing effective feedback to their people. Ensure they work to show their employees how meaningful their contributions are.

 

  1. Ensure to look at where the gaps are within your employee engagement – ensure to work some of these “must haves” into your interview questions and hiring strategy.

 

  1. Invest in learning and development programs for your employees.

 

  1. Listen. Listen to your employees – probably one of the most important point. Then respond, the next important. Their needs and what they value will give you a good indicator of how to improve your engagement and build additional layers of satisfaction.

 

Engagement stems from the top. If this is an issue in your company, ensure to recognize it, talk about it, plan, put plans in motion and prioritize. You will see the results of your efforts in your people, their output, the retention and your business success.

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EEEK! My star employee just walked out the door!

So, one of your best employees just handed you their resignation letter and you have literally begged them to stay with no avail. Where did you go wrong?   Don’t let this happen to you!

Losing a great employee can have a major impact on the bottom line, employee morale and your clients! So what do you do? The key is to put steps in place BEFORE your star employees start looking at other opportunities.

Here are some tips:

Career plans:   Have you ever asked your employees what their career goals and aspirations are? Do it! You don’t have to promise them that they will have that particular position/career in the company, but you can support them in their desires to grow. Sit down with them annually to discuss their thoughts, help them plan, touch base with them now and then to see how they are doing and watch for opportunities to mentor, guide and provide them with additional projects that might assist with their plans. Don’t get me wrong, the employee runs this show…you are just there to touch base and see if you can assist them along the way, in turn they see that you are interested in their success, growth and future.

Ask, Listen and Act: Ask your employees for feedback on how they are doing, suggestions for improvements around the office, have regular check-ins with them, gather feedback. When they are giving you feedback, LISTEN. It is extremely important that people feel heard, that they were not interrupted or “shot down” for their thoughts, ideas, and comments. Then…ACT. If there are items that need to be addressed, act upon them. Your action shows commitment and that you care and value their feedback. When you don’t act, especially when you say you will…it speaks volumes and not in a positive way.

Praise: No, I am not talking about bowing at their feet every day and kissing the ground that they walk upon, but when your employees accomplish something notable, ensure to recognize it. Note it in the employee newsletter, at your team or company meeting, send them an email, get them a gift card or a card. Notice their accomplishments.

Mentor, Coach and Look for Learning Opportunities: If there are opportunities to provide mentoring or coaching to your people, ensure you offer this. Look for these types of opportunities to spread knowledge and guide your people to learn and grow.

Special Projects: Is there a pretty cool project coming up? Put your star employees on this project. Show them that you believe and trust them!

Don’t Micro-manage: This is important, by micro-managing you are “squashing” creativity, growth and the ability to learn from mistakes. Let them flourish, reign them in when you need to but allow them to make some decisions and have some autonomy.

Compensation: If you want to keep your good employees, ensure you are paying them well and even look at paying them slightly above your competition – though salary isn’t everything, it certainly is part of the package. Don’t wait for their resignation then try to pay them more at that point. Even if they accept the offer – they will probably not stay long as something compelled them to look elsewhere – it could have been money, but in most cases there is more to the story. If you are willing to pay them more when they are on their way out the door, why can’t you pay them more now?

Know your people, be in tune with their needs, act on their concerns where appropriate, engage and grow your stars and you should help secure their future with your company. They are indeed your most important asset.

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5 Interview Tips for Answering Interview Questions

Many candidates dread the interview process and become a pile of nerves as soon as their name is called.  Ok, maybe even way before their name is called – like when the call comes in to book the interview!  We get it!!  Interviewers know this and are used to this.  We know that for most people, the interview is an uncomfortable time. It is always good to do your homework ahead of time and to ensure you prepare by reviewing interview tips and tricks, etc.

Looking for some quick interview tips to help you with answering the questions?  Check  out 5 below:

  1. Do your preparation ahead of time. Look for the common interview questions and have lots of answers prepared.
  2. Ensure to work your top accomplishments and impressive items into your answers.
  3. Stick to the point. Often we see interview candidates go off on tangents and even ask to have the question repeated after they have been talking for a solid 5 minutes.
  4. Don’t hog the interview, if the interviewer has stopped making notes, they probably have what they are looking for – they will ask you for more examples if they need them.
  5. Wrap up your answers. Think about your answer like a very short story.  A story starts with a quick intro, the points and then wraps up by rounding off the question.

Think about being on the other side of the table.  You are there to find out if the candidate is indeed the best fit for the role.  You want to have a positive experience with the candidate, be engaged and see a natural fit.  Ensure you now -as the candidate- show the interviewer that you are this fit through your thoughtful detailed answers.

Practice, practice, practice.  Be positive, smile when you answer and give eye contact.  You can do it!

Learn More About US

1 STOP HR was founded by Christie Ferguson, CHRP CHRL Christie is a certified Human Resources Professional & Leader with many years of hands on HR expertise.

Contact US

Tel: 226-750-3160
Email: info@1stophrconsulting.com

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