Dress for Success for Next Job Interview

Posted by boblarson on March 9, 2017

Dress for Success for Next Job Interview

It’s probably one of the most overused phrases in job-hunting, but also one of the most underutilized by job-seekers: dress for success. In job-hunting, first impressions are critical since you are making a product – yourself – to a potential employer, and the first thing the employer will see when greeting you is your attire. Therefore, you must make every effort to dress properly for the type of job you are seeking. Will this get you the job? Of course not, but it will give you a competitive edge and help you to make a positive first impression.

Here from a report carried by NBC News.com are 10 tips for dressing for success on a job interview:

Opt for a conservative look, not an outlandish one.Whether you are seeking an executive or manager position or a job that will require you to roll up your sleeves and get dirty, attire that is distracting is a no-no. In most cases it makes sense to choose simple, understated styles and colors – blues and greys, for example. Black also could work, so long as you won’t be mistaken for an undertaker or a Johnny Cash wannabe. To avoid that fate, soften your look by wearing another color near your face.
When in doubt, ask.If you’re honestly not sure what kind of attire would be most appropriate for an interview with a particular employer, call the company and ask for some guidance. Don’t bother the hiring manager with this; instead, call the human resources department and say, “I have an interview with so-and-so in the such-and-such department. Could you let me know what would be appropriate attire for this interview?
Dress for the job you really want.Some hiring managers recommend dressing one or two levels up from the position you’re seeking. The point behind this would be to show that you’re a serious job candidate who cares about making a good impression.
Accessorize with great care.This isn’t the time to go with strong perfume or cologne, wild nail polish, face jewelry, opened toed-shoes or bare legs, or brightly colored briefcases or purses. All of your accessories should be understated, inconspicuous and professional.
Cleanliness is next to employability.Clean, pressed clothes are important, of course, but here are some other key areas to remember. Have clean, polished shoes in good repair; clean, groomed hair and fingernails; well-brushed teeth, fresh breath, and absolutely no body odor.
Stay up to date.For men, suits and tie patterns can look dated if you’ve been regularly wearing casual clothes to work. Even worse, your suit might be tight. The same goes for women’s suits and dress-shirt patterns. To find out whether you may be looking a little bit out-of-date, ask a trusted friend to help you assess your professional wardrobe.
Don’t wear these items! Just say no to: short skirts, Capri pants, leggings, leather jackets for men and women; or turtlenecks for men. Men should wear collard shirts on job interviews – and in almost every situation, a tie won’t hurt your cause.
Your common sense and good judgment should prevail. If you know for sure that wearing a tie on a particular interview wouldn’t be the right thing to do, then don’t do it. Same for a formal business suit. But don’t stubbornly think that this is the time to make a flashy fashion statement. Instead, this is the time to make sure your appearance doesn’t distract in any way from all the good information you have to share about yourself.
There’s no need to break the bank.Some of these tips might make you think you need to rush out and drop hundreds of dollars on fancy new suits and shoes. That’s not true. You can find professional clothes on sale at deep discounts at major department stores and discount retailers.
Set aside enough time for an initial once-over.Before you walk into the actual interview, slip into the restroom and look in the mirror. Is your tie flipped around? Do you have any food in your teeth? Is your hair standing straight up? If not, you’re good to go!

Why Do Many Employees Hate Work?

Posted by boblarson on February 2, 2017

Feature Story

WHY DO MANY EMPLOYEES HATE WORK?

The way we’re working isn’t working, according to an article from the archives of The New York Times. For many employees, there is probably little excitement when they get to the office, they don’t feel much appreciated while they are there, they find it difficult to get their most important work done amid the distractions, and they don’t believe what they’re doing makes much of a difference, the article pointed out.

By the time they get home, many employees are pretty much running on empty, and still answering emails until they fall asleep.

Increasingly, this experience is common not just to middle managers, but also to top executives, according to article authors Tony Schwartz, CEO of consulting firm The Energy Project and consultant Christine Porath, associate professor at Georgetown University.

More broadly, just 30 percent of employees in America feel engaged at work, according to a 2013 report by Gallup cited in the story. Around the world, across 142 countries, the proportion of employees who feel engaged at work is just 13 percent. For most of us, in short, work is a depleting, dispiriting experience, and in some obvious ways, it’s getting worse.

According to the article, demand for our time is increasingly exceeding our capacity — draining us of the energy we need to bring our skill and talent fully to life. Increased competitiveness and a leaner, post-recession work force add to the pressures. Moreover, the rise of digital technology is perhaps the biggest influence, exposing us to an unprecedented flood of information and requests that we feel compelled to read and respond to at all hours of the day and night.

Curious to understand what most influences people’s engagement and productivity at work, The Energy Project, which works with organizations and their leaders to improve employee engagement and more sustainable performance, partnered with the Harvard Business Review in 2014 to conduct a survey of more than 12,000 mostly white-collar employees across a broad range of companies and industries.

The Energy Project also polled workers at two of its clients — one a manufacturing company with 6,000 employees, the other a financial services company with 2,500 employees. The results, according to article, were remarkably similar across all three populations.

Workers More Satisfied When Core Needs Met

Employees are more satisfied and productive, it turns out, when four of their core needs are met: physical, through opportunities to regularly renew and recharge at work; emotional, by feeling valued and appreciated for contributions; mental, when they have the opportunity to focus on their most important tasks and define when/where they get work done; and spiritual, by doing more of what they do best and enjoy most, and feeling connected to a higher purpose at work.

The more effectively leaders and organizations support employees in meeting these needs, the more likely employees are to experience engagement, loyalty, job satisfaction and positive energy, with lower levels of stress. When employees have one need met, compared with none, all of their performance variables improve. The more needs met, the more positive the impact.

Engagement — defined as “involvement, commitment, passion, enthusiasm, focused effort and energy” — has been widely correlated with higher corporate performance. In a meta-analysis of research studies across 192 companies, Gallup found that companies in the top quartile for engaged employees, compared with the bottom quartile, had 22 percent higher profitability, 10 percent higher customer ratings, 28 percent less theft and 48 percent fewer safety incidents.

Put simply, the way people feel at work profoundly influences how they perform. What the study revealed, the article noted, is just how much impact companies can have when they meet each of the following core employee needs.

Renewal: Employees who take a break every 90 minutes report a 30 percent higher level of focus than those who take no breaks or just one during the day. They also report a nearly 50 percent greater capacity to think creatively and a 46 percent higher level of health and well being.

Value: Feeling cared for by one’s supervisor has more impact on people’s sense of trust and safety than any other behavior by a leader. Employees who say they have more supportive supervisors are 1.3 times as likely to stay with the organization and are 67 percent more engaged.

Focus: Only 20 percent of respondents said they were able to focus on one task at a time, but those who could were 50 percent more engaged. Similarly, only one-third said they were able to prioritize tasks, but those who did were 1.6 times better able to focus on one thing at a time.

Purpose: Employees who derive meaning and significance from work were more than three times as likely to stay with their organizations – the highest single impact of any survey. These workers also reported 1.7 times higher job satisfaction and were 1.4 times more engaged at work.

The Energy Project often asks senior leaders a simple question, the article noted: If your employees feel more energized, valued, focused and purposeful, do they perform better? Not surprisingly, the answer is almost always “Yes.” Next they asked, “So how much do you invest in meeting those needs?” An uncomfortable silence typically ensues.

How to explain this odd disconnect? For some answers and more insights on the topic, read the full article, which can be found here.

NEWS FROM BLK

2017 hiring has started off like a rocket ship. Many clients are looking to increase staffing and strengthen their team’s skills. Replacements continue to increase as many employees have move on to new opportunities within and outside of their respected organizations.

We at BLK have witness an increase in direct hire orders while temp orders have slightly decreased. This appears to be mirroring a national trend as reported by various staffing publications.

Our only caution is the turmoil in Washington as trade, taxes and infrastructure projects are negotiated with congress, countries and business leaders. However; based on the stock markets strong showing hopefully business and hiring will flourish under this new administration.

Tips for Telephone Interviews

Posted by boblarson on January 4, 2017

Career Report

Tips for Telephone Interviews

A telephone interview is usually short — allowing just enough time for a recruiter to form a general impression of a job candidate — so the focus is on questions that help to evaluate someone quickly. According to an article published the candidate’s goal is to turn the phone call into a face-to-face meeting, so answers to questions need to be concise. As a rule of thumb, keep answers to less than two minutes; if an interviewer wants to know more, he or she will ask.

Here are some typical questions/discussion topics covered in telephone interviews, along with guidance and insight on making the interview successful:

Tell me a little about yourself. Interviewers often pose this first. They don’t want your life story, but rather want to know if meeting you would be a good use of their time. Answer with a brief work history showing how each project and job helped prepare you for this job; then give a profile of the “professional you,” addressing your skills as they relate to doing this job well.
What experience do you have?Make any discussion of your experience relevant to this job, and the specific skills you will bring to executing it well. At its core, everything you do professionally is concerned with the identification, prevention and solution of problems within your area of responsibility.

Your answers can show this awareness by saying that this is always part of your thinking and, by giving examples, of preventing or solving problems common to your area of responsibility.

What are your strengths? Slant your answer toward the specific skill requirements of the job, your problem prevention and solution headset, and your possession of the transferable professional skills such as multi-tasking, critical thinking, and some key communication skills that can underlie success in every job.
What are your weaknesses? You can safely, and honestly, say that your greatest weakness is finding time to stay current with all the new technologies/skills required in your work, because it’s a challenge everyone experiences. Then you can give an example(s) of how you have made time to develop an in-demand new skill.
How much do you want? If the interviewer asks about money, say that at this point you don’t know enough about the company or the job to answer accurately, “I have no real understanding of the job, your company or the different benefits that could come from joining your team, so obviously my discussion of salary without this knowledge can’t be entirely accurate.

However, you can add that after an analysis of employment sites, salary calculators and talking with colleagues, you would be looking at a salary in a particular range (which you would provide).

The telephone interview comes to an end when you are asked whether you have any questions. The article pointed out that if you have not already been invited to meet the interviewer, now is the time to take the initiative by asking: “The most pressing question I have is when we can meet?”

In closing your conversation, the article noted, take care to find out the correct spelling and pronunciation of the interviewer’s name for your follow-up email, which should ideally be sent the same day as the interview.

News from BLK

We are very pleased to report a surge in hiring during the holiday season. Our wish is that this accelerated job creation pace will continue to gain momentum through all of 2017 and beyond.

During Q1 2017 Berman Larson Kane will be moving to a new international technology platform. We are confident that this will improve communication with our clients and also help identify the best samples of talent the market has to offer. We are already witnessing a war for talent an increasing number of market niches.

Wishing all a wonderful, successful and healthful 2017.

Employers Find “Soft Skills” in Short Supply

Posted by boblarson on December 5, 2016

EMPLOYERS FIND ‘SOFT SKILLS’ IN SHORT SUPPLY

Companies across the U.S. say it is becoming increasingly difficult to find applicants who can communicate clearly, take initiative, problem-solve and get along with co-workers. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, those traits—often called soft skills—can make a difference between a standout employee and one who just gets by.

While such skills have always appealed to employers, decades-long shifts in the economy have made them especially crucial now. Companies have automated or outsourced many routine tasks, and the jobs that remain often require workers to take on broader responsibilities that demand critical thinking, empathy or other abilities that computers can’t easily simulate.

As the labor market tightens, the article pointed out, competition has heated up for workers with the right mix of soft skills, which vary by industry and across the pay spectrum—from making small talk with a customer at the checkout counter, to coordinating a project across several departments on a tight deadline.

Companies, in pursuit of the ideal employee, are investing more time and capital in teasing out applicants’ personality quirks, sometimes hiring consultants to develop tests or other screening methods, and beefing up training programs to develop a pipeline of candidates.

“We’ve never spent more money in the history of our firm than we are now on recruiting,” said Keith Albritton, chief executive of Allen Investments, an 84-year old wealth-management company in Lakeland, Fla. In 2014, for example, the firm hired an industrial psychologist that helped it identify the traits of its top-performing employees, and then developed a test for job candidates to determine how closely they fit the bill.

To determine the most sought-after soft skills, LinkedIn analyzed those listed on the profiles of members who applied for two or more jobs and changed jobs between June 2014 and June 2015. The ability to communicate trumped all else, followed by organization, capacity for teamwork, punctuality, critical thinking, social savvy, creativity and adaptability.

Workers with these traits aren’t easy to come by, said Cindy Herold, who runs the Old Europe restaurant in the state of Washington. In a moment of frustration, Herold recently put a sign outside seeking workers with “common sense,” she told the newspaper.

Training new workers in technical skills takes time and resources and employers say they are less willing to invest in workers who don’t also have the soft skills to succeed in the long run. That may be one reason hiring has lagged its pre-recession pace despite a near-record number of job openings, according to Labor Department data.

According to a Wall Street Journal survey of 900 executives, 92% said they have a very or somewhat difficult time finding people with the requisite attributes for jobs, which include both technical and soft skills. Moreover, 58% of hiring managers in a LinkedIn survey say lack of soft skills among job candidates is limiting their company’s productivity.

Soft skills have always been important tools for managers, but now it appears employers are finding them more important than ever, even at the lower end of the organizational chart, and the focus is earlier on in one’s career, the article noted. Indeed, the combination of soft skills and high grades can attract multiple job offers, with premium starting salaries for recent college graduates in technical fields such as computer sciences, accounting and finance.

Many employers, frustrated by the difficulty of identifying job candidates with the right soft skills, have adopted more rigorous hiring practices.

At Two Bostons, a small chain of pet boutiques outside Chicago, owner AdreAnne Tesene conducts at least three rounds of interviews before she hires someone. For higher-level positions, she invites job candidates and their significant others out to dinner with the rest of the management team, “so we can see how they treat their family.” She also has her employees fill out an evaluation of a new co-worker after 90 days.

Tesene, who opened the store 11 years ago, told The Wall Street Journal that she sees fewer candidates who can hold a conversation, want to interact with people and are eager to excel. “Trying to find people like that is becoming harder,” she said. “But also, I think our standards continue to increase.”

Holiday Call for Unemployment Assistance

Posted by boblarson on December 1, 2016

During this Holiday season let us remember the millions of good folks who continue to be adversely affected by our unemployment numbers.

Over the past decades the personal painful histories that I have witnessed, due to no job or meaningful work, continues to be heart wrenching.

During this wonderful festive season, I encourage each of you as professionals to lend a hand, take a phone call, review a resume, coach an interview or pass on some advice to a challenged “job-seeker”. We all have a special gift of knowledge and compassion that can only help the unemployed.

As president of our organization I assure you that we will continue our free community out-reach program to assist all “job-seekers” with their efforts to gain solid employment. Since beginning these programs nine years ago over 50,000 individuals have participated. My wish is by Thanksgiving 2017 that the need for this service will decrease to zero.

We at Berman Larson Kane continue to thank each of you for your business support during our thirty-six year history. Have a wonderful holiday and take a moment to please be thankful for your job and take a moment to coach a less fortunate job-seeker.

November 2016 Issue 201

Posted by boblarson on November 27, 2016

Request Your Unemployment Assistance @ Thanksgiving/ and All of November

During this Thanksgiving Holiday let us remember the millions of good folks who continue to be adversely affected by our unemployment numbers.

Over the past decades the personal painful histories that I have witnessed, due to no job or meaningful work, continues to be heart wrenching.

During this week of thanks, I encourage each of you as professionals to lend a hand, take a phone call, review a resume, coach an interview or pass on some advice to a challenged “job-seeker”. We all have a special gift of knowledge and compassion that can only help the unemployed.

As president of our organization I assure you that we will continue our free community out-reach program to assist all “job-seekers” with their efforts to gain solid employment. Since beginning these program 9 years ago over 50,000 individuals have participated. My wish is by Thanksgiving 2017 that the need for this service will decrease to zero.

We at Berman Larson Kane continue to thank each of you for your business support during our thirty-six year history. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and take a moment to please be thankful for your job and take a moment to coach a less fortunate job-seeker.

News from BLK

November/December is usually a slower time for hiring than the other 10 months of the year. However, this year we at BLK are predicting a continuous hiring pattern as companies are focused on the competition for top talent. Although many are challenged to find meaningful employment several niches are becoming even more competitive.

We are Berman Larson Kane are thankful for your business and wish all a wonderful holiday season.

Career Report October 2016 Issue 200

Posted by boblarson on October 12, 2016

BERMAN LARSON KANE

Career Report

October 2016

Feature Story

WHAT MILLENNIAL EMPLOYEES REALLY WANT

Despite struggling with debt, recession, and the jobs crisis, millennials—who will account for 75% of the workforce in 2025— are not motivated by money. Rather, according to an article in Fast Company, they aim to make the world more compassionate, innovative, and sustainable.

In fact, more than 50 percent of millennials say they would take a pay cut to find work that matches their values, while 90 percent want to use their skills for good.

Clearly, the future of work lies in empowering millennial talent, points out the article’s author Adam Smiley Poswolsky, who wrote the book The Quarter-Life Breakthrough: A Guide For Millennials To Fined Meaningful Work. From interviews with numerous millennial entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and leaders with both for-profit, social enterprise, and nonprofit backgrounds, millennials want to work with purpose, and they want their workplace to be aligned with their values.

So how can companies deliver on meaningful employee engagement? Here are a number of ideas offered by the author on ways to attract, retain, and empower top millennial talent.

Don’t Just Talk About Impact, Make An Impact – Many companies use words such as impact and purpose without seriously moving the needle on major social and environmental problems. Millennials want to work for organizations that are transparent on how they’re using their technology, resources, and talent. They also want to create shared value, make positive social and environmental changes, and increase opportunities for disadvantaged populations. Recruiting the top talent of tomorrow begins with making a difference today.

Create Opportunities for Mentorship, Skills Acquisition, and Co-leadership – A common critique of millennials in the workplace is they are impatient, entitled, and not willing to put in the time and hard work needed to succeed. “Delayed gratification” doesn’t apply to them; they want change to happen fast.

This doesn’t mean millennials aren’t hard workers. On the contrary, millennials will work hard when you get serious about investing in their skills development. Young talent wants the opportunity to learn from someone with expertise; they want that on-the-ground experience to happen today, not tomorrow—and certainly not in five years.

Companies need to empower millennials by offering co-leadership opportunities, offering young talent a chance to manage and develop a new project—preferably of strategic importance—that excites them. They need to be paired as project-lead with a senior executive, or someone with 15-plus years of experience, giving them an opportunity to learn from a mentor. It also builds on the assumption that millennials can teach something to their more senior colleagues. For example, when it comes to technology and social media, the person with the most innovative idea in the room may happen to be the youngest.

Give Young Talent A Voice – Everyone wants to feel valued at work, especially millennials. There is nothing worse for a millennial than feeling as if your supervisor thinks you have nothing to offer because of your age or inexperience.

In their new book, When Millennials Take Over: Preparing For The Ridiculous Optimistic Future Of Business, authors Maddie Grant and Jamie Notter recommend creating fluid decision-making and organizational structures. They highlight companies such as Medium and Zappos, which have embraced Holocracy, a new organizational and management system that spreads decision-making responsibilities among a set of roles and teams, rather than a hierarchy of people.

A fluid structure empowers more staff—especially new staff—to make decisions and take ownership of solutions. It’s hard to value your employees if you don’t listen to their voice, or give them a seat at the table.

Make HR the New Life Coach – The average millennial is staying at their job less than three years. This might be shocking to corporate America, but the truth is the average American of any age is staying at their job for about four years.

Due in part to rapid changes in technology and a volatile economy, millennials aren’t the only ones job-hopping. How do human resources departments invest in their talent if much of that talent is going to leave the company in several years? Embrace that the workforce of the future is going to be in flux. Currently, some 53 million Americans—or 34% of the workforce—are freelance, and the number of remote and part-time workers is expected to increase.

Companies can no longer expect their employees to be loyal enough to stay for 10 or 20 years, and maybe that’s a good thing. HR departments should design training programs that invest in skills development, while helping their employees prepare for whatever is next in their career two, three, or five years down the line. A future HR professional will look less like Toby Flenderson’s drab character from the TV show The Office, and more like a beloved life coach, who will design personal learning plans for each young staffer based on what they want to accomplish during their stint at the company, and understand their values and interests enough to ensure a smooth landing at their next job.

Looking forward, to remain innovative, impactful, and financially competitive, the Fast Company article points out, companies will most definitely need to go outside their corporate comfort zone to design roles for a purpose-driven millennial workforce.

NEWS FROM BLK

Proud to report that having attended the National Association of Personnel Services NAPS360.org annual convention in September that the over view is that hiring will continue to increase over the next 12 months. Many NAPS members complained of the lack to quality candidates in many niches. With overall competition for this talent increasing daily.

We at Berman Larson Kane continue to also witness shortages in numerous niches and our talent discovery staff find challenges in discovery of top talent.

As we enter the final quarter of 2016 we look forward to assisting our client s with on-boarding the best talent that the market has to offer. Thanks for your support we so greatly appreciate it as we celebrate the 200 addition of our employment newsletter.

Career Report September 2016 Issue 199

Posted by boblarson on September 14, 2016

Career Report September 2016 Issue 199

The Problem with Pointing Fingers

When things go wrong at work and mistakes result in a problem or even the loss of business, employees often get annoyed and want to place the blame on someone. But before pointing a finger at a fellow employee, it’s important to take a step back and look closely at the situation. In the following Q&A feature article from The New York Times, careers columnist Eilene Zimmerman provides some important insight on the subject while also offering guidance on the importance of crediting employees for their good work when credit is due.

How can you place the blame for a problem or mistake in an acceptable, professional way?

The last thing you want is a reputation for throwing co-workers under the bus, the article pointed out. Instead, it’s far more politically savvy and productive to approach the mistake as a team problem. “Recommend a post-mortem analysis of what happened, where you look at the chain of events, what occurred and what didn’t, and questions get answered in a good-faith process,” said Ben Dattner, a management consultant and author of “The Blame Game: How the Hidden Rules of Credit and Blame Determine Our Success or Failure.”

Even if it was clearly just one person who made the mistake, it’s helpful to look at ways the entire team can make sure the error isn’t repeated. Jodi Glickman, president of Great On The Job, a communications training firm in Chicago, said that little is accomplished by focusing on one person’s mistake. “It’s not about the one error,” she said. “It’s about the breakdown in communications or the lack of understanding of responsibilities.”

You can, however, speak privately to the person, letting him or her know you are aware that the mistake is their responsibility, and ask how you could help prevent it from happening again.

What if someone blames you for something that isn’t your fault? Can you protect yourself without seeming overly defensive or childish?

Avoid a knee-jerk response and take a step back instead, said Lynn Taylor, chief executive of a workplace productivity firm in Santa Monica, Calif., and author of “Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant.” She suggests putting yourself in the other person’s shoes to try to understand why he or she is blaming you. Show empathy to help defuse the tension, letting the person know you understand that there is reason for concern.

Keep your tone professional, and stick to the facts. Acknowledge that while you weren’t involved with the problem, you will be happy to help resolve it.

How does all the finger-pointing in a workplace affect its culture?

Unfortunately, finger-pointing or scape-goating is fairly common, said Jill A. Brown, an assistant professor of Management at Lehigh University. When people are insecure, they tend to shirk responsibility for their mistakes, she said. Indeed, a culture of blame can create a very difficult work environment, added Alina Tugend, who writes the Shortcuts column for The New York Times and is author of “Better By Mistake.”

Research shows that people in the workplace tend to copy blaming as a behavior, whether consciously or unconsciously, thus perpetrating the problem, Tugend told the newspaper. “Conversely,” she added, “when people see others taking responsibility for their mistakes or failures, they also copy that, creating a better overall work environment.”

Giving and receiving credit for a job well done is important, too. What’s the right way to give credit to others?

Credit motivates employees, Dattner said, and when there is a lack of it, people become demoralized and disengaged. But make sure that the amount of credit you give is commensurate with the accomplishment. “If it’s a small thing someone did, for example, don’t make it a public event,” Taylor added. Instead, thank the person privately or by e-mail – and be specific about what you’re acknowledging.

And be sure to give credit only when it’s truly deserved and then do so in a variety of ways and places – at meetings, during a lunch, in an e-mail, by text or by memo, using different language each time, she said.

Although acknowledging others is important for overall morale, does it benefit you directly in any way?

Giving credit to others publicly positions you as a leader, Brown said, because the ability to give credit is an important dimension of leadership. It also makes others want to work with you and for you. “If you share credit, are conscious of other people’s agendas and are always trying to make colleagues look good, people will love you,” Glickman added. “They will want to be on your team.”

NEWS FROM BLK

Summer is behind us and the motivation to hire excellent candidates is increasing quickly. More niches are attaining full employment greatly increasing the competition for stellar talent. Immediately after Labor Day we have seen an increase in job requisitions from our established clients. And with great surprise are witnessing orders from clients we have not heard from in years.

So if you are a job-seeker this is a good time to test the waters. If you are a hiring authority be prepared for a competitive market place.

We at Berman Larson Kane would like to thank our clients for their business. It is truly an honor to assist with each talent acquisition challenge that the market creates.

Career Report August 2016 – Issue 198

Posted by boblarson on August 11, 2016

Career Report August 2016 Feature Story

SALARY NEGOTIATION IS A TWO-WAY STREET

During any interview, common thinking says that all the pressure is on the job candidate since, after all, they are the ones trying to set themselves apart from the crowd and impress the company enough to get hired. But, according to an article published by Monster.com, it’s just as important for hiring managers to remember that the interview process is a two-way street.

For companies with an important job to fill, extracting the perfect candidate from the legions of uninspiring resumes can indeed be a challenge. Once you have identified the candidate whom you feel is the right person, and they have passed your rigorous qualifications, you want to get them on board as soon as possible. But then there’s the final question: Can you afford them?

Here, according to the article by Jim Hopkinson, author of the book, Salary Tutor: Learn the Salary Negotiation Secrets No One Ever Taught You, are five salary negotiation tips for employers to consider:

Access the best candidates — Empower your employees to spread the word that you are looking for amazing new people to join your team, and reward them for quality referrals. This will help identify good, quality candidates who members of your team are familiar with, hopefully making the salary negotiation process smoother and more productive. Studies have shown that upwards of 80 percent of jobs are found through networking, so if job seekers are out there expanding their network and tapping into friends of friends, why aren’t you?

Don’t scare them off — Some employers try to screen out candidates before they even know their name. If your job description or application has hazard label warning language such as RESUMES THAT ARE SUBMITTED THAT DO NOT CONTAIN A FULL SALARY HISTORY WILL BE IGNORED, what does that say about your company?

Give them the tour — Candidates should defer premature salary talk by eager HR screeners by saying something such as, “I’ve done my homework in terms of salary, but would really like to know more about the company before we talk details.” The key for them is not just saying the words, but believing them.

For example, what if they give a low number early, but upon getting a full description of the job’s responsibilities, they find out there is more travel than anticipated, longer working hours, and shrinking budgets. They realize they’d need a lot more compensation to take the job.

Conversely, if they say a high number up front, then instantly click with their would-be manager, find out there’s a fantastic new project in the pipeline, and realize this is their dream job, they could be screened out for being “too expensive.” So before pressing candidates for a bottom line number, make sure they’ve seen the big picture.

Do your research — Some employers begin salary talks by asking the question: “What are you making at your current job?” The problem with this question is, unless you plan on doing an extensive background check, you won’t know if the candidate is telling the truth, taking their salary +20%, or picking a number out of hat. Furthermore, if the person is unemployed (zero salary), doing some consulting (where rates vary dramatically), or changing careers, it can be difficult to compare the past with the present.

But most importantly, it doesn’t matter what they are making now. The fact is, you are the one offering the job. The assumption here is that you’re hiring because you feel an additional employee will bring in more revenue to your company, so you should have a number in mind that makes sure that the return on investment is worth it.

It’s up to you to do the research and know the market value of the employee you are looking to hire, factoring in years of experience, geographic location, and demand for the position. Fortunately, a host of online resources make it easy to determine a job’s market value for bank tellers in Boise or software engineers in Silicon Valley.

Respect their research — The way a prospective employee handles salary negotiation should give you a pretty good indication of their character. Are they too timid to ask for what they’re worth? Do they get frustrated or demanding if your initial offer doesn’t align with their thinking?

Or, do they calmly and confidently approach this part of the interview like a business transaction? A candidate who has done extensive research on current market rates, shows you supporting documentation for the rate they are asking and ultimately knows their true worth and stands by it sounds like someone you should want on your team.

In the end, negotiating salary can be stressful for all parties involved. But with the right preparation, the article points out, employers can get their money’s worth when the moment of truth arrives to make a job offer.

NEWS FROM BLK

As the summer heat wave continues we at Berman Larson Kane continue to witness a continuous increase in client hiring activities. Disciplines that continue to remain over heated are engineering, scientific, digital marketing and field service.

As we look forward to the cooler fall weather we see no slow down occurring in new hiring activities. Hope you enjoyed your summer and thanks again for your support we so greatly appreciate it.

HOW TO HIRE THE RIGHT EMPLOYEES

Posted by boblarson on July 18, 2016

HOW TO HIRE THE RIGHT EMPLOYEES

Successfully recruiting new employees to your team can be a grueling process. It can take months to find someone who’s the perfect fit for both the position and company culture – and sometimes, when the going’s really rough, it can be tempting to settle on someone who’s good…but not great. But according to an article published by the blog Hubspot.com, bad hiring decisions are not only frustrating for you and your team, they can also jeopardize the longevity of other valuable employees, slow down productivity, and cost your company money. So what should hiring managers look for in candidates to ensure they aren’t setting themselves up for failure? According to the article, when looking for prospective employees, focus on those who you feel possess the following six qualities:

Values Match the Company’s Message – Knowing what values the individual is looking for in a company helps better understand whether or not they will fit the organization office culture.
A Desire to Learn – Hiring managers want individuals on their team who want to continue learning. During the interview process, look for candidates who show excitement towards growth.
Long-term Potential – With turnover being extremely costly, look for new hires that show a long-term interest in the company and aspire to work their way up the corporate ladder.
Enthusiasm For the Position –For a new hire, you want someone who is assertive in performing necessary responsibilities, portrays excitement for daily tasks and is inspired to contribute to the company.
Good Communications Skills – It is necessary to have employees who can respectfully communicate and articulate the company’s message clearly to business professionals and clients so that the organization’s reputation remains positive.
Trustworthiness and Responsibility — An employer needs to be able to put full trust in their employee’s ability to perform and complete tasks accurately in order to maintain a positive and productive office culture. Look for employees who are good with taking direction and take responsibility for their work.

By staying focused on these six qualities, you’ll be weeding out those who can have a negative impact on your business and enhance your chances of hiring someone who can contribute to your organization’s growth and success.

Category: Uncategorized