Articles

Career Advancement Corporation periodically posts articles that will help job-seekers everywhere.

Displaying articles 11 - 14 of 14 in total

Cell Phone Etiquette v2.0: Times have changed

Posted on December 14, 2009

It used to be the case that a cell phone in the workplace was a one-way ticket to write-ups and goodbyes. However, as our mobile lives become a bigger and bigger part of our businesses with traveling, clients on the go, email on our cell phones, twitter, and so on, we can’t deny the convenience. So what should the rules be on texting, phone calls, twitter, and the rest of ’em? Here are a few guidelines:

Cell Phone Calls

While personal calls, as always, should be kept to a minimum, cell phone usage by employees isn’t such a bad idea. Many clients prefer to reach their contact directly and a cell phone is a great way to do so. It’s a great personal connection, and a great way to show your clients that your service extends beyond the office. Traveling employees should especially embrace this practice, because nothing is more frustrating that habitually being put into voicemails or leaving messages. So, chat it up, just keep it work related.

Texting

Texting is a love/hate relationship. Some companies will fire employees for texting at work. Others encourage it. It’s like email, but faster and more direct. If you have just an “It’s a go!” or “lunch tomorrow” it can be much more effective than email. Personal texts are another story. Some companies hate it, but if it is used as an alternative to long personal calls, why not let a few texts slide? Happy employees are good employees.

twitter

Oh, twitter. How you’ve changed our lives. Now we think 140 characters at a time. Twitter CAN be a great tool to show personality within a company or to bring light to the day to day duties in an office. it can also be a terrific waste of time. Taking a few moments to guide all employees on what’s off limits and how to represent the company well can make a huge difference in how your company harnesses the power of the “blogosphere.”

General Internet Usage

Facebook. MySpace. LinkedIn. Surfing. Like most internet things, they can be a big productivity slayer, or if utilized properly, they can be a source of business and relationships. While sitting on facebook all day is never a good idea, allowing (or even encouraging) employees to spend a few minutes checking messages and clicking around can allow them to connect to old friends and network in ways that may produce new clients and revenue for your company. Blocking these sites entirely isn’t the greatest of ideas. Even offering a slight discount to people who connect with your employees though the net could prove effective.

So there are no great rules of thumb for internet and cell phone usage, but if used in moderation, they can be wonderful tools of innovation, business development, and customer service. Give ‘em a try and don’t be afraid to experiment with options. Most of these services are free or already paid for by employees, so the extra freedom won’t cost you too much. Give it a try!

How to deal with a bad employee

Posted on November 11, 2009

With the economy still not amazing for business owners (or anyone, really), a business must be as efficient as possible to stay afloat. Bad computers, equipment, products or clients can make things very rough on a company, but nothing is as toxic as a bad employee. A lot like mercury, a single bad employee in a sea of good ones, can ruin the batch. The sad thing is that these tough economic times are also hard on employees, so it’s tough to keep everyone happy and working when everything around them seems to be struggling. However, if you have a bad employee all hope is not lost. Here are a few things that can help everyone win:

1) Be honestly optimistic.

Your employees aren’t stupid. They know that the company may not be thriving right now. Before you approach a bad employee you have to realize that they may be thinking (perhaps even justifiably) that they could be laid off soon. Honest, open communication is the best tool to prevent this. Tell your employees that things aren’t where they need to be, but their jobs are safe so long as certain requirements are met. If you admit your ship has some water on it, but explain that it isn’t sinking, you may find many of your deckhands quick to start bailing water instead of jumping ship. Be honest, if you need a certain amount of new clients to be comfy, tell everyone and let them help, they have as much stake in the company as you. They’re relying on their jobs.

2) Get personal.

If you’ve been honest and an employee is still underperforming or harboring a bad attitude, it needs to be addressed. Never start the conversation with “You have a bad attitude, what’s up?” Find out what’s happening in their life. It may be work related, it may not be, either way, there may still be something you or HR could do to help. If an employee is struggling, a boss that seems high and mighty, fat and rich, may only infuriate them more. Being personable, relating to their problems (which you could very well be having, too), could form a friendship and loyalty which makes a huge difference.

3) Performance Review.

If you’ve done your best to be honest, and relatable, and you’re still dealing with poor performance and attitude, it’s time to take action. After all, it’s still a business and they do have a job to do. A subtle, informal performance review (or a full-on formal HR one, your choice) could show an employee that they’re on the radar where they don’t want to be. It can be a wake-up call or a last straw for them, but either way it’s a solution moving you in the right direction: Either you have a new, happy employee, or you get to go find a new, happy employee. If it happens to be the 2nd option, give us a call, we’ll get you a happy well-matched employee in a flash. It’s what we do.

What to Look for in a new employee

Posted on November 02, 2009

Hiring a new employee isn’t always an easy thing to do. There are many thing to consider when evaluating candidates, and even more things that must be done after you’ve selected the right person. Luckily, CAC has been doing both for years and has quite a bit of insight to share with you.

We’ll focus on the first 3 steps in this article, but keep in mind these are good steps to take if you’re going to use a staffing company, too.

Evaluate your needs and the job specifics.

When you are starting the feel the pressure of a work overload, it’s important to stop and break down every detail of the work that’s being done, so you can decide which tasks should go to which positions. This is a pivotal step in making sure you’ve prepared a specific position for your incoming employee.

Prepare the position

After you’ve pulled together the tasks and needs of your company, it’s important to outline the position, but also keep an open, flexible mind. If you find someone who ends up having other strengths as well, use those to maximize the potential of the new employee and his or her position.

Salary isn’t everything.

Some positions are quite straightforward, especially in larger companies. For the smaller friends out there, money shouldn’t be the only incentive for someone to accept a position. Be sure that your employees are motivated and dedicated to something beyond a paycheck. Having employees that truly believe in your company and cause are what separates the successes from the failures.

We’ll continue on the list of what you need next week, but this should get you started (and take a bit of time as well). Stay tuned for more!

Isn't Monster Free?: A Guide to Why You Should Use a Staffing Company

Posted on September 21, 2009

There is no shortage of websites online where you can post your resume, or search for virtually limitless amounts of resumes to fill openings at your business. These sites are great for the job searcher. They’re free and full of hope.

However, it’s the employers that don’t have as good of a time. Searching for one skillset in St. Louis reveals anywhere from 600-2000 matches. Each with a resume and description. However, odds are that a good chunk of them are misrepresenting themselves or inflating their abilities to seem more qualified. Why not? They have nothing to lose. They want you to take a gamble with them. If it works out, great! If not, they’re no worse for the wear.

This is why staffing companies exist. To help you save time (and money!) hiring the right people. Instead of spending HOURS on an online resume database only to take a risk hiring someone who may not be a good fit, try a staffing company! We do three main things for you:

1) No sifting through resumes, trial phone calls or interviews. One phone call to us describing the position and what you’re looking for is all we need.

2) No need to pay for background checks, histories, etc., for each person you want to consider. We take care of weeding out the candidates unfit for your position. You’ll only see relevant results and it won’t cost you each time you want to look a little closer.

3) We add some accountability into the mix. With our reputation on the line, we’ve always stood for quality position matching. If we didn’t make sure that our clients were happy with the people we’ve set them up with, would we still be here after more than 20 years? You can rest assured that we’ll make it right. It’s what we do.

So before you spend too much time sifting through under-qualified, unquantified resumes, give us a call and see how easy (and cheap!) this really can be.

-From your friends at CAC, putting St. Louis to work for over 20 years!