What is the ultimate hiring goal of your business? It is usually to hire the right people to perform the task at hand. No matter what the industry or the job required, your business is on a mission, and to achieve its goals, it needs to have the right staff on hand to make it happen. Is that possible? If you want it to happen, as the employer, you really do need to be the dumbest person at the boardroom table.

How Missions Are Won

If you consider how the biggest and the best CEOs in the world have become successful, invariably it is not by just doing all of the work themselves. Those who succeed are those who are successful at hiring the right people to push them to the top. No one does it on their own, after all. If you want to achieve the mission goal, you need to hire the right people to get you to that place.

Why Being Dumb Matters

Imagine sitting around a boardroom table. Would you feel the most confident if you were the smartest person at the table or the dumbest one? If you want to succeed in the industry, then you need to be the person at the table with the least amount of information and skill. By surrounding yourself with the best of the best at their skill, you ensure you can move forward. A team filled with the best at their job will ensure you can move beyond and upward.

How to Find the Best People for the Job

To find those who are best suited for sitting at your table and working with you, measure anyone you hire by how well they can contribute to the team. Here are some things to keep in mind through the process.

• What is the role of the person who you are considering bringing onto the team?
• How will you measure his or her success at the role you want that person to fill?
• What attributes does the person you are hiring need to have in order to do the job properly?
• What attributes are critical to ensuring that the team member meshes well with the rest of the people sitting around the table?

If you want to hire a professional who will help you to succeed, hire someone who fits with your team but has skills and experience that pushes them further. Be the dumbest person at the table so that you can push your team to accomplish more. The right team member has the ability to gel with your team, but also take it further than what you can do on your own. Sure, you know your business incredibly well, but as an employer, you need to surround yourself with the very best professionals around.

Get in touch with The Suburban Group today for support with your staffing needs.

In your search for great customers and applicants for vacant positions, don’t overlook your web design in favor of heavy marketing. Small business owners need to have a website that focuses on both potential employees and customers if they hope to attract both. The right type of website design can actually encourage the multi-talented professionals to apply without driving away your current business clients. Not balancing this site, on the other hand, could lead to complex problems.

Tips to Manage Your Web Design

What should your small business website look like? What should you implement to make customers feel at home and job applicants apply? Here are some tips to help you make it work.

• Be sure to use images. Most people are visual – they need to see something in order to be interested in it. Use images that are beautifully taken but are still relevant to your business’s products or services.

• Make sure your website has some element that helps it to stand out. You want to ensure your brand is different from the competition and conveys information about you and your business.

• Keep things simple. Do not make your website so complex to navigate that people just don’t go further than the homepage. In addition to this, keep a minimal look whenever possible. That way, you can use the few elements on the page to direct people to the locations you want them to go.

• To attract job seekers, make sure your website conveys more than just the fact that you are hiring. Allow it to provide information about whom you are looking for and what you provide to qualified applicants (don’t list salaries here, but benefits.) Have a separate page for your hiring needs to keep your customers from becoming overwhelmed.

• Know your audience and your competition. It is a good idea for you to choose a website that fits within your industry’s speck. To do that, you will need to focus on a design that is attractive to whoever is in your audience. At the same time, know what your competition is doing and do it better.

• Use a company blog to educate everyone who visits your website. This blog is a great place to communicate virtually anything with your audience. Introduce new team members, talk about your hiring needs while also introducing new products and answering customer inquiries. Make this the place for people to go to get more information and to find out what your company is up to.

By taking these steps, you will see significant improvement in who is attracted to your site and why. You will also likely see more interested applicants actually filling out the application to get more information. Of course, have a link to contact you on the site. You want people to participate in your website. The proper web design can actually encourage this to happen. If your site is outdated or is lacking in its ability to get results, it may be time for a redesign.

When hiring temps, you may think you have someone coming in for a short term position and that’s that. However, many companies will find that the hardest working people in these temp positions can be the best employees for long term work should the position open up. More so, to create a positive work environment, employers can offer inexpensive, but appreciated incentives to these employees.

Inexpensive Bonus Programs

Financial gain motivates people. However, if you do not want to invest in an expensive bonus program, consider a lesser expensive one. For example, rather than a high percentage for the bonus of sales, you can cut down that amount. You may also want to offer shift differential pay for those that take on those harder to fill positions. The key here is to keep the amount of bonus paid lower, but still to offer it.

Gifts That Motivate

Sometimes, it is necessary to push temporary workers harder so that you can meet a deadline. To encourage employees, offer incentives for achieving goals. For example, you may be able to offer a gift certificate to an area restaurant for the person with the most completed work for the day. You may be able to offer an incentive for those that do the best job possible (while setting standards for this.) Gifts do not always have to be expensive to be worth working towards to to earn.

Casual Dress Days or Themed Days

To get people talking and having fun, offer a day of the week or month where everyone can dress down. To make it even more interesting, choose a fun theme for the dress down day. Everything from silly socks to funky hats can put people in a good mood. There is no cost to this to your company, either.

Parent-Driven Incentives

If your staff is mostly parents, why not offer incentives for them? For example, at the start of the school year, pack a backpack full of school supplies for each child as a thank you to the parents for their hard work. You may be able to sponsor a night at the movies with the kids at your location. Host a pizza party for those who achieve goals at work where they can bring the kids in and perhaps play a few games.

Any of these incentives can be done without spending a lot of money. For example, you can buy gift certificates from discount programs online and offer them to your employees as rewards for doing a great job. You can also put out a suggestion box and ask employees what type of incentive ideas they have. That is the perfect way to show your employees you care about the job they do and about them, even if they are just temps.

Image Credit:David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Could you answer a question about the title of your autobiography? What about one about the five items you would take with you into the wilderness? Today’s interviewer is going to ask unique questions to get interesting answers for you. While you will have no problem memorizing your facts, about your employment history and your skills, answering these non-traditional interview questions can be a bit more challenging. The last thing you want to do, though, is to stumble over your answers.

How Can You Prepare for the Unexpected?

You have always been taught to be ready for the questions the interviewer is going to ask. However, these unexpected questions are going to throw you off for sure. It can be hard to prepare for such types of questions, but the following guidelines can offer some direction.

• Be honest. Answer in an honest way so that you do not find yourself stumbling over your answers. The question is often one to bring out the best in you. For example, the interviewer wants to see how you react to the unexpected. Answer it honestly and you will not go wrong.

• Don’t try to guess what the meaning is. In a question like this, about your autobiography, there is no right or wrong answer. The key is to answer the in a way that benefits you and does not try to trap, mislead or even impress the interviewer.

• Answer these non-traditional interview questions in a positive manner. Rather than discussing anything negative, be positive in your answer. Rather than answer a question with a “poor me” attitude, answer it in a very positive, uplifting way. That way, your interviewer gets to see your positive attitude come into play.

• Avoid answering the question with more questions. “What do you mean” does not help you to improve your chances of getting hired. Answer the question the best you can.

• Take it slow. Rather than rushing into an answer, take a few seconds to gather your thoughts. The only way for you to answer in an intelligent manner is to do so by thinking first.

What if you do not know what the answer is? It is quite possible that you simply will not know what to say. Be honest about this, too. You may answer the question above that you haven’t defined your long term goals yet. You can also mention that you are unsure of the answer to the question because you have not thought about it.

Most importantly, do not allow yourself to feel that you have failed the interview because of the questions asked. Even if you do not think you are giving a good answer, chances are good that other applicants struggled with it too. The best way to present yourself is in an open and honest manner. Do not try to hide anything and keep the eye contact you have with your interviewer, smile and be pleasant and positive. All of this will benefit you in the long term. You may not be able to answer all of those questions perfectly, but many times, there is no right or wrong answer anyway.

The traditional method of finding talent is to post an opening and receive a flood of resumes. Hiring authorities would then go through the process of weeding through resumes to see the best fit. Through the interviewing process, the right candidate would then be selected. This traditional method is time consuming and often takes managers away from regular job duties.

The use of the internet is changing the way potential employees can be screened. Over 30,000 searches through Google are conducted each second. Employers are increasingly becoming aware of the amount of information that can be found through the internet. Everyone has an online presence that reveals much about who they are. Social media can be a tool to help find the right candidate.

Richard Bolles, the author of What Color Is Your Parachute mentioned in a recent AOL article, that “Google is the new resume. 82 percent of people use the internet and social media outlets.” It is now possible to create your own personal website with resume for potential employers. Interested parties can put a name in a search engine and see what their accomplishments and interests are. Instead of a faceless piece of paper like the resume, the internet can paint a clearer more informative picture.

Two sites have really enhanced the use of social media as a  screening tool. Twitter is a site where people communicate with 140 characters or less. People set up an account with followers and who they follow. Over 20 million users are this site. People follow others based on their interests and experiences.  Employers can tell much about someone through their followers and what they communicate or “tweet”. Content from comments, discussions and interactions can reflect on a person.

Linkedin is another site that is changing the way employers find talent. This is a business oriented website with over 100 million users. It provides a profile where skills and accomplishments are listed. Present and previous employers are listed. Participants can also link with other users, often people in the same professional area. This is helpful for networking purposes. Searches can be conducted by name or business fields. People often used Linkedin to find employment prospects.

One issue regarding the use of social media is how accurate a portrayal it represents. Many people use these sites not thinking potential employers can use them. There is potential liability in using sites to choose candidates. Users often feel there is a sense of privacy in what they express online. Many do not realize that what they say is out there to be viewed. Some sites such as Facebook do have  privacy settings that can be adjusted. Employers should use care that the ultimate decision for hiring someone is based on the ability to do the job.

Looking for ways to improve your job search, while utilizing the great tools that social media have to offer? Consider becoming part of the Suburban Group for great part time and full time temp and perm jobs.

Effective communication is an essential skill in today’s business world, including written communications. Important decisions that involve time and resources depend on it. The way a person communicates also reflects on that individual and the organization they work for.  For these reasons companies seek to hire individuals with good communication skills.

For many job applicants, spelling errors in applications, cover letters, and resumes will diminish their ability to find work. Hiring managers generally receive multiple applications for one job opening. Initial screenings of resumes will only be a few seconds. Some companies also use screening software on resumes. One key element they are looking for is spelling and punctuation errors.

When a large number of applications are received, the employer takes steps to weed out those they feel do not qualify. They are trying to find a smaller more manageable amount of applicants to work with. Many employers simply do not have the desire to work on time consuming hiring activities. One of the things they look for are spelling and grammar errors. Business correspondence and reports are expected to be without mistakes.  If the applicant cannot present a resume that is error free, why would a company want to hire them?

It is important to find the right way to describe or express yourself to gain the attention of a potential employer in a resume and cover letter.  It is just as important to present these materials without mistakes. The resume is considered by many employers to be a professional document. One small error can disqualify even the most qualified applicant. It is simply expected that applicants can present themselves with even the most basic spelling and grammar skills. Mistakes may also indicate the applicant does not take the time and effort to review their work.

There are some easy ways to avoid spelling and grammar errors in application materials.

First, after running your document through the free spell checker, print out the draft of the resume and letter. Read it carefully for any errors. Have a friend re-read your resume if you are not strong in this area. Note any errors with a pen of a different color to note the mistakes. Make sure that formatting is consistent throughout the document.

After making revisions, read the resume again. Read it backwards to help notice every word. Have other people read materials. Having others review can help reveal mistakes you may not have noticed. It can also help give a different perspective on how certain statements can be expressed.

There are pieces of information that need to be correct. Dates of employment and education need to be accurate. Contact information needs to be correct. Errors in this will mean employers will not be able to contact you. Pay attention to names and titles of company representatives you are contacting.

Want to find support for your job search, and access to great part time and full time jobs? Check with the experts at The Suburban Group today!

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The rejection letter is correspondence notifying a candidate that they were not selected for a position, generally following the application or interview process. Sending this type of letter may not be pleasant for the employer or the applicant, but it is beneficial for both parties. However, there are some important considerations when writing candidate rejection letters.

Some employers may feel they do not have the time or resources to write rejection letters to each applicant. However, they should note that the applicant took the time an effort to apply. The rejection letter can help the applicant know they did not get the job so they can concentrate their job search with other employers.  It shows respect to the applicant and is good for the reputation of the organization. It also helps organize recruitment activities.

Rejection letters can be accomplished by mail or email. It is a professional business letter, so it should be written as such. The rejection letter should be typed and not handwritten. Letters do look more professional if they are signed by a representative. Company letterhead should be used.

Candidates should be addressed by name. Letters should be personalized and not look like they are generic documents or form letters, sent out in a mass mailing. The statement of rejection should be to the point in the beginning of the letter.

Candidates should be thanked for applying for the position. The position should be clarified in the letter. Emphasize that you appreciate their interest with the company. Include a statement that their qualifications and experience were carefully considered.

The reason for the rejection should be given in a straightforward manner. It is not necessary to be specific about the reason for each candidate. Statements such as “moving forward with other candidates whose background is a better fit” are sufficient.

Consider the best time to send a rejection letter based on your department needs. Some employers may send letters out when they decide to move on to another round of hiring. Others may decide to wait until a position is filled to mail out rejection letters.

Company policy on applications should be mentioned. Some employers keep resumes on file for a standard amount of time, like six months or a year. Some may also notify of future vacancies applicants qualify for. Mention this in a rejection letter. If there is no policy, keep it out of the letter.

Letters should be closed with well wishes to the applicant. Phrases like “good luck in future endeavors and job search activities” should be mentioned. Closings should be to the point and courteous.

Issuing rejection letters can be good business practice for employers. It gives closure to the company and the applicant. Professional letters establish a good status and can help with qualified applicants applying for future openings. Besides, it’s just plain courteous.

Want more tips for handling candidate interviews and writing rejection letters, and to find quality candidates? Please visit The Suburban Group today!

Want to hire candidates who possess great personalities and an overflowing team spirit? In order to avoid hiring any selfish jerks who think it’s all about “me”; why not use some of the tricks of the trade that only the best recruiters know? By interviewing and screening candidates carefully, it’s possible to select the best people for the job. Here are some insider secrets you ought to know for hiring the right employees for teamwork and interpersonal skills.

Interview for Behavior Traits

When conducting your interviews, it’s important to interview for behavior skills and traits to find candidates who fit in with a team environment. This can be easily accomplished by focusing in on interview questions that are not obviously touching on this topic – something “jerks” find easy to beat. Instead, try some subtle behavioral interview questions such as “Tell me about a time you had trouble with a boss, and how you overcame this issue?” or “When you have started a new job, describe how you have become part of the group at meetings, activities and on projects?” This will get the applicant thinking and the answers will provide you with valuable insight into certain interpersonal skills, or lack thereof.

Employee Personality Assessments

Another way to carefully screen all candidates for potential problems is to conduct thorough employee personality and work skill assessments before making any offers. This can be done at the time the application is processed, or during the initial interview. It’s very important that the assessment be conducted by a third-party employment assessment software or a staffing agency, so that the employee does not feel threatened and will answer as honestly as possible. Look for candidates who don’t answer every question neutrally, but watch out for those who seem to have overly strong personality types as they can spell trouble in a team setting.

Check Past Employment References

One big mistake that many hiring professionals make is to forget to check past employment histories for all candidates. Regardless of anything else you do in the initial screening process, make sure to get at least three to five professional and personal references from each candidate. Call each reference personally and ask them to answer with a simple “yes” or “no” if the candidate you are considering has successfully worked as part of a team in the past. This can be used in tandem with the standard question about eligibility for re-employment with no perceived worry on the other end.

Need help screening your candidates for upcoming team building? Contact the recruiting experts at The Suburban Group today!