Company executives, supervisors, and managers often get so wrapped up in the day-to-day tasks that they sometimes overlook how their employees want to be treated. Treating employees properly will help keep them happy, establish loyalty and increase job satisfaction.  Satisfied employees are more likely to stay with a company long term. Engaging your employees and listen to their needs to learn valuable clues about how they want to be treated. Every employee and company will have unique elements that need to be accounted for.  We’ve compiled a list of ways you can better treat your employees:

Respect, courtesy, and trust. Everyone wants to know that their contribution is valued and that they are trusted to do their job.  Try to give your employees the same level of respect you would expect.

Appreciation. When someone does an exceptional job, tell them so. Oftentimes, employees feel as though only their failures are recognized, so begin to praise them about their successes.  Be sure to include compliments in the same conversation where you are pointing out shortcomings.

Provide perks and a pleasant work environment. Employees spend more time in the office than they do at home with their families or friends. Make the office environment a place that your employees want to work in. Offer them perks such as occasional meals, memberships to health clubs, a day to work from home or even just a $5 or $10 gift card to their favorite coffee shop.

Compatibility with co-workers. By the same token, employees spend more time with their co-workers than with their families as well. Foster a great team environment to allow for individuals to get along without petty drama.

Engaged Managers. These types of environmental factors can be made or broken by the engagement of the management team.  Be sure managers at every level of the enterprise are properly trained to foster job satisfaction and loyalty.

Provide training or assistance. A person who can contribute to your organization should have access to continuing education. Provide employees the opportunity to attend seminars or workshops.  Even consider mentors to help put individuals to the next level. Providing opportunities to grow individually will help make employees loyal to the organization.

Clearly defined goals. Most importantly, you must provide each contributor to the team clearly defined goals for their success. This will help them see how their contribution provides for the overall success of the company and enable them to understand what is expected of them.

Treating your employees well will not only keep them satisfied and loyal, but will foster the type of environment that will attract new talent. Always be on the lookout for creative ways to engage your team and foster success.

Contact the professional recruiters at CompliStaff for more information about how we can help you with your hiring process.

The leadership of a company is the guiding light for the organization – the ones responsible for spearheading change and empowering employees. Traditional leadership values remain important, but in today’s economy, finding innovative ways to be the best leader for your company is crucial. Here are several things you can to do be an innovative leader and keep your organization ahead of the curve.

Failure is not the end, and sometimes it can be a new beginning.  Leaders are often apprehensive to change.  But because change is inevitable, it is better to embrace it. Many leaders tell you that failure and change are the most important ingredients for success. By understanding how to overcome failure, you will learn essential tools to keep your team competitive and successful.  Planning for change will keep you ahead of the curve.

Reach out to organizational leaders in your community. Other business leaders have wisdom and knowledge to share, so collaborate and learn from them. Organize leadership networking events to understand the ways other leaders have built their organizations and see how you might be able to apply those things to your business.

Innovation comes easier when you have many minds working together.  Collaborate with your team, and encourage them to make suggestions in exchange for recognition. Be truly open minded.  Listen to them and try to embrace their concepts to improvise and shape the future of the organization. This will keep your team excited, engaged and more eager to embrace change.

When you try something new, you must understand that it might not work exactly the way you pictured it. Be accountable for mistakes that happen on your watch. Determine what parts of the plan did not work the way they were intended to and fix those problems. Then try again. “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford

Above anything else, be humble about your success. Know that no one creates empires on their own; they need to have a good team and good mentors. They need to have good infrastructure and good procedures. You are not the total of your success; you are the seed of it. Credit those who help you along the way and you will be seen as an excellent leader.

Looking to work with an executive recruiting firm that values great leadership skills? CompliStaff offers professional recruiting services and employment consultation to a wide variety of clients and job seekers.

Attracting and retaining the best and brightest talent is a priority for small and large companies alike.  While employees still desire favorable compensation and traditional benefits, extreme value is placed on work-life balance and nontraditional benefits.  Today’s employees are looking for companies that offer the best “package.”  And it does not have to be entirely monetary.  Employees are looking for a business willing to think creatively and offer benefits that their competitors will not.

Offering nontraditional benefits will not only help you retain top talent, but will also attract new candidates to your organization. These perks, many inexpensive, will improve employee morale throughout the workplace.

• Wellness or health club discounts or memberships. Perks like this will make it easier for employees to embrace a healthy life style, which can also potentially decrease expensive health insurance claims. Partner with a local gym to find out how you can offer these to your employees.
• Flex days or Work From Home days. Having a flexible work schedule can often lead to improved employee morale and productivity. You can offer flex days where perhaps they can earn time off by working four 10-hour days per week. Or you may be able to offer days where they can work from home. Develop a structure for these benefits that will allow for employees to feel successful and productive.
• Appreciation brunches or lunches. A little appreciation goes a long way. Bring a catered breakfast or lunch in from time to time to reward your employees for the work they have done. Make this a special event and allow people to step away from their desks for their lunch hour and interact with members of the office staff that perhaps they don’t deal with on a daily basis.
• Daycare. If you are able to offer in-house daycare, this can be a huge draw for working parents. When you provide an option for employees to place their children in daycare on premise, you create a culture of more productive employees. There will be fewer problems with absenteeism. Studies have shown that the investment in daycare programs saves a company money long term preventing problems with turnover.
• Gift cards.  A small and inexpensive token of appreciation, gifts cards help recognize employees’ successes and efforts.  For minimal cost, maybe $5, $10, $25 or $50, you can make a big difference in your employees’ work experience.
• Sponsor or subsidize continuing education. Continuing education can only enhance your workplace over time. Encourage your employees to attend seminars or classes that will assist them in their day-to-day work functions. Provide ways for your employees to select training and development courses that they find interesting, and encourage them to attend. There may even be options for webinars which will allow the employee to stay in the office while they participate.  Consider tuition reimbursement for college or graduate degrees.

There are many other ways you can improve your company’s traditional and nontraditional benefits.  Remember, it’s always important to have benefits that are competitive with those your competitors are offering.  Consider putting together a team to develop inexpensive perks that employees will appreciate.  By offering a work experience with perks that are structured around value, flexibility and appreciation, you will surely attract great employees and make your employees feel like they are part of a winning team.

Creative ways to improve your employee morale can be developed at any time. CompliStaff specializes in superb management and professional recruiting and can work with your company to develop strategies for hiring the best people.

Many organizations use assessment tests as part of their hiring process. Why is this done? What exactly do the tests assess, and how are they used in the corporate hiring process? These tests come in many forms and allow your potential next employer to determine if you are a match for their organization based on qualified and objective results. On these assessment tests, there is no “right” answer, just a range that the prospective employees need to fall within, a range can vary for different jobs within an organization.  Many companies consider it a valuable tool, helping to insure  poor hiring decisions. Here is a look at the different types of testing you can expect as you interview for new positions.

• Personality assessments. These assessments help determine if you would work well with the existing team and what kind of office environment you excel in. Many companies will establish a corporate culture benchmark by assessing current (and past) employees to define what types of personalities work best within their organization. Keep in mind that companies are not looking for one right answer when it comes to personality assessments. They want to see if you are likely to blend well with the individuals who are already working there and possess the specific personality traits identified as crucial for job success. The only way to prepare for these assessments is to answer all of the questions honestly.
• Competency assessments. These evaluations dig a little deeper than the straightforward personality assessments. They are used to measure how a candidate would act in certain situations and what their behavior patterns might be. It may assess your motivation, leadership skills, honesty, and reliability. Most competency tests will ask very similar questions in different ways two or three times throughout. This is to determine how consistent you are in your behavior. Again, there is no way to beat the test, you must simply answer honestly.
• Cognitive abilities. This test will evaluate the IQ of the candidate such as verbal, numeric, logic and reasoning skills. Cognitive tests are frequently used early in the interview stages to pare down the candidate pool and select the very best of the potential new employees.
• Skills assessments. Based on the type of role you are interviewing for a staffing firm or prospective employer may conduct an evaluation  to see if you possess specific skills.  They may test your level of proficiency on computer hardware or software or other job related skills needed to be successful. Depending on the category of position you are interviewing for, you will be tested on the skills needed for the right candidate to be successful. If you are an office manager, you might be tested on the latest Microsoft Office Suite. If you are in accounting, you may be tested on specific software or something such as accounts payable or receivable.

While there are ideal test outcomes that recruiters and companies would like to see in each individual case, most companies are realistic in understanding that the testing process is not a perfect way to analyze each candidate. These tests help identify for the company where your potential weaknesses may be, and then allow them to work with you to build your skills. Again, there is really no way to prepare for these evaluations except for keeping your skills current, not exaggerating your skills in certain areas, and being honest with your answers.

Keep in mind that employers are required to use validated testing that does not violate any laws regarding discrimination against hiring. These tests are merely a gauge to better understand you as a candidate and determine if you might be a fit for their organization.

Are you looking for professional and reliable recruiters to help you navigate your job search? CompliStaff offers the best match and the best service to their clients and candidates.

Many managers believe the only way to make sure employees complete tasks timely and properly is to keep close watch on progress throughout the project.  However, micromanagement is often detrimental to the growth of employees and overall success of a team.  There are many ways to keep employees on track without stifling creativity, innovation or new ideas.  As a manager, it is important to strike a balance between being hands-on while giving your team autonomy to complete tasks.  Here are some ways you can be in tune with your business without hindering the opportunity for new ideas or processes:

1. Have weekly meetings. Rather than tracking work streams on a daily bases, plan weekly meetings to check in with progress and assign new tasks. Between meetings, trust that the team will accomplish what is necessary. If they do not, this may be dealt with at the next meeting to help employees stay on schedule.
2. Utilize technology. There is a lot of available software that can help manage your office and projects. Rather than relying on yourself to track or complete every task, set up these systems to create reminders and updates on requirements.
3. Be specific. Explain what the deliverables and deadlines are, as this will clearly define what the project phases and end goals are. This is extremely helpful in managing your employees’ expectations, and your own. Then allow your employees to accomplish their tasks and present them at the established time.
4. Big Picture. Be as transparent as possible with your team. Share your business goals and exciting news or feedback with your employees. This will impart confidence in your team and motivate them to continue to further innovate and outshine their own performance marks.
5. Team goals. Establish your goals as a team so everyone is invested in the success of the project. Allow team members to utilize their specific talents to make the product flourish. The more you involve your team in the decision-making process, the more engaged they will be.
6. Be fun. Even if you’re under a tight deadline, keep the mood positive. If you want to be sure your employees meet deadlines or stay on task, offer fun rewards to help break up their day and encourage them to enjoy the work they are doing.
7. Create templates. By creating company-wide templates, you ensure that all work is presented in precisely the format that you prefer. You will not need to follow each employee and reformat their work to suit your preferences.
8. Results-Oriented Workplace. There is a movement among corporations to focus on results-oriented work rather than time-oriented work. It is a good idea to focus on quality, rather than time spent on the project. Allowing employees to manage their own time on the job has proven to be successful. Establish a time frame for presenting results, then allow the employees to work at their own pace.

Are you looking for a recruiting firm that can help streamline your business processes? Contact CompliStaff to see what we have to offer.

Everyone has goals for their career – but what are you actually doing to reach those goals? Many professionals set their sights on a goal, but lack direction or guidance to achieve it. To avoid this common career pitfall, you should answer a core list of questions to get you started on working towards your goals.

Where are you currently in your career? Examine your career path and where you are at today – this is your starting line towards reaching your goal. Think about your strengths and weaknesses, and consider how they will impact attaining your goal, but more importantly, think about how they can contribute to reaching your goal.

Why are you interested in this goal? Each individual will have a different motivation for aspiring towards this goal – and there is no right or wrong reason. You might have a certain goal because of your interests or financial opportunity it can offer you.  You may even wish to own your own business.  As you work towards a goal, it is important to stay focused, and not be waylaid by career tangents along the way.

What is the most direct path to reach this goal? Now that you have established your starting point and why this goal is important, you need to assess how to attain this goal. What is currently holding you back from your goal? Maybe you need more experience or specialized certification. Maybe you’re in the wrong industry.  If you establish that there are obstacles, figure out how you can overcome them.   Make sure your job choices are steps towards attaining you goal.   As you progress in your career, always keep your goals in mind and continually work towards them.  Try not to settle along the way or you may risk compromising your goal.

When do you see yourself achieving your ultimate goal? You should visualize the “finish line” in reaching your goal.  You may want to reach your goal by a certain date, after a set number of years or any by other threshold.  Maybe you picture the authority, achievement or financial success that attaining your goal could bring you.  Either way, visualizing will help you see your goal progress and helps keep you motivated to achieve your end goal.

How are you doing in working towards this goal? Assessing your progress is vital. Too often, we set goals, start working towards them, and then lose focus and motivation.   Occasionally, take a step back to see where you are in the goal achievement process.  Adjust your strategy as needed.   If needed, ask these questions of yourself again to see re-assess your goals and how you can reach them.

Conquering a goal isn’t always something you must achieve alone. Regardless of your end goal, consider joining a professional association or group. This is a great way to network in the industry, and make valuable connections.  Don’t be intimidated by the your goal or all the steps that may be required to get from the starting line to you goal.  Take it one step at a time and keep you eye on the prize!

Many times you can reach a goal with assistance from your professional connections or a recruiter. Talk to a recruiter in your area to understand your options and determine your best strategy for reaching your career goals. If reaching your goal involves changing jobs, your recruiter can provide valuable resources and insight into available positions. Call the recruiting experts at CompliStaff today to discuss how we can help you achieve your career goals.