When I say “social networking” what do you think?

If you said, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, you’re right, but then you’re not.

In the business world, although online social networking sites are great tools to stay in touch and in marketing, it’s not quite enough. It’s not enough to be the profile picture with the witticisms. You have to be apparent to the greater public.

Business/social networking events are great opportunities to get known in the industry community you want to be in. Meeting someone in person and wowing them speaks volumes over your special #FF (follow Friday) shout out on Twitter.

Why should you spend more time networking at business functions? Here’s why.

1. Making contacts, making impressions. Nothing makes an impression quite like being able to speak eloquently, use appropriate humor and wit, and making yourself likable. People tend to remember the small things, like firm handshakes, the way you interact with other people, and how you conduct yourself in public. If you do it all well, they see how this can all translate to a possible opportunity with their company/organization.
2. Keep things in context. The funny thing about the Internet is that people read what you say. Sometimes, when people read what you say without any real context clues to decipher what you mean, they can take things out of context. Being able to meet someone in person can help eliminate any misunderstandings. You especially don’t want to accidently offend or anger someone who can be potential business contact.
3. So you’re qualified, but would you fit in? A lot of companies are specifically looking for the best qualified for the job. But sometimes, the best qualified wouldn’t mesh well with the team or would create a mess out of an already symbiotic and cultured office. Meeting those in charge of hiring (or people who can influence the hirers) and showing off your dazzling personality might just be to your benefit. Never underestimate the power of being relatable.

There is so much value in meeting with people in real life. It’s more memorable than a “Friend Request” and being able to connect face-to-face is more memorable than a Twitter handle.

Business networking events should be considered great networking opportunities. Meeting some movers and shakers would be great for your career, and you never know when these newly built bridges will be handy.

Want help networking and meeting people in your business? Contact Josephine’s Professional Staffing for more information.

It’s pretty simple: if you write a bad job posting, you’ll get the wrong candidates. Or desperate candidates, or candidates who are applying for everything they see.

All online job postings attract some bad candidates, but poorly written postings attract more.   What’s a bad job posting? The ones that look like this:

”XYZ company, located in Washington DC, is the foremost widget maker in the region.  We are seeking a Controller.  Responsibilities include… blah blah blah.”

That posting is dull and gives you the minimal, most dry information about the company and the job. If you want to attract good candidates, you have to… well, attract them!

How?

When you write your job posting, here are the things you’ll want to include:

1. Context.  Imagine you’re trying to answer the key context questions that a good candidate will ask about a new opportunity.  For example, if you are hiring a controller, answer questions in the posting, before they can be asked, such as:

• what position do I report to?
• how many people report to me?
• what are the annual revenues?
• are you profitable?

Candidates for different positions would ask different key context questions. What you’re trying to do here is begin a conversation by engaging the other person.

2. Expectations.  Your posting should describe what success looks like, or what tangible business accomplishments are expected. For example, instead of saying, “this job will help raise funds,” say “this person will be challenged to help generate $1 million dollars that will be used for specific programs.” The reason you’re hiring someone is to get business results.  So why not list the results you want, right in the post? It never hurts to let people know what you expect.

3. Communication.  Paint a clear mental picture of the possibilities you’re offering, such as what it’s like to work at your company. Or talk about a day in the life of this position. The reader should get a clear idea of whatever value you’re highlighting, whether it’s the great staff, a tangible chance for success, recognition or a fun work environment. So, instead of “we offer a flexible work environment,” describe the 40-hour work week that can start at 6 a.m. or finish at 10 p.m. — whatever works best for the applicant.

4. Meaningful words.  In other words, don’t use hackneyed, stale, old meaningless phrases thrown into virtually every posting. These words are so overused, they’ve lost their meaning:

• dynamic
• hands on
• motivated
• fast paced
• exciting
• team player
• self-starter

The words you use and the information you share in your job postings make a huge difference in the quality of the candidates you attract. Like to know more? Contact Josephine’s Professional Staffing today!

First, let’s define what constitutes a high potential employee.  Generally, they are regarded as the top 3 to 5% of a company, who demonstrate high levels of contribution. And while every organization may have its own addendums to that definition, there is consensus that this group is always in hot demand.

Competitors may be trying to recruit your best managers right now. And research shows that top performing managers are leaving their jobs, even in today’s unstable employment environment.

So why do many companies invest a lot of effort into recruiting these employees, but then do very little by way of talent management and talent development to retain them?

At a time when retaining good talent is so crucial, organizations must make sure they have employee retention and development strategies in place to avoid turnover. Below are 6 different ideas to try.

1. Mentoring.  Corporate environments have started implementing more structured mentoring programs. These can be very powerful for acclimating employees to the corporate culture and values. Mentoring can also be enormously valuable for those high potential employees who thrive on interaction with influential colleagues.

2. High visibility assignments. It’s important that these employees be given challenging opportunities that are outside their comfort zones and keep them highly engaged. You may also want to explore other options such as rotation to a supplier or partner, swapping positions, coaching/mentoring, or other creative talent development solutions that expand a high potential employee’s visibility and depth of experience.

3. Open communication. This may be stating the obvious, but if a high potential employee has a concern or an idea, it’s in your organization’s best interest to listen. You may also want to let them know that you believe they’re high potential, and therefore valuable to the organization. Just don’t make it public about who’s a rising star or you’ll create a culture of winners and losers.

4. Learning and development. Think about other types of learning and employee development opportunities that you could offer, beyond certifications or employee training programs.  Many organizations are coming up with talent management structures that allow one employee to experience many facets of the organization, from sales to marketing to customer service.

5. Measure progress quarterly. Companies measure themselves on a quarterly basis, so do the same with your employees. Especially if you’re exposing high potential employees to mentors, new and high visibility projects, position swapping, etc., and putting them in unfamiliar territory, a proactive quarterly review provides them with more immediate feedback.

6. Alignment.  Align your top performers’ development plans with your company’s strategy so what they do supports the organization’s needs as well as their own.  Determine the best pace for their career development. Give them the time needed to plan their projects, implement them and stay to see the results so they (and you) can evaluate their performance.

Have you ever stopped to consider that you might lose your job in the next layoff or downsizing at your company? Would it be easy to replace you with someone else who can do your job for less money?  If you answered that last question with a definite YES, then you need to think about how to increase your value to your employer. Here are ten tips:

1. Expand your company knowledge. Become the go-to guy for questions and solutions.  Be the one who knows how things work.  In other words, make yourself into an important resource for your fellow employees and even your boss.
2. Expand your personal knowledge. Take classes in anything that will improve your job skills. By rounding out your talents and expanding them, you’ll automatically become a more valuable employee.
3. Be a team player. Promote team unity.  Support your coworkers in any way possible.  In doing so you will become known as someone who can work with anyone. You’ll prove that you’re adaptable and have excellent social skills.
4. Seek out more responsibility. You don’t want to fly under the radar. You want to be on the radar and coming through loud and clear, so ask your supervisor for more responsibilities. Work late, come in early or do whatever it takes to be known as a productive, hard worker.
5. Be a positive force. Don’t be the type of coworker who is always pointing out mistakes or why things won’t work. Be the one who says it can be done, and work hard to ensure it happens.
6. Find ways to increase profits/cut costs. Everything in the business world ultimately comes down to bottom line profitability.  Watch for ways to cut costs or make systems more efficient and present solutions to your superior, complete with a plan. For example, show how to replace copy paper with a less expensive version, or how to schedule warehouse workers more effectively to avoid unnecessary overtime.
7. Be adaptable to change.  Change is inevitable, and those who can roll with it will survive.  Those who complain, cannot or will not adapt, or generally slow the process, will not.
8. Be a problem solver. Every workplace has problems. Be the one who comes up with effective solutions and can put them into action. Problem solvers have inherent value and retention appeal.
9. Mind your manners. You will be well liked and respected by everyone for simply acting respectful to your boss and coworkers.
10. Get cracking. Don’t wait.  Begin increasing your value as a team member, mentor, leader, problem-solver, cheerleader, learned man or money saver immediately!  The sooner you start the quicker your employer will see you as someone they want and need to retain for the long run.

Anytime you need great advice on the job market or help finding a new job, contact Josephine’s Professional Staffing, Inc, a leading staffing provider in Silicon Valley since 1988.

Too many managers are ignoring the importance of getting good reference checks on candidates, either not doing them at all or not doing a thorough job. The most common excuses?

• The candidate only provides referees who will give them a glowing report.
• The referee has a grudge against the candidate and slants their reference in an unfairly negative manner.
• The referee gives you a positive report, because they are afraid of the legal ramifications of saying anything bad.
• The referee is restricted by a company policy that limits what they can say about previous employees.

Is it any wonder that checking references has attained a reputation of being a waste of time?

Avoiding the Problems

Problem 1: The candidate only provides referees who will give them a glowing report.

Solution: Ask for extra references beyond those supplied on the resume and see if anyone else from the company can verify the information you collected during the interview. These extra people may still give a positively slanted opinion, but it’s harder for them to slant true facts. And, when referee statements are cross-referenced (see below), any holes that exist will show up.

Problem 2: The referee has a grudge against the candidate and slants their reference in an unfairly negative manner.

Solution: Once again, do at least two reference checks per employer. If one of the two is not so good, do a third one as a cross-reference against the other two. If two out of three are good, the bad one can probably be put into the category of a “suspect reference”.

Problem 3: The referee gives you a positive report because they are afraid of the legal ramifications of saying anything bad.

Solution: It’s vital that you get accurate information. If the referee you are talking to is one of those people who is afraid of saying the wrong thing, you’ll find they are far more comfortable simply confirming facts and figures. They will only become hesitant when asked something that invites their opinion.

Problem 4: The referee is restricted by their company policy that limits what they can say about previous employees.

Solution: This situation will be at least partly resolved when the emphasis is placed on the previous employee’s actual results on the job.

Companies that have such restrictive policies generally don’t mind verifying production statistics, or confirming what positions the employee held and what functions they performed. You can generally get more information, however, by digging deeper on the functional aspects. For example, “So, he was involved with collecting outstanding debts. Did the amount of outstanding debts decrease while he held the job?”

The reference check is, by no means, the main deciding factor. But if it’s done right, it can contribute powerful data to the decision process.

In the pre-recession days, the prevailing wisdom was to avoid hiring overqualified applicants. Hiring managers assumed they would easily become bored, lose motivation and would either underperform or leave.

But recent research shows that people who were thought to be overqualified actually performed better at their jobs. It has also shown that people rarely leave a job because they feel they’re too talented for it. People stay or leave because of working conditions, such as interpersonal conflict.

Hiring managers are soon going to be faced with an influx of highly qualified employees, as the job market inches toward recovery. Instead of disqualifying “overqualified” candidates immediately, you might be better off reconsidering your old attitude. Next time you’re looking at a stack of impressive resumes, here are a few things to consider:

Look to the Future

When making hiring decisions, don’t just focus on your current needs, but on your future needs. You never know when you might need someone to move up in the organization, and if you have qualified talent already on your payroll, it will save you a lot of time and money.

Consider Flexibility

If a person has skills that are applicable to other areas of your company, you can give them opportunities to use those skills not only for the job they were hired to do, but also in the company at large. Allowing an “overqualified” employee to use their broader skill set doesn’t just benefit the company, it also engages that person and sends the message that you value them and their experience.

Extra Motivation

“Overqualified” candidates often inject a new energy into a group by inspiring your existing team to “up their game.” They can also bridge the gap between junior and senior-level staff, allowing expertise to come from the team, not management.

More Value

When it comes to overqualified candidates, you often get more than you pay for. There’s no need to overpay, but you may have to pay at the high end of the range—knowing you’re likely to get more bang for your buck.

Bring Them On Carefully

One caveat about hiring the overqualified: Effective interviewing and onboarding are essential. Put all the cards on the table during the interview: ask the candidates directly about how they’ll handle their overqualification for the job. Ask them to convince you why they want the job and try to gauge whether they want the position for the right reasons. If you decide to hire them, set clear expectations as to where and how this person will fit into the organization—set specific job parameters.

The next time a resume from an overqualified candidate comes across your desk, don’t discard it automatically. By adjusting your perspective, you just might find that hiring an overqualified candidate is the best decision you could have made.

How can you keep your organization competitive in the drive for top employees? It can be hard for organizations to really stand out from their competitors. But with company culture becoming an important factor in career decisions, it’s time to look at your organization and see how yours compares.

Why do companies as disparate as Google, Southwest Airlines and Zappo’s get such great reviews from their employees? Why do they attract so many candidates, and so many good ones? Easy. They’ve developed company cultures that epitomize strong values, a modern work ethic that includes fun and service to both their customers and their communities.

These top companies know what good employees are looking for, and they make sure to publicize what sets them apart from the competition.

If you want to appeal to the top-drawer candidates that apply to these popular companies in droves, it’s time to think about what your company can offer. Has your company defined its core values? Created a distinct corporate culture? Have you expressed these values on your web site or in your job listings, where candidates can see them?

For example, Google promotes its “all for one and one for all” corporate mentality on its website, by mentioning how “at lunchtime, almost everyone eats in the office café, sitting at whatever table has an opening and enjoying conversations with Googlers from different teams.” This includes the founders and other upper-level executives. They also create an open work environment, with very few solo offices and a generous supply of laptops to allow for mobile coding, anytime email and note taking. They offer plenty of opportunities for exercise and comfort: providing bicycles or scooters to help staffers travel between meetings, massage chairs, large inflatable balls, game rooms and gyms. They even encourage socializing by sponsoring employee groups for different interests, such as meditation, movies, wine tasting and salsa dancing.

Southwest Airlines has long understood how employee satisfaction and environmental awareness go hand in hand. They also know that their employees like to feel like contributing members of society, especially in their home community. That’s why they promote their Charitable Giving and Community Outreach programs. They started Community Giving Boards that have been trained to evaluate charitable giving requests from their local community. The Boards are made up of local employees from various work groups who evaluate the donation requests and donate complimentary, round trip tickets to approved organizations for fundraising or transportation purposes. They also sustain a relationship with Ronald McDonald House Charities so they can aid in the transportation needs of families facing serious illnesses and administers their own Medical Transportation Grant Program in conjunction with hospitals and organizations that assist individuals who must travel to receive medical care.

Last but far from least is Zappo’s, a company that makes sure you know they’re about much more than shoes.  They have an entire page on their site devoted to their Family Core values. These include:

1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
4. Pursue Growth and Learning
5. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
6. Do More With Less
7. Be Passionate and Determined

They make it very clear that they expect employees to be innovative, to go above and beyond, to embrace teamwork and to have fun while doing so. They are proud of their unique corporate culture and openly share it through their web site, blogging, videos and more.

If you want to attract great candidates, you have to be a great company to work for. Not every company can be just like Google, Southwest or Zappo’s, but you can certainly take tips from them on how to create a corporate environment that excellent people will want to work in.

Halloween isn’t just about kids and candy anymore. More employers are embracing holiday parties, including Halloween dress-up events, as a way to promote employee morale, teamwork, and interdepartmental cooperation. However, the costume you’d wear to a friend’s Halloween party or a bash at a bar may be different than what you should wear to the office.

Employers should lay down ground rules beforehand when it comes to costumes, said Michael D. Karpeles, head of the labor and employment group at Goldberg Kohn, a Chicago-based law firm.

“It’s OK to allow people to dress up, but I think that companies should let their employees know that certain types of costumes are not appropriate — if they’re especially revealing, for example,” he said.

How to Choose a Work-Appropriate Costume

Some things to consider when choosing a costume to wear to work are:

• Comfort If you’re going to be wearing it for 8+ hours, you definitely want your costume to be comfortable. Will it be too hot or too cool to wear all day? Can you sit at your desk with the costume on?
• Makeup or Mask? Experiment with makeup beforehand if you’re planning to wear it. Some costume makeup can get irritating after a few hours. If you plan to wear a mask while working, make sure you can see — and breathe!
• Effect Avoid disturbing, horror costumes or those with religious themes that might be offensive to your coworkers. And remember, sexual harassment policies are still in effect at work events.

There’s not much time left ‘til Halloween, so here are a few quick and easy costumes that you can probably create with what you already have on hand. One trip to a costume shop can complete your ensemble if necessary:

• Housewife Wear a nightgown, bathrobe and big slippers, and curlers in your hair while toting a stereotypical item like a box of bon-bons or a dustmop. You can even wear white or green make-up to simulate cold cream or a facial.
• Gypsy or Fortune Teller Wear any flowing skirt, a bright non-matching shirt, a dozen brightly covered bangle bracelets and a scarf or two. Carry a crystal ball or  a magic 8-ball.
• Chef/cook If you’ve got an apron, a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon, just add a wig or a few accessories to become your favorite TV chef.
• Biker A leather jacket, black jeans, boots and a bandana are all that’s really needed for this look. A plaid shirt with the sleeves ripped off and/or a Harley-Davidson T-shirt can add authenticity.

If your workplace is casual and allows for more creativity, you might try:

• Brain Donor: Wear a hospital gown or bathrobe, draw black circles under your eyes and wrap your head in gauze. Fill a clear jar with a small amount of water and some cauliflower. On the front of the jar or the front of your gown put a big label that says “Brain Donor.”

• Nudist on Strike: Probably the easiest costume to put together on short notice. Wear whatever you want and carry a picket sign that says, “Nudist on Strike.”

• Attack Dog Trainer: Take a stuffed dog and sew it to the arm of a long-sleeved shirt so it looks like it is biting you. Wear a name tag (“Jim’s Attack Dog School). Add fake blood for fun!

• Chick Magnet: Attach Barbie dolls or other inexpensive dolls (dressed, please!) all over yourself.

Group costumes can be a fun way to bring a department together. Try getting everyone to dress as characters from a popular TV show, like Mad Men, or movie, like Harry Potter. If your usual dress code is business casual, it might be fun to dress in dark suits and accessorize with sunglasses, a la the Blues Brothers or the Men in Black, or add badges or earpieces to be FBI or Secret Service agents.

The subject of drug testing in the workplace is certainly controversial. The debate has been raging for years, and many arguments exist in support of both sides.

The Pros

Those who argue in favor of drug testing point out that workers who abuse drugs pose a safety risk in the workplace. They also have a higher rate of absenteeism, which costs their employers money. Businesses can face a higher exposure to liability due to drug-related work accidents: According to the United States Department of Labor, 10 to 20 percent of U.S. workers involved in fatal on-the-job accidents tested positive for illicit drugs and alcohol. A drug-using employee is 3.6 times more likely to be involved in an accident, and five times more likely to make a worker’s compensation claim, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Impaired judgment can result in slow reaction times and misguided decisions, which may lead to accidents. Therefore, advocates feel that drug testing makes the workplace safer and increases employee confidence — that is, those employees who don’t use drugs don’t have to worry about their own safety being compromised by their possibly impaired coworkers.  Another potential benefit? If workplace drug testing leads an employee to seek treatment. Some employers may even assist employees in entering (and paying for) a drug treatment program so that employee has a chance to become productive again.

The Cons

Many feel that random workplace drug testing violates an employee’s right to privacy, especially when no probable cause exists. While random testing is legal in the workplace, some groups feel it violates an individual’s constitutional rights. Urine and hair tests only reveal certain aspects of past drug use, not current, illicit use that may have occurred on the job. Employees who are against drug testing often threaten to sue their employer for violations. Even if the plaintiff loses the case, the business still stands to lose money from downtime needed to fight the case and attorney fees. Also, implementing a random drug-testing program can cost thousands of dollars and may result in no one testing positive.

Whether or not to implement drug testing is a difficult decision, and employers should consider their individual circumstances before making it. In environments where employees are responsible for the well being and safety of other people, such as schools, hospitals and transportation, there is more of a reason to create carefully constructed policies that ensure the business will be run by unimpaired people.

In other job settings that aren’t safety related, employers do have a right to expect that employees are not utilizing drugs in the workplace, yet employees have a right to privacy and dignity. One solution is to make your drug testing policy clear to employees before they start working for you.

There’s a reason movies like Horrible Bosses get made: just about everyone can relate! Most people at some point in their lives have had a difficult boss. Maybe it was a personality clash, maybe you felt like they had it out for you, or maybe they just didn’t respect you or your hard work.

Survey after survey has shown that the number one reason employees leave a company is because of a bad boss. But maybe quitting isn’t an option, or your job is great otherwise. Here are 6 ways to deal with a difficult boss.

1. Work Hard: First and foremost, continue to work hard and be on time. If you and your boss have an uneasy relationship, you don’t want to give him any ammunition against you. Furthermore, try and schedule a time to sit down with your boss and go over the specifics of what he expects from you. Leave no room for misunderstandings when it comes to your responsibilities. Once you have the list, document it, and then follow it to the letter.
2. Document Your Boss’ Behavior: Try your hardest to get along, but document everything that happens that you feel is troublesome. Keep a journal (but keep it at home!) of questionable situations that have transpired between you and your boss, complete with dates, times and full descriptions. Also keep a file with any supporting documentation, memos, emails, etc. Why? When you’re ready to take action, or if your boss tries to fire you, you will have documented, detailed proof of her mistreatment of you to present to HR or a lawyer, if necessary.
3. Document Your Work: Do you often have to stay late at work without collecting overtime? Have you taken the lead on a project that wasn’t in your job description? Made a sale that brought in a sizable check to the company? Make sure to write down all such achievements, including any positive overall effect your work had on the company. Why? If your boss tries to terminate you, you will be able to show that you’re a valuable and competent employee. This will help you make your case if your boss attempts to fire you for being “incompetent”, “not doing your job”, or a host of other reasons, when you know it’s simply personal.
4. Hold Your Tongue: If your boss says something that upsets you, don’t respond in anger – even if she was completely rude or out of line. Your boss may be trying to trap you into saying something she can terminate you for, or use it as documentation that you don’t work well with the team. Furthermore, if the matter is brought before a higher-up, it will be obvious who is the problem. Also, be careful with whom you share your issues within the office. It’s best to keep these matters to yourself.
5. Only Confront with Evidence: If and when you’re finally ready to say something to your boss, be nonconfrontational and try your best not to make it personal. Use specific examples of situations you’ve documented to bolster your position and ask for tangible changes that will help you feel more respected and appreciated. Don’t go to his manager until you’ve tried talking to your boss and had no success; only go up the chain of command as a last resort. If you do, talk about the specific issues you have (not your boss’ personality), come with evidence and try to stay as positive as possible.
6. Always Have a Plan B: Most people are nervous about confronting their bosses because they fear blowback or getting fired. Before you talk to your boss, have a plan B in case things don’t work out: the best alternative would probably be a job offer from another employer. By not having a back-up plan, you have given your boss leverage over you because he’ll know you have nowhere else to go. Having a plan B empowers you with the ability to walk away at any time should the negotiation not go right.