Making life changes, especially when it comes to our health, is not easy.  If it were, we’d all be calm and collected, well rested, marathon runners who floss every day.  Our habits and routines are as much a part of us as is our hair and skin.  They even change our brain chemistry making them that much more difficult to alter.  So powerful!

Such power doesn’t have to be a negative thing!  Learning to change our behaviors one small step at a time can help us harness that power towards a physically, mentally, and emotionally healthier self.  Small changes equal lasting results.  It’s like that coin jar where we throw all our spare change.  A penny here, a quarter there, and before we know it, all those little amounts of spare change add up to something of greater value.

One contemporary theory on the process of change suggests, when it comes to making changes in our life, we go through a series of stages.  However, it also recognizes that the process is not a one way street.  A setback is not failure!  It is part of the process.  Any effort made means something has been gained.  It can be difficult to leave behind the all or nothing mentality, letting a setback discourage us from making any effort.  Cycling through the stages of change at various times in one’s life is very common.  It takes time, lots of time, to establish new behaviors and be rid of old ones.  Lasting transformation occurs when we think long term – changing our lifestyle over time.

This series will bring us down the “Way to Wellness”, creating awareness and moving through the stages of change using small, practical goals and ideas toward building a healthier self.  Whether we want to drink more water throughout the day, quit smoking, or run a marathon, it always helps to have some tools handy – some handfuls of spare change – to get us thinking about making lasting transformations and to encourage us along the way towards invaluable wellness.

Erin – Internal Wellness Guru

The staff here at Johnson & Hill continually endeavors to build lasting relationships, not just from a business standpoint, but from a personal one.  We truly care about each individual we come in contact with, the whole individual.  One of our core values includes supporting health and wellness amongst our staff and associates.  So that others may take advantage of wellness ideas we encourage within our company, we will be blogging our new series “Way to Wellness”.  We hope our exchange of ideas will encourage wellness for a balanced, fulfilling life.

The theme was “Be Bold.”  The venue was the 18^th Annual Bay Path College Women’s Leadership Conference.  And wow, was it bold!  With headliners like Susan Cain, King Peggy, and Queen Latifah, this was yet another must-see conference and drew nearly 2,000 attendees!  Once again, Johnson & Hill Staffing was proud to be involved as a Silver Sponsor.  We offered on-the-spot career coaching to attendees and did a mini-presentation on bold communication in the workplace.

The headliner for the day was, of course, Queen Latifah.  In a one-on-one interview-style talk with Dr. Carol Leary, her warmth and down-to-earth nature came through as she told the story of how she became a rapper who broke the mold and transitioned into acting, giving us some incredibly memorable films.  Queen Latifah also talked a bit about what it means to be a bold woman and fielded questions from the audience.  It was a life-changing day and gave us all the chance to think about how to move forward, taking bold steps to improving the lives of those around us.  Thank you so much to everyone who helped make this event possible and we can’t wait for wait next year!

In our previous post on Generation Y, we focused on the stereotypes associated with this group—high maintenance, lazy, impatient, etc.  Click here to read that post.  However, there’s another interesting trend with this generation—helicopter parents.  The term refers to parents whose involvement in their child’s life is unusually intense.  It’s not abnormal for parents to take a very active role in all their child’s pursuits—sports, music, dance, etc.  However, helicopter parents go well beyond that, and their (sometimes overbearing) involvement carries into their child’s job search and career.

Helicopter parents frequently tag along on interviews, speak with perspective employers on their child’s behalf, or call the employer to discuss grievances they have about aspects of their child’s current job.  The intention here is always positive, whether it be to make sure a child isn’t being taken advantage of or that he/she has confidence and moral support required for a successful interview.

The challenge, however, is that this level of involvement in a child’s life is quite awkward in the workplace.  Cheering for your child from the sidelines is rather different than having a three-way conversation on the phone with the child’s potential employer, and the latter can have a very detrimental effect on the likelihood of receiving work!  For one thing, a multitude of information and communication is confidential.  Employers often aren’t at liberty to have a conversation about the job or interview with individuals other than the applicant.

Even more important, this sort of interference could send a message about the skills and independence of the child.  Employers may wonder why a job applicant needs a parent to tag along and speak on his/her behalf.  Is this individual capable of knowing his/her own needs?  Can’t he/she muster up the courage or words to articulate questions or to determine whether or not the job is a good match?  Or perhaps the applicant will be in constant need of hand-holding throughout his/her employment.  And don’t we think of a child’s parent as his/her best cheerleader and the one person who will always have faith in their child’s skills?  This need to be present for job interviews, etc. could indicate that even the parent doesn’t have confidence in his/her child.  And if a parent doesn’t have faith in the child’s skills, why should the employer?

And last, a parent (or anyone other than the applicant/employee) speaking with the employer really does cross a boundary.  While the intention is positive, this behavior more often than not results in a candidate who doesn’t get the job or in an employee who can’t seem to grow with the company because of the negative response employers have to this situation.  Having to answer to both the employee AND the employee’s parent creates a more high-maintenance situation and one that most employers would like to avoid, so they simply turn to other candidates.  While it’s the hardest thing for any good-hearted, loving parent, the job search is likely a good time to sit on one’s hands and let a child find his/her own way with the application process.  Advice and support are key but are best done in the behind the scenes.

Just as a refresher, last week’s post discussed ways to reach out to top candidates in the midst of this talent war. Reaching them is most definitely the first part of the battle.  However, once you’ve captured their attention, the next step is to convince them that your opportunity and company are worthy of an application, right?  We admit up front that this could get complicated because the benefits and perks discussed here can sometimes cost the employer money.  On the brighter side, employers typically recoup some of that by filling jobs with top performers.

For starters, have a look at your benefits package.  Some of the basics often include health insurance, dental, vacation, sick time, personal time, retirement, disability, and life insurance.  Making changes to this component can be very expensive and complicated.  But even if you can’t make changes, it’s still good to at least get an idea of how you compare with other employers so you know what you’re up against.  And even if you don’t do the legwork to determine this, your applicants certainly will.   So why not just be in the know as well?

The benefits package isn’t the only chance you have to make an impact on potential applicants.  You can also add other perks to spice things up a bit!  Maybe you can offer the option for employees to work from home or have flexible schedules.  With today’s focus on work/life balance, these are very important benefits for many individuals and have a great deal of value.  This has been one area where some small businesses have been able to get some edge.  Since larger businesses and corporations often have more structure, they sometimes struggle to accommodate this level of flexibility. Of course, that is not the case with all corporations!

And speaking of work/life balance, how does that factor into your company’s overall philosophy?  Do you encourage employees to take time and opportunities to participate in important events in their personal life?  This also includes giving employees opportunities to volunteer with a non-profit of their choice.  Companies that buy into the concept of work/life balance typically have a strong appeal with job seekers.

Growth opportunities are also key for many top candidates.  Typically, these individuals have no interest in simply taking a job and remaining static in that role.  Instead, they look for opportunities to grow, learn new things, and be promoted upward.  Frequently, they will go elsewhere looking for promotional opportunities if unable to find them within their current company.  In some cases, candidates may be open to something somewhat entry-level if they have the possibility for future advancement within the company.

Also important to many top performers is the opportunity to make their voice heard.  In a collaborative atmosphere, individuals contribute ideas and help shape the company or company policies in some way.  Often, top candidates prefer not to be worker bees.  They invest themselves in the organization and need to become part of its workings.  At first, this can feel like a demand being placed upon the employer, but the result is an employee who goes the extra mile and truly buys into the organization.  Ultimately, that also means greater success for the company!

Top Jobs

Experience Claims Specialist

Commercial Lines Insurance Rep

Senior Paralegal

We hear it from our clients all the time and read about it in the news—the war for top talent. Unfortunately, layoffs seem to be happening all around us still, so shouldn’t it stand to reason that there is plenty of top talent out there just chomping at the bit to get back to work?  For whatever reason, this doesn’t seem to be the case, and now employers are battling it out over skilled candidates.  It’s time to think about how to entice top candidates to check out your company.  First, it’s crucial to get your name out there in places where these candidates will see you and then make sure your company itself has the goods, so to speak, that will convince them to work for your company.

So where do we find top candidates?  The days of posting an ad in the paper and waiting for resumes are over!  We tell applicants all the time that no longer can they simply make a static resume and mass-send it to 20 employers.  The market demands more effort and proactivity out of applicants than ever before, and the same is true for employers as well.

Generally speaking, a multi-faceted approach is a good start.  Post the opportunity in every place you can think of—Facebook, LinkedIn, online job boards like Monster and CareerBuilder, your company website, etc.  You want to post in places your top candidates may be lurking, but you also want to reach their friends, too!  You never know who could be responsible for referring that top candidate to your job posting.  The more chances you have to get your need out there in front of people, the more likely you are to get to the right people.  And definitely don’t overlook your current staff!  Lots of research indicates high success rates for referrals from your current employees.  Their network could be a valuable resource.

With this approach, one challenge is that posting to some of the popular sites can become a bit pricey, especially for small businesses.  Definitely, it’s something to keep in mind.  However, also important to keep in mind is the expense of training and onboarding.  And also don’t forget the loss involved with having to refill a job because you didn’t end up with the right person.  This is a tricky cost-benefit analysis but it’s worthwhile to spend some time trying to find a balance.  You don’t want to underinvest and come up short, but you certainly don’t want to go broke!

Another option is to seek out the help of a staffing service.  Clearly, we are a bit biased on this, but it really can be an excellent, effective plan of attack.  They frequently have access to several job sites, saving you the expense of subscribing to various websites.  Equally important, it means that you can find top candidates without trying so hard and without having to block so much time in your calendar to accommodate the search process.

This should get you started off with ideas for posting the opportunity itself.  Next time, we’ll explore how to make your company competitive by offering star candidates the perks they need!

Top Jobs

Accounting Assistant

Marketing Consultant

Executive Administrative Assistant

What role does fear play when it comes to an interview?  In some ways, it can be a positive force that keeps you on your toes and helps you to do your best.  On the flipside, fear can also cause you to become inhibited, undermining your performance.  Oftentimes, fear of saying the wrong thing can get candidates into trouble because they end up not giving interviewers enough information for them to make a solid evaluation, which can ultimately do both the candidate and the interviewer a disservice.

So what’s the problem with holding back a bit to avoid saying the wrong thing?  It’s really an issue of the unknown, gray areas that this can create.  For example, maybe you’re afraid to say that you left a job because it required fourteen-hour days that were salaried at 8 hours.  You were getting tired, burnt out, and frustrated because the pay wasn’t sufficient to make up for the very long days.  Fearing that the truth might come off as whining, you decide to simply state that you left due to the working conditions.

Here’s the potential challenge with that.  A multitude of extra, essentially unpaid hours can be a very solid reason for leaving a job.  Unless the job for which you are applying has similar requirements, the interviewer will likely understand why you left the job and would have no qualms.  And if there is any further doubt, the interviewer could ask more questions until the matter is covered to his/her satisfaction.   Question answered.  Case closed.

By not answering the question, you leave the interviewer to guess the specifics of what your answer could mean.  He/she can only wonder why you didn’t answer the question fully and what you may be hiding.  Most likely, the interviewer assumes that if you have nothing to hide, then you should be able to answer the question outwardly.  The hesitation or lack of thoroughness could become a breeding ground for doubt and uncertainty in the mind of the interviewer.

While much of the purpose of this question is to see if there was anything questionable in your reasons for leaving, there is also another component of it that has to do with matchability.  Going back to the previous example about the long extra hours worked, what if this position also required the same long hours you disliked in your last job?  In that case, answering this question honestly would have done both you and the interviewer a huge favor.   You wouldn’t want the job if it involved the long hours, and the employer also wants to find someone who is a strong match for the job.  Honest answers to questions help to ensure a win-win situation between interviewer and interviewee, and keeping fear in check is a huge first step.

A time for growth, feedback, professional development—and maybe a raise in pay!  Yes, it’s time to discuss the review process.  Every employer is different and there are so many ways to handle the process.  As a result, it’s a good idea to ask questions.  Here are a few basics to get you started!

What’s the purpose?
This is the ideal opportunity to check in with your supervisor(s) and see how things are going.  You can learn what you’re doing well, of course, and also where you could use some improvement.  It’s also a time to look at the job description and see how it lines up with what you’ve been doing.

For some reviews, it determines the amount of your raise, but that doesn’t mean that every review culminates in a bump in pay.  For example, some employers conduct two reviews per year, but raises may only be issued at one of those reviews.  It’s good to ask questions ahead of time so you know what to expect.  And finally, this is your chance to discuss your plans for the future and your career path.  Sharing these plans with your employer empowers him or her to connect you with professional development resources that will help you to reach your goals.

How to prepare
These days, many employers ask their employees to do a self-evaluation.  The idea here is for both the employer and employee to create a detailed review and then come together to compare notes.  Even if your employer doesn’t require the self-evaluation, it’s actually not a bad idea to do one!  It forces you to review your performance so you will be prepared to have a thorough discussion and truly reap the benefits of this meeting.

Typically, it’s best to start with the job description—the document that specifically lists your responsibilities.  Go through each duty and evaluate yourself.  Are you performing each task?  And if so, how well and how thoroughly are you doing so? Think about the quality of work and the turnaround time.

If you haven’t been fully performing a task, why not?  The review is less a moment to be scolded for dropping the ball and is more about having the opportunity to discuss challenges and potentially ask for help.  Perhaps you don’t have time because other unforeseen priorities keep cropping up.  In that case, you can discuss shifting items off your plate or making other adjustments so you can achieve goals.  In other cases, you may be struggling because of lack of knowledge or training.  Some professional development may be necessary.  This is why the self review is especially important.  You not only find the areas where you may be underperforming, but you have the chance to reflect and figure out WHY you are struggling in those areas and then share your thoughts.

Other things you should know
Last but not least, it’s crucial that you have an understanding of how you will be evaluated.  First, that means you’ll want to understand how supervisors are measuring your performance.  Second, it is also helpful to know what the rating system means.  For example, some employers use a scale of 1-5 to rate employees where 3 is “meets expectations” and 5 is “greatly exceeds expectations.”  Most likely thanks to school, we are all trained to need an A+ and would struggle if we receive a 3.  However, be sure you truly understand the scale!  For some employers, the 3 means you are doing a fantastic job and are not inadequate in any way.  A 4 or a 5 could be saved for absolutely out-of-this-world performance, which only a very small percentage of employees receive.

So before you beat yourself up, have a solid understanding of what the numbers mean.  And as always, feel free to ask questions about how you can bump things up for your next review.  That’s what this process is all about!

As we get further into the fall season and closer to holidays, the time for office parties and celebrations comes to full bloom.  These parties take on various forms—a potluck lunch, a dress-down day, a costume party (for Halloween, typically), or some type of contest (ex. Cubical-decorating contest).  These are all rather easy to navigate, but a few faux pas do crop up here and there.  So with that said, let’s take a look specifically at potluck and costume parties.

Potluck lunch tips
These little shindigs appear throughout the year but are especially popular around the holidays.  First, it’s always a good idea to get a rough idea of what people are bringing.  It could be a written list or just a verbal check-in.   In a sense, we feel like that piece of advice is almost too simple to even mention, but anyone who’s been to a potluck that featured a table of nothing but franks and beans and a second table full of brownies understands the need to clarify!  Naturally, it’s ideal to have the mix of finger foods, entré, and desserts.

Another important concern is dietary needs of your coworkers.  For the most part, you won’t need to go from one cubicle to the next asking about preference regarding meat, dairy, or gluten.  However, it’s a good idea to have a general knowledge of any special needs and try to accommodate them to some extent.  While it’s not a requirement that you tailor your dish, you will definitely score major brownie points with gluten-free coworkers if you use rice-flour instead of wheat flour to dredge the meat for your chicken cacciatore.  That’s just one example.  And in the case of some substitutions, your coworkers will never taste the difference.

And for our very last two potluck tips, we apologize in advance!  One, only partake in the food if you made a contribution.  And two, save some for the rest of the group!  If the creator of the dish invites you to make a doggy bag, by all means do so.  But otherwise, express your love of the dish by asking for the recipe so you can make a batch for yourself.

Costume parties
Halloween—the one day of the year where you can be anything you want!  Well, almost anything.  Even though it’s a party, you’re still in the workplace.  First, make sure the costume doesn’t get in the way of your job.  If you do significant phone work or interact face-to-face with the public, a full mask may not work out well.  Can you sit down in the costume?  These are definitely all things to keep in mind.  And second, your company’s dress code still applies!  A very revealing costume is best saved for the cocktail party with friends.  Also, anything controversial, particularly grotesque, or gory is also more appropriate for a private cocktail party.

This week’s top jobs
Agency Relations Program Associate

Personal Lines Account manager

On Thursday, October 11^th, business professionals come together again for the Western Mass BusinessExpo at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

Once again, Johnson & Hill Staffing is a silver sponsor, and we have a hand in just about every aspect of this special day.  We’ll greet all attendees at registration since our staff will be checking in guests and issuing nametags.  We’re also running a candy buffet at our booth and will be raffling a $250 gift card to Apple.  Weren’t you just thinking about splurging on the new iPhone 5?  Imagine what that gift card could accomplish for you!

And for all those folks strolling in first thing in the morning, who couldn’t use a fresh cup of coffee to get the juices flowing?  We’re handling the coffee bar and will happily ensure all guests start their day on the right foot.  We’d love to see all our clients and business contacts there throughout the event, so please stop in at the MassMutual Center to say hi!  We’ll send you off with a bag of candy.

But enough about us!  What else is going on during this whirlwind of a day?  You’ll have access to some great workshops.  Subjects include mobile marketing, social media tricks, and effective hiring—just to name a few.  Throughout the day, there will be presentations at the Show Floor Theater.  One individual will inspire you with his story of climbing to the summit of Mount Everest, and then Fred Astaire Dance Studios will show us all the most popular social dances.  With a little help from them, braving the dance floor at your next wedding will be a breeze!   And if you’re ready for some ideas on how to create a new look for yourself (or if you just love watching transformations), check out the live makeovers that DiGrigoli’s will be doing.

And last but certainly not least, you’ll have the chance to connect with hundreds of exhibitors and professionals out there!  Between 9 am and 4 pm, you’ll can wander the MassMutual Center, mingling with old contacts and making some new ones.  After 4 pm, the social hour kicks in!  Enjoy cocktails and live music for over two hours of amazing networking opportunities.

As you can see, it’s going to be a great day, and we’re excited to be a part of it!  We look forward to meeting you there.