Red Flag Qualities in a New Hire

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When you are interviewing potential candidates, there are several obvious “red flag” qualities such as tardiness or lack of respect that would make them ineligible for a job. However, there are many surprising qualities that also indicate a new hire isn’t the best fit for your company.

Here are 4 qualities you should be wary of in a new hire:  

1. Eager to Speak

If a new hire is extremely eager to speak, this could be an indicator that he or she is not a very good listener. If the employee has a hard time listening, you will find yourself repeating directions and dealing with avoidable problems. New hires can be friendly and conversational, but if you can’t get a word in edgewise, you might have trouble on your hands.  

2. Inflated Ego

Be careful if your new hire seems to have an inflated ego. While self-confidence is beneficial, your new hire thinking he or she is the best employee in the company is not. If your new hire has an inflated ego, he or she will likely not respond to direction from supervisors and will lead other employees astray.  

3. Wide Breadth of Knowledge

Be careful if your employee seems to have a wide breadth of knowledge about everything. It’s fine to be knowledgeable in certain fields, but if your employee always has something to say about any topic, you may have a case of “jack of all trades, but master of none”. This could be an issue when you need your new hire to be on board with all the other employees.  

4. Dislike for Previous Employers

If your new hire expresses disdain for previous employers, he or she might have an aggressive or difficult personality. Discussing previous employers in a negative light is absolutely inappropriate, and you have no guarantee they won’t do the same to you in the future. Once you are aware of these qualities, you will be equipped to make a better hiring decision.

Finding Your Talent

One bad new hire can disrupt your organization. Our comprehensive screening process can weed out difficult hires. Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? View our services to get started.

4 Reasons To Offer Employee Bonuses

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Some employers give their employees bonuses for special occasions such as completing a project, making a sale, or celebrating the holidays. Bonuses are often given in the form of payment, but can also be given in other forms such as extra time off or increased responsibility. Recognizing the accomplishments of your employees with a bonus not only rewards them but also benefits the company.

Here are 4 reasons why you should offer bonuses:

1. Motivate Hard Work

When your employees receive bonuses after a certain project is completed or a deadline is met, you are motivating them to work harder in the future. Your employees will start taking that extra step and assigning more responsibility to themselves in hopes that you will reward their behavior. You don’t have to give out bonuses every time your employees do something great, but you are letting them know that you are observing and appreciate their hard work. This will lead to more quality work on a more consistent basis.

2. Promote Certain Tasks

If you have a high priority or time-sensitive task, a great way to do that is to offer your employees a bonus. This will let the employees know that this task or project is extremely important to you, and it will stand out from the other projects or tasks you assign. Your employees will work harder on that specific task because of the stakes that are involved and the importance of the project.

3. Boost Employee Morale

If your employees know there is even a slight chance you will give out bonuses, you will create an environment of positivity and happiness in your workplace. This will boost your employee morale, as employees will feel like their work is being seen and rewarded. Your employees will also be more willing to put more time and effort into projects, which will lead to a greater sense of self-pride and accomplishment.

Increase Employee Retention

Acknowledging your employee’s accomplishments and skill sets through bonuses creates satisfied employees, ultimately increasing retention. Increased retention builds stronger work relationships and reduces cost per hire.

Contact Award Staffing. We will perform an extensive search for high-quality employees who match your company’s needs and stay, earning bonuses through their motivation, commitment to the task, and personal morale.

5 Reasons Minnesota Companies are Hiring Millennials

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If you are in need of new employees, you think of a growing generation… think millennials. Millennials can be defined as anyone born in the late 1980s to the early 2000s. Here are five reasons why you should hire millennials:

They Are Energetic and Eager

Millennials have just entered the workforce, which means they are energetic and eager to work. They aren’t yet burnt out on working long hours and doing the same job day after day. This means they have more energy to dedicate to your company and are eager to learn as much as possible while employed.

They Have Meaningful Ideas

Millennials have grown up in a world that encourages creativity and originality. This means that most millennials have really meaningful ideas that could be helpful to your business if they were to be implemented. This ideation mentality will hopefully inspire your other employees and your management team to make the necessary changes.

They Are Willing to Collaborate

Millennials have been raised in an educational and occupational culture where sharing was both accepted and encouraged. This means that they are very likely to collaborate with their other peers and work together on tasks that lend themselves to this principle. This will lead to improved communication and productivity for your business.

They Can Adapt Quickly

Millennials are natural multitaskers, so they can adapt quickly to any situation in which they are placed. This means you will be able to assign different tasks on different days to your employees depending on who wants to take on what role. This will make your company more flexible as different workplace issues arise.

They Are Up-to-Date on Technology

If you aren’t too technologically savvy, you need to hire millennials. Millennials are extremely updated on the latest technological trends, and they also will be able to teach everyone on your staff how to use certain technologies.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

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Traits You Should Seek When Hiring Leaders

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When you are in charge of hiring for your company, you should hire employees who have leadership traits. This will allow you to give these employees growth potential and see if they can grow into long-term roles. Here are the traits you should seek when hiring leaders: 

Proactivity

If a potential candidate is proactive, they will make a good leader. This person will be able to see and act upon potential problems before they even become problems. You can test this trait in a potential employee by asking him what he or she would do in a certain problematic situation. If the answer has any hints of self-reflection, you can rest assured that this candidate is proactive.

Optimism

It’s important to remain optimistic when you’re a leader. If you hire someone who is a pessimist, it will be hard for him or her to take risks when risks are needed. This person will need to be able to inspire the team that works underneath them and keep everyone positive when times are tough. However, it’s important to make sure this person is not just an optimist, but also a realist.

Good at Listening

If a potential recruit is good at listening, he or she will make a good leader. The reason for this is that the leader will be able to take suggestions from other leaders or team members and effectively implement them. This means this person will also be able to keep him or herself from getting out of control if a situation needs to be reigned in.

Open-Minded

One very important quality of being a good leader is that the individual is open-minded. Often, situations arise in the business setting that are unexpected or less-than-ideal. You will need to hire someone who is open-minded and will be able to take a certain route even if it’s not conventional or entirely practical.

If you are looking for people who could potentially be leaders in your business, contact Award Staffing. We will find people who exemplify these positive traits and would be interested in taking on a leadership position in the future.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

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Minnesota Companies Save Money With Staffing Agency

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When you need to find a replacement employee, whether short-term or long-term, consider hiring a staffing agency – it will save you money in multiple ways.

Save Money on Training Costs

Key expenses when hiring new employees are the associated training costs. When you work with a staffing company, they take time to know your business. They understand your needs and provide candidates that may have the experience and training you require behind their belts.

Naturally, there will be some specific training that can only happen on-the-job, but using a staffing agency will greatly reduce both the amount of time and the cost of training. Furthermore, as an employer, you can also specify that you only want to hire people who currently possess certain skillsets or work experiences, again minimizing these training costs.

Reduce Costly Employee Turnover

If you hire a new employee and they leave three months later, you have lost money on both training and employment costs. By hiring a staffing agency, you can eliminate a large amount of that risk. The staffing agency will be able to sort through and determine which employees are reliable as well as decide a set contract length.

These employees will have more incentive to stay if they are clear about their terms and are pre-screened by a third party. In addition, the candidate can initially remain an employee of the staffing agency – giving you the option to hire them when you know the employee will fit your needs.

Decide How Long You Want to Hire an Employee

If you have a short-term need within your company, it’s perfectly acceptable to hire a temp employee for that specific purpose. It’s much easier to hire a short-term employee through a staffing agency, because they are used to working with employees who prefer short contracts or length of employment. You will be able to focus on the skills you want and need.

The staffing agency will be able to match you up with an employee who is both skilled and available for that time frame. By hiring someone else to do this process for you, you will be saving both time and money. Once you’ve determined that you want to save money by hiring a staffing agency, you will need to find a staffing agency that can meet your company’s needs.

Contact Award Staffing. We will work with you to come up with a custom plan for your company and staff it accordingly according to your needs and vision.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

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Why Job Descriptions Need to Be Absolutely Accurate

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As an employer, you want to be completely in control and productive with your hiring process. Part of this process is writing accurate job descriptions that potential employees can look at before being hired. Consider these pertinent reasons why accurate job descriptions are important.

You Are Creating a Guideline For the Position

Creating an accurate job description is more than a formality; it’s a blueprint for the skills and duties, which you want the position to embody. Creating an accurate job description will require you and your management team to consciously think about and define the exact job description for that position. This will help you clearly state what you need and expect from the person you eventually hire.

You Are Attracting Appropriate Candidates

When you release an accurate job description, you will attract the appropriate candidates for that position. When job descriptions are too vague or inaccurate, the wrong selection of potential employees often apply because they feel like they fit inside the needs of the position no matter what skills they possess. In terms of time or money, this isn’t effective. Eliminate the fluff and stick with the relevant, applicable information to attract excellent candidate options.

You Are Eliminating The “Surprise” Factor

Many potential candidates will not be happy if they walk into an interview or job, and they are expected to do tasks that weren’t listed in the job description. This could lead to reduced productivity, low morale, and eventually, high employee turnover. If you create an accurate job description that details all of the potentials within the position, you will successfully eliminate the surprise factor and reduce the risks that are hazardous to your business. Ready to find qualified candidates for your business needs?

Bring your job descriptions to Award Staffing. We will use these job descriptions with our other resources to attract the ideal employees for your open positions.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

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How to Know If You Need To Hire Temp Workers?

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If your company has designated periods that are busier than others are, hiring temp workers is a great solution. Temp workers can provide much-needed relief and assistance to help keep your company operating smoothly without the added headaches of adding full-time employees to your team. These tips will help determine whether or not you need to hire temp workers.

Assess Your Company’s Workload

Whether or not your company needs to hire temp workers really depends on the size of your company’s workload. The best way to assess your company’s workload is to sit down with your employees and ask if they feel overwhelmed by their current and upcoming tasks. If the majority of your employees say yes, you might want to look into hiring temp workers to lighten up some of the workloads.

Assess Your Staffing Power

Do you have the resources and/or time to staff responsible temp workers? Connect with a staffing firm who specializes in your industry. They will remove the burden of staffing from your shoulders and find the best temp employee matches for your needs.

List Ways Temp Workers Could Help

Make a make a list of the temp worker’s duties and tasks a temp worker would fill. Are these responsibilities that could easily be assimilated by existing staff or would hiring them out enable everybody to be more productive? This is an excellent way to determine if you need temp assistance and how many employees you could use.

Do a Cost-Benefit Analysis

Hiring temp workers will come at a cost to your company. On the other hand, if you need the help, hiring temps through a staffing affirm will save you time and costs attributed to benefits, and taxes. Completing a cost-benefit analysis of the temp workers and their financial pull on the company may surprise you. Furthermore, even though your payroll might increase for a certain time period, the additional help from your temp workers could increase your overall revenue and productivity, so that would be worth it.

If you need help hiring temp workers, contact Award Staffing. We will figure out your company’s exact needs and the time frame in which the temp workers would be needed. Then, we will match you with hard workers, compatible with your company needs.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

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How to Resolve Anger and Conflict in the Workplace

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If you work in a place of employment with other people, conflict will arise at some point or another. While the severity of the conflict will range from situation to situation, the principles behind resolving anger and conflict in the workplace remain the same. If you can successfully avert anger and conflict in the workplace, you will be much better equipped for whatever your career endeavors throw at you. Here’s how to resolve anger and conflict in the workplace:

Figure Out The Root Issue

There is always a root issue behind every form of conflict, including in the workplace. Whatever the root issue is, for example – jealousy or frustration, knowing and understanding it is very important in finding a resolution. This knowledge allows you to empathize with and understand the person with whom you are in conflict. Often, this is the first step in reaching a peaceful solution.

Utilize Assertive Communication

In a conflict, it’s important to communicate your needs assertively. With passivity and aggression being the two extremes, assertion generally tends to be the best form of communication to problem-solve and understand simultaneously. You must be willing to assert your needs and expectations clearly, while also listening to your colleague do the same, if you want to resolve your differences.

Brainstorm Possible Solutions

If you want to find a solution, brainstorm possible ideas together! Doing this will put you and your colleague on an equal playing field as you work together to fix the workplace tension.

Get Superiors Involved if Necessary

Sometimes, conflicts can be so complicated that neither party wants to compromise or budge on a certain issue. If this is the case and the conflict is impeding your ability to work, you will have to get superiors involved. Though this could be embarrassing, it’s sometimes necessary to have an objective third party involved in the conflict to help a fair solution be reached.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

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Understanding Background Check Requirements and Complying with EEOC as an Employer

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If you’re hiring a new employee, and require a background check, there are a few key components you need to know.

Ban the Box

As an employer in the State of Minnesota, Ban the Box simply requires an employer to wait until later in the hiring process — at the interview stage or a when a conditional job offer has been extended — before asking the applicant about their criminal record or conducting a criminal background check.  The Ban the Box legislation passed by the State Legislature required all employers in Minnesota to remove the box asking about criminal convictions from all applications.

No Blanket Policies

You cannot have a policy that makes blanket statements like “No Felony.”  Every employee must have their criminal history examined carefully against the criteria for the job.  This doesn’t mean you have to hire felons.  It simply requires that in order to exclude a candidate based on their criminal history, it must be relevant to the job.  For example, a driving offense is relative to a driving position, not a receptionist position.

Do not ask about Medical History

As an employer, it’s only human that you want to know as much as you can about your future employee. After all, the more information you have, the better hiring decision you can make, right? Wrong. There are certain pieces of information that you’re not allowed to ask about until you’ve offered the potential employee a job, and medical history is one of those pieces of information.

Be Careful You are not Discriminating

If you make a judgment based on someone’s race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age, for example, you could be liable for a lawsuit on behalf of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. When you’re asking questions about your potential employee’s background, make sure that you aren’t making any decisions about hiring or not hiring that candidate based on personal information such as the above-mentioned factors.

Obtain Written Permission

Before you actually initiate the background check, your potential new hire must sign and give written permission that the results could influence your decision regarding whether or not to hire her/him. This will save you legal grief if your check does affect your hiring and the candidate objects. It also lets the potential new hire know that you are serious about hiring the best candidates possible for your position.

Follow Proper Protocol after Receiving a Negative Report

If you do find something negative in your potential hire’s background check, you need to provide them with a copy of the background check and a “Summary of Rights.” If the candidate feels like a mistake has been made, the summary will include instructions for him/her to follow. Be prepared to write a letter of justification if the negative check results in a “no hire.” Interested in learning more about the EEOC? Visit the EEOC website.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

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How to Hire Night Shift Employees in Minnesota

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If your company has a need for night shifts, you know how important it is to hire reputable employees. Often, night shift employees are one or some of the only employees at the location while everyone else is at home sleeping. This means that the employee will need to handle issues of safety, customer service, financial matters, and more. Here’s how to hire responsible night shift employees:

Have Recommendations

The easiest way to hire responsible night shift employees is to have a reputable staffing agency or people you trust recommend potential new hires. These recommendations can come from friends, family members, or other colleagues. Trusted recommendations increase your chances are that the potential employee is responsible and a good choice.

Ask Hypothetical Questions

Those who are working the night shift often carry greater responsibility. In order to make sure you are hiring the individual or individuals who can successfully handle these tasks effectively, ask them hypothetical questions. This will allow you to assess the potential recruit’s ability to think on his or her feet and see whether you agree with their responses.

Check References

If a potential recruit has worked a night shift position before, always check their references. Their previous employers will be able to tell you how long they worked together, if there were ever any potential issues that arose, and why they left. The information you receive from these phone calls could easily steer you in one direction versus another in terms of making a hire.

Do a Supervised Test Run

Because there is so much at stake with putting all your trust in night shift employees, you should do a supervised probation period. This could be as simple as asking a current employee to spend the first few night shifts with the new employee. This not only allows you to see what it will be like with your new employee, but also to provide peace of mind for both of you in terms of duties and task completion before you make the actual hire.

If you are in need of hiring one or more night shift employees, contact Award Staffing. We can walk through the entire process with you to ensure that you make the most responsible hire possible for your business and other employees. It’s our job to make sure you feel safe and comfortable with your new employee; we will work with you until we achieve that goal together.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

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