Tag Archive for: work promotion

Finding an Employee-Centric Company

When most people look for a job, the first factor they consider is compensation. While that’s totally understandable, and definitely one of the most important pieces of choosing a job, there are other key aspects that often get overlooked. If your goal is to stay at your next company for a good amount of time, intentionally seeking out an employee-centric organization is a good idea. When you know that a company cares about you, you are more likely to be engaged, excited to go to the office, and produce your best work.

An employee-centric company is a company culture that welcomes ideas, feels like a genuine safe space, and offers employees more than just the usual benefits and competitive pay.

Although a company may initially seem like “the place” because they offered you a decent salary, you have to take into account whether: you want to move up in the company, if atmosphere is important to you, and if you want benefits outside of the traditional health and retirement plans.

Here are a few things you can look for to determine if a company is employee-centric:

1. Non-Traditional Benefits

It really shows that a company cares about their employees when they offer benefits related to time, health and family. Some examples are: a stipend for gas, lunch, etc., shorter days near the holidays, and paying for a gym membership. Obviously, the bigger corporations are able to offer more of these perks than smaller companies. However, even the smallest of companies can offer conveniences like having a stocked fridge, paid breaks, and massage/chiropractic vouchers.

2. Culture

Everyone knows that company culture is more important than ever in today’s workforce; however, it goes beyond an organization’s core values and the personality of the company. Having traditions such as friendly competitions for a small prize, weekly fun meetings that aren’t about work, and company parties are all examples of what can create a great company culture. This shows that a company wants their employees to enjoy where they work and understands the importance of taking breaks and making personal connections.

3. Trust

This is a big one. Autonomy is something that all people want these days and that goes for their personal and professional lives, and companies that offer perks like unlimited PTO, flexible schedule, no set hours, and mental health days (separate from sick days) are the ones with the happiest employees. Knowing that your company trusts you to put in all of your hours and not abuse the time-off policies is a good indicator that you will also be trusted to make the right decisions, solve problems, and produce the best results.

 4. Fairness

Especially when you plan to stay at a company for years to come, you want to make sure it’s a place that treats everyone equally. This means that all employees have access to the same opportunities and that regardless of position, all team members get equal recognition and rewards. A company can demonstrate this by: offering two way performance reviews, promoting from within, and giving all employees access to the same perks regardless of position or salary. This shows a company truly works as a team and understands that all roles are crucial despite the amount of skill or experience an individual has.

If you or someone you know is looking for a job, we at Award Staffing are here to help. We update our job boards daily. Check out our latest opportunities here.

Eight Tips to Follow On The Road to a Promotion

Do you have your sights set firmly on your future? If you’re a highly motivated employee and you are driven to succeed, then this means advancing to higher positions within your field. Directly marching into your boss’ office and asking for a promotion is a bold step, but you can take a few mini-steps to help you get there. When working towards—and asking for—a promotion, it can help to follow a few robust strategies.

1. Have a clear understanding of what you want-

A vague goal such as get promoted might not fit into your long-term career plans. Figure out what precisely you wish to accomplish, and create a career plan that will help you get there.

2. Work on one thing at a time-

Big goals are best accomplished in baby steps. Work with your boss to break your plan for advancement into smaller steps, and ask for support to help you achieve them.

3. Review your career plan with your boss every six months-

This will help ensure you’re on track. You’ll be able to check off the critical skills you’ve achieved to advance.

4. Find a need and fill it-

Perhaps you know you’d like to advance within your company, but you’re not sure what position you’d want to promote to. Often, jobs are created to fill company needs. If you notice a hole in a process or a role that might help your department, suggest to your boss that it’s something you’d like to work on. Your motivation and insight are both significant steps toward a future promotion.

5. Let your boss know how your promotion can help the company-

As with any kind of sale, you’ll need to sell benefits rather than features. When discussing your plans with your boss, it can be helpful to explain how your higher position will aid the company, not just you.

6. Don’t try too hard-

Sucking up to your boss can be overwhelming to him or her, as well as annoying to your coworkers. And this can hurt the synergy within your team. It’s possible to be a hard worker without disrupting the balance within your department.

7. Don’t lose sight of your day-to-day-

Yes, it’s good to have goals. But don’t let them rob you of the motivation to accomplish your daily tasks. Your hard work is what is going to get you promoted, so work on doing the best you can at your current job while keeping an eye on your future.

8. Always be proud of your accomplishments-

If you’re motivated to achieve more, you should be proud of your drive to succeed. Hard workers like you are the people who companies want to hire. Stick with your career plan, and you will be destined for great things!

Need a job or job change? Contact Award Staffing. We will be able to match you up with interviews in your area so you can get the job opportunity you want. We have offices located in Bloomington, Chaska, Crystal, Delano, Maplewood, and Ramsey Minnesota to help you with your job search today! Want to learn more career tips and tricks – check our When Work Works blog.

Become The Most Promotable Employee in Minnesota

Just because you are happy with your current job doesn’t mean that you don’t want a new one that better, right? More times then not, if you love your current job, the thought of getting promoted is a fantastic opportunity. It lets you stay with the company you like while giving you the chance to advance in your career.

This sounds like a great proposition, right? Who wouldn’t want a promotion? To help get your next work promotion, here are some tips to get you started.

Communicate More With Your Boss-

One of the simplest ways to understand what you need to do to get a promotion is to talk to your boss. Most likely they will tell you what you need to do in your current role to get promoted. By doing this, you are provided critical insights and feedback that relate specifically to the job you are looking to develop into.

Talking to your manager, you let them know that you have the motivation and what to grow within the organization. More times than not, managers don’t reach out to employees about work promotions, but talking your intentions will put you on their radar.

Seek Out New Job Duties-

Promotions aren’t just given; they are earned. You also have to demonstrate that you can handle the responsibilities that come along with the new job. The best way to make this happen is to ask for new responsibilities that align with the new job that you want.

By doing this, it provides you with the opportunity to experience what doing parts of that job is actually like in addition to showing management that you are capable of doing the work. The added bonus of this is that you’ll also be viewed as a self-starter and passionate about the job.

Focus on Productivity-

Minnesota companies want to give promotions employees who can handle a diverse set of responsibilities. To most employees, this means that putting in extra hours but believe it or not this can work against you, especially if it isn’t the norm for the position. Instead, try looking for ways to improve processes that can lead to enhance productivity. Accomplishing this is a cost-effective way to help the business.

Be a Leader-

As you seek being promoted, excellent leadership skills critical. If you have never held a job before that requires you to establish, let alone use leadership skills, find opportunities that allow you to take the lead for workplace activities or projects. Even a project that doesn’t correlate to your job, such as being apart of various workplace committees, can help you build your leadership skills while making a strong impression on others.

If you are interested in finding a new job opportunity, the hiring team at Award Staffing can help you get to where you want to be. Contact us today and see how our current job openings can help you find promotional opportunities in Minnesota. Want to learn more career tips and tricks – check our When Work Works blog.

3 Steps to Take to Be Promoted at a MN Company

If you have a job you love and have been working at for a while, it makes sense that you may want to see a promotion in your near future. While the decision ultimately rests in the hands of your employer, there are five crucial steps you can take to speed up the process.

Be Early Every Day-

This cannot be stressed enough if you are hoping for a promotion in the near future. Being early every day not only allows you to jump into a situation if needed, but it also shows your level of commitment and dedication to your job. Your employers will start to notice that you are dependable, responsible, and motivated. These are all great traits to have as someone who is about to be promoted.

Go Above and Beyond Your Responsibilities-

In a similar manner to showing up early every day, you should go above and beyond your responsibilities. People who don’t care about work show up, do the bare minimum and clock out at the end of the day. People who value their jobs and colleagues show up at work, finish their tasks, and ask what else they can do to help their colleagues and the business overall. Not only will you be helping with your company’s productivity, but you will be visibly displayed to your employer that you have a vested interested in doing your job well beyond merely collecting a paycheck and helping the company succeed.

Express the Desire to Be Promoted-

Sometimes, even if you take the above two steps, your manager may not give you a promotion because s/he assumes you don’t want it. If you genuinely want to be promoted, you need to express the desire to them so they can take it into account. Whether you decide to write a formal letter, an informal e-mail, or have a conversation – that’s up to you. But, it is essential that you make your desire and goals heard so they can consider them.

If you have been working at a job that doesn’t allow for promotional opportunities, contact Award Staffing. We can place you in a job that values how hard you work and will give you opportunities based on the desires you express and the commitment you show to that particular company.