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ACG Resources | Why AI Can’t Do What I Do: The Real Limitations of Artificial Intelligence in Recruiting

ACG Resources — Fri, 08 May 2026 14:17:45 +0000

Let’s Be Honest About the Hype
I’ll be honest: I considered not writing this piece. Any recruiter who goes on record questioning AI right now risks sounding like someone who didn’t see the internet coming. That’s not where I’m coming from. I use technology every day. I’m always looking for ways to work smarter. But after thirty-plus years in recruiting — placing professionals in financial services, compliance, legal, and real estate — I’ve got some observations I think are worth putting on the table, because I don’t think they’re being said clearly enough.

The pitch for AI in recruiting usually goes something like this: it’s faster, it’s cheaper, it removes bias, it scales. And look, parts of that are true. AI can source candidates at a volume no human could match. It can handle scheduling and workflow logistics. Those are real process improvements. But somewhere along the way, the conversation jumped from “AI can help with recruiting” to “AI can do recruiting.” Those are not the same thing, and I think many companies are going to learn that the hard way.

Having had as many years in this industry as I have, I’ve experienced countless transitions. I started when we used paper applications and file cabinets, index cards and notebooks for job orders, and typewriters for correspondence — rotary phones on the desk, no voicemail, no email, no internet. (I know. I sound ancient.) Over the years, we moved from electric typewriters to word processors, then to computers — my first one ran on a rudimentary DOS program that anyone under fifty won’t recognize from a description. We submitted resumes by fax before email existed. Each of those shifts felt significant at the time, and each one genuinely changed how we worked. But none of them replaced the part of recruiting that matters. Job boards were supposed to make us obsolete. Then LinkedIn. I remember when a well-maintained database felt like the future. The tools kept evolving; the fundamentals never did. That part is still human. Here’s why I believe that, and why I think it’s going to stay that way.

A Resume Is Not a Person
The most fundamental problem with AI-driven recruiting is this: it reads resumes, not people. And in this business, those are two very different things.

A resume tells you where someone has been. It doesn’t tell you how they handled a manager who undercut them at every turn, or how they responded the last time a deal fell apart at the finish line, or whether they’re the kind of person who takes ownership when something goes wrong or finds someone else to point at. Those things matter enormously. In many cases, they matter more than the credentials or the title.

I’ve placed candidates over the years who would never have cleared an AI screen. Their backgrounds were too unconventional, their career paths too nonlinear. But I’d talked to them. I knew what they were made of. And I knew what the client needed, which wasn’t always what the job description said. Some of those placements became the client’s best hires. That’s not a data point an algorithm has access to.

What makes a placement work — really work, the kind where the client calls you six months later to say thank you — almost never comes down to whether the candidate checked every box on the spec. It comes down to fit in the deepest sense of the word. Do they think the way this team thinks? Can they build credibility quickly in this culture? Are they excited about this, or are they just looking for a paycheck and a title upgrade? You find out the answer to those questions in a conversation. Not in a keyword match.

You Can’t Automate Trust
My clients don’t come back to me because I have better technology than the next firm. They come back because they trust my judgment. They know that when I put someone in front of them, I’ve already done the work — I’ve assessed the person, I’ve thought hard about the fit, and I’m standing behind that candidate. That trust took years to build. You can’t replicate it with a platform, no matter how sophisticated.

The same goes for candidates. The people I most want to reach — the ones who are employed, performing well, not actively looking, but open to the right conversation — those candidates do not respond to automated outreach. They get dozens of generic InMails a week. They ignore them. What they respond to is a call from someone they know, or someone who was referred to them by someone they know. They’ll have a real conversation because they’re talking to a person who they believe has something specific and relevant to say to them.

And those conversations go places that matter. A candidate will tell me — in confidence — that they’re not in a rush, but they’ve been feeling restless. Or that compensation isn’t the issue, but they haven’t felt challenged in two years. Or that they’re open to a move, but their spouse has concerns, and the timing needs to be right. None of that shows up anywhere a machine can find it. It comes out because the person on the other end of the call has built enough credibility to make the conversation feel safe.

Let me give you a concrete example — one that has stayed with me for decades, and one that I think makes this point better than any argument I could construct.

Early in my career — long before computers, long before any of the sourcing tools that recruiters take for granted today — I was working on a search for a client who was opening an operation in Bermuda and needed a COO to run it. The assignment had two distinct challenges. First, finding someone with the right operational background and leadership credentials. Second, finding someone willing to pick up their life and move their family to Bermuda. That second part sounds easier than it is. Most people, when it comes down to it, don’t move. They think about it, they get excited, and then they don’t move.

I worked through my network and eventually surfaced a candidate with strong qualifications — someone I knew personally, not just professionally. His name was Dick. And what I knew about Dick, beyond his resume, was that he was an avid boater. It was a serious passion, not a casual hobby. When I approached him about the Bermuda opportunity, I didn’t lead with the title or the compensation package. I led with the fact that he’d be living on an island in the Atlantic. He was interested from the first conversation.

We went through several rounds of interviews. The client liked Dick. Things progressed. And then, as often happens, we got to the offer stage, and he started to get cold feet. It’s a common pattern — the closer a candidate gets to deciding, the more the reality of what they’re committing to sets in. Families get nervous. Comfort zones push back.

That year, during negotiations, we had a late spring snowstorm. I remember it clearly. I picked up the phone and called Dick. Not to talk through the offer. Not to go over the terms again. I just asked him: had he had enough of winter? Was he ready to go boating?

He laughed. And then he said yes. Dick accepted the offer, relocated his family to Bermuda, and built a life there. Years later, he and his family told me it was the best decision they ever made.

I’ve thought about that call a lot over the years. What closed that deal wasn’t a competitive compensation package or a well-crafted offer letter. It was knowing the person — really knowing him or her — well enough to understand what they wanted from their life and to say the right thing at exactly the right moment. No algorithm was finding that candidate. No automated outreach was having that conversation. And no AI-driven process was closing that deal.

AI has no memory of the favor you did someone three years ago. It doesn’t know that you went to bat for a candidate when the client was uncertain. It can’t account for the goodwill that accumulates over decades of doing this work honestly. That is the real competitive advantage in recruiting, and it has nothing to do with software.

The Nuance Problem
Every search is different. I know that sounds obvious, but I don’t think people outside the business fully appreciate what it means in practice. The same job title at two different organizations can be an entirely different role — different cultures, different expectations, different internal dynamics, different definitions of what “good” looks like in year one. Figuring that out requires a real conversation with the client. Multiple conversations, usually.

When a client tells me they need someone who is a “self-starter,” I don’t take that at face value. I ask what it specifically means to them. Sometimes it means they’re understaffed and need someone who doesn’t require handholding. Sometimes it meant the last person in the role waited to be told what to do, which drove everyone crazy. Sometimes it means something else entirely. The words on a job description are a starting point, not a spec sheet. Getting to what’s underneath them requires dialogue and experience, not pattern-matching.

Then there are searches that involve a level of sensitivity that requires real judgment — situations where the incumbent doesn’t know they’re being replaced, or where there’s organizational politics that could blow the whole thing up if handled wrong. Those searches require discretion, timing, and the ability to read people accurately throughout a process that can last months. That is not something you hand off to an algorithm and check on periodically.

Regarding Bias
One of the strongest arguments for AI in recruiting is that it removes human bias from the screening process. I understand the appeal of that idea. Bias in hiring is a real problem, and if technology could genuinely address it, that would be meaningful. But I think this argument is more complicated than it’s usually presented.

AI models learn from historical data. Historical data reflects historical decisions. And historical hiring decisions in many industries and organizations reflect patterns we would now recognize as biased. When you train a model on that data, you’re not eliminating bias — you’re encoding it. The difference is that it’s now harder to see and harder to challenge, because it presents itself as an objective output rather than a human judgment call. That’s not an improvement. In some ways, it’s worse.

In the world I work in — compliance, legal, financial services, among others— a non-traditional background can be exactly what a client needs and doesn’t know how to ask for. Someone who spent ten years on the operations side before moving into compliance often brings a practical perspective that a purely credentialed candidate never developed. An algorithm running a keyword screen would filter that person out. A recruiter who’s had a real conversation with the client and a real conversation with the candidate would know to make the connection.

When the Market Gets Messy
I’ll say something that probably resonates with anyone running a recruiting desk right now: the market is unpredictable in ways that don’t fit neatly into a model. Clients who were moving quickly have slowed down. Candidates who seemed ready to make a move are getting cold feet. Searches that appeared to be closing are stuck in limbo. Some of that is macro, some of it is company-specific, and a lot of it is just the general anxiety that comes with uncertainty. Whatever the cause, it creates a situation where you need to stay very close to what’s happening — not what the data says should be happening.

AI is a pattern-recognition engine. It works well when behavior is predictable and conditions are stable. When things get volatile — when candidates are hesitating for reasons that aren’t entirely rational, when clients are stalling because of internal conversations they haven’t told you about, when the rules of the game are shifting week to week — an algorithm doesn’t know what to do with that. It keeps optimizing for conditions that no longer exist.

What you do in that environment is call people. You find out what’s going on. You figure out whether a candidate going quiet means they’re losing interest or just had a brutal week. You find out whether a client’s hesitation is about budget or about something else entirely. And then you respond to what’s real, not what the pipeline report suggests. That’s relationship work. It’s not glamorous. But it’s what keeps searches moving when everything else would stall them out.

Where AI Actually Belongs in This Process
I want to be straightforward here, because I don’t want this to read as a blanket argument against technology. There is a real and useful role for AI in recruiting. Sourcing at scale, scheduling coordination, workflow tracking, pulling together market data — these are legitimate contributions, and they free up time that can be redirected toward the work that requires judgment. A recruiter who uses AI well can cover more ground and stay more organized. That’s a real advantage.

The problem isn’t the technology. The problem is how it’s being positioned. When AI is marketed as a replacement for recruiters rather than a tool for recruiters, something important gets lost. And I think some companies are finding that out after the fact — after they’ve built a process that’s efficient on paper but produces placements that don’t stick or lose good candidates because nobody took the time to talk to them.

The firms that will do well over the next decade will be the ones that strike the right balance. Use technology to handle volume. Keep humans at the center of anything that requires judgment, relationships, or nuance. That’s not a complicated formula, but it requires being honest about what each side of that equation contributes.

Where I Come Out on This
People hire people they trust. That’s been true for as long as I’ve been in this business, and I don’t expect it to change. The tools we use will continue to evolve. The underlying dynamic won’t.

AI can process a thousand resumes in a fraction of the time it takes me to read one. What it cannot do is earn someone’s trust, read a room, push back to a client who’s about to make a mistake, or tell a candidate something they need to hear but don’t necessarily want to hear. It can’t pick up on the thing a candidate didn’t say. It can’t notice that the hiring manager described the role three different ways in thirty minutes and figure out what that means. These are things that come from experience and attention, and no version of machine learning will replicate them.

At ACG Resources, we’ve built our practice on being personal and specialized. We know our markets. We have real relationships with the people in them. When I work a search, I’m not just matching keywords to a job description — I’m thinking about what I know about this client, this candidate, this moment in this market. That context is everything. And it’s not something you can download.

So no, I’m not worried about AI replacing good recruiters. I’m concerned about companies convincing themselves it can and finding out too late what they gave up in the process.

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AI in Hiring: Powerful Tool, Not a Replacement for Human Judgment

ACG Resources — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 15:50:41 +0000

The Rise of AI in Talent Acquisition

Artificial Intelligence has transformed how we recruit, screen, and connect talent. From résumé parsing and candidate matching to automated outreach and chat-based screening, AI has undeniably made hiring faster and more efficient. Recruiters and employers now have unprecedented access to data and insights that once took weeks to gather. But as with any technology shift, speed alone isn’t enough — accuracy, empathy, and context still matter.

The Limits of Automation

AI can process thousands of résumés in seconds, but it can’t fully grasp the subtleties of human experience — the transferable skills, growth potential, or cultural adaptability that make someone a true fit. It may inadvertently exclude candidates who don’t use the “right” keywords or who’ve taken unconventional career paths. That’s where experienced recruiters and hiring managers play a vital role — interpreting nuance, identifying potential, and ensuring the process stays fair and human-centered.

The Human Element

Recruiting is still about connection and trust. Conversations uncover motivations, aspirations, and soft skills that no algorithm can measure. While AI can flag a candidate as qualified, only a human can determine whether they’ll thrive in a specific environment, align with leadership style, or contribute positively to team culture.

Finding the Right Balance

The most effective organizations are using a “human + AI” model — leveraging technology for efficiency while relying on human expertise for judgment and relationship-building. AI should handle the how (process, speed, data), while people should handle the why (purpose, values, fit). Recruiters who combine both are not being replaced by AI — they’re being amplified by it.

The ACG Resources Perspective

At ACG Resources, we embrace technology — including AI-driven sourcing tools and data analytics — but we never let it replace human connection. Every placement we make reflects personal judgment, in-depth conversations, and an understanding of both sides’ needs. The future of recruiting isn’t man or machine — it’s man and machine, working together to achieve better outcomes for clients and candidates alike.

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A Conversation on Hiring, Job Seeking and the World of HR with Len Adams, CEO of ACG Resources

ACG Resources — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 22:45:18 +0000

INDING THE RIGHT TALENT, OR JOB—Made Easier! Job searching and hiring are two of life’s toughest challenges. That’s where Len Adams, CEO/President of ACG Resources – Adams Consulting Group, comes in. With nearly 50 years of expertise in recruiting, Len leads this family-owned executive search and staffing firm, offering personalized, full-cycle recruitment services across industries. Founded in 2002, ACG Resources combines the agility of a boutique firm with the reach of a global search powerhouse. Headquartered in New York City, ACG delivers nationwide talent solutions, ensuring seamless hiring for companies and career guidance for job seekers. Let’s make the hiring process easier—whether you’re looking for top talent or your next opportunity. Check out Len’s Book, RESILIENCE, available on Amazon! https://lnkd.in/gSPk7Pwv

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Building Future-Ready Teams: Why Prioritizing HR Upskilling is a Must

ACG Resources — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 18:27:44 +0000

In an evolving business landscape, HR professionals are at the forefront of navigating new challenges, from embracing digital transformation to supporting hybrid work models. Investing in HR upskilling is more than just a trend—it’s a strategic priority that equips teams to manage these demands effectively. This post explores the key areas for HR upskilling, the benefits it brings to organizations, and practical ways to implement a robust upskilling program.

1. Why Upskilling HR Matters More Than Ever

In today’s digital-first world, HR teams are expected to wear multiple hats, blending traditional responsibilities with tech-savvy approaches. Upskilling HR not only helps teams stay current with modern tools and compliance requirements but also enhances their strategic impact on the company. From data-driven recruitment to implementing agile employee engagement strategies, a well-skilled HR team is a critical asset.

2. Key Areas for HR Upskilling

Digital Competency
With HR technology advancing rapidly, upskilling in digital tools—such as applicant tracking systems, employee engagement software, and performance analytics—enables HR teams to streamline processes, enhance employee experiences, and improve decision-making.

Data Analytics and Metrics
Data is transforming HR, with analytics playing a major role in tracking performance, turnover rates, and engagement metrics. Upskilling HR in data literacy allows teams to make more informed decisions and measure the real impact of HR initiatives.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
As DEI initiatives gain importance, HR teams must understand and implement strategies that foster a more inclusive workplace. Training in DEI principles equips HR professionals to lead initiatives, creating a more supportive and diverse organizational culture.

Change Management and Resilience
Upskilling in change management enables HR teams to help employees navigate transitions smoothly, whether due to technology shifts, structural changes, or new policies. Building resilience within HR teams prepares them to support staff through any future changes.
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3. The Benefits of HR Upskilling

Enhanced Efficiency and Productivity
Upskilling enables HR teams to leverage new technologies and methodologies, making processes more efficient. Streamlined workflows and automation tools free up HR professionals’ time, allowing them to focus on strategic initiatives rather than manual tasks.

Improved Employee Retention and Engagement
When HR teams are skilled in modern engagement strategies, they can foster a workplace culture that supports employee growth and satisfaction. This, in turn, leads to higher retention rates and a more engaged workforce.

Elevated Strategic Role
Upskilling positions HR as a vital partner in business strategy. Skilled HR professionals can contribute to talent management, succession planning, and performance optimization in ways that directly impact the company’s success.

4. How to Implement an HR Upskilling Program

Assess Current Skills and Identify Gaps
Start by conducting a skills assessment to identify areas where your HR team needs upskilling. This can include surveys, feedback sessions, and self-assessments, providing a clear picture of where development is needed.

Create Tailored Learning Pathways
Develop training programs that cater to specific skill areas, such as digital tools, DEI, or change management. Offering a blend of online courses, workshops, and mentoring ensures that HR professionals can learn in ways that fit their schedules and learning styles.

Encourage Continuous Learning
Upskilling should be an ongoing effort, not a one-time initiative. Encourage HR teams to participate in webinars, attend industry events, and stay updated on trends. Creating a culture of continuous learning helps HR professionals stay agile and prepared for the future.

Conclusion

Prioritizing HR upskilling isn’t just about adapting to the latest trends—it’s about building a resilient, future-ready team that can drive meaningful change across the organization. By focusing on upskilling in critical areas and fostering a culture of continuous learning, businesses can equip their HR teams with the skills to thrive in a dynamic environment, ultimately leading to stronger organizational growth and employee satisfaction.

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Boosting Productivity and Morale: Why Wellbeing Programs are Essential for Your Workforce

ACG Resources — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 18:24:41 +0000

As businesses navigate an increasingly competitive and demanding work environment, employee wellbeing has become a cornerstone of sustainable growth and success. Wellbeing programs are no longer a “nice-to-have” perk—they’re a strategic investment in the health, productivity, and morale of the workforce. This post explores the value of implementing wellbeing programs, key areas to focus on, and actionable steps to create a program that resonates with employees.

1. Why Wellbeing Programs Matter for Business Success

The benefits of wellbeing programs go beyond simply improving employee health. Companies that invest in employee wellbeing see increased engagement, reduced turnover, and improved productivity. Wellbeing programs also help to reduce absenteeism and burnout, creating a positive workplace culture where employees feel valued and supported. Prioritizing wellbeing directly impacts a company’s bottom line, making it a strategic choice for any forward-thinking organization.

2. Core Elements of Effective Wellbeing Programs

Mental Health Support
With rising awareness around mental health, businesses are prioritizing resources that address stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns. Mental health support can range from employee assistance programs (EAPs) to on-site or virtual counseling sessions and mental health days.
Physical Wellness
Physical wellbeing programs, such as gym memberships, fitness challenges, or health screenings, encourage employees to prioritize their physical health. Companies might also provide ergonomic office setups and promote physical activity through wellness workshops or walking meetings.
Financial Wellness
Financial stress affects both work performance and overall wellbeing. Offering financial wellness programs, including retirement planning workshops, budgeting tools, or debt management resources, helps employees manage financial challenges, reducing stress and enhancing focus.
Social and Community Building
Social connections at work are crucial for creating a supportive environment. Wellbeing programs that focus on social wellbeing, such as team-building events, volunteer opportunities, or social gatherings, foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie, boosting morale.

3. Steps to Implement a Successful Wellbeing Program

Assess Employee Needs and Preferences
Start by understanding what your employees need most in a wellbeing program. Surveys, feedback sessions, or focus groups can provide valuable insights into their wellbeing priorities, ensuring your program addresses their unique challenges and interests.
Set Clear Goals and KPIs
Establishing goals for the wellbeing program helps in measuring its success. Whether it’s reducing absenteeism, improving productivity, or enhancing employee satisfaction, clear KPIs will provide a benchmark to evaluate program impact and make adjustments as needed.
Offer Flexible, Inclusive Options
Wellbeing programs should be accessible and flexible, catering to diverse employee needs and preferences. This could mean offering both virtual and in-person activities, accommodating remote employees, or providing resources that suit different lifestyles and wellness goals.
Foster a Supportive Culture
For wellbeing programs to be effective, companies need a culture that genuinely supports employee wellness. Managers play a crucial role here, setting an example and encouraging team members to take advantage of wellness resources without fear of stigma or judgment.

4. The Impact of Wellbeing Programs on Employee Engagement and Retention

Companies that prioritize employee wellbeing are more likely to retain top talent. When employees feel supported in their wellness journey, they’re more engaged and motivated at work, which directly contributes to job satisfaction. Wellbeing programs create a sense of loyalty and connection, helping reduce turnover and build a positive employer brand.

Conclusion

Investing in wellbeing programs is an investment in your workforce’s resilience, engagement, and productivity. By tailoring wellbeing initiatives to meet employee needs and building a supportive culture, businesses can foster an environment where employees not only thrive but also feel empowered to contribute at their best. In today’s workplace, wellbeing isn’t just a benefit; it’s a fundamental part of strategic growth and employee satisfaction.

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Aligning Goals and Actions: A Guide to Crafting an Impactful Business Strategy

ACG Resources — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 18:23:42 +0000

In a fast-paced business environment, having a clear strategy isn’t just a luxury; it’s essential for survival and growth. Business strategies guide the priorities that shape a company’s actions, creating a roadmap for navigating challenges, seizing opportunities, and fostering a strong organizational culture. This post breaks down the core elements of effective strategy-building and how prioritizing wisely can make a substantial impact on your company’s success.

1. Understanding Business Strategy:

Business strategy is the high-level planning that aligns the entire organization toward long-term goals. It’s not about daily tasks or quick fixes; it’s about understanding market dynamics, setting ambitious but attainable objectives, and defining the company’s unique competitive edge. A strong strategy gives purpose to everyone’s work, creating unity across departments.

2. Prioritizing for Impact:

Once a strategy is outlined, the next step is prioritizing goals. Effective prioritization requires a careful look at which objectives will have the most significant impact on the company’s growth. Often, businesses face a long list of “to-dos,” but not all are equal in value. Leaders need to focus on initiatives that drive key results, whether it’s enhancing customer experience, entering a new market, or improving operational efficiency.

3. Creating Flexibility within Structure:

The most successful business strategies combine structure with flexibility. While it’s crucial to have a well-defined plan, unexpected changes can arise, from shifts in consumer demand to economic fluctuations. An adaptable strategy lets companies pivot without losing sight of core goals. This involves regularly revisiting priorities, making adjustments where needed, and empowering teams to make decisions aligned with the company’s overarching vision.

4. The Role of Communication in Strategy Execution:

A well-designed strategy won’t succeed without effective communication. Leaders must communicate priorities clearly and consistently to ensure that everyone understands the direction and their role within it. This clarity helps prevent misalignment, fosters collaboration, and encourages a sense of ownership across all levels of the organization.

5. Measuring and Adjusting:

Tracking progress is essential to any business strategy. Key performance indicators (KPIs) serve as benchmarks to measure success. Whether you’re looking at customer satisfaction rates, revenue growth, or employee engagement levels, regular measurement allows companies to stay on course or make timely adjustments. It’s about being proactive rather than reactive, identifying challenges early, and responding in a way that aligns with strategic priorities.

Conclusion:

A successful business strategy is more than a plan on paper—it’s a living framework that guides every decision and action. By setting clear priorities, staying adaptable, fostering open communication, and measuring results, companies can not only meet but exceed their goals. Embracing a well-rounded strategy enables leaders to drive meaningful growth, creating lasting success in today’s competitive market.

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Consistency Experience Perseverance Success ft. Len Adams

ACG Resources — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:47:53 +0000

Join us for an insightful conversation with Len Adams, the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Adams Consulting Group/ACG Resources. With over 50 years of experience in talent acquisition, Len has built a distinguished career working with a wide array of industries, from software companies and financial institutions to start…

Navigating employment law updates is an ongoing priority for any business aiming to build a compliant and sustainable strategy. By staying informed and proactively integrating these legal updates into business planning, leaders can avoid potential pitfalls and strengthen the company’s commitment to fair and lawful practices. Prioritizing legal compliance as a core component of your business strategy helps safeguard the company while building a trustworthy, positive reputation with employees and stakeholders.

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How Acg Helps solve Recruitment Problems

ACG Resources — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:15:02 +0000

https://www.acgresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Len-Adams.mp4

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Navigating the Complex World of Legal and Compliance in the Workplace

ACG Resources — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 01:07:58 +0000

In today’s fast-paced and highly regulated business environment, legal and compliance issues are more prominent than ever. Ensuring that your organization adheres to local, national, and even global laws while maintaining ethical practices is crucial for long-term success. Failure to comply with legal requirements can lead to significant penalties, damage to your reputation, and a loss of trust from employees, clients, and stakeholders.

Legal and compliance frameworks are not just about avoiding fines or lawsuits. They are essential in promoting transparency, fairness, and trust within the workplace. In this article, we’ll explore what legal and compliance mean for businesses, why they are so important, and how companies can effectively manage their legal and compliance responsibilities.

What is Legal and Compliance?

At its core, legal and compliance refer to the processes that ensure a company’s operations align with laws, regulations, and internal policies. It includes everything from labor laws, workplace safety, and anti-discrimination policies to data protection, financial reporting, and industry-specific regulations. The scope of legal and compliance responsibilities varies depending on the size, location, and nature of the business.

Legal Compliance: This involves adhering to all applicable laws and regulations governing business operations. It includes employment laws, health and safety regulations, environmental laws, and industry-specific standards. Legal compliance ensures that businesses operate within the framework of the law, protecting both the company and its employees from legal consequences.
Corporate Compliance: Corporate compliance goes beyond legal obligations, encompassing the ethical guidelines, standards, and internal policies that a company sets for itself. This includes implementing codes of conduct, anti-bribery measures, and ensuring that all employees uphold the company’s ethical standards.

While legal compliance is mandatory, corporate compliance reflects a company’s commitment to ethical behavior and integrity. Both are essential for building a trustworthy and transparent business environment.

Why Legal and Compliance Matter

Ensuring that your organization is legally compliant and operates within ethical boundaries is vital for a variety of reasons.

Avoiding Legal Penalties One of the most obvious reasons for maintaining legal compliance is to avoid penalties, fines, and lawsuits. Non-compliance with labor laws, data protection regulations, or industry standards can lead to costly consequences. Penalties can be financial, reputational, or even result in criminal charges against executives or the business itself.
Protecting Employees Compliance with labor laws ensures that your employees are treated fairly and equitably. This includes adherence to minimum wage regulations, overtime rules, workplace safety standards, and anti-discrimination policies. By ensuring compliance, companies can protect their employees from unfair treatment, harassment, or unsafe working conditions.
Building Trust with Clients and Stakeholders A business that prioritizes compliance demonstrates a commitment to doing things the right way. Clients, partners, and stakeholders are more likely to trust a company that operates transparently and adheres to legal and ethical standards. In contrast, organizations that cut corners or violate regulations risk losing the confidence of key stakeholders, which can have long-term financial and reputational impacts.
Minimizing Risk Compliance programs are essential for identifying and mitigating risks before they turn into significant issues. By proactively addressing potential risks, businesses can reduce the likelihood of financial losses, legal problems, and reputational damage. A robust compliance program enables companies to identify vulnerabilities in their operations and implement corrective measures to protect the business.
Enhancing Corporate Culture A company that values compliance fosters a culture of transparency, accountability, and integrity. When employees know that the organization is committed to ethical behavior, they are more likely to follow suit. Promoting a culture of compliance not only reduces the risk of unethical behavior but also boosts employee morale and engagement, as workers feel secure in a fair and equitable workplace.

Key Areas of Legal and Compliance for Businesses

Businesses must navigate a wide array of legal and compliance areas, depending on their industry, location, and size. Below are some of the critical areas that all businesses should focus on:

Employment Laws and Labor Regulations Ensuring compliance with employment laws is essential for maintaining a fair and equitable workplace. This includes compliance with minimum wage laws, working hour regulations, anti-discrimination laws, and employee benefits. Understanding and adhering to these laws helps businesses protect themselves from lawsuits and ensures employees are treated with respect and fairness.
Workplace Safety and Health Regulations Occupational safety and health regulations protect employees from hazards and ensure safe working conditions. Companies must comply with local and national safety laws, such as OSHA regulations in the U.S., to prevent workplace accidents and illnesses. Failure to comply with safety regulations can lead to severe consequences, including fines, legal actions, and damage to the company’s reputation.
Data Privacy and Security As businesses increasingly rely on digital tools and store vast amounts of sensitive information, data privacy laws have become a critical compliance concern. Regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the U.S. require companies to protect customer data and maintain transparency about data collection practices. Non-compliance can result in hefty fines and a loss of customer trust.
Anti-Bribery and Corruption Laws Businesses must adhere to anti-bribery and anti-corruption regulations, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in the U.S., which prohibits companies from engaging in corrupt practices when conducting business internationally. A strong anti-corruption policy protects the business from legal repercussions and promotes ethical conduct in all dealings.
Environmental Compliance Many businesses, particularly those in manufacturing or industries with a high environmental impact, must comply with environmental regulations. This includes waste disposal, emissions standards, and other environmental protection measures. Non-compliance with environmental laws can result in fines, damage to the company’s public image, and long-term harm to the community and environment.

How to Build an Effective Legal and Compliance Program

Creating a comprehensive legal and compliance program requires a proactive and strategic approach. Here are a few steps to get started:

Understand the Regulations Begin by understanding the specific legal requirements that apply to your business. This may involve consulting legal experts, attending compliance training, or working with regulatory bodies to ensure your company is fully informed about its obligations.
Create Clear Policies Once you have identified the relevant regulations, create clear and detailed policies that outline how your organization will comply with these laws. Make sure these policies are accessible and communicated to all employees, so they understand their responsibilities.
Conduct Regular Training Regular training sessions on legal and compliance issues are essential to keeping your team informed and up-to-date on changes in the regulatory landscape. This can help prevent unintentional violations and ensure that all employees are committed to maintaining compliance.
Monitor and Audit Regularly Conduct regular audits to ensure your organization is adhering to its compliance policies. Monitoring your compliance efforts allows you to identify potential risks early and take corrective action before any issues escalate.

Conclusion

Legal and compliance issues are fundamental to the successful operation of any business. By staying informed about the latest regulations, creating a culture of ethical behavior, and implementing a robust compliance program, organizations can protect themselves from legal risks while building trust with employees, clients, and stakeholders. Prioritizing compliance not only safeguards the company’s reputation but also promotes long-term business success.

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Unlocking Potential: The Essential Guide to Leadership Development

ACG Resources — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:38:30 +0000

In today’s competitive business landscape, leadership development has evolved into a critical strategy for cultivating top talent and fostering long-term success. It’s more than just training individuals to manage tasks; leadership development is about nurturing the skills, emotional intelligence, and strategic vision needed to inspire teams and drive organizations forward.

So, how do you effectively develop leadership within your workforce? This guide will explore why leadership development matters, the key components of successful programs, and how organizations can craft plans to unlock the full potential of their leaders.

Why Leadership Development Matters

Strong leadership is the backbone of any thriving organization. Leaders who are equipped with the right tools not only guide teams to achieve company goals but also shape the culture and values of the organization. Leadership development directly impacts several key areas, including employee engagement, productivity, and retention.

When employees see a clear path to growth, they are more likely to stay invested in their work. A study by Gallup found that companies with engaged employees outperform those without by 202%. Leadership is a significant driver of this engagement. Effective leaders communicate clearly, provide ongoing support, and encourage innovation. In turn, teams become more motivated to perform at their best, resulting in higher levels of productivity.

Moreover, strong leadership drives organizational resilience. When challenges arise, leaders who have been trained in problem-solving, adaptability, and emotional intelligence can steer their teams through turbulent times, ensuring continuity and growth.

Key Components of Leadership Development Programs

Training and CoachingLeadership development often starts with structured training programs that focus on both hard and soft skills. These include decision-making, communication, and team management. However, one-on-one coaching is equally important in guiding leaders through real-world challenges. Personalized coaching allows for the identification of unique strengths and areas for improvement, ensuring that leadership development is tailored to individual needs.
Emotional Intelligence and Soft SkillsWhile technical knowledge is essential, emotional intelligence (EQ) has become a cornerstone of modern leadership. Leaders who possess high EQ are better equipped to understand and manage their own emotions and those of others. This ability to empathize fosters stronger relationships within teams, boosts morale, and leads to better conflict resolution. Leadership programs should focus on developing soft skills such as active listening, empathy, and adaptability to ensure well-rounded leadership.
Continuous Learning and AdaptabilityThe business world is constantly changing, and leaders must be adaptable. Leadership development programs should emphasize lifelong learning, with opportunities for leaders to continuously refine their skills and stay updated on industry trends. This might include attending conferences, pursuing advanced certifications, or learning from peers. By fostering a culture of continuous development, organizations can ensure their leaders remain agile and prepared for future challenges.

How to Build a Leadership Development Plan

Creating an effective leadership development plan requires a structured approach. Here’s how you can start:

Identify Potential LeadersThe first step in any leadership development program is identifying potential leaders within the organization. These individuals should demonstrate not just technical expertise but also qualities such as initiative, integrity, and the ability to motivate others. Use performance reviews, peer evaluations, and direct observation to pinpoint employees who show leadership potential.
Offer Diverse Learning FormatsPeople learn in different ways, so offering a variety of learning formats can enhance the effectiveness of leadership development. Mentorship programs allow future leaders to learn directly from experienced executives, while workshops and seminars provide hands-on, interactive learning experiences. Online learning platforms can also offer flexibility for busy professionals to hone their leadership skills at their own pace.
Monitor Progress and Give FeedbackDevelopment doesn’t end with a training session or a course. To truly develop strong leaders, organizations must continuously monitor progress and offer constructive feedback. Regular check-ins and performance reviews provide opportunities to assess growth and make adjustments to development plans. Feedback should be specific and actionable, focusing on both successes and areas that require further improvement.

The Future of Leadership Development

The landscape of leadership development is evolving, particularly as remote work and technology reshape how we lead. One trend shaping the future is the rise of personalized learning paths. Thanks to advancements in data analytics and artificial intelligence, leadership development can now be customized to suit the needs of individual leaders. AI-driven assessments, for example, can identify gaps in a leader’s skill set and recommend targeted learning activities.

Remote work has also redefined what leadership looks like. Leaders must now excel at managing virtual teams, fostering collaboration across distances, and maintaining engagement through digital platforms. Leadership programs that focus on virtual team management, digital communication, and maintaining culture remotely are becoming increasingly important.

Conclusion

Leadership development is no longer optional; it’s a necessity for businesses that aim to stay competitive and grow. By investing in leadership development, organizations not only ensure the success of their leaders but also the success of the entire organization. Effective leadership fosters innovation, enhances employee engagement, and prepares businesses to thrive in an ever-changing environment.

If you’re looking to future-proof your business, now is the time to invest in leadership development. Start by identifying your potential leaders, offering diverse learning opportunities, and embracing new trends like personalized learning paths. The results will speak for themselves as you watch your organization and its leaders grow together.

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The Importance of Workplace Wellbeing: Building a Healthier, More Productive Workforce

ACG Resources — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:27:41 +0000

In today’s fast-paced and competitive work environment, the concept of workplace wellbeing has become a critical focus for businesses looking to foster a positive and productive culture. Far more than just offering perks like free snacks or a gym membership, workplace wellbeing encompasses the physical, mental, and emotional health of employees. Organizations that prioritize employee wellbeing are not only creating a more engaged workforce but also seeing measurable improvements in productivity, retention, and overall business success.

What is Workplace Wellbeing?

Workplace wellbeing refers to the comprehensive approach organizations take to ensure their employees are healthy, happy, and capable of thriving at work. It’s about more than just physical health; it also includes mental and emotional wellbeing, work-life balance, and a positive work environment. When employees feel supported in all these areas, they are more likely to perform at their best.

Wellbeing in the workplace includes various dimensions:

Physical Wellbeing: This relates to the health and fitness of employees. Companies that offer access to wellness programs, exercise facilities, and healthy food options contribute to the overall physical health of their workforce.
Mental Wellbeing: Supporting mental health in the workplace is essential. This includes providing resources for stress management, counseling services, and a work culture that promotes open communication.
Social Wellbeing: The social environment of the workplace matters too. Positive relationships with coworkers, a sense of belonging, and a supportive work community all contribute to an employee’s wellbeing.
Work-Life Balance: Promoting a healthy balance between work and personal life is crucial for preventing burnout. Flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or adjusted hours, help employees manage both their professional and personal responsibilities.

Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters

Investing in workplace wellbeing is not just a nice-to-have; it’s a business imperative. Research has shown that employee wellbeing has a direct impact on key business outcomes. When employees feel good, they are more likely to be engaged, productive, and loyal to the company.

Increased Productivity: Employees who are physically and mentally healthy are more productive. They have the energy, focus, and motivation to complete tasks efficiently and meet deadlines. Conversely, when employees are stressed, overworked, or unhealthy, their performance declines. Studies suggest that employees who feel supported in their wellbeing are more than twice as likely to be engaged in their work.
Reduced Absenteeism and Turnover: Poor employee wellbeing can lead to higher absenteeism, as stressed or unhealthy employees are more likely to take sick days. Over time, employees experiencing burnout or chronic stress are also more likely to leave their jobs, leading to higher turnover rates. A well-implemented wellbeing strategy can help reduce both absenteeism and turnover, leading to significant cost savings for companies.
Improved Employee Engagement and Morale: When employees feel their wellbeing is prioritized, they tend to be more engaged in their work. Engaged employees are more likely to go above and beyond in their roles, feel connected to the company’s mission, and contribute to a positive workplace culture. High employee morale also contributes to a more collaborative and innovative environment.

How to Promote Workplace Wellbeing

Implementing workplace wellbeing programs doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. The key is to focus on initiatives that meet the specific needs of your employees and create an environment where wellbeing is prioritized. Here are some strategies to consider:

Offer Flexible Work Arrangements One of the most effective ways to promote work-life balance is by offering flexible work arrangements. Whether it’s remote work options, flexible hours, or a compressed workweek, giving employees more control over their schedules can significantly improve their wellbeing. Flexibility allows employees to manage personal commitments, reducing stress and enhancing their overall work satisfaction.
Provide Mental Health Support Mental health is an essential component of workplace wellbeing, yet it is often overlooked. Employers can support mental health by offering access to counseling services, employee assistance programs (EAPs), and mental health days. Additionally, creating a work culture that normalizes conversations about mental health and reduces stigma is critical. Leadership should encourage open communication, provide resources, and offer training on managing stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns.
Encourage Physical Health Supporting physical wellbeing can be as simple as offering healthy snacks in the office, providing fitness programs, or encouraging movement throughout the day. For remote or hybrid teams, offering wellness stipends for gym memberships or virtual fitness classes can keep employees physically active. Additionally, companies can organize wellness challenges, walking meetings, or stretch breaks to promote activity during the workday.
Foster a Positive Work Environment A positive workplace culture contributes to both mental and social wellbeing. To foster this environment, employers should prioritize inclusivity, recognition, and respect. Regular team-building activities, employee recognition programs, and fostering open communication can help build a sense of community and collaboration. When employees feel valued and part of a supportive work culture, they are more likely to experience job satisfaction and emotional wellbeing.
Offer Professional Development Opportunities Professional growth is a significant factor in overall employee wellbeing. Offering opportunities for career development, such as training programs, workshops, or mentorship, can boost employee morale and engagement. Employees who feel their career growth is supported are more likely to be satisfied and motivated at work.

The Role of Leadership in Workplace Wellbeing

Leadership plays a crucial role in fostering workplace wellbeing. Leaders set the tone for the entire organization, and when they prioritize their own wellbeing and that of their teams, it creates a ripple effect throughout the company. Leaders should model healthy behaviors, such as taking breaks, promoting work-life balance, and being open about their own mental health challenges. By demonstrating that wellbeing is valued, leaders encourage employees to prioritize their own health and seek support when needed.

Conclusion

Workplace wellbeing is no longer a “nice-to-have” but a business imperative that drives productivity, engagement, and retention. By prioritizing the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of employees, organizations can create a healthier, happier, and more productive workforce. Through flexible work arrangements, mental health support, physical wellness initiatives, and fostering a positive work culture, companies can make significant strides in improving workplace wellbeing.

In today’s competitive environment, investing in employee wellbeing isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s essential for long-term success.

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Evolving Workforce Demographics: What It Means for Your Business

ACG Resources — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:18:12 +0000

As businesses navigate the complexities of a globalized world, one key element shaping the future of work is the evolution of workforce demographics. These shifts are more than just numbers; they represent the changing face of talent and the way organizations will need to adapt to attract, retain, and manage employees from diverse backgrounds and with different expectations.

Understanding these demographic shifts is crucial for organizations aiming to build strong, inclusive, and innovative teams. Let’s explore the most prominent trends in workforce demographics and how they are reshaping the workplace.

Generational Diversity: The Multi-Generational Workforce

One of the most notable changes in workforce demographics is the presence of multiple generations working side by side. Currently, we have four—sometimes even five—generations in the workforce, from Baby Boomers to Generation Z. Each group brings its own unique values, work styles, and expectations to the table.

Baby Boomers (1946–1964): While many Baby Boomers are nearing retirement, a significant number are choosing to stay in the workforce longer due to financial reasons or a desire to continue contributing. This generation values loyalty, hard work, and a top-down management style, which may contrast with the preferences of younger employees.
Generation X (1965–1980): Often referred to as the “bridge” generation, Gen Xers are adaptable, value work-life balance, and tend to prefer autonomy over micromanagement. As many Gen Xers are now in leadership positions, they play a critical role in shaping organizational culture.
Millennials (1981–1996): Millennials make up the largest portion of today’s workforce. This generation prioritizes purpose-driven work, flexibility, and opportunities for continuous learning. Millennials are also tech-savvy and expect employers to embrace technology and remote work options.
Generation Z (1997–2012): As the newest members of the workforce, Gen Zers are digital natives, having grown up in a world where technology is embedded in daily life. They value diversity, inclusivity, and social responsibility, expecting companies to take a stand on important societal issues.

The challenge for businesses is to manage the different expectations and work styles of these generations while fostering collaboration and inclusivity. This requires a flexible approach to leadership, communication, and team building.

The Rise of Diversity and Inclusion

Workforce demographics are also changing in terms of racial, ethnic, gender, and cultural diversity. As the world becomes more interconnected, organizations are increasingly composed of employees from diverse backgrounds. In the U.S., for example, projections suggest that by 2050, there will be no single racial or ethnic majority, leading to a more multicultural workforce.

Diversity brings enormous benefits to businesses. Research shows that diverse teams are more innovative, make better decisions, and drive higher financial performance. However, diversity alone is not enough. Companies must foster an inclusive environment where employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work.

To succeed, businesses should:

Promote Inclusive Leadership: Leaders must be trained to recognize unconscious biases and foster a culture of inclusion. This means ensuring that all voices are heard, respected, and given equal opportunities to contribute.
Implement Inclusive Policies: From flexible work arrangements to diversity in hiring practices, businesses should ensure their policies promote inclusivity. This includes offering benefits that cater to a wide range of employee needs, such as parental leave for all genders and cultural holidays.
Leverage Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): ERGs can help create a sense of belonging for employees from underrepresented groups and provide leadership opportunities for those looking to make a positive impact within the organization.

The Gig Economy and Remote Work

The traditional 9-to-5 job model is being disrupted by the rise of the gig economy and remote work. Workforce demographics now include a growing number of freelance workers, contractors, and remote employees. In fact, a study by Upwork found that over one-third of U.S. workers (36%) are engaged in freelance work, and that number is expected to grow.

The Gig Economy: Freelancers and contract workers offer flexibility for both employees and employers. For workers, gig jobs provide the opportunity to balance multiple projects, work independently, and pursue varied interests. For businesses, hiring freelancers allows for greater flexibility in scaling the workforce according to project demands without the need for long-term commitments.
Remote Work: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote work, and for many companies, it’s here to stay. Remote work offers employees greater flexibility and work-life balance, while employers benefit from access to a wider talent pool, increased productivity, and reduced overhead costs. However, managing a remote workforce requires new approaches to communication, collaboration, and performance tracking.

Businesses must now rethink how they attract and manage this new breed of workers, offering flexibility in work arrangements, implementing the right technology tools, and ensuring remote workers feel connected and engaged.

The Aging Workforce and Skills Gap

As Baby Boomers approach retirement, many industries are facing a skills gap. Experienced workers are leaving, taking valuable knowledge and expertise with them. At the same time, younger employees may not yet have the experience required to fill these roles. This shift in workforce demographics presents a challenge for businesses looking to maintain continuity.

To bridge the skills gap, companies must focus on:

Succession Planning: Organizations should develop comprehensive succession plans to ensure a smooth transition as experienced employees retire. This includes identifying and mentoring high-potential employees who can step into leadership roles.
Continuous Training and Development: Upskilling and reskilling programs are essential for helping employees adapt to the changing demands of the workplace. Offering opportunities for professional development ensures that all employees, regardless of age, can continue to grow and contribute.

Conclusion

The evolution of workforce demographics is reshaping the business world, presenting both opportunities and challenges. From managing a multi-generational workforce to embracing diversity, the gig economy, and addressing the skills gap, companies must be proactive in adapting to these shifts. By embracing change and fostering a culture of inclusivity and continuous learning, organizations can stay competitive in the ever-evolving landscape of the modern workplace.

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Building a successful staffing firm

ACG Resources — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 22:02:16 +0000

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Employee Engagement: The Key to Unlocking Organizational Success

ACG Resources — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 16:44:26 +0000

Employee engagement has become a buzzword in today’s corporate world, but it’s more than just a trendy concept—it’s a critical driver of organizational success. Engaged employees are more productive, motivated, and committed to their work, leading to higher levels of performance and profitability. In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of employee engagement, the factors that influence it, and strategies for fostering a highly engaged workforce.

What is Employee Engagement?

Employee engagement refers to the emotional commitment that employees have to their organization and its goals. Engaged employees are not just satisfied with their jobs; they are invested in their work and care about the success of the company. This commitment is reflected in their willingness to go above and beyond their job responsibilities, contribute innovative ideas, and stay with the company long-term.

High levels of employee engagement lead to a range of positive outcomes, including improved productivity, better customer service, lower absenteeism, and reduced turnover. On the other hand, disengaged employees can have a negative impact on the organization, leading to decreased morale, lower productivity, and higher costs associated with turnover and recruitment.

Key Drivers of Employee Engagement

Several factors contribute to employee engagement, and understanding these drivers is essential for creating a positive work environment. Some of the key drivers include:

Leadership and Management: Employees who feel supported and valued by their leaders are more likely to be engaged. Effective leadership involves clear communication, recognition of achievements, and providing opportunities for growth and development. Managers play a crucial role in building trust and fostering a sense of purpose among their teams.

Meaningful Work: Employees who find their work meaningful and aligned with their values are more engaged. Organizations can enhance this by ensuring that employees understand how their roles contribute to the overall mission and vision of the company. Providing opportunities for employees to work on projects that matter to them can also boost engagement.

Professional Development: Opportunities for learning and growth are significant motivators for employee engagement. When employees feel that their skills are being developed and that they have a clear path for career advancement, they are more likely to stay engaged and committed to their roles. Offering training programs, mentorship, and clear career progression plans are effective ways to support professional development.

Work-Life Balance: Employees who have a healthy work-life balance are more likely to be engaged and less likely to experience burnout. Organizations can promote work-life balance by offering flexible work arrangements, encouraging the use of vacation time, and fostering a culture that values employees’ well-being.

Recognition and Rewards: Regular recognition and rewards for a job well done can significantly boost employee engagement. This doesn’t always have to be monetary; simple gestures like acknowledging achievements in team meetings, offering public praise, or giving a small token of appreciation can go a long way in making employees feel valued.

Strategies for Enhancing Employee Engagement

To cultivate a highly engaged workforce, organizations must take a proactive approach. Here are some strategies to enhance employee engagement:

Conduct Regular Surveys: Employee engagement surveys provide valuable insights into how employees feel about their work, leadership, and the overall company culture. These surveys can help identify areas for improvement and track progress over time. It’s essential to act on the feedback received to demonstrate that the organization is committed to making positive changes.

Foster Open Communication: Encouraging open communication between employees and management is crucial for building trust and transparency. Regular one-on-one meetings, town halls, and feedback sessions create opportunities for employees to voice their opinions, share ideas, and feel heard.

Create a Positive Work Environment: A positive work environment where employees feel safe, respected, and supported is fundamental to engagement. This includes addressing any issues related to workplace culture, diversity and inclusion, and ensuring that employees have the resources they need to succeed.

Empower Employees: Giving employees autonomy and the ability to make decisions in their roles can increase their sense of ownership and engagement. Empowered employees are more likely to take initiative, innovate, and contribute to the organization’s success.

Celebrate Successes: Regularly celebrating both individual and team successes can reinforce a positive work culture and boost morale. Whether it’s through formal awards or informal recognition, celebrating achievements helps employees feel appreciated and motivated to continue performing at their best.

Conclusion

Employee engagement is not a one-time initiative but an ongoing effort that requires attention and commitment from all levels of an organization. By understanding the key drivers of engagement and implementing strategies to foster it, companies can create a work environment where employees feel valued, motivated, and aligned with the organization’s goals. Ultimately, a highly engaged workforce is the cornerstone of long-term success, driving productivity, innovation, and a strong organizational culture.

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Generative AI in Staffing & Recruiting: Transforming the Future of Talent Acquisition

ACG Resources — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 16:37:42 +0000

The staffing and recruiting industry is at the forefront of a technological revolution, driven by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI). Among the most transformative AI technologies is generative AI, a subset of AI that leverages machine learning algorithms to generate content, ideas, and even predictions based on input data. As companies increasingly seek innovative solutions to streamline their hiring processes, generative AI is emerging as a powerful tool that can enhance efficiency, improve candidate experiences, and deliver better hiring outcomes. In this blog post, we explore the impact of generative AI on staffing and recruiting and how organizations can harness its potential.

Enhancing Candidate Sourcing and Screening

One of the most time-consuming aspects of recruiting is sourcing and screening candidates. Traditionally, recruiters spend countless hours sifting through resumes and profiles to identify the best candidates for a given role. Generative AI can significantly reduce this workload by automating these tasks. Using natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms, generative AI can analyze job descriptions and candidate profiles to generate a list of potential matches that align with the required skills, experience, and cultural fit.

Moreover, generative AI can enhance the screening process by predicting candidate success based on historical hiring data. By analyzing patterns from previous hires, the technology can generate insights into which candidates are most likely to succeed in a particular role. This predictive capability allows recruiters to make more informed decisions, reducing the risk of bad hires and improving overall hiring quality.

Revolutionizing Job Description and Content Creation

Crafting compelling job descriptions and recruitment content is crucial for attracting top talent. However, writing these materials can be challenging and time-consuming. Generative AI offers a solution by automatically generating job descriptions, emails, and other recruitment-related content that is tailored to the specific needs of the role and the organization.

Generative AI tools can analyze existing job descriptions and recruitment materials to understand what works and what doesn’t. Using this data, the AI can generate optimized content that resonates with the target audience, incorporates relevant keywords, and highlights the most important aspects of the role. This not only saves recruiters time but also ensures that the content is consistent and aligned with the company’s branding.

Personalizing Candidate Engagement

In today’s competitive job market, providing a personalized candidate experience is essential for attracting and retaining top talent. Generative AI can play a key role in delivering this level of personalization. For example, AI-powered chatbots can engage with candidates in real time, answering questions, providing updates, and guiding them through the application process. These chatbots can be programmed to generate personalized responses based on the candidate’s profile and previous interactions, creating a more engaging and tailored experience.

Additionally, generative AI can personalize communication at scale. Whether it’s generating follow-up emails, interview invitations, or feedback letters, the technology can create messages that are specific to each candidate, making them feel valued and appreciated. This level of personalization not only enhances the candidate experience but also strengthens the employer brand.

Streamlining Interview Processes

The interview process is another area where generative AI can make a significant impact. AI-driven interview platforms can generate questions tailored to the specific role and candidate profile, ensuring that the interview focuses on the most relevant areas. These platforms can also analyze candidate responses in real-time, providing recruiters with insights into the candidate’s suitability for the role.

Furthermore, generative AI can be used to simulate interviews, allowing candidates to practice and improve their interview skills. These simulations can be tailored to mimic the actual interview process, providing candidates with a realistic experience and helping them feel more prepared.

Improving Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are critical priorities for many organizations, and generative AI can support these goals by reducing bias in the recruiting process. Traditional hiring practices are often influenced by unconscious biases, which can lead to a lack of diversity in the workforce. Generative AI, when properly trained, can help mitigate these biases by focusing purely on data-driven insights rather than subjective judgments.

For example, generative AI can analyze job descriptions and highlight language that may be unintentionally biased, suggesting more inclusive alternatives. It can also generate anonymized candidate profiles, allowing recruiters to evaluate candidates based on their skills and experience rather than factors such as name, gender, or ethnicity. By promoting a more objective approach to hiring, generative AI can help organizations build more diverse and inclusive teams.

Conclusion

Generative AI is poised to revolutionize the staffing and recruiting industry by automating and enhancing various aspects of the hiring process. From candidate sourcing and screening to personalized engagement and diversity initiatives, this technology offers a range of benefits that can help organizations attract, hire, and retain top talent more effectively. As generative AI continues to evolve, it will become an indispensable tool for recruiters, enabling them to navigate the complexities of modern talent acquisition with greater ease and efficiency.

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Evolving Workforce Demographics: Adapting to a Changing Talent Landscape

ACG Resources — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 16:34:31 +0000

The workforce is undergoing a profound transformation as demographic shifts reshape the composition of employees in organizations worldwide. These changes are influencing how businesses operate, recruit, and manage their talent. Understanding and adapting to these evolving workforce demographics is crucial for companies aiming to stay competitive in an increasingly diverse and globalized market. In this blog post, we explore the key demographic trends shaping the workforce and how organizations can adapt to these changes.

The Rise of a Multigenerational Workforce

One of the most significant demographic shifts in today’s workforce is the presence of multiple generations working side by side. The traditional model of a workforce dominated by a single generation has given way to a more diverse age range, with Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z all contributing to the workplace. Each of these generations brings unique perspectives, skills, and expectations, creating both challenges and opportunities for organizations.

For example, Baby Boomers may value stability and long-term employment, while Millennials and Generation Z prioritize flexibility, work-life balance, and opportunities for personal growth. To effectively manage a multi generational workforce, companies must adopt strategies that accommodate these diverse needs. This might include offering a variety of benefits, such as flexible work arrangements, continuous learning opportunities, and mentoring programs that foster inter-generational knowledge sharing.

Increasing Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion have become central to workforce demographics, with organizations increasingly recognizing the value of a diverse talent pool. This trend is driven by broader social changes, including greater awareness of social justice issues and the growing importance of corporate social responsibility. A diverse workforce brings a wide range of perspectives and experiences, leading to more innovative solutions and better decision-making.

However, achieving true diversity goes beyond simply hiring people from different backgrounds. It requires creating an inclusive environment where all employees feel valued and empowered to contribute. Organizations can foster inclusion by implementing policies that address unconscious bias, promoting diversity in leadership, and providing training programs that educate employees on the benefits of a diverse workplace.

The Impact of Globalization

Globalization has expanded the talent pool, allowing organizations to tap into skills and expertise from around the world. As a result, the workforce has become more geographically dispersed, with remote work and international teams becoming the norm. This shift has been accelerated by advancements in technology, which enable seamless communication and collaboration across borders.

To navigate this globalized workforce, companies must be adept at managing cultural differences and time zone challenges. This involves developing strong communication strategies, leveraging technology to bridge gaps, and fostering a culture of inclusivity that respects and celebrates diverse cultural backgrounds. Additionally, companies must be mindful of local labor laws and regulations when employing talent in different regions.

Adapting to an Aging Workforce

As life expectancy increases and retirement ages are pushed back, the workforce is aging. Many older employees are choosing to remain in the workforce longer, either out of financial necessity or a desire to stay active and engaged. This trend presents both challenges and opportunities for organizations.

On one hand, an aging workforce may require accommodations, such as flexible work schedules or ergonomic work-spaces, to support employees’ physical and mental well-being. On the other hand, older workers bring a wealth of experience and institutional knowledge that can be invaluable to organizations. To leverage this expertise, companies can implement mentoring programs where older employees share their knowledge with younger colleagues, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development.

Embracing Technological Change

Technology continues to reshape the workforce, with automation, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms changing how work is done. These advancements have led to the emergence of new job roles and the decline of others, requiring employees to continually update their skills to stay relevant.

For organizations, this means investing in training and development programs that equip employees with the skills needed to thrive in a technology-driven workplace. It also involves fostering a culture of agility and innovation, where employees are encouraged to embrace change and adapt to new ways of working.

Conclusion

Evolving workforce demographics are transforming the workplace, creating new challenges and opportunities for organizations. By understanding and adapting to these demographic shifts, companies can build a more resilient, inclusive, and dynamic workforce. As the talent landscape continues to change, organizations that prioritize diversity, inclusion, and continuous learning will be better positioned to succeed in the future.

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HR Tech: Revolutionizing the Human Resources Landscape

ACG Resources — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 16:24:51 +0000

In today’s fast-paced business environment, the role of Human Resources (HR) has evolved significantly, driven by the rapid advancements in technology. From streamlining recruitment processes to enhancing employee engagement, HR technology (HR Tech) has become a critical component in modern organizations. This blog explores the transformative impact of HR Tech and how it’s shaping the future of work.

The Evolution of HR Tech

HR Tech has come a long way from the days of manual payroll systems and paper-based employee records. The digital revolution has introduced a plethora of tools designed to automate and optimize HR functions. These technologies range from applicant tracking systems (ATS) that simplify recruitment to employee management software that facilitates performance tracking and development.

One of the most significant shifts in HR Tech is the move towards cloud-based solutions. Cloud technology has made HR systems more accessible, scalable, and secure, allowing HR professionals to manage data and processes from anywhere in the world. This flexibility is especially crucial in today’s remote and hybrid work environments.

Key Areas Impacted by HR Tech

1. Recruitment and Onboarding: The recruitment process has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of HR Tech. With the help of AI-powered ATS, companies can now sift through resumes, identify the best candidates, and even predict their potential fit within the organization. Additionally, onboarding platforms have made it easier to integrate new hires into the company culture, ensuring a smooth transition from candidate to employee.

2. Employee Engagement and Retention: HR Tech has introduced innovative ways to keep employees engaged and satisfied. Tools like employee feedback platforms, pulse surveys, and recognition programs allow HR teams to gauge employee sentiment and address concerns proactively. By leveraging data analytics, companies can identify patterns and trends that contribute to employee turnover, enabling them to implement strategies to retain top talent.

3. Performance Management: Traditional annual performance reviews are being replaced by continuous performance management systems. These platforms provide real-time feedback, goal setting, and development tracking, making it easier for managers and employees to stay aligned with organizational objectives. This shift not only improves performance but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement and growth.

4. Learning and Development: HR Tech has also transformed how companies approach learning and development (L&D). E-learning platforms and Learning Management Systems (LMS) offer personalized, on-demand training that can be tailored to individual employee needs. This approach ensures that employees have access to the resources they need to develop their skills and advance their careers.

5. HR Analytics: Data-driven decision-making is at the heart of HR Tech. With the advent of HR analytics, organizations can now measure the effectiveness of their HR strategies and make informed decisions based on real-time data. This includes tracking metrics such as employee productivity, engagement, and turnover rates, which can provide valuable insights into the overall health of the organization.

The Future of HR Tech

As technology continues to evolve, so too will the capabilities of HR Tech. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are expected to play an even more significant role in automating repetitive tasks and providing predictive analytics. Moreover, the integration of HR Tech with other business systems, such as customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP), will create a more holistic approach to managing the workforce.

Another exciting development is the rise of HR chatbots, which can handle routine HR inquiries and provide instant support to employees. This not only frees up HR professionals to focus on more strategic initiatives but also enhances the employee experience by providing quick and efficient service.

Conclusion

HR Tech is revolutionizing the way organizations manage their most valuable asset—people. By embracing these technological advancements, HR professionals can streamline processes, enhance employee satisfaction, and drive better business outcomes. As the HR Tech landscape continues to evolve, staying ahead of the curve will be essential for companies looking to attract, retain, and develop top talent in an increasingly competitive market.

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Employee Engagement: Why It’s the Secret Sauce to Business Success

ACG Resources — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 08:19:56 +0000

Employee engagement has become a buzzword in today’s business world, and for good reason. When employees are truly engaged in their work, the ripple effects can be seen across the entire organization—from increased productivity to better customer service, and ultimately, higher profitability. But what exactly is employee engagement, and why is it so critical to business success? Let’s dive in.

What is Employee Engagement?

Employee engagement refers to the emotional and mental investment employees have in their work and the organization they work for. Engaged employees aren’t just there to collect a paycheck—they’re deeply committed to their roles, take pride in their work, and are motivated to contribute to the organization’s goals. This level of dedication often leads to employees going above and beyond in their duties, which in turn drives business success.

The Impact of Employee Engagement on Business Outcomes

The relationship between employee engagement and business success is undeniable. Numerous studies have shown that companies with high levels of employee engagement tend to outperform their competitors. Here’s how:

1. Increased Productivity: Engaged employees are more productive. They are focused, driven, and less likely to waste time. This increased efficiency directly contributes to the company’s bottom line.
2. Improved Customer Satisfaction: Engaged employees are more likely to provide better customer service. They care about the quality of their work and understand that their actions impact the customer experience, which leads to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.
3. Reduced Turnover: When employees are engaged, they are more likely to stay with the company. This reduces turnover rates, which can be costly and disruptive to business operations. Lower turnover also means retaining top talent, which is crucial for long-term success.
4. Enhanced Innovation: Engaged employees are more likely to contribute new ideas and innovations. They feel empowered to take initiative and suggest improvements, which can lead to better products, services, and processes.

How to Boost Employee Engagement

Understanding the importance of employee engagement is just the first step. The real challenge lies in fostering it within your organization. Here are some strategies to help boost engagement:
1. Create a Positive Work Environment: Foster a workplace culture that values collaboration, respect, and open communication. When employees feel safe and valued, they are more likely to be engaged.
2. Offer Opportunities for Growth: Provide employees with opportunities for professional development and career advancement. When employees see a path for growth within the company, they are more likely to stay engaged and motivated.
3. Recognize and Reward Contributions: Regularly acknowledge and reward employees for their hard work and contributions. Whether it’s through formal recognition programs or a simple thank you, showing appreciation goes a long way in boosting morale and engagement.
4. Align Employee Roles with Company Values: Ensure that employees understand how their work contributes to the organization’s goals and values. When employees see the bigger picture and feel that their work has purpose, they are more likely to be engaged.

Conclusion

Employee engagement isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a crucial component of business success. Engaged employees are more productive, provide better customer service, and contribute to a positive workplace culture. By focusing on strategies to boost engagement, companies can create a work environment where employees are motivated, committed, and driven to contribute to the organization’s success.

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Business Performance Management: The Key to Achieving Your Strategic Goals

ACG Resources — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 08:12:33 +0000

In the fast-paced world of business, staying on track to achieve your strategic goals can be challenging. This is where Business Performance Management (BPM) comes in. BPM is a systematic approach to improving and managing an organization’s performance by aligning resources, processes, and activities with the overall business strategy. It’s about ensuring that every part of the organization is working towards the same goals and measuring progress along the way.

What is Business Performance Management?

Business Performance Management involves setting goals, monitoring performance, and making adjustments to ensure that the organization stays on track to achieve its objectives. It includes a range of activities, such as setting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), collecting and analyzing data, and making informed decisions based on that data.

BPM is not just about measuring performance; it’s about creating a culture of continuous improvement. It involves regularly reviewing performance data, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing changes to drive better outcomes.

The Role of BPM in Achieving Strategic Goals

The Role of Advanced Workplace Tools

ACG Resources — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 11:54:52 +0000

Advanced workplace tools play a great role in managing and bringing innovation to businesses. According to a report, 95% of employees say that digital workplace tools have a positive impact on their productivity. These tools streamline operations, increase productivity, and save time and effort.

As workplaces evolve, adopting these advanced tools is important to manage operations effectively. Businesses can enhance customer satisfaction and achieve better results by using these tools.

Here, we will discover some advanced tools to help you manage your workplace seamlessly. Let’s have a look!

Recruitment and Hiring Tools

Recruitment and hiring tools are important in creating and managing an advanced workplace. These tools streamline the hiring process, making it easy and effective. The advanced recruitment and hiring tools use advanced technology to automate tasks. They also provide insights to help match the best jobs and candidates.

One of the top-notch recruitment and hiring tools is Huntr, a job application tracker tool. This tool lets you manage and track your job applications easily. Moreover, Huntr also offers many advanced features, such as autofill applications, resume checkers, etc. Also, with its unique feature of AI resume and cover letter builder, you can easily build up your professional resume or cover letters in just a few clicks.

Another amazing recruitment and hiring tool is JGA Recruitment. JGA Recruitment Group is a prominent recruitment agency headquartered in the United Kingdom. The company excels in payroll recruitment and focuses on identifying top talent within the payroll industry. In addition to payroll, JGA Recruitment offers customized HR recruitment services. They specialize in sourcing the top 15% of HR candidates, providing tailored solutions to meet clients’ HR staffing needs.

Another powerful tool in the recruitment industry is Kmosek. It is a platform that focuses on discovering people’s and companies’ hidden potential. It offers modern recruitment techniques, employee retention strategies, productivity enhancement, conflict resolution, and more. Through its services, businesses can find the right people, increase productivity, and create an environment that fosters harmony in the workplace.

In terms of Payroll, Workpay is an HR, payroll, compliance and benefits platform designed for organisations across Africa. They offer integrated payroll management software, Employer of Record (EOR), financial services such as Earned Wage Access (EWA) and salary advances, and a comprehensive employee benefits package that includes health insurance, early wage access, discounted services, and pension plans.

Furthermore, Celayix specializes in employee scheduling software. It is an effective tool for managing employee shifts, ensuring optimal staffing levels, and preventing scheduling conflicts. Organizations can streamline workforce scheduling, improve efficiency, and improve employee satisfaction. Key features include shift management, conflict resolution, real-time updates, and integration with other HR and payroll systems.

If you are looking for hiring services, ACG Resources, LLC is one of the top recruitment agencies that provides professional executive search and staffing services to various companies and industries. Located in New York City, ACG provides services on a national level. They offer personalized staffing services and solutions to employers and support to job seekers throughout the job-seeking process.

Mercans is another HR and global payroll technology provider offering a comprehensive suite of services. Their products include a global payroll SaaS solution, managed payroll services, HRM advisory, and Employer of Record services. They also offer HR Blizz, a platform for managing HR and payroll across 160 countries. Furthermore, they provide end-to-end processing in under 48 hours with multi-country coverage, all within one global platform. Their platform is accessible across any device anytime, anywhere, and provides a user-friendly interface and self-service features.

Project Management and Contractor Tools

Project management and contractor tools play many roles in developing an advanced workplace. These tools create an efficient workplace by facilitating the scheduling and management of meetings. These tools also ensure that tasks are completed on time, resulting in customer satisfaction and business growth.

For example, one of the best project management and contractor tools is Contractor Foreman. This cloud-based construction management software is designed to assist contractors in efficiently managing various aspects of their projects. With features like project management tools, financial tracking capabilities, and people and safety management features, Contractor Foreman provides improved construction workflows.

It offers Gantt (CPM) scheduling, daily logs, work orders, inspections, punch lists, permit management, and a client portal for project management. Financial insights include job costing, estimates, bid management, change orders, invoices, purchase orders, sub-contracts, bills, expenses, AIA & progress invoicing, and online payments.

Furthermore, Workast is another productivity app for teams on Slack. With Workast, teams can collaborate more effectively and streamline their project management. It is designed to enhance collaboration and streamline processes. Features include task lists, due date reminders, recurring tasks, and real-time updates. By integrating directly with Slack, Workast keeps everyone aligned and focused on their goals.

Time Tracking and Productivity Tools

Advanced workplace tools have made tracking time and managing tasks easier, resulting in increased productivity. The time tracking and productivity tools use timer functions that allow users to record the time spent on different tasks. Many productivity tools integrate with project management software, calendars, and other business tools to streamline workflow.

One of the best time-tracking and productivity tools is time tracking software. This tool helps businesses manage their operations and finances. LiveTecs.com is a timesheet software that streamlines operations by simplifying time and expense management. It also provides 1000+ integration options to ensure better workflow and efficiency.

Harvest is another popular tool for businesses to track time and expenses. It allows project tracking, time management, and budget management and can integrate with many other apps to streamline workflow.

Lanteria focuses on employee experience and performance. It’s an all-in-one solution for various HR needs, including performance management, leave management, and workload tracking. With Lanteria, you can access a comprehensive platform for conducting performance evaluations, setting goals, or managing leave.

Workplace Management and Communication Tools

Workplace management and communication tools are important for effective collaboration and hassle-free communication. These tools use AI-driven solutions to streamline various operations. Workplace management and communication tools help with many tasks, such as booking workspaces, allocating desks, and monitoring visitor activity.

For instance, Comeen is a popular and beneficial tool designed to manage office spaces efficiently. It allows employees to book workspaces, manage desk allocations, and track visitors. Comeen provides AI-driven solutions to empower workplace and internal communication. It offers an all-in-one workplace management solution that lets teams communicate and collaborate in a single space.

Slack is another powerful communication and workplace management tool. It allows teams to communicate through channels, direct messages, and video calls. Slack provides advanced features like group discussions, document sharing, and other tools or software integration.

Furthermore, NBRI (National Business Research Institute) offers a full range of survey research products and services for large enterprises, small businesses, and individuals. They provide customer, employee, and market research surveys to improve business operations with satisfied customers, engaged employees, and keen market insights. NBRI’s deep industry knowledge and expertise enable them to provide breakthrough insights, thereby helping businesses make informed decisions.

AI-Powered Workflow Automation Tools

AI-powered workflow automation tools improve the modern workplace by increasing efficiency and productivity. These advanced workplace tools have greatly transformed old workplace practices by automating various tasks. They use advanced technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analytics. This helps in optimizing operations and also provides insights.

Among AI-powered workflow automation tools, arthur digital holds great importance. It is a Virtual Reality (VR) meeting and collaboration tool. This AI-powered tool also enables remote meetings, workshops, training sessions, and team bonding activities. Arthur Digital also provides real-time tracking and data management, thus increasing productivity and reducing time wastage. Moreover, this advanced tool also provides scalability and enhanced security features. It also offers 3D visualization and predictive analytics, which help businesses improve their operations.

Neeyamo is a technology-enabled global payroll and Employer of Record (EOR) solutions provider. It offers autonomous global payroll solutions that helps companies of all sizes manage and pay employees globally. Neeyamo’s tech-driven approach and triangulated compliance framework ensure adherence to global payroll, tax, and HR regulations, even in long-tail regions.

Last, Automater is also a widely used AI-powered workflow and automation tool. This tool automates various repetitive tasks, thus saving time and effort. Moreover, you can also create automotive routes using this tool to streamline your operations.

Conclusion

Advanced workplace tools play an important role in a business’s success, streamlining operations and increasing productivity and accuracy.

Moreover, these tools also help with time tracking, project management, and effective communication. Comeen.com is one of the best communication tools. These tools also help automate tasks by using advanced AI technology.

So, using advanced workplace tools is essential for modern businesses to remain competitive and efficient in today’s digital world.

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The Impact of Remote Work on Employee Retention and Recruitment

ACG Resources — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 11:52:01 +0000

The global shift towards remote work has significantly transformed the landscape of employee retention and recruitment. As businesses adapt to new ways of working, the flexibility and autonomy offered by remote work have become critical factors in attracting and retaining top talent.

This article explores the profound impact of remote work on employee retention and recruitment, examining both the benefits and challenges that organizations face in this evolving work environment.

The Benefits of Remote Work for Employee Retention

1. Increased Job Satisfaction:

Remote work offers employees the flexibility to balance their personal and professional lives more effectively. This increased work-life balance often leads to higher job satisfaction, which is a crucial factor in employee retention. When employees are satisfied with their jobs, they are more likely to stay with their current employer.

2. Reduced Commute Stress:

The elimination of daily commutes is one of the most appreciated benefits of remote work. By removing the stress and time associated with commuting, employees can start their workday feeling more refreshed and focused. This improvement in overall well-being can lead to higher retention rates.

3. Cost Savings:

Working from home can lead to significant cost savings for employees. Reduced expenses related to commuting, work attire, and meals can contribute to an improved financial situation, increasing employee satisfaction and loyalty.

4. Access to a Broader Talent Pool

For employers, remote work opens up opportunities to hire from a larger, more diverse talent pool. This can lead to better job matches, increased employee satisfaction, and higher retention rates.

5. Environmental Impact

Remote work reduces the carbon footprint by decreasing the number of commuters. Employees who are environmentally conscious may feel a greater sense of alignment with their company’s values, boosting their loyalty and retention.

The Challenges of Remote Work for Employee Retention

1. Isolation and Loneliness

One of the most significant challenges of remote work is the potential for isolation and loneliness. Employees who miss the social interactions and camaraderie of the office may feel disconnected from their colleagues and the company culture, leading to decreased job satisfaction and higher turnover rates.

2. Burnout and Overwork

Without clear boundaries between work and personal life, remote employees may struggle to switch off from work, leading to burnout. Employers must implement strategies to prevent overwork and ensure that employees take adequate breaks and time off.

3. Communication Barriers

Effective communication is essential for team collaboration and employee engagement. Remote work can sometimes lead to communication barriers, making it harder for employees to stay connected and aligned with their team and company goals.

4. Career Progression Concerns

Remote employees may worry about being overlooked for promotions and career advancement opportunities. Employers need to ensure that remote workers have equal access to career development resources and opportunities.

The Benefits of Remote Work for Recruitment

1. Wider Talent Pool

Remote work allows companies to recruit talent from anywhere in the world. This access to a global talent pool increases the chances of finding the perfect candidate for a role, regardless of geographic location.

2. Attractive Perk

Offering remote work as an option can make a company more attractive to job seekers. In a competitive job market, the flexibility of remote work can be a significant differentiator that attracts top talent.

3. Cost Efficiency

Remote work can reduce the need for physical office space and related expenses. These cost savings can be reinvested into other areas of the business, including employee benefits and compensation, making the company more attractive to potential recruits.

4. Diverse Workforce

Remote work fosters diversity by removing geographic barriers. Companies can build more inclusive teams by hiring individuals from different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives.

The Challenges of Remote Work for Recruitment

1. Onboarding and Training

Onboarding remote employees can be challenging, as it requires a well-structured process to ensure new hires feel integrated and supported.

Virtual training programs must be engaging and effective to equip new employees with the necessary skills and knowledge.

2. Building Company Culture

Cultivating a strong company culture in a remote work environment requires deliberate effort. Employers must find innovative ways to foster a sense of community and belonging among remote workers.

3. Assessing Fit

Evaluating a candidate’s fit for a remote position can be challenging. Employers need to assess not only the candidate’s skills and experience but also their ability to thrive in a remote work environment.

4. Technical Issues

Ensuring that remote employees have the necessary technology and resources to perform their jobs effectively is crucial. Technical issues and inadequate support can hinder productivity and impact the overall remote work experience.

Strategies for Enhancing Employee Retention and Recruitment in a Remote Work Environment

To maximize the benefits and mitigate the challenges of remote work, companies can implement several strategies:

1. Foster a Strong Remote Culture

Develop a strong remote work culture by promoting open communication, collaboration, and inclusivity. Regular virtual team-building activities, social events, and recognition programs can help remote employees feel connected and valued.

2. Provide Adequate Support

Offer robust support systems for remote employees, including IT support, mental health resources, and professional development opportunities.

Ensuring that remote workers have the tools and resources they need to succeed is essential for their satisfaction and retention.

3. Implement Flexible Policies

Flexibility is a key advantage of remote work. Implementing flexible work policies that allow employees to choose their working hours and locations can enhance job satisfaction and attract top talent.

4. Invest in Technology

Invest in reliable communication and collaboration tools to facilitate seamless remote work. Platforms for video conferencing, project management, and instant messaging can enhance connectivity and productivity.

5. Ensure Equity and Inclusion

Ensure that remote employees have equal access to career advancement opportunities, resources, and support. Address any biases or disparities that may arise between remote and in-office employees.

6. Regular Check-Ins

Conduct regular check-ins with remote employees to gauge their well-being, address concerns, and provide feedback. Open lines of communication can help identify and resolve issues before they impact retention.

Leveraging VPNs for Secure Remote Work

Security is a critical consideration in a remote work environment. With employees accessing company systems and data from various locations, ensuring secure connections is paramount.

One effective way to enhance remote work security is by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs provide a secure connection over the internet, encrypting data and protecting it from unauthorized access.

For example, companies can benefit from using a VPN for multiple devices. This ensures that all employees, regardless of the devices they use, can securely access company resources.

By encrypting data and masking IP addresses, VPNs add an extra layer of security to remote work operations, helping to prevent data breaches and unauthorized access.

Conclusion

The impact of remote work on employee retention and recruitment is profound. By implementing strategies to foster a strong remote culture, provide adequate support, and ensure secure remote work environments, companies can maximize the advantages of remote work and attract and retain top talent in an increasingly competitive job market.

As remote work continues to evolve, staying adaptable and responsive to the needs of remote employees will be key to long-term success in employee retention and recruitment.

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Building a Culture of Trust in Remote Work Settings

ACG Resources — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 12:00:11 +0000

In the age of remote work, building a culture of trust has become more critical than ever. With teams dispersed across various locations and time zones, the traditional ways of fostering trust through face-to-face interactions and shared physical spaces have been replaced by digital communication and virtual collaboration.

This shift necessitates a conscious effort from leaders and team members alike to create and maintain an environment where trust can thrive. But how? That’s what this article is all about. Let’s get into it.

The Importance of Trust in Remote Work

Trust is the foundation of any successful team. It enables collaboration, innovation, and productivity by fostering open communication, mutual respect, and a sense of belonging.

In remote work settings, trust becomes even more vital due to the lack of physical presence and the potential for feelings of isolation.

When team members trust each other, they are more likely to share ideas freely, seek help when needed, and contribute their best efforts toward achieving common goals.

Key Elements of Building Trust

1. Transparent Communication

Transparency in communication is crucial for building trust in remote teams. Leaders should be open about company goals, changes, and challenges, while encouraging team members to share their thoughts and concerns.

Regular updates and clear expectations help prevent misunderstandings and keep everyone aligned. Utilizing various communication tools such as video calls, instant messaging, and project management platforms can facilitate this transparency.

2. Consistent and Reliable Behavior

Consistency and reliability in actions and communication reinforce trust. When team members know they can count on each other to deliver on promises and meet deadlines, trust naturally follows. Leaders can set the tone by modeling dependable behavior and recognizing those who consistently contribute reliably.

3. Empathy and Support

Showing empathy and providing support are essential in building a trusting team environment. Understanding and addressing the unique challenges that remote workers face, such as balancing work and personal life or dealing with technical issues, can strengthen trust.

Regular check-ins and virtual social activities can help maintain a sense of camaraderie and support.

4. Empowerment and Autonomy

Empowering remote workers by giving them autonomy over their tasks and trusting them to manage their time effectively fosters a culture of trust. Micromanagement can erode trust and hinder productivity.

Instead, leaders should focus on outcomes and provide the necessary resources and support for team members to succeed independently.

Practical Strategies for Building Trust

1. Establish Clear Communication Channels

Setting up clear and effective communication channels is fundamental for remote teams. Decide on the best tools and platforms for different types of communication, such as Zoom for video meetings, Slack for instant messaging, and Trello for project management.

Ensuring everyone is comfortable with these tools and establishing guidelines for their use can prevent miscommunication and build trust.

2. Foster a Sense of Community

Creating opportunities for team members to connect on a personal level can help build trust. Virtual coffee breaks, team-building activities, and informal chat channels can foster a sense of community.

Encouraging team members to share personal milestones and achievements can also enhance the feeling of belonging and trust.

3. Prioritize Security and Privacy

In a remote work environment, ensuring the security and privacy of communication and data is paramount. Utilizing tools like VPNs can help protect sensitive information and maintain trust within the team.

For example, when team members need to travel or work from public places, using a VPN for travel can secure their connection and prevent data breaches.

Ensuring that all team members understand and implement these security measures builds trust in the organization’s commitment to protecting their privacy.

4. Provide Regular Feedback and Recognition

Regular feedback and recognition can help build trust by showing that leaders are engaged and appreciative of their team’s efforts.

Constructive feedback helps team members improve and feel valued, while public recognition of achievements fosters a positive and trusting team culture.

5. Encourage Professional Development

Supporting professional development shows a commitment to team members’ growth and builds trust in the organization’s long-term vision.

Offering opportunities for learning and advancement, such as online courses, webinars, and mentorship programs, can help remote workers feel invested in and trusted to develop their skills.

Overcoming Challenges in Building Trust

Building trust in remote work settings is not without its challenges. Differences in time zones, cultural backgrounds, and communication styles can create barriers. Here are some strategies to overcome these challenges:

1. Be Mindful of Time Zones

Scheduling meetings and deadlines can be challenging when team members are in different time zones. Using tools that allow for flexible scheduling and ensuring that no one feels left out of important discussions is crucial.

Rotating meeting times and recording sessions for those who cannot attend live can help maintain inclusivity and trust.

2. Embrace Cultural Differences

Cultural differences can affect communication styles and expectations. Encouraging an open-minded approach and providing cultural sensitivity training can help bridge these gaps.

Celebrating diverse perspectives and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels heard and respected strengthens trust.

3. Address Communication Gaps

Miscommunication is more likely in remote settings due to the lack of non-verbal cues. Encouraging clear and concise communication, using video calls for more nuanced discussions, and regularly checking in with team members can help mitigate misunderstandings.

Additionally, creating a culture where asking for clarification is welcomed can prevent small issues from escalating.

Summing Up

Building a culture of trust in remote work settings requires intentional effort and continuous commitment from everyone involved. By focusing on transparent communication, consistent behavior, empathy, and empowerment, leaders can create an environment where trust thrives.

Practical strategies like establishing clear communication channels, fostering a sense of community, prioritizing security, providing regular feedback, and encouraging professional development are essential for building and maintaining trust.

As remote work continues to evolve, the importance of trust will only grow. By proactively addressing challenges and implementing these strategies, organizations can build strong, cohesive, and high-performing remote teams. Trust is the cornerstone of remote work success, and with the right approach, it can be cultivated and nurtured to achieve remarkable results.

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Remote and Hybrid Work Models: Adapting to a New Reality

ACG Resources — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 12:00:08 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of remote and hybrid work models, fundamentally changing the way organizations operate. As we move into 2024, these work models are becoming a permanent fixture in the business landscape, with significant implications for recruitment and talent management.

The Shift to Remote and Hybrid Work

Remote work, once considered a temporary solution, has proven to be effective in maintaining productivity and employee satisfaction. Hybrid work models, which combine remote and in-office work, offer flexibility and cater to diverse employee preferences. This shift has expanded the talent pool, allowing organizations to recruit candidates from different geographical locations without the constraints of physical proximity.

Redefining Job Descriptions

With the adoption of remote and hybrid work, job descriptions need to be redefined to reflect new expectations and responsibilities. This includes specifying remote work capabilities, communication skills, and the ability to work independently. Clear guidelines on work hours, availability, and performance metrics are essential to ensure that remote employees meet organizational standards.

Virtual Hiring Processes

The transition to remote work has necessitated the implementation of virtual hiring processes. Video interviews, online assessments, and digital onboarding have become standard practices. These virtual processes not only save time and resources but also provide a seamless experience for candidates. Organizations are leveraging technology to create engaging and interactive onboarding programs that help new hires integrate smoothly into the company culture.

Managing a Distributed Workforce

Managing a remote or hybrid workforce presents unique challenges. Effective communication and collaboration tools are crucial for maintaining team cohesion and productivity. Regular virtual meetings, project management software, and instant messaging platforms facilitate seamless interaction among team members. Additionally, managers must adopt new leadership styles that emphasize trust, autonomy, and support for remote employees.

Ensuring Employee Well-Being

Employee well-being is a critical consideration in remote and hybrid work models. Organizations must provide resources and support to address mental health challenges and promote work-life balance. This includes offering flexible work schedules, access to wellness programs, and opportunities for social interaction. Regular check-ins and feedback sessions can help identify and address any issues that remote employees may face.

Challenges and Solutions

While remote and hybrid work models offer numerous benefits, they are not without challenges. Some employees may struggle with isolation, lack of motivation, or difficulty in separating work from personal life. To address these issues, organizations can implement mentorship programs, virtual team-building activities, and clear boundaries between work and personal time.

Future of Work

The future of work is likely to be characterized by continued flexibility and adaptability. Organizations that embrace remote and hybrid work models will have a competitive edge in attracting and retaining top talent. By creating a supportive and inclusive work environment, they can maximize the benefits of these work models and drive long-term success.

Conclusion

Remote and hybrid work models are here to stay, offering flexibility and access to a broader talent pool. Organizations must adapt their recruitment and management strategies to support these work models effectively. By leveraging technology, redefining job roles, and prioritizing employee well-being, they can create a productive and engaging work environment that meets the needs of a diverse workforce.

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Elevating Talent Acquisition Practices

ACG Resources — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 19:55:29 +0000

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have become essential elements of modern business practices, particularly in talent acquisition. As organizations recognize the value of diverse and inclusive workplaces, DEI initiatives are increasingly integrated into recruitment strategies to foster innovation, enhance employee satisfaction, and improve overall performance.

The Importance of DEI in Recruitment

Diverse teams bring a variety of perspectives and experiences, leading to more creative problem-solving and decision-making. Equity ensures that all employees have equal access to opportunities and resources, while inclusion fosters a sense of belonging and respect among team members. Together, these principles contribute to a positive work environment and better business outcomes.

Implementing Unbiased Hiring Practices

One of the key challenges in DEI-focused recruitment is eliminating bias from the hiring process. Bias can occur at various stages, from job postings to candidate evaluation. To address this, organizations are adopting innovative candidate evaluation tools designed to minimize unconscious bias. These tools use algorithms to analyze candidate data objectively, ensuring that decisions are based on skills and qualifications rather than personal characteristics.

Training and Awareness

Training recruiters and hiring managers on DEI principles is crucial for successful implementation. This includes raising awareness about unconscious biases and providing strategies to mitigate them. Regular workshops and training sessions can help create a more inclusive hiring process and ensure that all team members are committed to DEI goals.

Attracting Diverse Talent

To attract a diverse pool of candidates, organizations must actively promote their commitment to DEI. This can be achieved through inclusive job postings, outreach programs, and partnerships with organizations that support underrepresented groups. Additionally, showcasing diverse role models within the company and highlighting DEI initiatives on the company’s website and social media platforms can enhance the organization’s appeal to diverse candidates.

Measuring DEI Success

To ensure the effectiveness of DEI initiatives, organizations must establish metrics and regularly assess their progress. This includes tracking the diversity of applicants, hires, and promotions, as well as employee satisfaction and retention rates. Surveys and feedback mechanisms can provide valuable insights into the experiences of diverse employees and help identify areas for improvement.

Creating an Inclusive Workplace Culture

Recruitment is just the first step; fostering an inclusive culture is equally important. This involves creating policies and practices that support diversity and inclusion, such as flexible work arrangements, employee resource groups, and mentorship programs. Encouraging open dialogue and providing platforms for employees to share their experiences can also contribute to a more inclusive environment.

Conclusion

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are not just buzzwords but critical components of successful talent acquisition strategies. By implementing unbiased hiring practices, providing DEI training, and fostering an inclusive workplace culture, organizations can attract and retain diverse talent, driving innovation and performance. As DEI continues to gain prominence, organizations that prioritize these principles will be better positioned to succeed in a competitive and evolving job market

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Data-Driven Decision-Making: Leveraging Analytics in Recruitment

ACG Resources — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 12:00:14 +0000

In today’s competitive job market, data-driven decision-making has become a cornerstone of effective recruitment strategies. By leveraging analytics and data insights, organizations can enhance their talent acquisition processes, improve candidate experiences, and make informed decisions that align with their business goals.

The Rise of Recruitment Analytics

Recruitment analytics involves the systematic collection and analysis of data related to the hiring process. This includes metrics such as time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, source of hire, and candidate quality. By analyzing these metrics, organizations can identify trends, measure the effectiveness of their recruitment strategies, and make data-informed adjustments to improve outcomes.

Enhancing Sourcing Strategies

One of the significant advantages of data-driven decision-making is the ability to refine sourcing strategies. By analyzing data on where the best candidates come from, recruitment teams can allocate resources more effectively. This might involve investing more in specific job boards, leveraging social media platforms, or developing targeted outreach programs to attract high-quality candidates from underrepresented groups.

Improving Candidate Experience

Data-driven insights can also enhance the candidate experience. By tracking candidate interactions and feedback, organizations can identify pain points in the application process and make necessary improvements. For example, if data shows that candidates are dropping off at a particular stage, recruiters can investigate and streamline that part of the process. This leads to a more positive experience for candidates, increasing the likelihood of attracting top talent.

Optimizing Recruitment Processes

Analytics can uncover inefficiencies in the recruitment process. By examining metrics such as time-to-hire and candidate conversion rates, organizations can identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement. This might involve automating repetitive tasks, such as resume screening or interview scheduling, allowing recruiters to focus on more strategic activities. Additionally, predictive analytics can forecast hiring needs and help plan recruitment activities proactively.

Ensuring Fair and Objective Hiring

Data-driven decision-making promotes fairness and objectivity in hiring. By relying on data rather than gut feelings, recruiters can make more objective decisions. This reduces the likelihood of unconscious bias influencing hiring outcomes. Advanced analytics tools can also flag potential biases in the recruitment process, allowing organizations to take corrective actions and ensure a more equitable hiring process.

Measuring ROI and Performance

Recruitment analytics provide valuable insights into the return on investment (ROI) of various recruitment activities. By measuring the effectiveness of different sourcing channels, recruitment campaigns, and selection methods, organizations can optimize their spending and improve overall performance. This data-driven approach ensures that recruitment budgets are used efficiently and effectively.

Future Trends in Data-Driven Recruitment

As technology continues to evolve, the future of data-driven recruitment looks promising. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will further enhance the ability to analyze and interpret recruitment data. AI-powered tools can provide deeper insights into candidate behavior, predict future hiring needs, and even recommend personalized candidate experiences. These advancements will enable organizations to stay ahead in the competitive talent market.

Conclusion

Data-driven decision-making is transforming the recruitment landscape by providing organizations with valuable insights and enabling more efficient, fair, and effective hiring processes. By leveraging analytics, organizations can enhance their sourcing strategies, improve candidate experiences, and make informed decisions that align with their business goals. As technology continues to advance, the role of data in recruitment will only become more significant, driving innovation and success in talent acquisition.

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AI-Driven Recruitment: Transforming the Talent Search

ACG Resources — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 12:00:49 +0000

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing various industries, and recruitment is no exception. AI-driven recruitment refers to the use of AI technologies to streamline and enhance the hiring process. This approach leverages advanced algorithms and machine learning to perform tasks that traditionally required human intervention, such as resume screening, candidate matching, and predictive analytics.

Efficiency and Precision in Resume Screening

One of the primary benefits of AI in recruitment is its ability to efficiently screen resumes. Traditional resume screening can be time-consuming and prone to human error. AI algorithms, however, can quickly analyze thousands of resumes and identify the best candidates based on predefined criteria. These algorithms consider factors such as experience, skills, and qualifications, ensuring that only the most suitable candidates are shortlisted for further evaluation.

Enhanced Candidate Matching

AI-driven recruitment tools also excel in candidate matching. By analyzing large datasets, AI can identify patterns and correlations that might not be immediately apparent to human recruiters. This allows for more accurate matching of candidates to job openings. For instance, AI can assess a candidate’s work history, skills, and even personality traits to determine their suitability for a particular role. This results in better job placements and higher satisfaction for both employers and employees.

Predictive Analytics for Better Decision-Making

Predictive analytics is another powerful aspect of AI in recruitment. By analyzing historical data, AI can predict future hiring needs and trends. This helps organizations make informed decisions about their recruitment strategies. For example, if an AI system identifies a trend of high turnover in a particular department, the organization can take proactive measures to address the issue. Predictive analytics can also forecast the success of potential hires, allowing recruiters to focus on candidates who are likely to thrive in the company.

Improving the Candidate Experience

AI-driven recruitment also enhances the candidate experience. Automated systems can provide candidates with real-time updates on their application status, reducing the uncertainty and anxiety often associated with job hunting. Additionally, AI chatbots can answer common questions, schedule interviews, and provide feedback, creating a more engaging and responsive recruitment process.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations

While AI-driven recruitment offers numerous benefits, it is not without challenges. One major concern is the potential for bias in AI algorithms. If the data used to train these algorithms is biased, the AI system may perpetuate those biases, leading to unfair hiring practices. Therefore, it is crucial for organizations to ensure that their AI systems are trained on diverse and representative data.

Moreover, transparency and accountability are essential. Organizations must be open about how they use AI in their recruitment processes and ensure that candidates have the opportunity to challenge or appeal decisions made by AI systems.

Conclusion

AI-driven recruitment is transforming the talent acquisition landscape by making the process more efficient, accurate, and candidate-friendly. However, organizations must address ethical considerations and potential biases to fully realize the benefits of this technology. As AI continues to evolve, it is likely to play an increasingly important role in the recruitment industry, helping organizations find the best talent in a competitive job market.

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The Growing Importance of Soft Skills in the Age of AI

ACG Resources — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 19:48:29 +0000

As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, it equips individuals with job-specific skills that were once unimaginable. However, this advancement comes with an intriguing shift in the job market: a heightened emphasis on soft skills such as resilience, creativity, and communication. These skills, which artificial intelligence (AI) cannot replicate, are becoming increasingly crucial in the modern workplace. Here’s why the focus on soft skills is intensifying and how it impacts both employers and employees.

The Limitations of AI

AI and automation have revolutionized various industries, taking over repetitive tasks, data analysis, and even complex problem-solving to an extent. While AI can perform these tasks with remarkable efficiency, it lacks the ability to replicate human emotions, critical thinking, and interpersonal interactions. The unique value of soft skills lies in their inherently human nature, which AI cannot emulate.

Resilience: Resilience refers to the ability to adapt to change and recover quickly from setbacks. In a dynamic work environment, resilience is key to maintaining productivity and morale. Employees who can navigate challenges and bounce back from failures are invaluable, especially in industries where rapid changes are the norm.
Creativity: Creativity involves thinking outside the box, generating innovative ideas, and approaching problems from new angles. While AI can analyze data and provide logical solutions, it cannot generate original ideas or envision creative solutions that deviate from established patterns. Creativity drives innovation, making it a critical skill for any forward-thinking organization.
Communication: Effective communication is the cornerstone of teamwork and collaboration. It involves not only conveying information clearly but also understanding and empathizing with others. Strong communication skills facilitate better teamwork, conflict resolution, and customer relations—areas where AI’s capabilities fall short.

The Increasing Demand for Soft Skills

The job market is recognizing the irreplaceable value of soft skills. Here’s why these skills are becoming more sought after:

Enhanced Collaboration: As workplaces become more collaborative and project-based, the ability to work well with others is crucial. Soft skills like communication and empathy ensure that teams function smoothly and effectively, leading to better project outcomes.
Adaptability in a Rapidly Changing Environment: The pace of technological change means that job roles and industries are constantly evolving. Employees with strong soft skills, particularly resilience and adaptability, can more easily transition into new roles and embrace new technologies.
Customer Interaction: Many roles require direct interaction with customers, where human touch and understanding are paramount. Soft skills enable employees to build relationships, manage customer expectations, and provide superior service, which AI cannot fully replicate.

Nurturing Soft Skills in the Workplace

For organizations to thrive in this new landscape, it’s essential to foster and value soft skills alongside technical abilities. Here are some strategies to emphasize soft skills development:

Training Programs: Implement training programs focused on developing soft skills. Workshops on communication, creativity exercises, and resilience-building activities can help employees enhance these critical abilities.
Mentorship and Coaching: Establish mentorship programs where experienced employees can guide others in developing their soft skills. Personal coaching can also help individuals identify and improve areas where they may be lacking.
Performance Metrics: Incorporate soft skills into performance evaluations. Recognize and reward employees who demonstrate strong communication, creativity, and resilience, reinforcing the importance of these skills.
Cultivating a Supportive Culture: Foster a workplace culture that values and supports the development of soft skills. Encourage open communication, and innovation, and provide resources for stress management to build resilience.

Conclusion

While technology equips individuals with indispensable job-specific skills, the evolving job market is placing a greater emphasis on soft skills such as resilience, creativity, and communication. These human-centric skills are essential for navigating the complexities of modern work environments and are irreplaceable by AI. As we move forward, the ability to balance technical prowess with strong soft skills will be the hallmark of successful individuals and organizations. Embracing this shift and investing in the development of soft skills will not only enhance employee performance but also drive innovation and adaptability in the face of technological advancements.

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The Talent Shortage Crisis: Why Mandatory Office Presence May Exacerbate the Problem

ACG Resources — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 19:47:34 +0000

In the wake of the global pandemic, the workplace landscape has undergone a significant transformation. Remote work, once considered a perk, has now become a standard expectation for many employees. However, some companies still mandate a full-time office presence, clinging to traditional models of work.

These companies are likely to face an even more severe talent shortage as the competition for top talent intensifies. Here’s why insisting on mandatory office presence could be a strategic misstep in today’s job market.

The Shift in Employee Expectations

The pandemic has reshaped employee expectations around work. According to various surveys, a significant number of employees now prefer remote or hybrid work models. This shift is driven by several factors:

Flexibility and Work-Life Balance: Remote work allows employees to better balance their professional and personal lives. The flexibility to manage their schedules and avoid long commutes leads to higher job satisfaction and improved mental health.
Geographic Freedom: Employees can live in locations that suit their lifestyle, rather than being tied to expensive urban centers. This geographic freedom is particularly appealing to younger workers and those with families.
Increased Productivity: Many employees report being more productive when working from home, free from office distractions. Companies that recognize and capitalize on this can see a boost in overall performance.

The Talent Attraction and Retention Challenge

Companies that continue to enforce a mandatory office presence may struggle to attract and retain talent. Here’s how this policy can exacerbate the talent shortage:

Narrower Talent Pool: By requiring employees to be physically present in the office, companies limit their talent pool to those who live locally or are willing to relocate. This excludes a vast number of qualified candidates who prefer or require remote work.
Employee Dissatisfaction: Employees who are forced to return to the office against their wishes are likely to experience lower job satisfaction and engagement. This dissatisfaction can lead to higher turnover rates as employees seek more flexible opportunities elsewhere.
Competitive Disadvantage: In a market where many companies offer remote or hybrid work options, those who do not will find it harder to compete for top talent. Skilled professionals have choices, and they are likely to choose employers that offer the flexibility they desire.

The Benefits of Embracing Remote Work

Embracing remote work can help companies overcome the talent shortage and build a more resilient and adaptable workforce. Here are some benefits of offering remote or hybrid work models:

Broader Talent Access: Companies can tap into a global talent pool, attracting skilled professionals regardless of their location. This diversity can bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the organization.
Cost Savings: Remote work can reduce overhead costs associated with maintaining office space. These savings can be reinvested in employee development, technology, and other areas that enhance productivity and engagement.
Employee Loyalty and Retention: Offering remote work options can increase employee loyalty and reduce turnover. Employees who feel trusted and valued are more likely to stay with the company long-term, contributing to a stable and experienced workforce.

Conclusion

The future of work is undeniably flexible. Companies that cling to mandatory office presence risk exacerbating the talent shortage crisis. By embracing remote and hybrid work models, organizations can attract a broader talent pool, improve employee satisfaction, and gain a competitive edge in the job market.

The key to success lies in adapting to the evolving expectations of the workforce and recognizing that flexibility is not just a trend, but a fundamental shift in how work gets done. As the saying goes, adapt or be left behind – and in the realm of talent acquisition, this has never been truer.

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The Discrepancy Between a Living Wage and Minimum Wage: Impact on Workplace Productivity and Engagement

ACG Resources — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 19:46:44 +0000

In today’s rapidly evolving economic landscape, the discussion around wages is more pertinent than ever. A crucial aspect of this discourse is the discrepancy between a living wage and the minimum wage and how this gap impacts workplace productivity and employee engagement. Understanding this difference and its implications can help businesses foster a more motivated, productive, and engaged workforce.

Understanding the Living Wage vs. Minimum Wage

A minimum wage is the legally mandated lowest hourly wage an employer can pay an employee. It is set by governments to ensure a basic standard of living for workers. However, this wage often needs to meet the actual cost of living, which includes expenses such as housing, food, healthcare, and transportation.

On the other hand, a living wage is calculated based on the real cost of living in a specific area. It reflects what employees need to earn to afford basic necessities and maintain a decent standard of living. This wage varies significantly depending on location, family size, and other factors.

The Impact on Workplace Productivity

When employees are paid only the minimum wage, they often struggle to make ends meet. This financial strain can lead to stress, anxiety, and a constant preoccupation with personal finances, which can severely impact their productivity at work. Here are some specific ways this discrepancy can affect productivity:

Reduced Focus and Concentration: Financial stress can distract employees, making it difficult for them to concentrate on their tasks. This lack of focus can lead to errors, decreased efficiency, and a general decline in the quality of work.
Increased Absenteeism: Employees earning a minimum wage are more likely to take on additional jobs to meet their financial needs. This can lead to exhaustion and an increased likelihood of taking sick days, thereby affecting overall productivity.
High Turnover Rates: When employees are underpaid, they are more likely to leave in search of better-paying opportunities. High turnover rates can disrupt workflow, increase recruitment costs, and reduce the overall productivity of a team.

The Role of Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is closely tied to how valued and supported employees feel within their organization. When employees are paid a living wage, they are more likely to feel valued, leading to higher levels of engagement. Here’s how the wage discrepancy can influence engagement:

Motivation and Morale: Employees who are adequately compensated are more likely to feel motivated and have higher morale. This positive attitude can lead to increased creativity, innovation, and a willingness to go above and beyond in their roles.
Loyalty and Commitment: A fair wage fosters a sense of loyalty and commitment to the organization. Employees are more likely to invest in the company’s success and stay with the company longer, reducing turnover and enhancing team cohesion.
Work-Life Balance: A living wage enables employees to maintain a healthier work-life balance, reducing burnout and improving overall job satisfaction. Engaged employees are more likely to be productive and contribute positively to the workplace culture.

Conclusion

The discrepancy between a living wage and the minimum wage is not just a matter of economic policy but a significant factor in workplace productivity and employee engagement. Employers who recognize and address this gap by offering a living wage can create a more motivated, productive, and engaged workforce.

By investing in their employees’ financial well-being, companies can reap the benefits of reduced turnover, higher productivity, and a stronger, more committed team. In the long run, this approach can lead to sustainable business success and a more positive work environment.

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Trust Issues in the Flexibility Debate: Why Monitoring Keystrokes and Hours is the Wrong Approach

ACG Resources — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 19:45:16 +0000

In the era of remote work, the debate over workplace flexibility has become more intense and nuanced. At the heart of this debate lies a fundamental issue: trust. Companies that resort to monitoring keystrokes and tracking hours spent at the computer are missing the mark.

Instead of fostering a culture of trust and autonomy, these practices can erode employee morale and engagement. Here’s why trust issues are pivotal in the flexibility debate and why invasive monitoring practices are counterproductive.

The Erosion of Trust

Trust is a cornerstone of any successful workplace. It forms the basis of healthy employer-employee relationships and is crucial for fostering a productive and engaged workforce. When companies monitor keystrokes and hours, it sends a clear message: “We don’t trust you.” This can have several negative repercussions:

Decreased Morale: Constant surveillance can make employees feel like they are not trusted or valued. This can lead to decreased morale and motivation, as employees may feel their privacy is being invaded and their autonomy undermined.
Increased Stress: The pressure of knowing that every keystroke and minute spent at the computer is being monitored can increase stress and anxiety. This environment can hinder creativity and productivity, as employees may focus more on appearing busy than actually performing meaningful work.
Reduced Engagement: Trust is a key driver of employee engagement. When employees feel trusted, they are more likely to take initiative, be innovative, and go the extra mile. Conversely, a lack of trust can lead to disengagement, with employees doing the bare minimum to get by.

The Fallacy of Monitoring

The rationale behind monitoring keystrokes and hours is often rooted in the belief that it ensures productivity. However, this approach is fundamentally flawed for several reasons:

Quantity Over Quality: Monitoring hours and keystrokes focuses on the quantity of work rather than the quality. Productivity should be measured by outcomes and results, not by how long someone sits at their desk or how many keys they press.
False Sense of Control: Managers may feel a sense of control by monitoring employees closely, but this control is superficial. True productivity comes from empowering employees to manage their own time and work in ways that suit their strengths and preferences.
Undermining Autonomy: Autonomy is a significant motivator for employees. When companies micromanage through surveillance, they undermine employees’ ability to make decisions about how and when they work best. This can stifle innovation and reduce overall productivity.

Building a Culture of Trust

To navigate the flexibility debate effectively, companies need to focus on building a culture of trust. Here’s how:

Set Clear Expectations: Define clear goals and outcomes for employees. When employees know what is expected of them, they can manage their time and work effectively without the need for constant supervision.
Foster Open Communication: Encourage open and honest communication between managers and employees. Regular check-ins and feedback sessions can help address any issues and build mutual trust.
Emphasize Results: Shift the focus from monitoring activities to measuring results. Evaluate employees based on the quality of their work and their contributions to the company’s goals.
Provide Support and Resources: Ensure that employees have the tools and resources they need to succeed. This includes technology, training, and support systems that enable them to work efficiently and effectively.

Conclusion

Trust issues are indeed at the core of the flexibility debate. Companies that rely on invasive monitoring practices like tracking keystrokes and hours are approaching the issue from the wrong angle. Instead, fostering a culture of trust, autonomy, and open communication can lead to a more engaged, productive, and satisfied workforce.

By emphasizing results over micromanagement, companies can navigate the challenges of remote work and flexibility while building a stronger, more resilient organization. Trust is not just a nice to have; it is essential for the success of any modern workplace.

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AI Revolutionizing the Staffing Industry: How Recruiters are Adapting

ACG Resources — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 12:00:07 +0000

In today’s dynamic job market, the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping how staffing agencies operate and how recruiters perform their roles. AI technologies are not just additional tools; they are becoming integral to the core operations of staffing, enhancing both the efficiency and effectiveness of recruitment processes. This article delves into how AI is transforming the staffing industry and what it means for recruiters.

Streamlining Candidate Screening

One of the most significant impacts of AI in staffing is its capability to streamline the screening process. Traditional methods of sifting through resumes are time-consuming and often fraught with human bias. AI-powered tools use algorithms to scan resumes and applications quickly, identifying key skills and experiences that perfectly match job descriptions. This not only speeds up the process but also ensures a higher accuracy level in matching candidates, reducing the likelihood of overlooking potential hires.

Moreover, AI can handle the initial stages of candidate interaction through chatbots. These AI chatbots can engage candidates in preliminary conversations, answer their queries, and even schedule interviews. This frees up recruiters’ time, allowing them to focus on more strategic aspects of their job, such as building relationships and closing hires.

Enhancing Candidate Experience

AI is also revolutionizing the candidate experience. Through personalized interactions powered by AI, candidates receive timely and relevant communications. AI systems can track candidates’ application statuses and automatically update them, keeping candidates informed and engaged throughout the hiring process. This level of communication is crucial in maintaining a positive candidate experience, which is often a determinant in a candidate’s decision to accept a job offer.

Predictive Analytics in Recruitment

Another transformative use of AI in staffing is the application of predictive analytics. AI can analyze vast amounts of data from various sources, including past hiring outcomes, candidate feedback, and economic trends, to forecast hiring needs and candidate availability. This predictive capability enables recruiters to be proactive rather than reactive, aligning recruitment strategies with anticipated industry movements and talent shortages.

Challenges and Adaptations for Recruiters

While AI brings numerous advantages, it also presents challenges, primarily around adaptation and skills development. Recruiters need to develop new skills to work alongside AI tools effectively. Understanding data analytics, interpreting AI-generated reports, and managing AI-driven recruitment tools are becoming essential skills for modern recruiters.

Furthermore, ethical considerations and biases in AI algorithms are concerns that need addressing. Recruiters must ensure that the AI tools they use are free from biases that could lead to unfair hiring practices. This involves continuous monitoring and updating of AI systems to align with ethical standards.

Conclusion

AI is undeniably transforming the staffing industry, offering tools that enhance operational efficiency, candidate engagement, and predictive accuracy. For recruiters, the rise of AI necessitates a shift in skills and strategies. Those who can adapt effectively will find themselves at the forefront of a more efficient, responsive, and data-driven recruitment environment. As we look forward, the integration of AI in staffing not only promises improved processes but also a competitive edge in the quest for top talent.

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The Shift Toward Skill-Based Hiring: Revolutionizing Staffing Strategies

ACG Resources — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 12:00:52 +0000

In today’s rapidly evolving job market, the emphasis on degrees and traditional career paths is giving way to a more dynamic approach—hiring for skills. This paradigm shift in staffing strategies focuses on the practical abilities and competencies candidates bring to the table, rather than purely their educational background or formal qualifications. As businesses face increasingly complex challenges, the ability to adapt by hiring the most competent individuals, regardless of their academic pedigree, is becoming a competitive advantage.

Advantages of Skill-Based Hiring

Skill-based hiring offers numerous benefits that are reshaping how companies staff their operations. This approach allows employers to tap into a broader talent pool, including self-taught professionals, career changers, and those with non-traditional educational backgrounds who possess the requisite skills. By focusing on skills, companies can address the exact needs of specific roles, ensuring that new hires can perform effectively from day one.

Moreover, this strategy promotes diversity and inclusivity in the workplace by removing barriers that may prevent talented individuals from certain socioeconomic backgrounds from being considered. By valuing skills over degrees, companies make it clear that talent and capability are the primary criteria, leading to a more diverse and innovative workforce.

Implementing Skill-Based Hiring Practices

Transitioning to skill-based hiring requires significant adjustments in recruitment and assessment processes. Traditional job descriptions that emphasize degrees and years of experience need to be rethought, focusing instead on the specific skills and competencies required for the job. This involves identifying key skills that are critical for success in each role and clearly communicating these in job postings.

Recruitment teams also need to refine their assessment techniques to effectively evaluate these skills. This might include practical tests, project-based assessments, or scenario-based interviews that allow candidates to demonstrate their abilities in real-world contexts. Additionally, leveraging technology such as AI-driven platforms can help in matching candidates’ skills with job requirements more accurately and efficiently.

Challenges and Considerations

While hiring for skills can offer considerable benefits, it also presents challenges. One major concern is accurately assessing and measuring skills. Unlike academic qualifications, which are easily verifiable, evaluating practical skills can be subjective and requires a more nuanced approach. Establishing reliable and valid assessment methods is crucial to ensure that the hiring process is fair and effective.

Furthermore, companies must also consider how skill-based hiring fits into their overall talent development strategy. Providing opportunities for skill development and continuous learning is essential to retain talent and keep skills up-to-date, especially in industries where technological advancements rapidly change job requirements.

Future Outlook

As the workplace continues to evolve, skill-based hiring is likely to become more prevalent. This shift is supported not only by the changing nature of work, where technological advancements and digital transformations make specific skills more relevant, but also by a growing recognition of the value of lifelong learning and alternative education paths.

Conclusion

Skill-based hiring represents a significant shift in the staffing industry, focusing on what employees can do rather than where they learned to do it. This approach not only broadens access to a variety of talented individuals but also aligns workforce capabilities directly with organizational needs. As companies continue to adapt to this model, they are likely to see not only an increase in job performance but also improvements in innovation and employee satisfaction. The future of staffing is not just about filling positions; it’s about investing in people who can grow and evolve with the company, driven by their skills and potential.

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Pay Transparency: A New Era in Staffing and Recruitment

ACG Resources — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 12:00:27 +0000

In recent years, the staffing industry has witnessed a significant shift towards pay transparency, a movement that’s reshaping how organizations approach compensation in the recruitment process. This trend towards openness in discussing salary information early in the hiring cycle is not just a response to growing legislative requirements but also a reflection of changing societal values around fairness and equality in the workplace.

The Benefits of Pay Transparency

Pay transparency offers a range of benefits that are transforming the staffing industry. One of the most significant advantages is the enhancement of trust between employers and potential employees. When companies are upfront about salary ranges, it sets a tone of openness and honesty from the outset, reducing the likelihood of mistrust or misunderstandings later in the recruitment process.

Moreover, transparent pay practices contribute to closing the gender and racial wage gaps. By standardizing compensation ranges for roles and making these ranges known, companies can ensure that all employees are paid equitably based on their role, experience, and performance rather than their negotiation skills or background. This not only boosts fairness but also enhances the organization’s reputation as an equitable and desirable place to work.

Navigating the Challenges

Despite its benefits, integrating pay transparency into staffing strategies comes with challenges. One major concern for employers is the potential loss of negotiating flexibility. With predefined salary ranges, companies might feel constrained in their ability to attract top talent who may demand compensation above the upper limits of a posted range.

To address this, many organizations are adopting more flexible salary bands that still allow for variation based on exceptional experience or skills, while maintaining transparency about the factors that influence where a candidate might fall within that range. This approach ensures that the pay structure remains competitive without sacrificing transparency.

Legislative Landscape

The push towards pay transparency is also being driven by legislation. Several states and localities in the United States have enacted laws that require employers to disclose salary information in job postings. These legal requirements are prompting companies nationwide to reconsider their salary disclosure practices, even in areas where such laws do not yet exist.

Staffing agencies and employers must stay informed about these legal changes to ensure compliance and to use them as an opportunity to revisit and possibly revamp their compensation strategies. This not only helps avoid legal pitfalls but also positions these companies as leaders in ethical business practices.

Best Practices for Implementing Pay Transparency

Implementing pay transparency effectively requires thoughtful strategies. Companies should start by conducting thorough market research to determine competitive salary ranges for all positions. This ensures that the pay scales they disclose are realistic and aligned with industry standards.

Additionally, training hiring managers and recruiters on how to discuss compensation openly and effectively with candidates is crucial. They should be equipped to explain the rationale behind the offered salary ranges and how candidates’ experience and skills fit into these parameters.

Conclusion

As the staffing industry continues to evolve, pay transparency is becoming a key element in the modern recruitment landscape. By adopting transparent pay practices, companies not only comply with increasing legal requirements but also promote a culture of fairness and equity. This leads to enhanced employee satisfaction and retention, ultimately contributing to the overall success of the organization. As more companies recognize the value of transparency, it is likely to become a standard practice, heralding a new era of openness and honesty in the staffing industry.

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Embracing the Future: The Rise of Virtual Hiring in the Staffing Industry

ACG Resources — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 12:00:03 +0000

In the ever-evolving landscape of the staffing industry, virtual hiring has emerged as a pivotal innovation, transforming how companies recruit and onboard talent. This shift towards digital recruitment processes has been significantly accelerated by recent global events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed organizations to adopt more flexible and remote working conditions. As we navigate this new era, it’s clear that virtual hiring is not just a temporary solution but a permanent fixture in the staffing toolbox.

The Advantages of Virtual Hiring

Virtual hiring offers a plethora of advantages that are hard to overlook. Firstly, it significantly broadens the talent pool. Employers are no longer confined to geographical boundaries, enabling them to access a diverse array of candidates from various backgrounds and locations. This is particularly beneficial for industries that require highly specialized skills that are scarce in the local market.

Additionally, virtual hiring processes are often more cost-effective than traditional methods. Companies save on logistical expenses such as travel costs for candidates and hiring managers, as well as on the overheads associated with hosting in-person interviews. Moreover, the time saved on scheduling and conducting face-to-face interviews can lead to a more efficient recruitment process, allowing companies to fill vacancies faster.

Technological Tools and Platforms

The success of virtual hiring largely depends on the technology used. Video conferencing tools like Zoom, Skype, and Microsoft Teams have become standard for conducting virtual interviews. However, the staffing industry is also leveraging more sophisticated technologies such as AI-driven platforms that can automate parts of the recruitment process, including initial candidate screening and interview scheduling.

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are also beginning to make their mark, offering immersive experiences where candidates can virtually tour office spaces or participate in realistic job simulations. This not only enhances the candidate experience but also provides deeper insights into a candidate’s capabilities and fit within a company’s culture.

Challenges and Considerations

Despite its many benefits, virtual hiring does present challenges that organizations must address. The lack of physical interaction can make it harder to assess a candidate’s interpersonal skills and overall demeanor. To mitigate this, companies are developing structured interview processes that include standardized questions and scenarios that can more accurately gauge a candidate’s soft skills and suitability for the team.

Moreover, ensuring the integrity of the hiring process is paramount. This includes safeguarding personal data and maintaining robust security measures to prevent fraud and impersonation during virtual interviews.

Best Practices for Virtual Hiring

To maximize the effectiveness of virtual hiring, companies should adopt several best practices. These include providing clear instructions and support for using the chosen technology, ensuring all parties are comfortable with the virtual formats. It’s also important to maintain engagement throughout the recruitment process, with regular updates and feedback to candidates.

Additionally, companies should consider integrating tools that enhance virtual communication, such as collaborative platforms for real-time document sharing and whiteboarding during interviews. This not only simulates a more dynamic interview environment but also enhances interaction between candidates and interviewers.

Conclusion

As the staffing industry continues to evolve, virtual hiring is set to play a crucial role in shaping its future. By embracing these digital processes, companies can enjoy the benefits of increased efficiency, a wider talent pool, and reduced costs, all while facing the challenges head-on with innovative solutions. In doing so, they not only adapt to the changing world of work but also lead the charge in the digital transformation of recruitment.

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Remote Reinvention: Adapting Staffing Strategies for the Future of Work

ACG Resources — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 12:00:02 +0000

In recent years, the shift towards remote work has fundamentally altered the landscape of employment, challenging traditional staffing models and necessitating a radical “Remote Reinvention.” This transformation goes beyond merely accommodating remote positions; it involves rethinking how organizations attract, manage, and retain talent in a largely digital environment.

1. Embracing a Global Talent Pool

The first step in this reinvention is expanding the recruitment horizon. Remote work eliminates geographical barriers, allowing companies to access a global talent pool. This shift not only diversifies the workforce but also enhances innovation by bringing in varied perspectives. However, tapping into international talent requires adaptations in hiring practices, such as asynchronous interviewing processes and an understanding of cultural nuances in management and communication styles.

2. Refining Remote Onboarding and Training

Onboarding remote employees presents unique challenges, primarily in building a connection with the organization’s culture and ensuring effective communication. Innovative virtual onboarding programs that include virtual office tours, online meet-and-greets, and comprehensive digital training materials are essential. Additionally, companies are now investing in specialized software to streamline these processes, ensuring that employees feel welcomed and well-informed from day one.

3. Developing a Robust Digital Infrastructure

The backbone of successful remote work is a robust digital infrastructure. This means not only investing in secure and reliable technology but also ensuring that all team members have access to the necessary tools. Cybersecurity becomes a critical concern as the workforce disperses, necessitating advanced solutions to protect sensitive data and maintain privacy.

4. Cultivating Engagement and Productivity

Maintaining engagement and productivity in a remote setting requires deliberate effort. Traditional office perks are no longer viable, so employers are finding new ways to motivate and engage their teams. This includes flexible working hours, mental health support, virtual team-building activities, and productivity tools that help manage and track tasks. Regular feedback loops and open communication channels are also vital to ensure that employees feel heard and valued.

5. Rethinking Performance Metrics

Remote work necessitates a shift from monitoring hours worked to focusing on outcomes. Performance metrics must evolve to reflect this change, emphasizing results and the impact of work rather than just activity levels. This shift can lead to more autonomous work environments and potentially higher job satisfaction, as employees are judged by the value they bring rather than their time spent in front of a computer.

6. Ensuring Long-Term Sustainability

Finally, the sustainability of remote work depends on continuous adaptation and feedback. Regularly surveying employees to gather insights into their challenges and needs can help organizations adjust their strategies in real time. Leadership training is also crucial, as managing remote teams requires different skills than traditional team management.

In conclusion, the “Remote Reinvention” in staffing is not merely about adapting to a trend but about leveraging this paradigm shift to build more resilient, innovative, and inclusive workplaces. As we move forward, the organizations that thrive will be those that continue to innovate and refine their remote work practices, ensuring that they are not just surviving the new normal but thriving in it.

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Skill-Based Hiring Takes Center Stage: Revolutionizing Talent Acquisition

ACG Resources — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 12:00:15 +0000

In the ever-evolving landscape of the workforce, skill-based hiring has emerged as a pivotal trend, shifting the focus from traditional credentials to the specific skills that candidates bring to the table. This approach not only broadens the talent pool but also aligns more closely with the actual needs of today’s dynamic business environments. As this method takes center stage, companies are rethinking their recruitment strategies to prioritize competence over pedigree.

Breaking Away from Traditional Credentials

Traditional hiring often emphasizes degrees and career trajectories, potentially overlooking talented individuals who may lack conventional qualifications but possess critical skills. Skill-based hiring, however, evaluates candidates based on their abilities to perform specific tasks or solve problems relevant to the role. This shift is particularly relevant in industries like technology and digital marketing, where practical abilities can outweigh academic background or experience.

For instance, a candidate without a formal computer science degree but with a robust portfolio of successful projects might be more desirable for a tech position than someone with a degree but limited hands-on experience. This approach helps companies move beyond the resume to see the real person and their potential impact.

Implementing Skill-Based Hiring Practices

Adopting a skill-based hiring model requires changes in how organizations search for, assess, and onboard talent. This can include:

– **Job Descriptions:** Reworking job descriptions to specify skills and outcomes rather than degrees and years of experience. For example, specifying the need for proficiency in a programming language rather than a requirement for a computer science degree.

– **Assessment Methods:** Utilizing practical assessments such as work samples, simulations, and skills tests. These methods provide a direct insight into a candidate’s ability to perform relevant tasks, offering a more accurate prediction of job success.

– **Structured Interviews:** Focusing interview questions around situational and behavioral examples that allow candidates to demonstrate how they have used relevant skills in past situations.

Benefits of Skill-Based Hiring

The benefits of this approach extend beyond just filling a position with a competent individual; they include:

– **Diversity and Inclusion:** By reducing reliance on traditional qualifications that may be more accessible to certain groups, skill-based hiring promotes a more diverse and inclusive workforce. This inclusivity boosts innovation and reflects a broader range of customer experiences and needs.

– **Reduced Turnover:** Employees hired on the basis of their ability to perform are likely to be more engaged and satisfied in their roles, leading to lower turnover rates.

– **Better Job Fit:** This approach ensures that the individuals hired are better suited to their roles, leading to higher productivity and job satisfaction.

Challenges and Considerations

While skill-based hiring offers numerous advantages, it also comes with challenges. Identifying which skills are most important for a role can be complex, and developing assessments that accurately measure these skills can be resource-intensive. Additionally, this approach requires buy-in from all levels of an organization to shift deeply ingrained cultural norms and expectations around hiring.

Conclusion

As skill-based hiring takes center stage, it’s clear that the future of work is leaning towards more practical, equitable, and efficient staffing practices. Organizations that embrace this change will not only enhance their competitive edge but also contribute to a more meritocratic job market. Emphasizing skills over credentials democratizes opportunity and nurtures a workplace where talent and potential receive the spotlight they deserve.

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Data-Driven Decisions Rule the Game: Transforming Staffing Strategies

ACG Resources — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 12:00:26 +0000

In today’s fast-paced business environment, staffing decisions can make or break an organization’s success. The traditional intuition-based approach to hiring and workforce management is being rapidly replaced by more reliable, data-driven strategies. Leveraging data not only enhances the precision of recruitment and management decisions but also significantly impacts an organization’s agility and efficiency.

The Rise of Data-Driven Staffing

Data-driven staffing utilizes analytics to inform every phase of the hiring and management processes, from identifying talent gaps to optimizing workforce deployment. By analyzing data from various sources—such as performance metrics, hiring outcomes, employee surveys, and market trends—organizations can make more informed decisions that align with their strategic goals.

One clear advantage of this approach is its ability to identify the qualities of high-performing employees and use that information to refine hiring criteria. For instance, data might reveal that individuals with certain competencies or backgrounds perform better in specific roles. This insight allows recruiters to target candidates who are more likely to succeed, thereby reducing turnover and enhancing productivity.

Implementing Data-Driven Practices

To harness the power of data-driven decision-making, organizations must first collect relevant data. This involves setting up systems to track and analyze key metrics such as time-to-hire, employee turnover rates, job performance indicators, and the impact of employee engagement on productivity.

Once data collection is in place, advanced analytics and predictive modeling can be employed to forecast staffing needs, identify potential hiring risks, and determine the impact of existing staffing policies. For example, predictive analytics can help anticipate future talent shortages or surpluses, allowing organizations to proactively adjust their workforce planning strategies.

Overcoming Challenges

While the benefits of data-driven staffing are clear, several challenges can impede implementation. First and foremost is the quality of data. Inaccurate or incomplete data can lead to misguided decisions that may harm rather than help an organization. Ensuring data integrity, therefore, is crucial.

Additionally, there can be resistance to change within organizations, particularly from those who are accustomed to relying on instinct or traditional methods. Overcoming this resistance requires demonstrating the tangible benefits of data-driven approaches and providing training to develop the necessary skills among HR professionals.

Real-World Impact

Many leading companies are already seeing the benefits of data-driven staffing. For example, a global retail corporation used workforce analytics to redesign its staffing model, leading to a 15% increase in customer satisfaction and a 20% increase in sales in pilot locations. Similarly, tech companies are using machine learning algorithms to analyze job application data to identify the most promising candidates, significantly reducing the time and cost associated with hiring.

Future Outlook

As technology continues to evolve, the potential for data-driven staffing will only grow. Advances in AI and machine learning are expected to further enhance the ability to analyze complex datasets and provide even more precise staffing insights. Moreover, as more organizations witness the benefits of this approach, data-driven decision-making will become a standard practice in staffing.

In conclusion, data-driven decisions are ruling the staffing game, transforming how organizations hire, manage, and retain employees. By adopting a data-centric approach, businesses can not only improve their staffing outcomes but also gain a competitive edge in the increasingly data-driven marketplace. This is not just a passing trend but a fundamental shift in how successful businesses will operate in the future.

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AI and Automation Become Buddies, Not Replacements: A New Era in Staffing

ACG Resources — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 12:00:35 +0000

The narrative around Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation has often been one of fear—fear that machines will usurp human jobs, leaving widespread unemployment in their wake. However, as we delve deeper into the practical applications of these technologies, a more nuanced story emerges. AI and automation are increasingly being viewed as companions in the workplace, enhancing productivity and enabling employees to focus on more strategic, fulfilling tasks.

Reframing the AI and Automation Narrative

The key to understanding the beneficial role of AI and automation lies in reframing them as tools that augment human capabilities rather than replace them. This shift from replacement to augmentation emphasizes the collaborative potential of humans and machines working in tandem. For instance, while AI can process and analyze data at unprecedented speeds, human oversight is crucial for interpreting nuanced results and making complex decisions. This partnership allows for a more efficient allocation of tasks, where machines handle the mundane and repetitive, and humans tackle the creative and critical.

Enhancing Job Satisfaction and Efficiency

Integrating AI and automation into daily workflows can significantly enhance job satisfaction by eliminating tedious aspects of work. For example, HR departments utilize AI-driven tools to automate resume screening and initial candidate assessments. This not only speeds up the recruitment process but also frees up HR professionals to engage more deeply with potential hires and focus on strategic talent management and development.

Similarly, in customer service, chatbots can handle routine inquiries, allowing human agents to resolve more complex issues. This not only improves efficiency but also enhances the customer experience by reducing wait times and ensuring that more complicated problems are handled with a personal touch.

Skills Development and the Evolving Workforce

As AI and automation take on more routine tasks, there is a growing need for workers to adapt and develop new skills. The demand for technical skills, such as coding and data analysis, is increasing. Simultaneously, soft skills like critical thinking, empathy, and creative problem-solving are becoming more valuable as they are traits that machines cannot easily replicate.

Organizations play a crucial role in this transition by providing training and development opportunities that enable employees to thrive alongside AI and automation. For instance, investing in ongoing education and training programs can help employees stay relevant in their fields and even advance into more strategic roles.

Building a Collaborative Work Environment

Creating a workplace where AI and automation are seen as team members involves cultivating a culture of collaboration and continuous learning. Encouraging open dialogue about the fears and potentials of these technologies can help demystify them and integrate them more fully into the workplace ethos.

Moreover, staffing strategies must evolve to consider the complementary roles of humans and machines. This might mean redesigning job roles to focus more on tasks that require human insight and delegating data-heavy tasks to AI, thereby optimizing the workforce for both efficiency and satisfaction.

Conclusion

AI and automation are not the harbingers of job destruction but rather the co-creators of a more productive and engaging work environment. By embracing these technologies as buddies rather than replacements, companies can unlock their full potential, creating a synergy that not only drives business success but also enhances the roles and satisfaction of their human employees. This collaborative future is not only promising but essential as we navigate the complexities of the modern business world.

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Unveiling the Strategic Impact of People Analytics in Modern Organizations

ACG Resources — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 12:00:55 +0000

In today’s dynamic business landscape, organizations are increasingly turning to people analytics as a pivotal tool for driving strategic decision-making, optimizing workforce performance, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. People analytics, also known as HR analytics, represents a paradigm shift in talent management, leveraging data-driven insights to unlock the full potential of an organization’s most valuable asset – its people.

Driving Informed Talent Decisions

People analytics empowers HR professionals and organizational leaders with the ability to make informed talent decisions. By analyzing diverse datasets encompassing employee demographics, performance metrics, and engagement indicators, organizations can gain a comprehensive understanding of their workforce. This insight enables strategic workforce planning, targeted talent development initiatives, and the alignment of human capital with overarching business objectives.

Enhancing Employee Experience

The concept of employee experience is being revolutionized through the lens of people analytics. By examining factors such as job satisfaction, sentiment analysis of employee feedback, and interaction patterns, organizations can identify opportunities to enhance the overall employee experience. This can lead to the implementation of tailored programs, policies, and initiatives aimed at boosting morale, increasing productivity, and fostering a culture of inclusivity and well-being.

Predictive Insights for Retention

Retaining top talent is a critical priority for organizations, and people analytics offers predictive insights to mitigate attrition risks. By identifying patterns and indicators associated with turnover, organizations can proactively address factors contributing to attrition. This proactive approach enables the implementation of targeted retention strategies, personalized career development plans, and the creation of an environment where employees feel valued and motivated to contribute their best.

Optimizing Performance Management

People analytics plays a pivotal role in optimizing performance management practices within organizations. By analyzing performance data, skill trajectories, and learning patterns, organizations can gain actionable insights to refine performance evaluation processes and provide targeted developmental feedback. This data-driven approach facilitates the alignment of individual goals with organizational objectives, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and professional growth.

Cultivating Inclusive Leadership

The application of people analytics extends to cultivating inclusive leadership within organizations. By scrutinizing leadership behaviors, team dynamics, and diversity metrics, organizations can identify opportunities to develop and promote inclusive leadership practices. This approach fosters a supportive and empowering environment, where diverse perspectives are valued, and every individual feels motivated to contribute their unique talents and ideas.

In conclusion, people analytics represents a transformative force in modern organizations, redefining the approach to talent management, employee experience, and organizational performance. By harnessing the power of informed talent decisions, enhancing the employee experience, leveraging predictive insights for retention, optimizing performance management, and cultivating inclusive leadership, organizations can tap into the full potential of their human capital. As people analytics continues to evolve, the future promises a data-informed, empathetic, and agile approach to nurturing and empowering the workforce.

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Unleashing the Power of Predictive Analytics in HR

ACG Resources — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 12:00:53 +0000

The field of Human Resources (HR) is witnessing a profound shift towards data-driven decision-making, and at the forefront of this transformation lies the paradigm of predictive analytics. By harnessing the potential of advanced data analysis and machine learning, organizations are leveraging predictive analytics to revolutionize talent management, optimize workforce planning, and enhance employee engagement.

Anticipating Talent Needs

Predictive analytics empowers HR professionals to anticipate talent needs with unprecedented precision. By analyzing historical data on staffing patterns, performance metrics, and market trends, organizations can forecast future workforce demands. This foresight enables proactive talent acquisition, succession planning, and strategic resource allocation, positioning the organization to thrive amidst dynamic market conditions.

Mitigating Attrition Risks

Employee turnover poses a significant challenge for organizations, yet predictive analytics offers a strategic advantage in mitigating attrition risks. By examining a multitude of variables such as job satisfaction, career advancement opportunities, and compensation structures, predictive models can identify employees at higher risk of attrition. Armed with this insight, HR can implement targeted retention strategies, foster a culture of continuous development, and proactively address factors contributing to attrition.

Enhancing Recruitment Efforts

Recruitment processes are being revolutionized through the application of predictive analytics. By analyzing diverse datasets encompassing candidate attributes, hiring outcomes, and performance indicators, organizations can refine their recruitment strategies. Predictive models enable the identification of candidates with the highest potential for success within specific roles, thereby optimizing the selection process and improving the overall quality of hires.

Personalizing Learning and Development

The era of personalized learning and development is dawning, courtesy of predictive analytics. By assessing individual employee performance, skill trajectories, and learning preferences, organizations can tailor training programs to match the unique needs and aspirations of their workforce. This personalized approach enhances skill acquisition and career growth and fosters a culture of continuous learning and professional fulfillment.

Nurturing Employee Engagement

Predictive analytics catalyzes nurturing employee engagement and satisfaction. Through sentiment analysis of employee feedback, performance indicators, and social interactions, organizations can gain deeper insights into the factors influencing employee engagement. With this knowledge, HR can implement targeted initiatives to enhance workplace satisfaction, foster a sense of belonging, and create an environment conducive to productivity and innovation.

In conclusion, the incorporation of predictive analytics represents a watershed moment in the evolution of HR practices. By harnessing the capabilities of anticipating talent needs, mitigating attrition risks, enhancing recruitment efforts, personalizing learning and development, and nurturing employee engagement, organizations can unlock the full potential of their workforce. As predictive analytics redefines the HR landscape, the future promises a strategic, agile, and empathetic approach to talent management and organizational success.

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Setting the Hybrid Work Model for Collaboration

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 12:00:48 +0000

The evolution of the modern workplace has taken a significant turn with the rise of the hybrid work model. As organizations continue to navigate the changing dynamics of work culture, the concept of hybrid work has emerged as a pivotal strategy for fostering collaboration and productivity in a post-pandemic world.

Embracing Flexibility

One of the key hallmarks of the hybrid work model is its emphasis on flexibility. By allowing employees to split their work time between the office and remote locations, organizations are empowering their workforce to strike a balance between professional and personal commitments. This newfound flexibility not only boosts employee morale but also encourages a more diverse and inclusive work environment.

Cultivating Collaboration

Effective collaboration lies at the heart of any successful organization. The hybrid work model presents an opportunity to cultivate collaboration in innovative ways. With the integration of technology and collaborative tools, teams can seamlessly connect and communicate regardless of their physical location. This fosters a culture of teamwork and innovation, driving the organization forward in a cohesive manner.

Nurturing Innovation

In a hybrid work environment, employees are exposed to diverse work settings that inspire creativity and innovation. By breaking away from the traditional office space, individuals can find new sources of inspiration, leading to fresh ideas and inventive solutions. The hybrid work model nurtures innovation by providing employees with the freedom to choose where they work best, ultimately fueling a culture of forward-thinking and adaptability.

Adapting to Change

Change is inevitable, and the hybrid work model epitomizes adaptability. Organizations that embrace this model demonstrate a readiness to evolve with the times, catering to the evolving needs and preferences of their workforce. This adaptability not only future-proofs the organization but also instills a sense of resilience and agility among employees, preparing them to thrive in dynamic work environments.

Fostering Work-Life Balance

Prioritizing work-life balance has become increasingly crucial in today’s fast-paced world. The hybrid work model promotes a harmonious equilibrium between professional responsibilities and personal well-being. By allowing employees to structure their workdays around their individual needs, organizations demonstrate a commitment to supporting their workforce in achieving a fulfilling work-life balance.

In conclusion, the shift towards a hybrid work model represents a strategic approach to redefining the future of work. By embracing flexibility, nurturing collaboration, fostering innovation, adapting to change, and prioritizing work-life balance, organizations can set the stage for a harmonious and productive work environment. As we continue to navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing world, the hybrid work model stands as a testament to the resilience and adaptability of modern workplaces.

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Leveraging Generative AI to Transform HR Processes

ACG Resources — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 12:00:51 +0000

The realm of Human Resources (HR) is undergoing a profound transformation with the integration of generative AI technologies. As organizations seek to streamline and enhance their HR processes, generative AI has emerged as a powerful tool for driving efficiency, personalization, and innovation in talent management and employee engagement.

Personalized Candidate Experiences

Generative AI is revolutionizing the recruitment process by enabling personalized candidate experiences. Through the analysis of vast amounts of candidate data, AI algorithms can tailor communication, job recommendations, and interview processes to match the unique preferences and qualifications of each candidate. This level of personalization not only enhances the candidate experience but also elevates the employer brand, attracting top talent to the organization.

Data-Driven Decision Making

HR processes are becoming increasingly data-centric, and generative AI plays a pivotal role in enabling data-driven decision making. By analyzing diverse datasets encompassing employee performance, engagement levels, and retention rates, AI algorithms can extract actionable insights for HR professionals. These insights empower decision makers to implement targeted strategies for talent development, succession planning, and creating a conducive work environment.

Augmented Onboarding Experiences

The onboarding process represents a critical phase in the employee lifecycle, and generative AI is reshaping this experience. Through personalized training modules, interactive simulations, and AI-powered mentorship programs, organizations can deliver augmented onboarding experiences that cater to the individual learning styles and career aspirations of new employees. This approach not only accelerates the integration of new hires but also fosters a sense of belonging and purpose from day one.

Predictive Talent Analytics

Generative AI equips HR departments with the capability to deploy predictive talent analytics, thereby anticipating future workforce needs and trends. By leveraging historical data and external market insights, AI models can forecast skill gaps, attrition risks, and emerging talent demands. Armed with this foresight, HR leaders can proactively strategize recruitment, talent acquisition, and skills development initiatives to stay ahead in a dynamic and competitive talent landscape.

Empowering Employee Feedback Mechanisms

Employee feedback is integral to organizational growth, and generative AI facilitates the implementation of advanced feedback mechanisms. Natural language processing algorithms enable sentiment analysis of employee feedback, uncovering nuanced insights into satisfaction levels, concerns, and suggestions. This empowers HR teams to respond effectively to employee sentiments, drive continuous improvement, and foster a culture of open communication and transparency.

In conclusion, the integration of generative AI is propelling HR processes into a new era of efficiency, personalization, and strategic foresight. By harnessing the power of personalized candidate experiences, data-driven decision making, augmented onboarding experiences, predictive talent analytics, and empowered employee feedback mechanisms, organizations can elevate their HR practices to attract, nurture, and retain top talent. As we embrace the potential of generative AI in HR, the future of talent management is poised to be characterized by agility, empathy, and unparalleled human-AI collaboration.

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Adopting And Preparing For The Impact Of Emerging HR Technologies

ACG Resources — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 12:00:02 +0000

As organizations strive for efficiency, agility, and competitiveness, human resources (HR) departments increasingly turn to emerging technologies to streamline processes, enhance decision-making, and optimize workforce management.

The array of HR technologies available is vast and expanding, from AI-driven recruitment tools to data analytics platforms. In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of investing in adopting and preparing for the impact of these emerging HR technologies.

The Evolution of HR Technology

Over the past decade, HR technology has undergone a significant transformation.

Gone are the days of manual paperwork and spreadsheets—modern HR systems leverage advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and predictive analytics to automate tasks, improve efficiency, and drive strategic decision-making.

Cloud-based solutions have made these technologies more accessible to organizations of all sizes, enabling even small businesses to harness the power of data-driven HR.

Why Invest in HR Technologies

Enhancing Recruitment and Talent Acquisition

One of the most impactful areas where emerging HR technologies are making a difference is in recruitment and talent acquisition. AI-powered applicant tracking systems (ATS) can sift through thousands of resumes in seconds, identifying top candidates based on predefined criteria and reducing time-to-hire.

Furthermore, predictive analytics can help HR professionals forecast future hiring needs and identify potential skill gaps within the organization, allowing for proactive talent acquisition strategies.

Improving Employee Experience

Beyond recruitment, HR technologies are crucial in enhancing the overall employee experience. Employee self-service portals, mobile apps, and chatbots provide employees easy access to essential HR services, such as requesting time off, accessing benefits information, or resolving payroll queries.

Organizations can improve efficiency, reduce administrative burden, and boost employee satisfaction by empowering employees to manage their own HR tasks.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Data is often referred to as the new oil, and HR departments are sitting on a goldmine of valuable workforce data.

Emerging HR technologies enable organizations to collect, analyze, and interpret vast amounts of data to gain insights into employee performance, engagement levels, turnover rates, and more. By leveraging predictive analytics, HR professionals can identify trends, anticipate challenges, and make decisions that drive business success.

Preparing for the Future of Work

As technology continues to advance, the future of work is being reshaped. Automation, remote work, the gig economy, and the rise of freelancers are just a few trends shaping the modern workforce.

To thrive in this dynamic environment, organizations must be agile and adaptable. Investing in emerging HR technologies allows businesses to future-proof their operations, enabling them to scale, innovate, and respond quickly to changing market conditions.

Overcoming Challenges

While the benefits of adopting emerging HR technologies are clear, it’s essential to acknowledge and address the implementation challenges. Resistance to change, data privacy concerns, and the need to upskill existing staff are common hurdles organizations may face.

However, these challenges can be overcome by involving key stakeholders from the outset, providing comprehensive training programs, and ensuring compliance with regulations.

The Role of Leadership

Leadership plays a pivotal role in successfully adopting emerging HR technologies. Executives and HR leaders must champion innovation, foster a culture of continuous learning, and lead by example.

By demonstrating a commitment to embracing technology and leveraging its potential to transform HR processes, leaders can inspire employee confidence and enthusiasm, paving the way for a smooth transition.

Conclusion

In conclusion, investing in adopting and preparing for the impact of emerging HR technologies is no longer optional—it’s imperative for organizations looking to thrive in today’s digital age. By harnessing the power of AI, data analytics, and automation, HR departments can streamline operations, improve decision-making, and enhance the overall employee experience.

However, successful implementation requires careful planning, effective change management, and strong leadership. By embracing innovation and investing in the future of HR, organizations can position themselves for long-term success in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

In summary, embracing emerging HR technologies is not just about staying ahead of the curve; it’s about transforming HR processes to serve the organization and its employees better. By investing in these technologies and preparing for their impact, businesses can unlock new opportunities, drive efficiency, and create a more agile and resilient workforce for the future.

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Rebuilding Trust: A Crucial Step in Adapting to New Working Norms

ACG Resources — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 12:00:59 +0000

The relationship between employers and their leaders has never been more critical. With the advent of remote work, hybrid models, and many other changes spurred by recent global events, the dynamics within organizations have shifted significantly.

Now more than ever, fostering trust between employers and leaders is paramount to successfully navigating these transitions and optimizing the adjustment to new working norms.

The upheaval caused by recent events has underscored the need for employers and leaders to reevaluate and reinforce trust within their organizations. Here are several strategies to help reinvigorate trust and optimize the adjustment to new working norms:

Transparency and Open Communication

Transparent communication is key to building trust. Employers and leaders should strive to keep employees informed about changes, challenges, and expectations. This means sharing information about company strategies and decisions and being honest about potential challenges or uncertainties.

Whether through regular updates, town hall meetings, or open-door policies, fostering a culture of openness builds trust by demonstrating authenticity and honesty. When employees feel kept in the loop, and their concerns are heard, they are more likely to trust their leaders and feel aligned with the organization’s goals.

Empathy and Support

Empathy is essential, especially during times of change. Leaders must recognize the unique challenges employees may be facing and offer support accordingly. This goes beyond simply acknowledging difficulties – it involves actively listening to employees’ concerns, validating their experiences, and providing tangible assistance where possible.

This could involve providing resources for mental health and well-being, offering flexible work arrangements to accommodate personal circumstances, or simply lending a listening ear to those who need it. By showing empathy and understanding, leaders can foster a sense of trust and loyalty among their teams, as employees feel valued and supported by their organization.

Lead by Example

Leaders must embody the values and behaviors they wish to instill in their teams. This means leading by example, demonstrating integrity, accountability, and a commitment to ethical conduct. When leaders adhere to high standards of behavior, they set a positive example for their teams to follow.

This builds trust in the leaders, reinforces the organization’s values, and fosters a culture of trust and respect. Conversely, when leaders fail to uphold these standards, it can erode trust and undermine morale within the organization. By consistently demonstrating integrity and accountability, leaders can inspire trust and confidence in their leadership among their teams.

Collaboration and Inclusivity

Collaboration breeds trust by empowering employees to contribute their ideas and perspectives. Employers and leaders should encourage collaboration across teams, departments, and hierarchies. This involves creating opportunities for cross-functional collaboration, fostering a culture of open dialogue and idea-sharing, and actively seeking input from employees at all levels of the organization.

Fostering an inclusive environment where every voice is valued cultivates trust by demonstrating respect for diverse viewpoints and experiences. When employees feel included and valued for their contributions, they are more likely to trust their leaders and feel a sense of belonging within the organization.

Flexibility and Adaptability

In today’s dynamic work environment, flexibility is crucial. Employers and leaders must be willing to adapt to changing circumstances and embrace new working methods. This could involve flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or flexible hours, to accommodate employees’ needs and preferences.

It could also include embracing technology to facilitate remote collaboration and communication or reimagining traditional processes to suit evolving needs better. By demonstrating flexibility and adaptability, leaders can instill confidence in their ability to navigate uncertainty and lead their teams effectively. This fosters a sense of trust and stability within the organization, as employees feel confident that their leaders can adapt to whatever challenges may arise.

Recognition and Appreciation

Recognizing and appreciating employees’ contributions is vital for building trust and morale. Employers and leaders should regularly acknowledge and celebrate achievements, milestones, and hard work. This could involve praising individuals or teams for accomplishments, publicly recognizing their efforts in meetings or company-wide communications, or providing rewards and incentives for exceptional performance.

Whether through verbal praise, bonuses, or other forms of recognition, showing appreciation fosters a positive work environment where employees feel valued and motivated to succeed. When employees feel appreciated and recognized for their contributions, they are more likely to trust their leaders and feel a sense of loyalty to the organization.

Conclusion

In conclusion, reinvigorating trust between employers and their leaders is essential for optimizing the adjustment to new working norms. By prioritizing transparency, empathy, collaboration, flexibility, recognition, and continuous learning, organizations can foster a culture of trust that empowers employees to adapt, innovate, and succeed in today’s ever-changing landscape.

Building trust is not just a one-time effort but an ongoing journey that requires commitment, integrity, and genuine care for the well-being and success of all stakeholders involved. As employers and leaders embrace these principles, they can pave the way for a brighter, more resilient future for their organizations and people.

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Reinventing Talent Acquisition: A Paradigm Shift towards Internal Career Pathing

ACG Resources — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 12:00:38 +0000

The talent war intensifies. Organizations are grappling with attracting and retaining critical talent to drive innovation, growth, and sustainable success. Traditional approaches to talent acquisition, which heavily rely on external recruitment, need to be revised to meet the evolving needs of both employers and employees.

Rethinking external recruiting and embracing internal career pathing has emerged as a strategic imperative for organizations seeking a competitive edge in talent management. This paradigm shift fosters employee engagement and loyalty and enhances organizational agility and resilience.

In this blog post, we’ll delve into the significance of internal career pathing, its benefits, and how organizations can effectively implement this approach to attract, develop, and retain critical talent.

The Limitations of External Recruitment

External recruitment has long been the default strategy for filling organizational talent gaps. However, this approach presents several inherent limitations:

High Costs: External recruitment processes incur substantial costs in terms of advertising, recruitment agencies, and onboarding expenses.
Cultural Misfit: External hires may need help assimilating into the organization’s culture, decreasing productivity and morale.
Lack of Loyalty: Employees recruited externally are more likely to leave the organization within the first few years of employment, contributing to higher turnover rates.
Limited Talent Pool: Relying solely on external candidates restricts internal talent access, overlooking individuals with valuable skills and experience.

The Case for Internal Career Pathing

Internal career pathing involves systematically developing and advancing existing employees within the organization. This approach offers numerous benefits that address the shortcomings of external recruitment:

Cost-Effectiveness: Investing in developing internal talent is more cost-effective than constantly sourcing external candidates. Internal hires require less training and have a shorter ramp-up time, resulting in significant cost savings.
Cultural Alignment: Internal candidates are already familiar with the organization’s culture, values, and processes, reducing the risk of cultural misfit and ensuring smoother integration into new roles.
Enhanced Engagement and Retention: Providing employees with clear career advancement opportunities fosters higher levels of engagement, motivation, and loyalty. Employees are more likely to stay with the organization when they see a viable path for growth and development.
Talent Pipeline Development: Internal career pathing enables organizations to proactively identify and nurture high-potential employees, building a robust talent pipeline for future leadership positions.

Implementing Internal Career Pathing Successfully

While internal career pathing offers compelling advantages, its successful implementation requires a strategic and systematic approach:

Transparent Communication: Organizations must communicate clearly with employees about available career paths, skill requirements, and advancement criteria. Transparency fosters trust and empowers employees to take ownership of their career development.
Skills Assessment and Development: Implementing robust skills assessment processes allows organizations to identify gaps and provide targeted development opportunities for employees. This could include training programs, mentorship initiatives, and job rotations to broaden skill sets.
Performance Management and Feedback: Regular performance evaluations and constructive feedback are essential for guiding employees’ career trajectories. Managers should engage in ongoing dialogue with employees to understand their aspirations and provide support accordingly.
Leadership Buy-In and Support: Leadership commitment is critical for the success of internal career pathing initiatives. Senior executives should actively champion talent development efforts and allocate resources to support employee growth and progression.
Flexibility and Agility: Organizations must adapt to changing market dynamics and employee needs. Flexibility in career pathing allows for personalized development plans tailored to individual aspirations and organizational requirements.

Conclusion: Embracing a New Era of Talent Management

In conclusion, the traditional approach of relying solely on external recruitment to fulfill talent needs is no longer sustainable in today’s dynamic business environment. Organizations must embrace internal career pathing as a strategic imperative to attract, develop, and retain critical talent.

By investing in the growth and advancement of existing employees, organizations can foster a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and excellence. The journey towards reinventing talent acquisition begins with a shift in mindset and a commitment to nurturing the potential within. Are you ready to embrace the future of talent management?

In the ever-evolving talent management landscape, internal career pathing stands out as a beacon of opportunity and growth for organizations and employees. As we navigate the complexities of the modern workplace, let us embark on this journey together, unlocking the full potential of our most valuable asset: our people.

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Rethinking Organizational Culture for an Efficient Workflow in the New World of Work

ACG Resources — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 12:00:15 +0000

In the wake of the digital age and the ongoing evolution of work dynamics, organizations are faced with the pressing need to reassess their traditional approaches to workflow and productivity.

The advent of remote work, technological advancements, and shifting employee expectations necessitates rethinking organizational culture to establish an efficient workflow fit for the new world of work.

Organizational culture, often defined as the shared values, beliefs, and behaviors within an organization, is pivotal in shaping its workflow and overall success. In the past, organizational culture may have been centered around physical presence in the office, strict hierarchies, and rigid processes.

However, the modern workforce demands flexibility, autonomy, and collaboration, prompting a fundamental shift in how we approach work culture.

Embracing Remote Work: The Rise of Flexibility

One of the most significant changes in the new world of work is the widespread adoption of remote work. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend, forcing organizations to adapt quickly to remote setups. While remote work has challenges, it offers numerous benefits, including increased productivity, cost savings, and access to a broader talent pool.

To establish an efficient workflow in this remote landscape, organizations must foster a culture of trust and autonomy. Micromanagement is only feasible and effective when teams are dispersed across different locations. Instead, leaders should focus on setting clear expectations, providing the necessary resources, and empowering employees to manage their time and tasks.

Moreover, technology plays a crucial role in facilitating remote collaboration and communication. Investing in project management software, video conferencing platforms, and cloud-based storage systems can streamline workflow and keep remote teams connected.

Cultivating Collaboration and Communication

Effective collaboration is essential for driving innovation and achieving organizational goals. However, in a remote or hybrid work environment, more than traditional methods of communication may be required.

To foster collaboration in the new world of work, organizations must prioritize open communication channels, encourage knowledge sharing, and create opportunities for virtual teamwork.

Leaders can promote collaboration by establishing clear channels for communication, such as instant messaging platforms, virtual team meetings, and collaborative project spaces. Fostering a culture of transparency and inclusivity encourages employees to share ideas, seek feedback, and collaborate across departments and locations.

Furthermore, organizations can leverage technology to facilitate virtual collaboration. Video conferencing, document sharing, and online brainstorming tools enable teams to collaborate in real-time, regardless of physical location. By embracing these digital solutions, organizations can break down silos, enhance productivity, and drive innovation.

Nurturing Employee Well-being and Work-Life Balance

In the new world of work, employee well-being and work-life balance are gaining increasing recognition as crucial components of organizational success. The traditional notion of productivity being synonymous with long hours in the office is replaced by a more holistic understanding of productivity that encompasses physical health, mental well-being, and work-life harmony.

Organizations can promote employee well-being by offering flexible work arrangements, promoting healthy lifestyles, and providing resources for stress management and mental health support. Encouraging breaks, setting boundaries around after-hours communication, and recognizing the importance of downtime is essential for preventing burnout and maintaining long-term productivity.

Moreover, fostering a supportive work culture where employees feel valued, respected, and appreciated can significantly impact their well-being. Recognizing and celebrating achievements, promoting a sense of belonging, and providing opportunities for personal and professional development contribute to a positive work environment where employees thrive.

Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are integral aspects of organizational culture that contribute to a more innovative, resilient, and productive workforce. Embracing DEI fosters employees’ sense of belonging and enhances creativity, problem-solving, and decision-making.

To cultivate a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizations must prioritize inclusive hiring practices, provide diversity training and education, and actively promote diversity at all levels of the organization. Creating diverse and inclusive teams fosters different perspectives, encourages empathy and understanding, and drives innovation.

Furthermore, organizations must address systemic biases and barriers that may hinder the advancement and inclusion of underrepresented groups. Organizations can create a more equitable and inclusive workplace by fostering a culture of belonging where all employees feel valued and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives.

Conclusion

The new world of work presents challenges and opportunities for organizations seeking to establish efficient workflows and foster a positive work culture.

By rethinking traditional approaches and embracing flexibility, collaboration, employee well-being, diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizations can adapt to the changing landscape and thrive in the digital age.

Building a culture that prioritizes trust, communication, and inclusivity lays the foundation for an efficient workflow where employees are empowered to succeed, innovate, and contribute to the organization’s long-term success.

As we navigate the complexities of the modern workplace, embracing change and investing in a culture that values people as its greatest asset will be essential for organizational resilience and growth.

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The Rise of Mobile-Friendly Recruitment: Bridging the Gap Between Job Seekers and Employers

ACG Resources — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 06:00:51 +0000

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced digital era, the way we approach various aspects of our lives has undergone a significant transformation, and the recruitment process is no exception. With the increasing reliance on smartphones and mobile devices, employers are recognizing the importance of adopting mobile-friendly recruitment strategies to attract top talent. This shift is not only beneficial for job seekers who are constantly on the go but also for companies looking to streamline their hiring processes and stay ahead in the competitive job market.

The Mobile Revolution

The ubiquity of smartphones has revolutionized the way individuals access information, communicate, and engage with the world. In the realm of job hunting, mobile devices have become indispensable tools for job seekers, allowing them to search for opportunities, submit applications, and communicate with potential employers anytime, anywhere. Consequently, recruiters and hiring managers are adapting to this trend, leveraging mobile-friendly platforms to connect with a broader pool of talent.

Benefits of Mobile-Friendly Recruitment

Accessibility and Convenience:** Mobile-friendly recruitment processes provide unparalleled accessibility and convenience for job seekers. Candidates can browse job listings, submit applications, and even schedule interviews using their smartphones, eliminating the need for a desktop or laptop. This convenience not only caters to the preferences of modern job seekers but also ensures that talented individuals can engage with potential employers without being restricted by location or time constraints.
Faster Response Times:** Mobile-friendly recruitment enables faster response times from both ends of the hiring spectrum. Job seekers can receive instant notifications about job openings, interview requests, and application updates, facilitating a quicker and more efficient recruitment process. Similarly, recruiters can promptly review applications, respond to queries, and coordinate interviews, reducing the overall time-to-hire and improving the candidate experience.
Enhanced Candidate Experience:** A positive candidate experience is crucial in attracting and retaining top talent. Mobile-friendly recruitment platforms contribute to a seamless and user-friendly application process, which enhances the overall candidate experience. User interfaces optimized for mobile devices ensure that applicants can easily navigate through the application process, creating a positive impression of the employer and increasing the likelihood of attracting high-quality candidates.
Social Media Integration:** Mobile devices are the primary gateway to social media for many individuals. Mobile-friendly recruitment strategies often incorporate seamless integration with popular social platforms, allowing employers to reach a wider audience through targeted advertisements and job postings. Social media integration not only increases the visibility of job opportunities but also enables companies to showcase their employer brand and company culture to potential candidates.
Diverse Talent Acquisition:** Mobile-friendly recruitment strategies contribute to more inclusive hiring practices by reaching a diverse pool of candidates. This is particularly significant as it aligns with the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). By leveraging mobile platforms, employers can attract talent from different demographic backgrounds and ensure that their hiring processes are accessible to individuals with varying levels of technological proficiency.

Conclusion

As the workforce becomes increasingly mobile-centric, the adoption of mobile-friendly recruitment strategies is no longer a choice but a necessity for employers seeking to stay competitive in the talent market. The benefits, including improved accessibility, faster response times, enhanced candidate experience, social media integration, and diverse talent acquisition, highlight the transformative power of mobile technology in the recruitment process.

Companies that prioritize mobile-friendly recruitment not only demonstrate a commitment to innovation but also position themselves as employers of choice in the eyes of tech-savvy and mobile-oriented job seekers. Embracing these strategies not only streamlines the hiring process but also sets the stage for building a dynamic and diverse workforce that contributes to the long-term success of the organization.

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The Imperative of Employee Experience: A Cornerstone for Organizational Success

ACG Resources — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 06:00:19 +0000

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, where technology, competition, and market dynamics are in a constant state of flux, organizations are increasingly recognizing the pivotal role that employee experience plays in their success. Employee experience goes beyond mere job satisfaction; it encompasses the entirety of an employee’s journey within an organization, from recruitment to departure. In this blog post, we delve into the significance of employee experience and why it is a vital cornerstone for organizational success.

Defining Employee Experience:

Employee experience is the sum total of interactions, perceptions, and feelings an employee has with their organization throughout their tenure. It encompasses everything from the onboarding process, work environment, and team dynamics to leadership styles, opportunities for growth, and work-life balance. Essentially, it’s about how employees feel about their work and their workplace.

Why Employee Experience Matters:

Enhanced Productivity and Performance:

A positive employee experience directly correlates with increased productivity and better performance. When employees feel valued, engaged, and supported, they are more likely to invest their time and effort into their work, resulting in higher quality outputs and greater efficiency.

Talent Attraction and Retention:

In a competitive job market, attracting and retaining top talent is a key challenge for organizations. A positive employee experience is a powerful differentiator. Potential candidates are more likely to be attracted to organizations that prioritize employee well-being and professional development while existing employees are more likely to stay in a positive and supportive work environment.

Innovation and Creativity:

Organizations that foster a positive employee experience tend to be more innovative and creative. When employees feel encouraged to share ideas, take risks, and contribute to the decision-making process, it creates a culture of innovation that can drive the organization forward in a rapidly changing business landscape.

Employee Well-being and Mental Health:

The well-being of employees is a growing concern for organizations. A positive employee experience includes initiatives that address work-life balance, mental health, and overall well-being. Prioritizing these aspects not only contributes to a healthier and happier workforce but also reduces absenteeism and enhances overall job satisfaction.

Customer Satisfaction:

There’s a direct correlation between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. Employees who are happy and engaged are more likely to provide better customer service, resulting in increased customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth.

Practical Strategies for Enhancing Employee Experience:

Invest in Onboarding Programs:

A smooth and comprehensive onboarding process sets the tone for a positive employee experience. Ensure that new hires feel welcomed, informed, and supported from day one.

Promote a Positive Work Culture:

Cultivate a work culture that values collaboration, open communication, and diversity. Encourage teamwork and create an environment where employees feel heard and respected.

Provide Opportunities for Growth:

Employees are more likely to be engaged when they see a clear path for professional development. Offer training programs, mentorship opportunities, and career advancement pathways.

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Recognize the importance of work-life balance. Implement flexible work arrangements and remote work options, where feasible, to accommodate the diverse needs of your workforce.

Recognition and Rewards:

Regularly acknowledge and reward employees for their contributions. Recognition boosts morale and motivates employees to continue putting in their best effort.

Conclusion:

In the contemporary business landscape, where the success of an organization is intricately tied to its human capital, prioritizing employee experience is not just a luxury but a strategic necessity. By investing in the well-being, growth, and satisfaction of employees, organizations can build a foundation for sustained success and resilience in an ever-changing world. After all, a positive employee experience is not just good for the employees; it’s a powerful catalyst for organizational excellence.

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Leveraging Cutting-Edge Technology to Foster Trust in a Digital Age

ACG Resources — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 06:00:46 +0000

In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving digital landscape, trust has become a paramount factor in the success of businesses and institutions. As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, organizations have a unique opportunity to leverage the latest innovations to not only stay competitive but also to build and enhance trust among their stakeholders.

The Trust Deficit

In recent years, trust in various sectors has faced unprecedented challenges. From data breaches to misinformation, individuals and consumers have become more cautious about how they engage with technology and the organizations that wield it. Rebuilding and maintaining trust has become a crucial mission for businesses, government agencies, and other entities.

Transparency through Blockchain

One of the groundbreaking technologies that can play a pivotal role in building trust is blockchain. This decentralized and secure ledger technology has the potential to revolutionize transparency in various industries. With its immutable and transparent nature, blockchain enables organizations to provide a verifiable record of transactions, ensuring accountability and reducing the risk of fraud. From supply chain management to financial transactions, the applications of blockchain are vast and can significantly enhance trust among stakeholders.

AI and Predictive Analytics for Enhanced Customer Experience

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics are reshaping the way organizations understand and interact with their customers. By leveraging AI algorithms, businesses can analyze vast amounts of data to gain insights into customer behavior, preferences, and needs. This not only allows for a more personalized customer experience but also demonstrates a commitment to understanding and meeting customer expectations. Building trust through personalized and data-driven interactions can lead to increased customer loyalty and positive brand perception.

Cybersecurity as a Pillar of Trust

With the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber threats, investing in robust cybersecurity measures is non-negotiable. Utilizing the latest cybersecurity technologies, such as advanced threat detection systems and encryption protocols, demonstrates a commitment to safeguarding sensitive information. This, in turn, instills confidence in customers, partners, and other stakeholders, fostering a secure and trustworthy digital environment.

Embracing Ethical AI Practices

As organizations integrate AI into their operations, it is crucial to prioritize ethical considerations. Trust can be eroded if AI systems are perceived as biased or if they compromise privacy. Implementing ethical AI practices involves transparency in algorithmic decision-making, ensuring fairness in outcomes, and respecting user privacy. By prioritizing ethical considerations, organizations can build trust by demonstrating a commitment to responsible and socially conscious use of technology.

Constant Communication and Education

Effective communication is key to building and maintaining trust. Organizations should proactively communicate their commitment to the responsible use of technology, outline security measures in place, and educate stakeholders about the benefits and safeguards of the latest technologies. This ongoing dialogue fosters transparency and ensures that stakeholders are well-informed and confident in the organization’s technological practices.

In conclusion, leveraging the latest technology is not just about staying ahead in the competitive landscape; it’s also a powerful tool for building and maintaining trust. From blockchain and AI to robust cybersecurity measures, organizations that embrace these technologies ethically and transparently are better positioned to thrive in the digital age. By prioritizing trust, businesses can establish lasting relationships with customers, partners, and the broader community, creating a foundation for long-term success.

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Reskilling and Internal Mobility: Navigating the Future of Work

ACG Resources — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 06:00:57 +0000

In today’s rapidly evolving job market, where technological advancements and industry transformations are the norm, professionals are faced with the constant challenge of staying relevant. The concept of reskilling and internal mobility has emerged as a powerful strategy for individuals and organizations alike to navigate the dynamic landscape of the future of work.

Embracing Change: The Need for Reskilling

The pace of technological change is unprecedented, and industries are witnessing shifts that demand new skill sets. As automation and artificial intelligence become integral parts of various sectors, the need for reskilling has never been more critical. Employees who can adapt and acquire new skills are better positioned to thrive in an ever-changing job market.

Reskilling is not just about staying employable; it’s about fostering a culture of continuous learning. Employers are increasingly recognizing the importance of investing in the development of their workforce. This investment not only enhances individual capabilities but also contributes to the overall competitiveness of the organization.

The Role of Internal Mobility

Internal mobility, the movement of employees within an organization to different roles or departments, is closely linked to reskilling. It provides employees with the opportunity to apply their existing skills in new contexts and acquire additional skills along the way. This not only benefits individuals but also allows organizations to tap into their internal talent pool, fostering a sense of loyalty and commitment among employees.

Internal mobility is a strategic approach to talent management. Rather than seeking external candidates for new positions, organizations can leverage the skills and knowledge already present within their workforce. This not only reduces recruitment costs but also accelerates the onboarding process, as internal candidates are already familiar with the company culture and processes.

Building a Reskilling Culture

Creating a reskilling culture requires a proactive approach from both employers and employees. Organizations can facilitate this process by:

Investing in Learning and Development Programs:** Providing access to training programs, workshops, and online courses that align with the evolving needs of the industry.
Encouraging a Growth Mindset:** Fostering a culture where employees embrace challenges, view failures as opportunities to learn, and actively seek to develop new skills.
Supporting Mentorship Programs:** Pairing experienced employees with those looking to acquire new skills can facilitate knowledge transfer and create a collaborative learning environment.
Recognizing and Rewarding Learning:** Acknowledging and rewarding employees for their commitment to learning and upskilling reinforces the value of continuous improvement.

Benefits for Individuals and Organizations

Reskilling and internal mobility offer a myriad of benefits for both individuals and organizations. For individuals, it provides a pathway for career growth, increases job satisfaction, and enhances long-term employability. From an organizational perspective, it strengthens the workforce, promotes a culture of innovation, and positions the company as an employer of choice.

In conclusion, the future of work is dynamic and requires a proactive approach to skills development. Reskilling and internal mobility are not just buzzwords; they are strategies that can shape the success of individuals and organizations in the evolving landscape of the professional world. By embracing a culture of continuous learning and providing opportunities for internal growth, businesses can navigate the challenges of the future and thrive in the face of change.

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Enhancing Employee Retention Efforts: Strategies for Success

ACG Resources — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 12:50:09 +0000

Employee retention is a critical concern for organizations across all industries. High employee turnover can be costly and disruptive, negatively impacting productivity, morale, and the overall success of a business. To mitigate these issues, companies must focus on enhancing their retention efforts. In this article, we will explore effective strategies for increasing employee retention and creating a more stable and productive workforce.

Create a Positive Work Environment

A positive work environment is the foundation for employee retention. Employees are more likely to stay with a company when they feel valued, engaged, and happy in their workplace. To achieve this, companies can implement the following strategies:

– Foster open communication: Encourage transparent communication between employees and management, making employees feel heard and respected.

– Offer work-life balance: Promote work-life balance by providing flexible scheduling options and encouraging employees to take time off when needed.

– Provide opportunities for professional development: Invest in employee growth by offering training, mentorship programs, and opportunities for career advancement.

Competitive Compensation and Benefits

Competitive compensation and benefits packages are crucial for retaining talent. Employees need to feel that they are fairly compensated for their work. Consider these approaches:

– Regular salary reviews: Periodically evaluate and adjust employee salaries to reflect market rates and reward performance.

– Attractive benefits: Provide a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare, retirement plans, and other perks such as wellness programs or childcare assistance.

– Incentive programs: Implement performance-based bonuses or profit-sharing initiatives to reward top-performing employees.

Recognition and Rewards

Recognizing and rewarding employees for their contributions can significantly boost retention rates. Acknowledgment can be in the form of verbal praise, awards, or other tangible rewards like gift cards, extra time off, or even promotions. A well-structured recognition program can foster a culture of appreciation and motivate employees to excel.

Employee Engagement

Engaged employees are more likely to stay with an organization. To increase employee engagement, consider these actions:

– Conduct regular employee surveys: Gather feedback to identify areas for improvement and address employee concerns.

– Foster teamwork and collaboration: Encourage team-building activities and collaborative projects that promote a sense of belonging and purpose.

– Empower employees: Give employees a sense of ownership by involving them in decision-making processes and providing autonomy in their roles.

Career Development Opportunities

Employees often leave organizations when they perceive limited opportunities for career growth. To prevent this, provide clear pathways for advancement:

– Create individual development plans: Work with employees to set goals and a career development path within the organization.

– Encourage cross-training: Offer opportunities for employees to learn new skills and take on different responsibilities.

– Provide mentorship programs: Pair experienced employees with newer ones to guide and support their professional growth.

Exit Interviews and Feedback

Exit interviews are valuable tools for understanding why employees leave and identifying areas for improvement. Encourage departing employees to provide honest feedback about their experiences, and use this information to make necessary changes within the organization.

Conclusion

Employee retention is a constant challenge for businesses, but with the right strategies in place, it is possible to reduce turnover and create a stable, motivated workforce. By focusing on creating a positive work environment, competitive compensation and benefits, recognition, and rewards, employee engagement, career development, and soliciting feedback through exit interviews, organizations can significantly increase their retention efforts. Investing in these areas not only benefits the organization but also empowers employees to thrive in their roles and build long-lasting relationships with their employers.

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Redefining Remote and Hybrid Work Strategies: A New Paradigm for the Modern Workplace

ACG Resources — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 20:49:54 +0000

Introduction

The world of work has seen a seismic shift over the past few years, and the traditional 9-to-5 office-based model is no longer the norm. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote work, and many organizations have embraced it as a viable option. However, as we move forward, it’s clear that the future of work is not solely remote or office-based but a dynamic blend of the two – the hybrid work model. This article explores the need to redefine remote and hybrid work strategies for the modern workplace.

The Remote Work Revolution

Remote work is no longer a novel concept; it’s become an integral part of the contemporary work landscape. The pandemic forced businesses to adapt rapidly, and they discovered that employees can be productive outside the traditional office setting. This realization led to the remote work revolution, which changed the way we think about work.

Advantages of Remote Work:

**Flexibility:** Remote work offers employees the flexibility to manage their work around their personal lives. It’s particularly appealing to those with family responsibilities.

**Access to Global Talent:** Companies can hire talent from around the world, not just from their local areas. This expanded talent pool can lead to more diverse and skilled teams.

**Cost Savings:** Reduced overhead costs, such as office space and utilities, are a significant benefit for businesses.

**Increased Productivity:** Many employees report higher productivity levels when working remotely, as they can create a customized work environment that suits their needs.

The Hybrid Work Model

While remote work offers numerous benefits, it’s not without challenges. Isolation, difficulties in team collaboration, and maintaining company culture can be concerns. To address these issues, organizations are increasingly turning to a hybrid work model – a blend of remote and in-office work.

Advantages of the Hybrid Work Model:

**Flexibility with Structure:** Hybrid work combines the best of both worlds, allowing employees to work remotely while providing structured in-person collaboration and team building.

**Better Work-Life Balance:** Employees can still enjoy the benefits of remote work while maintaining a connection to their workplace and colleagues.

**Reduced Commute:** A hybrid model reduces commuting time and stress, contributing to a greener, more sustainable environment.

**Cultural Cohesion:** By bringing employees together for in-person meetings, events, and team-building activities, organizations can maintain a strong company culture.

Redefining Strategies

To successfully navigate the shift towards remote and hybrid work, organizations must redefine their strategies in several key areas:

**Technology:** Invest in robust and secure technology infrastructure that supports remote work, including video conferencing, project management tools, and cybersecurity measures.

**Communication:** Foster open and transparent communication channels, ensuring remote and in-office employees are equally informed and engaged.

**Performance Management:** Shift from traditional time-based performance metrics to output-based assessments, focusing on results and quality rather than hours worked.

**Wellness and Work-Life Balance:** Promote employee well-being by offering resources for managing stress and work-life balance, irrespective of their work location.

**Training and Development:** Provide ongoing training and development opportunities for remote and in-office employees, ensuring that skills and knowledge are continually updated.

**Company Culture:** Maintain and cultivate company culture through a combination of virtual and in-person events, and by ensuring that all employees feel included and valued.

Conclusion

The future of work is here, and it’s not just about working from home or the office. It’s about flexibility, adaptability, and creating a work environment that prioritizes both productivity and employee well-being. Redefining remote and hybrid work strategies is essential to meet the evolving needs of the modern workforce. By embracing the benefits of remote work while acknowledging the value of in-person collaboration, organizations can create a workplace that is not only adaptable but also thriving in the new paradigm of work.

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HR Enters the Metaverse: A New Frontier for Human Resources

ACG Resources — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 20:46:45 +0000

Introduction

The metaverse is no longer the stuff of science fiction; it’s rapidly becoming a reality. With the rise of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and other immersive technologies, the metaverse is emerging as a new space for work, social interaction, and entertainment. Along with its transformational potential, the metaverse is also drawing the attention of forward-thinking HR professionals who are exploring its implications for the world of work. In this article, we’ll delve into how HR is entering the metaverse, shaping the future of work, and redefining traditional HR practices.

Onboarding and Training in Virtual Worlds

One of the primary areas where HR is making strides in the metaverse is in onboarding and training. Immersive experiences in virtual worlds allow companies to create realistic simulations that can train employees in a risk-free environment. From conducting virtual safety drills to simulating complex customer interactions, the metaverse enables hands-on learning that’s both engaging and effective.

Virtual onboarding, in particular, provides a novel way to introduce new employees to a company’s culture, values, and work environment. Instead of sitting through PowerPoint presentations, new hires can explore a 3D replica of the office, interact with digital avatars of colleagues, and even practice their job tasks in a simulated workspace.

Remote Work and Collaboration

Remote work became the norm for many during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the metaverse promises to take it to the next level. In a metaverse where remote workspaces are highly interactive and customizable, HR professionals are exploring how to create environments that foster collaboration and productivity. This includes using spatial audio, 3D whiteboards, and holographic conferencing to mimic the in-person office experience.

Furthermore, the metaverse allows employees to express themselves through customizable avatars, offering a sense of identity and personalization even in virtual environments. HR departments are thus becoming increasingly involved in shaping company culture and guidelines within the metaverse.

Recruitment and Talent Acquisition

The metaverse presents a new frontier for recruitment and talent acquisition. HR professionals can attend virtual job fairs, conduct interviews in immersive environments, and assess candidates based on their performance within a virtual space. This innovative approach to recruitment provides insights beyond traditional resumes and interviews.

Companies can also reach a more diverse and global talent pool by casting a wider net in the metaverse. The removal of geographical barriers can lead to a more inclusive workforce and can help organizations tap into unique skill sets from all corners of the world.

Employee Well-Being and Mental Health

The metaverse is not just about work; it’s also about creating a holistic experience for employees. HR is increasingly involved in promoting employee well-being and mental health in the metaverse. Ensuring that employees don’t suffer from “metaverse burnout” is a new challenge for HR, as employees spend more time in virtual spaces.

HR professionals are exploring ways to incorporate wellness programs, mindfulness activities, and stress-reduction techniques within the metaverse to promote a healthier work-life balance.

Ethical and Legal Considerations

As with any new technology, the metaverse brings its share of ethical and legal questions. HR departments are grappling with issues related to data privacy, security, and virtual harassment. They must establish guidelines and policies to ensure a safe and respectful environment for employees.

Moreover, concerns about discrimination in the metaverse have arisen. HR professionals are tasked with addressing issues related to avatar representation and ensuring that the metaverse is an inclusive space for everyone.

Conclusion

The metaverse is rapidly evolving, and HR is taking an active role in shaping this new frontier. From reimagining onboarding and training to enhancing remote work and collaboration, HR professionals are at the forefront of adapting to the possibilities and challenges presented by this digital realm. As the metaverse becomes more integrated into our lives and work, HR’s role will continue to expand, leading the way in creating innovative, inclusive, and ethically responsible metaverse workplaces.

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Prioritizing Employee Wellness: A Win-Win Strategy for Businesses

ACG Resources — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 20:46:12 +0000

In the fast-paced, highly competitive world of business, the success of any organization is inherently tied to the well-being of its employees. After all, a company’s most valuable asset is its workforce. Recognizing this, many forward-thinking organizations are increasingly prioritizing employee wellness. They understand that a healthier, happier workforce leads to higher productivity, reduced turnover, and a more positive company culture. In this article, we will explore the importance of prioritizing employee wellness and discuss strategies for implementing a successful wellness program.

The Business Case for Employee Wellness

The connection between employee wellness and business success is undeniable. Companies that prioritize employee well-being experience several significant benefits, including:

1. Increased Productivity

Healthy and well-motivated employees are more productive. When employees are physically and mentally well, they are better equipped to tackle tasks and challenges efficiently. This increased productivity translates directly to the bottom line, contributing to business growth and profitability.

2. Lower Turnover

Employees are more likely to stay with a company that supports their well-being. Lower turnover rates mean reduced recruitment and training costs, which can save a company significant time and resources. A strong emphasis on wellness can foster a loyal and dedicated workforce.

3. Enhanced Company Culture

A culture of well-being can improve overall morale and job satisfaction. When employees feel valued and cared for, they are more likely to engage positively with their work and colleagues. This, in turn, creates a more positive and collaborative company culture.

4. Attracting Top Talent

Companies that prioritize employee wellness become more attractive to potential hires. Top talent is often drawn to organizations that demonstrate a commitment to employee health and work-life balance, which can give businesses a competitive edge in recruitment.

5. Reduced Healthcare Costs

A healthier workforce means lower healthcare costs for both employees and employers. Wellness programs can help prevent chronic diseases, reduce sick days, and minimize insurance expenses. These cost savings can be reinvested into the company.

Strategies for Implementing an Employee Wellness Program

Implementing an employee wellness program is an investment that pays off in various ways. Here are some strategies to help businesses get started:

1. Assess Employee Needs

Before launching a wellness program, it’s crucial to understand the unique needs and preferences of your workforce. Conduct surveys, hold focus groups, and gather input from employees to tailor the program to their specific requirements.

2. Provide Health Resources

Offer a range of resources to support employee health, such as on-site fitness facilities, mental health counseling, and access to healthy snacks and meals. Providing easy access to these resources can encourage employees to make healthier choices.

3. Promote Work-Life Balance

Encourage a healthy work-life balance by offering flexible working hours, remote work options, and paid time off. Acknowledging the importance of personal time can reduce burnout and increase job satisfaction.

4. Wellness Challenges and Incentives

Create wellness challenges or competitions that incentivize healthy behaviors. Offering rewards, such as gift cards or additional time off, can motivate employees to participate and strive for healthier habits.

5. Education and Training

Offer educational opportunities and training related to health and well-being. Workshops on stress management, nutrition, or fitness can empower employees to take control of their health.

6. Supportive Leadership

Leaders within the organization must lead by example. When employees see leaders prioritizing their own wellness, they are more likely to feel encouraged and supported in their own wellness efforts.

7. Regular Evaluation

Continuously assess the impact of your wellness program. Use employee feedback, data on healthcare costs, and changes in productivity and turnover to measure its effectiveness. Make adjustments as needed to ensure the program remains relevant and beneficial.

In Conclusion

Prioritizing employee wellness is not just a fad; it’s a sound business strategy that yields numerous benefits. By investing in the health and well-being of employees, organizations can foster a more productive, engaged, and loyal workforce. This ultimately leads to a healthier bottom line and a brighter future for the business. In an era where employee wellness is key to success, businesses that embrace this trend will undoubtedly enjoy a competitive advantage and a more prosperous future.

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Development of Next-Generation Talent

ACG Resources — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 06:00:16 +0000

In today’s rapidly evolving world, the development of talent is essential to stay ahead of the curve. As technology continues to advance and industries undergo significant transformations, organizations must invest in nurturing the next generation of talent. This blog explores the importance of developing next-generation talent and discusses strategies that can be implemented to ensure their success.

The Need for Next-Generation Talent

The future belongs to those who can adapt and innovate. As we witness groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence, automation, and digital technologies, it becomes evident that traditional skill sets may no longer be sufficient. Organizations need individuals who possess a diverse range of skills and a willingness to learn and adapt.

Next-generation talent refers to individuals who are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and mindset required to thrive in the future workplace. They have a strong foundation in technical expertise but also possess critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills. These individuals are not only adept at leveraging technology but also possess a growth mindset that enables them to embrace change and continuously learn and develop.

Strategies for Developing Next-Generation Talent

Education Transformation: Educational institutions play a pivotal role in shaping future talent. To develop next-generation talent, it is crucial to revamp education systems to align with the needs of the future workforce. This includes integrating technology into the curriculum, fostering skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking, and promoting interdisciplinary learning.
Upskilling and Reskilling: Organizations must invest in upskilling and reskilling programs to ensure that their workforce remains relevant and adaptable. By providing employees with opportunities to learn new skills and acquire emerging competencies, organizations can tap into the potential of their existing talent pool and bridge any skills gaps.
Mentorship and Coaching: Pairing next-generation talent with experienced mentors and coaches can provide invaluable guidance and support. Mentors can help navigate the complexities of the workplace, provide insights into industry trends, and offer advice on career development. This mentorship fosters professional growth and helps next-generation talent develop the necessary skills and networks for success.
Collaboration and Cross-functional Projects: Encouraging collaboration and facilitating cross-functional projects can expose next-generation talent to diverse perspectives and foster teamwork. By working on projects that require collaboration across different departments and disciplines, individuals can develop their problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills.
Continuous Learning and Development Opportunities: To keep pace with the rapidly evolving landscape, organizations must promote a culture of continuous learning and development. This can be achieved by providing employees with access to online courses, workshops, conferences, and other learning opportunities. By empowering individuals to take ownership of their learning journey, organizations can nurture next-generation talent.

The Benefits of Developing Next-Generation Talent

Investing in the development of next-generation talent yields numerous benefits for both individuals and organizations:

Innovation and Adaptability: Next-generation talent brings fresh ideas and perspectives to the table, driving innovation within organizations. Their adaptable mindset enables them to embrace change and navigate complex challenges effectively.
Competitive Advantage: Organizations that prioritize the development of next-generation talent gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. These individuals possess the skills and knowledge required to leverage emerging technologies and drive organizational success.
Employee Engagement: Providing opportunities for learning and development enhances employee engagement and satisfaction. Next-generation talent is more likely to remain committed to an organization that invests in their growth and development.
Succession Planning: Developing next-generation talent ensures the continuity of leadership within an organization. By identifying and nurturing high-potential individuals, organizations can build a pipeline of future leaders who are well-equipped to guide the organization forward.

In conclusion, the development of next-generation talent is vital for organizations to thrive in an ever-changing world. By implementing strategies that focus on education transformation, upskilling, mentorship, collaboration, and continuous learning, organizations can cultivate a workforce that is adaptable, innovative, and future-ready. Embracing the potential of next-generation talent is key to staying ahead of the curve and shaping a successful future.

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Pay Equity and Transparency: Promoting Fairness in the Workplace

ACG Resources — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 06:00:26 +0000

In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on pay equity and transparency in the workplace. Companies are realizing the importance of fostering an environment where all employees are paid fairly for their work, regardless of their gender, race, or other factors. In this blog post, we will explore why pay equity and transparency are crucial, the benefits they bring, and how organizations can implement them effectively.

The Importance of Pay Equity and Transparency

Promoting fairness: Pay equity ensures that employees receive equal pay for equal work, regardless of their demographic characteristics. It helps eliminate discriminatory practices and ensures that individuals are valued based on their skills, qualifications, and contributions to the organization.
Boosting employee morale and engagement: When employees believe that they are being compensated fairly, it enhances their job satisfaction and motivation. Transparent pay practices build trust and foster a positive work culture, leading to higher levels of engagement and productivity.
Attracting and retaining top talent: Organizations that prioritize pay equity and transparency have a competitive advantage when it comes to attracting and retaining talented individuals. Job seekers are increasingly considering an organization’s commitment to fairness and transparency as a crucial factor in their decision-making process.
Reducing legal risks: By implementing pay equity and transparency practices, companies can mitigate legal risks associated with discrimination claims. Proactive measures in ensuring fair compensation can prevent potential lawsuits and damage to the company’s reputation.

Implementing Pay Equity and Transparency

Conduct pay audits: Regularly review your organization’s pay structure to identify any disparities based on gender, race, or other factors. This involves analyzing compensation data, comparing salaries across different demographics, and addressing any discrepancies found.
Establish clear pay bands and criteria: Define salary ranges for each position and communicate them openly to employees. Clearly outline the criteria used for determining pay levels, such as experience, qualifications, and performance. This ensures transparency and consistency in compensation decisions.
Provide training and education: Educate managers and HR professionals about the importance of pay equity and how to make fair compensation decisions. Implement training programs that address unconscious biases and encourage objective evaluation of employee performance.
Encourage salary negotiation: Promote a culture where employees feel comfortable negotiating their salaries. Provide them with resources and guidance on effective negotiation techniques to empower them to advocate for fair compensation.
Regularly communicate pay policies: Keep employees informed about your organization’s pay policies, including how compensation decisions are made, the criteria used, and any changes implemented. Transparent communication helps build trust and demonstrates a commitment to fairness.

Conclusion

Pay equity and transparency are not just buzzwords; they are essential elements of a fair and inclusive workplace. By implementing these practices, organizations can create an environment that values all employees equally, fosters trust, and attracts top talent.

Pay equity and transparency contribute to higher employee satisfaction, engagement, and productivity while reducing legal risks. It is time for companies to prioritize fair compensation practices and embrace transparency for a more equitable future.

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Embracing Diversity: Unleashing the Power of New Hires and Current Workers

ACG Resources — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 06:00:15 +0000

Introduction:
In a world that celebrates individuality, the workplace is no exception. The concept of diversity has moved beyond being a buzzword; it has become an integral part of building thriving organizations. Today, we delve into the fascinating realm of the diversity of new hires and current workers, exploring how it fosters innovation, encourages personal growth, and propels businesses toward success. Join us as we uncover the transformative power of diversity that transcends traditional boundaries.

Cultivating a Tapestry of Perspectives:

When organizations prioritize diversity in their new hires, they open the door to fresh perspectives that breathe life into decision-making processes. Each individual brings a wealth of unique experiences, backgrounds, and skills to the table. Whether it’s a recent graduate with a fresh outlook or a seasoned professional with years of industry expertise, the amalgamation of varied perspectives nurtures an environment primed for innovation. By embracing diverse talents, organizations can tap into a wellspring of creativity and forward-thinking ideas.

Fueling Collaboration and Synergy:

Diversity extends far beyond the realm of new hires. It encompasses the vibrant tapestry of current workers within an organization. When individuals from different walks of life come together, they create a melting pot of ideas and insights. Collaborative efforts draw upon the diverse strengths and perspectives of team members, enabling them to tackle complex challenges with a broader lens. Through shared experiences and collective intelligence, teams achieve synergy, elevating their performance to new heights.

Enhancing Adaptability and Resilience:

A workforce that embraces diversity is inherently adaptable and resilient. In a rapidly evolving world, the ability to navigate change becomes paramount. When employees with diverse backgrounds and skill sets come together, they bring with them a myriad of problem-solving approaches and adaptability. This amalgamation of strengths allows organizations to weather storms, pivot with agility, and embrace new opportunities.

Boosting Employee Engagement and Satisfaction:

Diversity is not merely a numbers game; it is about fostering an inclusive environment where each individual feels valued and heard. When organizations prioritize diversity, employees feel a sense of belonging, leading to increased engagement and job satisfaction. Employees thrive when they can bring their authentic selves to work, free from the fear of bias or discrimination. This, in turn, fosters a positive culture that attracts and retains top talent, driving organizational success.

Conclusion:
The diversity of new hires and current workers has the power to transform organizations from within. By embracing diverse perspectives, organizations nurture innovation, foster collaboration, enhance adaptability, and boost employee engagement. The benefits ripple throughout the organization, creating a vibrant ecosystem that thrives on unique strengths and experiences. As we move forward, let us continue championing diversity as a catalyst for growth, unleashing the true potential of individuals and organizations alike.

Sources:

Novo Resume: Diversity in the Workplace
Harvard Business Review: How Diversity Makes Us Smarter

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Talent Acquisition and Retention: Strategies for Building a Strong Workforce

ACG Resources — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 06:00:21 +0000

Introduction: In today’s competitive job market, attracting and retaining top talent has become a major concern for organizations. Talent acquisition refers to the process of identifying and recruiting skilled individuals, while talent retention focuses on keeping these valuable employees engaged and satisfied within the company. In this blog post, we will explore various strategies that organizations can implement to enhance their talent acquisition and retention efforts.

Design Competitive Compensation and Benefits Packages: One of the most effective ways to attract and retain talented employees is by offering competitive compensation and benefits packages. This includes providing salaries that are in line with industry standards, as well as additional perks such as healthcare plans, retirement benefits, and flexible work arrangements. By offering attractive incentives, organizations can create a compelling value proposition for potential candidates, and ensure that existing employees feel valued and appreciated.
Foster a Positive Work Environment: A positive work environment plays a crucial role in talent retention. Employees who feel supported and happy in their workplace are more likely to stay with the company for the long term. Organizations can foster a positive work environment by promoting open communication, recognizing and rewarding employee achievements, and providing opportunities for personal and professional growth. Additionally, creating a culture of inclusivity and diversity can further enhance employee satisfaction and retention.
Provide Learning and Development Opportunities: Investing in the learning and development of employees is not only beneficial for their individual growth but also for the organization as a whole. By offering continuous learning opportunities, organizations can show their commitment to employee development and career advancement. This can be achieved through training programs, mentorship initiatives, and access to educational resources. Providing employees with the chance to enhance their skills and knowledge not only increases their loyalty but also boosts overall productivity and performance.
Streamline the Recruitment Process: The recruitment process plays a vital role in talent acquisition. To attract the right candidates, organizations should streamline their recruitment process by clearly defining job descriptions, leveraging technology for efficient candidate sourcing and screening, and conducting comprehensive interviews. A streamlined recruitment process ensures that organizations are able to identify and hire individuals who align with their values and goals, increasing the chances of long-term engagement and retention.
Emphasize Employee Engagement and Well-being: Employee engagement is a critical factor in talent retention. Organizations should focus on creating a culture that encourages employee engagement through team-building activities, internal communication platforms, and opportunities for collaboration. Additionally, promoting employee well-being through wellness programs, work-life balance initiatives, and mental health support can contribute to higher job satisfaction and reduce turnover rates.

Conclusion: Talent acquisition and retention are essential components of building a strong and thriving workforce. By implementing strategies such as designing competitive compensation packages, fostering a positive work environment, providing learning and development opportunities, streamlining the recruitment process, and emphasizing employee engagement and well-being, organizations can attract and retain top talent. Prioritizing talent acquisition and retention not only ensures a skilled workforce but also contributes to overall business success.

Sources:

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Retaining Talent with a Better Employee Experience: A Strategic Approach

ACG Resources — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 15:47:29 +0000

In the competitive business landscape of today, organizations are increasingly recognizing the vital role that a positive employee experience plays in attracting and retaining top talent. It’s no longer just about the paycheck at the end of the month; employees seek meaningful work, growth opportunities, and a supportive work environment. Here’s how focusing on providing a better employee experience can help in retaining talent.

The Importance of Employee Experience

Employee experience is a broad concept encompassing everything an employee perceives, feels, and experiences throughout their journey within an organization, from recruitment to exit. It includes elements like the workplace environment, company culture, learning, and development opportunities, and the tools and technologies they use.

A positive employee experience leads to higher job satisfaction, improved performance, and increased loyalty. According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, companies that invest in employee experience are four times more profitable than those that don’t.

How to Improve Employee Experience

Improving the employee experience requires a strategic and holistic approach. Here are some strategies organizations can adopt:

1. Foster a Positive Company Culture

Company culture is the backbone of the employee experience. A positive company culture that values transparency, inclusivity, and collaboration can make employees feel valued and engaged. Leaders should lead by example and uphold these values in their actions.

2. Invest in Learning and Development

Employees want to grow and develop their skills. Offering learning and development opportunities not only helps in upskilling employees but also shows them that the organization is invested in their career growth. This can include mentoring programs, online courses, or workshops.

3. Prioritize Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is critical for employee well-being and job satisfaction. Organizations should offer flexible working hours, and remote work options, and ensure employees are not overworked. Encouraging employees to take time off for relaxation can also contribute to a better work-life balance.

4. Provide the Right Tools and Technology

The right tools and technology can greatly enhance the employee experience by making work easier and more efficient. This could range from collaboration tools for remote teams to HR software that simplifies administrative tasks.

5. Regular Feedback and Recognition

Regular feedback and recognition make employees feel appreciated for their efforts. This can be done through performance reviews, peer recognition programs, or simply a word of appreciation from a manager.

Retaining top talent is crucial for an organization’s success, and providing a better employee experience is key to achieving this. By focusing on these strategies, organizations can create an environment where employees feel valued, engaged, and motivated to do their best work, ultimately leading to higher retention rates.

Footnotes

Harvard Business Review

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Focusing on Employee Health and Well-being

ACG Resources — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 15:46:45 +0000

In today’s fast-paced and high-stress work environment, maintaining employee health and well-being is more important than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic has further emphasized the need for businesses to prioritize employee wellness as part of their overall strategy. This blog post will delve into why focusing on employee health and well-being is crucial, and how organizations can implement effective strategies to promote this.

The Importance of Employee Health and Well-being

Employee health and well-being are not just about avoiding illness. It’s about fostering a work culture that promotes physical and mental health, leading to increased productivity, engagement, and employee satisfaction. Healthy employees tend to be happier, more engaged, and more productive, which directly contributes to the success of an organization. Moreover, companies that prioritize employee health and well-being often see lower turnover rates, reduced healthcare costs, and improved company reputation.

Implementing Effective Wellness Programs

Creating a successful wellness program involves more than just offering gym memberships or healthy snacks in the break room. It requires a holistic approach that addresses multiple aspects of health and well-being. Here are some strategies that organizations can adopt:

Flexible Work Arrangements: Flexibility helps employees maintain a healthy work-life balance, reducing stress and burnout. This could include options for remote work, flexible hours, or job-sharing arrangements.
Mental Health Support: Providing access to mental health resources, like counseling services or mindfulness apps, can help employees manage stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
Physical Health Initiatives: Encourage physical activity with office fitness challenges, subsidized gym memberships, or onsite fitness classes. Regular health check-ups, flu shots, and ergonomic assessments can also promote physical health.
Healthy Eating Options: Consider providing healthy food options in the workplace, or partnering with a local meal delivery service to offer discounts to employees.
Education and Awareness: Regular workshops, seminars, or newsletters about health and wellness topics can help employees make informed decisions about their health.

The Role of Leadership

Leaders play a critical role in promoting employee health and well-being. By demonstrating a commitment to their own health and well-being, leaders can set a positive example for their teams. Further, leaders should actively promote wellness initiatives, and ensure that employees feel comfortable taking advantage of these programs without fear of judgment or negative repercussions.

Conclusion

Fostering a workplace that prioritizes employee health and well-being is not just good for individuals; it’s good for business. By implementing robust wellness programs and creating a culture that values health, organizations can improve employee satisfaction, productivity, and overall company performance. It’s time to make employee health and well-being a top priority.

Remember, a healthy team is a happy team, and a happy team is a productive one!

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Overcoming Challenges in HR in 2023: Navigating the Future of Work

Challenge 5: Employee Retention

In the age of the ‘Great Resignation,’ retaining top talent is more challenging than ever. Employees today seek more than just a paycheck—they want meaningful work, growth opportunities, and a healthy work-life balance.

Strategy:

To retain employees, organizations need to offer competitive compensation packages, career advancement opportunities, and a positive work environment. Regular feedback and recognition can also go a long way in boosting employee satisfaction and loyalty.

Navigating the HR landscape in 2023 is certainly challenging, but by adopting proactive strategies and leveraging technology, HR professionals can turn these challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation. The future of work is here, and the role of HR has never been more critical.

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Pushing Ahead with DEIB Programs: A Stride Towards Inclusion

ACG Resources — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 15:45:30 +0000

In today’s diverse and evolving world, it is more important than ever for organizations to prioritize Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) programs. These initiatives are not just about ticking a box for corporate social responsibility; they are about creating environments where everyone is valued, respected, and able to reach their full potential. Here’s why pushing ahead with DEIB programs is crucial for businesses and how they can progress in this direction.

The Importance of DEIB Programs

DEIB programs are vital because they embrace diversity and create opportunities for all individuals, regardless of race, religion, gender, age, or disability status. They ensure that every employee is treated fairly and has equal access to opportunities within the organization.

Moreover, these programs foster a sense of belonging among employees. When people feel included and valued, they are more likely to be engaged, productive, and loyal to the company. This not only boosts the morale of employees but also positively impacts the bottom line.

Research from McKinsey & Company indicates that companies with more diverse workforces perform better financially. Companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians1.

Implementing Effective DEIB Programs

Implementing DEIB programs requires a strategic approach. Here are some steps organizations can take:

1. Leadership Commitment

Leadership commitment is the first step toward implementing successful DEIB programs. Leaders should visibly support and incorporate these initiatives into the company’s core values and mission. This includes setting clear goals and holding themselves accountable for achieving them.

2. Employee Training

Regular training sessions can help employees understand the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Training should focus on unconscious bias, cultural competency, and inclusive communication.

3. Diverse Hiring Practices

Organizations should strive for diverse representation at all levels by incorporating inclusive hiring practices. This includes using diverse recruitment channels and ensuring that job descriptions and requirements do not exclude any particular group.

4. Regular Assessments

Companies should regularly assess their DEIB efforts and make necessary adjustments based on feedback and results. This includes conducting employee surveys, tracking diversity metrics, and analyzing the impact of DEIB initiatives on business outcomes.

Pushing ahead with DEIB programs is not just the right thing to do; it’s good for business. By fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and included, companies can drive innovation, improve performance, and attract top talent. It’s time for organizations to make DEIB programs a priority and pave the way for a more inclusive future.

Footnotes

McKinsey & Company

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Investing in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Pathway to Success

ACG Resources — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 12:00:16 +0000

In today’s rapidly changing world, organizations are recognizing the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as key drivers of success. Companies that prioritize DEI initiatives not only create a more inclusive work environment but also reap the benefits of increased innovation, productivity, and profitability.

Diversity encompasses a variety of dimensions, such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, and disability. Equity refers to ensuring everyone has equal access to opportunities and resources, regardless of their background. Inclusion entails fostering an environment where every individual feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.

Investing in DEI is not just a moral imperative; it makes good business sense. Research consistently shows that diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones. A McKinsey study found that companies with higher gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to experience above-average profitability. Similarly, organizations with ethnically diverse executive teams were 36% more likely to outperform their industry peers. These statistics highlight the positive correlation between diversity and financial performance.

Moreover, diverse teams bring a wider range of perspectives, experiences, and ideas to the table. This diversity of thought fosters creativity and innovation, enabling organizations to adapt to changing market dynamics and solve complex problems more effectively. By embracing diversity, companies can tap into untapped talent pools, attract top-tier candidates, and enhance their reputation as an inclusive employers.

Investing in DEI initiatives goes beyond just hiring diverse employees; it requires creating an inclusive culture where all individuals can thrive. This involves providing training and development programs to foster cultural competence and empathy among employees. Companies can establish mentorship programs, affinity groups, and employee resource networks to provide support and create a sense of belonging.

Organizations should also implement equitable policies and practices that ensure fair representation and advancement opportunities for underrepresented groups. This includes conducting pay equity audits, removing biases from performance evaluation processes, and promoting diverse candidates to leadership positions. By addressing systemic barriers and fostering an inclusive environment, companies can unlock the full potential of their workforce.

To effectively invest in DEI, companies should start by conducting a thorough assessment of their current state. This involves collecting demographic data, conducting employee surveys, and analyzing existing policies and practices. Based on these findings, organizations can develop a tailored DEI strategy with specific goals, action plans, and metrics to track progress.

It’s important to note that investing in DEI is an ongoing journey rather than a one-time initiative. Companies must continuously assess and refine their strategies to ensure long-term impact. Regular communication and transparency are key to engaging employees and building trust.

In conclusion, investing in diversity, equity, and inclusion is not only the right thing to do, but it also drives business success. By creating a more inclusive work environment, organizations can unlock the full potential of their employees, foster innovation, and gain a competitive edge. As we navigate the challenges and opportunities of the future, embracing DEI is a crucial step toward building a more equitable and prosperous society.

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Retention Through Employee Engagement: The Key to Long-Term Success

ACG Resources — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 12:00:54 +0000

Employee retention is a critical factor for the success of any organization. High turnover rates can be costly, disrupt team dynamics, and hinder productivity. To address this challenge, companies must focus on fostering employee engagement, as it plays a crucial role in retaining top talent and creating a positive work environment.

Employee engagement refers to the level of commitment, passion, and enthusiasm employees have toward their work and their organization. Engaged employees are more likely to go above and beyond, contribute innovative ideas, and stay loyal to their employers. According to Gallup, companies with highly engaged employees experience 21% higher profitability.

So, how can organizations cultivate employee engagement and improve retention rates? Here are some key strategies to consider:

Effective Communication: Communication is the foundation of engagement. Encourage open and transparent communication channels, both top-down and bottom-up. Regularly inform employees about company updates, goals, and achievements. Actively listen to their feedback, suggestions, and concerns, and take appropriate action. When employees feel heard and valued, they are more likely to remain engaged and committed.
Meaningful Work: Employees want to feel that their work has purpose and meaning. Clearly communicate how their individual contributions align with the organization’s goals and objectives. Provide opportunities for employees to work on projects that align with their interests and strengths. Allow autonomy and decision-making authority whenever possible. When employees find their work meaningful, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated.
Recognition and Rewards: Recognizing and rewarding employees’ efforts and achievements is essential for engagement and retention. Implement a robust recognition program that acknowledges individual and team accomplishments. This can include verbal praise, public recognition, bonuses, promotions, or other tangible rewards. Celebrating milestones and achievements creates a culture of appreciation and motivates employees to continue performing at their best.
Professional Development: Invest in the growth and development of your employees. Provide opportunities for training, skill-building, and career advancement. Offer mentorship programs, coaching sessions, or educational resources. When employees see a clear path for growth within the organization, they are more likely to remain engaged and committed for the long term.
Work-Life Balance: Promote work-life balance by offering flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options or flexible scheduling. Encourage employees to take breaks, vacations, and personal time off to recharge. Create policies that support work-life integration, allowing employees to fulfill their personal obligations without sacrificing their professional responsibilities. When employees have a healthy work-life balance, they are more likely to feel satisfied, motivated, and engaged.
Employee Well-being: Prioritize the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of your employees. Offer wellness programs, and access to mental health resources, and promote a supportive work environment. Foster a culture that values work-life harmony, provides adequate support during challenging times, and encourages self-care. When employees feel supported and cared for, they are more likely to be engaged and loyal.
Leadership Support: Engaged leadership is crucial for employee engagement and retention. Leaders should lead by example, demonstrate enthusiasm for their work, and actively engage with their teams. Provide regular feedback, guidance, and recognition to employees. Support their professional development and provide opportunities for growth. When employees see that leaders genuinely care about their success and well-being, they are more likely to remain engaged and committed.

In conclusion, employee engagement is a powerful tool for improving retention rates and creating a positive work environment. By prioritizing effective communication, meaningful work, recognition, professional development, work-life balance, employee well-being, and leadership support, organizations can cultivate a highly engaged workforce that remains loyal and dedicated. Retention through employee engagement is not only beneficial for the individuals but also for the long-term success and growth of the organization.

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Upskilling and Employee Development: Unlocking Potential for Success

ACG Resources — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 12:00:34 +0000

In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, upskilling and employee development have become essential strategies for organizations to thrive. With technology advancements, evolving market demands, and the need for agility, companies must prioritize continuous learning and growth to stay competitive. Upskilling refers to acquiring new skills or enhancing existing ones, and employee development plays a crucial role in unlocking the potential of both individuals and organizations.

So, why should companies invest in upskilling and employee development, and how can they effectively implement these strategies? Let’s delve into the benefits and key approaches:

The Benefits of Upskilling and Employee Development

1. Enhanced Performance: Upskilling equips employees with the knowledge and tools to adapt to evolving job requirements. By investing in their development, organizations can improve employee performance, productivity, and efficiency.

2. Increased Engagement: Providing opportunities for learning and growth demonstrates that the organization values its employees’ professional development. Engaged employees are more motivated, committed, and likely to stay with the company long-term.

3. Retention and Talent Attraction: Employees who see a clear path for advancement and skill development are more likely to stay with the organization. Furthermore, organizations that prioritize upskilling and employee development have a competitive advantage in attracting top talent.

4. Adaptability and Innovation: Upskilling enables employees to stay abreast of industry trends, technological advancements, and best practices. This positions organizations to adapt to changing market demands, embrace innovation, and seize new opportunities.

5. Positive Company Culture: Fostering a culture of learning and growth creates a positive work environment. It encourages open communication, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing, fostering continuous improvement and teamwork.

Effective Approaches to Upskilling and Employee Development
1. Identify Skill Gaps: Conduct a thorough assessment to identify existing skill gaps within the organization. This evaluation can help determine the specific areas where upskilling is needed to align with business goals and objectives.

2. Tailor Learning Programs: Develop targeted training programs that address identified skill gaps. Utilize a mix of internal resources, external training providers, workshops, seminars, online courses, and mentoring programs. Offer a variety of learning formats to accommodate different learning styles.

3. Encourage Self-Development: Empower employees to take ownership of their professional growth. Provide access to learning resources, encourage self-paced learning, and support employees in setting personal development goals. Foster a culture that values continuous learning and curiosity.

4. Provide Opportunities for Application: Create opportunities for employees to apply newly acquired skills in real-world scenarios. Encourage cross-functional projects, rotations, or stretch assignments that challenge employees and allow them to practice and enhance their skills.

5. Foster a Learning Culture: Leadership plays a crucial role in cultivating a learning culture. Lead by example by investing in your own development and openly discussing the importance of upskilling. Promote knowledge-sharing, provide regular feedback, and recognize and reward employees’ efforts toward learning and development.

6. Measure and Evaluate: Establish key metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of upskilling and employee development initiatives. Monitor progress, solicit feedback from employees, and make necessary adjustments to ensure continuous improvement.

By investing in upskilling and employee development, organizations can unlock the full potential of their workforce and stay ahead in an ever-evolving business landscape. The benefits of enhanced performance, increased engagement, retention, adaptability, innovation, and a positive company culture are invaluable assets in achieving long-term success.

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Building Company Culture Through Employee Well-being: A Recipe for Success

ACG Resources — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 12:00:43 +0000

In today’s fast-paced and demanding work environment, organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of prioritizing employee well-being as a means to build a thriving company culture. By investing in the physical, mental, and emotional health of their employees, companies can create a positive and supportive work environment that fosters engagement, productivity, and loyalty.

Employee well-being encompasses a holistic approach that addresses various aspects of an individual’s life, both within and outside of work. It goes beyond traditional wellness programs by considering factors such as work-life balance, stress management, access to resources for personal growth, and support for mental health.

The benefits of focusing on employee well-being are far-reaching. Research consistently shows that employees who feel supported and valued are more engaged, motivated, and productive. They are also less likely to experience burnout, absenteeism, or turnover. In fact, a study conducted by Gallup found that highly engaged teams outperform their less engaged counterparts by 21% in profitability.

So, how can organizations prioritize employee well-being and build a company culture that supports it? Here are a few key strategies:

1. Promote Work-Life Balance: Encourage employees to maintain a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives. Offer flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options or flexible scheduling, that allow employees to meet their personal obligations while still fulfilling their work responsibilities.

2. Provide Mental Health Support: Recognize the impact of mental health on overall well-being and create a safe and supportive space for employees to address their mental health needs. This can include providing access to counseling services, offering mental health resources and training, and promoting a culture that destigmatizes mental health issues.

3. Foster a Positive Work Environment: Create a culture where respect, collaboration, and appreciation are valued. Encourage open communication, provide opportunities for feedback and recognition, and ensure that employees feel heard and valued for their contributions.

4. Invest in Employee Development: Support the growth and development of employees by providing opportunities for learning and advancement. Offer training programs, mentorship opportunities, and continuous feedback to help employees reach their full potential and feel fulfilled in their roles.

5. Prioritize Physical Well-being: Promote a healthy lifestyle by offering wellness programs, fitness activities, and resources to support physical health. Encourage regular breaks, provide ergonomic workstations, and promote healthy habits such as exercise, healthy eating, and stress management.

6. Lead by Example: Building a culture of well-being starts at the top. Leaders should actively demonstrate and prioritize their own well-being and encourage their teams to do the same. This includes setting boundaries, taking time off, and fostering a supportive work environment for all employees.

By implementing these strategies, organizations can create a positive feedback loop where employee well-being fuels a thriving company culture, and in turn, a thriving company culture reinforces employee well-being. It becomes a cycle of support, engagement, and growth.

In conclusion, building a company culture that prioritizes employee well-being is not only beneficial for the individuals but also for the overall success of the organization. By investing in employee well-being, companies can foster a positive work environment, boost productivity, increase employee engagement, and cultivate a loyal and motivated workforce. In today’s competitive landscape, it is essential for companies to recognize that an investment in employee well-being is an investment in their own long-term success.

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Technology-Driven Recruitment: Navigating the Digital Landscape

ACG Resources — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 06:00:41 +0000

The world of recruitment has undergone a rapid transformation in recent years, with technology playing an increasingly central role in the hiring process. From applicant tracking systems to social media recruitment campaigns, technology has revolutionized the way companies identify, attract, and evaluate potential candidates.

While technology-driven recruitment can be highly effective, it also presents a number of challenges. Hiring managers must navigate a crowded and ever-changing digital landscape, balancing the use of cutting-edge tools with a more personal and human touch.

To succeed in this environment, companies must embrace a strategic and data-driven approach to recruitment. This involves leveraging technology to identify top talent, while also investing in personal relationships and building a robust employer brand.

One effective way to use technology in recruitment is through the use of applicant tracking systems (ATS). These systems allow companies to automate many of the more administrative tasks involved in recruitment, such as resume screening and scheduling interviews, allowing recruiters to focus on more value-added tasks.

Social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter also offer powerful tools for reaching potential candidates. Companies can use these platforms to post job openings, engage with candidates, and build their employer brand.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is another technology that is becoming increasingly popular in recruitment. AI-powered tools can help identify top candidates based on skills, experience, and other factors, allowing recruiters to focus their time and efforts on the most promising candidates.

While technology is undoubtedly changing the face of recruitment, it is important that companies do not lose sight of the importance of the human touch. Building personal relationships with candidates and providing a positive candidate experience can go a long way in building a strong employer brand and attracting top talent.

Ultimately, the key to success in technology-driven recruitment is to strike a balance between the use of cutting-edge tools and a more personal and human touch. By embracing a strategic and data-driven approach to recruitment, companies can find and attract the best talent, driving long-term success and growth.

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Soft Skills: The Key to Career Success

ACG Resources — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 06:00:34 +0000

In an era of rapid technological change and increasing automation, it is easy to become fixated on the technical skills and hard knowledge that are required to succeed in one’s career. However, while technical proficiency is certainly important, it is often the soft skills that determine long-term career success.

Soft skills refer to a broad set of interpersonal skills and abilities that are essential for success in any workplace. These skills include communication, collaboration, leadership, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, and adaptability, among others.
While hard skills are required to carry out specific tasks and functions, it is the ability to work effectively with others that distinguish high-performing employees. Research has shown that employees with strong soft skills are more likely to be promoted, earn higher salaries, and achieve greater job satisfaction than their peers.

So why are soft skills so critical to career success? For starters, they enable individuals to build stronger relationships with colleagues, clients, and customers. Strong communication skills facilitate positive interactions, while emotional intelligence helps individuals navigate complex dynamics and build trust. Collaboration skills enable teams to work more effectively together, while leadership skills facilitate the successful management of teams and projects.

Soft skills also enable individuals to be more adaptable and resilient in the face of change. In today’s fast-paced business environment, the ability to pivot and adapt quickly is critical for success. Soft skills such as problem-solving, creativity, and adaptability allow individuals to navigate new challenges and opportunities with confidence and success.

So how can you develop your soft skills? Start by identifying areas for improvement, seeking feedback from colleagues and mentors, and investing in ongoing learning and development opportunities. This may involve taking courses or workshops, attending conferences or seminars, or working with a professional coach or mentor.

By prioritizing the development of soft skills, individuals can unlock their full potential, achieve greater career success, and contribute to a more productive and positive work environment. Employers can also benefit from prioritizing soft skill development, as employees with strong soft skills are better equipped to drive innovation and growth, leading to improved outcomes for both the business and its employees.

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HR Digitization: What You Need to Know

ACG Resources — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 12:00:57 +0000

The digital transformation of Human Resources (HR) is one of the most significant changes affecting organizations today. HR digitization is the process of changing operational HR processes to become automated and data-driven, allowing companies to work more efficiently and save time.

There are a few key steps in successful HR digitization. The first step is digitization, which involves the conversion of paper documents into digital formats. This allows for easier storage and access to important information such as employee records and payroll data. The second step is digitalization, which takes things a step further by introducing new technologies such as cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS). These technologies allow for faster processing times and better collaboration between departments. Finally, HR leaders must focus on developing strategies that will ensure their organization’s success in this new digital world.

Leadership plays an important role in driving successful HR digitization initiatives. Leaders must be willing to invest in training their teams on how to use new technologies and understand the implications of these changes on their organization’s culture and processes. They should also be open to feedback from employees about what works best for them when it comes to using technology in their daily tasks.

In addition, HR leaders need to create an environment that encourages innovation and collaboration among teams. This means providing employees with the tools they need to succeed, such as access to data analytics tools or online collaboration platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams. It also means creating an organizational culture that values experimentation and rewards risk-taking behavior so that employees feel comfortable trying out new ideas without fear of failure or retribution.

Finally, it’s important for organizations to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in technology so they can take advantage of emerging opportunities before their competitors do. By investing in research and development efforts, companies can stay ahead of the curve when it comes to implementing new technologies into their operations.

Overall, HR digitization is an essential part of any modern organization’s success story. By understanding its importance, investing in leadership training, creating an environment that encourages innovation, staying up-to-date with trends in technology, and developing effective strategies for implementation; organizations can ensure they are well-prepared for whatever challenges come their way in this ever-evolving digital world we live in today!

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Navigating the New Normal: The Rise of Remote and Hybrid Work

ACG Resources — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 12:00:02 +0000

The world of work has been irrevocably transformed by the advent of remote and hybrid work models. Once considered a perk or an exception, these work structures have now become a mainstay in many organizations, largely accelerated by the global pandemic. This shift not only alters where we work but also redefines how we work, fostering a re-evaluation of conventional work practices and paradigms.

Remote work refers to a format where employees operate outside of a traditional office setting, often from their homes. In contrast, a hybrid work model combines remote and in-office work, providing employees with the flexibility to work from various locations depending on their tasks, needs, and preferences.

The rise of remote and hybrid work brings numerous benefits. For employees, it offers increased flexibility, eliminates commuting time, and can contribute to a healthier work-life balance. For employers, it can result in cost savings, access to a wider talent pool, and potentially increased productivity.

However, this significant change also presents its own set of challenges. These include maintaining clear communication, ensuring employee engagement and well-being, cultivating a robust company culture, and managing performance remotely.

To successfully navigate these challenges, organizations must adopt new strategies and tools. Clear, regular communication is paramount to ensure alignment and connection among team members. This can be facilitated by using a range of digital tools like video conferencing platforms, project management software, and instant messaging apps.

Employee engagement and well-being should also be top priorities. This can be achieved by offering resources for physical and mental health, creating opportunities for social interaction, and encouraging a balanced work-life dynamic. It’s crucial for managers to be trained on how to support their teams remotely and recognize signs of burnout or disengagement.

Building a strong company culture in a remote or hybrid work environment requires intentional effort. Organizations should strive to foster a sense of belonging and instill their values and mission among their employees, regardless of their physical location.

Lastly, performance management in a remote or hybrid work setting should focus more on outcomes rather than hours worked. Managers should set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, and recognize and reward achievements.

In conclusion, while the shift to remote and hybrid work presents its own set of challenges, it also offers enormous potential for organizations willing to adapt and evolve. By embracing this new way of working and investing in strategies and tools to support their employees, organizations can not only survive the changing landscape but thrive in the future of work.

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Talent Shortages and Upskilling

ACG Resources — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 06:00:10 +0000

In today’s ever-changing technological landscape, highly skilled workers are becoming increasingly scarce. This shortage has resulted in companies struggling to find qualified candidates to fill key positions.

One way companies can address this issue is by investing in upskilling. Upskilling refers to the process of teaching employees new skills or enhancing their existing ones. This approach gives current employees the opportunity to develop new skills that are essential in today’s modern business environment, and it also helps to close skills gaps.

Despite the clear benefits of upskilling, many companies have been slow to invest in employee training programs. This reluctance to invest in training is often due to concerns about the cost of training, the time taken away from productive work, and the possibility of employees leaving once they have gained new skills.

However, these concerns can be addressed by taking a long-term approach to upskilling. By investing in employee training, companies can create a culture of continuous learning that can help fuel their growth. They can also reduce their reliance on external hires, saving money on recruitment and retraining.

Another way companies can address talent shortages is by broadening their recruitment efforts. Rather than focusing solely on university graduates, they may consider hiring candidates with a wider range of educational backgrounds and levels of experience, and then invest in upskilling to help these employees excel in their new roles.

In conclusion, companies must bridge the talent gap by investing in upskilling and exploring alternative recruitment strategies. By doing so, they can ensure that they have the skilled workforce necessary to thrive in an ever-changing business environment.

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The Best Cybersecurity Solutions

ACG Resources — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 06:00:22 +0000

The importance of cybersecurity is expected by business leaders and experts to be going nowhere but up. Research and surveys on the topic reveal a 26% rise in ransomware attacks, 88% of companies experiencing some form of email spoofing, and a majority of organizations being subject to social engineering attacks. The continued proliferation of the Internet can make life easier but it also makes security a growing concern. The tool(s) a company uses to protect itself from attacks/threats is extremely important because the consequences are very real and severe. This article will highlight the best cybersecurity solutions available today.

SolarWinds is a network and host intrusion detection system that performs real-time monitoring, responding, and reporting of security threats. It is a scalable solution and cloud-based which are two of the reasons it has become so widely adopted by companies across many industries (and even agencies within federal, state, and local governments).

Acunetix stands out from the crowd because it can be installed on premise in addition to having a cloud solution available. Acunetix is specialized for securing websites, web applications, and APIs. It can be configured for both incremental as well as full scans via an intuitive, lightning-fast console. Acunetix has a high level of integration with other cybersecurity solutions.

SanerNow provides an advanced vulnerability management solution that helps achieve compliance with various requirements for cyber attack prevention. It integrates vulnerability assessment with instant remediation via one stylish console. It can also scan for misconfigurations with application settings, in an automated fashion. It is designed to help with patch management and help reduce the attack surface that can be utilized by security threats.

Invicti can help developers make sure applications, and their underlying code, are secure before they are even deployed and available to customers and clients. This product is typically geared toward large companies that generate a lot of code for various applications during a standard SDLC. It combines signature-based and behavior-based testing features. Invicti helps companies have complete visibility into their web apps so that they can know for sure they are doing everything possible to reduce risk of compromise.

Perimeter 81 is a cybersecurity solution that focuses on network security (instead of host security). It has an impressive array of features and tools to keep companies safe such as device security posture checking, web filtering, and multi-factor authentication. It secures network traffic across all environments via a firewall as a service.

While these are some of the best cybersecurity tools available today, cybersecurity experts wonder what the tools will look like in the near future as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more integrated into such tools.

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Purpose-Driven Work and Workplace: Why More Companies Are Making The Shift

ACG Resources — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 06:00:32 +0000

Gone are the days when employees were content with a paycheck as the sole motivator for their work. Today, employees are seeking something more – a sense of purpose. As a result, companies are beginning to shift their focus to purpose-driven work and workplace culture.

But what does it mean to have a purpose-driven workplace? Simply put, it means having a company mission and values that go beyond profit-making, and a workplace culture that prioritizes employees’ well-being. It’s about creating a work environment where employees feel like they are making a difference and their work has a positive impact on the world.

So why should companies shift towards a purpose-driven workplace?

Firstly, it’s a great way to attract and retain top talent. Employees are likelier to stay with a company that aligns with their values and offers them a sense of purpose. By creating a workplace that values purpose-driven work, companies can attract the best talent and keep them engaged and motivated.

Secondly, purpose-driven work can lead to increased employee productivity and satisfaction. When employees understand how their work contributes to the company’s mission and values, they are more likely to be invested in their work and take pride in what they do. This can lead to employees feeling more fulfilled and satisfied with their work, which can lead to increased productivity.

Thirdly, purpose-driven work can have a positive impact on the bottom line. Companies that prioritize purpose-driven work often see increased customer loyalty and trust, which can lead to increased revenue. Additionally, purpose-driven companies often have a positive reputation in the community, which can lead to increased business opportunities and partnerships.

So how can companies create a purpose-driven workplace?

It starts with having a clear mission and values that go beyond profit-making. Companies should communicate their mission and values to their employees and ensure they are integrated into every aspect of the company culture.

Additionally, companies should prioritize employee well-being, offering benefits and resources that support mental and physical health. This can include flexible work arrangements, mental health resources, and opportunities for professional development.

Finally, companies should empower their employees to be a part of the purpose-driven mission. This can include offering time for volunteering or charity work or allowing employees to voice their ideas and opinions on how the company can better align with its values.

In conclusion, purpose-driven work and workplace culture is becoming increasingly important in today’s workforce. By creating a workplace that values purpose-driven work, companies can attract top talent, increase employee productivity and satisfaction, and have a positive impact on the bottom line. It’s time for companies to shift their focus to creating purpose-driven work environments that prioritize their employees’ well-being and make a positive impact on the world.

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Addressing Workplace Burnout And Mental Health Challenges

ACG Resources — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 12:00:49 +0000

Workplace burnout and mental health challenges are real issues for millions of workers around the world. The fast-paced, competitive, and demanding nature of many workplaces can lead to exhaustion, burnout, and even serious mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. However, with the right strategies and support in place, it is possible to mitigate these risks and create a healthier, happier, and more productive workplace for everyone.

So, what can be done to address workplace burnout and mental health challenges?

Recognition and Prevention

Recognizing workplace burnout and mental health challenges is the first step in addressing them. Employers need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of burnout and mental health problems, including reduced productivity, lack of motivation, irritability, fatigue, and even physical symptoms such as headaches and digestive issues. To prevent burnout and mental health challenges, employers can implement strategies such as flexible working hours, regular breaks, and stress-reducing activities such as mindfulness and exercise.

Support and Resources

Support and resources are essential for employees who are experiencing workplace burnout and mental health challenges. Employers can provide support through access to counseling services, health and wellness programs, and employee assistance programs (EAPs). EAPs offer confidential counseling services, referrals to mental health professionals, and resources for stress management and self-care.

Communication and Feedback

Effective communication and feedback are essential for addressing workplace burnout and mental health challenges. Employers must create a culture where employees feel comfortable discussing their mental health and well-being, without fear of stigma or judgment. Managers and colleagues can provide feedback and support in a constructive and compassionate manner, helping employees to identify and address areas of concern.

Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is crucial for preventing workplace burnout and mental health challenges. Employers can support work-life balance through flexible schedules, remote working options, and clear expectations around time off and vacation. Employees must also take responsibility for their own well-being, ensuring they take regular breaks, prioritize self-care, and seek support when needed.

In conclusion, addressing workplace burnout and mental health challenges is essential for creating a healthy and productive workplace. Employers must recognize the signs and symptoms of burnout and mental health problems, provide support and resources, foster effective communication and feedback, and support work-life balance. By working together, employees and employers can create a healthy, safe, and fulfilling workplace for all.

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What You Need to Know About Upcoming Interest Rates

ACG Resources — Mon, 29 May 2023 06:00:52 +0000

The interest rates of a country set by the government of that country will have a huge impact on the future economic outlook. For the United States, the Federal Reserve is continuing to raise interest rates at stated intervals to combat inflation that has come down from a peak of over 9% but still remains at decades-high. Keep in mind the United States is still extremely integrated to the world economy so what happens there is likely to be felt elsewhere. Because of these factors and more, economists and financial analysts are predicting the following things you need to know about the future.

Some analysts and organizations (such as the IMF) have been caught off guard by how “persistent” inflation has been despite the efforts of governments to fight it, such as steadily increasing interest rates. Budget hawks and some fiscally astute observers have said they are not surprised at the continued high of inflation and consider themselves vindicated when they predicted (in 2020) such events would take place when the federal government started introducing trillions of new dollars into the market via various stimulus and other legislative packages. Unfortunately such high-volume spending not only has the effect of increased inflation now but will strain budgets in the future as servicing that money (borrowed from the future) gets increasingly expensive.

Caught in the middle of the fight between the government and inflation are institutions like banks whereby the extremely rare economic conditions have led to the rare collapse or near collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank (of NY), and Credit Suisse. This increase in risks when it comes to deposits-on-hand, lending money, and more paint a grim look at what the economy overall/worldwide is expected to do for the next 2 years. The US GDP is expected to drop below 1% by the end of 2023 and remain below 2% through the end of 2024.

Some good news is that the interest rates are expected to drop down to pre-COVID levels by the end of 2024. This is welcome news to anyone buying a home, refinancing a home, or taking out a substantial business/capital loan and has had to pay significantly more thanks to the high interest rates. Some financially attuned people have made moves to earn what they can while interest rates are high, such as opening a high-yield savings account or putting their money into a bank CD. Both of these financial instruments are examples of things that are earning more money nowadays than they used to prior to the increased interest rates.

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Should You Invest in New Tools for Your Business?

ACG Resources — Mon, 22 May 2023 06:00:26 +0000

Savvy business owners or high-performing managers are always looking at ways to get work done more efficiently. Small business owners especially have to get creative with the resources at their disposal to compete with larger businesses. Between drafting proposals, managing emails, various levels of administration, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Technological advances have thankfully helped increase productivity astronomically over the past few decades. There are so many technologies available nowadays that many business owners say it has become difficult to sort out which are best for their company. If this sounds like you, this article hopes to help save you some time regarding such decisions by highlighting some tools that are a must for your staffing or recruiting firm.

Customer Relations Management (CRM) software is a vital area where many businesses see big ROI on investments/upgrades. This is because CRM provides a central repository where you can track, manage, and measure all of the ways your internal teams communicate with external customers or stakeholders. For example, it improves the standardization of responses. This is not to say it makes sure everyone communicates with the same, potentially boring, scripts. It means that management can more easily verify communication and coach employees to make sure all communication meets a certain level of quality. CRM software can also, among other features, provide reminders that certain customers haven’t been contacted in a specified period of time.

Taxes are complicated; that’s just a fact. Accountants can be very skilled but every year there are slight changes to the tax code that have big implications for your business, especially if the changes accidentally go unnoticed until filing time/after filing time. High quality accounting software (like QuickBooks) first and foremost incorporate the latest changes to the tax code into its operations. It can also integrate with some other applications that are used on a regular basis that produce numbers or documentation that will ultimately be needed for tax time. Without the integration, a collection of disparate apps enables the possibility something will fall through the cracks due to manual error or miscommunication.

Getting the day-to-day work done more efficiently is a top priority for all businesses and a lot of that comes down to communication and collaboration. The more effective employees are at those 2 things, typically the higher the efficiency of said employees. You can help your employees communicate and collaborate better via software such as Microsoft Office 365. The calendar features built into Outlook, the chat and status notification features of Teams, and the documentation features built into Sharepoint all help facilitate greater communication and collaboration.

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What Challenges Are Staffing and Recruiting Firms Facing Today?

ACG Resources — Mon, 15 May 2023 06:00:31 +0000

Like any other industry, the staffing and recruiting industry regularly faces a variety of challenges: new technologies disrupting workflows, limited supply of qualified talent, additional governmental regulations, etc. The speed at which firms adapt to the challenges has a huge impact on how much money is saved, how fast projects can get started/finished, potential increase in market share, and more. These challenges must be faced alongside systemic challenges of rising interest rates, record-high inflation, and ongoing supply-chain issues. This article will highlight some of the most common challenges reported by staffing and recruiting firms via voluntary surveys and research studies.

The first challenge is that it is a candidate-driven market, which has multiple implications. First, this means that an increasing number of candidates know that there are more open positions than qualified candidates to fill said positions, across just about any industry, so they can be more picky/demanding when it comes to which jobs they will take. Second, because there are also so many different staffing and recruiting firms out there, it means that the same candidates know if they aren’t getting the results they want or the treatment they are looking for at one firm, they can easily find another firm which may do a better job. This puts pressure on firms to provide the best experience for candidates possible.

Next, firms have to become experts on the “new way of doing business” to survive. Technological tools like Indeed or LinkedIn are simply a must have for recruiters in today’s employment marketplace. Owners and executives at firms which began during the era of classified ads and phone call lists must adapt in order to survive. Having a database of contacts via one of the previously mentioned tools is not enough however; firms also need to have tools in place to efficiently qualify said candidates for positions.

Specialization is not going away anytime soon. A key way firms can improve their time-to-hire (a never-ending challenge) is to specialize in a specific industry or sub-section within an industry. Staffing analysts say that specialization increases the chances the firm is going to have more sought after, higher quality candidates. Such candidates don’t need additional investment (certifications, training, etc) to be placed into positions. They are “ready to go” and the more candidates a firm places within a specific field/industry, the more the word will spread that “if you need this type of position filled, contact that firm.”

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The Impact of the Unemployment Rate on the Economy

ACG Resources — Mon, 08 May 2023 12:00:25 +0000

The overall unemployment rate, and its accompanying set of related statistics, is constantly calculated and released by the federal government. The general consensus is that the unemployment rate is a result of a good or bad economy, not a catalyst for either a good or bad economy. It provides insight into an economy’s spare capacity as it pertains to people (not capital). But can the unemployment rate also drive the economy up or down? Economists say that to a certain extent, yes, it can. Here is what you need to know.

In today’s economic climate the word recession keeps getting tossed around, especially by banks and hedge fund managers. They see such factors such as ending of COVID-era government financial assistance, decades-high inflation, and increasing political tensions in various parts of the world as unavoidably leading to a recession in the near future. At the same time, the unemployment rate recently increased in February to 3.5%, 5.9 million persons total.

We won’t know the GDP numbers for Q1 of 2023 for a while longer but when they come out it will shed a lot of light on the unemployment rate’s impact. If the Q1 GDP of 2023 is lower than the Q4 GDP of 2022 (2.6%) then an argument could be made that the increasing unemployment rate had an impact on driving down the GDP, a key indicator of how “healthy” the economy is. For example, employers could have seen the increasing unemployment numbers as a sign to postpone big/expensive or nice-but-not-needed-yet projects until a later date when the economy is doing better and the project won’t tie up precious resources that may be needed elsewhere.

Another measure of how well the economy is doing is how well the markets are doing. Investors and hedge fund managers typically have a different playbook (or set of playbooks) for when the unemployment rate is rising vs when it is falling. Since the turn of the year, aka the start of Q1 of 2023, the markets have not been in good shape, to put it bluntly. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was down around 5% and the S&P 500 was down around 1%. Most overseas markets have hovered around 0% gain or are negative for the year too. Some analysts include cryptocurrency markets when discussing markets as economic indicators but most do not because of their belief that such markets are still highly speculative at this point and not good indicators of economic health.

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Will There Be a Catastrophic Cyber Event in the Near Future?

ACG Resources — Fri, 05 May 2023 06:00:20 +0000

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1971 by Klaus Schwab and has consistently grown in scope and stature to the point that the annual meeting in Davos is likened to the “Super Bowl” for the leaders/most notable members of almost any industry/sector: government, finance, manufacturing, technology, etc. While the WEF is not “the authority” on cybersecurity, at its most recent meeting the topic was being discussed. Read on to find out what was said.

Given the current level of global instability, experts warned that a catastrophic cyberattack was possible within the next 2 years. The majority (86%) of business leaders agreed, per a recent worldwide survey of business leaders and cybersecurity professionals. They say this could cause never-before-seen economic damage as global corporations have become so dependent on technology. Around half of the respondents from the same survey said they may not even do business in a region or with a potential business partner if there is a risk when it comes to cybersecurity.

The elephant in the room related to cybersecurity was whether or not an attack would be directly/indirectly related to the war in Ukraine. International relations experts further point out that relations between the United States and Russia/China have deteriorated to low point not seen for a long time. The United States has many “bones to pick” with China regarding stolen intellectual property, reneging on various macro trade policies/agreements, and origins of the COVID-19 virus. Russia and China are long-time allies that grow more tired by the year of being considered less powerful economically and militarily compared to the United States.

Cybercriminals are also investing like never before in new and more sophisticated tools to compromise computer networks and overwhelm security measures. Cybersecurity professionals point to the frequent mention of hacks and cyberattacks in the news and media, contrasting it to years not too long ago when it seemed like such occurrences were fewer. There is the caveat of course that an increase in such news stories is likely somewhat related to disclosure laws that only became active in recent years whereby companies or governments that experienced such hacks had duties to notify the public or their stakeholders.

With a global recession possibly on the frontier there is a question of if governments and businesses will be able to keep pace with “the bad guys” due to financial turbulence or constraints.

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How Will Issues in the Banking Industry Affect Current Financial Climate?

ACG Resources — Mon, 01 May 2023 06:00:12 +0000

On Friday, March 11th, 2023, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) took over Silicon Valley Bank (SVC) located in California and it was officially declared “failed.” The takeover by the FDIC/regulators is planned and is part of the playbook the United States Federal government developed decades ago to prevent another Black Tuesday, also known as the Wall Street Crash of 1929. How exactly does the takeover prevent such a thing? And what does it mean for the overall financial climate, which is closely tied to the banking industry, in the future? This article will give an overview of these topics.

By taking over SVB the FDIC is hoping to prevent “contagion.” This term, when applied to the banking industry, describes a systemic failure of most/all banks because of their investments and financial transactions between/among each other. The government has communicated that “all deposits at SVB” will be accessible in the hopes that ultimately only SVB will fail and the rest of the banking industry will continue business as usual. Will it work? The answer to that question is cloudy because the future is yet to be seen but unfortunately the plan has not been 100% successful so far.

Not long after regulators took over SVB news came out that Signature Bank (of New York) was also taken over by regulators for the same reasons: a failure was imminent and regulators wanted to assure the depositors that they would have access to their deposits. These two takeovers represent the second and third biggest bank failures in US history. Regulators are trying to contain the fallout and prevent any further bank failures (aka contagion) such as First Republic Bank (of California), which is teetering on failure too. European bank Credit Suisse also suffered major losses on during the week after the SVB takeover; down 17+% over the previous 5 days, down 30+% over the previous 30 days, and down 60+% over the previous 6 months.

Why are banks continuing to fail even after swift action by regulators and assurances that depositors will not lose their deposits/money? Financial experts point to the fact that even in modern times the banking industry relies much on trust; trust between banks and trust between the banking industry and the public. General knowledge dictates trust takes a long time to build up, so when it is damaged, it takes a long time to repair/build up again. Until that trust is built back up, expect the current and future financial climate to experience some “choppy waters.”

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Searching for a Job in a Weak Market

ACG Resources — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 15:29:41 +0000

An economic recession can be a tough time to look for a job, though thankfully not tougher than an economic depression. It is something HR experts say to plan for because recessions pop up regularly and it’s only a matter of time until the next one. Knowing how to find a job quickly during a recession would be helpful to everyone: newly graduated, recently laid-off, those coming out of retirement, and more. It is also helpful because no one (not even economists) can say specifically how long a recession will last. Here are some tips on searching for a job in a weak market.

First, be sure to prioritize your effort toward opportunities you are most likely to land. Some may prefer an even wider “shotgun approach” (applying to as many jobs as possible) but HR experts say you will only be hurting yourself by wasting your own time. Why? Because companies and recruiters during a recession will already be even more selective of new hires (if they’re hiring at all) and will send poor submissions straight to the trash can.

You may consider changing the industry in which you work, where applicable, to an industry where hiring typically stays steady even during a recession. These industries include but are not limited to: healthcare, energy, security, and teaching. Whether you are pursuing jobs within your current industry or a new one, be sure to utilize whatever contacts you have in your professional network. A former supervisor, a current colleague, or an executive for whom you did an internship could all know of some employment opportunities that may not have gone public yet or might be right for you.

It will be vital to start practicing your elevator pitches and practicing how to answer the most popular/typical interview questions because if you want to get a new job at some point you are going to take part in an interview. It is becoming more and more standard nowadays that candidates actually have to go through multiple interviews before landing a new position.

Many job seekers team up with a recruiting/staffing agency to make their job search as efficient and fast as possible. Staffing agencies have many contacts across a specific geographic area or industry (and sometimes both) so that candidates they are placing basically have their foot in the door already. Another fantastic benefit is that staffing agencies can search for you in parallel while you search or even while you’re sleeping!

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Working Mothers: Pros and Cons

ACG Resources — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 15:27:11 +0000

Mothers in the workplace can be a prickly subject depending on the audience and type of position the mother fills or is seeking to fill. There are pros and cons to a mother being in the workplace for both the mother and the employer. Nonetheless there are many women who do so because the labor force participation rate for mothers with children under 18 years of age was over 72% as of 2019 per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The labor force participation rate increases for mothers with older children as they are typically able to work without childcare being an issue. This article will highlight the pros and cons for mothers and employers regarding working mothers.

A frequent complaint per studies and research on the topic of stay-at-home mothers is a feeling of isolation. As enjoyable as it is to be able to do “baby talk” with an infant or simple speech with a toddler/young child, there is a big difference between those things and having meaningful conversation with other adults. One pro for working mothers is a great reduction in this issue. Another pro is typically having more financial resources to spend on one’s children. For single working mothers, this is the only source of income but even for married working mothers the additional income can mean big differences in lifestyle and opportunity. The primary con of mothers in the workplace is being apart from their children. This separation leads to many consequences from missing out on key moments of growth/achievement to a child falling behind in growth/achievement. Almost 100% of working mothers report chronic tiredness from lack of rest between workplace work and house work.

There is not a lot of data showing specific pros to employers for employing mothers as opposed to employing a woman who does not have a child or a man. There are for sure some positions where being a mother is seen as an added benefit, such as a pediatric nurse or lactation consultant, but these positions are few compared to all positions across all industries, where ability to perform a job hinges more on corresponding education, experience, and technical knowledge. The most frequently reported con to employing mothers include a loss in productivity while the mother is out of the office on maternity leave or doctors’ visits related to her or the child/children any time thereafter (which statistics show mothers are more likely to do than fathers). Employers with occupations that require a high level of professional dedication (and education), such as doctors or lawyers, have a very difficult time hiring/promoting working mothers because of their need to balance work with parenting/motherhood.

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Post-pandemic Jobs Where the Salary Is Now Over $100K

ACG Resources — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 12:00:57 +0000

A salary of $100k has been the goal of many employees across the world for decades. As more and more people achieve (and exceed) that goal, some employment experts wonder if that bar should be raised to larger values like $200k or $300k. Most experts agree that $100k is still a great goal to shoot for, while recognizing some important caveats such as living in a high cost-of-living state (like NY or CA) or being near the end of one’s career. Many people are familiar with the typical high-paying jobs that meet or exceed $100k in salary (such as doctor or lawyer), but read on to learn about some lesser-known jobs that recently joined the list.

Psychologists reportedly saw a huge boost to the average reported salary (for industrial or organizational psychologists), reaching over $105,000. Prior to the pandemic the average salary for this job was typically around $92,000. Surveys show their services came in higher demand as people of all ages faced increased stress related to their economic situation, health situation, or overall adjustment to new standards of living (related to government/corporate reaction to COVID-19).

Biochemists and biophysicists also saw their skills increase in demand as pharmaceutical companies, the government, and more took an all-hands-on-deck approach to developing better PPE, better therapeutics, and ultimately multiple vaccines for COVID-19. Prior to the pandemic their salary was typically around $94,000 but afterward it grew to over $102,000.

Post-secondary teachers/professors saw their average salary go from $99,000 to $103,000 as universities pulled out all the stops to prevent the shutdown of classes from going on any longer than necessary, including paying professors more to motivate them to fill in the gaps of other teachers who had to take leaves of absences due to health reasons.

These salary increases have been attributed to the tight labor market during the COVID-19 pandemic that caused companies to be doling out hefty bonuses and salaries to keep their top talent in-place instead of testing the labor market during the “great resignation.” Human resources experts also saw on surveys some people finally getting around to finishing a degree or certification they’ve been putting off for a while, with the extra time spent at home. Companies also had to compete with the government more than in recent history as huge sums of money were shipped out of the Treasury Department to millions of Americans via various stimulus packages or other employment benefits.

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New FTC Rule Restricts Employee Non-compete Clauses

ACG Resources — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 15:11:33 +0000

A non-compete clause is a “contractual term between an employer and a worker that blocks the worker from working for a competing employer, or starting a competing business, typically within a certain geographic area and period of time after the worker’s employment ends.” This is the definition of a non-compete clause directly from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This year may finally be the year non-compete clauses bite the dust, however, after decades of organizing/effort by employees and labor rights organizations. The vehicle of the non-compete clause demise could be a rule from the FTC. Read on to learn more about what it means for you.

Employees, labor rights organizations, politicians, and more have lambasted non-compete clauses as “unfair” and “artificially lowering employee wages.” They used to be included in contracts for only very niche fields/professions or c-level executives. Companies say the clauses are vital to safeguarding intellectual property, proprietary business processes, and other aspects of doing business that take months, years, or decades to develop. This is said to be especially true for small companies in emerging industries. They worry passage of the FTC rule would potentially lead to negative consequences and hinder America’s standing as a place to do business on the world’s stage.

This landslide of resentment toward non-compete clauses motivating the FTC to act built up steadily as companies steadily expanded how far down the hierarchy employees were required to sign contracts with non-compete clauses in them. Bad PR related to non-compete clauses increased as more low-wage workers, typically living paycheck to paycheck, spoke publicly on the fear of $100,000 fines related to changing jobs within the same industry. These employees were viewed as typically just trying to provide for their families and survive the rising tide of inflation, not trying to cheat any company out of its intellectual property or open competing companies.

Some legal experts view the clauses as “boilerplate” language that has just become standard when writing up an employment contract but that could all change with the passage of this FTC rule. Other legal experts predict a need for more, stronger non-disclosure agreements as a way to potentially fill the gap left if companies are not allowed to use/enforce non-compete clauses/agreements. Human resources experts predict that employers would increase leveraging of other tools used to retain top talent, such as salary increases or other fringe benefits. Analyses by think-tanks and consulting firms estimate that tens of millions of employees in the United States alone are currently subject to non-compete agreements.

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What You Need to Know When Hiring Salespeople

ACG Resources — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 06:00:49 +0000

Hiring is a non-revenue generating activity and the complexities of it cause some people to dislike the process overall, but it is essential for long-term success and must be done properly to have a business full of capable, productive employees. Building a business in just about every industry will involve hiring salespeople. This can be a little trickier than hiring people for other types of roles that are more quantitative (legal, medical, engineering, etc) because sales positions are generally more qualitative. Here are some things to know when it comes to hiring salespeople.

Getting a sense of how well a salesperson performed in their previous position can be difficult because of the nature of a salesperson: they’re going to paint the most rosy, best picture possible of the product (in this case themselves) for the would-be customer (in this case, the hiring company). To gain as much detail as possible, HR experts recommend asking questions about the type of training they enjoy the most, how competitive they are, and how they take ownership in learning the details of the sales funnel they are a part of.

Sales is one of those roles where the need to constantly refine your craft and improve is vitally important. While most salespeople do this themselves automatically sometimes there are company-wide initiatives or other situations where the training on how to improve selling techniques will come from elsewhere. This is where hiring salespeople who are good at receiving coaching comes in very handy. These types of people always focus on the mission or goal before them and put it at a higher priority than the comfort of doing things “the ways that have worked before.”

Determination is a difficult characteristic to screen for when hiring salespeople but HR experts say it is very important. Asking a candidate about situations where they overcame adversity or surpassed a sales goal will give an interviewer insight into how much determination the candidate has. Without determination a salesperson may give up after an initial “no” from a potential customer.

Some companies contract with staffing or recruiting agencies to staff sales positions because of how nuanced the process is. Most staffing agencies have more experience with the hiring process than the average HR department and some even specialize in hiring for specific types of job roles, such as sales. Because staffing agencies typically have a pool of candidates available at all times, contracting with one helps reduce the time a position is vacant, which if it’s a sales position could be a recurring situation due to the high turnover of such positions.

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The Worst Ways to Deal With a Difficult Customer

ACG Resources — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 06:00:53 +0000

The importance of customer service in today’s business environment cannot be overstated. This is especially true for small or new businesses; great customer service vs poor customer service can mean the difference between a business that thrives or goes bankrupt. Providing great customer service is typically easy when the interaction is between a happy customer and the company, but what about when the interaction is between an angry/difficult customer and the company? This is the true test of a company’s customer service level. While the best ways to deal with a difficult customer vary depending on the scenario, there are a number of commonly agreed upon ways to not do so. This article will highlight the worst ways to deal with a difficult customer.

The first thing customer relations experts say not to do is get defensive. An angry, unsatisfied customer does not care about the details of why their interaction with your company did not go as expected. Their focus is on getting the situation fixed, typically as quickly as possible, and savvy employees should focus on that as well. Similarly, savvy employees know that a difficult customer’s poor manners, bad language, and anything else are not (typically) directed at the employee personally. They are directed at the company and whatever factors led to the bad interaction. One of the worst ways to deal with a difficult customer is to take what they are doing personally. Having said that, there are limits of course, and any threats of violence (or actual violence) should be reported to management or the authorities.

An employee raising their voice to a customer is an absolute worst way to deal with the situation. That invites them to raise their voice even louder and continue escalation even further, which in this day and age is likely to get caught on camera since there are drones, phones, security cameras, and more everywhere. Even if the customer started the shouting match and is being completely unreasonable, an employee raising their voice in response is not going to look good. An employee should speak steadily but firmly, leading the customer down from an escalation.

Ignoring a customer’s concerns or not investing the proper amount of time to understand their concerns are similarly related ways to improperly deal with a difficult customer. This is typically not done intentionally by the employee and can happen due to such reasons as a language barrier or a quickly-evolving situation. Whatever the reason, as soon this complaint is communicated during an interaction, the proper response from the employee should be to confirm, in writing potentially, exactly what the concerns/issues are so that any further remedies are focused properly.

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Should Your Business Upgrade to Windows 10?

ACG Resources — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 06:00:30 +0000

Computers have a strong presence in workplaces across almost every single industry. The vast majority of those computers run on Windows operating systems (designed by Microsoft), but that is where a big divergence takes place. There are many “flavors” of Windows alive and kicking in today’s business world going all the way back to Windows XP thanks to some obscure programs that require it. For all other scenarios when the question of “should we upgrade Windows for our business’s computers to Windows 10?” comes up, the answer should be emphatically “yes!” This article will go into some detail about why your business should upgrade to Windows 10.

The first thing any IT professional (or Microsoft) will say about why you should upgrade to Windows 10 is that you will continue receiving vital security updates to the Windows operating system, which helps guard against nasty malware that can wreak havoc on your business. The same cannot be said for older versions of Windows, up to and including the wildly popular Windows 7. These old versions of Windows not receiving security updates are referred to as “unpatched” by IT professionals and are a bane to the information security personnel in any industry.

Windows 10 allows for different devices to be connected together (under 1 Windows user profile) so that you can bring your apps and files with you anywhere. This feature has not always been available through older versions of Windows and especially in not the same seamless manner as on Windows 10. This feature is especially helpful for professionals who are on the go and not always using the same computer in the same office/cubicle.

Software developers are not developing new programs for versions of Windows prior to Windows 10 anymore. This may not seem like a problem now but anytime an employee finds a new software tool that can help make a work process better, as time goes on the odds are greater and greater that it won’t work for Windows 7 or earlier.

Companies should not worry about re-training their staff to learn this newer version of Windows because to the typical end user it is similar to older versions of Windows; having the most overlap with Windows 7. Post-upgrade it would be wise for companies to check with all applicable new hires to confirm they are familiar with Windows 10. For companies who work with a staffing or recruiting agency to fill their open positions, this can be a very easy process as the agency will add that requirement on their end and only present candidates who are familiar with Windows 10.

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Is the Hype About Mobile Apps for Real?

ACG Resources — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 12:00:22 +0000

Computers (desktops and laptops) have been around for a number of decades and have long cemented themselves as a staple in people’s personal and professional lives. The computers themselves are of course useless without the applications that actually run on them (via the operating systems) which people use to do whatever they want to do. What is less certain, especially for people who do not keep up with the latest technological trends, is the viability of mobile applications (apps). These are the versions of applications that run on mobile devices like tablets and phones. Is the hype about mobile apps for real?

In a word, the answer is yes. Mobile devices have not been around as long as laptops and desktops but their explosion in growth has shown that they are not going anywhere anytime soon. What is more telling is that survey after survey of how people spend their time shows that many people actually spend more time on their mobile devices than a desktop or laptop. This is especially true for people with very active lives or who travel for work.

Another reason the hype about mobile apps is real is the average salary for mobile app developers, which is comfortably in the 6-figure range. This is partly due to the comparatively smaller number of people who have the skills to develop mobile apps but partly due to the value the market clearly sees in mobile apps themselves. As mentioned before, it’s where the attention is for many consumers at the moment, especially for Apple iOS and Samsung Android devices.

Mobile apps not only provide a presence on a highly-utilized computing platform but (assuming they work properly) they add a level of convenience that is becoming more and more the standard. Not too long ago it would be mind-blowing to think of starting to type up a text document on your computer but then be able to finish it on a mobile device like a tablet while riding the bus. But that convenience is now here thanks to technologies like the Internet and cloud computing.

Mobile app development is not known for being inexpensive but again, the value is there. For companies who want to develop a mobile app but do not have the in-house expertise to do so, working with a staffing or recruiting agency is an option to find such expertise quickly. Some staffing agencies specialize in candidates with mobile app development experience and can even offer candidate services on a per-contract basis instead of permanently.

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How to Dress for the Job You Want

ACG Resources — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 12:00:50 +0000

As humans we make the best decisions we can with the information available to us. Studies show that around 90% of the information we take in is visual (aside from the visually impaired). From a business perspective, that makes what you wear/how you dress an undeniably large factor in how other people see you; how they describe your image. Choosing what to wear has become somewhat more difficult nowadays as the evolution of things such as technology and culture have led to there being many more options than there used to be. Picking the right choice (professionally) among all of these options can be tricky. So if you’re looking to make a move professionally, read on to learn more about how to dress for the job you want.

Consistency is key when it comes to building the brand or reputation that you want your image to convey. This means that it’s not enough to make the right choice when it comes to how you dress only some of the time. It needs to be done all, if not most, of the time. Psychologists conclude that consistency is highly correlated with comfort, which is an important ingredient in business decisions for a number of reasons. This consistency is why you keep going back to your favorite coffee place, for example. They are probably consistent in how the employees dress, the décor of the establishment, and the presentation of their product, which makes you comfortable with them and desire to do business with them.

How exactly to translate the understanding for consistency into exact wardrobe choices can be a little tricky, especially for people who typically have not done so previously. They may have solely relied on the advice of others to inform their wardrobe choices or maybe they didn’t put a high importance on such choices. Picking out the correct thing to wear will vary more for women than for men and will vary further depending on the function of the job you’re interested in as well as well it sits in the company hierarchy. The most consistent piece of advice from those in-the-know is to model someone already in such a position.

Some people who choose to involve a recruiting or staffing agency when looking for a new job can have some of the work done for them when it comes to picking out what to wear. Staffing agencies typically fill positions for a network of hiring companies on an ongoing basis, which means that they have longstanding relationships with the companies and those who make hiring decisions. This means they can have an inside scoop on the type of professional attire will make the best impression.

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How to Address Theft in the Workplace

ACG Resources — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 12:00:44 +0000

Theft in the workplace is a more complex topic than people think. On the one hand just about anyone you ask is going to say it’s a “bad thing” but on the other hand the same people will admit “everyone does it/it’s just one of those things.” To be more specific, every else does it, but not the person being asked the question of course. Note we are talking about petty, isolated theft here and not the high-level, well-organized corporate espionage. We are talking about when Joe in the accounting department needs some sticky notes at home but doesn’t feel like stopping by the store on the way home so he just takes a pack from the supply closet. What do you do after accidentally witnessing an event like this? How do you address workplace theft?

For starters, thieves (one-time or recurring) do not wear nametags that say “thief” or proactively admit that they’re thieves so typically the only way to tie a particular person to a particular instance of theft is by witnessing the event. There is witnessing a workplace theft by another person, typically on accident, and there is witnessing it second-hand thanks to proper monitoring of the workplace via video surveillance. If things are going missing in the workplace, no one is owning up to it, and it’s not going away (or getting worse) after formal communication about the matter from upper management, it’s time to consider installing or upgrading video surveillance in the workplace. This is especially true where large quantities of supplies are kept or where the most expensive of company property is stored.

After having proof of a workplace theft by an employee, the next obvious step is consequences. Business management experts stress the importance of treating each instance on a case by case basis (assuming multiple employees are not working together). The situation with Joe who took a pack of sticky notes should be handled differently than a situation with Tracy who said she lost her company laptop but turns out she sold it on eBay. The important factors to take from those examples are intent and extent of the damage. A pack of sticky notes, taken due to convenience, may cost $1 while a laptop, sold intentionally after the company was told a lie, may cost thousands of dollars. The consequences can range from a reprimand to termination and/or reporting the theft to the police.

As unfortunate as it may be to move forward with the most serious consequences, business management experts agree it must be done because the risk of trusting an employee further who has seriously defrauded a company via theft is much too high. Even with high-performing employees, it would be better to just hire a new employee for the position, maybe even via a staffing agency, to minimize the time the position is left open.

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Common Reasons Small Businesses Fail

ACG Resources — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 12:00:58 +0000

Starting a small business is easier than it’s ever been but still requires a lot of work and careful planning. There are over 31 million small businesses in the United States as of 2020. Putting in the work during the planning phase/before filing any paperwork is important though because of the statistics related to small businesses. About 20% of small businesses do not survive a year, 50% of small businesses do not make it to the 5 year mark, and only about 35% of small businesses are still in operation after 10 years. The reasons all of those small businesses fail are varied but there are some common reasons that appear over and over. This article will highlight some of those common reasons small businesses fail.

The most reported reason for a small business to fail is financial difficulties, aka running out of money. Businesses need money for payroll, day-to-day expenses, paying invoices, servicing debt, and much more. Owners of small businesses that fail are frequently not as knowledgeable about the exact amount of revenue the business produces and/or the expenses the business pays out. Shortfalls or differences in those two amounts here and there do not instantly doom a business, but when they are underestimated over a long period of time or are accompanied by a major shock (financially), the small business risks failure.

Poor management is another common reason for small business failure. Founders of small businesses frequently “wear many hats” to try to get the business off the ground because they typically do not have the financial resources to pay separate people annual salaries to perform the corresponding duties. The problem is that while the founder may have a great business idea and be adept when performing some of the business roles, they may not be good at all of the roles. For “1 man army” situations, where the founder is the only employee of the small business, there are no other employees to provide necessary feedback to let the founder know they are not performing well when “wearing some of their hats.” Poor management is also harder to overcome in small businesses where each employee’s decisions have larger impacts (proportionally), compared to a large business with thousands of employees.

Lack of marketing or poorly executed marketing is another frequent reason given for small business failure. Many small business founders believe that if their product is good enough “it will sell itself” or that they should devote enough resources to have “good” marketing but not the “best” marketing. These factors and more feed into sub-par marketing that typically leads to sub-par sales.

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Becoming Redundant After a Merger

ACG Resources — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 12:00:53 +0000

It seems like every other day you read about some company being bought by or merging with another company. Almost everyone lets news like this go out of sight and out of mind shortly after hearing/reading about it, but not the people who work for companies involved in such mergers (and acquisitions). For these people mergers are typically stressful and disruptive and at worst mergers cause some employees to need to find a new job. Why? Because after merging 2 companies in similar industries there is always a level of redundancy: more employees doing the same job than what is needed. More than 30% of employees are deemed redundant after the average merger, statistics show. Read on to learn more about what to do if you find your position becoming redundant.

Human instinct when facing such a situation is to panic and start worrying about whether or not you will be let go, reassigned, etc. HR experts say that this is rarely a successful or helpful strategy though and that employees should realize they have more control over the situation than they may think. They say that a “prepare for the worst, hope for the best” strategy is much more helpful. By assuming that you will be let go that lets you mentally move forward to what you need to do next: polish up your resume, re-establish contacts in your professional network, start considering where else you would want to work, etc. If the worst case happens you can be ready for it and if it doesn’t then assuming you like your current position, you’re fine.

Another thing that HR experts say is helpful for employees deemed redundant is to clearly write out and plan on being able to communicate why exactly you stand out from other similar employees. Why? Because that is the question that will inevitably be asked directly to you or will be discussed about you by higher-ups as they look at which employees to keep and which to let go. What about your personal/career background makes you a real asset in the position? What value have you already provided to the company? What additional value could you provide? Questions like these should get the ball rolling.

Many employees, especially if they’ve been with the same company for many years, take a merger as an opportunity for a “change of scenery,” whether they get the same job at a different company or try a different job altogether. Because they’ve typically been out of the job seeking process for a long time, such people typically enlist the aid of a staffing/recruiting agency to make the search as easy and efficient as possible.

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The New 4-Day Work Week: Who Is Trying It & What Are the Results?

ACG Resources — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 06:00:41 +0000

Some employees may not like the current “traditional” work week of 9-5, 5 days per week, but anyone familiar with history can point out that the “traditional” work week prior to the current one consisted of even more hours in typically more dangerous working conditions. Some employees, while appreciating the history of the current “traditional” work week have a strong enough passion for finding an improvement that they will seek it out. As such, employees at a growing number of companies have pushed for a 4-day work week. The results of this new type of work week are the topic of this article.

To be clear up front, this article will discuss 4-day work weeks where they previously did not exist. Some industries like emergency services have been operating on a 4-day work week, or something similar to it, for a long time. Next, the type of employee being discussed will be traditional full-time employees, not part-time or seasonal employees who work 4 days per week but for various reasons are classified as different types of employees.

The first question employers looking to change to a 4-day work week must answer is what to do with the hours from the “missing” day. Most employers take those hours (8 for a standard work day) and spread them out evenly among the other days to make 4 10-hour days. Some leave it up to the employees to create their own schedule and add the extra 8 hours wherever they see fit. The rarest model pursued by companies is to not reallocate those hours and let it be an incentive to employees to be more productive. They are expected to complete the same amount of work but if they can do it in 32 hours instead of 40, they earn themselves a nice 3-day weekend.

Ultimately most companies that try a new 4-day work week are reporting higher employee satisfaction and employee retention as employees can spend more time with their friends/family. This is frequently the case with tech/IT companies. Most weekends are 3-days and in the situations where holidays fall adjacent to the weekend, that can get bumped up to 4 or more. As gas prices continue to hover at high levels, employees also report saving money on gas commuting in to the office 4 days instead of 5.

There are a few companies that gave a 4-day work week a shot but decided it wasn’t for them. These situations are typically industry-specific, where a certain level of presence is needed Monday through Friday (or all 7 days of the week). These are companies where they have a highly visible front end, aka are much involved with customer service. There are other companies where the demand is so high that they can’t afford to cut back on hours, such as a manufacturing facility for steel or microchips.

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Returning to the Office: How to Keep Employees Happy

ACG Resources — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 06:00:27 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a shift in the workplace never before seen in human history. Previously unimaginable numbers of employees were working from home partially or completely to minimize or eliminate the possibility of employees coming into the office and catching the virus. Now that therapeutics and vaccines for COVID-19 are widely available now, and the survival rate of the virus is on par with the flu or other seasonal allergies, many companies are having their employees come back into the office. This can be a complex and deeply impactful process, so smart companies are doing lots of planning before making any announcements in hopes that employees will be happy and the rollout will be successful. Here are some key factors in how to keep employees happy when having their employees come back into the office.

It may seem like a no-brainer, but the first thing employees want from a company asking them to come back into the office is honesty. No matter the industry, people do not like being lied to or given the runaround. If the overall “why” employees need to come back into the office boils down to vague pronouncements about “the company being a family” or something similar, expect to have a lot of unhappy employees if not a high rate of turnover. Companies can be smart while they are being honest too of course. Companies saying “we do not trust our employees to have the same productivity at home as in the office” may be honest but not very smart/insulting to employees. Smart companies wanting to make a similar point though can include hard data/statistics about productivity of employees working from home vs in the office and also highlight interactions that are exclusive to the office which increase comradery (Taco Tuesday, ad-hoc discussions between meetings, etc).

Consistency is another factor employees report as being important (per HR surveys) when it comes to work from home policies. Employees are going to talk to each other and will literally be able to see if one employee is still allowed to work from home while another is not. Some companies are opting for all employees, no matter where they fall in the hierarchy or what their functional area is to come back in to the office the same amount of days, while others allow variation. Some companies are requiring 100% back in the office while others are requiring employees to come in only some of the days during the week. How narrow or wide a company plans to make their work from home or work from office policies, smart companies seek to be as consistent as possible to avoid making some employees feel like they are being treated unfairly (which will not make them happy).

At odds with consistency is flexibility, but it is a must when talking about employees (who are people) because every person is different and has different things going on in their lives. Flexibility in this context can come in many forms, from only requiring employees to come back into the office some days per week, not all, or saying that coming into the office is an option/strongly recommended, but not a requirement, where applicable/reasonable.

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Is Your Career a Treadmill?

ACG Resources — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 12:00:23 +0000

Millions of people around the world use a treadmill for exercise every day. Treadmills can be a key component to a physical fitness routine but nobody likes to describe their professional career as “being on a treadmill.” People who feel as if this is their career feel like they work hard and do the right things but they never seem to get anywhere. Companies should care if their employees feel like their career is on a treadmill because surveys show such employees just “go through the motions” at work and have no desire to increase productivity or improve anything. Read on to determine if your career is on a treadmill and learn what you can do about it.

Are you constantly looking out for a new role with a level of pay that can finally help you achieve your financial dreams? While this is normal for most employees at most organizations the key word in the question is “constantly.” If, for example, you just got a promotion last month and your pay was bumped up 40%-60% but you are already are looking to do it again, odds are you are on the career treadmill. You actually have progressed professionally but HR experts say you won’t recognize it if you don’t stop to breathe and appreciate your surroundings. When it comes to money, if you were keeping under budget with 40%-60% less of your salary and now you can’t stay under budget, the problem is most likely not lack of income but too many unnecessary expenses, which helps drive many employees to keep running on that treadmill.

Do you always count the minutes until you can log off or go home? Do you dread waking up in the morning even on days when you don’t have to work? These are some more signs that you are on the career treadmill. Most people enjoy time with their family and friends more than time at work but counting down minutes shows that levels of boredom, apathy, and disengagement have hit critical levels, at least when it comes to your current position. People on a career treadmill find themselves not even happy to wake up on the weekends because they feel like it’s a countdown to the inevitable process of getting themselves back into their workplace/office.

If you find yourself on the career treadmill, surveys show that the surefire way to get off is to change things up: whether it means getting a new job at the same company, the same job with a different company, or a different kind of job at a different company. People are hesitant to do so for the sake of job security or money but HR and health experts agree it is important because the effects of being on a career treadmill absolutely bleed over into peoples’ personal lives. Many people make the prospect of making a career change easier by enlisting the aid of a recruiting/staffing agency that specializes in helping match candidates with the jobs that suit them.

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Top 10 Qualities of a Good Real Estate Agent

ACG Resources — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 12:00:51 +0000

Everyone knows that the real estate market is on fire nowadays. Prices are going up that many people are thinking of getting in on the action in 2 different ways. The first way is people who want to sell their home at the record high prices the market is producing, typically enough to pay off any potential existing mortgage and still leave tens of thousands of dollars leftover. The second way is for people who want to be party to those sales in the forms of real estate agents. Real estate agents only get a small cut of such deals but because the numbers involved are typically so large, the gross total ends up being pretty substantial. Not all real estate agents are created equal though. Whether you’re considering becoming a real estate agent, or are a homeowner looking for a real estate agent, here are the top 10 qualities of a good real estate agent.

Personable – The real estate business has a lot of people involved in it: from bank employees, to other real estate agents, government officials, homeowners, and more. The best real estate agents put people at ease and make them feel like doing business with them is natural and effortless.
Tenacious – The real estate profession involves a lot of hard work and dedication. Tenacious relators help their clients get top dollar for their property, in a timely manner.
Honest – There are many industries where honesty is key for people wanting to do business with you and the real estate market is no exception since it involves such large numbers.
Good Communication – As mentioned before, real estate agents come into contact with all types of people during their average day. So naturally being able to communicate well is a very helpful quality.
Detail-oriented – Because real estate deals are so complex and involve such large numbers, the best real estate agents are good with details and surround themselves with others on their team who are too.
Good Negotiator – All of a real estate agents efforts add up to the goal of a real estate deal, where one party typically ends up at least a little better off than the other thanks to better negotiation skills.
Highly experienced – The real estate market is constantly changing but has been around forever, so having experience in the market is a natural advantage for those lucky enough to have it.
Highly recommended – Word of mouth is critically important for real estate agents to separate themselves from the pack.
Very Organized – Similar to being detail-oriented, being organized keeps things moving during complex real estate deals.
Lawful – Last but not least, good real estate agents make sure they have all the required licenses and knowledge of applicable real estate law to do business in a moral and legal manner.

If you read this list and feel like it is describing you and you have an interest in becoming a real estate agent, why go it alone? Did you know that there are recruitment agencies for real estate companies? They have years of experience in working with real estate companies to hire people of all levels of experience who want to be real estate agents. Search for real estate recruitment agencies in your area online or through the local chamber of commerce to learn more.

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How to Solve Typical Recruitment Issues

ACG Resources — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 12:00:23 +0000

In recent years the unemployment rate in the US has reached lows not seen for 50 years. Some experts estimate that over 75% of CEOs were concerned that they wouldn’t be able to find enough people for skilled positions, which would hinder their company’s growth along with other consequences. COVID-19 drove unemployment back up temporarily, but as that number began to come back down, coupled with people who were staying home because accumulated government benefits outweighed what they would make at work, companies were in a similar spot. The main department tasked with addressing issues with hiring/recruitment is the HR department and within the HR department recruiters are the people who need to be on the cutting edge of solving recruitment issues. Below are some tested approaches to solving personnel recruitment issues.

The shift in recruiters finding people to fill positions from offline/in-person to online is huge and will not be reversing anytime soon. Consider this though: the shift has not picked up all people looking for work. Analysts estimate that there are still upwards of 60 million Americans who lack Internet access or choose not to use the Internet. So when trying to recruit a qualified candidate online seems impossible because of a shallow talent pool, what is one possible alternative? Use offline sourcing to find pools of talent among those 60 million people! Attend events hosted by professional organizations, civic events, trade shows, or hiring fairs in person to recruit people.

Another problem for recruiters is when they are developing a lead/candidate and then the candidate suddenly stops communicating. In modern lingo, the candidate begins ghosting a recruiter and the recruiter most likely loses all of the time/effort they’ve spent on the candidate up to that point. Also if the ghosting occurs during a time window that was reserved specifically for that candidate, the recruiter now has a gap of dead time in their schedule. One tool a recruiter can use to avoid dead gaps in their schedule is to use an automated scheduling tool that sends out reminders/confirmations. If it’s a requirement for candidates to respond to such reminders/confirmations, and they stop doing so for a long enough period of time, it’s possible the recruiter is being ghosted and should fill that time slot with someone else.

Speaking of a recruiter’s schedule, one last problem many recruiters face is not having enough time in a day to begin with. Don’t we all have that problem? Top performing recruiters recommend getting intentional about one’s time, such as researching a time management technique. There are also many time management tools available nowadays, such as the Tomato Timer.

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What to Look For in a Uniform Supply Company

ACG Resources — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 12:00:11 +0000

Dress code policy is just one of many decisions executives at companies across the world must grapple with. Some companies decide to head off a lot of potential issues related to dress code by requiring uniforms (or a range of uniforms). In addition to preventing potential issues, uniforms are known to provide a number of benefits in their own right, such as increasing brand awareness, protecting employees in some situations, fostering a sense of belonging among employees, and more. For industries where safety is a big concern, uniforms ensure that all employees are provided an adequate level of protection from potential injury. For companies wishing to go down the uniform path, the next questions are “where should I get uniforms from?” and “what should I look for in a uniform supply company?”

How well uniforms perform comes down to 2 key factors: form and function. A business looking to hire a uniform supply company will ultimately need to provide all of the specifications for each type of uniform, but the top uniform supply companies will provide feedback/advice on how well provided specifications compare to similar uniforms across an industry. Placement of pockets, patches, protective layers and more will vary widely by industry. One constant across all industries, however, is a preference by employees to be able to get uniforms on and off as quickly and easily as possible.

Durability is another factor to consider when it comes to choosing a uniform supply company. Uniforms need to have proper form and function while also lasting for as long as possible because replacing uniforms obviously costs money. With most uniforms being highly visible, uniforms that still look good as they are aging is a highly sought after quality. Companies typically ask uniform supply companies to provide samples of the types of materials that go into the creation of various uniforms. Most uniforms in this day and age will be washing-machine safe to save costs of having to get said uniforms special-cleaned over and over.

Companies should vet uniform supply companies similar to any other vendor they may work with. Performing business credit checks, looking up any potential online reviews, and checking references are some of the things companies do prior to hiring a uniform supply company. In the end, uniform supply companies should be expected to provide the uniforms agreed to via a corresponding contract in a timely manner, regardless of order size, and have capable customer service available if there are any issues (hopefully there won’t be).

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Should You Verify Education for New Hires?

ACG Resources — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 12:00:55 +0000

With unemployment numbers hitting historic lows in recent years many recruiters and hiring managers have found themselves wondering if they can afford to verify education credentials anymore. The recruiter or HR manager may thing “after all it took a long time to find this most recent candidate and the company cannot afford to go without someone in this position for another 6 months – 1 year.” The rest of the candidate’s background check came back clean, so surely the education credentials are correct? Probably, but not always and it is the people you least expect to pull such tricks with their resume who end up doing it. So to settle the question once and for all, should you verify education credentials for new hires?

The long story short is “yes” and the “yes” gets stronger the higher up in the organization the open position is. The reasons for “why” are many, beginning with the huge embarrassment that occurs if a single phony slips by. Sure it is embarrassing for the candidate/person as well, but the embarrassment has been shown to stick to the corresponding company that hired the candidate longer than the candidate/person themselves. There is little such companies can do in response after the fact, except for some situations like where the position being filled legally required certain qualifications.

Next, unfortunately the prevalence of such trickery is not on the decline but on the rise. Each person is different so their reason(s) for supplying fake education credentials will vary, but many reported reasons are that obtaining the true education credentials would be too costly as tuition rates soar. For others the temptation of previously non-existent “diploma mills” promise a fast-track to earning much more money with this fancy degree when all clients have to do is pay a small (by comparison) fee. These “diploma mills” do not provide any real coursework however and sneakily use names similar to real universities to further conceal their efforts.

The best method for verifying educational degrees is to have multiple layers of checking. HR representative(s) can and should do an initial scan to look for red flags such as out of sequence degrees, degrees from overseas, and degrees that show a short amount of attendance time (such as less than 2 years). There are also multiple professional clearinghouses that can properly vet education credentials and work with the government to identify and be on the lookout for “diploma mills.”

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Recruiting in the Age of the Freelancer

ACG Resources — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 15:39:13 +0000

Hiring freelancers is not a new development in the business world. It has been happening for decades. What is new is the growing proportion of all employees (in America) which are freelancers, generally referred to as independent contractors. Why is the growing number of freelancers significant for recruiters? For recruiters to best be able to place candidates within hiring companies they need to be able to understand what the company is looking for and what the candidate is looking for and what their priorities are. Freelancers, for whatever reason(s) typically have different priorities than regular/traditional “9-5 employees.” This article seeks to increase understanding of freelancers.

Businesses like freelancers for a number of reasons. The first reason is that they are typically experts in their particular field/trade. Traditional employees obviously have a level of expertise in their field/trade, otherwise they would most likely not be hired in the first place of course, but freelancers typically have more years and/or further depth of knowledge than typical traditional employees.

Another reason businesses hire freelancers is that they typically save businesses money over traditional employees. Traditional employees are compensated via more than just their salary; they typically also receive health care benefits, retirement benefits, paid time off, etc. Businesses do not have to worry about the other forms of compensation beyond salary, though any smart freelancer knows to negotiate a salary that with those facts in mind.

Businesses love efficiency because it means getting the best value for their money spent. Freelancers help drive efficiency because since they are paid per project or task, they are incentivized to complete it as quickly as possible. There are typically no extra motivational factors to keep a traditional employee from stretching the same project or task across a longer time frame because “why not? It’s not like I’ll get paid more if it gets done faster.”

You can never have too much of a good thing, right? Well, in the case of freelancers, HR experts and consultants have seen a number of trends. They have seen companies that rely on a high proportion of freelancers to have a decline in company culture. Freelancers typically do not have much incentive to build up or participate in company culture if they know or think they won’t be working there in a few months or years. Companies also need to place a high priority in properly defining the project for which freelancers are hired to minimize quality assurance issues.

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How to Disagree With Your Boss

ACG Resources — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 15:35:09 +0000

We have all been there before. A project or task is underway at work and you have a gut-feeling that a wrong decision is about to be made or has been made. The problem is that you believe strongly you know the right decision to make but your boss believes the opposite of you. Sometimes if the impact of a project or task is small enough employees will avoid disagreeing with their boss and just keep it to themselves. Other times, if the impact of a project or task is large enough, there is no avoiding that an employee must disagree with their boss and let them know about the disagreement. For those who find themselves in this unfortunate situation, here are some tips on how to best disagree with your boss.

Survey after survey show managers and executives within companies who have people reporting to them want to know the truth from their employees. The same amount of surveys show that many employees do not feel safe sharing such truth with their superiors if they know the superior will disagree with it. The first step do doing so, according to communication experts, is to tilt the odds in your favor by picking the right time. Pick a time when the stakes are low and emotions are calm. In other words, not during a busy/stressful part of the workday. For those who are employed in workplaces where every day, all day, is busy/stressful, you may need to setup a time after-hours or come in a little early to catch your boss before the shift starts.

Another way to smooth the disagreement over is to not surprise your boss with it. Without going into it fully before your designated “low stakes/calm emotions” time frame, explain briefly why you want to chat. While giving that “intro” to the chat, wrap it in a frame of reference that the boss will appreciate/understand, such as the importance of accomplishing a goal or improving the bottom line. By doing this, you can reduce the likelihood the boss will misinterpret your intentions to something undesirable or confrontational.

One more thing that will help lay the groundwork for a successful disagreement is showing that you respect your boss and their decision. There is no exact playbook for doing this because everyone is different, but employees have reported success in this regard by properly underlying a positive rationale for why the boss may have made their decision, along with acknowledgement of their leadership in the process.

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Mistakes Companies Should Avoid to Keep Valuable Staff

ACG Resources — Fri, 13 May 2022 06:00:14 +0000

A company’s employees have long been considered the most valuable (collective) asset. All of the financing, marketing, and IT in the world won’t make a difference if employees are not skilled, trained, loyal, etc. This is why employee retention is something always in the back of any company’s mind. That goes double for the most valuable staff at any given company because of Pareto’s Principle, as applied to business, suggests that 80% of production will come from 20% of the employees, aka the most valuable employees. Read on to learn how to avoid top mistakes that companies make to keep valuable, top performing staff.

Not properly funding/budgeting employee retention initiatives is one major mistake that HR consultants see time and time again when looking at why top performing staff leave. For example, it may be time for such an employee to re-negotiate their employment contract and even though the company representatives/management have said they want to retain the employee, they only set aside enough money equivalent to a 1-2% pay raise (or a percentage that is far below industry standard). Some employees will be gone as soon as they receive such a lowball offer and even though others may stick around to negotiate further, they may not stick around until the proper approvals take place to provide more money, such as “just stick with us for 6 more months until our new fiscal year starts and then we’ll handle this.”

Because compensation can mean a lot of different things nowadays, employers need to know what compensation means the most for each individual employee and not have a one-size-fits-all approach. The next mistake is offering a top performer the wrong kind of compensation incentive to stay. Sure there are still many employees who place a high priority on salary when it comes to compensation, but if there are top performers clearly saying they place a higher priority on health benefits, paid time off, or 401k match, for example, then companies should respond accordingly. There are limits of course for each type of compensation and the request coming from the employee, but a company should give itself as much wiggle room as possible regarding red tape/policies.

The discussions involving everything written so far cannot only happen at the executive level of a company. When it does, a company is making yet another mistake. Even if it is not all staff, at least some key staff (below the executive level in a company’s hierarchy) need to be involved in drafting the policies and overall strategy regarding employee retention.

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How Do You Win the Trust of Your Colleagues?

ACG Resources — Mon, 09 May 2022 12:00:38 +0000

Cohesion and great teamwork in the workplace are what managers’ dreams are made of, or so the saying goes. It is well documented that teams that work well together accomplish way more than teams that do not. Similar to other areas in people’s lives (sports, marriage, a community project, etc), because employees are people after all, much of teamwork comes down to trust. Trust builds security, dependability, confidence, and credibility. Because trust is so valuable, like other things that are valuable, it does not come easy. It takes a lot of hard work to generate trust, but lucky for you this article will provide some pointers on how to win the trust of your colleagues.

HR and management experts agree that at the top of the list for things to build trust is keeping one’s promises, aka following through on what one said they would do. For example, if you say you’re going to work this Saturday so no one else on the team has to but then back out on Friday evening, you may damage the trust between a couple of people on the team. It may damage trust of the manager who has to find a replacement team member to work in addition to the team member that is chosen and has to shuffle their schedule last minute. Obviously there are extreme situations such as a death in the family or finding one’s self unexpectedly in the hospital, for example, where other members of the team should be understanding. Barring extreme situations though, by keeping one’s promises it will allow everyone else on the team to rest easy and build trust in the process.

Communicating properly with your colleagues is another top method for building trust. Most everyone reading this will immediately say “cross this one off the list, I communicate with my colleagues all the time.” Yes, but do you do it “properly”? Using standard email etiquette, proper punctuation, and minimizing unrelated media where applicable (less cat gifs in the Slack chat), for example, are ways to communicate properly. These tactics and more all add up to the fact that communicating is about being understood, so remembering that as you are communicating will also help you communicate better. Colleagues who trust they can communicate properly together minimize time wasted from having to repeat things, going around in circles, mistakes from poor communication, etc.

Honesty is great ingredient for building trust even though it is always easier said than done. If someone makes a mistake that creates more work for the team, nobody wants to be honest and admit it was them, but doing so is important. It prevents distrust from spreading as other colleagues try to find out who made the mistake. Also, by getting in front of a mistake via honesty, it demonstrates bravery and responsibility to the rest of the team. It is recommended for such honesty to be accompanied with a promise to not let such a mistake happen again, where applicable.

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Common Remote Work Myths Debunked

ACG Resources — Fri, 06 May 2022 12:00:31 +0000

Research studies regarding remote work, aka working from home, have gotten an influx of data in recent years as large groups of people were shifted (temporarily or permanently) to remote work thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some employees have embraced remote work with open arms while others have said they prefer working from the office. For most companies the decision is made by top level executives and then the employees follow whatever plan is refined into company policy. This influx of data has enabled experts and management consultants to dispel some common remote work myths debunked.

“Remote work minimizes creativity and innovation.” The general consensus on this myth is false. Those who say it is true contend that without everyone being in the same physical environment then extraneous communication and interactions, from which creativity and innovation are born, are lost. While this is technically true, they are many others who point out that typically employees only run into the same employees over and over again, whereas working remotely enables employees to communicate (via instant message) with all other employees who are online at the same time. In-person power dynamics that potentially limit creativity and innovation are also negated when working remotely.
“It’s more difficult to collaborate remotely than in person.” The general consensus on this myth is true but experts say the ground is shifting as more and better technologies are allowing people to mimic in-person interactions (while remote) ever more closely. This topic is frequently brought up when a new person joins a team and needs to undergo a testing or training period and managers will just go with “what works”, aka coming into the office for such training or testing. Video conferencing, for example, has been around for years but in recent years advances in hardware, software, and Internet speed have enabled the experience to be increasingly more reliable and effective.
“Employees can’t foster meaningful connections remotely.” The general consensus on this myth is false. Those who would rate this myth as true point out that connecting in-person has a special element that is lost when communicating in separate geographic locations. While this is true, those who rate this myth as false point out that at most workplaces it’s not like employees can spend much, or sometimes any, time fostering connections that aren’t immediately related to ongoing job duties anyway. The workplace is called the workplace after all. When working remotely, it is much easier to call or instant message Joe from accounting to ask how his son’s baseball game went over the weekend (for example), during an off-peak/appropriate point of time of course. You don’t have to walk over to his desk and you don’t have to worry about your boss staring over your shoulder.

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An Effective Strategy for Dealing With Unhappy Customers

ACG Resources — Mon, 02 May 2022 12:00:39 +0000

Most companies have an external clientele of some sort. Even if a company does not have clients from the general public, if the clients are employees from another business or businesses (B2B) customer service is very important for maintaining a healthy business relationship, referrals, overall reputation, and ultimately continued growth. There is not a lot of talk about dealing with happy customers because they are already happy, right? There is not much more to do. But there are many strategies out there for dealing with unhappy customers because those are the ones that end up leaving bad reviews, circulate bad word of mouth, and will not be patronizing a company anymore if they can help it. If you want to make sure your strategy for dealing with unhappy customers is as good as possible, check it against the one listed here.

First, because being unhappy almost always means being unpleasant, it is very important for representatives of a company to remain calm. Remember that the customer’s problem is with the company or company’s product/service and not with you personally. Getting offended leads to a cascade of other negative consequences. Plus it is difficult for most employees to listen properly to the issue while they are focused on getting heated themselves, which is a great segue to another important aspect of the strategy.

Listening is key to dealing with unhappy customers because if the issue happened once and the customer is unhappy, imagine how much more unhappy they will be when it happens again because the wrong solution was applied. To formulate the proper solution to the issue it is best to listen as best as possible to the customer and capture all of the information about exactly what went wrong. When there seem to be multiple issues all grouped together, make sure to apologize for the issue and the corresponding inconvenience, for each issue. Empathy goes a long way to calming down unhappy customers.

Few things ultimately turn around a bad situation with an unhappy customer than developing and deploying the right solution. One of the key ways a company representative will know it’s the right solution is by listening, but also by clearly communicating the solution to the customer ahead of time. Assuming they agree with the solution then the only thing left is proper delivery of the solution. If they do not agree, then go back to whatever options you have available to please the customer or recommend them to someone higher up if you know they have solutions the customer is looking for.

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What Do Human Resources Directors Need to Prepare for in 2022?

ACG Resources — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 06:00:51 +0000

2021 hit companies large and small like a ton of bricks for one obvious reason: the COVID-19 pandemic. Human resource departments worldwide were especially busy trying to manage such things as sick/vacation leave for massive amounts of employees all at once, furloughs, coverage of company medical plans, etc. 2022 looks to be a good year for a rebound but the push for companies to return to pre-pandemic level of output and profitability is likely to only add to an HR department’s workload, not subtract from it. The best HR directors will meet the challenges of 2022 by having a plan ahead of time. Here are some thoughts on how human resources directors can prepare for 2022.

One major thing for 2022 is resolving the many questions related to where the work of a company will actually take place. For those companies that switched to a partial or full work from home setup, when will everyone be going back to the office? Or will the whole company be split up into teams that are brought back one at a time until 100% of the company is back? Is it financially feasible to just lose the many costs associated with having a physical office, especially a big office building, and keep everyone working from home? Instead of losing the office altogether, some companies may keep a physical building but move locations from one that is bigger to one that is smaller.

Human resources directors at many companies need to think not only about their employees but visitors to the office. Will they be required to have a vaccine? Will the company’s employees be required to have a vaccine? Will the company health plan cover necessary medical expenses or will the company need a new health plan? These and more are the many questions that will be answered in 2022, no doubt with some guidance of the courts as the usual flow of lawsuits will be filed here and there on such topics. HR directors will need to work closely with key members of other departments like legal and accounting because these questions are so numerous and complex they will go beyond just human resources.

Human resources departments also play a large role in corporate culture and alongside answering the previously mentioned questions, they will need to reinvigorate employees who: will not be used to working in the office (or may have never worked in the office if they are a new hire), may have lost loved ones to COVID-19, and are generally anxious about how all of the measures used to combat COVID-19 will play out in the long run.

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Tips for Hiring a Cleaning Service for the Office

ACG Resources — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 12:00:48 +0000

Companies of all shapes and sizes outsource the cleaning of the office/workspace to a cleaning service. There are many reasons for this, the first of which being that it gives back time for companies to spend more time on their core mission/business purpose instead of cleaning. With the COVID-19 pandemic upon us this service has never been more important. Chances are you have seen signs at various buildings you have been to that give information about additional cleaning steps being taken to reduce the possibility of transmitting the disease. For those businesses that are finally moving back into the office after working from home for over a year that did not have a relationship with a cleaning service before, how do they find one? This article will seek to give tips for doing just that.

It may be old-fashioned and a little low-tech but the first tip is to as for recommendations from other businesses similar to yours in the area. In their evaluation of the cleaning service they use, keep an ear out for compliments related to quality and reliability. Companies who focus on price first and foremost can be in for a rude awakening later on. It is optimal to ask other companies with similar workplaces to yours because then the odds will be much greater that the cleaning service will be able to meet expectations of cleaning your office. Cleaning a dentist’s office is much different than cleaning a gas station, for example. Follow up on these recommendations online by visiting the various review-oriented websites for such professional services.

Whether it’s a cleaning service that has been recommended to you or one your company has found itself, always make sure to do your due diligence to make sure there are no security issues. A company that skips that part leaves itself open to risks like having a cleaning service that was not insured when it accidentally broke an expensive piece of equipment while cleaning or had no real way of being contacted after some valuable materials go missing after a routine cleaning. If your office building has additional security, entry/exit protocols, confirm with the cleaning company that their personnel would not run into any problems.

Similar to your own employees, safety has to be the highest priority. Talk to the company about its safety record and rules while explaining clearly your company’s own expectations. This information, along with the details of how often and what types of cleanings will take place (deep cleaning, surface cleaning, etc), should all be in the signed contract between your company and the cleaning service you choose.

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Is It Time to Return to the Office?

ACG Resources — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 12:00:45 +0000

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic drags on, the leaders of many companies have begun asking the question “is it time to return to the office?” For businesses fortunate enough to remain open, aided by an ability to cut costs/adhere to government lockdowns by having remaining employees work from home, it is an inevitable and complex question. The most obvious answers are of course “yes” and “no,” but the question is complex because there are many follow up questions and other factors to be considered. This article will discuss what some journalists and analysts have heard from businesses pondering whether or not it is time to return to the office.

The “easier” answer to this question is “no, it is not time to return to the office” because it is typically easier to keep things as they are. For businesses in this frame of mind, a frequent next question is “well, when would be the right time to return to the office?” Some businesses have found that the answer to that question is never. They have successfully migrated to an all work-from-home (WFH) employee setup and don’t see any reason in going back to the way things were. Many employees have reporting higher satisfaction working from home than having to fight traffic and lose time out of their day going to/from an office where they have little to no control over the workplace environment. They can/have setup their home office in a way that helps them be just as productive, perhaps even more, than their bland cubicle back in headquarters.

Other companies already had most or all of their employees on a WFH setup and now have a justification to cut the costs associated with having a permanent office or headquarters. These costs include taxes on the property, utility bills, maintenance costs, and more. Other businesses that choose to call their employees back to the office, just not at this time, have to decide on a later date when that will happen. Such businesses are still largely at the mercy of federal and state government and will set that date to match whatever regulations are in place. This is a similar thought process for businesses who answer “yes” to the question of “is it time to return to the office?” It is generally not a good idea for such businesses to up and start calling their employees back to the office if it will put them afoul of government regulations.

Companies deciding on when to call their employees back into the office have other factors to consider too. Will everyone come back all at once? Will there be a rotational schedule, with some employees still WFH? The most complex factor is whether or not companies will require employees to be vaccinated, with inevitable court cases to follow that will provide guidance on that.

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How Small Businesses Are Surviving COVID-19

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 12:00:56 +0000

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had drastic impacts on the economy as a whole. Economic analysts are seeing more impact on small businesses than larger ones because small businesses in generally less likely to be equipped to handle emergencies. Their revenue streams, disaster recovery processes (if they have any), and emergency financial reserves are not as well-developed, on average. For the small businesses that are still hanging in there, how exactly are they doing it? Fortunately many of them have received assistance from federal and state governments, though many analysts and experts question whether that assistance would be necessary without the lockdowns promulgated by the same federal and state governments. Beyond that, here are how small businesses are surviving COVID-19.

For almost all small businesses the biggest cost is personnel; salaries, benefits, etc paid to employees. When a small business is directly told it cannot operate by the government or indirectly not able to operate because all of its potential customers are told by the government they cannot patronize any businesses because they must stay home, its revenue falls drastically. Without revenue a small business can’t afford to pay its employees so mass layoffs were the first thing to happen and expected. Analysts are still trying to wrap their heads around never-before-seen graphs showing such steep increases in unemployment and unemployment claims. But even after cutting the cost of paying personnel, small businesses have many other big hurdles ahead on the road to survival.

Again, many small businesses received financial assistance from state and local governments. But that assistance has typically still amounted to overall losses for small businesses as the amount of that assistance is typically not 100% equal to what a small business would have made otherwise, aka the revenues a small business was making prior to February 2020. Small businesses have been doing calculations on how long they can survive on the reduced revenue and one of the key pieces of information for that formula is how long the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to last. Unfortunately many small businesses expecting the COVID-19 pandemic to last more than 1-2 years have already closed; owners trying to minimize losses and potentially position themselves to re-open a new business when the pandemic is over.

For small businesses where it is possible, many have shifted the remaining personnel to working from home to reduce the overhead associated with having all employees come into an office. Many have shifted from in-person sales and marketing to online sales and marketing. Lastly, for small businesses fortunate enough to have the options available, they dipped into emergency cash reserves or alternative private/nongovernment sources of funding.

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Using Failure to Develop Your Employees

ACG Resources — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 06:00:44 +0000

Everyone fails because we are all human, but frequently we forget this and studies show people around the world stress out about failure more than almost anything else. For people who are known as “perfectionists,” this is extra applicable to them. Great managers, executives, and companies make it routine to use failure to develop their employees in the workplace. A failure is always an opportunity to learn something, as the saying goes. Experiencing failure can move a person out of their comfort zone and push them to new heights as they learn new limits to their capabilities. Here are some tips on how to approach failure productively.

The first step to using failure as a developmental tool is to specifically think about it as such and cut out all the negativity. Dwelling on negativities around failure, or focusing on regret of having failed, will do no one good: yourself, your team, your company, and for the people who take their work home with them, not their families either. Remember failures are inevitable on the path to learning and becoming better at whatever it is you do professionally (or personally).

Also make sure you are very clear on why you failed. Even if it was partly someone else’s fault, ask questions (to yourself and others with authority on the matter) on what you can do to detect the same type of failure yourself next time, instead of relying on someone else. Become very familiar with the information gathered here because if you know why you failed then you should know how to avoid the same failure again in the future. Or depending on the situation, if the failure is completely unpredictable but “bound to happen eventually,” you should collect information on how to fix the failure as quickly as possible; bonus points for fixing it quicker than last time.

If the same type of failure keeps happening over and over, and you’ve done everything you can to prevent the failure or get better at fixing it to no avail, it may be time to consider if the career path you are on is the right one for you. That is easier said than done of course, but people change careers all the time. Failing to see how constantly failing in a career that is not right for you produces multiple, serious negative consequences is one failure you do not want to let go unchecked for long.

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Unusual Marketing Ideas for Your Business

ACG Resources — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 12:00:10 +0000

Entrepreneurs know that most companies live or die by their marketing and sales performance. You can have a great product or service, maybe even the best in the world for its genre, but if practically no one knows of its existence then it is going to be hard to survive. The push in recent decades has been overwhelmingly to various forms of digital marketing thanks to the rise of the Internet, computers, cell phones, etc. But many marketing executives and experts find themselves looking for new ways to approach marketing because the competition for these already overcrowded digital spaces is so fierce. Here are some unusual marketing ideas for your business to get your message out there better in the digital or non-digital space.

Video marketing is growing like wildfire thanks to increases in technology. The standard for cellular data transmission speeds for cell phones is going from 4G (which was already fast) to 5G (which is much faster). Business and home Internet speeds are typically measured in gigabytes (GB) now, which is way faster than megabytes (MB) or (KB) of the “old” days. Networking equipment such as routers, modems, and Wifi points push data out to the devices that connect to them faster than ever. All of this means that companies can now use the medium of video to communicate their message effectively when they couldn’t before because it would take too long for the video to load and the quality was not good. You can pre-record such video marketing or see if there is an aspect of your business that is compatible with live-streaming.

Business award competitions are a great way to market your company. You get to say you won something, of course, which distinguishes you from your competition. Include recognition of the award on your company website or in materials placed around the office, especially rooms where guests/visitors will be present. Plus your presence at the acceptance ceremony will be an opportunity for representatives of your company to do some networking and in-person marketing. Check for such competitions with professional organizations related to your industry, chambers of commerce for your state and local area, media organizations that hold such contests for their viewers, and more.

Advertising local in your company’s area, or in the area of your company’s HQ for example, has seen an uptick in profitability lately. With everyone trying to cast that wide marketing net on the Internet, it has meant lower rates for marketing on billboards, bus stops, banners, etc around town. Local communities are shown in research to be very loyal, and dedicated, customers if courted correctly.

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How to Win Over Investors

ACG Resources — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 12:00:23 +0000

Fundraising is an exciting but very stressful part of starting any company. Requesting money now in exchange for potential future earnings is difficult because there is typically not much tangible collateral available at the time of the pitch; it’s all about the future and there’s a chance it could all come out to nothing. There are also so many startups running around nowadays that the competition for capital and investors is as fierce as it ever has been. In fact, many founders and owners of companies find that years after incorporation they are still trying to win over investors for various reasons. So exactly does one win over investors? The most successful people at doing this have a few common strategies and we’re here to talk about them today.

Getting investors to be as excited about your company as you are is one of the biggest factors in whether or not you will win them over. The importance of communicating to the investors that you’re passionate about what the company is trying to accomplish goes without saying, but at the same time you need to get feel that same energy. Why exactly is your fix to a given problem better than all the others, making it a “sure thing” for success? Why will the best minds in the field want to get on board to help your company climb even higher? The best way to communicate these things to investors is to plan what colorful, passionate verbs and phrases you will use, along with making the structure of what you are trying to say clear. Nothing kills the potential for successfully communicating passion like being unclear and causing confusion.

Be on the ball when it comes to your financials. Because investors, especially experienced ones, typically know the numbers side of other businesses similar to yours, trying to wow them with inflated or unrealistic numbers is not going to get you anywhere. You need to know the financial health of your company very well and be honest about what is going on so that investors can take notice of your honesty and authenticity. Again, just be very clear about how much money will be needed within what timeframe to be a “success.”

Lastly, remove as much fear from investors as you possibly can. It is only natural for investors to not want to invest their money in a company that is not going to provide any return or very little return. Remove this fear by planning ahead and putting yourself in their shoes: what would make you afraid to invest if you were them? What are other risk factors they may not even know about but will appreciate knowing that you’ve already thought about and planned for? What really makes your company stand out from others in the field? The less fear the investor has, the more likely you are to win them over.

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Staying Your Healthiest and Its Impact on the Workplace

ACG Resources — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 12:00:27 +0000

Staying healthy has huge implications for anyone’s personal and professional life. Health is such a complex thing though that has many different contributing factors and interdependent dimensions. Diet, exercise, and stress levels are contributing factors that affect one’s mental, spiritual, and reproductive health, along with even more. Then there is the condition of health vis-à-vis whether a person is sick or not sick. Most people seek to maximize their health so they can minimize the negative effects of having poor health or being sick. Here is a look at staying your healthiest and its impact on the workplace.

Staying physically fit is a key factor to overall physical health. People who are physically fit on average have much more energy during the day and live longer in general. Is there an employer out there that wouldn’t want their employees to have more energy to do their jobs or live longer in general? Diet and exercise are key factors in increasing and maintaining one’s physical health, but don’t forget about getting enough sleep. If your workplace has a gym that is at least halfway nice, wouldn’t it be a great idea to utilize it instead of paying for a gym membership elsewhere or trying to workout at home but always getting distracted? Personal trainers also recommend packing a (healthy) meal to take to work instead of not deciding what to eat until the last minute while you’re working and settling for fast food, most of which is very unhealthy.

Having a high level of mental health can be more challenging because it is not as easy to measure or notice as one’s pants size or weight after stepping on a scale. But mental health is very important given how integral our brain is to just about everything we do. Having a high level of mental health prevents such things as mental breakdown or poor memory, and assists with such things as increased focus and better problem solving. It hasn’t always been the case, but more organizations are allowing employees to take time off from work where necessary to allow them to improve/focus on mental health.

In the COVID-19 era, staying not sick as important as ever. It used to be that employees could come in to work if they were a little sick but still able to do their job overall but now almost everyone is hyper-sensitive to sneezing, coughing, etc. That means having to take time off from work, for those who are going in to the office and most likely can’t do their job from home. The impact is that too much time leads to piling up of work for when you do get back into the office, other employees getting frustrated when a team is short-handed, and potentially long-term career growth stunted. Do your best to wash your hands regularly and keep your immune system strong!

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Maintaining Your Work/Life Balance While Working from Home

ACG Resources — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 06:00:27 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended many things in many people’s professional lives, including whether or not they work in their company offices of at home out of an abundance of caution. Some people enjoy not having to make the commute, however long, into the office while others have found other positives. One potential drawback some people have found is that it is even more difficult to maintain a healthy work/life balance; and most of those same people thought it was difficult before the pandemic! Worry not, however, because this article will give some helpful tips on how to better maintain a healthy work/life balance while working from home.

The first thing to do is get very clear on where the boundaries of work begin and end. Similar to going into the office, think of the specially designated “work time” as the time in which you are 100% there for accomplishing as much as possible for your company and outside of that time you are a ghost. Most people have 1 continuous block of work time, separated only be a lunch/meal, but by all means if having more blocks of work time is better suitable for your schedule, feel free to do so. Again, just make sure it is clearly defined. It is helpful to have some buffer time before and after work time for stuff you have to prepare for or tasks that are running a little bit behind schedule. Note, “a little bit behind” is generally defined as a few minutes. If a task has an hour or more needed to finish it, and it can wait until tomorrow, complete it tomorrow; otherwise hand it off, if applicable.

Prioritization goes hand-in-hand with setting clear boundaries of what your work time will be for any given day. You want to knock out the most important tasks first so that the lesser important things that can wait for tomorrow do get pushed to the next day, instead of the end of your work time approaching and you have multiple hours that still need to be put toward an important task due ASAP. Prioritization also is related to emergencies, which also has a big impact on people feeling like they can never unplug from work. Just because one person thinks something is an emergency does not make it so. If someone is reaching out to you outside of your work time for help with an “emergency” from work, the first thing is to analyze if it really has the priority of an emergency. If it doesn’t, you can decide whether to concisely communicate right then that it can wait until tomorrow or hold off on communicating the reason why until tomorrow as well.

One obvious exception to the previous tip is depending on who is escalating the emergency to you outside of your work time. If it is a superior, or a superior’s superior, that changes things obviously. At that point, the best plan is to just get the task done as soon as possible. The tip for avoiding that from happening over and over is to communicate with your boss and/or teammates, about when your work time specifically is and what things qualify as an emergency outside of that work time.

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3 Overlooked Qualities of a Great Leader

ACG Resources — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 06:00:02 +0000

Many people want to be a leader, but are they really? Just because someone is a manager does not mean they are necessarily a (good) leader. Those who are the most serious about being the best leader they can be are very intentional about it and always looking for ways to improve their leadership. The differences between a great leader and a not-so-great leader are most readily seen by the effectiveness of the team/people they lead, with the former almost always excelling over the latter. In either case, how does one become a better leader? Most everyone knows the common, core qualities of a leader, but what about overlooked qualities? We’re glad you asked.

Empathy is a quality that does not come naturally to everyone but one that has been shown over and over is one of those “hard to put your thumb on” qualities of a great leader. Some people think of empathy as a weakness or a waste of time, but study after study show that trying to manage a team with more than enough empathy is always easier than trying to manage a team with less than enough empathy. Again, we’re talking about people here, and it is extremely difficult to gain trust, fuel relationships, or understand behavior without empathy. The key to developing empathy is listening more to those around you. That does not mean you must accept/agree with what they are saying, but just listen and pay attention to nonverbal communication. The better you can translate listening into interest, or at least seeming interested, in what someone is telling you, the more they will perceive you as empathetic.

Giving recognition is another overlooked quality of a great leader. “Give more recognition” is a phrase that may have left some management experts and analysts puzzled decades or centuries ago. The thought used to be that employees would receive critical, but respectful, feedback where necessary, but otherwise no feedback meant that the employee was doing well. “No news is good news” is a loosely-related phrase here, but is not the case anymore. Psychologists and other business gurus found that a little recognition went a long way in improving morale, reducing employee turnover, and increasing productivity.

A good sense of humor is a trait that may make management experts and analysts today puzzled, but it really does pay off. Laughter really is the best medicine and ranks right up there with empathy when it comes to increasing the bond between a leader and their team. It eases the intimidation some feel when it comes to the manager/managed relationship and can even help reduce the impact of bad news. The obvious word of caution is that using humor in the workplace is more difficult in the modern era than it used to be, so put extra intentionality into developing this quality to avoid getting in trouble with HR.

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3 Tips For Reducing Turnover at Your Company

ACG Resources — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Every company (with more than 1 employee) is on the lookout for ways to reduce turnover of its employees. Turnover are one of the biggest costs to companies, quantitatively and qualitatively, because of the experience lost from people leaving, the cost to recruit new employees, the cost of training new employees, etc. Each company has its own strategy for combatting employee turnover but there are a few key strategies that are seen over and over again by human resources experts because they produce good results. Some employee turnover is unavoidable of course, but anything a company can do to reduce turnover to a certain extent almost always helps the bottom line.

The first tip to reducing employee turnover is fairly intuitive, but also easier said than done, in that you should hire the right people to begin with. Just exactly what does the adjective “right” mean in the phrase “right employee” though? The meaning is elusive and complex but it all has to do with relationships. When it comes to the relationship between a potential employee and a position, does the person have the skills, knowledge, and abilities to perform the duties of the position at an acceptable level? When it comes to the relationship between the employee and the company overall, specifically the corporate culture, will the potential employee work well with others on their team, interact well with other departments/teams, enjoy working for the company for reasons other than just “they pay well enough”? A key purpose of the interviewing process is to answer these questions because hiring the wrong person necessarily leads to increased turnover.

The next tip is to offer competitive pay and benefits. Again, this may be intuitive but is easier said than done given that newer generations of workers value things differently and have different priorities than previous generations. For example, some companies have switched from throwing all of their compensation at employee salaries to giving decent salaries mixed with great healthcare and student loan repayment benefits. Salary is still very important, make no mistake, and knowing how much to pay varies greatly depending on the type of position, the geographic location of the position, and the qualifications of a potential employee. Savvy companies keen on reducing employee turnover do ample research to know they have these numbers correct.

The last tip is related to a frequent complaint by employees in exit interviews across all industries and professions: job stagnation. Most people don’t want to stay in the same position their whole lives. They want to see a path for advancement in front of them and if your company doesn’t have one available for an employee, they’re likely to leave to find one elsewhere. Putting resources into career development is a key way to reduce employee turnover.

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Does Your Company Provide Enough Maternity Leave?

ACG Resources — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 06:00:56 +0000

Women make up a larger portion of the workforce today than ever before. One employment perk/benefit that many women compare between potential employers is maternity leave. Many companies nationwide have increased the amount of maternity leave available to their employees in recent decades but there is a wide variation in the amount of time (usually measured in weeks or months) provided. Other characteristics of maternity leave that vary are level of pay (100% or some percentage less than that) and whether or not there is a waiting period after initial employment before maternity leave is available. Does your company provide enough maternity leave? Making sure you do can be a big factor in keeping your company attractive to top potential talent out there.

In terms of the total amount of time available, HR experts peg the current “sweet spot” of maternity to be around 3-6 months. Anything less has led to employers receiving feedback about poor work/life balance and overstressed/underperforming employees. Some companies even go up to 9 months or a year, but somewhere around there HR experts say the negative feedback received by employers picks back up, not from mothers, but from supervisors and other tangential employees who cite too much of a disruption and confusion in the workplace.

The level of pay during maternity provided by most companies is 100% but there are some companies where that amount is less than that, but typically not by much. For companies that didn’t previously provide any maternity leave, providing a few weeks or months at sub-100% of pay is an appreciated (by mothers) step forward. Some employers give employees returning from maternity leave a stipend for child care to ease the transition back to full-time work.

Many employers have a waiting period after initial employment before benefits kick in. When this is the case, maternity leave is typically included with the rest of the benefits and not singled out for a special waiting period. As previously mentioned however, most feedback from expectant or future mothers is that they would rather work for a company with a longer waiting period for maternity leave than no maternity leave at all. Overall, the private sector is becoming more influenced by the public sector when it comes to maternity leave. A growing number of women working in the public sector have access to maternity leave, which has led to the same in the private sector.

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Avoid These Things When Onboarding New Employees

ACG Resources — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 06:00:37 +0000

If you are hiring, congratulations! One of the chief signs business is heading in a good direction is when the company begins or increases the amount of people it is hiring (as long as it’s not due to constantly having to replace people leaving, aka high turnover). In recent years HR experts have the hiring process down to a science so much that they have broken it up into multiple smaller sub-processes. Onboarding is used to describe the process between a candidate accepting an offer of employment and roughly when they begin their first day (or week). Well-managed companies know that the hiring process is very important and onboarding is no exception. Here are some things to avoid when onboarding new employees.

The first thing, is to make sure you are not overlooking the onboarding process. In other words, to make sure you are constantly collecting feedback from new employees on how to make it better, instead of just assuming “it’s just one of those things everyone goes through” and not giving it much thought beyond that. Properly tweaking an onboarding process improves productivity and morale while neglected onboarding processes cost employee retention.

Next, you will want to keep the onboarding process well-documented so it will be consistent and complete. This saves time and money from having to go back and fix things, such as missing access for an employee to an important computer system or the lack of a parking pass that gets a new employee’s car towed. Remember the feedback regarding the onboarding process mentioned previously? That fits perfectly in here with the need to keep the process well-documented.

Make sure you include a sufficient number of people in the hiring process. What is sufficient? Of course that varies widely from company to company and who is being hired. For companies that have thousands of employees, naturally it is not feasible for everyone to be involved in the hiring process. But having a new employee only talk to someone from the HR and legal departments before getting straight to work is also lacking and impersonal. A sufficient number of people is somewhere in the middle; enough to make the new employee feel welcome!

As important as it is to make a new employee feel welcome though, it is also very important to properly equip them with everything they need to do their job. As much of this as possible needs to take place during the onboarding process. Training with other employees on a company’s specialized/proprietary processes naturally will take an extended period of time. But setting up a new employees workstation, giving them proper office supplies, having access to the necessary information systems, and more all need to be handled during onboarding to get the new employee off on the right foot.

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4 Great Christmas Gifts for the Office

ACG Resources — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 06:00:35 +0000

Choosing the right gift for your client, boss, or coworker can be just as difficult as choosing the right gift for your spouse, sibling, or parent. The goal is similar in both cases though; to let them know you care about them and value the relationship. The best gift givers know how to do so with a gift that the receiver will also value without the gift being too overboard or improper. In 2020 the job is even harder because the idle, impersonal talk that happens between important job functions has been missing from so many people’s routines who have been working from home. Giving gifts is worth it though because they have been shown to boost morale and increase comradery. Read on for some great Christmas gift ideas for your office.

Few people will turn down chocolate and a percentage of the ones who do don’t really have a choice because they are allergic to chocolate. On top of the wide ranging affection of chocolate, the other great thing is that there are so many options and variation. You could do chocolate dipped fruit, some chocolate chip cookies, a classic Christmas fudge, and more. Savvy gift givers will alter between milk chocolate and dark chocolate depending on the preference of the gift receiver; and don’t forget about white chocolate. Again, it’s hard to go wrong with something chocolate!

A coffee mug is a classic but very functional gift. You can decide whether you want to get a personalized one with whatever text or pictures you think the gift receiver will like the most or a pre-designed mug that has a great joke on it, for example. Similar to chocolate, the vast majority of people drink coffee. Just don’t be discouraged if the gift receiver doesn’t ditch their current coffee mug for the new one; they may just be using it at home.

A good book is another gift idea that has a lot of versatility. The only trick with books is for the gift giver to have a better idea of what the gift receiver’s interests are so you can get a corresponding book. It will be more difficult to tell how much the gift receiver is enjoying their new book because they most likely won’t be reading the book at work (most workplaces frown on that sort of thing). You’ll just have to take them at their word if they say they like it.

Posters/wall decorations are great gift ideas for traditional workplaces, such as those with cubicles or defined offices, because that means lots of wall space. That space will look so much better with some great decorations, won’t it. Just make sure it is something tasteful that the boss will like.

The post 4 Great Christmas Gifts for the Office appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

What to Know About a Business Valuation

ACG Resources — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 12:00:29 +0000

Selling and buying businesses involves many, many complex questions. One of the first and most important questions is “what is a given business worth, aka what is its valuation?” This question is so tricky because there are different methods available for calculating a business valuation and because each calculation will produce a different result, the valuation of any business will typically be represented by a numeric range. One thing that is true throughout is that people looking to sell or buy businesses should get second (or third or more) opinions, typically from an appraiser, to make sure the math adds up. Even those who buy and sell businesses frequently do this because of how important it is; and because these processes typically involve some very big numbers. Here is what else you should know about business valuations.

An asset-based method of calculating a business valuation focuses on the businesses assets and liabilities. The difference from the 2 (assets minus liabilities) is the overall valuation but there are many other calculations, IRS rules, and factors that go into generating those two numbers for that equation. And even before doing any math, those involved in the valuation process typically pour through large quantities of statistics, receipts, and other records. Business owners typically do not sell businesses for the less than the valuation (also known as a book value) derived from this method, especially businesses that have a lot of growth potential.

The market-based method of calculating a business valuation compares a business that is potentially being bought/sold with a similar one that already has been. The key to this method is finding another company that is truly similar because the more similar it is then the more accurate the valuation will be, even if the end valuation total is very different. The more recent the other company sold, the more accurate the valuation will be too because of the impact inflation and shifts in the market have over the years or decades.

The income-based method of calculating a business valuation looks at a business’s financial books to show it is low in risk and high in potential. Even if a business has taken out some big loans, the ability to pay down loans, especially quickly, reflects good financial health and low risk. Past profits and current cash flow are the major factors in determining the valuation of the business in terms of future net profit.

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How Trauma Impacts Business Success

ACG Resources — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 12:00:24 +0000

Running a business is not easy. There are many challenges that you have to face and overcome to achieve success. If you or your team has been through some type of business trauma, then it can affect your ability to run a profitable business. In this article, we talk about the different kinds of trauma that your business may encounter and their impact.

What Are Some Kinds of Business Trauma?

Trauma for your business can come in different forms. These can all have an impact on your business, depending on the kind of trauma that your business went through. Some of the most common business trauma include the following:

Financial Loss

Losing money is one of the worst things that can happen to any business owner. When you lose money, you need to make sure that you don’t let it get out of control. You will want to take steps to ensure that you don’t go into debt again. This could mean making changes to your company’s financial plan.

Resignation, Injury, or Death of an Employee

When someone leaves your company, they leave behind their knowledge and experience. They also leave behind their customers and clients. When an employee resigns, gets injured, or even dies, it can cause a huge loss for your business. You will need to find new employees who can replace them and the work they can contribute to the company.

Customer Complaints

Nowadays, a single complaint posted on social media can significantly affect your company’s reputation. If you receive complaints from your customers, it can hurt your business. Customers expect certain standards when it comes to customer service and failing to meet those expectations can put you at risk of losing more customers.

Legal Issues

If you have legal issues, then you will need to deal with them. This includes anything from lawsuits to tax problems. Common legal issues that entrepreneurs face licensing, overtime disputes, and unpaid taxes. This usually happens when entrepreneurs don’t seek legal advice before starting up their businesses.

How Does Trauma Impact Your Business?

As mentioned above, different kinds of business trauma have different impacts. While most of these impacts are negative, there are some positive ones too. Here are just a few of the benefits that you can gain by overcoming your business trauma:

Better Work Ethic

When your business has struggled with a challenging issue, it can lead you to have a better work ethic. Most business owners will need to look deeper at themselves if they want to succeed. By doing so, they can become more self-aware, which leads to having a better work ethic. In addition, this improved work ethic can be beneficial when it comes to leading your team. Having a good work ethic can help your team members feel like they belong and have confidence in their abilities.

Increased Efficiency

Businesses that have faced tough times often become more productive. As a result, they can become more efficient and effective. For example, if you have had a hard time growing your business, you may decide to focus on a marketing plan. Your marketing team can look at new techniques such as marketing psychology or customer relationship management. In turn, you can use these new strategies to boost your productivity.

Improved Self-Confidence

You might feel insecure because of a traumatic event. But having a traumatic event doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to stop trying. Instead, it makes you stronger. For example, business owners who experience financial losses often become motivated and determined to make their businesses succeed again. When they overcome this kind of problem, they become more confident in their skills in doing certain things.

Better Relationships

You and other people who work for your business can feel isolated or drained when dealing with a traumatic event. However, going through something challenging together is an avenue to build better relationships. It also helps you understand each other better. As a result, your team can use this understanding to improve communication between each other.

Improved communication between you and your team can help people become more open and honest. This will make them feel comfortable enough to share their problems and concerns with you. When they do so, it’s easier for everyone to get the support that they need.

A New Perspective

Businesses that have experienced traumatic events can learn how to move forward in a way that is different than before. They can see things differently now, which means that they can start thinking about new ways to approach challenges, may it be going net zero or doing marketing differently. It’s important to try to learn from the situation, take advantage of the opportunities that come along, and learn how to avoid similar situations from happening in the future.

The Bottom Line

Business owners who have faced a challenging situation can use their experiences for the better. Although these situations can cause stress for them, they can also provide motivation and drive. As a result, you and your team can reach more success and build visionary businesses in the long run.

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Ways to Increase Energy Efficiency in the Workplace

ACG Resources — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 06:00:41 +0000

Energy efficiency is trending as a way for companies to save some money, if not in the short-term then in the long-term. Being energy efficient also boosts company credibility in their community as one that cares about minimizing their impact on the environment and energy consumption. Any business can become more energy efficient if the employees of that company set their mind to it; both front-line employees and executive level. Some companies are even eligible for tax credits for certain energy efficiency achievements in the workplace. Whatever the reason, here are some key ways to increase energy efficiency in the workplace.

Employees can increase energy efficiency before they even walk through the door by changing the way they commute to the office. Employees who live near each other can carpool and employees who live close enough to the office can ride a bicycle into work, for example. This may not be as applicable while large numbers of people are working from home but where applicable it is still a great option for increased energy efficiency. Next, computers are everywhere in workplaces across the country in modern times. For the computers that have monitors, shutting those monitors off when employees go home, are on vacation, or out of the office for an extended period of time will save much more energy than letting the monitors go to sleep.

HVAC is one of the biggest factors of an electric bill in most people’s homes and in most workplaces it is also a big factor. Similarly, raising the temperature on the thermostats a little during the summer and lowering the temperature a little during the winter can add up to significant amounts of energy conservation. Removing and/or selling old/unused office equipment can also lead to increased energy efficiency. Once upon a time it was necessary for some companies to have a fax machine on every floor of their building, for example, but as that mode of communication has diminished, why not remove most of them but keep a few here and there?

Thanks to advances in technology, data can be shared and transmitted in more digital ways than ever before. Gone are the days where data always had to be printed out (in analog form). Utilizing those digital ways of sharing data and only printing when absolutely necessary saves not only electricity, but also paper and ink. And since you’re printing less often, while you’re selling those old fax machines, why not get rid of some printers too?

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Secrets to Negotiating Better Deals for Your Business

ACG Resources — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 12:00:34 +0000

Everyone wants to negotiate good deals for their businesses. A successful negotiation is one where you feel as if you achieved an equitable outcome in the end. The best negotiators have strategies for achieving this whether the negotiations are taking place in person or remotely. But the innate talent to negotiate good deals varies greatly from person to person. What should people who happen to not have been blessed with much talent in this area do? Fortunately, research shows that negotiation skills can be learned with enough practice and determination. It also doesn’t hurt to have a secret or two up your sleeve.

The first secret is to make the first offer. The best negotiators do this to set the terms of the negotiation process. If someone is selling an item, the price is more likely to stay on the high side if they first offer is high; the inverse is also true for those trying to buy an item. Speaking first and making the first offer is very important before the conversation steers into discussing other underlying interests and factors.

Use concrete numbers instead of a range when discussing money. For example, during a negotiation, if you tell the other person that you’re willing to sell your product for $100-$200, then they know you are willing to go as low as $100 and will have an easier time tying you to that number. Likewise, if you are trying to buy a product and you let the seller know you’re willing to spend $200-$300, then they know where to keep the price closer to $300 because you already said you were willing to spend that much.

After making the first offer, only talk when absolutely necessary. Harnessing the power of silence is an age-old secret of the best negotiators to let the people they’re negotiating with defeat themselves. By making eye contact but not speaking, the other person may slip and start making concessions they wouldn’t otherwise make. After that happens, you can negotiate a better deal for your business than you would have been able to previously.

Many things in life are enhanced by asking better questions and negotiating is definitely one of those things. Focus on asking open-ended questions that will draw out helpful information to use during the negotiation instead of closed-ended questions that typically do not help much. Instead of asking “is that your best offer?”, asking something like “what if I said I’m not sure this offer is going to work?” for example will get you more information in return.

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Plans for Dealing with Difficult Customers

ACG Resources — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 12:00:14 +0000

Every company has customers that they provide goods and/or services too. For some companies their customers are the general public (business to client), for others their clients are employees of another organization (business to business), and for others their customers are both the general public and other organizations. In all scenarios, providing great customer service is more important than ever before and because so many companies have caught on to this, the bar for what qualifies for “great” customer service has steadily been raised. All of this is for the better, mostly, but it does lead to difficult customers potentially having a larger negative impact on a business than in years past. Difficult customers are inevitable but remembering the information from this article can help keep your company providing great customer service throughout; minimizing the negative impact of difficult customers.

The most obvious sign most people say tip them off that a “difficult customer” is heading their way is the customer being angry; especially if they are very angry and not properly controlling said anger. The best customer service representatives keep an eye out for verbal and non-verbal cues that a customer is angry, such as sarcastic language or raising their voice. Other customers are more passive with their anger, so their cues are less verbal and more non-verbal, but if not handled properly, will lead to the same result: a hit to your company’s reputation. Companies that provide great customer service train their employees how to diffuse anger, allowing them to focus on the issue that caused the anger in the first place, making resolving the issue much more efficient. The best customer service representatives empathize, ask lots of questions, and summarize to prevent miscommunication and wasted time, which feeds a difficult customer’s anger.

Companies that provide great customer service train their employees to find out what the difficult customer wants as fast as possible, suggest alternatives, agree on a solution with the difficult customer as fast as possible, and follow up where necessary to (hopefully) prevent the difficult customer from damaging the company’s reputation. Employees typically do these things in 1 of 2 settings: the client is right in front of them, aka in person, or they’re not, aka their communicating with the client over the phone, via email, or via instant chat. Difficult customers in the latter setting are harder to work with because employees cannot rely on non-verbal cues, but the previously mentioned plan is still the employees best chance of reaching the best outcome. For those unfortunate times where difficult customers cross an ethical or legal line, great companies also train their employees to not let themselves be abused while at the same time not escalating the situation further.

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Marketing Your Business on a Budget

ACG Resources — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 12:00:02 +0000

As important as money is to every business, so is the ability of the business to market itself successfully. If it markets itself unsuccessfully, or does not market itself enough, that business has an extremely low chance of surviving for very long. Big businesses or those with wealthy benefactors/investors typically don’t have to worry about marketing too much because they can afford the best marketing gurus and provide them with a healthy marketing budget. But what about medium to small businesses with not a lot of money available to be put towards marketing? Unfortunately they have to get creative because waiting around for the cash to start flowing isn’t going to happen without, you guessed it, marketing. This article will review how to market your business on a (tight) budget.

Efficiency is going to be one of your greatest allies when marketing on a budget. What exactly does it mean to be efficient in this context? It means to perfect your elevator pitch so much you and/or those responsible for marketing within your company can do it in your sleep. A great elevator pitch is able to grab someone’s attention immediately, which is important, because research shows most people’s attention spans are not long to begin with. The pitch also holds the attention for the necessary amount of time and ultimately convincing the person being pitched that you can back up the claims of the pitch. The best sales people are also ready for whatever questions people will likely have after the pitch by perfecting the answers to said questions.

Being very well-rehearsed with your elevator pitch only goes so far if you never run into anyone fitting to give it to in the first place, aka people that can have a real (positive) impact on your business. Therefore it is very helpful to brainstorm how/where/when to run into such people. Businesses who get involved in their communities can not only find exceptionally talented people to hire and build up the reputation of a company who cares/gives back, but the representatives of such businesses can also meet representatives of other businesses who are trying to do the same thing. Some of these people would be great to give that perfected elevator pitch to.

When you start running into the right people to give your elevator pitches to, if the pitches go well, the best way to guarantee you keep running into the right people is to ask for referrals. It’s best not to be pushy about it, but it typically doesn’t hurt to ask if the person can think of anyone else who would be interested in learning more about your company or could be helped by your company.

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Tips for Better Communication Skills

ACG Resources — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 12:00:52 +0000

Communication skills are key in just about every industry because every industry is made up of companies and every company is made up of people. Communication is the top way people interact with each other to accomplish goals and get work done. If all of the members of a team or a department are good enough communicators, and the teamwork is strong enough, sometimes team members will anticipate what the others need before they even communicate it. Being good at communication is one of those skills where there is always room for improvement; it’s an ongoing process. Here are some tips for better communication skills.

First, visualize what you are attempting to communicate so you can focus on it more completely. If you are distracted, confused about what you are saying, or do not understand the subject matter, it is highly likely whoever you are communicating with will also be confused. Then visualize how you would communicate it effectively if you were actually saying it; kind of a mental dry run. Then visualize the context in which you will be communicating. Is it a Zoom meeting? A conference room? A sports stadium? Visualizing also helps people build up confidence, which is another key ingredient of better communication skills.

Spend a little extra time thinking about your audience. Are there ways you can modify what you are attempting to communicate specifically to your audience? To best answer this question, professional speakers put themselves in their audience’s shoes and ask what they are expecting of the professional speaker. What is their knowledge and experience? What are they trying to learn?

Speaking or writing is only one half of the conversation. The other half is listening to the other person or people while they are communicating. Paying attention to what they are communicating, patiently and actively, not only helps you understand better but it also lets the other person or people know you care about what they are saying. Typically this will motivate them to care about what you have to say too. And assuming you have a decent memory, by properly listening, you will have more substance to respond with when it is your turn to communicate verbally or in writing again. Make sure not to interrupt because you would not want to be interrupted yourself, right? And even though we won’t get into it much here, remember that body language/nonverbal communication is just as important as verbal communication.

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How to Learn New Skills When You Are Unemployed

ACG Resources — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 12:00:06 +0000

Most people dread being unemployed. With unemployment typically comes more negative consequences than positive ones, but if you’re already unemployed, an important question to ask is “what will help me more in the long run? Focusing on the negative consequences or the positive ones?” One of the positive consequences of unemployment is the opportunity to learn new skills so you will be more attractive as a job candidate and more versatile as an employee. The vast number of skills out there to learn and equally vast number of ways to learn them can be a bit overwhelming, however. Here we will discuss one helpful strategy for learning new skills while you are unemployed.

First it is important to narrow down the limitless list of skills out there to the ones you want to learn. That may seem obvious, but when doing so, it is also helpful to make sure at least most of the skills you want to learn (in the near future) are related to your field/industry/position. Next, most skills people want to learn are actually made up of a collection of sub-skills aka simpler skills that add up to one more complex skill. For example, if you are trying to gain the skill of being a proficient guitar player you would need to gain sub-skills of reading music, strumming patterns, chord properties, and more. These sub-skills are not always mapped out so it will take some researching more information about the skill and practice on breaking down skills into simpler parts.

Speaking of research, that is the next part in learning a new skill you’ve picked out. Depending on the skill, you may seek out information from sources like people who already have a good grasp on the skill, written sources like websites or books, and audio/video sources like videos or instructional CDs. Since you are unemployed while you are learning this skill, the most prudent financial move is to get the information for free, no matter what source you use. But if you need the skill bad enough and there is no way around it, like skills that require specific testing for certification, by all means.

One more essential ingredient for learning any new skill is practicing. Only be applying the information you collected via research will you eventually learn the new skill. The biggest factor in practicing is time, but one positive consequence of unemployment is that you should have more time at your disposal. Just make sure you are practicing properly (per the information you collected) because typically bad habits from practicing improperly are hard to break.

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How to Relax But Also Be Productive

ACG Resources — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 12:00:25 +0000

In modern times, research, personal/family experiences, statistics, and more show that one of the biggest obstacles to a long and healthy life is stress. So everyone wants to reduce their stress, where possible, right? But most people also have many things to accomplish so focusing all of their attention to maximizing relaxation to combat stress is not a feasible option. In fact, some people get so focused on accomplishing and achieving things they focus all their attention to maximizing productivity. What is the best way to balance relaxation and productivity? We’re glad you asked.

Working 18 hour days is not so bad if you remember to take a proper amount of breaks and relax. This will allow you to reduce your stress level and re-energize, which will allow you to accomplish more, than trying to work 18 hours straight or not taking enough breaks. It gets complicated when choosing how much/many breaks are needed though because it varies so much from person to person given differences in biology, age, fitness level, etc. There is obviously a difference too in working 18 hours out on a farm vs working 18 hours sitting at a computer.

Another great way to find harmony between relaxation and productivity is to pay close attention to what stresses you out while you are working. During your next break, or between workdays, take some time to brainstorm why that thing stresses you out and how you can reduce or eliminate its effect on you. It could be as simple as the ding from your email program being a sound that you hate so you change it one that is more enjoyable; maybe even a sound you recorded yourself!

Human beings are very social creatures, even if the manner and frequency of social interactions vary from person to person. Experts say that people who are the best at regaining their energy during relaxation do so by communicating with other people for a portion of that relaxation time. You can get another perspective on a problem that will end up solving it faster than your idea would or you can get some reassurance that the conclusion you were coming to regarding a given situation is logically sound. If the person you’re talking to happens to be facing more daunting problems than you, it can take weight off your shoulders by making you appreciate the smaller problems in your life. Always remember to be empathetic with such people though so that the communication is mutually beneficial.

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How to Write a Business Plan for a Startup

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 12:00:46 +0000

Business plans are much more common in today’s economy than they were decades or centuries ago. No one wants to fail when starting a new business and one of the common themes among businesses that survive and thrive is a strong business plan. Business plans are basically the roadmap for how your business is going to survive and thrive for the long term. It should contain a lot of descriptive information about your business but at the same time not be too long and drawn out. You don’t have to have a business or accounting degree to put together a business plan. Read on for some tips on how to write a business plan for your startup.

The majority of successful business plans contain the same 6 parts: executive summary, opportunity, execution, company summary, financial plan, and appendix. Though the executive summary comes first in the business plan, many entrepreneurs write it last because it focuses them to properly condense all of the information from the other sections. Likewise, the executive summary is an overview of the business and the plans for why the entrepreneur is starting it in the first place.

The opportunity section provides information specifically about what your product or service is. What need will you be fulfilling? What pain point will you be relieving? Who will want your product or service the most, aka who is your target market? At the same time, it is near impossibility for any new business to be in an industry all by itself, no matter how niche, so there is bound to be competition. How does your company stand up to the competition?

The execution section discusses the specifics of how the business idea will be turned into a reality. Metrics used to measure success, sales plans, and milestones will be among the things mentioned in this section. Investors look for great business ideas coupled with great managers/management teams. The company management section will list who is at the top of the company and provide relevant information from their backgrounds on why they will hold such positions.

Money is the lifeblood of any business. No business survives long without money in some form: earned income, capital investment, dividends, etc. For startups this section typically focuses on income in the form of projections because the startup hasn’t been around long enough to actually make any money yet. Sales forecasts, cash flow statements, and income statements are among the information provided here. Finally is the appendix section that can be referred to by other sections. This is where extra information or images belong to spark maximum interest in the person reading the business plan.

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Hiring for MedTech Jobs: How Do You Compete with FAANG for Talent?

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 12:00:16 +0000

How to Leave Giant Footprints in MedTech with the Skills Your Business Needs

MedTech jobs can be challenging to hire for. You want and need to hire talented candidates for your organization to excel. But how can you possibly, when FAANG companies keep hiring the best candidates?

You mustn’t settle for a poor hire – it can cost you up to 30% of that hire’s first-year earnings. These costs are the last thing you need if you want to compete with the biggest companies.

Here, we show you how to stand your ground in the tech hiring world, and discover savvy talent who know where best to thrive in MedTech jobs.

Why It Is Hard to Compete with FAANG Companies

The FAANG companies – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google – are the tech giants, and among the world’s best-known organizations.

The first thing to understand is that these companies have a lot of money on their hands. They can afford to pay top dollar for skilled staff, as well as provide benefits that are hugely attractive on multiple levels. Such packages are difficult for smaller companies to match. On top of this, FAANG companies have many locations globally, with a greater local reach that can house attractively diverse and innovative workforces.

This means that any company seeking skilled workers has a huge uphill battle when competing against FAANGs.

5 Tips to Hire Ahead of FAANG Companies

Being a giant in tech isn’t always a good thing. Sure, they have huge advantages in hiring talent for MedTech jobs – but the most talented candidates aren’t daft, either. They want many things your organization can offer. Here are some great tips for smaller companies to win their fair share of talent:

1. Target the Right People

Many candidates thrive within smaller-sized companies. As technology grows and becomes more accessible, people start to feel that bigger companies are becoming more monopolistic.

This monopolistic nature can make large companies less attractive for some workers. They are not as interested in big perks and salaries, as they are in team spirit, responsibility, and the feeling they are making a personal difference to a team and organization. The recognition and appreciation that often gets swamped amongst hordes of employees in FAANG companies.

This is your target candidate audience.

2. Be the Company Your Target Candidates Want to Join

Now you know what type of employee will be attracted to you, it’s time to map out a way to draw them in. You must show that you are the type of employer they would love working for. You are innovative, supportive, and focused. There are many ways to communicate this, including:

Social media presence, and how you appear to passive candidates
Celebrating personal achievements of your employees
Promoting employee testimonials
Emphasizing your focus on career progression, and the finances and resources you have in place
Knowing your specialty – your vision and uniqueness that makes you an exciting and different career path
Being personable – reflecting your culture of community and understanding of individual personal lives

3. Provide Opportunities to Progress and Develop

The most talented candidates want room to breathe, create, and progress. Ensure you emphasize your focus on individual career progression with regular informal and formal catch-ups to discuss how your employees feel, and how training is provided and catered for. Invite their ideas and creativity, losing the authoritarian approach that often overrules the consensus of autonomy in bigger companies.

4. Provide a Great Candidate Experience

If you have talent in your hiring process, look after them. It’s their insight into how you treat employees. Make sure you:

Always communicate – never keep them in the dark
Act swiftly – with prompt scheduling
Have a welcoming yet expert hiring team
Welcome them into the team immediately
Ask them how you can help them

Treat your candidates like clients and make and ensure that a strong, welcoming, and supportive network encourages them to stay.

5. Be Flexible in the Job Offer

Not every candidate wants the same from a job offer. One fantastic candidate may want a little flexibility or a hybrid work schedule, while another strongly desires financial support with career progression and training. Another may feel comforted with wellbeing support, or stock options. Ask them. Make them feel unique, and create a package that’s personal.

In short, center your whole approach on the candidate, and what they bring to the table, how they will positively impact your business, and their development. Let them understand that with you they will not be treated as a number in an overblown workforce.

Get Ahead and Hire First

These tips will promote you as an incredible employer for talent to be attracted to. We’ve seen it happen. We put it into practice every day, for our many loyal and satisfied clients and candidates.

At ACG Resources, we wrap all these tips into one mastered service that sees exceptional talent confidently walking away from potential and current FAANG jobs and into yours. Contact ACG Resources today and see how we can make a difference to your workforce and stance in the tech world.

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How to Successfully Negotiate a Job Offer in Fintech Jobs

ACG Resources — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 12:00:51 +0000

Expert Tips for Negotiating Your Salary and Benefits Package

You’ve been interviewing for fintech jobs, and have received an offer. But it’s not quite as good as you had hoped.

If you want to accelerate your career in fintech jobs, you must start off on the right foot. This can be tough if negotiating an offer isn’t your bag.

Here are the tips to ensure you negotiate the very best offer possible.

7 Negotiating Tips

Here are the seven negotiating tips we consider when we help our skilled candidates with their job offers:

1. Know Your Worth in the Market

Knowing how much you’re worth to the fintech industry will stand you in a strong position to negotiate. Do your research, and check out some salary sites such as PayScale and Salary.com. This will help you gauge a base figure to work from. Of course, your level of experience, location, and unique skillset will affect this figure, but the main goal here is to ensure you’re not left vulnerable to accepting a lowball offer.

Your best bet? Get in touch with a specialist agency like ACG Resources. We know the banking and finance industry like the back of our hands, and can tell you how much you should be expecting.

2. Know What Is Most Important to You

Don’t assume salary is the key to your professional happiness. Take a moment and think what will help you enjoy your career. As well as salary, consider:

Start date
Vacation/PTO
Relocation expenses
Memberships, association dues, subscriptions
Signing bonus, bonuses
Laptop, mobile phone, home office technology
Auto (car, mileage)
Flex-time/job share schedule/Work from Home
Training/re-certification costs
Stock options

Put your proposition forward. Explain to employers why certain elements are important to you. Help them understand how it will make a difference to your career with them.

3. Negotiate at the Right Time: After You Receive an Offer

You may be keen to start talking compensation details, but don’t attempt to negotiate too soon. Firstly, you may inadvertently lower what the employers were going to offer you! Secondly, attempting to negotiate before you have been made an offer is unprofessional. Instead, show them your worth to their business, then wait.

With research on your worth and an understanding of what you should expect, you can evaluate a job offer from a knowledgeable, professional, and confident position.

4. Don’t Make Demands

There are many reasons why you shouldn’t make demands when negotiating a job offer. It can lead to tension or disagreement with the employer and might cause them to rescind their offer. You may also find yourself in a situation where you would feel pressured to take any offer, even if it doesn’t fit your needs and career goals.

A demanding candidate can raise red flags to employers, and you could lose out on a great job entirely. Good research and knowledge for a fair offer will ensure you can confidently and professionally leave your cards on the table.

5. Focus on Benefits to the Employer

It’s not all about the benefits the employer can offer you; it’s about what you offer their company. What makes you valuable to them? Why should they dig a little deeper for you to sign a contract? What could they be missing out on if they don’t offer you a fair and competitive package? Put the ball in their court. Promote your unique selling points, and allow them to come to the ‘buying decision’.

6. Be Confident

Confidence is key when it comes to negotiating. Again, this boils down to knowing your worth and value to employers. Yes, it can be daunting – but if you want to be satisfied in your fintech job, you must begin on the right foot. Be confident in yourself, and employers will be, too.

7. Be Prepared to Walk Away

You have followed all the above tips, but the employer is not budging. What do you do now? If you’re not happy before you’ve even started, you’ll unlikely enjoy a career with unfair and undervaluing employers. Don’t be afraid to walk away. Pass up on their proposition. There’ll be another, more rewarding and reflective opportunity soon. An offer from an employer who can see your worth and be willing to reward it fairly.

Let the Experts Help You Negotiate the Best Fintech Jobs Offer

Hopefully, these tips will reset your approach to negotiating the best job offer. The thing is, you’re not a salesperson and negotiating just isn’t your thing; but for this moment in your career it must be. Great news – we’re here to fight your corner.

At ACG Consulting, we take the emotion out of negotiating for our candidates. We know what the market is offering, and what you’re worth. We also have the experience and technique to get the best offer for you, to ensure both you and your new employer begin a partnership on strong foundations. Submit your resume today and let us help you accelerate your fintech career now.

The post How to Successfully Negotiate a Job Offer in Fintech Jobs appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

You Don’t Need to Be a Big Corporation to Hire Talent into Insurance Jobs

ACG Resources — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 12:00:40 +0000

How to Hire Top Talent and Rise Above Your Competitors

Big companies get first pick on the best talent for their insurance jobs, don’t they? They can offer bigger salaries, and insurance candidates want the great name on their resume and access to a wider network.

What chance does a smaller company have when competing against large corporations for talented candidates?

Smaller businesses hold a bigger stance than you think. According to SBA, small businesses constitute 99.9% of US businesses and employ 47.1% of US employees. You are the lifeblood of the American economy.

Further, you offer more to the most talented insurance candidates than you think. Here, we show you how to give big corporations a run for their money and hire the best talent in the business.

Ways to Hire Top Talent

Hiring the most talented candidates will allow your company to not only respond to the impact Covid had on the industry, but also recover, thrive, and emerge stronger than your competitors. Here are some of the most effective ways to source and sign the talent you need.

1. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great place to find top talent, and to target passive candidates. With work, you could connect with perfect candidates. But there’s the crux. It’s hard work that requires commitment and persistence to send lots of very targeted messages and maintain communication.

2. Your Company Website

Great candidates research great companies. Your website is your shop window that has the power to encourage – or prevent – the best people from coming in. Keep your website attractive, motivating, exciting, and industry-progressive, with clear indications of your winning company culture and vision.

3. Your Professional Network

Connections are key to discovering talent. Your company must invest time and resources into getting in front of people – such as at job fairs and big industry events – and dedicating ongoing resources to remain connected.

4. Developing a Talent Pool

Your talent pool can consist of excellent ex-employees, people who aren’t ready to move companies, or even candidates who didn’t quite make it through your last hiring campaign. Keep them on ice and never burn bridges. Again, connectivity is key.

5. Employee Referrals

Your best employees will know other likeminded talent. By offering an incentivized referral scheme, you’re opening a channel that links you to potential new recruits with a good reference. A cost-effective strategy, though it won’t always bear fruit when you need it.

6. Offer More Money

To be a winning employer that attracts the best talent, you must offer a competitive salary. Ensure your rate of pay is at least on par with your competitors for the role. Suggest a salary progression structure that a candidate can work toward.

But be cautious: those who are easily swayed by a high salary alone may easily be lured by competitors in the future.

7. Your Ultimate Solution: Hire a Specialist Staffing Agency

Partnering with a specialist staffing agency – like ACG Resources – covers all these candidate sourcing strategies for you aggressively and effectively. We have the connections, and they’re already nurtured. We learn about your culture, and promote it to our developed talent pool. We know how much you should be offering, and provide the negotiating expert advice that can help you stand strong against your competition.

In a competitive market, we help you stand out. We sell your vacancy to the candidate, matching their wants and needs to yours.

Critically, we also give your company’s candidate search a personal touch to hire top talent. We know our candidates, what makes them tick, and what their goals are. Now all we need is to learn about you.

Contact ACG Resources today and tell us about you – who you are, and who you need to onboard to excel – and you can enjoy the incredible benefits of a talented and powerful staffing team.

With a huge database of reliable and qualified candidates, available on various contracts to suit your business needs for maximum cost-effectiveness, we can help you stand tall above the big corporations.

The post You Don’t Need to Be a Big Corporation to Hire Talent into Insurance Jobs appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Three Bad Workplace Habits

ACG Resources — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 12:00:38 +0000

Everyone knows that no one is perfect. Humans are naturally flawed and when a lot of humans are brought together in a workplace it typically creates some friction because again, no one is perfect. But every team, group, department, etc, at companies across the nation have that one person with so many bad workplace habits that everyone is counting down the days until that one person gets fired. In the movies the other employees even start “pools” by betting when that day will be. You don’t want to be that person, right? Check out this article to make sure you don’t have any of these bad workplace habits.

A lack of communication or poor communication is the top bad workplace habit cited by consultants and HR experts over and over again. Communication is so universally important that it is hard to find a position or industry where a lack of communication or poor communication does not cause problems quickly. This bad workplace habit wastes time, causes frustration between and among work teams, and frequently leads to mistakes (which frequently costs money). Companies hate all of these things. If you find yourself receiving feedback from multiple sources that you need to speed up your response time to modes of communication used in your workplace, don’t pay attention when others try to communicate with you, or often find yourself in arguments with coworkers, it is advisable you do some research on how to improve your communication.

A key component in any workplace is actually showing up to do the work of course. Another bad workplace habit that immediately causes problems in just about every industry is absenteeism/tardiness. Employees and supervisors typically understand that sometimes there will be things that happen over which you have no control because those types of things happen to everyone. Traffic delays, inclement weather, malfunctioning technology, etc, can strike at any time. In the case of traffic delays, the roads have become so congested that they are nearly nonstop and it’s practically an art form guessing just how much the traffic delay will be for any given trip. The key with all of the above is making sure they do not occur too frequently, especially as it compares to other employees at a company.

The last bad workplace habit we’re going to talk about is negativity. Consultants and HR experts have decades of feedback from employees and supervisors, plus tons of research, that all point to one thing: nobody likes negativity; in the workplace or at home. Negativity causes a whole host of problems and has a direct impact on morale. The tricky thing is that some people don’t even realize their being negative. Other times there are situations in which it is completely natural to react negatively. Keeping the negativity to a minimum and practicing being more positive will pay big dividends for almost everyone.

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9 Ways to Avoid Burnout in Finance Jobs

ACG Resources — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 12:00:27 +0000

Know What Burnout Looks Like, and How to Extinguish the Flames

Working in finance jobs can certainly be pressurized. As the financial sector navigates its way through a testing pandemic, individuals are at risk of burnout.

According to a 2021 research study by Ketchum, 52% of employees in professional and finance jobs feel more burned out in their job now than they did at the beginning of the pandemic.

You must take responsibility for your own health, wellbeing, and career in finance. In this article, we’ll tell you all you need to know about burnout.

What Is Burnout?

Burnout is a mental state of physical and emotional exhaustion brought on by excessive and prolonged stress. It means that someone has reached their mental or physical limits, or both.

When people experience burnout, they often feel disillusioned and may find it difficult to maintain their quality of performance. They may also feel like quitting the job that made them burn out in the first place.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Burnout?

The same employee study outlined how over half of burned-out finance workers cited the following reasons as causes:

Financial obligations (38%)
Being isolated from others (34%)
Their job (30%)

Other triggers for burnout include:

Too much responsibility without support
Working in an unpleasant environment or with a toxic boss or colleague
A poor work-life balance

Your finance job should not be exposing you to these elements.

How to Recognize Signs of Burnout Early and Take Action before It’s Too Late

Often, burnout can be left to fester and mistaken for regular pressures of your job – until it’s too late, and detrimental to your health, happiness, and performance. Here are some signs to look out for:

Feelings of stress, anxiety, and agitation
Fatigue and loss of energy
A feeling of reduced motivation
Memory problems
Problems with reasoning or concentration
Fatigue and loss of energy
Feeling depressed, and tearfulness for no apparent reason
Lack of interest in hobbies and activities you used to enjoy doing

If any of these sound familiar, you must take action immediately.

Tips for Reducing Burnout & Enhancing Your Work-Life Balance

The best ailment to burnout is to prevent it. Here’s how:

Take breaks throughout the day by taking a walk, reading a book, or doing something else that relaxes you.
Resist the urge for perfectionism. It’s impossible to be perfect all the time, so don’t beat yourself up when you make mistakes.
Know your limits and delegate responsibilities that are not part of your job description.
Practice better time management skills by establishing priorities and sticking with them while recognizing which tasks are of lower priority or require delegation.
Set boundaries. Switch off from work when the day is done, and go to bed at a reasonable time.
Ensure self-care, insisting your work allows time for you to do the things you love doing, and need done to recuperate.
Identify needless pressures or unachievable deadlines that are negatively impacting the quality of your work and performance. Consider what could help you – more time, training, or colleagues? More autonomy?
Talk to your boss. Ask for a private meeting, and discuss how you’ve made changes yourself and how they can help you avoid burnout and enjoy and achieve more in your finance job.
Does your boss take action? Or do you continue to feel overwhelmed? Consider your career options. Don’t be afraid to look for finance jobs that would better suit and support your career, personal life, and wellbeing.

Reduce Your Chances of Experiencing Burnout

How? By making sure you have a job you love, and that fits in with your lifestyle and other life goals. It’s crucial you first identify that you’re suffering burnout to know action is required. Your boss may be unaware of how you’re feeling, and be able to provide the tools, time, and support you need to ensure you enjoy your job.

But if you’ve taken all the actions we’ve discussed in this article and still feel stuck in a rut, don’t suffer. You can still have a career matched to your skillset without leaving you feeling burned out and unhappy.

Submit your resume to ACG Resources. We’re here to connect you to the fulfilling and rewarding career you deserve.

The post 9 Ways to Avoid Burnout in Finance Jobs appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Strategies For Getting a Job When in a Pinch for Time

ACG Resources — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 12:00:03 +0000

There are many reasons people suddenly find themselves in a rush to find a job, such as layoffs, moving to a new area unexpectedly, or a long-term increase in expenses. The bad news is that the length of the hiring process in most industries has been increased to levels never seen before; averaging about 23 days between. So in most situations people are looking at a lag time of at least 23 days until they can get a new job. The good news is that there are things you can do to plan ahead and speed up the process so you can get the job you need faster. Below you will read about some strategies to do just that.

The first thing experts advise if you need to get a job quickly is to be as specific as possible about where you want to work, either the company or the industry. For periods of time in the past the conventional wisdom was to just start in one geographic location and go door to door asking everyone about their employment opportunities until you find a job. This has become far from a great plan for 2 reasons: 1) the Internet has moved the majority of transactions related to the hiring process online and 2) industries and jobs are far more specialized today than they were only a few decades ago, let alone before that. So if you’re in a pinch for time, the last thing you want to do is waste time searching or applying for jobs where you have no shot right? Focus on the company or industry that matches your qualifications and tailor your resume/cover letter as such.

People looking for jobs in a hurry have an added benefit in working with staffing agencies. Staffing agencies are already aware of open positions, some of which may not even be known to the general public yet, and they have years of experience matching candidate qualifications to open positions. Plus, someone looking for a job by themselves naturally will have to take a break or sleep at some point. That time is spent not looking for a job. But a staffing agency looks for jobs for you even while you are doing other things. So if you’re in a hurry and need a job fast, wouldn’t you want all hands on deck?

For a long time, persistence has been a trait that comes in handy when getting a job quickly. A persistent person doesn’t just apply to one job and then wait by the phone or repeatedly check their email. They apply to one job after another, after another, etc; again, where the jobs match their qualifications so they’re not wasting their time. Even if they get rejected from a specific job at a company, if it’s still posted weeks or months later, they apply again. Persistence is key!

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Staffing Agencies: Only For Big Companies?

ACG Resources — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 12:00:44 +0000

Staffing agencies have been around for a long time. For a while small or medium sized business owners assumed they were only for large companies with tons of positions to be filled regularly because at scale there are always people retiring, resigning, being promoted, transferring, etc. But is that true today? Most analysts and business consultants do not think so. Especially thanks to the Internet, staffing agencies have transitioned to helping small and medium sized businesses meet their staffing needs. All companies have challenges finding qualified talent after all. This article will cover some of the main reasons such businesses turn to staffing agencies.

All the steps of the hiring process take time away from business owners or their top executives who could be focused on generating revenue, improving the next phase of their product, etc. Putting out a good job posting, reviewing all of the applications, interviewing, etc, takes a lot of time. One big reason small or medium sized businesses turn to staffing agencies is because it frees up time and resources in 2 ways. First the business owners or top executives have to invest much less time in the hiring process and second because staffing agencies are typically more efficient, they will typically produce candidate(s) in less time overall. Some of the candidates/talent known to staffing agencies wouldn’t even normally apply to such job postings but are notified by the staffing agency of said job postings.

Why are staffing agencies typically more efficient at the hiring process? Simply put, owners and employees at most staffing agencies have decades of experience in the field so they can better match up the right candidates with the right types of positions, pre-screen candidates to prevent any issues that would require starting the application process over again (and waste time), and better prepare candidates via offered training and certifications. They are also very familiar with applicable laws and tax regulations which eliminates liability for said companies not being familiar and having to pay fines down the road.

Flexibility is also something that small and medium sized businesses need more than large companies because their cash flows are different. Staffing agencies can help increase or decrease the workforce depending on if a busy season is coming or going, or the presence of a temporary big project. By only utilizing such personnel when they really need them, small and medium sized businesses don’t have to pay such things as health insurance, unemployment insurance, payroll tax, retirement match, etc, year round. Those dollars add up big time for small and medium sized businesses.

The post Staffing Agencies: Only For Big Companies? appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

JobMarket Watch with Len and Michele

ACG Resources — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 15:42:54 +0000

The post JobMarket Watch with Len and Michele appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Promoting From Within vs Bringing in Talent From Outside

ACG Resources — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 12:00:01 +0000

So a supervisor, managerial, or executive level position at your company has opened up recently. How do you fill it? Do you promote from within or being in talent from the outside? This is a scenario faced every day by companies across the nation; across the world too. Every company has its own philosophy on this age old decision and many companies do both interchangeably. If your company is new and you’ve never faced this type of situation before or it’s such a key role that you don’t want to pick the wrong choice, what do you do? We lay out some important information to consider when thinking about this question.

It makes sense for a company to want the bells and whistles that come with “superstar” top talent brought in from outside of a company. The training process will be minimal because they are already experts or highly experienced in their industry. They may bring with them a list of clients or fawning media coverage. If your industry is niche enough, or if the superstar is well-known enough, word of the acquisition of the superstar may cause competitors to consider if they’ve been underestimating your company. This is not an exhaustive list of perks, but regardless of how long the list is, the overall cost is higher than that of hiring from within. So the obvious question is “is the extra cost worth it?” Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t, but let’s look at the benefits of hiring from within first.

“You can’t put a price on loyalty” is an old saying that analysts and researchers have found to have a lot of truth to it in most scenarios. In the workplace they have found that those promoted from within are much less likely to get fired than those brought in from the outside. They have also found that companies tend to underestimate how important it is for an employee to be familiar with the culture of a particular company to be successful. Employees promoted from within typically already have that box checked. Lastly, promoting from within tends to have a positive effect on morale because it gives hope to other employees that they can get promoted at the next opportunity and the person who got promoted are more likely to have a better appreciation for the position because they’re more likely to know the caliber of people who have held it in the past.

Ultimately the choice is yours, but there are many analysts and researchers who have found that hiring from within, especially for senior level positions, is better than bringing in talent from the outside. The outside superstars typically don’t end up being worth the extra cost and there’s a strong possibility that by the time they get integrated into the corporate culture, they may just up and go to a different company again.

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How to Get Away From a Bad Boss

ACG Resources — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 12:00:26 +0000

A great boss can make your job so much more enjoyable and fulfilling. They can double as a confidant, mentor, friend, etc. Overall great bosses teach their employees many useful things, some of those things typically being outside the scope of a specific position or department, and put their employees on a path to success. But what do you do if you are fully aware that you do not have a great boss? What do you do if you have a horrible boss? Or if you’ve been newly hired and you get the feeling your boss is horrible but don’t want to spend years confirming it for certain? The good news is that there are strategies you can use to address this situation because there many other people who have been in similar situations but are not anymore.

The first thing consultants and HR experts advise is to have the right mindset related to your boss and properly evaluate the situation. Broadly grouping your boss into either “good” or “bad,” or “great” and “horrible” is not nearly as effective as putting them on a spectrum compared to multiple other bosses (aka supervisors, managers, etc), typically at the same organization. To do this however, it means you would need to have some information about the other bosses’ management style, which you can gather first hand by observing it yourself or second hand by asking the employees underneath that boss (or both). Does the boss listen to employee feedback? Are they honest and trustworthy? Do they support their employees when they need to? These are some examples of things that consultants and HR experts say employees are looking for in bosses on the “great” end of the spectrum.

Next comes evaluating where you stand in relation to your boss. If your boss has none or few of the key qualities, you have 2 main options: you either stay in the position you’re in or you move (either transferring within the company or going to another company). If you stay, it is helpful to try to adapt to your bosses’ lacking qualities to minimize potential negative effects. Depending on a particular situation, an employee may even opt to be 100% straightforward with their boss about what they believe is lacking in hopes their boss will either change or self-minimize negative effects.

If it turns out your boss has all of the key characteristics, but there is still friction, it is possible that your styles of doing work are just too different. You have the same 2 options mentioned previously but it may be worth it to put more emphasis on staying in your position and adapting your work style; seeing it as an opportunity to grow and become a better employee.

The post How to Get Away From a Bad Boss appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

How to Achieve that Promotion You’ve Been Wanting

ACG Resources — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 12:00:21 +0000

Most people want a promotion for various reasons: to make more money, advance their career, put underutilized talents to work, etc. People differ in exactly how much they want a promotion, however, and likewise how quickly they want a promotion. For those who are interested achieving a promotion in the very near future, what exactly can you do to increase your odds of success? Consultants and HR experts agree on a couple common, effective strategies that we plan on discussing in this article.

Before doing all of the hard work of transforming yourself into a person who belongs in whatever position you’re looking to get promoted to, get yourself mentally in the right place ahead of time. Ask yourself all of the important questions related to the promotion you can think of, starting with why you want the promotion in the first place. The answer to that question is critical. If it is not strong enough then when things get difficult, most likely “too” difficult, you will be much more tempted to either give up on the promotion or put it on the back burner. If the answer is strong enough, then you will remind yourself of that answer when things get difficult and it will be your motivation to power through.

Another helpful question to ask yourself is why you would not get the promotion if you asked your company about it right now. If after a lot of introspection you cannot think of any true or strong reason for them to deny you a promotion, then you may be ready to go in and ask in the very near future. Most people can think of a few things their company would say to prevent a promotion. These same things are the key areas of improvement a person trying to achieve a promotion should focus on first. By turning all of your weaknesses into strengths or at the very least mitigating any potential weaknesses, it puts the company in an even more difficult position to say no.

One more helpful question to ask yourself is “what are the major ways you bring value to your company?” This is helpful for 2 reasons: 1) this list of things will be a key part of your pitch when you actually ask for your promotion and 2) it gives you specific things to attempt to emphasize/strengthen even further. Some people may think promotions come naturally after a person has just worked with a specific company after a certain period of time. More savvy employees know companies are all about value, so if they’re going to award a promotion to someone, it’s most likely going to go to the person who will bring more value to the company.

The post How to Achieve that Promotion You’ve Been Wanting appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

What Makes the Best Desk for a Home Office?

ACG Resources — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 12:00:04 +0000

The focal point of just about any home office is the desk because that’s usually where most of the work gets done. For anyone whose desk in their home office doubles as a coffee table, a storage place, or don’t even have a desk so they just use a couch, let’s get that fixed pronto. A desk that you put specific thought into picking out is a dedicated workspace where you can transform your potential into reality. But what makes the best desk for a home office? We’re glad you asked because we have some tips to help with that.

First, let’s take step back and consider your home office, specifically the size, before looking at the desk. The size of the desk should be able to fit in the door and also not take up too much space within the room so that you don’t feel cramped or can barely move around. For smaller home offices there are vertically oriented desks or standing desks that can work great without taking up too much floor space. For traditional desks you’ll be sitting behind, make sure there is enough room between the desk and the wall behind where you would sit so you can back your chair up without slamming into the wall.

The type of desk also typically matches up with the type of work you will be doing on it. Writing desks feature large flat surfaces with minimal storage options, can be placed along a wall or in the middle of the room, and are typically not that heavy. Executive desks are definitely on the heavy side, but they also have many drawers that provide storage, are typically made of solid wood, and have large surfaces for many stacks of paper or big calendars. They typically have matching furniture options too. Standing desks have already been mentioned and are growing in popularity due to people who need them because they have a medical condition that prevents them for sitting for long periods of time.

How long you’ll be using this desk will depend on the material composition of the desk. Wood desks provide a traditional look and feel but they can be heavy and warp. Metal desks can be lighter than wood desks, depending on the thickness of the metal, and provide an industrial, modern look. Glass desks are elegant options that can wow others in a video conference call but are more prone to breaking/chipping.

The post What Makes the Best Desk for a Home Office? appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Tips on Handling Interruptions While Working

ACG Resources — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 12:00:47 +0000

There has been much research into the subject of productivity over the years. Interruptions are constant foes to increased productivity, especially avoidable ones. Multiple studies put the average amount of time after an interruption until an employee can re-focus on the task at hand as being over 23 minutes. In today’s fast-paced, multitasking, and always-connected world there are more interruptions than ever before. But fear not because there are proven strategies to better dealing with interruptions or preventing them all together. Read on to learn more about better handling interruptions so you can get more work done.

Before looking at specific strategies to handle interruptions it is a good idea to “survey the damage” by tracking for a period of time how often you are distracted. Start a log on some paper or start keeping notes in a file on your computer of every time you are distracted. Keep important information such as 1) when the distraction occurred, 2) who/what caused it, 3) how much time was lost, and 4) how urgent was the distraction. Truly understanding this information and more about interruptions and distractions is important to knowing how to deal with them.

Most people will find that they are their biggest cause of distraction. Employees frequently interrupt their work to check email unnecessarily, scroll through social media, get coffee too often (and probably drink it too much too, but that’s a whole other issue), and checking the clock to see how much time has passed since the last time they checked the clock. The good news for people who find that they are the causes of their own interruptions is that they also have the power to prevent most distractions fairly easily. If possible, turn off notification sights and sounds related to email, chat, cell phone, etc, or at the very least reduce the intrusiveness of notifications.

Focus on the “why” you are doing a task at work. Not all tasks are the most exciting, but regardless of excitement, psychologists point to focusing on the “why” or underlying objective of a task to motivate employees to get it done faster without being interrupted. If you don’t know the answers to these questions regarding a given task, now is a good time to ask or research the answers yourself. Setting up goals or rewards for yourself can also help incentivize yourself to avoid interruptions and focus on completing the task at hand. Lastly, focus on one task at a time because most experts agree that multitasking does not help employees get more work done and frequently leads to increased interruptions.

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How to Get Hired in a Booming or Tough Food and Beverage Sector

ACG Resources — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 12:00:12 +0000

10 Tips to Build Your Strategy in Food Industry Jobs for Executives

The food and beverage industry in the United States is huge and booming. Revenues in 2020 hit $18.7 billion, and this is forecast to grow to $25.7 billion by 2025. Even in a pandemic, people still need to eat and drink!

However, landing food industry jobs can often be difficult. Typically, employers will want to see proof that you have the experience they are looking for.

This said, many of the roles within the sector are rewarding options for executives with the transferrable skills to make a difference to a business.

Whether you’re a veteran in the sector or wishing to break into the food and beverage sector, these 10 tips will help you build an effective job search strategy.

1. Keep Your Social Media Updated and Aligned with Your Resume

When it comes to recruiting, many employers will search for prospective candidates online (especially via LinkedIn). Therefore, you must keep your social media accounts up to date with your professional career. Your social media is also a chance for you to show that you stay updated with current trends in the industry.

Employers of food industry jobs will also search for you on social media when you have applied for a post with them. Don’t allow there to be discrepancies between your resume and your social media profile – it could cost you a call to interview.

2. Maintain a Personal Website

The role of a personal website in the job market is becoming more important. It serves as a digital portfolio, a resume, and an online presence for candidates.

Maintaining your website will help you establish your authority in the industry. You will be able to showcase your skills and stand out amongst other job applicants by having an up-to-date website with relevant content.

An extra tip here is to link your website to your social media – and make sure they all tell the same story!

3. Learn About the Hiring Company

Before you apply to a company, you must understand who they are. You should research what the company does, who their competitors are, and what their mission statement is. This knowledge will allow you to demonstrate how you can add value to the business and be effective in the role.

4. Create a Compelling Cover Letter

While the cover letter is not the most important part of your application, it can enhance your chances of getting a callback or an interview. It is your first opportunity to introduce yourself in a way that is personalized to the company. It allows you to demonstrate how you can help them achieve their goals, and it also shows that you are genuinely interested in the company and their mission.

How do you make your cover letter compelling? Mention the keywords and phrases from the job description, and answer questions that you are likely to be asked by the hiring manager.

5. Customize Your Resume

A well-written resume is an excellent way to create a first impression. It should show that you are a good fit for the job and the company culture. A good resume will also be easier for recruiters to find relevant information about you in their database of resumes – such as when you submitted it, where they can contact you, etc.

To do this, customize your resume to the job description. Focus on enriching it with keywords as you summarize your relevant abilities, skills, and accomplishments.

6. Prepare an ‘Elevator Pitch’

The elevator pitch is a quick summary of your skills, accomplishments, and value. It is meant to be short and concise enough to be understood in an elevator ride.

When you create your elevator pitch, make sure it says ‘who’ you are, not ‘what’ you are. Show that you are passionate, ambitious, and have the skillset to succeed in the role. Finally, don’t over rehearse – it should sound natural.

7. Prepare for Your Interview

Preparation for a job interview is a complex process that requires creativity, preparation, and knowledge about the company. So, what can you do to be ahead of your game? Here are six tips that will help you prepare for an interview:

Research the company and position
Think of questions you may be asked and prepare answers
Ensure your answers highlight your fit to the job description
Practice your responses
Prepare questions to ask
The day before, get plenty of rest and eat healthy meals

(Bonus tip: Should the interviewer ask you to introduce yourself, use your elevator pitch!)

8. Promote Your Soft Skills

Your soft skills are just as important as your technical skills. These skills include communication, leadership, problem solving, teamwork and more. You should highlight these on your resume, and make sure to demonstrate them in your interview.

9. Use the Power of Networking

The food and drink industry is a complex one in which it can be hard to break into. It requires a lot of skill, experience and, most importantly, connections.

Turn to your existing network. Let people know that you are seeking a new role. If your existing network isn’t working for you, grow it by adding connections within the food and drink sector. This has never been easier than it is today – create your own website, become more professionally active on Facebook, and use LinkedIn to your advantage.

10. Work with a Staffing Agency

Whether booming or not, it can be challenging for people to break into the food and beverage sector, especially for those with no professional experience. However, if you have a degree or relevant industry experience, a staffing agency can be your most important connection in your network.

Here at ACG, we help candidates with all the above job searching tactics. We’ll give you advice, help you hone your resume, and perfect your interview technique. More than this, we get to know you just as deeply as we know our clients. This means you can be sure that when we recommend a role to you, you are a great fit for the hiring company, and they are a great fit for you.

Start your search for your perfect role in the food and beverage sector today – submit your resume to ACG Resources.

The post How to Get Hired in a Booming or Tough Food and Beverage Sector appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Tips For Organizing Workplace Files

ACG Resources — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 12:00:06 +0000

Most employees like to be at least somewhat organized; few embrace sheer chaos and even fewer are so good at their jobs that they actually get to keep their jobs despite organizational chaos. Businesses like being organized in every sense of the word because it means greater productivity, better/faster decisions, and better teamwork. Being organized in the workplace nowadays means more than keeping a workspace physically organized because employees in almost every job have to use a computer at least a little while on the job. That means it is also important to keep the files on your work computer or any shared network drives as organized too. Here are some tips on how to do just that.

Organize your files at work by project to help cut back on the time it takes you to find the latest information. For example, if you’re part of the company’s employee recognition banquet, keep all the files pertaining to that event in one key location. Separate those files from unrelated files related to renting office space or the legal department, for example. When you are asked for an update on the banquet planning you know exactly where to go so he can make use of the information faster or he can get it to someone else who needs to use the information. This is extra important in emergency situations where every single second counts.

As difficult as it can be to find files on a computer or network drive sometime, it is still way easier than searching through analog/paper files. This means the sooner, more completely you can digitize all of your work files (policy permitting), the better. Why is it easier to search on a computer? Because all it takes is a few keystrokes and literally the computer searches for you. If you don’t know what folder they are in, you can literally search all of the files most computers by searching the C drive, but you will need to have an idea of the file name. One key note to digitizing files is to do it soon but not so quickly that there is no rhyme or reason for how/where the digital files are created.

The cloud is a common word in most workplaces today but it wasn’t so not too long ago. Think of the cloud as one big place for people and files to congregate and exchange information. Network drives, which were mentioned earlier, are similar to the cloud in that they need connectivity to/from the different hosts on the network (typically via the Internet) in order share files from a specific hard drive. The cloud shares files using the Internet too, but as far as the end users are concerned, cloud services typically don’t have a “specific hard drive.”

The post Tips For Organizing Workplace Files appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Become Your Best Friends

ACG Resources — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 12:00:09 +0000

Nowadays most jobs involve using a computer to perform at least some of the jobs’ responsibilities. The forms of computers have also branched out from just desktops to include laptops, tablets, smartphones, and more. The strength of computers has also increased dramatically over the years and the number of computer accessories have also increased, but there are 2 key staples for desktops and laptops from the beginning that are still around today: keyboards and mice. The nice thing about keyboards is that for most tasks there are actually multiple (potentially faster) ways to do the same task if the employee knows various keyboard shortcuts, some of which are described below.

CTRL + F is a shortcut so versatile it is hard to overstate it. When you use this shortcut, it will open up a search box and you can type word(s) into the search box to find exactly where the word(s) is in whatever bunch of text you are looking at. The nice thing is that CTRL + F has been around for so long that most programs have the functionality built-in: Microsoft Word documents, internet browsers, Excel, PDF documents, and more. Note that CTRL + F only works when the thing you are searching actually contains text and not pictures of text, because the shortcut cannot read images/pictures.

CTRL + A is another shortcut that has been around for a very long time and is built into most programs. When using it, all of the selectable area of an application will be selected. This is very helpful when selecting a large bunch of text that you want to then paste somewhere else and you can use CTRL + A instead of selecting every single line manually. CTRL + A also can work with images depending on the application you are selecting the image, and if you are pasting it, that part can vary too. For documents or forms where there are different fields for specific bits of information, CTRL + A can be used to select all of the information in a specifically highlighted field, instead of the whole document or form.

ALT + Tab is any employees best friend if they have to switch between windows very frequently, which is most employees. Using the shortcut makes whatever the previous window you had open/current your new open/current. This is also helpful when copying and pasting information from one window to another or comparing information from 2 windows. If a user keeps the ALT key held down and keeps pressing the Tab key, each press of the Tab key will choose a window that is farther back in the order of how recently it was the open/current window. When the user lets go of the ALT key, the selected window will become the open/current window.

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Logistics Industry Trends to Hire For in 2021

ACG Resources — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Rapid Evolution in Logistics Is Evolving Hiring Needs

The logistics industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States, and accounts for around 8% of GDP. In an uncertain world, the pandemic, globalized economy, and increased demand for goods is leading to developing trends that are shaping not only who logistics companies must hire, but how they hire.

In this article, we outline seven emerging trends in logistics and how they affect hiring in the industry.

1. E-Commerce Logistics

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to online consumerism. According to research published on Business Wire, e-commerce logistics are forecast to be worth almost $55 billion by 2025.

Logistics companies should hire for experience and expertise in e-commerce. This includes customer-facing staff with the skills to negotiate and resolve disputes, as well as good time management and planning skills.

2. Elastic Logistics

Shifts in both consumer demand and how consumer purchase goods are likely to continue to evolve and remain volatile. This means that logistics companies should be prepared to react quickly to changing market dynamics, especially in rapid shrinking and growth of temporary workforces to meet production and demand needs.

3. Automation of Warehouse Processes

In the drive to reduce costs and improve flexibility of service provision, we expect the industry to increase the pace of its investment in warehouse automation. Pick-and-place technologies like robotics, automated storage and retrieval, and automated guided vehicles are shaping the way that warehouses work.

As warehouses become automated, they should be able to fill orders faster and be more agile toward customer needs. However, this will not necessarily lead to a reduction in employee numbers. What will change is the skills that companies will hire for, and the type of roles required to be filled. For example, warehouse staff are likely to need higher levels of computer knowledge and be better problem solvers. As more automation is acquired, companies are also likely to need higher numbers of maintenance staff, with specific skills in robotics and computerized systems.

4. The Internet of Things

As automation increases, the Internet of Things (IoT) will allow companies to control more from a central location. Data will be streamed from outlying equipment and distribution centers. At the heart of this is embedded software. To enable this, it is likely that logistics companies will invest more heavily in their IT capability, or place greater emphasis on outsource capacity.

5. Tackling Employee Turnover

Warehouse operations have traditionally suffered from high employee turnover. As the logistics environment evolves, such employee attrition cannot continue – hiring, onboarding and training is a costly process.

We should expect companies to focus more on quality of permanent hires and experience of outsourced services and temporary employees. It is also likely that employers will boost training and development to deliver more rewarding career paths and greater autonomy of work to their employees.

6. Last-Mile Delivery

Increasingly, people are living in cities – especially with urban sprawl making cities bigger. As we continue to focus on faster delivery and environmental issues, how we move goods from warehouse to buyer efficiently (and through congested traffic) will continue to evolve. Last-mile delivery initiatives will increase. This is especially true of perishable products.

This will result in distributed workforces (including outsourced delivery capacity). HR capacity must be boosted to remain on top of these needs.

7. Motivating Constant Improvement

Encapsulating all the above, logistics companies must seek to constantly improve their operations, streamlining processes and working more efficiently as human teams in increasingly automated, high-pressure environments.

Business leaders should engage their employees in this process of improvement, continually seeking ideas to optimize working processes and reduce waste. Companies should therefore employ and train managers who have more open mindsets, as well as hire staff who are devoted to help their employer improve what they do and how they do it.

What Do These Logistics Trends Mean for You?

The future may be uncertain, but it is exciting. To maximize your potential, and the potential that current trends promise, it is simply not possible to treat hiring as a separate function within the business.

The trends we have highlighted will impact all levels of your business. It is crucial to hire and have access to the skills and qualities your logistics business needs to drive it forward.

As you develop new ways of working and staffing, don’t neglect the connection between trends in the industry and the key employees who will drive your success. For you staffing needs, contact ACG Resources today.

The post Logistics Industry Trends to Hire For in 2021 appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

How to Spot a Good Deal on Office Space

ACG Resources — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 12:00:03 +0000

First impressions are everything and one of the biggest impressions a business can have on potential clients is the inside and outside of the business office itself. Not every business needs to be located in a modern skyscraper downtown where the inside of the office is decorated extravagantly, but few businesses want to be located in the middle of nowhere where the inside of the office has only a few chairs and a lamp. Most companies are looking for a happy balance in the middle and trying to find a good deal at the same time to keep costs down. Leasing or owning office space should be a well-planned and extremely informed decision though because it is generally one of the biggest business expenses. This article hopes to provide information to make that decision easier.

Choosing an office building means taking into account a few key variables such as: number of employees, type of clients, and business realities. These variables will sometimes conflict with each other so specific effort is needed to balance them out. For example, the more employees a company has the larger an office space they would be tempted to look for but they have to balance that with not getting an office space too large because of business realities of limited funds available for office space budget. Making detailed lists and proposals on what the priorities for each key variable are and the strategies for meeting those priorities is a big part of balancing them. These lists and proposals typically also contain raw details about the needed features of the office space such as: cubicles or open floor plan? Big or small waiting room? How many conference rooms? Desired size of each room?

The cost of how expensive office space will be is typically computed as cost per square foot. The cost per square foot can be affected by such things as real estate market in the area, amenities in the building such as the view or the size of the lobby, and the type of contract. For the last item, longer contracts are typically less expensive in terms of cost per square foot. Places such as incubators offer spaces that come with decorations and furniture, which can be perfect for small companies that do not have a lot of money to spare. For other businesses planning on a more traditional office spaces, the cost of furniture/decorations is one of the other line items to add to the office space budget; along with utilities. Similar to personal rental situations, breaking a lease early will typically come with some hefty fees along with potentially causing damage to the company’s credit profile.

The post How to Spot a Good Deal on Office Space appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

How to Reduce Waste in the Workplace

ACG Resources — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 12:00:27 +0000

It’s not easy for companies to minimize potentially harmful impacts of their operations on the environment. Doing so typically does not help the bottom line; it typically works against it. But the importance of taking better care of the environment and reducing emissions has increased in popularity and acceptance in recent years. But how does a company go about reducing waste in the workplace? Great news! With just a few easy adjustments, you and your coworkers will be well on your way to helping your company being leaner and greener.

Carpooling is great for a variety of reasons. Every car that runs for the average number of miles per day puts out thousands of pounds of carbon emissions every year. Carpooling with 1 coworker cuts that number in half and obviously it gets cut even further if you add 2 or 3 coworkers. Sharing the driving responsibilities too can even help employee mental health by reducing stress because there is rarely anywhere on America’s crowded roads today that driving is not stressful. If you live close enough to your office you could also try biking or taking public transit, if it exists, which also cuts out carbon emissions.

Make use of reusables whenever possible to reduce the amount of trash you’re throwing away. Instead of using a new plastic or Styrofoam cup every time you get some water, bring a glass or metal cup to leave at your desk to use for water. Using washable other kitchen wares also reduces the amounts of trash that starts piling up from paper plates, plastic utensils, and cardboard boxes. Someone on the team will have to wash the dirty kitchen wares of course but if surely those duties can’t be too difficult to rotate throughout the team?

“Think before you print” is a phrase that has become more common in workplaces around the country. It revolves around the practice of only printing things out when absolutely necessary to reduce paper and ink waste (plus ink is typically pretty expensive too) by seeking alternatives first: email, digital slideshow, whiteboard presentation, etc. Related to reducing paper waste, there are situations for just about every job in the country where it will be prudent to take some notes. Employees can utilize note taking applications like Evernote or Ubernote from smartphones, tablets, or laptops to take notes digitally, making them more accessible and easy to do while on the go.

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How to Keep Cubicle Conversation Professional

ACG Resources — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 12:00:24 +0000

Cubicles have been around for a long time in the workplace and it does not look like they are going away any time soon. Some businesses have experimented with open floor plans or other options, but the results compared against cubicle floor plans are typically mixed or poor. Cubicles help employees feel that they have their own office without a business having to specifically expense and design an office with permanent walls. Because most cubicles are typically located near other cubicles, conversation frequently breaks out between employees. Here’s how to engage in that conversation in the workplace in a professional manner.

First, don’t have conversations in cubicles that need to be private or strictly confidential. Most cubicle walls do not extend all the way to the ceiling and even if they did, most cubicles don’t have doors either let alone any soundproofing. Any such private or strictly confidential conversations should take place elsewhere depending with whom you are talking: in your car, in a conference room, or outside the building during lunch break. Likewise, even if you are having a conversation suited for those near your cubicles, sound travels surprisingly well in most offices, so try not to be too loud that it interrupts others who are working.

Sometimes there are multiple conversations going on at once or multiple employees taking part in one conversation. The etiquette on when/where/how to join such conversations is so variable depending on the situation that it’s impossible to pin it down here. Let’s just say that it’s helpful to remember, especially for very social or inquisitive employees, that most people don’t like an employee who tries to jump into every conversation all of the time, let alone constantly makes other employees repeat other parts conversations. A good rule of thumb is that if another employee specifically asks you a question, you are “officially” invited into the conversation.

Lastly the topics of cubicle conversations are important to keep professional. Again, the etiquette of which topics are professional, in which companies/industries, and to what extent, are impossible to pin down here. Adult/explicit, gruesome/violent, and illegal actions are some examples of non-professional topics in any given workplace. When in doubt, fall back on some common sense. How the topics are discussed also contributes to professionalism. Employees who conduct themselves the most professionally generally don’t argue violently or savagely gossip about others behind their backs, for example. Having respect for other people in the conversation, or the subjects of the conversations, goes a long way to helping keeping cubicle conversations professional.

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How Do You Recruit Work-From-Home Compliance Officers?

ACG Resources — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 12:00:06 +0000

Why You Should, and How To

Compliance officers are in demand. With a growing number of regulation changes and the increase in the complexity of compliance tasks, companies are scrambling to find qualified individuals to fill their compliance positions.

KPMG’s report ‘Ten key regulatory challenges of 2021’ fully describes the key areas that firms should focus on. Skills and responsibilities in compliance are undoubtedly expanding. Yet, companies are finding it difficult to hire compliance professionals from a limited talent pool.

Could recruiting work-from-home compliance officers be the solution to finding the talent you need? We think so. Heres’ why, and how to do it.

Why Recruiting for Remote Is a Great Solution

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 4.6% employment growth for compliance officers between 2019 and 2029 – that’s just over the average rate for all occupations, with 15,600 new compliance jobs created. The problem lies within the talent available to fill these positions to meet demand.

In a business world that is increasingly globalized, international corporations are facing a skills shortage in their compliance departments. To maintain regulatory standards, businesses need skilled employees to monitor and enforce compliance issues, yet struggle to find them in an increasingly competitive job market.

A skills shortage is a common issue that many companies face, causing them to lose talented people. Technology has enabled remote workers to be hired from any location.

Employing remote compliance officers is a cost-effective solution to discover and access the talent and skills you need. The flexibility that comes with remote work also widens your talent search to those who require a more flexible schedule.

(Note: If you’re not sure how working globally will affect you legally, check out our article for reassurance here.)

How to Recruit for Remote Compliance Officers

Here’s what you should implement in your hiring strategy for remote compliance officers:

● An Accurate and Compelling Job Description

Make it clear that the position will be remote. Besides technical ability and qualifications, certain skills will be required for a candidate to excel in a remote position, such as:

Advanced technical and organizational skills
Good self-management skills
Excellent communication skills

The candidate must also be willing to collaborate with teams and adapt to changing work processes and communication channels. They’ll also need to be punctual for meetings, ensuring time zones are accommodated without imposing issues. Highlight your company’s values and culture, and ensure you compose a job ad that not only attracts quality candidates, but also makes them want to apply.

● A Targeted Assessment

Assess each candidate’s ability to deliver on their skills from a remote setting. Technical tasks will evidence their credentials, but will also show they’re able to execute their role in a timely manner and without damaging glitches.

● Interview Virtually

A virtual interview is not only convenient, but it is also a great method to test your candidate’s ability to communicate remotely. Pay attention to:

Their body language
How they present themselves
Their punctuality
Any inappropriate usernames or addresses
Their office setting
Their engagement

How well a candidate interacts virtually will give a great representation of how they will onboard with the rest of the company remotely.

● Ask the Right Questions

Ask the right questions to discover more about how a candidate is motivated, and any potential obstacles that may prevent them from doing the job to a high standard:

“Will you have any challenges working remotely?”
“How will the time zone difference impact your ability to collaborate?”
“Why do you want to work remotely? What’s your experience of remote work so far?”
“What do you find most challenging about working remotely?”

These questions, combined with compliance and industry-related questions, will ensure you discover the right person and eliminate the wrong candidates.

Pay a Competitive Salary

Salary isn’t everything to remote compliance officers. Flexibility is a key benefit to many, as are other perks and benefits, such as team days out, paid time off, and wellbeing packages. However, talented compliance officers can and will demand competitive compensation. Make sure you pay a justifiable and adequate salary to gain and retain the skills and quality you need.

● Run a Job Trial

Run a job trial to see how well a candidate delivers on their role and within a team remotely. Temporary and temp-to-perm contracts are also a great way to test the waters with remote workers. They also fulfil any skills gaps and help you discover talent that fits in with your culture and business needs.

We Can Help You Find the Perfect Remote Compliance Officers

Finding the talent you need in a skills shortage is costly, time-consuming, and needs commitment. Hiring remote compliance officers certainly widens your search for skills.

Here at ACG Resources, we propel your search to an advanced, laser-focused hunt for the best person for the job. We’ve got the resources and the expertise to deliver on your staffing needs. Get in touch today and discover how we can help you beat the talent shortage in compliance.

The post How Do You Recruit Work-From-Home Compliance Officers? appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

3 Ways to Make Working From Home More Fun

ACG Resources — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Remote work, aka working from home, has become a staple aspect of the workday for millions of Americans nowadays. Some people like the convenience of not having to make a long car drive through traffic into the office while others miss the social aspect of being in the office setting with all of their colleagues. There have been many articles about how to adjust to working from home from a productivity standpoint, but not too many about how to make working from home more fun. In this article we hope to give some tips on making working from home more fun so we can all get through this together.

One way to make working from home more fun is to have a bingo card for a designated team, department, or even company-wide. There is obviously wide variation on what the squares of the card will say or the rewards for achieving bingo but all roads lead to fun in the end! Some examples of what you could put in the squares are ‘join a meeting while not wearing socks,’ ‘share your favorite meme’, and ‘make a new Zoom background for meetings.’ Rewards can include a gift card, a sweet digital certificate, or temporary relief from some duty that everyone on the team tries to avoid. If your team includes employees who have been temporarily placed by a staffing agency, feel free to send them a card too so they can feel more like they’re part of the team.

This next way to make working from home fun is to actually flip the script altogether. Pick a day in advance where it will be accommodative of your schedule to work from a coffee shop, library, or a vacation destination. Even if the content of your workday is about the same as any other day, working in a new location will be refreshing. Just make sure to do some brainstorming ahead of time regarding such things as “are there any work tasks I can do at home but can’t do at this other location?”, “what if the wifi at the other location is not working?”, and “is there a chance I would run into anyone from the company at this other location?”

In place of changing the scenery of your home office completely by working in a different location, you can also just redecorate your home office to freshen it up. As a disclaimer, it is highly advised that you do this redecorating over the weekend or during a time when you are not actually working so it does not interfere with your work duties. Move the furniture around, add some new posters, or even paint the walls. The possibilities are endless!

The post 3 Ways to Make Working From Home More Fun appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

What Does a Successful Customer Service Training Program Look Like?

ACG Resources — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 12:00:20 +0000

Customer service is one of the dimensions to business that has huge impacts on the bottom line no matter what industry the business is in. Companies that have deep pockets can afford big investments in customer service training programs (plus maybe a celebrity speaker here and there) but nowadays even smaller scale companies develop robust customer service training programs (instead of just a pep talk from Bob in sales upon onboarding a new employee). Companies can’t simply copy/paste customer service training programs from each other because business is conducted very differently from industry to industry and the culture within each company is also different. Below are some tips on what a successful customer service training program looks like, but make sure you adapt it to your company.

Because so much of customer service revolves around communication, the most successful training programs make sure to address communication etiquette. Such communication would include not just in-person communication but also telephone and digital (email, social media, etc). Employees will obviously already know how to communicate via these means but they will need to learn how to do so specifically as a representative of the company they are working for. The importance of answering incoming calls as quickly as possible, having good salutations in an email, and greeting everyone who walks through the door with a smile are some examples of such things that would typically be this part of the training program. For companies who want to take their customer service experience to the next level, they may even have a section describing how they can make customers feel like they are the center of the employee/company’s universe.

The best training programs also make sure to talk about the underlying reasons why employees are going through the program to begin with, specifically in terms of how they can support the overall customer service goals of the company. Customer service may not be the primary function of every employee at the company but it needs to be in the back of everyone’s mind because the ultimate purpose of every employee is to be a good representative of the company. Companies with awful customer service typically do not last very long, especially those who ignore it, because customers typically don’t buy products or services when they are treated poorly. How does a company survive if it loses all of its sales? This part of the training program typically teaches that even if providing exceptional customer service in a particular scenario means sacrificing some functionality, that’s what the employee should do. For example, it’s more important to show a customer where the deli they’re asking about is than to finish stocking a shelf.

The post What Does a Successful Customer Service Training Program Look Like? appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

7 Steps to Accelerate Your Career in Finance Jobs

ACG Resources — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 12:00:06 +0000

Start Your Future Today

You shouldn’t feel like your career in finance jobs has gone stale, or you can’t get it off the ground.

Awareness of different opportunities is important when making decisions about your future career. You might not be entirely happy with your current role. You may wish to explore other opportunities. Perhaps you know the direction you want your finance career to take but don’t know how.

Here, we discuss how to invest in your career in finance to accelerate toward your professional goals.

1. Make Yourself Visible

The first step to getting a job is to make yourself visible. There are several ways in which you can do this on and offline:

Be active in your industry and social media by joining professional organizations and engaging in networking activities.
Keep an updated LinkedIn profile with a professional headshot and a clear connection with financial interest, likeminded professionals, endorsements, and background.
If you’re approached by a headhunter, always say yes – even if it’s for a financial role you hadn’t considered before. Trust their expertise in your skills and ability.

2. Work on Your Network

Networking helps put you on the radar of potential employers. It also makes it easier for others to recall your skills and cultural fit when a vacancy arises. Committing to remaining visible will certainly nurture your network scope. Attend jobs fairs, consider temporary contracts, and commit to checking in with your contacts regularly.

3. Work on Your Self-Development

Take the initiative and ask for more responsibility or a promotion. You can also work on your self-development by taking courses to learn new skills. Such self-started progress will enhance your skills and abilities, and increase your value and winning attributes to employers.

4. Find a Mentor

When you are working in the finance industry, it can be challenging to know what skills you should be developing and what types of career paths you should be exploring. The ways in which the finance industry is changing make it even more difficult to know how to progress in your career.

Find a mentor who has great experience in their own financial career. One who can share invaluable guidance and advice. Most importantly, be willing to listen and learn from them.

5. Work Hard for Your Team

The finance industry is a competitive field to work in, yet it also requires teamwork to succeed.

Show willingness to support your colleagues and provide input when needed. Teamwork is vital in many areas of finance. Without the right people who are willing to cooperate, companies can’t function properly. Volunteer, support, and lead your team to be noticed and appreciated.

6. Set Goals and Discuss Your Career Path

Setting goals with your boss can make it easier to manage your career, and doing so is essential for anyone. With rapid changes in complex regulation, legislation, and processes, most aspiring finance employees find it difficult to set and maintain career goals.

Setting career goals with your boss can help you identify the necessary steps that will keep you on track, and help you excel in your field. Here’s how:

Find out what your company needs from their employees
Ask yourself what skills and experience you have that match the company’s needs
Identify what paths are available within the company, and the tools they can provide

With a path set, you have something to work towards – and your boss will be aware of your ambitions, too.

7. Keep Up to Date

The finance industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world. It is continuously adapting to technological advances. Therefore, it’s important for you to keep learning and evolving your skills.

The more you learn, the more opportunities you will have to advance in your career and the more valuable as an employee you become.

Create Opportunities in Financial Jobs with ACG Resources

Reach out to ACG Resources and fast-track your career advancement in finance jobs. We have some great opportunities for you, no matter your level in the industry.

Whether you’re newly qualified, need a change in direction, or you’re at senior level, get in touch with us today and discover an exciting future that begins now.

The post 7 Steps to Accelerate Your Career in Finance Jobs appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Why Your Skills Are More Relevant Now AI Is ‘Taking Over’ Regtech

ACG Resources — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 03:15:50 +0000

AI Adoption, Benefits, and Challenges in Regtech

In Regtech, artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining an increasingly large foothold as the technology that is changing how compliance issues are managed. It has been adopted broadly in financial crime risk management (FRCM), financial risk (FR), and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC).

Accelerating adoption of AI in Regtech is not surprising. Accenture’s 2019 Compliance Risk Study found that almost three quarters of compliance departments are experience budget cuts – two-thirds of these slashed by between 10% and 20%.

AI enables many time-consuming and repetitive tasks to be automated, thus reducing the human effort needed and eliminating costly errors – big factors that enable the desired budget cuts to be fulfilled without damaging compliance operations.

In this article, we examine the three areas in which AI is making a real difference, and the challenges that the compliance industry faces with its use of AI.

AI in Financial Crime Risk Management

The main areas in which AI is used in FCRM are anti-money laundering and anti-fraud. It is especially useful in:

Fraud detection
Transaction analysis
Risk analysis

AI is used to inform decision-making, though the complexity of this role means that AI is not (yet) able to execute decision-making itself. Using AI in FCRM has several benefits, including:

Reducing costs and time
Enabling accurate analysis
Discovering information that would be unavailable otherwise

However, using AI in FCRM does not come without its challenges. These include the availability of data to fuel AI algorithms, insufficient quality of staff and training capabilities, and the cost of technology to run AI processes.

In addition, the use of AI tools must be accepted by regulatory bodies, and this includes not only how the algorithms work, but how they fit into the compliance landscape within the firm. There is a shortage of people with the knowledge and experience that encompasses this spectrum.

AI in Financial Risk

As in FRCM, adoption of AI in FR has been relatively broad. AI enables faster analysis of statistical information, but AI is more than a statistical tool. AI combined with machine learning (ML) is overtaking other tools used in FR.

Increasingly, AI is being used to:

Manage market risk
Manage credit risk
Manage asset liability
Manage liquidity risk

In applications using ML, AI is being adopted to generate scenarios for all the above uses, crunching reams of data in real time, stress testing, and validation of risk models.

However, despite the benefits of AI in FR – broadly the same as AI in FRCM – it is rarely used in core modeling. This may be because third-party data that has already been modeled by AI is often used. Further, a big challenge is sourcing qualified and knowledgeable employees, as well as gaining regulatory approvals.

AI in Governance, Risk, and Compliance

In this broad area, AI is gaining traction across functions that include:

Operational risk
Internal audits
Third-party risk
Regulatory change management
IT risk

AI is especially used in processes and applications that employ data validation. It speeds up these processes, and automation is seen as key to eliminate time-consuming and tedious tasks that negatively affect job satisfaction.

AI’s uses include:

Preparation and validation of data
Data analysis
Regulatory change management

Time and cost savings, accuracy of analysis, and discovery of previously unavailable data are key benefits to GRC operations.

Once more, scarcity of suitable employees is a major challenge to successful adoption in this area, as are data availability, technology costs, and regulatory approval.

Skills Are Key to Overcome Challenges

The benefits of using AI in Regtech are consistent across all areas. It:

Saves time and reduces costs
Eliminates tedious tasks
Improves accuracy of analysis
Reduces costly (and potentially damaging) errors

However, the challenges faced to unlock these benefits are also consistent. These include availability of data and cost of technology. Though the biggest challenge that firms face is the scarcity of employees with the knowledge, experience, and expertise needed to successfully adopt AI into Regtech.

Firms are hiring aggressively to get the staff they need. Most in demand are professionals who have the rare mix of:

Technical and soft skills to embed AI into Regtech and explain to less-technically minded staff
Business acumen to understand how AI can improve regulatory operations
The regulatory experience needed to gain regulatory sign-offs

Do you have the in-demand skills to help firms successfully deploy AI in their compliance operations? If you do, we want to hear from you. Register with ACG Resources to learn more.

The post Why Your Skills Are More Relevant Now AI Is ‘Taking Over’ Regtech appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Should Your Company Attend a College Career Fair?

ACG Resources — Thu, 27 May 2021 12:00:46 +0000

Every year universities across the United States host career fairs on their campuses, typically multiple times per year. In case you haven’t noticed, there are thousands of universities, public and private, so that translates into a huge number of career fairs! Companies big and small attended these fairs looking for the best and brightest to convince them to join their ranks. But are these events still the best way to connect with college students and job seekers? Are these career fairs just a formality now and the “real” job searching all takes place online? Should companies still spend resources to attend the fairs? Read on to find out more!

Long story short, yes companies who send recruiters to college career fairs can easily make it worthwhile. If managed correctly, recruitment from college career fairs can still play a significant role in your company’s long-term strategy. College career fairs are great ways to get word out about your company to fresh and talented job seekers who will apply for jobs at your company, tell their friends, and spend time researching your company if they should be fortunate enough to prepare for an interview. After all, everyone likes free stuff! Make sure the people your company sends to a college career fair has a healthy amount of branded promotional items they can disperse.

Note some universities have separate types of fairs: career fairs and job fairs. Most people wouldn’t know the difference, but at job fairs, companies focus on finding people to hire. Companies that have many open positions that must be filled quickly love job fairs. Career fairs, on the other hand, have a wider scope. Companies use these fairs as an opportunity to promote their brand, explain the company’s hiring process, and more, on top of interviewing top talent. Most universities allow companies to attend career fairs even when they don’t have any open positions.

After all, searching through thousands of applications, without any in-person characteristics to compare the application/resume against, takes a lot of time. Just make sure that the people you send to the career fair are extremely knowledgeable about your company because those college students are typically inquisitive. Benefits such as flex time and health insurance are highly valued and should be stressed when describing compensation. Even after the career fair is over, the best companies follow up with students to keep them engaged and talking about their company.

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How to Reprimand an Employee Constructively

ACG Resources — Wed, 26 May 2021 12:00:06 +0000

Few managers want to have to give reprimands to the employees that report to them because of the touchy nature of the process and the possibility of damage to the working relationship in general. All employees inevitably make errors, however, so it is a good idea for any manager who is responsible for the supervision of employees to have a plan for when it comes time to reprimand an employee. Before getting into the details however, it should be noted that managers should only reprimand employees in situations where it is their responsibility to do so. Sometimes it can get confusing on who is responsible for reprimanding an employee if the employee reports to a manager but is hired through a staffing agency. But assuming the manager does indeed need to reprimand an employee, here are some tips for doing so.

The first part of reprimanding an employee constructively is focusing on the behavior or issue, not the employee themselves. Reprimands that focus on employees tend to not achieve anything because they tend to be too general and tend to not include any solutions. “What were you thinking?” is an example of such a reprimand. They have a greater likelihood of causing damage to the employees’ confidence than doing any real good. Instead, give data and example(s) on the behavior or issue, while using pronouns like “we” or “us” instead of just “you.”

Next, make sure that reprimands are always private. As unpleasant as reprimands are for either party, the employee or the manager, they become drastically more unpleasant if it’s done in a public or group setting. Whether it’s the additional peer-pressure that will come from the reprimanded employee’s colleagues afterward or the potential for pushback/insubordination against the manager, just don’t do it. The issues between a manager and employee are between them and nobody else; other than potentially other groups that are required to be notified like HR.

Lastly a reprimand becomes drastically less effective if it happens too far after the fact. Make reprimands in a timely manner so the employee will be more likely to remember the issue or behavior instead. Logically it becomes harder to justify the reprimand from the managers’ perspective if it happens too late because the employee will think “if the issue was so important, why it come up sooner?” Managers should especially avoid delayed reprimands right before performance reviews are given to reduce the likelihood they just brought up the issue so the company wouldn’t have to pay out as much of an annual raise/bonus.

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Len Adams On The Ivy Podcast

ACG Resources — Tue, 25 May 2021 12:00:26 +0000

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How to Overcome Fear of Confrontation

ACG Resources — Tue, 25 May 2021 12:00:03 +0000

The average person is just not comfortable when it comes to confrontation with others, whether it’s someone they know or do not know. But because confrontation is bound to happen sooner or later, it is vitally important to plan ahead on how to handle it and get better at it. Always trying to avoid confrontation is not a winning strategy in anyone’s personal or professional life. If you have a fear of confrontation, above and beyond just not being comfortable with it, the most important thing to remember is to not let that fear rule you. This article will discuss how to confront that fear and hopefully help you overcome that fear of confrontation.

A common reason linked to the fear of confrontation is the fear of rejection. This is helpful because if someone understands why they are afraid of something it can help them to overcome it. Everyone has been rejected in some form or fashion in their lives but for some people the rejections were more public or impactful than others. After some contemplation, if you think your fear of confrontation is linked to fear of being rejected, focus on such positive things as “it’s OK to be rejected sometimes; nobody gets along with everybody,” or “mental or emotional discomfort will pass, especially if you know you handled the confrontation to the best of your ability.”

Related to that last bit, guilt can make overcoming a fear of confrontation even harder; guilt about being “too mean” or “not reasonable” enough, etc. A common frame among experts is to approach the confrontation with a kind, yet direct demeanor. Remember to keep control of yourself at all times, even if it means slowing down the pace of communication to make sure you don’t do or say anything that will come back to haunt you. People frequently feel guilty about making mistakes in general; that guilt is amplified when they make a mistake during a confrontation and after enough mistakes start to build up a fear of confrontation in general. Be your best self and you have nothing to feel guilty about.

Lastly, listening will go a long way to make any confrontation more productive. The worst type of confrontation is one where nothing was accomplished at all because odds are the issue will still need to be addressed, which sets the stage for another confrontation. When both people listen to each other, or let each other know when they feel like the other is not listening to them, it increases the odds of resolving the issue the first go around.

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How to Negotiate a Higher Severance Package

ACG Resources — Mon, 24 May 2021 12:00:55 +0000

According to the Fair Labor Standards Acts (FLSA), which has been updated many times over the years, severance packages are not a legal requirement for every position but because severance is now the norm, especially in larger companies, it is often negotiable. Few people, outside of maybe sales departments, enjoy negotiating with their companies about their compensation, but here we have some tips on doing just that. Why? Maybe you just got the dreaded “pink slip” that you’ve been worried about in an unstable economy. Maybe you just got hired and are being asked to sign the existing severance package paperwork as part of standard paperwork. Either way, maybe you’ll learn something.

Negotiating for a higher severance package implies that the existing severance package, or absence of a severance package in the first place, are not congruent with what you think it should be. As such, you’ll need proof to make your case for what it (the severance package) should be. Collect evidence to support why should get a better severance package and why it would be beneficial not just to you, but to all parties involved (including the company). It’s hard to argue with facts and figures. Or if it’s a situation where there’s one specific situation that has given you leverage, confirm how solid your leverage is before entering the negotiations. In other words, get legal advice where applicable.

Having good facts and figures only gets you so far if you fall flat when presenting the information to the key players. Being able to maintain good working relationships in a stressful environment, having patience and being able to persuade others without using manipulation will increase the likelihood a tough negotiation will end closer to how you would like it to. Just remember that there are bound to be conflicts or problems in the middle and that the best solutions revolve around collaboration and problem-solving, not competition and a blame game.

Be honest and ethical during negotiations to inspire the same from the other side. If you feel like you are not getting the same from the other side, let them know. If your concerns go unheeded frequently enough, perhaps suggest a third party attend the negotiations to keep everyone’s interests balanced and improve accountability of the process overall. For situations where you are lucky enough to have a company with outplacement services, be sure to confirm your eligibility for such services. If no outplacement services currently exist at your company, mention how difficult the transition is going to be for you and ask for them in a one-off scenario.

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How Can You Recruit for Medtech Jobs More Successfully?

ACG Resources — Mon, 24 May 2021 12:00:41 +0000

7 Tactics to Embed in Your Hiring Strategy

Medtech jobs are becoming increasingly difficult to fill. You may have noticed. The reason is two-fold.

First, in the United States, the medical devices industry employs around 2 million people, with 300,000 of these employed in medical technology jobs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, eight of the top 10 areas which will experience the highest rate of jobs growth are related to health and medical services.

Second, there is a shortage of skills to fill the jobs that are being created by the evolution of technologies such as wearable devices, Software as a Medical Device (SaMD), robotics, and integration of IoT into Medtech platforms. In its research, SHRM has noted that the skills shortage in STEM fields is particularly acute:

75% of HR professionals report a talent shortage among candidates
Tech skills are particularly short
Science, engineering, and medical skills are among the top shortages of technical skills

In addition, the soft skills of problem solving, critical thinking, and communication are also scarce.

To combat the combination of high jobs growth and a widening skills gap – and ensure you hire the most talented people into your organization – you must take a strategic approach to hiring. Here are seven key tactics to bake into your approach.

1. Hire Temporary Employees

Hiring temporary employees can help to plug gaps while you are hiring for permanent vacancies. This tactic will help avert drops in productivity and maintain quality of work. This is also a tactic that you can employ to ensure you are fully staffed during project work when specific skills are needed.

A temporary-to-permanent hire allows you to ‘try before you buy’, and is often an exceptional method to learn about potential new employees before hiring them.

2. Outsource

For jobs that can be done remotely, outsourcing will enable you to access a global talent pool. You will, of course, need to ensure that those you hire are highly skilled. Other challenges include time zones and cultural differences. You will also need to have effective processes and technology in place that help you to manage a remote team and its members to collaborate effectively.

3. Maintain an Employee Referral Scheme

Reward your employees for referring talented people by developing an employee referral scheme. You employees understand the work you do and the culture that new employees must fit into, and so can be a good source of referrals. You will still need to carry out comprehensive screening of potential employees though, to make sure you are hiring the talent you need.

4. Develop Your Employer Brand

A long-term strategy to attract talent is to develop a positive employer brand. To do this you must focus on a range of activities, such as using social media to share the latest industry news, discussing trends, and connecting with industry professionals. This requires commitment and dedication – it’s a continuous undertaking, not a one-time magic wand.

5. Develop Your Talent Pool

Your talent pool includes internal and external resource. Internally, seek to upskill your current employees by delivering targeted training and coaching.

Externally, as well as developing your employer brand and using these connections as a source of talent, you should also consider keeping a database of previous candidates that you rejected. Just because they weren’t quite right for a role before does not mean they should not be considered next time.

6. Provide Great Candidate Experiences

It’s crucial to provide a slick, seamless hiring process. Make sure that you keep candidates informed at all stages, treating them with the same respect that you would your clients. When making a hiring decision, be decisive. There are many stories of hiring companies missing out on top-quality candidates because they were too slow to make an offer.

7. Partner with a Specialized Staffing Agency

A specialist staffing agency will give you immediate access to a broad and deep talent pool. Candidates will have been vetted, and presented to you as a match for the skills and experience you need, as well as for fit on personality and culture.

A staffing agency will also be able to fill roles to the contract types you need – from temporary to permanent. Here at ACG Resources, we offer a variety of staffing solutions, including:

Interim management
Temporary staffing
Retained search
Contingent search
Hybrid search

You should never suffer from a shortage of skills in your Medtech jobs. We are here to make sure you don’t.

These seven tactics are integral to a successful hiring strategy. To learn more about how we help our clients overcome their hiring challenges, contact ACG Resources today.

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How to Achieve Win-Win Solutions in the Workplace

ACG Resources — Fri, 07 May 2021 12:00:02 +0000

There are many buzz words/phrases that have been thrown around in the corporate world for a long time, such as “deep dive”, “think outside of the box,” and “return on investment.” But win-win results (or solutions) are more than just corporate buzz words; they are guiding principle to the most successful businesses. Aiming for win-win results is better both in the short-term and long-term because both parties come out of negotiations completely satisfied with a result. It is not easy but with the proper knowledge and processes in place, it can be much easier to achieve win-win solutions. Read on to lean how better to achieve win-win solutions in the workplace.

Having an open-minded perspective is important for all participants in a negotiation to maximize the likelihood of reaching a win-win solution. People with an open-minded perspective typically are more likely to realize there is a “greater good” to be had beyond just “what they want.” This lays the groundwork for collaboration and reduces the pressure to “win at the cost of the other party.” The greater good in this context is a solution where there is enough success for everyone and there is much room for growth. Asking inquisitive questions and making sure all answers are as complete as possible help foster an open-minded perspective.

Aim to collaborate, not just cooperate. These 2 terms are considered roughly the same in most contexts, but in the workplace, especially as they pertain to negotiations, they are very different guiding principles. A negotiation guided by collaboration can achieve win-win while one that is guided by cooperation, while still better than some alternatives, typically ends with each side being somewhat satisfied because they “met in the middle.” This is mostly because people can be cooperating but still competing and trying to win at the cost of the other party. It is a scarcity mindset. Collaboration is a principle where, again, a “greater good” can be had and there is near-limitless room for growth.

Lastly, handling some of the smaller logistical factors will help facilitate win-win solutions. Ensure that there is enough time for the negotiation or series of negotiations to reduce the pressure of needing to “get the win for your side quickly before you run out of time and get the win for the other side later if time permits.” Avoid using personal criticism or jumping on the blame train. When it comes to language, use more “we” and “us” pronouns instead of “you” and “I.”

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Great Reasons to Hire Veterans

ACG Resources — Thu, 06 May 2021 12:00:27 +0000

The number of Americans that have served in the military, have family or friends that have served, or know someone who has served decreases more with each year. Americans who have never served are typically unaware of the skills and experiences acquired by those who have served. There is a lot of misconception out there and some of it unfortunately revolves around the perception that such skills and experience are not transferable outside of the military. This article hopes to clear up some of that misconception and give you many great reasons to hire veterans.

The “average speed” of the American workplace seems to be getting faster every year as technology makes everything more efficient and easier, to the point that some workplaces are downright hectic. Employers in the busiest, most hectic industries make sure to recruit only candidates that have demonstrated the ability to think on their feet and make quick decisions. Members of the military are taught to do this from day 1 at their initial training, long before they ever step foot on a battlefield. The reason for this is obvious because the battlefield is an extremely dangerous place and inability to think on ones feet or make quick decision can literally be a matter of life and death.

Most American workplaces are becoming more diverse: “gen z” and baby boomers, men and women, multiple religions, and more races collected in one country than any other country on earth. America is called the great melting pot after all. Veterans are not short on working a diverse workplace because the military is reflective of the diverse nature of the American population overall. Not only have veterans served alongside those who are different from themselves, but they typically do so in stressful situations while accomplishing amazing feats. It is hard to find an institution that puts a greater premium on teamwork!

Being goal-oriented is one of those phrases that has become a little cliché in the modern workplace but it doesn’t seem like it will be going anywhere anytime soon because of just how important it is. Goal-oriented employees know how to meet deadlines, come up with plans, and stay focused, all of which are very valuable traits in just about every industry. The military is all about instilling this trait into veterans because of the dangerous nature of protecting America. Failure is rarely an option, because failure typically means the ultimate sacrifice, so the ability to succeed even if it means altering plans, being intuitive, or sustaining something difficult for an extended period of time. All of these reasons and more are why you should hire a veteran today!

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3 Tips on How to Contact Employers on LinkedIn

ACG Resources — Tue, 04 May 2021 12:00:49 +0000

Looking for a job can be challenging and time consuming but it can also be a worthwhile adventure if done correctly. In modern times, some people have turbo charged their job search by utilizing the social media platform LinkedIn. After updating their resume and maybe even snapping a new profile picture, they login to LinkedIn because of all the recruiters that are also on the platform. Why spend tons of time reaching out to tons of companies individually when you could have recruiters reach out to you? Below are some tips on how best to contact employers on LinkedIn.

Tip #1: Follow the employers whom you want to contact or get contacted by. Hiring managers love to ask employees within a company for recommendations to fill open positions. After following the companies you’re interested in you can also follow some of the people who work there, whether they work in HR or not. Either way will increase your visibility to hiring managers or recruiters. If you strike up a conversation with any of the employees, and it goes well, that could lead to an introduction (aka referral) by the employee, on your behalf, to a recruiter down the road. You could of course also just add a recruiter directly on LinkedIn.

Tip #2: Make sure you are putting in the work on your end, aka make sure your LinkedIn profile is in great shape. It should have a recent, professional looking profile picture, all relevant education/certification information, relevant work history, and endorsements from others on LinkedIn where appropriate. The most serious recruiters know how to do keyword searches on LinkedIn, so making sure your profile is keyword optimized, or learning how to do so and then doing it, would also be beneficial.

Tip #3: Don’t quit your previous employer just yet. If it was a situation where you just had to go, or were let go involuntarily, obviously there’s no changing that now. But in general recruiters prefer candidates who are currently employed. It is kind of ironic, but also logical at the same time, because it shows (or at least increases the odds) that an employee has up-to-date skills, doesn’t have anything preventing them from being employed (criminal activity, drug issues, etc.), and that they get along with others (or they would’ve been fired already). If you’re already unemployed, it’s best not to hide it, but to have the best answer possible when asked by a prospective employer.

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Why the Best Employers Guarantee Employee Privacy

ACG Resources — Mon, 03 May 2021 12:00:13 +0000

Before the digital age, privacy was not as much of a concern for people or companies. Information was typically written down or recorded on a tape. Safekeeping could more easily be provided by putting the materials in a secure area and any sharing could more easily be tracked by a physical paper trail. Privacy was such a lesser concern once upon a time that there were little or no laws that governed privacy. But as computers, the Internet, smart phones, and more exploded onto the scene, so did concerns over privacy. Sharing information became easier than ever but what happen when it is shared with the wrong person, spied on in the middle of transmission, or stolen? Now there many laws governing privacy inside and outside of the workplace. The best employers guarantee their employees’ privacy not only because it is the right thing to do, but because it saves money on lawsuits for failure to do so.

To employ people, companies need to collect a number of pieces of information about their employees that must be kept safe because it is subject to a legal requirement to do so or because it would cause extreme harm to the company’s reputation if private information of their employees was leaked/stolen. Who would want to go work at a place where they don’t think their social security number, home address, bank account numbers, or phone numbers will be kept private? No salary is large enough to make up for losing control over pieces of information such as those and depending on how much notoriety the employee has, such as a CEO or famous billionaire founder, loss of privacy could put such people in real danger.

The best companies make sure they have a well-drafted company privacy policy that everyone adheres to at all times. It explains when/where employees can expect privacy and when/where they can’t so there is no confusion, how confidential information is kept private, and what the process will be if private information should somehow be compromised. Next, because of the rise of digital intrusion/hacking, the company should filter out access on the company intranet or internet access point to websites or domains where attacks are known to come from.

It will take a little extra know-how and effort to get setup, but adding two-factor authentication to all or some company systems will also help keep employee information safe. Lastly, periodically testing employees on their knowledge of the privacy policy and data security policy will help reduce the chance of employees unwittingly compromising the privacy of a company from within.

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Cybersecurity Jobs: Why You Must Never Lie on Your Resume

ACG Resources — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 12:00:44 +0000

How Lying Hurts Your Chances of Landing an IT Job

Cybersecurity jobs are in demand, with industry insiders expecting a shortage of qualified workers over the next decade. Yet even with hot job prospects, hiring managers have noticed a troubling trend: candidates who lie on their resume.

TalentEgg reported 44% of managers knowing someone who lied or exaggerated on their resume, while 85% of Inc.com’s respondents rejected job applicants for lying.

The statistics show that lying on resumes is common, and hiring managers are good at spotting it.

Here, you’ll discover why lying on your resume hurts your career prospects more than it helps them. We also share practical ways you can use your actual experience to land a great cybersecurity job.

What Is a Resume Lie?

Most of us agree that little white lies are acceptable. There’s little harm in fudging the truth about your friend’s bad haircut. The resume, however, is no place for fibs. Here, the truth matters. Be careful not to inflate anything, including:

Educational credentials
Technical skills
Previous job titles
Dates of employment
Language fluency

Accuracy in your claims is crucial to both the employer and your ability to excel in a role.

Lying Hurts Your Chances of Finding A Cybersecurity Job

Contrary to what many people think, lying hurts – and often eliminates – your chances of finding the right job. Here’s how fibs and falsehoods damage your career prospects.

You Won’t Land the Job

You put yourself across as the perfect applicant, and still didn’t land the job. That’s because the hiring manager probably detected your false claims and inconsistencies.

HR staff are experts in verifying information. It’s routine for them to subscribe to services that provide background checks. These services provide details about everything from job history to prior salaries to criminal records.

Hiring managers also go beyond the references you provide. LinkedIn makes it easy for them to connect with your former supervisors or colleagues to verify your experience. Inconsistencies will raise red flags about your application.

Large amounts of your personal information are online. You can fabricate your resume, but you can’t re-write your history.

You’ll Land the Job, But You Won’t Be Qualified

Employers know their organization and what they need in a particular role. The qualifications they include in a job posting are included for a reason: they’re needed for the job. Don’t get caught up in thinking that your resume and interview are the end game. They are only the beginning.

If you manage to squeak through the hiring process, you won’t be able to continue the charade for long. Gaps in your experience and skills will be evident. At best, your performance will be mediocre. At worst, you’ll be fired for incompetence. Both are damaging to your career.

You’ll Damage Your Reputation

Cybersecurity jobs require good judgment. Lying on your resume casts serious doubts on yours. Your damaged reputation will follow you throughout a weakened career in the industry – if you have one.

The cybersecurity industry is a close-knit community the revolves around trust. Even if you performed well at a previous job, your former supervisor might be hesitant to give you a reference. No one wants to be associated with a high-risk candidate who demonstrates bad judgment or questionable ethics.

Being Truthful Helps You Find a Job That’s a Good Fit

It sounds like a cliché, but honesty is always the best policy. Being truthful on your resume is the first step to landing a job that’s a good fit for you and your skills.

If you have an employment gap on your resume, highlight what you did during that time (travel, raise a family, volunteer, etc.). Potential employers can see value in your experiences beyond the workplace. If your technical skills temporarily took a backseat, take the time to strengthen and update them rather than disguise them with untruths.

You should also consider working with a recruiter. We are committed to getting to know the real you, so that they can match your skills and quality character with rewarding cybersecurity jobs. Register with ACG Resources today to get started.

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Helping Employees Manage Redundancy

ACG Resources — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 12:00:34 +0000

Mergers, acquisitions, and restructurings are all changes to a corporate structure that bring with them the risk of redundancy. Redundancy is generally when there are multiple people performing the exact same duties. Companies naturally seek to reduce and eliminate redundancies because they cost money but do not improve the bottom line. This process of eliminating redundant positions can be a difficult one for the employee that is potentially terminated in the process and potentially for the company if the employee sues the company for not abiding by applicable laws (such as Fair Work Act of 2009). Sometimes companies will not have to terminate an employee because of redundancy because they will be able to re-assign the employee to somewhere else in the company, though even that can be difficult too because it is possible the new position will be wildly different from the original one. For a number of reasons, most companies are getting better at helping employees manage the redundancy process.

Strong communication is the first component of properly managing redundancy. Preventing inaccurate information or gossip from spreading around the workplace is very important because otherwise such things can cause damage to a company in a variety of ways and make a difficult situation more difficult. Companies who run the communication, either written or verbal, by multiple relevant managers, executives, or HR representatives before it gets to the employee(s) being let go obviously do better than those who do not. Being open about the communication (not trying to hide anything), being clear/detailed to prevent confusion, and keeping records of all communication are also parts of strong communication regarding redundancy.

Supporting the employees being let go is the moral thing to do because such employees typically did not do anything wrong or have any issues with their performance. Companies will find it is also the cost-effective thing to do because employees who feel like they’ve been taken care of during the redundancy process are less likely to file a lawsuit against the company. Companies can support employees by offering them transfers to other (hopefully comparable) positions within the company, referrals to staffing agencies or other similar companies, or stipends designed to help with short-term financial issues.

All of the above is assuming the company has already attempted to prevent redundancies in the first place by taking annual inventory of the strategic goals of each business unit within the company or making the redundancies voluntary via buyouts or asking employees to retire early.

The post Helping Employees Manage Redundancy appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

In which Industries is Customer Service Most Important?

ACG Resources — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 12:00:47 +0000

Customer service is generally defined as the provision of service to customers before, during, and after a purchase. The “customer is always right” was born out of companies seeking to maximize the customer service aspect of their business, in hopes of maintaining a loyal base of customers, and a steady stream of business. Customer service has increased in importance as the saturation of products or services and the companies that provide them have increased across the economy so much that having the product in stock or being willing to ship it fast is no longer as special as it used to be. Companies use customer service to differentiate themselves from the competition. This article will look at the industries where customer service is the most important.

The hospitality industry is usually the first one that comes to mind when people mention customer service. So many of the metrics used to measure success in the hospitality industry are tied to the perception of guests and their experiences with the hotel, resort, etc where they stayed. It is not hard to see how customer service plays a huge role in the experience of those guests. Exceptional customer service typically leads to positive answers to questions like “did the guests enjoy themselves?” and “do they want to return?”. Critical elements of a good game plan for customer service in the hospitality industry include: apologizing when something goes wrong, fixing the problem as soon as possible, and making changes to prevent the same problem in the future. The last one is extra important because even if everything else is perfect, if the same problem happens to the same guest during a 2nd visit, it’s likely they will think that problem is pervasive, which will mean bad word of mouth.

The banking industry is not an industry that people typically think of when it comes to customer service, analysts say. One frequent theory is that people will deal with average customer service instead of having to go through the hassle of moving their accounts to a new bank. But the banking industry is much different than it was even just a decade or so ago. The variety of banks for customers to choose from is huge and advancements in technology have made switching accounts easier than ever. Plus, banks are under extra pressure from structural constraints of there only being so many products to offer and minimal room to adjust pricing. Great customer service is turning out to be one of the only ways to differentiate themselves.

Analysts have been predicting the doom of the retail industry for years with the rise of the Internet and online shopping; and they’ve been somewhat right. Those retail stores or chains that are left have found that customer service is more important than ever and is literally the difference between solvency and bankruptcy in an industry that is so rapidly changing and filled with so much competition.

The post In which Industries is Customer Service Most Important? appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

IT Jobs: If Hiring Managers Only Needed to Request Resumes, We’d All Be in Staffing

ACG Resources — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 12:00:11 +0000

How Recruiters Find Information Technology Candidates That Businesses Can’t

Hiring for IT jobs is easy, right? The position is posted to a job board and flooded with resumes to choose from. While the process can work that way, it shouldn’t. Not if you want it to be successful.

The most successful businesses hire differently, pursuing both active and passive candidates who are the best fit for the job. According to TopResume, 70% of employed yet ideal candidates are open to leaving their position for a new role. Recruiters are skilled at connecting with this talent and matching them with the right position and employer.

What are some of the strategies that recruiters use to identify, attract, and screen candidates on behalf of the business clients they serve?

Making a Bad Hire Is a Costly Mistake

Making the right hire is a skill – and a critical business need. According to widely cited figures, a bad hire can cost your company 30% of your employee’s first-year earnings. And the costs can be more than financial. The wrong hire can affect your business’ productivity, employee morale, and industry reputation.

Recruitment Strategies for Finding the Best Candidates

Due to limited time and HR resources, most businesses make the mistake of waiting until a position becomes open before they start looking for candidates. Staffing agencies maintain nurtured talent pools and use experienced search techniques.

Effective hiring processes involve the following strategies:

Searching on LinkedIn

With more than 740 million users, staffing agencies can pro-actively search LinkedIn for qualified candidates through LinkedIn Recruiter – an incredibly effective service, though it is not cheap (around $10,000 per year).

For many companies with fluctuating staffing needs, this cost won’t make financial sense. Staffing agencies can leverage its features as an additional tool in their recruitment toolbox, without the cost burdening your company’s finances.

Building and Maintaining Networks, Including Previous Candidates

Networking is an effective way to find top talent. But a bigger network isn’t always better. It’s more productive to cultivate professional relationships within specific industries. Some staffing agencies cover a range of industries, with their expert agents specializing in one or two.

Recruiters strive to remain connected with applicants who have previously applied. If they weren’t the right match for one role, they may be better suited for another position.

Connecting Through Forums and Online Recruitment Events

LinkedIn has a busy Human Resources group and HR.com has a less active (but still useful) forum dedicated to recruitment. It’s not practical for most businesses to invest the time to join and contribute to forums. Recruiters can.

Increasing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic increased the popularity of online recruitment events. Recruiters and candidates appreciate the ease of connecting virtually, regardless of location. In an increasingly global marketplace, experts predict virtual recruiting will continue after the pandemic ends.

Reviewing and Verifying Resumes

Each corporate job that is posted attracts about 250 resumes. Some of these are immediately cast into the slush pile. The most common reasons? For IT jobs, it’s usually insufficient experience and lack of technical skills.

Once the field has been narrowed, the real work begins: weeding out the truth-embellishers from the truth-tellers. Applicants lying on their resume is a widespread problem, with surveys pegging it anywhere from 10% to 85%. Even at the low end, it is important to methodically verify resumes before moving deeper into the hiring process.

Completing Background Checks

Over the last few years, there’s been an increasing trend of running background checks on employees prior to extending a job offer. A driving force behind the rise in background checks is to protect an organization from legal liability, stemming from sexual harassment or workplace violence.

But there are challenges in conducting these checks: cost, time, and legalities. Companies need to ensure their background checks comply with state and federal laws.

Assessing Knowledge Through Skills Tests

Past performance is a good indicator of future performance. When hiring for IT jobs, skills tests can verify a candidate’s technical abilities prior to interview. With evidenced technical ability, the interview process can be more accurately refined to ensure the best-fit candidate is invited on board.

Recruitment Agencies Help Businesses to Hire for IT Jobs

Recruitment is an active process, not a passive one. Although businesses can undertake recruitment on their own, many don’t have the time or resources. If your business needs some guidance and staffing expertise on your side, contact ACG Resources. We have a bank of talent, which will streamline your hiring process and deliver the best candidate for the job.

The post IT Jobs: If Hiring Managers Only Needed to Request Resumes, We’d All Be in Staffing appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

The Pros and Cons of 360-Degree Performance Evaluations

ACG Resources — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 12:00:18 +0000

Nowadays almost all companies do performance evaluations (or something else of the same function that is called by another name) at least 1 time per year for their employees. These evaluations have become an integral part of other discussions related to the employee-employer relationship and without them there would be no data to point(s) to related to things such as compensation, hiring/firing, and promotions. Performance evaluations are typically carried out by the HR department, which either chooses outright or has a big voice in choosing the specific type of performance evaluation process. Some HR departments have adopted 360-degree performance evaluations, which include input not only from an employee and their supervisor, but others such as coworkers, direct reports, or customers. Because there are pros and cons of using this type of performance evaluation process, companies should weigh them carefully before making the choice.

The biggest pro of 360-degree performance evaluations is to free employees from being improperly categorized as “lower” on the scale because of a non-performance issue between them and their boss. Almost everyone has either been through this scenario or knows someone else who has: the employee does a good job and their boss either gets jealous, or gets anxious because they are underperforming themselves, or worried another manager will steal their employee, etc. There are many reasons why that employee will not get the credit they should via a typical performance evaluation and many such employees, even if they like the position they are in or the company they work for, are forced to move elsewhere to get away from that boss. The 360-degree performance evaluation process doesn’t completely prevent such employees from getting submarined, but statistics show it does reduce the chances.

The biggest con of the 360-degree performance evaluation process is the possibility of employees collaborating to produce results that don’t match up with someone’s true performance. This can be employees who know they are all performing below-par rating each other higher than they should, or that same group of employees all rating 1 employee lower than they should because that employee is actually doing a good job. Either way the goal of that group of employees is just to “keep each other safe” and not anything related to actual performance evaluation or the potential damage it would do to a company if all the highest performing employees choose to perform below where they could perform to avoid being singled out and potentially fired.

The post The Pros and Cons of 360-Degree Performance Evaluations appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Updating Your Resume After You’ve Been Retired

ACG Resources — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 12:00:16 +0000

Millions of employees across the nation (and world) day dream about that special day when they will come in to the office, tell their boss they’re done, and leave to go to the airport for a flight to the beach. Some of these employees even count down the days to that beach trip; the beginning of their retirement they’ve spent so long working toward. Unfortunately a subset of those people will not stay retired as they had hoped for whatever reason(s) and will have to return to work, most likely not voluntarily. When faced with this decision, one of the first things the person will have to do is update their resume, which they will need in the job seeking process. This can be easier or harder depending on the person’s specific situation, but in general it requires a little more attention than someone who never left the labor force. Here are some tips for updating your resume after you’ve been retired.

First things first, you should be clear about coming out of retirement. Honesty really is the best policy. Who wants to go through the hiring process after coming back to work, only to have to go through it again because the employer found a lie or deception on their resume? It is a different workplace today than it was decades ago, and while playing fast with the truth on a resume has never been looked highly upon, it was more likely someone could get away with it back when there weren’t huge HR departments, easily available background checks, or it was too much of a hassle to find information in general. Today, information is available at light speed thanks to the Internet and even middle management positions are typically only filled after thorough vetting and background checks.

Emphasize in detail your skills as they relate to the specific position you are applying for. Generalists have largely gone by the wayside in the modern workplace as specialization has increased dramatically. Look at the field of medicine for example, where multiple specialties have existed for a while but have been specialized even further into sub-specialties. Drop any experience off your resume that is not related to the position, especially if the experience was gained a long time ago. If the position requires special training and you already have it, feel free to list it, but save space on your resume for more important things than unrelated training or training that happened a long time ago.

The post Updating Your Resume After You’ve Been Retired appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

4 Reasons Not Hiring for Insurance Jobs Today Will Hurt You Tomorrow

ACG Resources — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 12:00:47 +0000

Will You Be Ready to Take Advantage of Economic Growth?

Should you hire for insurance jobs now, or hold back until the recovery is in full swing?

We’ve never been faced with so much uncertainty, and this is causing many companies to delay their hiring decisions. Why hire today if you may need to downsize your workforce in a couple of months?

The Potential to Emerge Stronger Has Never Been Greater

As the U.S. economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 shock, it is becoming apparent that the potential rewards to be gained are huge. The dilemma is that this also applies to the potential risks.

The pandemic has served to focus people on life and meaning. Individuals are questioning many aspects of their lives, including what they spend, where, and why. They expect greater levels of customer service, and products that are more customized to their needs.

Across all functions of an insurance provider, the quality of your people will make a big difference as to how you are perceived. Poor customer service will result in damaging online reviews. Rigid products will be rejected, and hard sales will deter buyers.

Those companies who adapt best as the economy unfolds, and can remain agile in the process, are likely to be those who emerge the most successful. To do this, you must build and develop talented teams. If you don’t, you face suffering from the risk of being overtaken by your competitors.

Here are four reasons you should be hiring for roles in insurance today, instead of waiting to hire when the path forward is more assured.

1. Hiring Sends a Signal of Confidence to Employees

Self-examination is not limited to consumers. Employees are feeling fragile right now. They have begun to question why they are working. They want to know that you provide jobs in insurance that deliver a purpose, and that their contributions are valued. They will also be wary of how a fragile economy could damage their prospects with you.

By continuing to hire, or hiring new employees where you have had to let others go, you send a message of confidence in your future. This will help to allay your employees’ fears and concerns, and is an essential step in motivating staff through change and disruption.

2. Hiring Upskills Your Team

This is the perfect opportunity to take stock of your current staff and develop your strategy in line with your view of the future. Central to this should be ensuring that your teams possess the skills to future-proof your business.

There are two prime strategies that help you achieve upskilling and improve capabilities within your organization. The first is to identify and develop skills from within. The second is to hire the skills you need. The second option has a few distinct advantages, including:

It brings skills onboard immediately
Your new, highly-skilled and talented employees can share their knowledge and experience
Training and development costs should fall

An extra benefit, of course, is that as your business upgrades its skillsets you will service your customers more effectively. This puts you in a stronger position to maintain and grow revenues.

3. Talent Is Available Today

As we move forward through the pandemic, it is likely that your competitors will seek to hire talented insurance professionals. Competition for signatures will increase, and this may lead to upward pressure on salaries and compensation packages.

There is little doubt that the supply of talent in the insurance jobs market will become further restricted as the economy recovers. If you don’t assess your recruitment strategy today, you may not have the same opportunities to hire quality candidates tomorrow.

4. You’ll Need to Hire More to Do Less Tomorrow

The more talented, experienced, and skilled your hires are, the fewer hires you need to make. You’ll need to do less by way of training and development, and highly-talented candidates will hit the ground running. You’ll feel the benefit of their contribution immediately.

If you wait and are then forced to hire lesser talented candidates, it’s probable that you will need to make more hires to do the same amount of work – and more hires to do the same work equals lower productivity and a smaller bottom line.

There Is No Better Time to Hire Than Now

COVID-19 has disrupted the American economy. It has caused customers and employees of insurance companies to think differently. By taking steps now to align your strategy and staff with the potential for huge growth, you can take a leap ahead of your competition.

There is some tremendous talent available to hire today. The most talented are not likely to be available for long. Whether employing to work in your office or remotely, you have a huge opportunity to develop teams that will help you grow rapidly and sustainably.

Contact ACG Resources to discuss your hiring needs in insurance jobs today. From temporary staffing through to executive search, our database of more than 200,000 candidates is at your disposal.

The post 4 Reasons Not Hiring for Insurance Jobs Today Will Hurt You Tomorrow appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Banking Jobs: Why You Should Reject the PUA Silver Dollar

ACG Resources — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 12:00:43 +0000

7 Reasons You Must Apply for Banking and Finance Positions Now

You’re sitting at home, wondering whether it is worth applying for banking jobs. You’re making more from the government’s silver dollar – the PUA payments. We understand it’s tempting to stay at home. Why go to work every day and be ‘worse off’ than you are now?

Before we explain why you should get back into the world of work, let’s examine just how ‘well off’ you are now that you’re unemployed.

God Bless America’s Unemployed Bankers!

The American Rescue Plan Act, totaling $1.9 trillion, boosts your unemployment by $300 each week on top of the amount you receive from the state. It was signed off by President Biden before the unemployment programs were due to expire on March 14. Other unemployment programs that have been started during the pandemic are continuing. These include:

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (for the long-term unemployed)
Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC)

You’ll also receive a tax waiver on the first $10,200 of unemployment benefits you collected in 2020 ($20,400 for married couples if you made less than $150,000 in 2020).

If you earned less than $75,000 last year, you can also claim a $1,400 stimulus check.

It’s like the government wants you to stay unemployed. At least for the period that the payments will cover, which is up to 86 weeks in some states.

You might agree with the government, and be tempted to hold off returning to work. After all, why work for less than you can make from the government’s ‘pay-check’?

Don’t Get Trapped by the Silver Dollar – 7 Reasons to Return to Work Fast

What happens when the money runs out? It may appear to be a long way off, but, if the economy recovers more strongly than is expected, who’s to say that Biden won’t pull back on the purse strings?

Plus, there’s your pride to play for. Not to mention the relentless advance of technology that you’ll need to keep up with to remain relevant for the best banking jobs.

Here are seven reasons you should start looking for re-entry into you banking career now, and not leave your job search until it’s too late.

1. The Pride of a Paycheck

Let’s start with how you feel. Is sitting at home really what you want to be doing? What example are you setting for your kids to follow?

Working provides a sense of pride. You’ve earned your paycheck. You’re not living on government handouts. Don’t forget your work colleagues, too. That sense of camaraderie and the friendships you have at work. How much do they motivate you? How much do you miss them?

2. Say Goodbye to In-Work Benefits

Banking jobs provide some of the best in-work benefits available in the American economy. Life insurance, healthcare for you and your family, retirement planning, gym memberships, and so on.

You’ve lost all of this. On average, in-work benefits can be worth a third of your salary. Though the government is throwing greenbacks at you, is it enough to replace all the benefits you have lost through unemployment?

3. Eventually, The Government Will Stop Paying You

Right now, the government has its arm around you. It’s put a safety net under you. Soon, though, you’ll find that safety net is pulled from underneath you. The river of money will run dry, and the government will push you away.

4. Turned Down a Job Offer? Lose Your Benefits

Have you been approached, offered your old job back, or turned down a reasonable job offer? You may have said that you’ve done so because of a coronavirus-related reason, and the CARES Act allows you to do this. But it’s also the case that if you turn down work, you could find your unemployment benefits are stopped.

5. Each Day Out of Work Makes You a Little Less Relevant

The banking and finance industry is constantly evolving. New processes. New regulations. New technology. You may have left a job that required qualification and licensing. Your certification may expire while you’re unemployed.

Each day that you aren’t working makes you a little less relevant for current jobs in banking. Leave it too long, and your resume may not even make it past the pile for immediate rejection.

6. Employment Gaps Do Not Win Prizes

Employers don’t like inexplicable employment gaps. We’re already witnessing reticence from hiring managers to meet candidates with employment gaps of more than a couple of months. You’ll be questioned why – and if the employing organization had previously advertised roles that you haven’t applied to, it could be a tricky question to answer.

7. You Can’t Afford to Wait Until the Rush

Can you afford to wait until everyone realizes the government’s money is running dry? Imagine joining a long line of jobseekers. Most of whom have allowed their skills to lapse and have unappealing employment gaps on their resume.

And imagine being in this line of jobseekers, pitted against candidates who have continued in work (whether temporary or full-time), remained up to date with technology and developments in the banking and finance industry, with no inexplicable employment gaps.

Simply put, the longer you leave it to get back into work, the harder it will be to return, and the lower your salary expectations will need to be.

Don’t Be Conned by the Government’s Silver Dollar

We understand that it is tempting to accept the government’s paycheck, but it’s a dangerous habit to fall into. Every day that goes by is a day lost. Our advice is to start serious job searching today. As soon as you finish reading this article.

When we work with our clients, we present them with the best-fit candidates. Right now, that could be you. After a few months of inactivity, it probably won’t be. Don’t leave your job search too late. Do start today – and do so with the backing of staffing specialists in banking and finance. Register with ACG Resources now.

The post Banking Jobs: Why You Should Reject the PUA Silver Dollar appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Tips For Finding Top Talent

ACG Resources — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 12:00:49 +0000

Owners or executives at some companies know that their company is a great place to work but still have problems finding top talent to fill their positions. Why? The simple answer is that finding top talent is a fierce and competitive process. Similar to how job hunting is fierce and competitive from a job-seeker’s perspective, companies that want to find the best people have found it’s easier said than done; partly because all companies are doing it. Think about it, what company goes out and actively wants to hire a mediocre or sub-par employee for any position? No company wants to do that, at least not one that will be in existence for an extended period of time. If you are a business owner or HR executive though, you are lucky you found this article. Below are some easy ways to increase the chances of finding top talent.

The digital age is upon us and everyone knows it, but you would be surprised how many companies still haven’t thought through all of the implications of that are. Sure, almost all businesses have a website by now, but if that’s the extent of how much your company care’s about its image online, you could be in big trouble. Surveys and polls show that the majority of job-seekers, especially top talent, check out employer review/feedback sites prior to making career decisions. Unfortunately the time-tested rule is still largely true that bad word of mouth can spread like wildfire; online is no different. A representative from your company should respond on the company’s behalf to any negative reviews out there.

Another way to find top talent is to attract top talent to your organization by figuring out what makes your organization unique and getting the word out there to recruiters and key social contacts within your industry. Ask some of your current top performers what they like most about the company or what is the #1 reason they come to work in the morning. This information is also important to have incorporated into your hiring/promotional materials as well as the company website.

In this day and age salary isn’t everything to everyone, but as the saying goes, cash is still king. One of the worst things to start getting circulated about your company, internally or externally, is that it underpays or undervalues its employees. Have your HR department regularly keep track of what the market is paying employees, from researching what competitors within your field are paying to hiring 3^rd party firms to conduct pay studies. Key figures within the company should also keep a close eye on exit surveys for frequent reason for employees leaving being “salary/pay.”

The post Tips For Finding Top Talent appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Signs It Is Time To Fire An Employee

ACG Resources — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 12:00:12 +0000

Everyone has dealt with employees that make the workplace less enjoyable for this reason or that. As a coworker it is typically less of a bother because ultimately not their responsibility to make decisions regarding termination. As a manager or supervisor, situations with problem-causing employees is all the more stressful because the other members of the team will be (silently or verbally) looking at you to make a tough decision. The worst situations are where you kick the can down the road hoping the problem-causing employee will just quit so you won’t have to go through the rigor of firing them, but before you know it, weeks or months have passed and they’re still there. So here are some signs to look for so you’ll know when it’s time to just rip the bandage off and just fire that employee instead of subjecting yourself and others to extended periods of misery in the workplace.

The obvious first indicator it is time to fire someone is a lack of productivity. Sometimes the productivity gradually drops off and sometimes it is all of a sudden. As long as you double-check that you’re communicating your expectations clearly and that those expectations are realistic (typically the case when all other members of a team are able to meet them), the odds are the problem is with the employee and it is time to let them go. This goes double for employees who always seem to have excuses for their lack of productivity: waiting on others to get their work done, unaware of what is going on in general, never feeling “100%”, making the same mistakes repeatedly, etc.

The other big indicator is also fairly obvious but can be tricky: absenteeism. This employee is frequently missing in action, whether it be a situation where they are in the office but never at their desk or a situation where they are out of the office for the “next big emergency.” This indicator is quick to irritate coworkers because they can typically easily see that the employee is not getting their work done (which is confirmed when the absent employee’s work falls in the coworkers’ lap). This indicator can be tricky when it comes to employees who have chronic/extensive health issues or who have a genuine big emergency that can last for a while (death in the family, home burned down, etc). The worst situation, where you know the axe has to swing quickly, is for employees who become absent often with zero communication or excuses.

The post Signs It Is Time To Fire An Employee appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

How To Use SEO To Recruit Better Talent

ACG Resources — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 12:00:06 +0000

Many companies still have much to learn what Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can do to aid in their quest (just like all companies) to find the best talent in the job market. Some companies just don’t focus enough on candidate experience/ratings of their interviewing/recruiting process and some companies are still relying on old processes to attract talent such as job boards. Either way, the time for improving these processes is now because the job market is more competitive than ever in general and the top performers usually do not stay available for long. Continue reading to learn how to use SEO to recruit better talent for your company.

Trying to get open position filled is basically a lot like selling a product and marketing for your open position is just as important as marketing is for selling any given product. Work with the people in your IT team or whatever group of people that are responsible for your company’s career site/page to make sure it has maximum visibility. As the amount of web traffic continues to shift from desktops/laptops to mobile devices, having a career site/page that is optimized for mobile and employs the latest technology to make the pages load quick/correctly is a must.

Having lots of people hit your company’s career page doesn’t mean much if the job postings are poorly written and not optimized. Higher caliber talent will easily be able to tell the difference between another “job board like” site with spammy or non-informative job postings and something better. To have better job postings you can increase sort/filter options, use more bullet points (and less big paragraphs), and include key information that is relevant to the position. Make sure to have the people (probably in human resources) coordinating with the specific hiring managers to get all of that relevant information.

After people apply for positions with your company, and hopefully some of them are top talent, how long is the process between that point and receiving an offer letter? Regardless of the specifics, human resources experts suggest reducing that period of time will increase the likelihood of recruiting top talent. If the process is too lengthy, complicated, or burdensome, top talent may consider cutting their losses and applying elsewhere. Human resources experts also point out that candidates frequently see a company’s hiring process, and how smoothly or not smoothly it flows, as a reflection of how efficient the processes are at the company overall. Few people want to find themselves in an ocean of red-tape!

The post How To Use SEO To Recruit Better Talent appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Ways to Invest in Your Career

ACG Resources — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 12:00:56 +0000

Investing in your career is not only a great way to make professional moves, but it can also help you find the career path that suits you best. If you are unsure of where to begin or are feeling stuck in your current position, we have a few tips to help guide you and your investment decisions.

Brainstorm Your Dream Career

Finding a sense of direction when it comes to your career prior to making large investments is important, but it’s sometimes easier said than done. It can be challenging to find the right field that fits your skills and interests while also providing financial stability. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, try creating an action plan that outlines the necessary steps, beginning with reviewing your previous experiences and educational background. This will be the jumping off point and will serve as a reference for listing your interests and skills.

List your skills you feel are the strongest and areas where you would like to seek improvement. This will give you a clear idea of what roles could be the best fit based on your current skill sets and will also challenge you in the process. Next, write out your core interests. These can be anything from writing, mathematics, science, creation and design, or constructing List whichever you feel is the most important first, and use this as a keyword in your job search to pinpoint more relevant choices and give you the guidance you need to find a right-fit career path. Consider reaching out and investing in a career counselor if you are still feeling lost to make your search even easier.

Push Past Comfort Zones

Pushing past your comfort zone is a huge part of investing not only in your career, but yourself as well. It’s intimidating to seek a career outside of your previous experiences or skill sets. It’s especially scary if you have other financial responsibilities to uphold. If this resonates with your current situation, setting professional goals for yourself is a great way to visualize these larger changes.

Map out in a journal (written or digital) your desired career trajectory. This can be a promotion at your current job, going back to school, relocating for your dream employer, or designing a business plan to own your own business. On the other hand, it can be as simple as setting weekly micro goals to acquire new skills. Whatever your map entails, make a note of when you would like to accomplish these goals to outline a timeline and actionable steps. For example, if you choose to relocate for your dream job, it’s important to plan ahead and have proper funding. You’ll need to know your budget for buying a home, the price of living, and transportation costs. Being prepared will ease this transition and maybe make it seem more achievable.

Budget to Invest in Your Future

This brings us to budgeting. When it comes time to invest in your career, you’ll want to make sure your finances are prepared for the expenses. This is where designing an accurate budget comes into play. If you have never stuck to, or even attempted to create a budget, here’s how to get started:

Take note of your current net income—this is the total income amount after taxes.
From your net income, deduct all expenses and set aside a designated amount into a savings account or emergency fund.
Add a section to your budget to account for investing in your career path. This amount will be used for educational expenses, certifications, making a career change, or other costs associated with achieving your professional goals. This money can be pulled from your savings or disposable income.
The remaining cash will be disposable income, which can be used for other spending.
Update your budget on a monthly basis to prevent financial strain and keep your financial plan as accurate as possible.

Once complete, your budget will be a great resource for planning ahead, cutting your spending, and minimizing expenses, so you can take advantage of professional learning opportunities. It will also provide you with peace of mind in the midst of a career shift or when it’s time to make larger investments like continuing education.

Grow Your Knowledge and Skills

Whether you have worked in your field for years or are just starting out, there’s always time to grow your knowledge. Learning on the job is often the most applicable way to grow your skill sets, but if this is not offering enough of a challenge, it may be time to invest in continued education or certification courses. Look into online classes to make it easier to find balance between full time work and school, and don’t be afraid to venture outside of your comfort zone. There are various degrees and areas of expertise that can add to your current career choice or can send you in a completely different direction.

Networking is also a viable way to build your knowledge base and connect with people who can help guide you through your career path. Go beyond reaching out online by attending job fairs or events that will allow you to connect in person. Have a game plan in place when attending these events and do not dismiss anyone, even if they are in an unrelated field. To build a strong network, you have to converse with various professionals who have varying expertise and perspectives. Be sure to follow up with additional meetings as well to keep you top of mind in the case that you are going for a specific job or to simply keep the connection going.

Investing in your career is important to finding your passion and what you want to accomplish as a professional. We hope these steps will help you find your dream career path and take some of the stress out of the financial side of the big picture.

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What to Look for When Hiring a Social Media Manager

ACG Resources — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 12:00:06 +0000

Nearly every company, large and small, use social media nowadays because they have all seen how much it can contribute to an overall marketing strategy. There is a lot of leeway though on the companies who use social media well and those that do not. Because social media posts do not write themselves, a lot of the responsibility generally falls to the human being who actually hits send/submit on the social media posts. We’ll call this person the social media manager and different companies have different setups. The social media manager could handle all social media processes from end to end, or they could be part of a team of researchers, graphics experts, web developers, and other marketing personnel. Whatever the setup, this is an important position to hire for, so read on to learn what to look for during the hiring process.

The first thing a company can do to set them (and the social media manager) up for success is to clearly define the role. For example: define the overall social and marketing strategy, describe traffic statistics and goals, describe what analytics have been setup or will need to be setup, and inform what other resources (human or capital) are involved in the social media marketing processes. Even though the prospective social media manager should have already done research on your company to know the industry in which exists, the company should provide a brief synopsis themselves so there is no confusion because this has a big impact on social media strategy.

Companies should be on the lookout for the following during the hiring process of a prospective social media manager: 1) at least 3 years of experience in the field of social media marketing, 2) a marketing, communications, or business degree, 3) a proven ability to interpret data/analytics. Those things are a good base and beyond that companies can then ask about candidates’ familiarity with specific social media platforms because they are not all created equally. Some companies only focus on 1 or a few platforms and want social media managers who are experts regarding those, instead of generally familiar with most platforms. Because of the amount of interaction with internal and external stakeholders most social media manager positions involve, the majority of marketing executives also say they look for great interpersonal skills.

After interviewing a prospect, why not let their work speak for itself? Review any samples the prospect provided thoroughly as well as search for other examples of social media accounts the prospect has managed or is currently managing.

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Challenges That People With Autism Face In The Workplace

ACG Resources — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 12:00:23 +0000

So much has been learned about autism in the modern age compared to even just a decade or so ago. We now know that it is not as simple as simple binary of autistic/not autistic, but a spectrum of autism, and health experts are more than ever able to pinpoint where people are on that spectrum. Various foundations and organizations also have more resources than ever to assist autistic people in their private life or in the workplace. Even those in the workplace who are not autistic are typically more accommodative of those who are resulting in a decline in workplace bullying related to autism, according to surveys. This article hopes to provide some insight into the challenges people with autism face in the workplace.

The first challenge people with autism face is getting their foot in the door in the workplace to begin with. While much has been done to reduce the stigma of autism in recent years, some employers are still hesitant to hire people with autism. Some industries and some positions that are highly demanding or highly regulated could get a big wave of bag publicity if an emergency should occur due to having an autistic person in a position above their capabilities. A good strategy for those with autism is to get a strong understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, research positions that match, and applying for those positions. It is also important to keep one’s chin up if they are not hired for the first job they interview for because that happens to those without autism too all the time.

After a person with autism is hired then comes the challenge of deciding whether or not they should disclose their autism at work. Some people with autism may even choose to disclose this prior to the interview process, but many choose to wait until after. Some potential benefits of disclosing autism are additional legal protections, more understanding from the company on potential accommodations that can help make the job easier, and less stress from people not having to “hide this big secret.” Some potential risks include a lack of understanding, difficulty in being able to fit in socially, and increased worry that an employer may be prejudiced against those with autism.

Whether or not a person chooses to disclose their autism at work, there are other things they can do to help them succeed at work. Finding a mentor is a good idea to help learn the company culture faster. And taking lots of notes is always helpful!

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Does The Time Of Day Affect Employee Performance?

ACG Resources — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 12:00:27 +0000

Most employees want to do well, aka have a good level of performance, in their job. The reasons of this are many, from self-satisfaction to increased chances of receiving financial incentives such as a raise or bonus. A lot of factors go into an employee’s performance level and new information is coming out every year from various research studies and surveys. One factor that some executives and human research experts focus on is how the time of day affects employee performance. Read on to learn more about this phenomenon and how to improve your performance and the performance of others at your organization.

Productivity experts say that adding more time to your workday does not necessarily improve performance. What they say is better is doing the right kinds of tasks at the right time of the day. One study showed that tasks involving creativity and free-thinking were best suited for times of the day where you are closest to being tired. Most people report being tired at the beginning (typically early in the morning) of the workday and the end (coffee has worn off by this time).

Between 11AM and 4PM seem to be the best time of the workday for data-driven, critical thinking, or problem-solving tasks, with the peak time being during the first 2 hours of that time frame and performance steadily declining until the end. This means it is best to tackle the most complex tasks at the beginning of the day and plan to do brainstorming and other similar tasks later in the day. This is not to say that humans are not able to override their body’s natural “peak performance times,” because they can. This is just looking at the best time of the day for high performance via the path of least resistance (on average). Other key variables such as chemical levels (especially caffeine), sleep, and body temperature are assumed to be the same/steady.

Emotions have an effect on mental ability, which is a big factor in performance. Employees’ states of mind change over the course of the day and research reveals they are more likely to be ambitious and self-confident early in the day, as opposed to very late at night/early morning. Things can get complicated quickly when you factor in the emotional states of multiple people all part of the same team or working on the same project. But despite our best laid plans to have a high performance day, everyone experiences “one of those days” from time to time. Just hang in there and plan to get back into your rhythm the day afterward.

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How Can Businesses Be More Ethical

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 12:00:52 +0000

When the average American is asked why businesses exist, the most common answer is unsurprisingly “to make money.” By the same token then it should come as no surprise that the top answer is not “to be ethical,” but ethics as they relate to businesses is becoming a higher and high priority. Gone are the days where companies, especially those with high profiles or in industries that focus on customer service, could get by with just following the law. People are now keeping track of which companies are ethical and which are not and word travels faster than ever thanks to the Internet and social media. But some companies are still coming to terms with what that means; and not always because they are “bad” or unethical. When it comes to acting legally, companies typically have a pretty straightforward standard: obey the law. How does a company know what is ethical and what is unethical? Answering this question and more will help a company become more ethical.

Similar to other characteristics of good corporate culture, it is vitally important to have ethics be easily visible among leaders within the company. This needs to be the case day-to-day, but a true test will be a big decision where the choice will be between an ethically responsible choice (that has less profit attached) and a less-ethically responsible choice (that has more profit attached). The company may not always have to choose the less-profitable option, but the less frequently that it does, the more likely people are going to wonder how ethically-driven the company is.

Another characteristic of a company that prioritizes ethics in its business practices is having a core value statement, separate from a mission statement, that discusses ethical goals of the company. This is no substitute for having the leaders of your company demonstrate ethical behavior, but it is still a key thing all employees, leaders or otherwise, can point to when asked about the company’s stance on ethics. Similarly, companies seeking to be known as ethical leaders would do well to not behave in a way that frequently contradicts their core value statement or it may have the opposite of the intended effect.

Lastly, a company can communicate a commitment to ethical business practices by focusing on people and business relationships over exclusively focusing on the bottom line. That is not to say the bottom line doesn’t matter, but again, it demonstrates that other organizations can expect a higher level of loyalty and honesty in their business dealings with your company than the average company.

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The Unseen Process of Recruiting – What you need to know about Vendor Management Systems (VMS) NOW!!

ACG Resources — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 17:00:49 +0000

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Navigating the New Normal in the International Workplace – Interview with FMA England

ACG Resources — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 17:00:34 +0000

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When Your Workforce Is No Longer Local, Which Employment Laws Apply?

ACG Resources — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 12:00:00 +0000

Employees have traditionally worked from their employers’ offices or facilities. As a result, businesses only needed to concern themselves with the employment laws of the states (counties or cities) where they had physical locations.

Although the practice of telecommuting has been becoming more prevalent in recent years, the pandemic has created a larger remote workforce than ever before. With remote employees working from various states and cities, employers must now comply with the sometimes completely unfamiliar employment laws of the locality where the employee actually works. These laws are often quite different from those that apply to the employees when they were working at their employers’ office/facility. Employers need to consider how they may need to modify their policies and practice for telecommuters: below we discuss examples of where companies may have obligations to remote workers.

Leaves of Absence

Leave laws typically apply based on where an employee physically works. As a result, an employer may have to address different leave policies for employees who work remotely in other states and cities.

For example, what if a Florida employer has an employee working remotely in Seattle? While Florida does not impose an obligation to provide paid sick time, Seattle does. Seattle’s Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) Ordinance requires all employers, regardless of location or number of employees, with employees performing work in Seattle to provide their employees with PSST. This results in a Florida employer having to provide Seattle PSST.

Similarly, many other locations, such as New York, New Jersey, and California, permit remote workers to accrue rights to paid sick leave, family and medical leave, etc., even though the company’s office(s) may be located in a state that does not mandate an employer to provide such leave. Many of these leave laws do not require a waiting period for the employee to be eligible for the leave, nor require a minimum number of employees in the jurisdiction for the law to apply to the employer.

Wage-and-Hour Law Implications

The virtual workplace poses compliance challenges far beyond tracking the work hours of remote employees. Many states have specific legal requirements relating to items such as employee expense reimbursement, meal and break time, wage notices, wage deductions/withholdings, pay frequency, daily overtime, etc. Failure to take notice of these requirements can lead to substantial liability for a business.

In certain states, employers may have to cover some or all of employees’ telecommuting expenses. For example, Illinois, California, Washington D.C., and Alaska all have laws that may require employers to pay for the costs an employee incurs in telecommuting.

Even in states or cities that do not have laws directly mandating expense reimbursement, there may be state wage-and-hour laws that could be implicated. For example, non-reimbursement of telecommuting costs, under certain circumstances, may cause an employee’s hourly pay to drop below the required minimum wage, or may constitute an indirect deduction of wages, in violation of a state’s minimum wage or deduction laws.

Required Notices/Postings

Perhaps now more than ever, employers have found the freedom to hire talent regardless of location. Notably, all 50 states (and many localities) require that certain documents be given to new hires. These documents often include various wage, leave/benefits notification or documents related to anti-harassment or discrimination laws. Some states, such as New York, New Jersey and California, have more robust requirements, and depending on the state, these notification obligations can come with substantial penalties for non-compliance. Companies who hire remote employees should be mindful of the relevant state’s new hire requirements.

Many states or localities also require certain postings in the workplace (e.g., postings related to wage and hour laws, anti-discrimination provisions, and laws prohibiting sexual harassment). In many cases, providing these “posters” via email or on an electronic portal can suffice. It is important to ensure that any applicable requirements are met for remote workers.

Steps Employers Should Take

In addition to the legal issues discussed above, employers should be mindful of other issues like privacy and data security, payroll tax, workers’ compensation and unemployment compensation benefits, predictive scheduling, etc.

Employers should audit the location of their remote employees, assess how long the current telecommuting arrangements may remain in place, and what steps may need to be taken. Companies who envision a long-term remote work force may consider modifying their practices and policies to comply with state and local requirements. This can be achieved by creating state-specific employee handbook addendums, or stand-alone state policies. Internal human resources staff should be trained to identify that the company’s obligations (e.g., leave, pay, etc.) to remote workers may be different and coordinate closely with employment counsel to ensure compliance.

Even if your business intends to have only a temporary teleworking arrangement, we recommend having a written telecommuting policy to address some of the issues we discussed above to mitigate potential legal risks.

Credit: Greenwald Firm

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The Unseen Process of Recruiting, Part 2 of 2 – Agency vs Corporate Recruiting

ACG Resources — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 17:00:38 +0000

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Should you extend a Counter Offer to an Employee who resigns?

ACG Resources — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 17:00:27 +0000

By Len Adams, CPC

CEO, Adams Consulting Group, LLC

Most employers are increasingly concerned about the retention of key and non-key employees. When an employee leaves, it can be expensive to replace them, not to mention the loss of productivity and knowledge.

A recent study has shown that many currently employed workers are unhappy in their current position. Some of the primary reasons for this unhappiness are the general feeling of being unappreciated and the thought that the grass is greener elsewhere.

Given this situation, some sectors may experience a talent war. As this occurs, it becomes quite common for employers to offer counter offers as a measure to stop top performers from leaving.

Offering or accepting a counteroffer rarely ends well, either for the employer or the employee. In over 40 years of practicing in the Search and recruitment industry, I cannot point to one instance where the acceptance of a counteroffer was advantageous to either side (Employer or employee).

Let’s dissect how the counter offers work and what the result is for the offering organization.

First, when an employee tenders their resignation, they are generally doing so because they accept a new position, which may provide them with an improvement over their current situation. This improvement may be in the form of higher salary, title, location, working conditions, responsibilities, or all of the above. In general, when an employee is entertaining a new offer, they do so because they have become disenchanted with their current employment for one reason or another. As a recruiter, I will not be so bold as to believe for one moment that my skills or the skills of my team (Or industry as a whole for that matter) are so good that I (we) can convince someone to entertain a new position if they are 100% happy where they are working. As much as I would love to believe that I have that power, I can say that in all cases (even when recruiting a passive candidate), there is always something that the employee would like to improve. As recruiters, we probe to find out what that “hot button is” We do not create the dissatisfaction, we only identify it. If the employee is delighted with their current employment, they would not consider exploring a new opportunity.

With this being the case, when the employee reaches the point of tendering their resignation, their employer is generally shocked, amazed, and possibly even angry.

As an employer myself, when an employee resigns, several thoughts immediately come to mind: 1. Why is he/she leaving?

What intellectual property is now going to walk out the door?
How will this resignation impact my organization and workflow?

In almost all cases, the timing of a departure is often not advantageous to the employer. Thus, the gut reaction (except in cases where the employee is one that the employer is happy to see go anyway) is to keep the employee. While this may seem to be the best idea for an organization, it may not always be the case.

First of all, if the employee is unhappy enough to entertain a new offer and take it to the level of acceptance, there is generally an underlying problem. Even if that underlying problem is solved, both the employee and employer will never forget that resignation was tendered and took getting to that point to resolve the issue.

If the issue is only a salary issue, and the employer offers to match the salary or improve upon the offer to keep the employee, imagine the havoc this can cause to budgets if all the other employees get wind of the situation. (Never mind telling the employee not to tell anyone, the company grapevine is always incredibly fast)

If it becomes known that as an organization, you are easily held up for increases in comp or other benefits, you will have a resignation every week. Unless you are prepared for that eventuality, I strongly suggest against it as this will create untold difficulties for your company.

The bottom line is as an organization, foster an environment of OPEN communication. Identify potential issues with your employees BEFORE they become unhappy and vulnerable to another offer. This is not to say that employees will never leave. However, if you want to keep turnover low, COMMUNICATE. However, do not allow your organization to be held up (employees do bluff sometimes as well!). As I have advocated, even with my career, when a decision is made to walk through a door, be sure to keep walking. Remember that just about everyone is replaceable, even if we do not believe it at the moment of resignation. There are very few employees whose skill set cannot be duplicated.

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Counteroffer Acceptance: Road to Career Ruin

ACG Resources — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 17:00:09 +0000

By Paul Hawkinson

A raise won’t permanently cushion thorns in the nest. Mathew Henry, the 17th-century writer said, “Many a dangerous temptation comes to us in fine gay colours that are but skin deep.” The same can be said for counteroffers, those magnetic enticements designed to lure you back into the nest after you’ve decided it’s time to fly away.

The litany of horror stories I have come across in my years as an executive recruiter, consultant and publisher, provides a litmus test that clearly indicates counteroffers should never be accepted … EVER!

I define a counteroffer simply as an inducement from your current employer to get you to stay after you’ve announced your intention to take another job. We’re not talking about those instances when you receive an offer but don’t tell your boss. Nor are we discussing offers that you never intended to take, yet tell your employer about anyway as a “they-want-me-but-I’m-staying-with-you” ploy.

These are merely astute positioning tactics you may choose to use to reinforce your worth by letting your boss know you have other options. Mention of a true counteroffer, however, carries an actual threat to quit.

Interviews with employers who make counteroffers—and employees who accept them—have shown that as tempting as they may be, acceptance may cause career suicide. During the past 20 years, I have seen only isolated incidents in which an accepted counteroffer has benefited the employee. Consider the problem in its proper perspective.

What really goes through a boss’s mind when someone quits?

“This couldn’t be happening at a worse time.”
“This is one of my best people. If I let him quit now, it’ll wreak havoc on the morale of the department.”
“I’ve already got one opening in my department, I don’t need another right now.” • “This will probably screw up the entire vacation schedule.”
“I’m working as hard as I can, and I don’t need to do his work, too.”
“My review is coming up and this will make me look bad.”
“Maybe I can keep him on until I find a suitable replacement.”

What will the boss say to keep you in the nest? Some of these comments are common.

“I’m really shocked. I thought you were as happy with us as we are with you. Let’s discuss it before you make your final decision.”
“Aw, gee, I’ve been meaning to tell you about the great plans we have for you, but it’s been confidential until now.”
“The VP has you in mind for some exciting and expanding responsibilities.” • “Your raise was schedule to go into effect next quarter, but we’ll make it effective immediately.” • “You’re going to work for who?”

Let’s face it. When someone quits, it’s a direct reflection on the boss. Unless you’re really incompetent or a destructive thorn in his side, the boss might look bad by “allowing” you to go. His gut reaction is to do what has to be done to keep you from leaving until he’s ready. That’s human nature.

Unfortunately, it’s also human nature to want to stay unless your work life is abject misery. Career changes, like all ventures into the unknown, are tough. That’s why bosses know they can usually keep you around by pressing the right buttons.

Before you succumb to a tempting counteroffer, consider these universal truths:

Any situation in which an employee is forced to get an outside offer before the present employer will suggest a raise, promotion or better working conditions, is suspect.

No matter what the company says when making its counteroffer, you will always be considered a fidelity risk. Having once demonstrated your lack of loyalty (for whatever reason), you will lose your status as a “team player” and your place in the inner circle.

Counteroffers are usually nothing more than stall devices to give your employer time to replace you.

Your reasons for wanting to leave still exist. Conditions are just made a bit more tolerable in the short term because of the raise, promotion or promises made to keep you.

Counteroffers are only made in response to a threat to quit. Will you have to solicit an offer and threaten to quit every time you deserve better working conditions?

Decent and well-managed companies don’t make counteroffers? EVER! Their policies are fair and equitable. They will not be subjected to “counteroffer coercion” or what they perceive as blackmail.

If the urge to accept a counteroffer hits you, keep on cleaning out your desk as you count your blessings.

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The Unseen Process of Recruiting, Part 1 of 2 – Agency vs. Corporate Recruiting

ACG Resources — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 17:00:23 +0000

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Navigating the New Normal in the International Workplace – Interview with Expertalis

ACG Resources — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 17:00:35 +0000

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The Unseen Process of Recruiting – Find Out What Happens After You Click Submit – Part 2

ACG Resources — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 17:00:01 +0000

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Navigating the New Normal in the International Workplace – Kevin Naylor

ACG Resources — Sun, 08 Nov 2020 17:00:53 +0000

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The Unseen Process of Recruiting – Find Out What Happens After You Click Submit

ACG Resources — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 17:00:46 +0000

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Interview Tips to Help You

ACG Resources — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 17:00:51 +0000

During my 40 years in the recruiting and search business, I have been constantly amazed at how normally intelligent, well-spoken professionals in a particular field are oftentimes reduced to blank stares when it comes to answering questions on an interview. Similar to what many of us have experienced when taking an exam that we have thoroughly prepared for, we often freeze when we are taking the actual exam.

Unfortunately, I have seen many instances where candidates are hired, or not hired because of their interview skills. This actually works both ways…In some cases, a candidate may be an excellent interviewee, and turn out to be a poor choice of employee. Conversely, an excellent candidate may have trouble articulating an interview, thus causing them to be rejected.

In this article, I will point out several interview questions that candidates tend to trip over, as well as other interview issues that oftentimes cause qualified candidates to lose opportunities.

One of the classic interview questions which I have seen candidates stammer over is “Tell me about yourself?”

Where most people fail with a question such as this is in not really knowing what the interviewer is looking for. I have seen candidates respond by beginning with a verbal autobiography of their life story, beginning with where they were born, how many siblings they have, etc. What I always recommend as an appropriate strategy, is to turn the question back to the interview by asking “ Where would you like me to begin?” This will accomplish two things; First, it allows you time to think about how to respond; Secondarily, depending on the interviewers response, you can determine what he or she is interested in (Do they really want to know about your education, where you lived etc, or about your specific work experience, or your philosophy on life?) In many cases, the very asking of the question “where do you want me to begin?” gives the interviewer some insight as to your thought process (doesn’t shoot from the hip, seeks additional information before reacting, etc)

Another question that causes angst amongst many candidates is “why did you leave your last job? “ or “why do you want to leave your current position?”

The worst response to this question is to begin a tirade of all that is wrong with your company policies, supervisor’s management skills and all the dirty laundry that exists. This question oftentimes causes people to believe that they can unload all of their work frustration. In my mind, this is the equivalent of discussing all of your problems with your last spouse or significant other while on a first date with someone new! This generally doesn’t endear you to them.

An appropriate response to this question is generally dependent on what the circumstances are. What are your real reasons for interviewing for a new position? Are you blocked for a promotion or have you been passed over? Is it a money issue? I am a big fan of the truth but presented in a way that is more positive in nature. So instead of “I haven’t gotten a raise in two years because my company is in trouble”, why not say something like “ I believe that I have contributed as much as possible to my current organization, and feel that there are situations in the marketplace that may offer more opportunities for growth”. One of the best ways to respond to this question is to know as much as possible about the prospective employer, what the job requirements are and how they fit with your needs. As an example, if your research shows you that the prospective employer has an aggressive policy with regard to their AML programs, and, this is in line with your career goals, an appropriate response may be “ It si not that I am unhappy where I am, however, I understand that your organization is taking a very aggressive stance with regard to AML, this is the type of organization that I believe I can provide a great deal of value to because….”

“What is your greatest weakness?” or “What is the worst thing your former employer would say about you?” This is another one of those questions that causes candidates a great deal of concern. I have seen candidates’ answers run the gamut from “ I am not good with numbers” (this from a candidate for an accounting position!) to “ I have difficulty dealing with deadlines”. This is one of those questions where one must again THINK before answering. In general terms, it is not necessary to bare one’s soul with regard to an answer. Instead, position a positive attribute that could be perceived as a weakness (i.e. “I have been told that I am never satisfied with mediocrity in the output of my staff or myself” or “ I have a tendency to be the first one in and the last one out” Be prepared, however for follow up questions, such as “Does this mean that you cannot get your work done on time? Or, “Do you focus on the small picture versus the big picture?”

These are just some of the many questions that tend to trip people up. In general terms, the best advice I would give a job seeker when it comes to interviewing is the following:

Think like the interviewer. Put yourself in their shoes and THINK before you answer a question. Every interviewer asks questions not only for the answer, but evaluate how a candidate thinks and answers the question. Sometimes how you answer is as important as the answer itself.

Research the prospective employer. Find it about their culture, where they are headed, what their corporate values are, etc. Sometimes, the interview may be great; however, the company may not fit your needs or you theirs.

Prepare for the interview by learning as much about the company as possible. Visit the website prior to the interview.

Confirm the dress policy of the company. If you absolutely need to be in dressed casually so as not to arouse suspicion of your current employer, advise the interviewer beforehand to determine acceptability.

The purpose of an interview is to learn as much about the specific opening and present oneself in as positive an approach as possible.

The first and second interviews are not the time to negotiate compensation, benefits, etc. If the issue of salary requirement is brought up, DO NOT MAKE SALARY AN ISSUE AT THIS POINT. Indicate that while salary is important, it is one of several factors that should be considered by both sides. Impress upon interviewer your willingness to discuss a reasonable offer at a point further into the process. Please note that in most states, It is ILLEGAL for a prospective employer to inquire about current or previous salary history

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What are the Benefits of Sales Training?

ACG Resources — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 12:00:25 +0000

Selling is generally regarded as one of the most persuasive forms of promotion a company deploys. Persuading prospective clients to make purchases is the ultimate goal of a sales employee, department, or maybe even the whole company if it specializes in sales. While the ultimate goals of other departments may vary, some business analysts say that almost all of their missions ultimately feed into sales department. That is because few companies that can’t get their sales off the ground last very long; sales are the lifeblood of businesses. Sales is typically also a high-pressure part of any company, so providing an adequate amount of resources to sales representatives can be make or break. Read on for some known and maybe lesser-known benefits of sales training.

The first benefit is the increased likelihood of more closed deals. Instead of wasting time and energy on inefficient or ineffective processes, sales representatives can close more deals with the processes picked up from a good sales training course. Sales is much less about re-inventing the wheel than it is about using the most efficient and effective methods for any given industry. This is typically more of a sticking point for new sales representatives than experienced ones, but even the latter can experience tunnel vision or burnout; and can use a good sales training course.

The next benefit is higher employee retention. Across industries, the turnover in sales departments is higher than most other departments because of the high-pressure nature of the art of sales. That pressure can be alleviated when sales representatives know that the company is there for them and investing in them. Sales training not only gives representatives the skills to be better at sales, but it also fosters a supportive environment where they will have confidence to succeed and grow with the company.

A huge part of sales is addressing customer needs. The best sales representatives have the vision to see what the customers’ needs are, whether or not the customer knows what they are or not; sometimes they think they do but for whatever reason it turns out they don’t). Sales training help representatives improve in this aspect of sales to where they are not only closing more deals, but customers are more satisfied than ever!

Lastly, planning ahead is as important when it comes to sales as it is in any other part of a business. Sales training allows sales representatives and their supervisors predict both long-term and short-term sales results; this translates into better business decisions and more realistic goals.

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Navigating the New Normal in the International Workplace

ACG Resources — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 16:00:00 +0000

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Tips For Better Crisis Communication

ACG Resources — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 12:00:19 +0000

Companies can never be too prepared for crisis management; by the time a crisis hits it is too late to begin preparing! Communication is one of the most important dimensions of crisis management because of the natural human tendency to turn to fear and panic when a crisis hits. Communication gets the necessary information out to the people who need it so they can take action and resolve the crisis as fast as possible. Unsuccessful or poor communication during a crisis can prolong the crisis or increase the negative effects of the crisis, which will most likely not go unnoticed by stakeholders and has the potential to permanently tarnish a company’s reputation. See below for important tips on better crisis communication.

First is to keep in mind a framework for crisis communication. A common one suggested by experts has 3 dimensions: 1) disseminate accurate information as quickly as possible, 2) respond to incorrect information that may be circulating as quickly as possible, 3) activate appropriate communication channels to keep the necessary stakeholders informed on an ongoing basis. Doing that is easier said than done, however, but that is where the other tips come in.

Next, it’s vital that initial information be kept simple, so the message for both the public and media is as clear as possible. This will help in getting it out faster and also help in minimizing confusion, which can lead to incorrect information circulating (which means less time a company has to spend fixing that incorrect information). Speaking of getting the information out faster, beyond making sure the information is factual, do not waste time in getting it out. The more time spent getting initial information out to stakeholders, the more potential for damage from the crisis to impact your company.

Having a designated primary spokesperson aids in all 3 dimensions of the crisis communication framework. All press releases and statements go through that one channel: meaning increased speed (no figuring out who should be putting out the info or getting approvals), less incorrect information because stakeholders know where to check if they experience conflicting information, and minimal time to get the communication channels activated because they are already familiar with them.

To bring this full circle, by the time a crisis hits it is too late to start trying to remember the tips noted throughout this article. Have a crisis management plan put together as soon as possible if your company does not already have one. And if it already has one, make sure it stays updated and tested to some extent so that it can shine through the darkness that crises bring.

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What Does This Recruiter Know?

ACG Resources — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 16:00:02 +0000

Something About Applying for Jobs

Written with Love and Commitment by Greg Eidlen, Partner of ACG Resources

We are in a world where technology and information are at our fingertips. A world where instant results and instant gratification apply to everything we do. Except when it comes to the job application process. A quick search into Google of “How long does the average job search process take?” and the result is “about nine weeks.” You must be saying the same thing as me if you were ever a job seeker, especially in the past couple of years.

Even at nine weeks, is the job search process keeping up with the times? With the number of recruiters and technology out there, you would think it can be a week-long process. Let us all take the blame for the extended process.

Quick Apply- The Disclaimer

Ziprecruiter, Linkedin, Indeed, and any other job board have this button created to make the application process easy. The “quick apply” or “apply now” button, which is comparable to the Staples “EASY BUTTON”. You press it, and in an instant, all of your information is sent over as an application, and the process takes the job seeker all of 30 seconds. Seems great and beneficial to the job seeker since there are no long forms to fill out and the idea that the hiring manager received your information in less than a minute. Let’s face it, with good comes bad, with easy comes difficult. It is the balance of the universe.

You did your job as a responsible job seeker and read the job description diligently, looking at the required experience and making the mental matches in your head. The role may be the only role you found suitable and applied for. However, what you don’t realize is the overuse of those “EASY BUTTON” experiences throughout the day. The number of unqualified candidates that fail to look at the job description and use the shotgun method of clicking every “apply now” button and having their application sent out to over 100 jobs. The hiring manager is now receiving multiple resumes, sometimes making the qualified candidate get lost in the shuffle. This adds time to the hiring process since there is an abundance of resumes to filter. Do not mass apply to jobs but take the time to read the job description and ensure you have the skills to help the community of job seekers and employers.

The Safeguards

Once we make it through the apply button’s gates, we now face the filtering and screening process on the other side. Did you happen to miss the qualifying questions or answer one incorrectly? If so, chances are your application just got tagged as “hidden.” Did you upload your resume and ensure the document was your resume? I can tell you I have had prospective applicants inadvertently upload drivers licenses, family photos, essays, and everything else in between due to a misclick. If you mass applied, multiple employers just received your picture of Toto, the dog. Your application is now bumped aside. Sometimes there is a ranking technology on the other end, which is some “all-knowing” piece of technology that can automatically decide if the resume is a match or someone hired by the company to just filter resumes based on keywords. Used an acronym for a skill and didn’t spell it out? You may not have made the cut due to computer or human error. Have MS Office but didn’t list it? You may be on the bottom or off the list. This just extended the process even more.

Finally, You Made the Cut

You did everything correctly, and someone saw your resume and decided you are a fit. They go to call you or email you. The digit on the phone number is off by one, or the email is missing a letter. Let’s face it, we make mistakes, and you now became unreachable. Maybe your information was accurate, but you haven’t checked your spam folder. You decided you don’t accept blocked numbers, out of state area codes, or unknown numbers. These are all things that when you are job searching, you have to be considerate of. The hiring manager, on the other end, may now be taking extra time to try to reach the unreachable candidate. Maybe the person in que right before you applied and was a match but decided to ghost the job hunt. Well, you can thank that person for their lack of communication, causing extra time to be focused on them and not you. Again, it is a community process, so please be considerate of all involved.

The Community

Communicate throughout the process with the hiring manager if you are selected. Other people are counting on this job you applied for. It is not as simple as just applying, but rather a web of effects on multiple people involved. The root word of community and communication is “communis” which means common, communiality, or sharing. The job seeker community should help each other, not hurt each other unintentionally.

Hopefully, you gained some insight to think before you click and if you are not guilty of being that person, hopefully, you realize why it can be an extended process. When we take the time to do things right, it helps everyone around us.

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What Does This Recruiter Know? Maybe Something, Maybe Nothing

ACG Resources — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 16:00:36 +0000

Written with Love and Commitment by Greg Eidlen, Partner of ACG Resources

Finding a job can be one of the most stressful, time-consuming, and life-changing events. With 168 hours in a week, if we sleep 7 hours a night, that leaves 119 awake hours. Humans are spending at least 40 hours or 33.6% of their awake time working. To commit to spending roughly 33.6% of our time and life is not a lighthearted decision. If only there was someone who can help…

I get it, 3 sentences in and already you may be thinking “another article by another recruiter offering help and advice and glorifying their services”. I challenge you to continue reading and at the very least if the content doesn’t help you, it will make you laugh or see us in a different light. I can’t speak for the practices of any other firm than my own.

America’s New Pastime

A favorite new trending pastime seems to be bashing recruiters on LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and other outlets. As a recruiter, when I read some of these things, I find myself saying “batter up” because I would feel the same way in some of these situations. Everyone should share their experiences, both good and bad and there is nothing wrong with sharing it. With that being said, there are good and bad in every industry and profession, the recruiting industry being no exception

We are human. Many recruiters fall into the industry almost by accident and not by choice. I may be the exception along with my brother and sister because we were born into our chosen profession which is now our family business. A true professional will continuously grow, adapt, and evolve to be good at what they do by learning from their errors. Mistakes happen and if they’re unintentional they should be forgiven. I leave cabinets open, I forget to lock my car, and things slip my mind. When it comes to recruiting, I am a human. I try my hardest to have ethics, avoid careless errors, and treat candidates as I would want to be treated.

Communication and feedback are key, both ways. Every candidate deserves feedback as does every recruiter. I understand that not every experience can be a pleasant one in a high-stress situation such as seeking a job. Every encounter will not be perfect and the best thing you can do is tell us if it was less than perfect. A reputable recruiting firm will collect feedback from candidates on a daily basis to train staff and evolve. I know applying for jobs can be like emailing your resume to multiple addresses and wondering if it was viewed by a real person, made it to the spam folder, or got rejected by some artificial intelligence program. Most professional recruiters will empathize and try to respond to every application by implementing technology and creating accountability in the application process. Firms that have systems and processes in place to let candidates know they are not suitable to demonstrate their commitment to the true intent of the industry. Things can fall between the cracks, but a good firm looks to fill the cracks. When a professional recruiter reaches out or engages a candidate, that candidate should not “ghost” them in the middle of the process but tell them they are withdrawing. Ghosting can be saved for the dating apps, not the job-hunting process. Communication is a two-way street.

The famous line “Trust me”. Trust issues exist, especially if you watched a few episodes of Lost or saw The Sixth Sense. Being asked “how much are you looking for on a base salary?” can be the hardest and most invasive question ever. A true professional asks this question to determine if the candidate’s expectations are within feet or miles of the market. There are generally three numbers that exist in the job search/recruitment process…, the candidate’s desired number, the client’s desired number, and the number dictated by the market. This question is the engagement ring and you saying “I do” creating the commitment and trust to work together. A recruiter’s goal should not to be the low ball you or hurt you in your pocket, but rather help you. If a candidate does not get the role, a recruiter does not get paid in most instances. The common goal is to get you the job, get you the best offer, and ensure you are the best candidate for that role. If there is mutual trust in the process, it can be one of the easiest and most rewarding job-seeking experiences. If there is no mutual trust, then the experience can be miserable. Good recruiters are in it for the long term success of you and their clients. There is a reason recruiters advise against counteroffers, not to close the deal but to avoid a target on your back and remind you that your reasons for leaving didn’t go away.

A world of information and misinformation. Trust me (see above) We all want to make the most we can in our next role. A few Google searches of how much I should be making and some phone calls to friends and relatives and I learned I am underpaid by an astronomical amount. A recruiter can maximize your offer and not minimize your chances. There is nothing wrong with being educated, doing your research, and getting a rough idea of where your compensation should be. Just always remember these are estimates and ranges that can be affected by many variables. Professional recruiters know the appropriate market range based on candidates they have already spoken to, similar roles, and client expectations. Don’t’ overprice yourself or even worse, underselling yourself. If you feel that providing a salary expectation figure to the prospective client will result in a low ball offer, then perhaps that is not the right employer for you.

Last and foremost. It’s not you, it’s me. Select a quality recruiter and do your research. Seek firms that encourage feedback and make it public. I wish I had a job for every candidate that came to me. We try our hardest to skill market, offer free advice, and offer an ear to listen. If a firm is doing that, then they most likely will be a quality firm. Look at the firm’s staff and see if they have consistency in it. Go with your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, it may not be. It is all based on a relationship and both parties have to enter willingly.

Hopefully you laughed and realize we understand recruiters can be the best resource or the worst disaster. When used as directed with a healthy regimen of utilizing all available job seeker resources, you can have great results. Side effects may include anger, happiness, sadness, and SUCCESS.

Don’t let us tell you how we are different. See it for yourself and hear what our candidates and clients have to say about our team.

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How To Choose The Best Supply Chain Management Software

ACG Resources — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 12:00:25 +0000

Supply chains are one of those things that years ago people thought “that’s only something really big companies have to deal with.” That is not the case any and having a well-managed supply chain is all the more critical for medium or small companies that do not have a large margin for error before facing financial ruin. Choosing great supply chain management software is a key component of a well-managed supply chain because of how automated and integrated things have become in the modern era. There are many to choose from and it can be a challenge, but after reading this article we hope you will have the knowledge to findone that will help your company the most.

A good starting point for determining what software is best for you is the Supply Chain Operations Reference Model (SCOR), which provides a comprehensive overview of the processes, performance metrics, practices, and other functionality needed for your operations. Industry experts say that after companies determine their SCOR, most of them are pointed toward a cloud-based solution as the best option. Cloud solutions are easy to scale and easy to maintain, plus they can be replicated to multiple sites to provide resilience. They also mean basically avoiding the big capital expenses involved in purchasing servers and upgrading hardware for a solution that is not cloud-based.

One of the most important functions of supply chain management software is to help with compliance issues, such as export controls and restricted party screening. There are several points in a supply chain where you need to ensure that your company is playing by the rules. Choosing a software that has checks built into the software to do this automatically means that it will not get forgotten and reduces the risk of human error. While we’re talking about functionality, other key functions to seek out are advanced inventory management, demand planning techniques, and delivery metrics. The larger a role a supply chain plays in your company, the more likely your customers are going to be interested in your metrics so they can know they have a good business relationship with you.

Picking the right software also means it will be able to scale up or down depending on the size of your company. Experts warn companies not to get too bogged down with technology bells and whistles that make it more difficult to manage your supply chain. If you don’t have straightforward, replicable processes in place, then the complexity that comes from adding in software with too many advanced features will actually make the situation chaotic and worse.

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The Importance Of Staying Focused At The Office

ACG Resources — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 12:00:13 +0000

By this point in human history the science is undeniable: multitasking is not your friend. Employees should do it to whatever degree they are required but beyond that they should not seek out multitasking because the facts show it kills productivity. The average desk job employee loses 2.1 hours a day to distractions and interruptions; that adds up to over a full day of work every week. Being distracted by incoming calls or emails can lower employees’ IQ by as much 10 points. The number one skill that set most productive employees apart from the rest of the world’s highly distractible employees (who think they’re multitasking) is the ability to ruthlessly focus on one task at a time. This article will explain why and how to help you be one of those productive people.

First, focusing on one task requires planning, believe it or not. Starting your day without a plan is just asking for distraction and inefficiency. When you sit down in the morning to plan out your to-do list it forces you to prioritize and consider what tasks will have the highest impact on your work. This prevents you from getting lost in the never-ending weeds of seemingly urgent, yet unimportant work. Employees who do this are the ones who move the needle on important projects and catch the attention of superiors as big contributors.

Next, intentionally focusing on one task at a time has been proven the most efficient way to move through the work day. It lowers feelings of stress, frustration, and perceived effort. Working through your to-do list one task at a time is an effective way to become a happier, more productive employee. People who are less emotionally or physically drained are able to accomplish more than those who are, on average. There are rare situations where people genuinely thrive under pressure. In most cases, trying to focus on too many things at once leads to people feeling overwhelmed, which is not where most people want to be.

Along the road to increasing productivity by focusing on one task a time there are bound to be mistakes. One key of the most productive people is being able to bounce back from failures. They do this by first recognizing that they have gotten off-track, quickly determining how to get back on-track, and then setting up whatever safeguards they can in the future to prevent that specific thing from causing problems again in the future. Emails are pointed out as the biggest offender when it comes to distractions, so putting safeguards in place to help with that is probably a good idea on the road to being the most productive you can be.

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How To Build A Positive Corporate Culture

ACG Resources — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 16:00:50 +0000

Annual reports show that year after year the amount of hours worked per week by the average American keep steadily dropping, but sometimes it doesn’t feel like that huh? With all of the time people spend at their jobs, it is important to have a healthy, positive corporate culture for a business to thrive. Without it, the amount of hurdles a company faces is near limitless. Who wants to go into work all of those many hours, week in and week out, to a place where the culture is negative, backstabbing, secretive, unwelcoming, or more? Positive corporate culture is one of those phrases that gets thrown around a lot nowadays, but this article is going to give tips on how to build and nurture one because it truly does matter that much.

Companies that cultivate gratitude among their employees are well on the road to building a positive corporate culture because of the many ancillary benefits that come with gratitude. Gracious people are more likely to work better in teams and develop trusting working relationships with their colleagues. Giving people a vehicle to express appreciation for one another in a public forum raises the morale of the entire group, establishes a positive tone for the week, and helps people feel acknowledged and valued. These things increase gratitude as well.

Creating a safe working environment is another thing that has a big impact on a positive corporate culture. And when we say safe, we’re not talking about physically safe (though that’s obviously important too), we’re talking about one where respect, trust, and honesty rule the day. There is nothing more toxic than a workplace where all of those things are absent. When that happens, employees don’t care about each other, don’t attempt to take the slightest amount of risk for the benefit of a project or initiative, and don’t work well together because everyone is worried about getting stabbed in the back. The best companies strive to have a safe working environment where success can thrive.

Lastly, personal responsibility is one of those traits that should be sought out intensely in every single interview to prevent a lack of it within an organization. When each employee does their part and doesn’t lean on other employees unless it’s an emergency, there is a real sense of cooperation and productivity. No one likes being taken advantage of, feeling like they’re working with lazy people, or not having their time respected. All of these things can be results of a lack of personal responsibility. When everyone demonstrates personal responsibility daily, efficiency, effectiveness, and positive corporate culture go through the roof!

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Navigating the New Normal: Ageism In the Workplace

ACG Resources — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 16:00:40 +0000

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A Guide To Making Better Management Decisions

ACG Resources — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 16:00:41 +0000

One of the potentially frightening things about being a manager is the need to make decisions; many, many decisions. This is typically more of a problem for new managers than it is for experienced managers, but it would not hurt either type of manager to brush up on how to make better management decisions. The rest of this article will mainly focus on “bigger” management decisions, or those that happen less frequently and are more likely to have a bigger impact on the company. Smaller management decisions are important too but are less likely to get noticed, even if they are regularly made correctly, than the bigger ones. But managers should of course aim to make good management decisions big or small, for their sake and for the company’s sake.

Managers have the important task of making the best decisions possible in the shortest amount of time using the most information available. Some decisions can be handled by front-line employees, but frequently there are thresholds where management approval is needed to ensure the best decision possible is made. Even still, managers are typically graded on the decision making of their subordinates anyway. Managers should focus on making sure they have as much information available as possible because 1) it means they will be more likely to make the best decision, and 2) it is a variable that managers typically have more control over compared to others such as time or financial resources.

Next, managers benefit greatly in making decision by getting better and better at crafting alternatives with the information available to them (the more of which the better, of course). Managers who think that having to pick between multiple alternatives will slow them down or lead to analysis paralysis would do well to get over that in a hurry because executives have short patience for managers they constantly see boxing themselves in a corner with the excuse “well, the bad decision I made was the only one available; there were no alternatives.” Sometimes it is true that it comes down to choosing a least-bad course of action, but again having more alternatives available increases the likelihood of making a better decision in an ugly situation.

The topic of decision making is difficult to even discuss of course because how can you know you’ve made a good management decision versus a bad one? Or more importantly, how can the company? This is where it is important to outline what a successful management decision looks like, providing as many metrics as necessary, to avoid confusion and give other stakeholders at the company confidence that your decision was the best one.

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Navigating the New Normal In The Workplace

ACG Resources — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 16:00:01 +0000

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3 Tips To Make Better Powerpoint Presentations

ACG Resources — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 16:00:48 +0000

Not many people in today’s modern workplace remember the world before a little company called Microsoft was founded. Likewise, the trusty PowerPoint software from Microsoft Office has been used to communicate a near endless stream of ideas over time, across the world. By this point though, people have become so numb to PowerPoint presentations because they have had to endure so many bad ones. Who among us has not experienced (typically against our will) a horrible PowerPoint presentation that made us want the computer or projector to stop working? You don’t want to be that person, do you? Read on then to learn some tips to put some zing into your next PowerPoint presentation, for your sake and for the sake of your audience.

Planning is very important, in war and in PowerPoint presentations (and PowerPoint presentations about war). Don’t create the PowerPoint presentation before writing up the script of what you are going to say. Since the point of your slides is to illustrate and expand what you are going to say to your audience, you should know what you intend to say and then figure out how to visualize it. Unless you are an expert at improvising (and most people are not), make sure you write out the script before generating the visual/audio portions of your presentation. As a bonus, having a script that builds toward something, a climax, is more appreciated by your audience than you can imagine.

At any given moment, what should be on the screen is the thing you’re talking about. Audiences almost instantly read every slide as soon as it’s displayed so if you have the next four points you plan to make up there, they’ll be three steps ahead of you, waiting for you to catch up rather than listening with interest to the point you’re making. Plan your presentation (specifically the transitions between and among slides) so just one new point is displayed at any given moment. Bullet points can be revealed one at a time as you reach them. Charts can be put on the next slide to be referenced when you get to the data the chart displays. Your job as presenter is to control the flow of information so that you and your audience stay in sync.

Some veterans at giving PowerPoint presentations say that images add visual interest and keep audiences engaged, but others say images are unnecessary distractions. This article’s suggestion is to split the difference and use images only when they add important information or make an abstract point more concrete. Otherwise, just get the information out there so your audiences can absorb it, then the PowerPoint presentation can be concluded (and not dragged on).

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Keys To Reducing Turnover In Most Industries

ACG Resources — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 16:00:04 +0000

Companies of all size are always looking for ways to reduce employee turnover. When an employee leaves, it not only typically means that resources will need to be diverted to fill the vacant position, but the departing employee also takes with them a varying amount of knowledge with them. Restoring this knowledge in the new employee will take further resources, assuming it can be done in the first place (which is not always the case depending on the employee that left). In today’s job market with unemployment at historic lows, filling vacant positions has become trickier than it used to be due to sheer lack of people. Read on for some important keys most companies in most industries can use to reduce turnover.

First, the HR (or group of employees that performs the HR functions of an organization) should investigate how the employee resigned. This won’t have an impact on the employee who has already left or already made their mind up on leaving, but will provide important information on preventing future departures. The range of ways an employee leaves a company is wide, from thanking their manager for the opportunity to work there to being hostile with their manager/burning bridges. The ways an employee leaves a company is indicative of the way the company treated the employee or at least the employee’s perception of the way they were treated.

Next, most companies conduct exit interviews to learn why people are leaving, which can be helpful in collecting a lot of information. The problem is that sometimes people are not always as forthcoming or truthful on their exit interviews. HR experts have learned over the years that a good way to learn further information is to follow up with the departing employee’s coworkers. Sometimes employees will give extra information in person to coworkers that they won’t give in an exit interview. Note, it is important for companies to be tactful and honest when seeking such information to avoid such employees feel like they’re being put “on the spot” by answering such questions.

Companies can also track what employees who leave do after they leave. For example, if most employees who leave go back to school to get advanced degrees then it may be a good idea to offer a program where the company will help pay for employees to go back to school in exchange for commitments from the employee. If a lot of employees are leaving to go to the same competitor, there is something about that company’s culture that is probably worth researching and emulating. Or if a lot of employees are leaving to become stay-at-home parents then it may be a good idea to create/expand work-from-home opportunities.

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Why Are Engaged Employees Better?

ACG Resources — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 16:00:58 +0000

Maximizing employee engagement is something that comes with cascading benefits. Employee engagement is defined as an approach (by companies) to motivate their employees to stay committed to the goals of the organization and do their best while they are on the clock. One of the main reasons companies seek to improve engagement is because it is synonymous with higher productivity, but other benefits include reduced absenteeism, higher loyalty, reduced workplace injuries/incidents, and reduced turnover. Lastly, the benefits of employee engagement can be seen in the bottom line, especially with companies that rely heavily on customer service. Companies where the employees are perceived as highly engaged score way higher time and time again when it comes to customer service. This why engaged employees are better than unengaged employees and how to increase engagement.

Repetitive tasks or tasks that that are uniquely at odds with an employee’s personality are ones that will quickly lead to disengagement. When employees become disengaged don’t work as hard and they don’t take an interest in the goals of their team or the organization. From there a whole range of things can go wrong. So what are some factors that go into engagement? The logic goes that if you can increase or improve those factors then you can increase employee engagement.

Social cohesion is a big factor in how engaged an employee is with their team and organization. And this make intuitive sense doesn’t it? What employee would be engaged in a workplace filled with employees, including potentially their supervisor, that they either share nothing in common with or are actively at odds with? Social cohesion breeds trust, cooperation, respect, and more. When those things aren’t present, first the engagement of one employee goes down, and then it’s as if it’s contagious because it will reduce the engagement of the surrounding employees to a certain extent.

Empowerment also is a big factor in employee engagement. Employees who have the proper training, the adequate resources, and necessary approvals/permissions to do their help employees stay engaged and on task. When those things are missing, it reduces engagement, productivity, and morale.

Lastly, similar to one’s personal life, engagement increases as one has more “skin in the game.” Companies that have programs or compensation packages where employees are rewarded with (or can purchase at a discount) company stock or earn bonuses when the company reaches certain milestones are some ways that increase employee engagement. Positive recognition for such achievements also go a long way to reinforce employee engagement.

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Pros And Cons Of Interviewing Via Telephone

ACG Resources — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 12:00:49 +0000

When search for a job in modern times, everyone knows it’s important to be prepared for interviews, but not everyone is prepared for the different forms of interviews. As technology has made it easier and easier to connect people looking for work with jobs that are geographically large distances away, sometimes companies begin the interviewing process with a phone interview. This saves the prospective employee and/or employer time and money of an in-person interview when it can be determined over the phone that it would not be a good fit. Interviewing over the phone is similar to interviewing in person but has some important differences that are explained in this article.

One pro of phone interviews is that it can get a job seeker’s foot in the door for a job that they would not otherwise be a serious candidate for, typically due to geography. Another pro is that the job seeker can control the environment in which the interview is conducted, especially to make it as comfortable as possible. Most job seekers experience anxiety to a certain extend being in an unfamiliar room in a potentially unfamiliar building during an interview. Phone interviews are also great for job seekers who sometimes get tripped up by various body language or physical queues, such as unknowingly tapping their foot on the floor, difficulties maintaining eye contact, or not having their in-person interview wardrobe up to speed. Make no mistake, at some point issues such as these will need to be addressed at some point because in-person interviews typically still happen before officially being hired, but for the purposes of a phone interview these things become non-factors. Lastly, even though it is a good idea to prep before a phone interview similar to an in-person interview, a pro is that there is some leeway to how much you need to have memorized. This is because if you are asked a question for which you know you have the answer written down, you can get that piece of paper out and read off of it without the interviewer knowing (most of the time).

One con of phone interviews is that they are typically more impersonal. Job seekers who are planning to lean on their shining personality as a key strength typically won’t be able to utilize it during a phone interview. Next, when interviewing in person, there is typically no technology barrier short of losing power to the room/building. But a con of phone interviews is that the connection could be filled with static, get dropped, or the job seeker’s phone itself could suddenly have an issue and stop it from working. Lastly there is a possibility that something else could go wrong with the environment you are in that wouldn’t otherwise go wrong if you were doing the interview in-person. That smoke detector battery could finally give out, your kids could start pounding on your office door (or run into your office yelling), or there could be an emergency vehicle park right outside of your house with the sirens on full blast for some reason.

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Top 3 Team Building Exercises

ACG Resources — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 12:00:54 +0000

The best teams are truly those where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Managing the personalities that make up any given team is something that takes conscious effort but if done correctly it is well worth the rewards of what a talented, driven team can do. Exercises that build teamwork can be used by any business large or small, with potential areas of improvement being interpersonal familiarity, communication, morale, and motivation. The idea is for everyone to perform the (typically fun) activities and build teamwork as a side-effect. Not all team building exercises are created equally however, so below are listed the top 3 examples that have been shown to deliver results for companies.

Having a scavenger hunt is a very versatile and effective exercise that is great at building teamwork. Companies can integrate components of the project the team is assigned to into the scavenger hunt to get even better results. The scavenger hunt can also get people’s blood flowing, which increases energy and typically also creative capabilities. For teams convening in a new territory a scavenger hunt is the perfect exercise to build teamwork while also helping employees become familiar with the new territory at the same time. And lastly, who doesn’t enjoy scavenger hunts? So you know the employees will have fun.

Two truths and a lie is a classic exercise that teamwork experts say gets high favorability from employees in almost all industries. The exercise starts by having each employee write down two truths about themselves and a lie. Then there is a period of socializing where there is actually 2 things going on: the employees seek to get to know each other better and they build teamwork at the same time. After the socializing, the employees read out either what they wrote down themselves, or what a different employee wrote, and then everyone has to guess which statement is the written statements is a falsehood. Prizes for who guesses the most lies correctly are optional but can add further motivation.

The infamous egg drop is perfect whether the industry you are in has an engineering component or not. The team is split up into a number of sub groups and all sub groups are tasked with constructing a container that will protect an egg from breaking when being dropped from a designated height/location. This exercise is perfect for building teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving. Rules are generally given related to what materials can be used in construction; and different members of the team can see who focuses on the rules and who focuses on the goal.

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I Just Graduated… Now What? Global Advocate Graduate Career Podcast

ACG Resources — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 11:21:31 +0000

Len Adams, CEO and Founder of ACG Reources was a guest on The Global Advocate Career Podcast.

If you’re a recent graduate, just out of college or just completed your masters, what does the world of work look like for you? By the end of the current academic year, 3.7 million high school diplomas, 1 million Associate Degrees and 2 million Bachelor Degrees will be awarded. This year, more than any, how will you secure a job you want and start your journey on the career ladder you want to?

Len answers the question “I Just Graduated… Now What?”

What sort of labor market should recent college graduates expect to enter?
Job seeking tips such as resume do’s and don’ts
Virtual etiquette, job boards, musings on LinkedIn
Is the cover letter dead? and much, much more…

Listen to the Michelle and Len’s podcast now:

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How Being Laid Off Can Create a Better Career For You

ACG Resources — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 11:34:34 +0000

Join Len Adams, CEO and Founder of ACG Resources and as he discusses “How do you secure new opportunity when you’ve just been laid off?

If you’re living month to month, relying on your pay check and suddenly get laid off or lose your job, what are you going to do and how are you going to build on your opportunity that is in front of you?

Len shares his experience of how he moved on from a job he had to leave, then started ACG Resources. For the first time since he was 14 years old, Len had nothing to do, nowhere to go, no plan, with no income and shares the choices he made to make ACG Resources the success it is today as well as his motivations to make the business a success.

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What Really Happens When You Receive An OSHA Citation?

ACG Resources — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 12:00:57 +0000

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federal agency that was created in 1971 within the Department of Labor. OSHA’s workplace safety inspections have been shown to reduce injuries and costs associated to injuries without adverse effects to the workplace or employers. Employees of a government agency can submit complaints to OSHA via a variety of means but there are a number of things that need to be completed before an inspection is scheduled. These things include the complaint being submitted in writing and the government agency in question being within OSHA’s jurisdiction. After an inspection by an OSHA investigation has taken place, assuming the investigator has found a violation, a citation is issued to the offending organization. This article will elaborate on the next steps after an organization has received an OSHA citation.

Part of the citation will include 1) a detailed description of the nature of the violation, 2) possible ways the government agency can correct the violation, 3) possible dates the company may be required to meet with OSHA about the violation. The notice of violation must be posted at or near the physical location where the violation took place so it can alert other employees and hopefully prevent further danger. The process from this point may differ slightly depending on the type of violation, but overall the flow is the same. The 4 types of violations are: 1) willful, 2) serious, 3) repeated, 4) other-than-serious.

The government agency needs to decide whether or not the OSHA recommended ways to correct the violation are feasible or not. If they are feasible and the time necessary to carry out the associated tasks are within an acceptable time frame, then the company would communicate back to OSHA that they are proceeding as such. If recommendations are not feasible for whatever reason (such as financial) or the acceptable time frame is too short, then the government agency can submit a petition for modification of abatement (PMA). In this petition the government agency would list another solution or solutions to correct the violation and the corresponding timeframe(s). After an agreed-upon solution and timeframe is chosen, then all that is left is for the government agency to carry out the solution so that the issue that caused the violation is mitigated. Lastly, government agencies cannot retaliate against employees injured by a workplace accident or against whistleblowers whose tips lead to an OSHA citation.

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How The Pandemic Has Affected Businesses, Including ACG Resources

ACG Resources — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 08:23:24 +0000

The Global Advocate Career Podcast invites Len Adams back to discuss how the pandemic has affected businesses, particularly, ACG Resources. Len discusses his perspective on what sectors have been irreversibly transformed and how those which have survived and thrived.

Listen to Len transparently discuss how he and his team adapt to the “new normal”, the tone he sets at work and the job market in general. If you want to get a frank perspective on current and future hiring trends, suggestions on how to rethink your career trajectory and how to stand out – don’t miss this interview.

Len Adams, ACG Resources on The Global Advocate Career Podcast

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The Future of Tech: Will Robots Take Your Job?

ACG Resources — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 21:58:51 +0000

No one can deny that automation is gradually playing a huge role in our daily lives. Just think about today’s customer service, artificial intelligence education, and your IoT-equipped office, among others. This has served as warnings about our future and how robots could disrupt our world in different ways—from the social point of view to the economic one. So, what about the future of employment?

A recent study from the National Bureau of Economic Research revealed that 670,000 jobs were lost to robots between 1990 and 2007, which is very alarming, but it doesn’t stop there. According to a study made by the Brookings Institution, 25% of American jobs are at risk of being automated over the next 20 years. Some roles are at risk involve in predictable and repetitive work such as transportation, administrative support, and logistics.

Although it may sound like a nightmare, automation makes perfect sense for business owners. Robots don’t have human needs, therefore, the only costs involved would be manufacturing and maintenance. This will definitely improve the company’s productivity. Even though the initial cost to acquire the robots might be very high, the revenue will be significantly higher.

All this might sound overwhelming but don’t worry, we assure you that there are two sides to this situation. First, let’s look at the bright side of things.

The Positives

Even though it is a fact that robots will automate most tasks in the future, there will be professions that are still going to need the “human element”. Just think about this: who will program these robots?

Jobs that involve creative and tactful tasks will remain crucial for the development of our society, and that’s something robots are still not able to achieve. Since they are unable to demonstrate emotions such as empathy or compassion, endearing professions such as teachers and nurses will not be obsolete.

When robots move into the marketplace, our jobs will be different. We won’t have to handle repetitive tasks, but we’ll have to work with creative and rational jobs. Most economists say that industries such as IT and advanced manufacturing (which is more related to digital products) will add an incredible amount of workers over the next decades, thanks to the arrival of robots.

On the other hand, specialists say that even if robots don’t take all of our logistics jobs, there will be an increase in robotic tools to do those tasks. This will require companies to invest in training programs for their employees. In this scenario, the economy will still work for all of us—we’ll just need to learn new skills to work in different fields.

The Less-Than-Positives

This could sound like a science-fiction movie, but it’s still a possibility we should visualize. In this scenario, the room for employment is small. Robots will get so sophisticated that there will be an incredible level of unemployment and not everybody will have the necessary skills to work in the available fields. This will consequently generate a huge economic imbalance where only those who ever learned tech skills will survive (alongside business owners).

However, this scenario proposed by many still has some flaws and it’s exactly for the reason that it’s unlikely going to happen. Companies need people who can keep them economically viable and this only happens if people have the possibility to buy their products or services. So society will likely find ways to contribute to the workforce in order to survive.

What Can We Do to Avoid This?

The best way to keep human society active in the future of work is to study tech trends and learn new skills that will be necessary for the future. Considering that most logistic, repetitive and replicable jobs will be obsolete, you should focus more on those jobs that directly work with technology, but require an analytical approach—something that only a human can do. This Bill Gates quote might be accurate for this situation: “Displaced workers could fill gaps that currently exist elsewhere in the labor market—like elder care, teaching and support for special needs children.”

Wrapping up

Whether we like it or not, robots will play a huge role in the future of work—be it because they replace many occupations or because you’ll need them as a tool to make your work more efficient. In order to keep the economy alive and the population’s quality of life, we’ll need to evolve, learn new skills, and create a future where our empathy and analytic skills are required. If you would like to start learning a new tech skill, there are many schools that offer programs for professions that will shape the future for all of us.

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THE FINANCIAL INDUSTRY AND THE NEW NORMAL

ACG Resources — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 13:22:24 +0000

By Ralph Fatigate Executive Managing Director, ACG Risk & Compliance

Over the past several months, we have experienced a tremendous amount of changes in how we live and how we conduct business. The financial industry has been forced to adapt to the evolving demands and challenges facing us all during these turbulent times.

Some of these challenges include, supervising employees remotely, employee productivity in a remote environment, behavior patterns, customer security, technology changes, and continued regulatory compliance and budget constraints.

With significant changes in some financial institution operations, it is paramount that banks provide specific direction and education regarding the new normal. Because of these unusual times Banks should seek advice from their regulators when in doubt regarding the regulatory expectations. Financial institutions might want to look toward new and innovative technology that perhaps can assist them with unexpected changes to their operation.

Now it is time to think outside the box!!! We probably will not be seeing large industry gatherings such as conferences and trade shows which limits networking with counterparts in the industry, but the dialogue must continue, it will help to share what is working and what is not working.

We are now seeing numerous small and large businesses closing their doors which will continue to add to the negative effects on our economy. We can look at the financial crisis’ in the past but unfortunately, we may be facing largest financial challenges in decades. Commercial and residential property loan failures will create additional stress on Financial Services Industry which may require government intervention.

But its not all doom and gloom, American’s and our financial system are resilient, we witnessed that repeatedly. We need to be positive and be creative and work around the obstacles that we are currently facing. Sharing information and ideas even competitors can be a healthy way towards our pathway to success.

We at ACG Risk and Compliance Solutions are here to listen!!!

COLLABORATING FOR THE FUTURE

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How Do I Keep My Workplace Safe To Avoid Injuries?

ACG Resources — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 13:57:03 +0000

Injuries can happen in the workplace when you least expect it, just like they can happen anywhere in the world, but businesses have an extra responsibility to keep their employees safe to the best of their ability. Putting up a few posters about the importance of safety and a once-per-year safety program might have been enough to let a company say that they are doing their part to keep their employees safe once upon a time; but in today’s workplace that is not enough. Companies need to foster and promote a culture of safety all the time so that safety becomes second-nature to the employees of an organization. So what are some things a company can do to keep the workplace safe and avoid injuries? Read on to find out.

Eliminate potential hazards before they cause injuries in the first place. Some examples of hazards include big sharp objects, electrically faulty objects, or toxic chemicals. Any time these things are found there should be an easy way for anyone to report it to the proper team that can take action to address the hazard as soon as possible. Part of being better able to spot such hazards is having a workforce that is properly trained. Workplace safety training that is specific to the work being conducted at the geographic location where the training is taking place is important. The training courses should be thorough and take place more than just once per year.

Some industries are generally safer to work in than others. For companies within industries that have an average or above average risk of injury, make sure your employees have the proper equipment and that the equipment is properly maintained. On top of equipment, signage and lights specific to the environment where they are found also promote safety. If the safety in a particular location varies depending on the day/time, employers are migrating from traditional printed signs to varying messages on a digital sign/message board. These dynamic signs also stand a better chance of attracting employee eyes than static, printed (potentially old) signs.

Create a safety committee that meets regularly; most experts recommend monthly meetings. The committee should review all safety complaints, statistics, and other safety-related topics. Another important job for the committee is to get the rest of a company’s employees engaged to prioritize safety. Committees that are the best at doing this find ways to make safety fun and entertaining.

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THE 7 REASONS COMPANIES MAKE HIRES (AND WILL STILL MAKE HIRES TODAY)

ACG Resources — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 14:26:39 +0000

Len Adams, the Founder and CEO of ACG Resources / Adams Consulting Group was recently interviewed by Tony Restell Len is passionate about helping job seekers and fellow recruiters to maintain some perspective whenever there is a challenging economic climate, such as today.

Len outlined that there are in fact 7 key reasons why companies make hires, triggers that cause them to need to make hires if you will. Only one of those is economic growth – and so there are compelling reasons to believe that companies will still be making lots of hires over the coming months in spite of the more challenging economic backdrop.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW NOW

Here’s the full video interview with Len – and the transcript of the session underneath.

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

Tony: Hey everyone. Thanks for tuning in for today’s video. Really excited today to be joined by Len Adams. Len’s going to be sharing with us some insights that are going to make you feel a lot more positive about the jobs market right now. Len, could I just ask you to introduce yourself and your company, so people know a little about you?

Len: Sure. Thank you, Tony. I appreciate it, and thank you for inviting me to speak. My name is Len Adams. I am the CEO and Founder of Adams Consulting Group & ACG Resources

We are a global recruiting and temporary staffing firm. I’ve been in the business more decades than I want to admit to. But, ACG has been around for just about 18 years. We’re a family owned business, with a second-generation coming up behind me …and a team of people that have been with me for quite a long time. So we’re very fortunate to have, almost zero turnover. Fantastic.

Tony: And, I was really excited about getting you on for an interview Len, because when we first spoke you were talking about seven reasons that companies typically will make hires. And, the fact that most of those seven reasons are actually still valid today, even with, you know, the turmoil that we’ve had. So would you mind spending a few moments just talking through those seven reasons?

Len: Absolutely. And, I may look down a little bit at my notes because I want to make sure I don’t forget them. So for all the years that I have been in the business, you know I’ve been through, as you can tell by my age, several recessions; Superstorm Sandy in New York, the 2008 recession, 9/11. And, through all of these, there’s always a lot of bad press as to how bad the job market is.

The job market’s terrible, unemployment is at an all-time high, and we’re experiencing that now. But, what I found, in training my staff, and even my own motivation, to go out looking for new business. I’ve come to realize that there are seven triggers in any company, that trigger an open position, and those triggers, and I’ll talk about them in a little more detail, are

– resignation,
– termination,
– relocation,
– retirement,
– illness,
– death
– and expansion

Six of those occur all the time. Expansion is the one wild card, that comes when the market is really moving.

So, if you really think about it, and you know, I’ve done some speaking at outplacement firms, and I always make a joke about it. I say – as we’re talking, someone has just ticked off their boss and gotten fired, and that creates a hole. And, now it may not be that specific job, but they’re going to move someone from another area perhaps into that role. And it’ll create a hole, there’ll be some shuffling, reshuffling.

So, if you go out with that mindset, no matter how bad the market is, something is going to happen. Somewhere.

And you know, it’s served us well in thinking about this, that you know, there’s always a job out there. Now, you know, the last seven weeks have been absolutely brutal.

I will tell you that, our temp business, we’ve maintained it, we didn’t add much.

Our perm business, March 12th, came to a screeching halt.

But, as we’ve gotten into the past 7 weeks, the last 2 weeks… all of a sudden, things are happening. People have moved around. People have decided not to go back to work. People have unfortunately passed away, and we are getting orders coming back in.

So, it just ratifies my thought process, that things do happen, all the time. Yeah, so there’s been a sort of, a short lull when companies have literally just not known what to do and have paused things. But now, actually, six of those seven reasons are kicking back in again.

Tony: And, so there is some hiring taking place. Am I hearing you correctly?

Absolutely. The expansion will come back. Everything I’m reading is saying that in the third quarter, third and fourth quarter should be better. So you know, we’re always cautiously optimistic. But you know, the job market’s very fluid. And you know, unfortunately, bad news sells press.

So, you know, the bad news is always going to be that there was it, 40 million people unemployed, and I feel for them, and yes, a lot of them are unemployed. The restaurant industry, the travel industry, the tourism industry. And that’s difficult. But a lot of the other core industries, you know – IT and finance, and life sciences, and so on will continue hiring.

And, you know, there is a temporary lull because of these last two months, but as things get back to whatever the “new normal” is. I think we’ll start seeing more activity again.

Tony: So if you were to give, a job seeker, you know, just one or two pointers, one or two bits of advice in the current market, what would you recommend, that people, focus on doing to try and be well placed to get hired again?

Len: Sure. Two things. First of all, if you’re in an industry that’s completely dead, such as hospitality or the travel industry, look to see what your skills are and how they’re transferable into another industry. Maybe even an unrelated industry.

Everybody has skills that can be used somewhere else. Be creative, try to think outside of the box. You know, it’s not always, I’m doing this, so I need to continue doing this. There are ways to transition into other areas. If you think creatively and look around, look outside the box so, you know, you have to really think:

– What else can I do?
– What skills do I have?

You know, if I’m in customer service, customer services… is a soft skill that can go anywhere. Just because you’re a receptionist in the hotel industry doesn’t mean you can’t be in another industry that has heavy customer service needs.

Tony: Absolutely, terrific advice, and thinking about employers for a moment as well. Any advice – what you think they should be focusing on, what they should be expecting over the coming months? Anything you’re hearing from candidates, that they need to be taking into consideration?

Len: Well, I think from the employers’ viewpoint, I think it’s gonna be a little bit of a challenge, right now because of the unemployment, and the extra stimulus money that people are receiving. There’s a large reluctance on people’s part, to go back to work because on some levels they are making more money, on unemployment, and so – I think they’re going to encounter that. And on the flip side, they’ll encounter because of the large unemployment, they’ll probably get inundated with resumes.

So they really have to be very careful as to how they look and where they look and what they put out there and try to be specific as to what they are looking for.

Tony: Great. Thank you. Really positive advice Len

Len: And I hope people watching this will feel that there’s light at the end of the tunnel in terms of finding a new role, perhaps changing industry, getting back into employment. Any other comments or observations you’d make?… And, I’d also like to invite you to share with everyone how they can find your company. What’s the best way of contacting you? Yes, the best advice I can give… You know, having been through numerous bad situations with the economy is that, it does get better.

Stay positive.
Stay focused.
Keep looking.
Keep the lights on upstairs, because something will happen.
You have to stay positive. If anyone is looking to reach out to us, our website is www.acgresources.com

My name’s Len Adams. My email is lenadams@acgresources.com and my direct line is 646 442 2271. My team at ACG Resources is happy to speak with anyone that needs help, both from the client’s side and the candidate’s side.

Tony: That’s wonderful Len. Thanks ever so much for your time today and on behalf of everyone, thanks for sharing your insights. Bye for now.

Len: Thank you, stay safe everyone.

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Podcast: The Best Practices When Recruiting Remotely | Working With People

ACG Resources — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 17:06:49 +0000

Len Adams, CEO and Founder of ACG Resources was invited as a guest on the highly respected Working With People podcast recently. Listen to the episode now and enjoy some key take outs you can use in your organisation to help you hire better talent faster.

https://www.acgresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Len-Adams-ACG-Resources-Podcast-Working-With-People.mp3

Harrison interviews Len about the best practices when recruiting remotely,

1. What are the unique challenges and opportunities in remote recruiting and onboarding?
2. Can you walk us through the best practices during the different stages of hiring remotely?
3. How can organizations let their employer brand shine during the recruiting process?

Len Adams, CPC, CTS
Founder/CEO Call/Text: 646.442.2271 | O: 212.566.7600 x1
E. lenadams@acgresources.com
Connect with Len

www.pavestep.com Interview conducted by Harrison Kim. Recorded July 2020.

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Best Ways For Managers To Motivate Employees

ACG Resources — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 13:54:17 +0000

Employee motivation has a huge impact on their productivity and longevity in the workplace. The best companies staff themselves with the best managers who know how to maximize motivation. Such managers know that it’s not actually about motivating employees (at least not directly), but learning about what motivations already exist in their employees and directing it toward the goals of the team/organization. The best environment for this to happen is one of mutual trust and respect where communication flows freely. It also helps when employees are fully equipped, properly trained, and given the necessary time to achieve their goals or complete their tasks. Below are highlights from a selection of the best ways for managers improve motivation in their employees.

The hands-down best way to motivate employees is to lead by example. Survey after survey of employees across every industry in the economy show that employee motivation plummets when a supervisor or manager is not living up to their own hype. This lack of motivation either forces some employees to leave the company, but even those who stay are not executing anywhere near their fullest potential. If a manager wants “x, y, and z” from their employees, there is no option but for the employees to see those things (preferably in abundance) from the manager himself/herself. Most people have a natural sense for hypocrisy and hypocrisy is one of the few things almost universally disliked by everyone, in private life or business life.

Maximizing your employees capabilities is a great way to motivate employees. There are far too many employees who have managers micromanaging their every move, which communicates that they do not believe in their employees. Nobody likes to be micromanaged. But before a manager lets their employees “roam wild,” the manager should maximize their employees’ capabilities so they are not “doomed to fail.” This means making sure the employees have all of the resources they need to achieve their tasks, allowing them flexibility (via their schedule, work environment, decision making, etc), and clearly communicating expectations/measures of success.

Offering smaller rewards on the way to a big reward once a big project is completed is a classic way to help motivate employees. In modern times there is literature about this or that “new” way of improving motivation, but it is many more times the case than not that employees do not come in to work “pro bono,” aka for free. Employees trade in their time for some sort of compensation, typically monetary, but whatever compensation means the most to your employees, do your best to offer more of it to your employees to improve motivation.

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3 Reasons Employees Get A New Job Elsewhere

ACG Resources — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 13:53:24 +0000

The average length of time an employee will spend with one company is shorter than ever. Gone are the days where an employee would get hired at a company, work 40 years at that same company, and then retire without every getting a job at a different company. The ongoing improvement in the economy and lower unemployment mean that trend is set to continue because people perceive less risk with leaving their current job. Because of the inevitability of employee turnover, business experts say that companies have 1 of 2 options: to learn what they can do to minimize employee turnover or to not learn anything and most likely see employee turnover gradually increase. The first step in the learning process is to conduct (good) exit interviews and the second step is to look for trends or common themes. Below are some common reasons, across industries, why employees make the move to other companies.

Keeping employees begins and ends with trust, or lack thereof. The data has become clear in recent years (decades really) that employees hate being micromanaged, which is a tell-tale sign of a lack of trust within an organization. An organization with lots of managers who make their front-line employees seek approval for everything and frequently question their judgement is a recipe for draining all of the trust very quickly. Likewise are organizations that stifle creativity of employees because of a lack of trust. Organizations seeking to avoid losing employees for this reason should do the opposite of these things.

A lack of appreciation is another big reason employees leave, as reported in exit surveys and research. The lack of appreciation differs depending on the motivations and personality of the employee leaving but frequently it is related to being underpaid, inaccurate (typically negative) job performance measurements, and broken promises (typically promotional opportunities). And as much as this reason applies to all employees, it especially applies to better, highly productive employees because they know their skills and abilities will get appreciated somewhere, even if it’s not at their current place of employment.

The third biggest reason for employees choosing to leave is a lack of opportunity. Some opportunities that are typically lacking include promotions, growth/development, remote-work, and more. Some organizations, especially smaller ones, have a limited capacity to address this issue if they don’t have the resources or room for growth to begin with. Such companies will have to rely on inspiration and trust from their employees that those things, while they may not be currently available, will be available in the near future.

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Technical Skills Every New Hire Should Possess

ACG Resources — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 13:12:21 +0000

In this day and age, most recruiters and hiring managers are looking for candidates who can hit the ground running and do not require a lot of training. One of the skill areas where many companies spend a lot of capital for training is that of technical skills. As each year passes, the newest round of job seekers seem to be more technologically savvy than the last but there is still so much to learn in this skill area due to the rapid growth of technology nowadays. As soon as something gets invented or standardized, it is not long afterward before it is obsolete, requiring constant investment in capital and training. The need for technical skills varies from industry to industry, but below is a list of technical skills every new hire should make sure they have to keep from being left behind during the application or interview processes.

Microsoft introduced its Office suite of productivity in the 1990s and the world has never been the same since. The programs contained in the suite were quickly adopted by the business community but at the same time people were quick to start using the programs at home too. The programs within the suite were so popular that since being introduced, multiple organizations have introduced free versions that perform basically the same functions, such as Apache OpenOffice and Google Docs. Long story short, these programs (especially Word, Excel, Powerpoint, & Outlook) are so popular and have been around so long that in most industries it is assumed a new hire already has familiarity with them.

The Internet has had a profound effect on people’s lives around the world over the past few decades. It has opened up limitless possibilities both in the business world, as well as personal life, so it has been widely adopted in both areas. If you don’t happen to have a lot of experience navigating the Internet, or are not very confident in your abilities to do so, this is a vital skill you will want to develop ASAP. Though the names of the leading Internet browsers have changed over the years, the functionalities are similar across each of them. Similarly, even though the names of the leading search engines have changed over the years, being familiar with using them is key starting point for being able to navigate the Internet. Because make no mistake, navigating the Internet is a very important technical skill.

With the many positive opportunities that came along with the Internet there were also some negative ones. One such negative side effect has been the spread of viruses and ability for people who wish to do harm to infiltrate organizations without having to do so physically. Being at least somewhat familiar with what information security is and best practices is another vital technical skill. You don’t have to be able to keep up with the professionals in the information security field, but you should know to not open email attachments from strange email addresses or not to browse suspicious websites while at work, for example.

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Questions To Never Ask During An Interview

ACG Resources — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 13:43:00 +0000

HR departments nationwide have to deal with constant changes in laws, policies, and other forms of guidelines. This is because they handle many forms of sensitive data or processes related to their employees, such as social security numbers, health/medical info, and anonymous complaints. One area where HR departments constantly have to keep a close eye on how they operate is the interviewing process, especially the interview itself. New laws related to the interviewing process are passed or go into effect every year. Some questions are specifically illegal to ask and others are not, but are still a good idea to avoid. Read on to see which questions to avoid when you interview candidates for new jobs at your company.

“How many kids do you have?”
This question may be one that can be mean honestly enough and easily pop up in casual conversation, but resist the urge to ask, at least during the interview. Especially if the candidate is female, a question like this could be viewed as discrimination against pregnancy, especially if the candidate does not get the job. And unfortunately you wouldn’t know whether or not a female interviewee is pregnant because that question is literally not allowed to be asked under most situations. Even if the interviewee is a male this question posed during an interview can make the candidate think it is only being asked to rule them out because of the demands that go along with being a parent (especially a single parent).

“Do you need health insurance?”
This question can open up a can of worms during an interview that are just not necessary. If the job specifically does not offer insurance and you want to be honest about that, specifically point out that fact in the job posting or screening process prior to the interview. By asking this question during an interview, it opens the possibility of being in an awkward position where the follow up questions would be related to marital status, disability status, family status, etc; topics about which companies are not allowed to ask interview questions.

“What church do you go to?”
This is another question that comes up easily in casual conversation or may not even need to be verbalized because of a visual religious symbol: a rosary, a crucifix, or a religious tattoo. Doing so during an interview, especially an interview with someone who does not get hired, can open the door to the person claiming religious discrimination, which is illegal during the hiring process. The only time questions related to religion are permitted during an interview is if the organization hiring is a faith-based organization.

For more tips and advice on interviewing for your positions, get in touch with ACG Resources.

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How To Make Your New Hire Orientation Program Better

ACG Resources — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 13:36:58 +0000

Having a candidate accept a new job offer is not the end of the road for a company to make a good impression, because everything that follows impacts the perception of the newly hired employee of the company culture. A great new hire orientation program can prep an employee for a long and productive career at your company. Striving to have a great new hire orientation program is especially important when the economy is doing well because of the ease employees have in finding another (potentially better) job somewhere else, even if they were just recently hired at your company. If right now you have a new hire orientation program that is just ok or maybe good, read on to find out some ways to make it better.

The first thing you can do to improve your orientation program is to document everything. This ensures that all new hires receive a consistent message from the company, but it also saves time/energy from those for administrating the program (typically HR employees) trying to remember ad hoc what was done last time. Having a well-documented orientation program also helps make sure that nothing gets missed, especially things with legal or financial implications such as not getting a W-2 signed. Because employees even within the HR department are bound to come and go at some point, having a well-documented orientation program prevents any “brain drain” related to the program.

The second thing is to make sure the orientation program reveals more about the company and the job that may not have been relevant or good timing to communicate during the application or interviewing process. A big part of this is easing any anxieties that naturally come with (the new hire) being in a new environment. For some people this is closely related to not knowing the rules, spoken or “unspoken,” of a new environment, so do communicate all of those in writing and verbally.

The third thing is all about settings goals. This is typically done by the specific hiring manager of the new employee. There should be goals set out specifically for the employee to aid with their specific performance, productivity, and growth. But it should also be communicated how those goals fit in with the goals of the employee’s department and so forth; all the way up to the goals of the company overall.

Proper communication about these goals will also reduce anxiety and time spent related to performance evaluations/reviews that most companies do at some point during the year. Get in touch with ACG Resources if you’d like to learn more.

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How Business Owners Can Encourage Proactivity In The Workplace

ACG Resources — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 14:30:03 +0000

Proactive employees are self-motivated and have a greater likelihood of solving problems before they even become problems or before they become bigger problems. This of course saves money, which is one of the reasons why companies hiring are looking for ways to encourage proactivity among their employees. Proactive employees are also typically happier because they feel like they are able to innovate in the workplace, increase customer satisfaction, and improve the bottom line (which is extra important for companies that make use of profit-sharing). Some managers specifically restrict employee(s) ability to be proactive to minimize risk, maintain their job security, or micromanage their employee(s) decisions. This is generally considered an old management style that is born out of lack of trust. Read on to learn more about how to encourage proactivity in the workplace.

Creating a culture of empowerment is an important building block to proactivity. Company culture is used so often nowadays that it may seem like just a motivational buzz word sometimes, but in the case of encouraging proactivity, it should not be disregarded. Managers need to frequently communicate that they support initiative and employees coming up with creative solutions to problems. Likewise when employees attempt new or inventive ways to solve problems, even when they fail, the failures should be dealt with diplomatically because no one is going to want to try new ways to solve problems if they see others being severely punished or worse for failures (absent nefarious intent).

Making it a challenge for employees to be more proactive is another part of encouraging such behavior that has been documented as delivering results in some companies that have tried it. The company should communicate clearly the problem(s) that are to be solved as part of the challenge and any other parameters related to the results that they company are looking for as part of the challenge. Coupling a challenge with a reward system for the top finisher or finishers also typically enhances the results of the challenge.

Empowering employees and preventing decision bottlenecks is one more important piece of the puzzle to help employees be more proactive. Employees who are empowered with the proper training, physical supplies, software, and manpower, all of which vary from situation to situation, can tackle problems themselves without having to reactively wait through some procurement or similar process. Although not all decisions are proper to be made at all levels of a company, reducing as much “red tape” as possible prevents decision bottlenecks that can prevent lower-level employees from being proactive.

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3 Secrets Of A Good Workplace Evacuation Plan

ACG Resources — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 05:35:52 +0000

Being prepared for a potential hazard or disaster and being ready to evacuate if necessary is essential to keeping all personnel at your company safe. Panic and people running around chaotically should not be a part of any company’s evacuation plan because those things put lives at risk. Having an evacuation plan is a big part of being prepared for a potential hazard or disaster. Below are some important parts of a good workplace evacuation plan that may not be well-known.

First, throughout the year it is important for employees to report any broken doors, doorknobs, exit signs, or other physical items vital to an evacuation. By the time an emergency hits, it’s too late to try to address such repairs and the delays could put lives at risk. Also, building maintenance teams should not place or store equipment or materials in front of an exit door or block any other path that would be essential to an evacuation plan. Placing such items in these locations is especially troublesome for newer employees who have never been through an evacuation drill before so they have no idea where the emergency exits or routes are.

Next, it is important to practice, practice, practice the evacuation plan. The secret to an effective practice though is to make it as close to the real thing as possible. This means that the fewer the people who know about the practice drill, the better, so the metrics gathered during the practice drill truly show how ready your employees are in the event of an emergency. Obviously, this goes without saying that someone or a group of people at the company should be in charge of measuring metrics during a practice drill, such as total time it took to get everyone out of the building and did everyone know what to do once outside.

Lastly, it is important to constantly update the written copy of the evacuation plan. Remember the metrics mentioned previously? Those and other notes about what went well, or what didn’t (and what is being done about it) during a practice drill should be added in the written copy of the evacuation plan. If new construction takes place inside or outside of the workplace, especially big projects, they could impact evacuation routes and other parts of the plan. The plan should be widely distributed within the company so everyone is aware of the part(s) they play in case of an emergency.

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4 Ways To Keep Employee Morale High

ACG Resources — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 15:30:33 +0000

Morale is one of those important pieces of a corporate culture that successful companies make sure to manage closely. A high morale means increased energy, productivity, profits, and more. A low morale means low energy, absenteeism, lower productivity, potential sabotage, and more. While every person may not be able to affect the morale of the company as a whole, every person plays a role in maintaining morale for their own teams or departments. The latest research suggests that small steps can go far in increasing morale too. The important thing is that whether the steps taken by the company are large or small, to make a high morale a high priority goal for everyone.

One way to keep employee morale high is to promote from within. When your employees see there is room to advance within an organization where they’ve been working, it does a number of positive things, such as give hope. When a company constantly recruits for higher-level positions from outside the company it incentivizes people, especially the motivated people a company wants to retain, to move either to another company either permanently or as a round-about way of being promoted. Offering training programs and mentorship opportunities to employees helps with promoting from within.

Handling employee frustrations or complaints directly and promptly is another way to keep employee morale high. After all, most people don’t complain just for the sake of complaining, so for a company to know about issues brought forward by employees but not do anything about those issues is a blow to morale and asking for trouble. For a company to even learn about these issues however, a reliable and anonymous process needs to be in place for employees to voice such complaints. Companies would be wise to prioritize recurring/similar complaints.

Make work fun! Or to be more specific, companies should organize events that are designed to facilitate bonding among employees while letting their mind rest from work for a period of time. Such events include big summer parties, winter retreats, live bands, move premier nights, and more. Psychologists and business experts agree that the company that plays together, stays together. These events highlight the individuality of employees and appeal to their humanity, which sometimes gets lost in the day-to-day work and “business seriousness.”

Recognizing the good is something that has always helped improve morale. When an employee is doing something well, other employees at all levels of the organization should feel free to tell them such. Companies can also profile employees and their accomplishments randomly on the internal intranet. A raise or bonus is a classic example of recognizing good work for a reason – it works!

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4 Perks Businesses Offer But Employees Do Not Want

ACG Resources — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 11:23:40 +0000

In the current business climate holding on to employees is harder than ever; and holding on to great employees is even harder than that. The mainstay of attracting and keeping employees is (increased) salary of course, but over time companies have found many other benefits and perks. For the purposes of this article, benefits are things like various insurances, retirement plans, and vacation time, whereas perks are other less visible things like discounts to local retailers, on-site gyms, or vending machines. At least, those are perks that are generally regarded as desired by employees nationwide. Other perks are not nearly as wanted by employees though, but employees may not necessarily communicate as much out of fear of retaliation. Companies may want to re-consider some of these perks to save money if employees do not really want them anyway.

Open offices are a new/modern design style for the workplace. Various business consulting groups have pushed various case-studies or statistics about how they improve productivity and efficiency, but most employees would rather stick with the traditional workplace setup. In practice, removing walls from everyone’s cubicles just takes away everyone’s privacy, creates constant distractions, and reduces productivity. Any project that needs extra collaboration can just as easily be handled in a conference room.

Corporate team building retreats may sound like fun, especially for employees who don’t typically get out of the office, right? Wrong. Most employees who work in jobs with little to no travel typically don’t choose such jobs by chance, so they actually don’t want to spend any time travelling somewhere on business, let alone a questionably productive retreat. Most employees who enjoy travelling or retreats would rather do so with their family or friends, not their coworkers.

Corporate wellness plans to help employees “eat healthier.” It makes sense for companies to want their employees to be more healthy than not, because less than healthy employees either don’t get as much work done, or don’t get any work done if a situation is bad enough (especially if a hospital visit is involved). Poor diet can also lead to poor immune systems, which leads to absenteeism. But when a company tries to step in and be a “life coach” or “nutritionist,” most employees believe it is crossing a line that won’t go unnoticed.

On-site child care may seem like a home run perk that makes lives even easier on employees with small children. While that may be the case sometimes, most of the time only a small percentage of employees take advantage of such programs for various reasons. Then the rest of the employees, those who don’t have kids or those whose kids are all grown up, wonder how much the perk is costing the company and if they’re basically subsidizing other people’s child care. It quickly divides the workplaces in negative ways that can cause bad downstream effects.

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Why Do You Send Hundreds of Resumes for No Response?

ACG Resources — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 13:22:47 +0000

If there is one topic that the business world cannot get enough of is the modern hiring process and online job boards. These are vital to the job finding process but also the bane of every staffing and recruiting agency’s existence. Most articles look at the HR representatives and the process of whittling down the hundreds of applications that come in for one job posting but ignore the mindset that motivates job seekers to send out their resume to a multitude of positions. Why would one person want to apply to 50 different jobs in one day? Is that not the definition of insanity?

To expand on my former statement, Albert Einstein famously said, “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. When people go on ZipRecruiter, Monster, Glassdoor, or any other number of job application websites, they scan through, and I kid you not, hundreds upon hundreds of openings deciding which ones to send in their resume. Most people who use these sites create a generic resume that can apply to any number of jobs and, with the help of recent technology, they can simply upload them onto their profile and the website will send it on to any position they star, favorite, or like. The whole application process has been boiled down to a five to ten-minute procedure and the majority of that time is waiting for the page to load.

As exciting as that sounds, now that you can simultaneously apply while watching Netflix and playing a rousing game of solitaire, the likelihood of hearing back on any of those submissions is abysmal. Why? These websites generally receive the posting after it has gone from HR to internal workers, on their company page, to recruiters, and then finally to the job board. The amount of people who have beat you to the punch is increasing every minute you spend scanning the boards, yet we still keep applying. Insanity! What result can we possibly expect? The applicants are frustrated with lack of response, the HR teams are overwhelmed with the massive amounts of applications, and the cycle continues.

Now, here comes the next question: how do we fix this? Job boards are still a useful tool because they show you what companies are looking to grow, who has the most turnover, and what jobs seem to be in the highest demand. Next time you click on the website and start scanning take out a piece of paper and write down the name of the company, job title, general description, and any contact information. You should go ahead and send in your resume through the web page, but then do a little follow up on your own. Send in an email, see if any headhunters are staffing that company, or any research that puts you in the position to push your resume off of the internet and onto their desk in the stack that will be seen by an actual human eye.

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7 Reasons Companies Are Hiring

ACG Resources — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 15:12:58 +0000

Len Adams, our CEO, and Founder, shares his insights and expertise on why employers are hiring for Accounting Jobs, finance jobs, and CFO jobs now drawing on his experience over his many years in staffing, and why there is light at the end of the Covid19 tunnel.

Connect with Len Adams and get in touch today.

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Working from Home and Successfully Managing through a Pandemic

ACG Resources — Tue, 26 May 2020 14:13:57 +0000

In March, the entire world was turned upside down due to the Covid19 crisis. As it relates to the workforce, companies were in turmoil as shelter in place polices were implemented in most cities and states. Employers that had not previously adopted a WFH policy needed to scramble to set up the proper technology, policies, etc.

My firm was one of the lucky ones in this regard. When I started my firm, ACG Resources 18 years ago, I was very fortunate to be an early adapter of WFH. To be honest, when I first started, it was only me. I rented space and after several months, realized that I was commuting to the city to sit in an office and speak with clients and candidates over the phone and send and receive emails. My personal interactions were always by appointment only. Being newly selfemployed, I took the opportunity to schedule my in-person activities for certain days, and quickly realized that the other days I could be as productive at home. Over the course of time, as I hired additional staff, I started offering them the opportunity to work from home. We had implemented, at the time, new software that was hosted offsite, and set up a VOIP telephone system. In doing so, my growing team had the tools necessary to operate efficiently. The
harder part was learning how to manage a team that was not in the office on a daily basis. I accomplished that by making sure that we all communicated every day on a frequent basis, as if we were sitting in the office next door to each other.

This was the basis for enabling me to operate this way for the past 18 years. Communication, efficiency, software tools and hiring the right people. If one trusts their staff (and trust is a two-way street), they will act accordingly. In my opinion, we will see more and more of this because of this pandemic. Now that employers and employees have seen how they can effectively operate, I believe this will become more of the norm than before. On these lines, I am often asked how it has been getting through this pandemic as a business owner. I have been through numerous recessions, 9/11, Super storm Sandy, etc. None of those events prepared me for COVID 19.

In previous events, business slowed down a bit for a short period of time and we knew that there would be an end and business would get back toe sense of normalcy. In this case, however, business did not slow down. It came to a screeching halt for everyone! Rather than go into complete panic mode however, I instead went into crisis survival mode. I took stock of our business, cash flow, and staff. I communicated with my staff and ensured them that we will survive this. As a business leader, no matter how frightened or unsure I was, I needed to make sure that my staff was assured of survival. Since business was stopped, we changed every staff members responsibilities to perform more research and reach out functions. There is an old saying that when a fisherman can’t fish, he repairs the net. This is
basically what we have done for the past two months. Improved our database, reached out to clients and our candidates to check in, reached out to new prospects just to check in, not to aggressively market. Just planting seeds for when the crisis ends. My crisis survival instinct is to just put my head down, put the blinders on and forge through. I firmly believe that we will emerge from this crisis in the near future. We will be operating in a new normal, perhaps a bit
smarter, more cautious, and definitely more aware of how fragile life and business can be.

Len Adams is Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Adams Consulting Group/ACG Resources.

He has a 40-year record of achievement in meeting the Talent Acquisition (Executive Search, Staffing and Consulting) needs of many prestigious corporations, software companies, banks, and financial services institutions –
locally, nationally, and internationally. Along with the entire team, Len is committed to ensuring that ACG consistently provides clients and candidates with the highest quality of service possible in the Search and Staffing Industry. As a career Certified Personnel Consultant, previously with The KPA Group/Kling Personnel, Adams is an
accomplished lecturer at the university and secondary school levels on various subjects relating to career planning, business ethics, recruiting and personnel consulting.

Various publications including The New York Times, American Banker, and the National Business Employment Weekly, often quote Adams as a noted authority on compensation levels in the financial services industry.

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The Right Questions to Ask in an Interview

ACG Resources — Fri, 08 May 2020 18:58:00 +0000

Forget the usual metaphor and listen to me; an interview is like a dance.

Each partner moves and hopes that the other follows them to work in perfect harmony. When the interviewer asks a question, the candidate will try to answer it to the best of their ability and hope that they made the correct move. In such a delicate situation, how do you know the right questions to ask in an interview?

There are two viewpoints we need to look at and the first is from the interviewer. When you are questioning potential candidates, your goal is to learn as much about the person in as little time as possible. You need to assess their character, understand their background, learn about their capability, and predict how they could fit in to the job and company. Easy, right? In order to successfully interview candidates, there is some background research that you need to do. A good employee is knowledgeable about the history and origin of the company as well as its culture. It also is important to understand why a candidate is looking for a new job.

This is not the opportunity to demean people who are unemployed or recently fired because there are no simple reasons, but you should know what are the circumstances that a candidate wants a new job and for what reasons they applied for the one you posted. Without going into too much detail, you also clearly want to learn about the new hire’s work ethic and the kind of skills, training, and innate characteristics bring to a job. Fill in the blanks from above by asking the right questions.

If you are a candidate, there are some important questions you need to ask your interviewer to see if you are interested in the position you applied for. It is important that you do some research about the company and ask the interviewer questions to confirm the public information they have released.

What is the culture in the office?
What is the demographic of the employees?
Your questions should give you an idea of how you fit in at the office and how well suited you are for the job. Once you situate yourself in the company, now you need to see how the interviewer fits in.

Ask them questions about their experiences.
How long have they been in their position or with the company?
Do they often see people being promoted from within or are their more outside hires?

They have a wealth of knowledge that is just sitting in front of you. Do not take this opportunity for granted! Asking the right questions is not a hard task. Take your partner’s hand and dance with them as you both ask what each of you wants to know. Do not be fooled because there are wrong questions. There is no reason to make things uncomfortable and ask about overly personal details. Instead, focus on getting to know each other through your interests and characteristics to see if you may find your perfect match.

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How to Work from Home with Kids

ACG Resources — Fri, 08 May 2020 18:54:38 +0000

Despite the stereotypes, having a career and being an engaged member of your family are absolutely possible. As with all important things in life, you have to learn how to balance and prioritize your responsibilities. Remote working, or working from home, is a great way to start bringing your career closer to your family and make it easier for you to stay near your kids. Of course, setting up your office at home presents a whole new set of challenges, but nothing that you cannot handle!

We know that you love your kids; they are such an important part of life and bring the feelings of excitement and wonder that we often miss in our adult world. As much as we enjoy spending time with our kids, they can be a bit counterproductive to focusing on work. One of the best ways to manage working from home with kids is to set a schedule that designates times for work and play. It is a well-known fact that children respond well to having a routine so they can learn and execute expectations, and this is a great strategy to apply to working from home.
Once you have settled into a general rhythm with remote working, you can start implementing the plan for your family. If you tend to have a lot of conference calls in the morning, maybe set aside work time from 8am-12pm. That way you can answer emails, participate in calls, and get your workday up and running. Lunchtime is the perfect time to interact with your kids because you can cook your meals and sit down at the table to talk; it also gives you the opportunity to take a “long lunch” and have a little play time with your kids. Or, for those of you who have slightly older children who are in pre-school, the lunch hours are usually when carpool pick-up occurs so you can go get them from school. Now, you are spending time with them and without the distraction of phone calls from your boss or playing with toys.

After lunch and play, you need to go back into “work-mode”. Close your office door, schedule your kids for some quiet time in their rooms, or, if you are so lucky, put them down for nap time. These are important hours for doing the meat of your job; you can work on projects, call your team members, and catch-up/set-up any necessary tasks for the rest of the week. This period should end around dinner time when your spouse comes home, dinner is set, or you start dinner. At the risk of sounding cliché, the dinner table is one of the best ways to spend quality time with your family and learn more about each other. Turn off the TV because this can be a useful method to keep in your back pocket when your kids are being wild while you are working and talk to them or goof around. It provides them, and you, with the time you all need to have fun and bond with each other outside of the craziness of reality. Then, put them to bed and shut off your computer for the night.

Another handy tip for working from home with kids, create a fun sign to hang outside of your work area. Make a list of different activities you may be doing: busy time, answering emails, on an important call, ready to play, bathroom break, etc. You can use a paper clip or a clothes pin to slide back and forth so that your children know when to play on their own and when they are welcome to visit with you in your office. Note: Pinterest has some great examples of how to create one.

It can be an absolute joy to work at home with your kids while completing your work efficiently and masterfully. Use these tips to bring some order to your life and ensure you are being the best parent and employee you can be!

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How to Get Candidates Excited for a Job

ACG Resources — Fri, 08 May 2020 17:33:07 +0000

Not every banking or finance job, retail, compliance, medtech job is as exciting as being a skydiving instructor or ice cream taste tester, but each one is equally important in the function of our society, but how does one get a person excited for a job? When trying to onboard a candidate, it can feel like a game of “who can offer the best deal”?

There comes a point where the amount of pay you can offer is out of your hands, so you have to look at other ways to entice a candidate. So, what do you do? With so many different recruiters, headhunters, job boards, etc., it can be overwhelming trying to outshine the competition. Before you freak out, here are a few tips on getting your candidate pumped about accepting and starting work at your company:

1. Present a welcoming environment
Nothing is more appealing than a kind and welcoming environment. Have you ever been to a party that was organized by a friend, but they were the only person that you knew was going to be there? You feel this anxiety walking in knowing that everyone has already met each other except for you. Then, there is the tendency to either walk up to people and try to force yourself into the conversation or sit of the couch and try to pretend you are having fun while groups are wandering around the room. That is a terrible feeling and you DO NOT want a new candidate feeling that way. Make sure that when they walk into the office that employees are friendly and at least try to make small talk.

2. Mention the perks outside of vacation days
Do not get me wrong, we all love vacation days; please do not take away our vacation days! I’m just saying that there is more to employee care than days off. Show candidates that your company cares about employees by catering a lunch once a month, organizing quarterly activities for employees and their families, etc. The happiest and hardest working employees are ones that feel that their employer recognizes and values the effort they put into their jobs.

3. Follow-up
I cannot begin to tell you how many candidates I have spoken to that tell me about how a recruiter called them about a job, sent in their application, and then never contacted them again. Then, in a few more weeks the same cycle repeats but with a different recruiter. The worst story I heard was when the same recruiter accidentally called the same candidate about the exact same position just a few weeks later. So, it is imperative that you follow-up in a manner that is pleasing and encourages the candidate to keep working with you.

How in the world can a candidate become excited about a job if the recruiter is not even motivated enough to call them about the application they sent in? Step up your game and call you potential candidate to catch up on how their job search is going, if they have any new interests they want to explore, or any information that is remotely pertinent to your relationship with them. People want to feel important and memorable so take advantage of that feeling and feed into it.

It is important to make every candidate feel special because they really are! Without candidates, you have no job, and then no employees to staff with your clients. Use these tips and try some of your own to find and catch your perfect candidate and get them excited about a job!

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Most Common Way Companies Handle Bereavement Time Off

ACG Resources — Fri, 08 May 2020 17:25:58 +0000

Losing a loved one can strike anyone at any time. As such, businesses of all shapes and sizes have employees who have friends or family pass away. When this happens it leads to a number of situations where an employee will need some time off from work: to attend a funeral, to arrange a funeral, to execute a will, time to cope with the loss, etc.

Currently there are no federal laws that require employers to provide employees either paid or unpaid bereavement leave. Also, only one state (Oregon, effective 2014) has passed a law requiring employers to provide bereavement leave. So what is the most common way companies handle bereavement time off? See below for a plan that many businesses nationwide have used related to bereavement time off.

Everything flows from having a bereavement policy so that everyone knows what to expect and the odds are greater that everyone will feel like they are being treated to the same standard. The first thing this policy will do is clarify whether a company sets aside time off specifically for bereavement, and if so, how much time and whether it is paid or not. Even if a company does not set aside bereavement time off, because for example the company believes it gives a generous amount of vacation time that employees should use for bereavement, it would not hurt to spell that out in a bereavement policy to avoid confusion. As with any policy, it is important for businesses to make it thorough, make sure it is easy to understand, make it easily accessible, and regularly update the policy to prevent it from becoming outdated.

Another key part of any good bereavement policy is making it explicit for whom the policy can be used because family dynamics, structures, and cultures vary widely. Some “strict” bereavement policies are only available when employees lose a parent, sibling, or child, while more “lenient” bereavement policies include aunts, uncles, grandparents, parents-in-law. And even though a lot can happen fast when a loved one passes away, it is helpful for a company to know ahead of time that an employee will be out of the office on bereavement leave, instead of after the fact. So like any other type of leave, it is helpful to include in the policy the process for employees to notify the company that they need to use bereavement leave. Lastly, to prevent the abuse of bereavement leave, some companies require employees to provide some sort of documentation when they return from bereavement leave, such as an obituary, funeral program, or just a short written summary of the deceased (relationship, city/state of residence, date of death, etc). This is especially helpful for larger companies where everyone does not know everyone or their relatives.

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When To Outsource Finance Jobs vs Hiring Talent

ACG Resources — Tue, 05 May 2020 12:34:12 +0000

In today’s data-rich business environment, it is more difficult than ever for a business to keep a lid on the fact that it isn’t doing well. To remain competitive and prevent the (typically) fast downward spiral, many businesses have to look at whether to outsource vs insource, dealing with their resource issue in house or hiring talent for finance jobs. Outsourcing is obtaining goods and/or services from an outside or foreign supplier, especially when that good or service is typically produced internally. Insourcing is the opposite and associated with the “traditional” way of producing goods or services, by generating them internally. Businesses have to evaluate a wide range of criteria when making this decision. This article will discuss some of that criteria along with some pros and cons of each type of production.

For businesses in America, outsourcing is a word that is typically associated with saving money due to the higher costs of doing business in America compared to most other places in the world. Outsourcing can also help a company focus on its core business while another firm or company handles tasks that are important but could be handled elsewhere. These tasks include those related to human resources, hiring talent, accounting, legal, and information technology. One last pro of outsourcing is that if the task is outsourced to the right company, the task could be handled by people with much more experience and proficiency than anyone a company could give the task to internally. For example, outsourcing accounting tasks to a firm that has a combined experience of 300 years in the field vs having someone internally complete the task who has 20 years of experience. One of the obvious cons is a loss of control/oversight with regards to the task being completed. Another con if a company is outsourcing overseas are potential culture, language, or ethical barriers. Lastly a con/risk of outsourcing is the disclosure of information that a company did not want disclosed; either to a competitor or to the public.

The pros and cons of completing a task internally are basically the opposite of outsourcing. The company can maintain closer control/oversight of the production of the good or service, to include a lesser chance of accidental disclosure of information. There are less likely to be cultural, language, or ethical barriers. There is also one unique pro to completing a task via insourcing, and that is positive PR due to the negative PR that accompanies businesses’ decisions to “ship American jobs overseas.” But these come at generally increased costs and not necessarily the most experienced people handling the work (unless a company hires a highly experienced person or group of people, but that of course leads to further increased costs). Ultimately a company’s decision on whether to outsource or insource should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis depending on what resource is the most important (such as cost vs control).

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4 Simple Steps to get to the Next Level

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:47 +0000

If you’re ready to take your career to a new level, there are a few things that you should start doing to become a better employee now. Here are some suggestions:

Increase Productivity Through Focused Action
Instead of being “busy” all the time, make sure that you’re filling your time with tasks that will be beneficial for the company. For example, you can stay busy by checking your email every 15 minutes, but this type of task isn’t an actionable item that will boost revenue for the company. Put together an effective to-do list by writing down tasks that will help you move forward in your goals and make measurable progress on your current projects. Make these to-do list items a priority in your work day, because taking action on your list will naturally decrease the low-priority tasks.
Change Your Evening and Morning Routine
If you’re the employee who is constantly dragging into the office late every morning, then you’re creating a situation where everyone else is always waiting on you. Getting up in the morning starts with your efforts the night before. Set a good bedtime routine to ensure that you are getting enough sleep at night, and have healthy morning habits that start your day right. Your mornings should be productive before you walk out the door because your morning routine will set the tone for the rest of your day. Basic hygiene tasks are important, and you should also focus on activities that will boost you mentally and emotionally as well. Morning exercise is a great option to get your blood flowing and help you feel ready to conquer the day.
Overcome Procrastination
It’s easy to procrastinate, especially when you have tasks that you’re dreading. However, overcoming procrastination is one of the best ways to improve your productivity and increase your value to the company. One of the best things that you can do to overcome procrastination is by tackling the most uncomfortable task first thing in the morning. By getting it out of the way the rest of the day will feel much more pleasant and you will build momentum that propels you through the rest of the day.
Take Small Breaks Throughout the Day
It might seem counter-intuitive to take more breaks if you are trying to be a better employee. But it is possible to boost productivity by taking small breaks to split up the workday. Step away from your desk for a few minutes to stretch your legs, get a drink of water, and socialize, and it will help to get your creative juices flowing. Many people find that powering through the workday without any breaks causes them to feel tired and unmotivated. If you’re starting to “hit a wall,” then step away from the project for a little while. You will come back from the break feeling refreshed and your efforts will be more productive.

By implementing these suggestions, you can be a better employee this year and potentially get the promotion or raise that you’re aiming for. These suggestions will increase your productivity and you will experience better levels of success in your career.

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Be the Employee Every Boss Loves

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:45 +0000

Every manager expects their employees to work hard and do their jobs, but with just a little nudge you can stand out. Those who stand out are the first ones to be considered when jobs open and it’s time for annual pay increases. Here are 5 great tips to get you started.

Communication: more is more

Whether you’re new to your role or you’ve been doing this job for years, the more you communicate the better off you will be. Questions help you know exactly what is expected of you and make sure you don’t have to rework anything. At the same time, it will help your boss see that you are engaged with your work and help clarify anything for the rest of your team. Try it in your next meeting, just ask one more (important) question before you walk out the door.

Anticipate needs

Communication is key, but the longer you are in your role, the more you should be able to understand what a good outcome will look like and what work needs to be done. Pick a small project, if you’re fairly certain you know what is expected, go ahead and make the jump and just do it. You’ll learn very quickly if that is appreciated or if your boss would prefer that you always wait for direction.

Together you are better

As you are asking questions and anticipating your manager’s needs, they will begin to rely on you as a resource. As new ideas come up, try to give some feedback from your perspective, even if they were on the job recently, your boss will value additional feedback. This will help you to shape the work you do. Next time the boss has an idea, add some constructive input and see how they take it. Start slow, just add something that is possibly just an extension of their thought, if they seem to like it, start to work more in.

Customers are key

Whether your customers are internal employees or clients, they are who you really work for. If your customers are happy, your boss will be too. Tell your boss about recent conversations with customers and ways you think your company could improve service. It will help keep them in the loop and make your life better. It’s a lot more fun talking to happy customers!

Be Engaged

A recent study showed that only 29% of employees are engaged at their job. Even if you don’t love what you’re doing today, the best way to get the job you want is to do the best you can at the one you have.

What does engagement mean? It doesn’t mean you need to be a suck up or “drink the Kool-aid.” You can even do a little complaining with your co-workers. If you just follow the 4 points above, you are probably already there. By being enthusiastic and taking an interest in improving your company, you will be far ahead of your peers.

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Are You Too Busy for Your Own Good?

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:45 +0000

There are three types of people in this world: people who are busy, people who are not, and people who have the time to brag about how busy they are. No matter which camp you belong to, keep reading.

Busier Than Ever?
The projects at work are mounting to Himalayan proportions. The list of personal errands is swelling by the minute. New family responsibilities keep popping up. If you observe the stereotypical TV sitcom family, they’re constantly in motion, going from one scheduled activity to another, from exhausting weekdays to jam-packed weekends, with nary a moment to stop and smell the roses. Everyone’s running around like headless chickens, right? Well, that’s the thing – it’s not everyone. There are people who live the slower life. It’s just that the busy bees are often ambitious type-A personalities who are very vocal about their lack of time. Or they’re type-B folks who voice their stress during moments of genuine time-crunch, then when their schedule calms down we assume that their plate is still full; we have no reason to assume otherwise. Then again, have you ever heard any of your colleagues bragging to their boss about how much free time they have? It doesn’t happen often.

This Is Not a Competition
Time management is not a team competition. It’s a useful individual skill which few have truly mastered, but it’s not a game. If you try to play it, you may ultimately lose. If you spread yourself too thin by taking on too many projects in an effort to impress your boss or colleagues, you’ll end up with little time to reflect, to wonder, to nourish relationships, to develop projects, and to cultivate creativity. You may accomplish all of your tasks by working long hours and weekends, but this is not a healthy long-term strategy. By bragging about how busy you are, you’re helping to perpetuate the view that this state of affairs is not only common but acceptable. The challenge is to transcend this plague of the modern workplace by either (a) managing your time effectively, or (b) not complaining, even when you are swamped.

Consider Your Health
In the workplace, physical and emotional health is often relegated to lower importance than work. In some offices, project deadlines are of the utmost priority and must be met at all costs, especially when executive visibility is involved. If you’re extremely busy, your reputation as a hard worker (or workaholic) may grow, but in the long run, your ability to deliver on all your commitments will shrivel. Retention of critical information will suffer. Organic learning will be stunted. Relationships, both personal and professional, will fall to the wayside. Self-awareness will go down the drain. If you’re overworked, your health may be compromised, which can affect your productivity, happiness, and long-term prospect at the job. In other words, by working too hard, you may be shooting yourself in the foot.

Would You Rather Be a Liar or Incompetent?
If you spend too much time bragging or even “just” complaining about how busy you are, you are either (a) exaggerating or (b) genuinely too busy for your own good. If it’s the former, and colleagues see that you’re spending too much time on irrelevant or personal tasks (e.g. checking your phone or social media accounts), you’re putting your professional and personal reputation on the line. There’s also the possibility that you have terrible time management skills. Another employee might be able to complete tasks in half the time with higher quality. Perhaps they’re aware of shortcuts or simply able to prioritize and focus better than you. Either way, admitting that you’re swamped doesn’t look impressive to a boss. Either boost your time management skills or…

Learn To Ask for Help, And To Say No
Instead of spending a huge chunk of your day complaining about the never-ending pile of projects, focus on what you can accomplish. Additionally, make a commitment to say no – firmly, but politely — to additional responsibilities. If a new task is critical (everything is NOT a fire, contrary to some beliefs), be realistic and explain to your boss and/or client that something else will have to give. If you don’t communicate this, you’ll be expected to deliver everything on time, which may not be realistic. Instead of taking everything onto your own plate, hone the skill of asking for help. If you’ve been helping colleagues all along, they should be willing to lend a hand when you need it most. Don’t see this as a sign of weakness. By inviting others to help, you give people the chance to feel useful and you can strengthen relationships that way as well. You will achieve greater professional success by recognizing the contributions of others than by complaining about your incredibly, ridiculously, insanely busy workload.

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Organize Your Work, 4 Quick Wins

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:45 +0000

We all know that organization is the key to success. Here are some concrete tips to help you get there. Know that it’s no rush, just try out one per week over the next 4 weeks.

Make Prioritization a Must
Whatever you hope to accomplish in a given day or week, you’ll need to make it a priority and approach it with relentless laser focus. Otherwise, it will be pulled under the current of countless requests, emails, text messages, IMs, tasks, blogs, etc. – you get the gist. If you’ve resolved to become better organized at work, that decision is a great first step – now you’ll need to put the steps below to work.

Clean Your Desk
If you’re OCD when it comes to cleanliness, you can probably skip this section. For everyone else: make sure your physical desktop is clean and clutter-free. You may be a slob at home, but at work your professional reputation is always on display, so put your best foot forward. Having a clean, mostly clear office desk will allow you to quickly find what you need; otherwise, the mess will keep nagging you in the back of your mind and can even prevent you from fully focusing on your work.

To get a handle on the chaos, come to work 30 minutes earlier than usual and divide the stuff into two piles: things to keep and junk to discard. Once you’ve thrown out the latter, start organizing the remaining pile into at least two more piles: active projects and archived material. Each of those piles can then be sorted into subfolders by project name or date, depending on your needs and preferences. Like any other, organization is a skill that gets better with practice.

Don’t Forget Your Digital Workspace
Depending on your industry, most of your work and materials may be digital, not physical. So even if your work area is super neat, you may still have a lot of organizing to do with your virtual desktop. Think back to the last time a manager requested a document from you and you scrambled to find it on your computer desktop or shared drive. Chances are, poor folder organization was the time-sucking culprit. Get a handle on the issue once and for all by carving out some time (perhaps a Friday afternoon) to reorganize and rename folders, and delete or archive any inactive documents. Just make sure to communicate your process to anyone who may be impacted to mitigate confusion.

Make Time For Your Calendar
Part and parcel of a clean digital and physical workspace is an organized calendar. While you may not always be in full control over your schedule, you probably have more power than you realize. One way to keep your work life organized is by thoughtfully scheduling your tasks each day and week. Be mindful of your energy and creative levels: if you’re someone who is sharp and alert in the morning, plan your toughest tasks in the AM. Think about the natural rhythm of work in your department: if Wednesdays are always crazy, schedule a buffer to help you handle the pandemonium (e.g. a 30-minute block of time in the AM and PM). And always have a list of backup tasks (in order of priority) on the off-chance that the day is quieter than expected. At all costs, avoid multi-tasking. Focusing on one task at a time will help you get things done faster, increase your sense of accomplishment, and demonstrate to others that you have the laser-like focus and determination that are so characteristic of successful people.

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Find an Extra Hour Every Day

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:45 +0000

Time is passing you by this very minute as you read. Since you are currently reading this article, perhaps you have some interest in creating a little more time in your day. Now, to be perfectly honest, your day is only going to have 24 hours in it, whether you like it or not. So don’t consider yourself a magician creating time, but a detective scavenging your day for that precious 60 minutes that might have lost its way. More than a tip or trick, self-awareness is your map to those 60 minutes.

That Thing Only You Know

People are more self-aware than they are often given credit for. Consequently, the experts believe that with the right questions, people can quickly come to a conclusion that is more powerful than anything they have been told. So here is where you start to find your lost 60 minutes. Start with analyzing your day and being honest with yourself.

How much time do you spend doing things at work that you wouldn’t want your boss to see? This works for management as well. How much time do you spend on something at work for which you would be embarrassed if your hard working employees were to witness? There are those that expect good stewardship of your time. You know who those people are and you know what time-consuming things you are involved in that would disappoint them.

It’s not that a little time for yourself can’t be healthy from time to time. However, if you really want to find a lost hour of the day, you have to start here. No one knows what this time looks like apart from you. If you are unwilling to go here, then you need to question how committed you are to finding that extra hour.

The End of the Day

If you get off work at 5:00, what time do you stop working? This is not a trick question. Remember, we are talking about saving the day by finding an extra 60 minutes. If you frequently shut down at 4:45 every day, then recovering that time gets you 25% of the way there. Now, this is more than just a motivational approach, but a scheduling one as well.

However, before you schedule, you have to be honest with yourself about when you quit working. You can’t ask your boss about it because you usually don’t tell your boss that 4:30 is when you start staring at the clock rather than working. If you know this about yourself, then it’s time to start being smart about what you schedule for the end of the day.

If you put projects that are too large to complete at the end of the day, then you need to ask yourself if it is too tempting to just wait until the next day to start. Moreover, if you put frivolous tasks without deadlines at the end of the day, the temptation might be to just put it off until tomorrow. Remember, we are seeking an extra 60 minutes, not a whole day. Consider putting easy tasks with a daily deadline as an end of the day task. This forces you to put that last hour to use, which otherwise would be unproductive.

So these are routes to discovering lost time for which self-awareness will be your guide. If you are unwilling to ask yourself the hard questions about your own work habits, then all the tips and tactics in the world will be of no use. Search yourself and these 60 minutes will be easier to find than you think.

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Boost your Workplace Happiness

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:45 +0000

Here are a few simple ideas to increase your level of happiness at any job.

Count Your Blessings
When your job has got you down, it can be difficult to find a silver lining, but the effort will be well worth it. Instead of focusing on the endless negatives at work, take a moment to list the top 5 aspects of your job, no matter how large or small. Reminding yourself of “the good stuff” will act as an instant mood boost and can create a much-needed shift in perspective. Perhaps a drawn-out project finally ended, an impossibly demanding client sent you positive feedback, a new assignment forced you to learn a new skill, or a menial data-entry task gave you a breather from talking to people. Every challenge can be a blessing in disguise if you let it. Acknowledging the good in your workplace will give you the energy to tackle the not-so-good. If you’re skeptical, give it a shot anyway.
Play Devil’s Advocate
You can’t completely ignore the unpleasant aspects of your job, hoping they’ll disappear on their own. If you ever feel stuck and think there are no viable solutions in sight, try the following mental exercise: make a list of the major challenges of your job and then pretend a coworker came to you with the same list asking for your advice. What would you tell them? Now go ahead and put some of that wisdom to the test yourself. You may not be able to cross everything off the list right away, but you’ll surprise yourself by how much you can accomplish if you address the pesky work issues head on.
If You See Something, Do Something
Often a work grievance continues to be a problem because no one does anything concrete to improve the status quo. If you enjoy discomfort, let the problem persist. Otherwise, take stock of the issue and bring it up to management – but make sure you come up with a plausible solution first. Doing so will make you appear proactive and responsible in the eyes of your boss. Being proactive will, in turn, increase your sense of agency and self-worth. Ultimately, your proposed solution may not be accepted or implemented, so do remain open-minded. But your general initiative to enhance the workplace will be appreciated and it will be considered the next time a promotion is at stake.
Recognize Others
If you’re stuck in a rut at work, consider focusing on others for a change. By recognizing your colleagues for their contributions and talents, and praising them — privately or publicly — for a job well done, you’ll be doing yourself a service too. You’ll be perceived in the workplace as someone who is perceptive, kind, and a key team player. You’ll make someone’s day and you’ll feel better about it too.
Accept Reality
If all else fails, accept that sometimes a job is just a job. Some folks are workaholics, addicted to long hours at the office, deeply passionate about everything they do; they simply live to work. But plenty of people work to live, earning money to pay the bills at jobs they don’t necessarily love, to be able to enjoy their free time any way they like – and that’s okay. If you don’t enjoy your job you can attempt a long-term shift in mindset and tough it out until retirement or you can take the necessary steps to seek a different job. The only person who gets to decide the next step… is you.

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Stay on the Fast Track

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:45 +0000

Here are some common slip-ups and how to avoid them, so you can stay on the fast-track path to career success. Assuming you want to move forward in your career, avoid these common mistakes that could be sabotaging your progress.

It’s alarmingly simple to sabotage your own career. An insensitive comment, your weekend on social media, or a remark in a room full of politically correct colleagues. Any one of these situations can brand you with the scarlet letter of an untrustworthy, unstable, or poor decision-making employee. Knowing the common traps helps you to avoid them.

Here are five ways to single-handedly self-sabotage your career.

Cross the Boundaries with TMI
Too much information, or TMI, crosses workplace boundaries that should remain off-limits. One of the most self-sabotaging ways to impact your career is to offer too much information. This may come in the form of a negative remark about a former boss or a co-worker who made a mistake on an important task. When you display a lack of emotional intelligence by offering too much information about someone else or yourself, your career may suffer the consequence.
Mismanage Social Media
Horror stories abound regarding social media and mistakes that have cost many their jobs. Uploading a photo from a wild weekend could go viral in the office and end up in the wrong hands. Be mindful of pictures you upload to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Avoid ranting about co-workers, your boss, or office problems. Disgruntled posts about colleagues and clients are not an act of vindication, but self-sabotage.
Become Complacent with Your Skillset
When you allow your skills to stagnate you eliminate your ability to bring something fresh to the job. It’s important, especially if you want to advance in your career, to keep your skills up-to-date. People with gaps in their ongoing education are not as marketable as those who stay polished. If you plan to move up the ladder, you must keep your industry skills current.
Stalk Your Mentor
While stalking may seem like a strong word, becoming overly aligned with your boss, supervisor, or mentor can be detrimental to your career. You should maintain a healthy relationship with your boss, but when relationships are taken to extremes, your career may suffer. To avoid over-alignment, diversify your workplace relationships and avoid becoming attached at the hip to those who mentor you.
Hold a Grudge and Declare Office War
Office conflict is inevitable. How you handle it is what could either sabotage your career or make you a stronger individual. Rather than holding a grudge against the colleague who beat you out of the corner office, congratulate them and vow to yourself to work harder. Too often petty problems arise in the workplace and cause negative situations. No matter how hurt or angry you are, never send off that improper email or verbally attack anyone at work. It could cost you your reputation and your career.

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5 Tips for Better Work Eating

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:45 +0000

Don’t let poor eating habits stand in the way of health, productivity, and morale.

Respect Lunchtime
Don’t be a mealtime martyr. “I didn’t have time to eat” may sound like a badge of honor to some, but it’s problematic on at least two counts: first, it suggests poor time management skills and, sadly, it shows a basic disregard for the fact that you need to eat well to live and operate at your optimal level. Your body and brain need a robust and regular dose of nutrients to keep your decision-making abilities, alertness, and focus sharp. If at all possible, block out 30 minutes on your schedule every day for lunch, and your colleagues won’t unknowingly schedule meetings during that time. There will always be exceptions, sure — just don’t let starvation be the rule.
BYOL: Bring Your Own Lunch
Even if you’re not a world-class chef, bringing your own lunch to work is the way to go. Not only is it significantly more economic (do you know how much you spend on lunch each year?), but it’s typically much healthier – plus, it’s a chance to impress your colleagues and a great way to reduce leftover spoilage in the fridge at home. If you don’t have the time or desire to cook for yourself, consider asking your partner, your kids, or even a willing and able neighbor – perhaps for a small fee. You’ll still come out ahead fiscally.
It’s a work desk, not a dining table
The Oxford English dictionary added the phrase “al desko” in 2014. Sadly, eating lunch at one’s desk is the norm at many offices, even ones that have cafeterias or ample outdoor seating (weather permitting). Eating alone in front of the computer screen is an example of multi-tasking at its worst: chances are you’re not fully enjoying your meal or chewing it properly, and you’re also not fully processing the emails or work tasks you’re trying to complete at the same time.
Less, More Often
You are not a machine, but rather a living, breathing human being. Unlike your computer, which can run for hours without a pause, you should consider taking regular breaks from your work to keep your concentration sharp and your creative juices flowing. The act of walking to the office kitchen or pantry gets you up from your desk and moving (an added health benefit if your job is sedentary). Plus, the snack will boost your energy and mood, so when you return to your desk, you’ll be ready to continue the task at hand. Just avoid the hidden sugars; opt for water or tea in place of juice, which typically comes saturated with sugar – empty calories. Nuts and whole fruits are also a great snack, depending on dietary restrictions and personal preferences. Most experts agree: eat less, more often. Spacing out your snacks in small increments keeps your energy level optimal without overwhelming your digestive system or spiking your blood sugar levels.
Friday Fundays
Although homemade lunches are ideal, it’s a good thing to get out of the office once in a while. If there’s one day a week when your workload calms down a bit (e.g. Friday) consider heading out for lunch with a coworker or your department. This will be great for team-building and you’ll get to try a new restaurant. It’s also a great networking opportunity if you invite colleagues you may not know well or who work in other departments: you’ll learn about their hidden talents and hobbies, you’ll hear about important company projects, job openings, promotions, and other goings on. And you may make a long-lasting friend.

Bonus Tip:
Sometimes people bring donuts to work, take one every once and a while, it won’t kill you!

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Use the 80/20 Rule to Beat Procrastination

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:45 +0000

Procrastination can show up in many forms, including spending time browsing Facebook or surfing the internet, checking your email obsessively throughout the day, talking with a co-worker about last night’s big game, or even spending a chunk of your time on busy work instead of more important projects. If you want to improve your success and overcome procrastination, then you need to apply the 80/20 rule in your life.

What is the 80/20 Rule?

The 80/20 rule is the concept that 80% of your revenue or success comes from only 20% of your efforts or customers. If you look at the activities that are completed during the day, you will find that the top 20% of your daily activities will result in 80% of the results that you achieve.

It’s easy for general tasks to slip in and keep us distracted from the things that can move us forward in success and many people find themselves slipping back into old habits of procrastination instead of focusing on the 20% that will propel you forward.

Tips to Apply the 80/20 Rule

Here are a few tips that can be used to maximize your productivity and overcome procrastination:

Change your daily workflow. Most people are in the habit of looking at their to-do list, and then checking Facebook or Twitter with the idea that they will start on their list after a few mundane tasks. Instead of letting yourself slip out of productivity, jump into your to-do items to get them done first, and then you can spend the rest of the day relaxing once your list is done.

Get rid of the need to be perfect. We all have habits that slow down our progress, and many times these habits are rooted in the concept of trying to achieve perfection. Re-reading and editing a short email for 15 minutes before hitting the send button only makes a small, incremental difference in the big picture. Move fast, complete the task as quickly as possible, and then move onto the next without getting bogged down by trying to achieve perfection.

Add break time to your calendar. Trying to power through your to-do list without taking a break can have negative consequences and you will eventually burn out. Make sure to schedule some time to do nothing: relax, read a book, watch a movie, or play with your kids. These tasks will help to refuel your creativity and make you more effective when you’re focusing on the tasks that really matter. Also, it can be beneficial to take a digital break, where you completely step away from the computer for a full day each week.

It takes a little bit of practice, but once you identify the tasks that are propelling your success, then you can optimize your workflow and decrease procrastination. It’s amazing to see how effective you can be by applying the 80/20 rule in your own life because you will learn how to maximize your productivity and enjoy the time away from your projects.

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3 Things to Avoid When Your Hobby Becomes Your Job

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

It seems ideal: you finally find a way to get paid for doing something that you truly love! It seems like a dream, being able to make a living performing a function that you are passionate about and have spent countless hours perfecting as a hobby. However, even those among us who manage to land in this enviable position have some potential pitfalls to watch out for. The last thing you want is your hobby becoming a burden, so avoid the following hazards along the way to ensure that your dream job doesn’t turn into your nightmare.

Don’t Fall into a Rut

It is alarmingly easy to slip into an unthinking routine when you are working in a field you know very well. However, this is a kiss of death when it comes to feeling engaged and fulfilled by your work. To keep things fresh, don’t be afraid to try new things, take risks, and get out of your comfort zone a little. Even if you can’t imagine a world in which you’re doing anything other than what you’re passionate about, learning new skills and branching out from time to time will keep you interested and ensure you don’t grow complacent.

Don’t Stop Working on Your Own Projects

One downside of being paid to perform your passion for other people is that you tend to lose a bit of the creative control you have when you’re just doing something for the fun of it. It might run counter to the adage of “don’t take your work home with you,” but in this case, continuing your own personal projects for fun will be key to keeping your interest keen.

Don’t Forget to Take a Break

Taking a break is crucial to avoiding burnout, no matter what your job happens to be. Not only does hitting pause on your work give you the opportunity to become a more capable person through the exploration of other interests, but it gives you the opportunity to restore your passion and catch your breath. It is important to take a break, even when you love what you do. You’ll find that when you return to your work, you will likely have renewed resolve and the energy you need to drive forward.

The takeaway from all of this is that, even when you are lucky enough to turn your hobby into your career, there will be drawbacks. One of the worst feelings is to find yourself losing interest in something that you used to love, so taking care to shake things up, keeping up with passion projects, and remembering to occasionally take a break from it all will be critical. If you are fortunate enough to land in a position to monetize your hobby, make sure to keep the fire burning. As the saying goes: if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.

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Making the Most of Multitasking with Technology

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

The rapid advancement of technology throughout the last few decades has led to huge leaps forward in our ability to collaborate, produce, and multitask in the workplace. However, with the influx of new technologies, we are now capable of multitasking even to our own detriment. When your focus is pulled in a hundred different directions by the dings and flashes from your cell phone, your tablet, your desktop, etc. it becomes impossible to fully focus on the task (or tasks) at hand. There is always something vying for your attention, and what begins as an easy way to streamline work and get more done at once quickly becomes a confusing mess of tasks and programs to keep track of. It’s not all bad, though. By optimizing your technology and making the most of your multitasking capabilities, you can maximize the upside to getting it all done at once while minimizing the downside of the never-ending workflow.

Consolidate

Most people are guilty of it: you have multiple programs that all essentially do the same thing. Did you share those notes on Slack or Evernote? Did you send that message from your personal or your work email? When the time comes that you find yourself toggling between your phone’s Google calendar, your desktop’s Outlook calendar, and your work cell’s iCalendar, it’s easy to see how the relative convenience of these applications can become horribly complex.

To eliminate this problem, you need to consolidate as much as possible. Pick the platform that best fits your needs and stick to it. At most, you should only have separate calendars for work and personal events, but the easiest will be to have everything consolidated into one. This enables you to see your day at a glance, rather than having to check multiple calendars against one another before confirming a meeting. This principle can be applied across all your technologies. Wherever possible, consolidate down to just one email client, collaboration platform, and storage service. The simplicity will make your life feel less cluttered and enable you to multitask better by eliminating the need to sort through redundancies while you do it.

Integrate

The ability to integrate services, devices, and platforms into one another is incredibly helpful when it comes to getting more done at once, and you should take full advantage of this to optimize your multitasking. Now that you’ve pared down to just one calendar, integrate it into as many of the services you use as possible, so that you can multitask seamlessly between whatever device or program you happen to be using at the time.

Integrate your calendar into Slack, set up your Dropbox account on your mobile and desktop devices, and wherever possible make sure that you have access to the programs that you need from anywhere you happen to be. This way, the next time you need to send an email confirming a meeting on your calendar while on a conference call, you can do it all from a single device.

Automate

Automation is where multitasking starts to get really cool. This is when the ingenuity of the new technology available to you is put into practice. Each of the individual programs you use probably has some form of automation built in – the ability to set calendar reminder notifications or email auto-responses, for instance. However, the practice of automation has become far more involved than even these handy individual features.

Services like If This, Then That (IFTTT.com) allow you to consolidate, integrate, and automate the various technologies in your life in a big way. From your car to your weather app, these user-friendly “applettes” allow you to automate your multitasking completely. You can mute your phone upon entering the office, send a text to your spouse when you leave, and have your garage door open when your car is in the driveway without even lifting a finger. Whether you use IFTTT or find other ways to automate your tech to best fit your individual needs, being able to automate your tasks will be the way that you turn the tables from having to multitask yourself to having multiple tasks complete themselves while you focus your attention on the areas that need it the most.

Your first step should be consolidating your technologies and streamlining as much as possible. Cut out redundant platforms and services and focus your attention on just those that you need. Next, integrate as many of them together as possible, so that you are able to multitask between them from any one of the devices that you use on a regular basis. Finally, stop spending mental energy trying to multitask and automate these optimized technologies to do the legwork for you. Multitasking doesn’t have to be a trial-by-fire splitting of your attention. With the capabilities we have today, it can instead mean getting to focus on just one thing at a time, while you’re still simultaneously “doing it all.”

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5 Words That Will Supercharge Your Resume

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

Writing a good resume is part art and part science. It takes creativity and attention to detail to craft a truly eye-catching CV, and there are no shortages of acceptable formats or structures. Different industries have their own unique standards for resumes and there is truly no one “right” font, format, or style. However, there are a few key concepts that are critical to delivering an impactful message, no matter how you choose to say it. These concepts can be summed up in just the five words below, words that you should be sure to include in your resume often!

Implemented

Hiring managers are often looking to see how well you handle projects. To speak to this, try describing the times you have implemented something (it could be a new system, software, or a policy) within your organization. Detailing what implementations you have had the chance to drive and how you handled the task will give hiring managers an easy-to-grasp example of your experience delivering on hands-on projects.

Developed

In addition to your skills delivering on a project, hiring managers will also be reading your paperwork to determine how strategic and creative you can be. Not only do businesses need employees with a bias for action, they need thought leaders who can design and develop at a high level. Being able to articulate what you’ve designed – be it software you’ve built, a policy you wrote, or a new workflow system you drew up – will help your next boss understand what you’re capable of creating.

Resulting

This is perhaps the most critical word to include in your resume. The unfortunate tendency of many job seekers is to write what amounts to a list of their job duties in their resume. Far more meaningful than what you were supposed to do, however, is what you actually did. Any time you can quantify or qualify your experience by showing the results of your efforts, make sure you do so. Showing hiring managers the results you can deliver will go a long way toward landing the job.

Led

Leadership is yet another important trait sought after by hiring managers. Regardless of your industry, your role, or your education, leadership is crucial to advancing beyond a certain level in your career. Even if you don’t have direct leadership experience managing a team, being able to highlight the occasions on which you’ve displayed great leadership ability is important. If you can speak to initiatives you’ve led, teams you’ve directed, or individuals you’ve trained, be sure to do so wherever possible.

Collaborated

While leadership is certainly important, it’s not everything. Equally as crucial to success in a role is the ability to collaborate and work within teams. It is one thing to give direction and take charge, but a much different skill set is needed to work collaboratively or manage “horizontally.” If you can give examples of working cross-functionally within an organization, partnering with others, or driving business objectives as a group, it is important to highlight that experience as well.

These five words will supercharge your resume, regardless of what industry you’re in, the level you’ve attained in your career, or your unique career aspirations. These terms allow you to best highlight your most desirable skills in a way that shows hiring managers your potential, your experience, and your strengths without bogging them down with lengthy lists or long-winded examples.

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6 Ways to Boost Your Happiness and Productivity at Work

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

It’s not always easy to maintain a positive outlook throughout the workday. Often, it’s simply not possible to control the stressors, your work environment, or the attitudes of your coworkers. With all of these factors, staying happy and productive at work can prove to be a challenge. However, maintaining a good mood at the office will be much easier if you follow these proven methods regularly.

Go for a walk

Any physical activity will help boost your mood, but studies have shown a multitude of benefits to walking specifically. It increases productivity in the workplace and has a myriad of health benefits to boost. A walk doesn’t require much investment of time or energy, but it can go a long way towards improving your mood during the workday.

Get plenty of sleep

Being sleep deprived is a sure-fire way to put yourself in a bad mood. Being tired can make you irritable, unfocused, and an overall grouch. Chronic sleep deprivation – even just as much as a week of getting fewer than six hours a night – can cause genetic changes that negatively impact your cognitive abilities. That’s got to be all the reason you need to strive for eight hours. A good night’s rest is the foundation for your mood and ability the next day.

Practice mindfulness

It may sound a bit new-age for some, but the proven benefits of practicing mindfulness at work speak for themselves. In fact, many of the world’s top companies have instituted mindfulness programs to help their employees embrace this mindset. The practice of mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and depression, lower blood pressure, and improve memory.

Eat Well

Nutrition plays a critical role in maintaining a good mood at the office. If you are constantly in the throes of a sugar high/crash scenario, you are likely to be irritable and moody. If you are hungry, you’re probably not feeling very focused. It can seem too hectic to find time to eat well during the workday, but it’s crucial to your happiness that you make your nutrition a priority.

Take time to socialize

It may seem counterintuitive to productivity, but studies have shown that employees who have a “best friend” in the workplace are more engaged, overall. You spend an awful lot of time with your coworkers, so taking the time to build meaningful relationships can have a dramatic influence on your happiness. Building a sense of community and comradery with your office mates should make the days seem a lot more fun and will keep you actively engaged in your work, boosting your productivity.

Express gratitude

Studies show that those who express gratitude show marked improvements in both psychological and physical health. That’s cause to smile any day! Expressing your thankfulness in the workplace will create a positive environment and will leave you in better shape than before, happier and ready to do your best work.

Happiness and productivity often go hand-in-hand, and any of the above endeavors should put you well on your way to improving both. Getting plenty of exercise, sleeping an adequate amount, staying mindful, eating healthily, taking time out to socialize, and expressing gratitude should be priorities during your workday. The better you can master these six practices, the better you’ll be able to handle all of the challenges that your job throws at you.

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4 Hidden Benefits of Being Inexperienced

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

Perhaps one of the most frustrating plights of job seekers is the paradox of needing to have experience to be considered qualified to get experience. Finding the right role is hard enough without the added complication of having to search out a company willing to take a chance on developing an inexperienced employee. However, being a relative rookie isn’t all bad! In fact, there are quite a few positives to still having a lot to learn. The better you can articulate the positives of your position, the better chance you’ll stand of landing the dream job when you find it.

No bad habits

One of the nicest things about being a newbie to something is that you have not had much of a chance to develop bad habits. Employees who have extensive experience in a particular field or with a certain skill are often used to doing things in a very specific way. However, in the real world, the adaptable usually produce the best results. It can be a huge benefit to an organization to bring in relatively inexperienced talent that can be trained to do things in the way that works best for that environment. These less-seasoned employees don’t come with any preconceived notions or bad habits and may be far more flexible than their more well-versed counterparts.

Unbridled enthusiasm

Burnout is a very real problem in the workplace. However, it is far less of an issue when dealing with inexperienced employees. Whether it’s a new skill, a new industry, or an entirely new career, the untried employee will be far more resistant to burnout. You’ll be learning something new and will have the energy and enthusiasm to prove it, which could infuse your next workplace with much-needed energy and excitement.

Great developmental opportunities

The organization which takes a chance on hiring a less experienced employee not only gets an adaptable, enthusiastic employee, they also get an employee who can be engaged and developed internally for far longer than a seasoned veteran. Though you might require more training on the front end, the fact that you will be actively engaged in the opportunity to learn will mean that your employer can rest easy knowing that they have a grateful and motivated employee with plenty of runway for future development.

A fresh perspective

Perhaps the biggest value-add that an inexperienced employee can bring to the table is a fresh perspective. While having someone who’s “seen it all” can be handy in the workplace, it may also lead to an overly narrowed focus. It’s easier for those who haven’t had such specific experience to think about problems from different angles. For organizations looking to infuse a fresh viewpoint and creative ways of looking at problems, bringing in some inexpert talent may make all the difference.

While your experience can go a long way towards showing a potential employer what you’re capable of, your inexperience can also be a great opportunity for the right organization. As a candidate-hopeful, being able to highlight these elements will be critical to your ability to persuade a hiring manager to take a chance and invest the development you’ll need to get a deeper experience. If you are looking to bridge the gap between inexperience and your next big career move, remind hiring managers that you are flexible and open to training, that you are enthusiastic and unspoiled, that you are eager to take advantage of new developmental opportunities, and that you offer a fresh new perspective. Doing this well can be your ticket to the next level in your career.

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Four Habits Successful People Don’t Have

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

There is no “secret formula” to becoming a success, but it would be a whole lot easier if there were! What it comes down to in most cases is talent, determination, perseverance, dumb luck, or (most often) some combination thereof. While there may not be a surefire step-by-step road to success, there are certainly some habits that won’t get you there. If you’re looking for ways to become more successful in your career, instead of focusing on what else you could be doing, try thinking about the things you ought to stop, such as:

1. Complaining

The fastest way to undermine your own success is to complain too much. Sure, it can be tempting to vent when something doesn’t go your way, but complaining is a quick way to get people to dislike you. Aside from making you universally loathed, by complaining ad nauseam you essentially wire your brain for ingratitude. If you’re not able to appreciate your progress and face adversity with a positive outlook, you will never be able to overcome the obstacles that will undoubtedly stand between you and success.

2. Procastinating

This is a tough one for many people. It can be very tempting to put off unpleasant or difficult tasks “until tomorrow.” The problem is that “tomorrow” soon becomes “next week” and it’s not long before you find yourself rushing off half-cocked to finish something you should have started on weeks ago. Worse still, you may put off the goal indefinitely. By stopping the bad habit of procrastinating, you teach yourself to tackle challenges head-on and ensure that you always have time to be thorough and thoughtful in your work.

3. Lying

Everyone has told a white lie in their lives, but if you hope to achieve meaningful success in your career, this is a habit you will need to curtail. Being found out in a lie will do irreparable damage to your integrity in the eyes of your colleagues and leaders and the risk is frankly not worth it. Furthermore, by saying “I don’t know” or owning up to your mistakes, you prove to those around you that you are credible and mature. These attributes will take you far on the road to success.

4. Quitting

Perhaps the single most damaging habit to success is the habit of quitting. It is hard to persevere when things don’t meet your expectations or start to become difficult, but the ability to do so is what separates successful people from the public at large. You can be certain that you will fail at tasks along the way, but the important thing is that you do not quit them before you see them through. Even if you don’t achieve what you set out to do, the experience you will gain from the process is invaluable. Better still are the times when you will come out on top, having achieved your goals despite the temptation to quit.

If achieving success in your career is important to you, don’t bank on falling into the “dumb luck” category. It’s probably going to take work. The good news is that you don’t even have to take on monumental tasks to get started. By simply putting a stop to the four habits listed above, you’ll be well on your way.

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5 Keys to Earning a Higher Salary

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

Wanting a raise is something of a universal human condition. In fact, you’d be incredibly hard pressed to find a single employee out there who wouldn’t gladly accept a higher salary, if offered. This means that you’re hardly the only one who’s asking themselves how they can gain entry into the next tax bracket. So what should you do? How do you set yourself apart from the pack and put yourself in a position to watch your income grow?

1. Change jobs

To preface this tip, you should know that there is a fine line between making career moves and job hopping. However, changing jobs can be one of the quickest ways to get a big pay increase relatively quickly. While annual merit increases tend to hover around 3% annually, it’s a fairly standard practice to see a 10% (or more) salary increase when you make a job move. While you may be content with your current company, you have to factor in a certain amount of lost opportunity cost if you decide to become a “company man,” rather than exploring your options elsewhere.
That said, don’t let the desire for a quick pay bump cause you to fall into the trap of job hopping. Moving companies too often will eventually bring diminishing returns, as employers become less willing to invest money in you and your job prospects decline. If you’re looking to change companies, you should ideally do so every few years in order to strike a balance between capitalizing on job moves and building a solid career track.

2. Quantify value

This can be a tricky area depending on your job. It can be tough to put a dollar amount on the impact of the work that you do, but it’s important to be able to quantify your value. Even if you don’t have the exact metrics or dollar figures on what your impact has been, if you can take it upon yourself to gain the business acumen needed to explain the tangible impact your work has had on the business, you will have a much greater chance of success when you ask for a raise, go after a promotion, or apply for a new job. In short, you need to be able to explain why you’re worth it in a way that they will really understand.

3. Invest sweat equity

Known in some circles as simply “paying your dues,” sweat equity is an investment that you make of your own time and effort. Of course, you will have to keep in mind your work/life balance in order to remain suitably productive and happy, but investing sweat equity in your work is key to reaching the higher echelons of the pay scale. This may come in the form of taking on the grueling project that nobody else wants, learning more about something on your own time so that you can improve your work on the clock, or putting in some long nights so you can deliver ahead of schedule. Whatever your “investment” looks like, it will be sure to carry good returns when it comes time to negotiate a salary or to receive a merit increase.

4. Take on leadership responsibility

Training someone to be proficient in an area of your job is one thing, but training someone to be a competent leader is something else entirely. For that reason, you will be worth far more to your company if you have both skill sets. Even if you start small, like volunteering to lead a team project or mentoring new hires, you will be giving yourself a huge leg-up on getting to the management tier and the higher salary that accompanies it. If you’re finding these leadership opportunities difficult to find through your organization, there are other avenues, such as leveraging your specific expertise to teach a class or lead a team of volunteers for a nonprofit project, that can help you develop and showcase your leadership skills.

5. Start early

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York published a somewhat depressing report in 2015, showing that the bulk of income growth happens within the first decade of a career. This effectively means that your lifetime earning potential is going to be set while you’re only in your 20s. While the top-earners do continue to see continued increases in overall salary, even that slows down after the first decade; for the lowest percentile, earning potential actually begins to decline past that threshold. In short, this means that the earlier in your career you begin making moves that will earn you a higher salary, the higher your lifetime earning potential will be. Unfortunately, it also means that it will be tougher to reach higher salaries as you move later into your career. There is absolutely no time better than the present to start turning these ideas into action if you hope to earn a higher salary right now and for years to come.

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Your Guide to Scoring Employer-Paid Training

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

If you’re reading this article you are likely already knowledgeable about the importance of continuous learning and skills development. You know that learning new skills and technologies is critical to the success of a career and the sustainability of a business. Awareness of this fact is a great start, but you may have found that the rest of the world – perhaps including your own employer – may not be as in the loop as you are in this respect.

It isn’t always easy to persuade your employer to invest in your skill development and training, but with a little tact and open communication you can set yourself up to make your case and score new developmental opportunities. Below, you’ll find a few tips to get you started.

1. Use what you’ve got:

Don’t make this process harder than it needs to be. If your company already offers avenues for employee skills training, then there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Make sure that, before you approach your boss with your case, you have explored the proper internal channels and have made it known that you would like to be considered for any developmental opportunities that the company currently offers. Take advantage of as many of these opportunities as you can, and if you still think that you need more comprehensive employer-paid training, or if you find these avenues don’t exist yet, continue on to step number two.

2. Build a business case:

The folks who hold the purse strings are seldom very plugged-in to the needs of the average worker. For this reason, you need to be able to speak their language. You shouldn’t expect to make a request that will cost your employer money without being able to show a value-add in return, and they may not readily understand why what you’re requesting is important. Research the skills-training programs your competitors and industry leaders employ, come prepared with some quantitative info on why it pays to invest in this type of employee training, and try to find current or recent projects and skills gaps in which your training could be helpful. All of this will help leaders feel more comfortable about making an investment in your development.

3. Tailor your requests:

In a perfect world, companies would invest in their employees’ training and development no matter what, but the fact of the matter is that employers would go broke if they footed the bill for every request of this nature that they receive. You need to set your expectations appropriately and make sure that what you’re asking to be funded is within reason and relevant to the business. Get specific when you ask about developmental opportunities – find new technologies or skills that you can apply to your business from minute one, not just those which you think will be most beneficial to your career. Be reasonable in your requests for a learning budget and be specific about what you want to accomplish and how it can help the organization.

Armed with this information, making a learning budget request should be much easier. It’s probably not every day that you have cause to build a business case and petition leadership for a budget. For that reason, even the process of asking for employer-paid training is a great developmental opportunity. Don’t become discouraged if you don’t get your budget approved right away. Continue to look for opportunities for your skill development to help the organization and bring it to your employer’s attention once you’ve built your case. Your ambition and acumen won’t go unnoticed, and you may find yourself getting some once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunities out of the deal.

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Embrace These 3 Before Quitting the Job You Hate

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

Look, we have all been there at some point. We know the feeling of waking up every day with the knowledge that half of your waking hours will be spent in a place you hate. Maybe it’s the work or perhaps it’s the people. Whatever the reason, you hate it all the same and it’s time for you to leave. There is nothing wrong with this. People seeking to better themselves is what makes the world go ’round and there is no reason you can’t be happy with your role in it. With the limited time you have left in this job, let’s talk about what you need to start embracing now.

The Suck
Military people have a phrase that is often not heard in the civilian world. That phrase is “Embrace the Suck.” People in the military have a uniquely refined ability to make the best of miserable circumstances, be it war or peacetime. I’m here to suggest that there is a certain amount of joy to be gained if you can do the same in this job you hate. Learning to embrace the suck teaches you that you don’t have to wait before finding the little joys in life. There are miserable aspects of your current job and that’s why you hate it. However, if a Marine can focus on the cold bottle of water he is drinking rather than the hot desert sun he’s standing under, then you can find some joy at your job while admitting some aspects of the job are less than pleasant. The truth is, your next job is likely to have a little “suck” to it as well. So you might as well learn to embrace it now so you can enjoy greater happiness down the road.
The Experience
Usually, a person doesn’t decide they hate their job on one day and find a new one the next. It’s typically a process that can drag on for months, if not years. After all, people have bills to pay and if they have families, their kids have gotten used to eating every day and not just some. So what do you do while this miserable job experience drags on? I suggest you become a hungry connoisseur for every experience you can get. Your boss may or may not know your days there are numbered, but you do. You know that there is a new opportunity just on the horizon, so it’s time to get ready. When you start embracing experiences for the sake of building more competence, then these last days of the job work for you instead of you working for them. Embrace the experience as a path to freedom.
The People
This is sometimes a catch 22, as it’s entirely possible that the reason you hate your job is, in fact, the people you work with. I have come to believe that people can endure a lot if they enjoy the people they’re enduring it with. However, life is almost always a relational event and learning to embrace the most difficult of people can give you an unprecedented resilience in life. Your dream job will be as filled with imperfect people as the one you now hate. When you learn to embrace these imperfect people, you’re building your skillset to enjoy your future dream job while making this current one more bearable. Moreover, you never know when a key relationship will help you down the road. We get to interact with a precious few of the 7 billion people in this world during our lifetime. It’s best to make it a rule of thumb to make each interaction count.

So there you have it. 3 things to start embracing now before you quit the job you hate. If you do, you’ll prepare yourself for a future without precedent. It’s just around the corner after all.

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5 Characters to Avoid at Work

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

Are you trying to get ahead in the workplace? Maybe hoping for an end of year bonus or key to a corner office? The first step in advancing your career is building solid relationships at work with both colleagues and supervisors. Just as there are those in the office to build rapport with, there are also characters who should be avoided at all costs. Here are five people to avoid at work.

The Office Gossip
A splash of work-related chitchat is typical, but steer clear of those that like to spread gossip about the boss or co-workers. Avoid getting caught up in the noise and never lose sight of your work goals. The first action in preventing negative gossip from getting out of hand is to approach the gossiper one-on-one. Let them know where you stand without being overly confrontational. Everyone will appreciate your firm stance, including your boss.

The Debbie Downer
Watch out for the person who never looks at the bright side. The constant pessimist doesn’t bring a lot of hope and inspiration to the workplace. Whether the company wants to implement a new policy or promote a co-worker, Debbie Downer will always find something negative about the experience. This is not the person you want to associate with if you are trying to maintain good rapport or your sanity. The workplace may be negative enough without scratching for more things to complain about.

The Whiner
No matter how positive the vibe is at work, this character always has something to whine about. While it’s important to remain empathetic to problems and situations co-workers face, be careful not to waste valuable work time listening to complaints. Steer the conversation toward solutions rather than winding down a negative rabbit trail. Remember, someone is always watching.

The Class Clown
Every classroom has one, and so does the office. The problem with the office goof-off is that no one takes him or her seriously, including supervisors. If you associate with this character, you may be seen as their counterpart. While it’s fun to joke around and pull a prank from time to time, avoid branding yourself with a reputation you may not want by associating with this person. Examine your work goals and pursuits. Always ask yourself if someone else’s bad behavior will bring you down.

The Backstabber
Backstabbers in the workplace are common. These are the characters that will do anything to advance their reputation and career. Unfortunately, they cannot be trusted and always have ulterior motives. Instead of palling around with the backstabber, keep your distance.

Maintain healthy relationships with colleagues who are trustworthy, dependable, and pursuing the same success you are.

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Keep your Career Moving Forward with these Tips

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

Everyone wants to move forward in their career, but some people don’t realize that they’re making critical mistakes and sabotaging their own progress. Understanding these potential slip-ups can help you to avoid them so that you can stay on the fast-track path to career success. Here are a few things to avoid:

Micromanaging is Required on Every Project
Your boss probably won’t promote you if they feel like you have to be micromanaged every step of the way. Do make sure that you’re doing things right, but at the same time, you need to make forward progress on your own without having someone look over your shoulder all day. Take initiative with your projects and don’t be afraid to ask questions as they arise, but don’t crutch on other people to tell you how to handle every detail of the project.
Your Ego is More Important Than the Team
If you’re always stepping on other people’s toes because you want to do it your way, then you could be sabotaging career opportunities. No one likes to feel like they’re being pushed around, especially when it comes to things that impact their performance at work. Don’t let your ego get in the way of developing stronger work relationships and building an effective team.
Being a Complainer
No one wants to spend a lot of time around a complainer, and if you’re always complaining then it’s likely that you’re hurting your ability to get a promotion or work on new projects. Occasionally, complaints can be beneficial if they offer solutions and improvements to the company. But make sure that you aren’t the person in the office that is always bringing up the problems and whining about your issues. When you complain, you sap the morale of the whole team, which can cause undue stress for everyone involved.
Bad Communication With Employees and Customers
Communication is key to maintaining good relationships, and the quality of your communication will get you noticed. If your communication is non-existent or confusing, then it can have a negative impact on the impression that other people have of you. On the other hand, clear and positive communication can show that you are confident, comfortable, and a good team player.
You Are the “Brownnoser” in the Office
Trying to impress people too much with flattery often has a negative impact, and your efforts will likely backfire on you. If someone offers too many compliments or are too clingy to the boss, then it will likely come across as disingenuous. It is okay to offer a genuine compliment every now and then, but you need to avoid crossing the line and becoming a brownnoser.

By staying away from these critical mistakes in your career, you can avoid the self-sabotaging habits that often prevent people from getting the promotion or pay increase that they desire. Be aware of your habits and actions throughout the day, and make sure that you aren’t self-sabotaging your career.

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3 Ways Multitasking is Killing Your Productivity

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

On the surface, multitasking seems like a good idea. Why not do two, or even three things at the same time, instead of one? It may sound like a good idea in theory, but when it comes to real life, multitasking isn’t effective. In fact, it’s probably killing your productivity without you knowing it.

Here are a few reasons why you should not try to multitask.

Our brains are not wired to multitask
You might think you’re a great multitasker. You probably even put it on your resume. But science says otherwise. It’s a fact – our brains are not wired to multitask. We fool ourselves into thinking we’re a multitasking extraordinaire because we can text a friend and watch football at the same time. In the world of work, you’re probably engaged in higher-level tasks than watching the big game while texting. In other words, your multitasking technique won’t translate into increased productivity on the job. Studies show that multitasking is ineffective because the brain is designed to focus on one thing at a time. Switching back and forth between tasks causes you to miss important details and never allows you to concentrate on a single task. Experts also say it can take as long as 20 minutes to get your mind fully re-engaged to a task after being interrupted.
You’re not really multitasking
We may be able to multitask physically (chew gum and fold laundry), but there’s really no such thing as multitasking when it comes to cognitive tasks. What you’re doing is known as task-switching. Back and forth. Back and forth. Task-switching depletes your mental energy at a quicker rate and never allows you to “get in the zone.” The bottom line, it’s draining and inefficient. Experts say it’s best to do things in batches. Give all your attention and focus to that report, then check email.
You’re prone to mistakes and stressed out
Switching back and forth between tasks at a rapid rate while trying to focus on more than one thing at a time is a recipe for disaster. Your brain and body are in a state of chaos, which leads to errors and stress. Those are two things that certainly won’t earn you that big promotion you’re working towards, right? Researchers at the University of California Irvine showed that chronic multitaskers had elevated heartbeats compared to their more calm, singularly focused co-workers. The multitaskers were in a constant state of high alert. This state wears on your physical and mental health.

The lesson is simple – multitasking is overrated. Stop doing it. You’ll be happier and more productive.

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5 Surefire Ways to Stress Less At Work

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

Stress in the workplace is inevitable. But chronic, debilitating stress is not, even if you work in an inherently stressful profession. Research shows that ongoing pressure accompanied by increased demands contributes to stress at work. In order to keep your sanity, there are surefire ways to assist, even at the most stressful times.

Consider following these tips to help manage your stress level, ultimately improving your career.

Surround yourself with positive people.
The people you surround yourself with at work can make a huge impact on your level of peace, satisfaction, and positive outlook. Hanging with the “chain gang” can contribute to stress, especially if the crowd you’re with likes to complain. Choose who you associate with wisely. Find supportive and relaxed individuals who are fun to be around and nurture rather than hinder your mindset.
Take care of yourself.
Reducing stress at work is often contingent on what you do outside the workplace. Pay attention to your physical and your emotional needs. When these needs are met, you are stronger, wiser, and more resilient to stressful situations. Regular exercise provides stress relief and improves the mood. Healthy food choices and plenty of rest also make you more resilient. Remember to put yourself first and meet your basic needs.
Prioritize and organize.
The first-things-first rule is one that allows you to regain control over stressful situations at work. You may face a hundred pressing emails every Monday morning or an inbox full of managerial requests. To survive you must be able to prioritize and organize by the level of importance. Try making a list of to-dos on a daily basis. Tackle them by priority level and do the difficult ones first. Be willing to compromise if you are unable to complete everything you wanted to in a day. Remember, tomorrow offers another 24 hours.
Avoid over-committing.
Whether it’s scheduling things back-to-back, double-booking appointments, or trying to fit too much into a single day, over-commitment can leave you stressed out. Many times we underestimate how long a project might take us. We set personal goals that go unmet simply because we underestimate time. Blocked goals may result in added stress. Focus your attention on the shoulds and musts and drop tasks that are unnecessary. Avoid overcommitting and find yourself more at peace during the day, and night.
Focus on what you love about your job.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in complaints and what is wrong with the workplace. A healthier focus allows you to reconnect with what you like about your job, rather than what you dislike. Maybe your job highlights a skill you enjoy, such as writing or computer programming. Rather than focusing on the deadline of the project, live in the moment. Focus your attention on the happiness the job brings and what you are contributing by doing it. When you focus on what you love about your job you are happier and more content while doing it.

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Don’t be busy, be productive

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

Do you feel busy? In fact, would you go on to state that you are constantly busy with little time for yourself or new projects? Well, if your answer is yes, then stop it. Stop saying you are busy and stop being busy as there is a far better way to live life. Busy has accomplished very little in life, not even for the poster-board busy bee. If you asked a bee what it does, he wouldn’t say he is busy. Rather, he would respond by saying he makes honey and pollinates the flowers of the world. It’s time for you to do the same.

The Business of What You Do

As the reader, there is no way one can say with certainty what it is that you do. Perhaps you are in the IT field doing all sorts of technical stuff. Perhaps you are in the construction field building stuff. Maybe you are in fact in the management field watching other people do stuff. However, whatever stuff it is that you are into, if you were asked what you did, you wouldn’t respond with “busy stuff.”

So why would you constantly state you are busy? It’s a common belief that human language and spoken word is a powerful tool. Consequently, your words matter. Let us propose, as a first step to stop stating you’re busy, that you make it a habit of stating what you are doing. Speak not of work, but of outcomes desired. If your spouse calls you at work, don’t respond with, “I’m busy.” Explain that you can’t talk right now because you’re designing a skyscraper or revolutionizing communication for your company. Be honest, but state what you are doing and feel the power that unleashes.

Shifting Priorities

The other side of busy comes not from taking on too much, but prioritizing too poorly. You see, when you start the habit of stating the business of what you do, certain priorities become clearer. Simply stating you’re busy doesn’t provide the same opportunity because busy can mean a variety of things. Are you updating the CEO on the future of your organization or are you reading about cats on the internet? Both could be justified as busy, but each has varying impacts.

Consequently, when you state what each outcome actually is then you have the ability to shift priorities at will with accuracy. Imagine, if you will, a long train with various cars serving purposes. When you can clearly identify the utility of each, then you can simply lift and shift each car into its proper place. Consequently, rather than always existing in a state of perpetual busyness, you can be accomplishing a series of outcomes in their natural order. Moreover, you can do this all day long, including rest and recreation. Busy? No thanks. I think I’ll make some honey and pollinate a flower today, says the bee. What will you do today?

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10 Ways to Win the Fight for Happiness at Work

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

Let’s be honest. Work is not always synonymous with happiness. Whether it is just the daily grind or a career that is less than your passion, happiness doesn’t always occur naturally. Regardless, this doesn’t mean you have to put it off. The true masters of the workplace can find happiness in the midst of it all. So here are 10 easy tips for staying happy at work.

Start your day in a good mood.
This might seem obvious, but you would be surprised how many people have miserable morning routines and then blame work for not cheering them up. When you don’t start your day with a good attitude, then you are putting a heavy burden on your job to do that for you.
Avoid toxic co-workers.
On the chance you did make it to work in a decent mood, let’s not ruin it by spending time next to the people who didn’t. You know exactly who I’m talking about when I say “toxic co-worker.” If someone’s attitude is bringing you down, try not to let it affect you. And if you don’t know who that toxic person is in your office, then consider it might be you!
Make someone laugh.
It is hard to make someone laugh and walk away feeling unhappy. Take it upon yourself to spread a little joy and see how that lifts your spirits.
Always be nice to the new guy.
You and the person you reach out to will both benefit from an act of kindness. We all know it can be difficult to start a new job. Choose to be a welcoming face and feel the joy that follows.
Eat a healthy snack.
Yes, you could raid the vending machine for those sugary snacks, but they never really make you feel good afterward. Stocking your desk with nuts and fruits can provide your mind and body with the feel-good boost it needs.
Squeeze in something physical.
If your job is inherently physical, then you might need to alter this tip. However, for much of the office world, sitting is the norm. Squeezing in a few office exercises can stimulate the body and brain and refresh your spirit mid-day.
Be productive.
People may criticize the work they do, but they do know when they are being productive. Everyone takes some joy in the completion of a task, whether it is tedious or grand. You don’t need your boss to motivate you to be productive. It is a path to your immediate joy, so pursue it on your own.
Work for yourself.
You will spend a great portion of your life working, so why not do a little bit for yourself? Your current job doesn’t have to be all about your employer. You can use your job as a means to gain valuable experience, foster key relationships, or simply to pursue your passion. Whatever your goal is, considering what you can get out of the experience can get you through some particularly dry seasons at your job.
Don’t neglect the whole person.
Remember: you are more than the shift you work. If you neglect who you are outside of work, then very few jobs could ever actually make you feel happy.
Step outside.
Getting outside while at work doesn’t happen as often as it should. However, stepping out for some fresh air once or twice a day can be…well…a breath of fresh air.

If you implement a few of these tips, or go big and do all 10, you’ll definitely see an improvement in your mood at your workplace. Fight for happiness at your job, you’ll be glad you did.

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Avoid These 6 Crummy Work Habits

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

Bad habits are hard to change, but make sure to carve out time regularly to reflect on your behavior — not just your work — at the office. Your reputation and employment may be at stake.

Being Tardy to the Party
Just because others are a few minutes late to the meeting, doesn’t mean you should conform. Instead, try arriving 5 minutes early. You can use the peace and quiet to clear your head and review the agenda, so that when the meeting starts you’ll be ready to roll. Consistent punctuality drastically improves an employee’s reputation. You’ll be perceived as organized, in control, responsible, and reliable, everything that a professional aspires to be.
Procrastinating Like a Boss… When You’re Not the Boss
Unlike tardiness, procrastination may fly under the radar for some time, but it will bite you in the rear sooner or later — well, probably later if you’re a procrastinator. By leaving large projects or even small tasks to the very last minute, you rob yourself of the chance to edit your work or, worse yet, you don’t give your colleagues ample time to provide valuable feedback. Living life on the edge may give you a thrill in the moment, but you won’t enjoy it when the deadline comes rearing its ugly head, and all you have is a half-baked, error-rich deliverable. When procrastinating on a major task, you maintain a constant unpleasant feeling in the back of your mind which can actually detract from the quality of any lesser tasks you may be doing at the moment. It’s a lose-lose scenario.
Yelling Just To Be Heard
Depending on where you work, yelling may be a commonplace occurrence or it may be totally unheard of. Either way, avoid the urge to yell at all costs. Yelling is the adult equivalent of a child throwing a tantrum. When you can’t think of a more mature way to handle a situation gone wrong, your best bet is to step away for a moment — take a walk around the office, have some tea, or take a few deep breaths. Otherwise, you risk being perceived as domineering, unprofessional, even insecure and overcompensating for something. Sadly, it only takes one incident of poor judgment and you’ll find yourself having to carry that with you for months, even years, until you find your next gig.
Gossiping Harmlessly
Sure, most people gossip to some small degree. Then there are the pros who turn it into an art form. Folks who exert so much energy worrying about the work or behavior of colleagues are wasting the company’s time and money, and are likely to become topics of gossip themselves. It’s one thing to vent to a spouse or friend outside of work, but it’s another thing entirely to risk your reputation within your office walls. The next time you sense an urge to say something petty about a colleague, think about how you’d feel if they found out. Or imagine how you’d feel if you discovered someone was nit-picking what you wore to the office yesterday. Think before you talk. Shift your focus by listening to one of your favorite songs (if your job allows) or work on an easy task to boost your sense of accomplishment and move on with the rest of your day.
Spreading Yourself Too Thin
Being a workaholic-martyr is not something to be proud of, though every office has a few. If you’re blessed with a hectic job and a ton of work on your plate, it’s especially important to understand the power of saying “no.” If you take on too many items and spread yourself too thin, you’re doing everyone a disservice: your boss, your coworkers and business partners, your friends and family, and most of all yourself. Even if you manage to achieve some semblance of external success, you’ll be burning out inside. More than likely, though, you’ll be running from task to task like a chicken with its head cut off, while your judgment, decision-making, creativity, and empathy suffer.
Throwing Bodies Under the Bus
Much can be said on this topic, but it can also be summarized briefly: don’t do it! Throwing colleagues under the bus is a recipe for disaster. It drains team morale and productivity and places a target on your back for the future. Instead of wasting your precious energy on the blame game, refocus your thoughts on how you can improve communications and processes so the mistake doesn’t recur. You’ll be the unsung office hero, rather than the silently hated villain.

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Don’t Know What To Do? Act!

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

Do you often find yourself stuck in a pattern of analysis, constantly looking at hypothetical scenarios without taking action? Indecision is a common problem that many people face, and the inability to move forward can freeze their progress and have a negative impact on their career. One of the best things that you can do to move forward is to start taking action, even if you’re only moving forward one step at a time.

Action Uncovers Possibilities
You can analyze all day long, but it will be impossible to uncover the real possibilities until you start taking action. This principle applies to all areas of your life, including your career. For example, if you’re involved in a project with a team at work and you find yourself in the situation of always making suggestions but never implementing anything, then it’s likely that the team will become frustrated because no forward progress will be made.

On the other hand, you can develop stronger credibility with your coworkers and managers by showing that you’re willing to take action. It’s important to assess the situation before moving forward, but sometimes the best analysis can’t happen until you have started taking action on the project.

Don’t Be Afraid to Fail
Many people are scared to take action because they’re afraid of failure. They limit their progress by analyzing the situation in order to reduce the possibilities of failure. The truth is that failure is inevitable in life, and you can gain some of the best experiences by taking action to see what didn’t work.

If you start taking action, you can always make small adjustments along the way to increase the likelihood of success. Or, you might find yourself in a situation where you need to completely start over, but you have valuable insights that will make the new plan even more effective.

Taking Action Positions You as a Leader
Taking action is a key factor to help you move forward with your career because other people will naturally follow when you’re taking action. More action gives you more opportunity to improve systems, increase productivity, and achieve higher levels of success. Other people are drawn to the employees and managers that are confident in their actions, and you can come out on top if you aren’t scared to get your hands dirty.

Eliminate Regrets
When you take action, you can eliminate regrets in your life and your career. One of the worst feelings is the doubtful “what-if” questions that arise when you missed a potential opportunity. Action will help you to increase the likelihood of success, and you won’t have any doubts or regrets along the way.

At the same time, action makes you an interesting person. If you don’t want to be the boring person in the office, then you need to start taking action to get people to notice what you’re doing.

Sometimes getting started is the hardest part, so it’s better to look at the first step instead of trying to understand every step of the process. Start moving in the right direction, and you will see that the momentum will carry you to higher levels of success.

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The Honest Road to Balancing Work and Family

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:41 +0000

If we’re honest, some seem to do this better than others. Balancing work and family while striving to advance your career can seem like a 25-hour project in a 24-hour day. Sometimes, it just doesn’t seem possible. Yet some people seem to be masters at the craft of discovering lost time in the day. However, if you were to sit down with these masters of time, you would likely find out that they are but mere mortals with some honesty about what is important to them. Herein lies the key to your path down the same road.

What Do You Value?

People are amazingly self-actualizing. They do an excellent job of pursuing what they value with incredible resiliency. However, the conflict in the busy employee often comes from not being clear about what they value. Moreover, if they’re able to list out their priorities, they must then ask themselves if they were truly being honest. If you are having trouble identifying what you truly value, then simply look back over the past 60 days to examine where you spent your time and money. That may produce an “ouch” moment for you, but the path to balance must go down an honest road.

You see, if you’re going to start prioritizing the limited time you have with family, it’s important that the time is spent in the ways that give you the most bang for your buck. Do you value eating dinner with your family every night or getting home in time to read stories to your children before bed? If so, you have to realize that if work is only going to give you a few precious hours every weeknight with your family, then making them count is step number 1. When you find joy in these limited hours, you will be amazed at how you start to find more ways to grow that time.

Contribute to the Whole Person

When you start evaluating what you really value, you will realize that you are more than the 8 to 10 hours you work every day. Consequently, the question of finding work/life balance begins with contributing to this whole person. Franklin Covey would identify it as “Sharpen the Saw,” but the premise of contributing to these often neglected parts of yourself will help both work and family.

When you are at work, it will always seem like a draining experience if you feel that the job has nothing to offer you as a whole person. Moreover, the joys of a family can easily become burdensome if little attention is given to the other parts of your life that bring you joy. An essential element in balancing work and family is ensuring that the version of you that shows up to each place is whole and complete.

The truth will always be that no more than 24 hours exist in a day. So if you have chosen a career path that is going to put work and family in constant competition for those hours, then you simply must evaluate how to maximize the time you spend with each. Showing up a complete person who knows what they value will be a huge step in the right direction.

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Grow Your Own Talent: 3 Ways to Develop Employees

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

There is much to be said for the benefits of developing employees internally. Not only will you have a happier, more engaged, and longer-tenured workforce than if you did not provide these opportunities for growth, but you can also save a fair amount of money by addressing issues such as skills gaps through training and development, rather than hiring pricey external candidates for the experience you could be building in-house. It is, however, much easier to talk about employee development than it is to do it. If you’re looking to make the most of the opportunity for internal development but don’t know where to begin, any one of these three methods should help you to get started without issue.

Learn at Your Own Pace Programs

Many employees find these programs appealing since they have the freedom to learn what they want whenever they want. These programs may cost a bit to put together, but it’s not difficult to find comprehensive curriculums online for purchase. Alternatively, you may choose to build these learning experiences internally, through your organization’s own Learning and Development resources. However you go about putting it together, the important thing is to make sure that employees know how to access the information, that they are given all of the tools they will need for success, and that they are encouraged to take advantage of the program. It will be a great perk for employees and will help your organization build internal bench strength in any number of skills.

Cross-Training Programs

Cross-training programs are a phenomenal way to solve several problems frequently faced by businesses. They can help to close known skill gaps, to aid in knowledge transfer, and to boost employee engagement. Cross-training employees will have a price tag attached and may be time consuming, but if it’s done correctly, the benefits of the program to both the organization and the individual employee should make up for any losses incurred.

Mentorship Programs

Mentorship programs are great for employees at all levels. Senior leadership will have the opportunity to build their coaching skills by mentoring junior employees, who will in turn gain access to valuable career guidance. These programs are most often voluntary and are not likely to have many costs associated with them, but can still have huge impacts on high-potential employees. From recommendations on technical skills to improve on, to guidance and coaching around soft skills, employees who receive mentorship should have ample opportunity to develop themselves and will be able to contribute at a higher level because of it.

Many organizations employ all three of these methods (and sometimes more) in the name of employee development. There is some investment necessary on the part of the business, but if these programs are built and administered correctly, they should more than pay for themselves. Companies can address multiple challenges by utilizing the right blend of developmental programs, so it is an investment well worth consideration for businesses both large and small.

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Three Signs You Should be Working with an Outside Recruiter

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

Obviously, in a perfect world, you would be seamlessly hiring talent without any external help. After all, why pay a fee to a recruiter when you can just find the talent yourself? However, the real world is far from perfect. Recruiters perform a valuable function and often their fees pale in comparison to the hidden costs of an unfilled role or a bad hire. When you are seeking to hire talent, you should, of course, attempt to fill the role using your own internal resources, but it’s important to recognize when it’s in your best interests to seek help. Recruiters have been around for quite some time now and for good reason. They spend all day, every day looking for great candidates and they may be a very valuable resource for you. If you’re questioning whether it’s time to call in a head hunter, here are a few signs to look out for:

Your Roles Take Forever to Fill

Every search is different, and some are simply tougher than others. With that said, if you consistently find yourself thinking that it’s taking longer than it ought to for you to find the talent you’re looking for, a recruiter could be a great resource for you. Not only do they have access to readily available talent, they also understand the marketplace. It could be that you just haven’t been looking in the right places, or it could be that you don’t have the budget for everything you’re seeking. Whatever the case may be, a good recruiter can promptly analyze your situation and help you adjust accordingly.

You Have a Problem with Attrition

Attrition is a complicated problem and has many different causes, but a recruiter can help you fight both the symptoms and some of the root issues. For starters, having a partner with a good pipeline of available talent can help you combat the effects of attrition quickly. Deeper than that, having a recruiter who can help you find the right talent can have an even greater impact. If you are making poor hires, they aren’t going to last very long. A recruiter will help you find the best talent for your organization, meaning employees who can stand the test of time and won’t contribute to your attrition issues.

You Don’t Have Time for Anything Else

One of the quickest ways that a recruiter’s fee can pay for itself is by saving you time – effectively freeing you up to do your job! When you have talent needs, you’re already stretched thin trying to compensate for the missing employee. Add to that the time-consuming process of searching for, interviewing, and vetting candidates, and you are likely to have some late nights in your future. A recruiter can alleviate a ton of the strain from the process. Not only will you be without an employee for less time, but you’ll spend far less of your day personally dealing with recruitment matters.

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By the Numbers: Hiring Stats and Trends (Hire Smarter: Check the Trends)

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

Big data has taken root in today’s workplace. From employee engagement to time-to-fill, more and more businesses are tracking metrics and developing data-driven strategies. This unprecedented access to data has provided hiring managers the world over with the ability to look under the hood of the recruitment process. Here are just a few of the key takeaways from hiring trends in recent years, to help you hire smarter.

Unemployment at a low: As of this writing, the unemployment rate is staying relatively steady at around 4.7%, down from a whopping 10% at its peak in October of 2009.

What does this mean for my business? While the low unemployment rate is stellar news for the US economy, it has a downside when it comes to recruitment. Most notably, the War for Talent is hotter than ever. The competition for jobs is higher than it has been in well over a decade and the cost of attracting top talent has risen in turn. While it’s certainly still possible to find a great candidate in today’s market, you may have to search longer, pay more, or hire more strategically to meet your talent needs than you did 10 years ago.

Technical skills at a premium: LinkedIn released a list of the 20 Most Promising 2017 Jobs and over half of the jobs that made the list are in the tech space. They also found that the Engineering category is the 2nd most difficult category to hire for in the world.

What does this mean for my business? Organizations around the world are hiring employees with strong technical skills, such as Developers, Engineers, and Analysts. This means that you’ll have competition if you’re looking to build your technical bench strength.

People are receptive to new opportunities: In recent years, the number of people willing to consider making a job change has risen steadily. Over half of all candidates are considered “warm passive,” meaning they are willing to entertain recruiting conversations.

What does this mean for my organization? This is good news for hiring. It means that, despite the falling unemployment and increasing market competition, people are predominantly receptive to at least entertaining the idea of a job change. You may have to dazzle them if you hope to beat out the competition, but candidates will likely be open to being approached with new opportunities

Career track is key: In 2015 the number one reason employees left a job and the top reason employees joined an organization both told a very specific story: employees want developmental opportunities and a strong career path.

What does this mean for my business? If you wish to attract and retain top talent, you will need to provide them with advancement opportunities. This factor was more important than even compensation packages, so hiring managers would be wise to invest in their career pathing and employee development programs and to speak of growth opportunities when courting candidates.

Referrals are effective: According to LinkedIn, the number one way people learn about new jobs is through referrals, followed by staffing agencies and 3rd party recruiters.

What does this mean for my business? The most effective route to hiring can be found right in your own network. Investing in referral programs and utilizing recruiters as a resource may give you an edge in finding the best hire. While job boards, social recruiting, and direct hiring manager reach-out also made the top five, the most successful channels were still good old-fashioned referral networking and the tried and true recruitment industry.

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3 Simple Ways to Start Writing Better Job Descriptions

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

If you read enough job descriptions, they start to blur together. There isn’t much to distinguish one from another; they are generally comprised of a long, bulleted list of very specific qualifications, followed by a paragraph requesting that candidates be able to sit, stand, and use Microsoft Office at a proficient level. All told, these job descriptions are far from groundbreaking. It’s no wonder that posting these underwhelming ads on job boards so often fails to attract desirable talent. Thankfully, it’s not difficult to change things around a bit and breathe new life into your tired old job descriptions. With three (relatively simple) tweaks, you will have an enticing, impactful advertisement that can help you stand out in a sea of bulleted lists.

Don’t forget that you’re promoting yourself.

A common mistake made in the writing of job descriptions is overlooking the valuable opportunity to promote your brand and your organization. It’s a competitive talent marketplace out there. If you want to find the best of the best, you’ll need to dazzle potential job seekers a bit. Spare a few lines in your job description to explain what makes you different, to highlight the best parts of working in your company, and to explain a bit about your culture and brand. Don’t forget that you’re not just screening out “unqualified” candidates, you’re showcasing your organization to the great candidates as well.

Don’t state the obvious

Read 10 job descriptions on any major job board and you’ll probably notice a lot of very similar, very uninformative requirements listed. If you’re looking to hire a software developer with 5+ years of experience, you probably don’t need to specify that they have a working knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite of products. Candidates’ eyes start to glaze over when they start seeing these uninteresting (and, frankly, obvious) requirements. If you must include a seemingly uninteresting bullet or two for compliance reasons, place it at the end of the description to ensure that your main points aren’t lost.

Don’t narrow your focus too much

With any role, there are a few key requirements that are simply non-negotiable, and you shouldn’t hesitate to list them in a job description. However, when you begin narrowing the scope too far, you risk scaring off some great talent. If the perfect candidate was out there but was a year shy of the “years of experience necessary” that you’ve listed on your job description, you might be inclined to overlook that fact to make the best possible hire. However, if you have narrowed your job description down too far, that candidate may have decided against even applying. List out the must-haves, define the role, and state clear expectations; beyond that, try not to over qualify your role. By keeping it broad, you’ll cast a wider net and increase the odds of finding the best fit for your company.

With those three tweaks, your job descriptions will be far more impactful and should help your business attract the best talent in the marketplace. The biggest takeaway is that you strive not to fall into the trap of the redundant, uninteresting, and overly specific job advertisement. Make your descriptions unique and as useful to the candidate as possible. Hopefully, it won’t only be more interesting for candidates to read, it will be a lot more fun to write.

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Spin these 4 Common Job Hunting Weaknesses to Positives

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

When you’ve been at a job interview, have you ever dreaded the question, “What do you consider your weaknesses?”. Yes, sometimes it’s a difficult one to answer. It’s safe to say that even the most confident people have some sort of weakness, but this doesn’t have to impede your job search. Regardless of the time and energy you have spent in researching an organization or getting ready for an interview, it only takes one question to ruin an interview.

Most job seekers dread candidacy weakness questions because they don’t want to attract attention to their negative attributes and spoil the chances for the job. However, a weakness can be seen as an area of untapped potential rather than a personal deficiency. For this reason, several approaches can be taken in answering questions about your weaknesses.

Here are 4 ways you can put a positive spin on job candidacy weaknesses:

I am assertive
A number of people view assertive people as arrogant and dominating. Assertive people tend to exude self-assurance and confidence that may be misconstrued as being bossy. You may want to tell your prospective employer that you consider your assertiveness as a desirable communication skill where you honesty and respectfully interact with your co-workers. When you assert your views, you solve problems and take responsibility. Assertiveness is a healthy alternative to submission and aggression.

Inexperience
Lack of experience is a top weakness among job seekers. If you’re lacking experience for a job, you should major on your skills and attributes that prove that you are a fast learner. Everyone starts as a beginner at some point in life. It’s important to list your accomplishments on your resume. Point out the projects that you have successfully implemented. Inexperience is common, particularly for people seeking to change careers. In such instances, you can look for your takeaway skills that can be customized to suit your new job. Lack of experience can also be an advantage because skills can be taught.

Disparity in your work experience
In today’s unpredictable employment climate, you may find yourself without a job for longer than you expect. If the recession left you without a job, you should be able to account for what you did during this period. You may have volunteered or taken classes to keep you busy. Most employers will look for this information because, by being engaged in different endeavors, you show your commitment to your career. Therefore, it’s important to indicate this on your resume.

Job hopping
It’s undeniable that employers prefer job seekers with a stable work history. However, people change jobs for a myriad of reasons. Employers may be uncertain whether you will be with them for long. You may have changed jobs because your spouse was transferred or you relocated to assist your elderly parents. It’s appropriate to indicate this on your cover letter. No one expects you to work with one employer from internship to retirement, but changing jobs quickly can make employers think that you fear commitment. You can spin this by focusing on the prevalent themes of your work, and these can be categorized under a common heading. This is bound to make you look more experienced rather than the hit-and-run type. Pointing out your accomplishments and successes along the way can help your job search process.

Don’t allow commonly perceived weaknesses to keep you down when it comes to a job interview. Go ahead and look for the silver lining in any weakness you may have and boldly declare the positive spin during an interview. Be confident, as confidence goes a long way when it comes to landing a job.

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4 Tips for Writing a Short, Focused and Impactful Resume

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

A resume is just a stepping stone to an interview, not an all-inclusive record of your career. With that in mind, here are a few easy tips to keep your resume short, sweet and successful.

Less is more.
Many professional resume writers will attest to this: it’s much easier to write a long resume than a short one. Being concise on paper requires strategy, effort and time. It’s much easier, but less effective, to provide a laundry list of weak job descriptions. For young professionals with limited work experience, a 1-page resume should suffice. Seasoned candidates can make use of a second page, but it is generally ill-advised, even for senior level executives, to exceed 3 pages. Putting energy into a long resume “booklet” is a waste of time, because most recruiters and hiring managers are interested only in the professional summary and the most recent experience — both of which should fit easily within the first page. To help with limiting your options, start out with an old-fashioned pad and pen to identify the top few points you want to get across. Look to it throughout your writing process.

A long-winded resume also signals that you’re unable to prioritize your skills and accomplishments, and prioritization is an essential skill in any profession. If you’re struggling to edit your resume down to size, ask yourself, “Does this sentence make a strong impression on the reader? and Does it relate closely to the job I’m applying for?” If the answer is no, chances are it should be axed.

Easy on the job description, heavy on the accomplishments.
Job descriptions within resumes are often weak and passive, merely listing what an employee was “responsible for”. Many resumes fall victim to this trap when instead they should highlight your skills and specific achievements. It’s the difference between “responsible for management of the sales team” and “single-handedly managed a team of 15 inside sales “. The latter is active, specific and impactful – all qualities which a hiring manager is seeking.

By eliminating, or at least significantly abbreviating, the list of mere duties and responsibilities, your resume will become much more concise and focused, demonstrating what hiring managers really want: someone with a penchant for action.

There is strength in numbers.
When listing your professional accomplishments, try to quantify as many of them as possible. Vague accomplishments prompt red flags. Specific, granular numbers sell. Some professions — like finance, sales and marketing — will be easier to quantify on paper than others, but anything can be a valid unit of measurement: products sold (dollars), project completed before deadline (time saved), year-over-year sales (percentage increase), size of team you managed directly (headcount), etc. Recruiters and hiring managers don’t spend much time per resume. When they’re skimming the most recent job experience section, their eyes will be drawn to numbers. If those numbers are notable or impressive, they’ll be that much more likely to give you a call, and you’ll be that much closer to getting your foot in the door.

Formatting IS important.
Certainly, the content of your resume is the most important element of all, but even the most accomplished candidates can shoot themselves in the foot with poor formatting. Common blunders include text that is too frilly or too large (can seem juvenile) or text that is too small (can be illegible). Additionally, unless you’re applying to a truly out-of-the-box creative agency, most employers are looking for clean, simple fonts, not revolutionary typography. Indeed, the applicant tracking systems (ATS) that scan, parse and rank your resume may choke if they encounter an uncommon font style. The moral of the story: keep font and formatting clean and simple. If your resume is just under a page or just over, you can play with the formatting slightly (e.g. margins, font size) to ensure that your resume is compact and does not leave too much negative space. A resume with a sentence spilling onto an additional page will appear less assertive and compelling, sloppy even.

The resume is often the first visual impression you make, so make sure it’s a strong one.

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Think Your Interview Went Well?

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

Most of us are terrible at evaluating our own interview performance. Some of us will grossly overestimate our abilities, while others perennially underrate their chances of landing the job. Below are a few guidelines to help you navigate the uncertainty.

The Interviewer Does Most of the Talking.
One of the telltale signs of a successful interview is when the hiring manager or HR business partner does most of the talking. Sure, they might just love to toot their own horn (and who doesn’t?), but if you can get them to really open up about the company and themselves, that’s half the battle won. If you’re asking thoughtful, relevant, non-cookie-cutter questions, you’re engaging the interviewer in a meaningful and memorable way. Plus, the less talking you do, the less likely you are to get exhausted, especially if it’s a long day of back-to-back interviews. The real decision maker might be the last person to interview you that day, so maintaining your energy level is key.

The Interview Lasts Longer Than Scheduled
If the conversation is a train wreck or the interviewer has privately decided that you’re not a good fit for the role, you’ll be out of the building on time or perhaps even early. That might give you extra time to run errands, but it usually doesn’t bode well for your chances of landing the job. HR reps and hiring managers are busy people who don’t like to waste their time with unqualified talent. If the interviewer keeps you longer than scheduled, you are worth the time investment and you could be just the candidate they’re looking for.

The Interviewer Asks Challenging Questions and You Don’t Stumble
If the interviewer peppers you with cookie-cutter questions, you should be prepared. But if instead, they throw unexpected curve balls your way, and you’re a quick-on-your-feet kind of candidate, you’ll be able to relate the question to a previous experience and offer a thoughtful response — without faltering. Companies want employees who can adapt quickly, synthesize complex information, and work in environments with high levels of uncertainty – anticipating difficult questions is one way you can demonstrate that you’re up for the challenge.

The Interviewer Asks You About Their Company, And You’ve Done Your Homework
You may never be quizzed about minutiae of the company, like the date of founding or the number of employees, but it’s always a good idea to do your research about the organization before heading to the interview. With press releases, Twitter feeds, blogs and company websites providing a ton of information daily, there is no excuse for ignorance here. Impressing the interviewer with your knowledge of their company is easier than you think, particularly with larger corporations – there is simply too much happening at any one time for any single employee to know everything about their own company. Do your homework. But don’t just list empty facts and figures: connect the dots in a meaningful and innovative way, and always bring the conversation back to the specific value you bring to the table and what impact you can make in the role.

You Leave Energized, Instead of Completely Drained.
Although even the most successful interviews can leave you feeling a bit tired, an engaging and fun interview will actually put some pep in your step as you walk away. Maybe you and the interviewer identified a common passion; or you wrestled with really challenging, yet ultimately rewarding, questions. Something during the interview resonated with you and made you hungry (figuratively). You feel like there are still more questions to ask. There are no guarantees, of course, but this is a sign that you’re a good fit for the position.

The Recruiter Follows Up With You (And Has a Substantive Conversation)
If your interview process is being handled by a recruiter, you may get a call from them in the hours or days immediately following the interview. The recruiter typically knows how the hiring manager feels about you, and they’ll often ask you how you felt during and after the interview. If the conversation feels short and perfunctory, it may just be a courtesy call. But if the recruiter is asking meaningful questions, they may be getting ready to set up a subsequent interview for you, so make sure to remain tactful, confident, and upbeat at all times.

The Interviewer Provides Direct Contact Information
Sometimes interviewers will hand out their business cards out of habit or courtesy, but more considerate ones might hold back their contact information if they feel you’re not a great fit, or if you’ve handled yourself sloppily during the interview. If a hiring manager or HR rep gives you their card and invites you, in a genuine tone, to reach out to them with any questions, take that as a positive sign – and be sure to take them up on their offer. If you’re (unknowingly) running neck-and-neck with another candidate, following up with a concise and action-based email can make a strong impression and be the differentiating factor that puts you ahead of the pack.

The Interviewer Invites You For Another Round
Yes, this one is probably a no-brainer. Sometimes you’ll be asked to come in for a subsequent round not because they’re unsure of your abilities, but maybe because it’s standard HR policy to have a certain number of interview rounds before a formal offer is presented. More likely, there are one or two other candidates who are equally qualified, and the company needs to meet with you to confirm that you’re a cultural fit. Second and third round interviews are a chance for you to get more comfortable with the interviewers while answering (and asking) tougher questions still. Continue to do your company research and build cumulative questions based on information gathered in previous interviews.

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Is Your Job Worth Quitting?

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

When all is said and done, the decision to walk away from an awful job is yours and yours alone. Below are a few important things to consider before you cut the umbilical cord.

Have You Reached Your Potential Here?
If you’ve genuinely done your best at your current job, frequently going above and beyond the responsibilities of the role, and the only thing growing is your resentment and not your paycheck, then it’s time to assess your professional trajectory and decide whether your career has any room to grow at your current company. Is it worth sticking around a few more years for a promotion? Is there any guarantee the promotion will even happen? If it does, will a few more bucks per paycheck really boost your level of happiness? While more and more employees are job hopping to fatten their wallets (and responsibility, and stress levels) you may be part of a dying breed if you’re extremely loyal to your employer. But is that loyalty holding you back from developing your skills and professional ambitions? It may be time to take your talents somewhere else.
What If The Next Gig Is Just As Bad… or Worse?
Using the concept of a bell curve, most of our jobs will be mediocre, a few might be downright dreadful and, if we’re lucky, we’ll have one or two gems in our resume. Of course, some of us are better than others at managing our own careers and choosing only top-notch opportunities, but most of us are really operating at the whim of chance. Moreover, a “perfect” job can easily go downhill if new management comes along and changes everything you hold dear about your work. There are certain factors outside of our control. If you’re thinking about pulling the plug on your current job, be honest with yourself: what guarantee do you have that your next one won’t be just as painful or more so? If instead of quitting you stick around long enough, is it possible for your present workplace situation to improve? Or are you so mentally done with your job that you’re willing to risk the uncertainty and potentially jump into another fire? Keep in mind that the first few weeks of onboarding and training at any new job can be enjoyable and fun – at least until the real drudgery begins.
Do You Have Something Else Lined Up?
If you’re seriously thinking about putting in your two weeks’ notice, the first thing to do is breathe. Then take a moment to carefully ponder the obvious questions, starting with: do you have another job lined up? If not, are there any solid prospects in the works, even part-time? In fact, a part-time job can help you transition while giving you some time to enjoy yourself outside of work. How quickly would you be able to start interviewing? The job market is demanding and competitive — are you prepared for the long haul, given that the average job search can take several months? Having the security of the next job can mitigate stress, help you keep your cool, and make your exit as graceful as possible, with minimal bridge burning. Then again, sometimes a job (or boss) can be so toxic that a three-month stint of unemployment sounds like a vacation. If you’re truly desperate and willing to join the ranks of the jobless, read on.
Do You Have A Cash Cushion?
If you quit without having another job secured, you wouldn’t be the first in the history of civilization to do so. There’s something to be said for taking risks, going out with a bang, pursuing your passions, and walking away from the abuse rampant in certain jobs or industries. Additionally, a mental vacation or unofficial sabbatical afforded by a months-long gap between jobs can be a wonderful reset button for your life and career – if your finances allow for it. So, do they? Do you have enough money saved up to fund 6-9 months of unemployed bliss? Career and financial experts alike recommend that we should always have an emergency reserve at hand, even if we’re happily employed with no plans to leave because you never really know when the next layoff might happen. If you think you’re stressed now, how do you think you’ll feel when your next rent or mortgage payment is due and you can’t pull the dough together? So if you’re thinking of quitting in the near future, consider hunkering down for a few months and save as much money as you can. That proverbial overpriced latte can wait for now.
Is Your Health Suffering?
Too often we put the health of our bank account ahead of our own well-being. Is your workplace toxic to the point that it’s causing you physical symptoms? Does the sight of your boss make your heart rate jump through the roof? Job-related stress can cause headaches, hives, anxiety, depression, a weakened immune system, and a litany of other ailments. Are you willing to work yourself to the bone while your physical or mental health deteriorates? It may end up costing you in the long run (i.e. in old age), and all that money you’ve worked so hard to hoard could be spent on medical care that could have been largely prevented had you maintained a healthier work-life balance earlier in life. Don’t be penny-wise but dollar-foolish. Invest both money and time in your health and safety today and reap the benefits for decades to come. Ask your HR department about any perks or benefits that may help lower or cover the cost of some interventions. Benefits often change from year to year, so don’t assume you know it all. Just ask and save yourself the headache, literally. If instead you’re at the end of your rope and nothing can stop you from quitting, then ask yourself: what health measures will I take in between jobs, and at my next job, if the work-related stressors return? Don’t forget to take care of yourself.

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What Hiring Managers Wish Job Seekers Already Knew

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

Getting hired is the result of give and take between a candidate and employer when they reach a decision that they are the right fit for each other.

“You’re hired.” Those are the words you’re hoping to hear at the end of the interview process. You’ve read all the advice from friends and self-help books, but somehow much of that information gets lost when you’re sitting across from the person making the decision.

It’s time to lighten up a little and cut yourself some slack. Don’t worry whether your handshake failed the firmness test. Don’t agonize about whether you said ‘um’ too many times when you were speaking.

Here are some tips that might make your next interview more pleasant and less stressful.

HR Personnel Don’t Really Want to Interview You

Does that shock you? Many hiring managers dread formal interviews as much as you do. What they actually want is a conversation to see how you handle yourself in normal circumstances.

So take advantage of the situation when the hiring manager asks you about your goals or philosophy and open up about yourself. This interaction will help to indicate whether you’re likely to enjoy working there.

Ask Questions that Show You’re Interested

The hiring manager wants to hear from you. Before you start interviewing at different companies, write up some generic questions that can be used with minor adjustments at just about any interview. The best questions will give some indication to the hiring manager about your interests and concerns, and the answers will help you decide whether you actually want the position.

Your Resumé Isn’t as Important as Your Online Presence

Your resumé is often a polished picture of you and may not show the depth of your personality. Your online presence, on the other hand, will tell the hiring manager much more about you. Make sure your online presence describes the person you want the hiring manager to see.

Let the Hiring Manager See How Passionate You Are about Succeeding

Don’t hold back on how much you need to succeed. The hiring manager will be happy to see a person who is ambitious about succeeding in the job. By the same token, you might ask the hiring manager whether he is ambitious. Does his answer describe the kind of environment you want to spend the next several years at?

Hiring Managers Want to Have Fun

Do your part to make the recruiting process enjoyable. The interviewer wants the process to be enjoyable as much as you do. Don’t put on a false front – open yourself up. The hiring manager will appreciate the relaxing atmosphere and may look on your candidacy more favorably.

The Future Is More Important than the Past

What you’ve accomplished in the past is an indication of your abilities, but the hiring manager is more interested in what you can do for the future of his organization if he hires you. Talk about what you can do for the company – not about your past accomplishments.

Network, Network, Network

Network with professionals who can vouch for you whenever you have the chance. It’s only natural that the hiring manager will be likely to favor a candidate that has been vouched for by a mutual connection. Keep your networks fresh.

Looking for a new job does not have to be a painful process. Be honest and open during interviews and you will be likely to end up at the right decision about which offer to take!

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Your Guide to Making a Cross-Industry Move

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

When browsing through job descriptions, it’s easy to get the impression that many fields are incredibly siloed. Finance organizations all seem to want finance experience, while the technology sector seeks candidates from similar technology companies. It begins to look a bit like competing companies are just shuffling talent around between one another – and in a lot of ways that’s exactly what they’re doing. However, there exists a great opportunity to grow your career cross-industry. You may have somewhat of an uphill battle as you attempt to transition your role to a new industry, but with the tips below your move will be far easier.

1. Play up your likenesses, diminish your differences

Most organizations prefer to hire from within the industry specifically because the candidates that they bring in are guaranteed to have some legacy knowledge about their business. However, if you’re looking to make a cross-industry move, you can help to bridge the gap by highlighting the similarities between your current industry and the one you’re looking to move into. For instance, both the pharmaceutical and finance industries are heavily regulated and rather compliance-driven, which makes a move between these industries a bit easier. If the organization you’re courting is in an industry where security is paramount, make sure your resume and your interview answers play up your relevant experience in that field.

2. Be vocal about your objectives

One of the most attractive things to a hiring authority is a candidate who truly wants the job. For this reason, it will serve you well to speak early and often about what excites you about their business. Don’t be afraid to share with the hiring manager that you are actively seeking to break into a new industry. Companies like to hire candidates who want the job, so there is no sense in acting aloof in this case. Bring your enthusiasm for the new industry to the table and be prepared to speak as to why you want to make that move.

3. Take the initiative outside of work

The fact of the matter is that some industry barriers exist for a reason. For instance, specific tools are often only employed by select industries. While you may be certain that you could easily pick up new technologies, the fact remains that you will likely lose out on a position if there is a candidate who already knows the ropes and requires less training. You can help close the gap by taking the initiative to learn new skills that your current industry just doesn’t give you exposure to. Take a look at relevant cross-industry job descriptions. Is there a job-specific tool that comes up time and time again? If so, you’ll give yourself a huge advantage in the market if you are willing to learn it. You may even want to get certified in its use, to show off your skills and your commitment.

4. Preparation is key

As an industry outsider, you simply lack a lot of insider knowledge that others who’ve spent their careers in that specific job have gained. For this reason, you should expect to prepare harder than other candidates if you want to get the job. Read articles from outside of your industry, do your homework about potential employers, and most importantly don’t give up. You might knock it out of the park on your first outside-industry interview, but you might not. Even if you don’t make the industry leap the first time around, you will gain invaluable insight into what you need to successfully transition. Pay attention to the interview questions you are asked, the specific tools that are mentioned, and the skillsets that are requested. If you don’t have something they’re looking for, seek it out before your next interview. Part of preparing to make a cross-industry move is learning what’s expected of you in a different industry, so take advantage of the interview process as the great tool that it is for preparing you for the next stage in your career.

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5 Prep tips for a Video Interview!

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

Video interviews can be a great way to connect with a potential employer, especially if you’re interviewing for a position which would require you to relocate or work remotely. However, video interviews are also full of potential pitfalls. These five steps can help you to prepare for a video interview and increase your chances of making a positive impression.

Test Your Equipment

Sit down and test the equipment that you will need for the interview, including your computer and your webcam. Make sure that your internet is fast enough to video chat in real time, and familiarize yourself with how your webcam works and where the volume and screen brightness controls are. Check your volume and see if your microphone picks up your speech well.

Test your equipment well in advance of your interview so that if you encounter problems you will have some time to fix them.

Practice

Ask a friend or family member to help you prepare by conducting video chats so that you can get used to how things will feel during the interview. Talking through video can be a little unsettling, and the fact that you can see yourself during the chat can distract many people. Practice looking straight at the camera, rather than the screen, and ask your friend or family member for feedback. This is also a great time to determine what computer heights and angles are most flattering for you.

Prepare an Appropriate Location

You will also want to give some thought to the location that you’ll use for the interview. If you have reliable internet and a home office, then conducting the video interview at home may be a suitable option. Be sure that you schedule the interview for a time when you will have some privacy, and when any children or animals are out of the house or are being supervised in a non-adjacent room.

Carefully assess the background that will appear in the interview. You should try to find a background which is fairly plain and isn’t distracting. Arrange some lights so that your face is lit and there are no major shadows, but avoid placing lights directly behind you, since they can interfere with the camera’s ability to focus.

Research and Prepare

Don’t get too distracted by the fact that you’ll be interviewed via video – in truth, a video interview is quite similar to an in-person interview. Research and prepare for the interview much as you would for an in-person interview. Spend some time researching the employer and the position. Make a list of any questions that you have so that you can refer to it during the interview. Give some thought to how you will respond to any standard interview questions that you may be asked.

Preparation can also help to ensure your success on a video interview. Sit down in front of your camera and practice responding to interview questions. Watch your posture and body language – do you appear confident, or are you fussing with your hands or hunching forward? Practice speaking clearly and calmly, and rehearse a bit in the clothing that you intend to wear so that you can spot any potential wardrobe issues ahead of time.

Be Prepared for Technical Issues

Anytime you work with technology there is the potential for something to go wrong. Testing your equipment should eliminate many potential issues, but you may still run into problems on the day of your interview. Internet downtime, power outages, and even webcam issues may throw a kink into your video interview.

It is best to have some backup plans in case these issues occur. If possible, have another computer on standby. Plan a backup location where you can conduct the interview if your internet or power goes out. Make sure that you’re prepared with a phone number so that you can reach the employer in case something does happen.

With today’s continuous technological advancements, the chances are good that you will be interviewed via video at some point during your job search. Spend some time preparing, remember that you’re an asset to the employer, and have a great interview!

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How to Create a Boring, Generic Resume

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

One of the most aggravating aspects of a job search is never hearing back on a posting you applied to. There is often not a way for you to get feedback on what you could do to fine tune your resume or find out why you weren’t selected for an interview. In some cases, your resume may actually be good and hit all the right points; there might not be anything inherently “wrong” with it. However, it might be the “just fine” nature of your resume that’s keeping you from getting noticed. While it’s not recommended to take risks with your resume, some of the old standby rules no longer apply and can make your resume seem generic. Here are five phrases, words, and clichés you should remove from your resume:

“References Available Upon Request”
It’s common knowledge that you don’t have to provide references up front anymore, but you truly don’t need to worry about mentioning references at all. If a potential employer requests references, you definitely need to be ready to provide at least three strong ones. Most employers know, though, that you’ll provide this if asked. You don’t need to take up space reminding them of the obvious.
The Objective Statement
This is another outdated idea that takes up valuable real estate on your resume. It’s obvious what your objective is – to get the job. For many industries, you can just get right into the work experience and education sections without adding a lead-in; your cover letter does that job. One caveat – some industries do prefer that you include a summary at the top of your resume detailing your most relevant experiences and certifications. Be sure to research your career of choice to see if this is commonly expected in your field.
“Duties Included”
Quite a few of the old-school resume rules simply serve as space fillers. There’s no reason to hold the hiring manager’s hand and directly point out that you will now be discussing what your past jobs granted you as duties. Instead, launch right into your bullet points, each beginning with a strong action word.
“To Whom it May Concern”
Before the internet age, finding the name of the hiring manager in charge of the position you were interested in could be difficult. Today, most job postings include the name of the hiring manager. If not, it’s a simple task to search a company’s website or LinkedIn for the hiring manager’s name. Unless it’s close to impossible to find, the hiring manager’s name should be used in the greeting of your cover letter and any communication about the job posting. If you are absolutely unable to find a name, go with “Dear Hiring Manager” instead.
“Hard-Working”
In describing yourself and your skills, don’t go for something as generic as “hard-working.” While you shouldn’t get heavy handed with the colorful descriptions, phrases like “hard-working” actually tell a potential employer very little about you. What exactly does this phrase mean to you? The answer to that question is how you should phrase the description on your resume. Always follow the principle of “show – don’t tell” on your resume and you’ll have a better idea of how to phrase job duties and skill descriptions when applying for jobs.

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Your Resume has these 4 Must-Haves, Right?

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

Important Elements That Must Be Included On Your Resume

Whether you’re putting together a resume for your first or last job, there are several core elements that need to be considered when you are writing your resume. Modern technology has made it easier to apply to many jobs without much effort, which means that employers and recruiters are inundated with resumes when a job opening is posted. If you want the job, then you need to make sure that your resume outshines the rest.

You could try to do that with fire, water, earth and sky, but we’d recommend the 4 elements below instead:

An Attractive Summary
You only have a few seconds to capture the attention of the hiring manager, so it is important to include a summary that entices them to continue reading your resume. The first section should quickly summarize your qualifications and is essentially an “elevator speech” on paper.
Contact Information, And…
Your name, address, phone number, and (a professional!) email should be clearly listed at the top of the resume. Don’t forget, LinkedIn should be there too!
Just to be sure, don’t include personal information such as your social security number, race, marital status, health status, or birth date. This information is not relevant during the application process, and there is no reason for you to add the information on your resume.
Remember the “3 E’s”
There are three main points that most hiring managers are looking for: expertise, experience, and education. It is a good idea to dedicate a section of the resume to each of these topics:
Expertise shows the unique skill set that you can bring to the company, in order to show that you are the right candidate for the job. Make sure to adjust each resume to align with the job description, because you can re-phrase your core competencies in a manner that speaks to the language used by the hiring manager. Experience should be focused around the accomplishments that you have achieved in your career. Many people mistakenly list their job duties without showing the way the experience shaped their skill set and education. Education provides the proof that you are qualified for the job based on the education requirements that were listed in the job description. The education section is also the perfect opportunity to share information about on-the-job training or continuing education that you received.
Clean Formatting
Most hiring managers are quickly skimming through a stack of resumes and they won’t have the patience or desire to read resumes that are cluttered or confusing. Structure your resume in a way that makes it easy to read and understand, so that the important information pops out if someone is skimming the page. Since the hiring manager will be sorting through a large stack of resumes, it is important to keep your resume succinct. Limit the length to 1 – 2 pages and only share the relevant information. By limiting the length of your resume, it forces you to cut out the “fluff” in order to avoid over-sharing details that are not applicable to the job.

Those were the basics, for tips about how to fix (or prevent) common mistakes, check out this article – 5 Common Resume Weaknesses – and How to Fix Them

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You Said What? 7 Things to Never Say During a Job Interview

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

One sentence. That’s all it takes to derail your chances at the dream job you’ve been pining after for months – maybe even years. Employers focus on why they should hire you, but they’re really looking for reasons not to hire you. Read on to find out seven things you need to keep in the vault while interviewing.

“I’m really nervous.”
While it may be true, announcing that you are nervous to a hiring manager or committee kills your chances at getting the job. Honesty is great, but not in this context. No one wants to hire someone who lacks confidence. Why draw attention to shortcomings?
“Like, um, ya know…”
You might not possess the eloquence of a polished presenter, but using an abundance of filler words makes you seem unintelligent, unclear, and insecure. These are not the qualities employers look for in a candidate.
“No. I don’t have any questions.”
You might as well pack up your stuff and leave now. Not asking questions makes you seem unprepared. Even worse, it can lead the interviewer to believe that you are uninterested in the job and company. It’s best to ask three to five questions at most. You don’t want to annoy them with 20 questions, but you certainly need to ask a few.
“I….I….I…”
Your interview is a time to speak about your qualifications, but real savvy interviewees know it’s best to talk about the needs of the company, and how you are the person to fill those needs. If you find yourself repeating, “I need” over and over, you’re probably focusing exclusively on your needs when you should be focusing on the needs of the company.
“I’d rather not answer that.”
If their inquiry is illegal then this response is okay. Withholding information is a huge red flag that you’re hiding something. You need to prepare reasonable answers to difficult questions and be sure to answer them all.
“F&%#, Sh*!”
Cursing in the workplace is common at many organizations. But you’re not a member of the organization yet. If you curse during your interview, you’ll probably never be a member of that organization. Again, sailor talk isn’t all bad. Some studies show that people who use colorful language are more honest. But it’s a big no-no during an interview. There is no benefit and the downside is enormous. You risk coming off as unprofessional and offensive.
“The perks are awesome!”
The perks may be awesome, but you won’t have to worry about them because you’ve just blurted yourself out of the job. Talking about the free car washes, unlimited snacks in the cafeteria, and casual Fridays make you seem like you don’t care about the job, only the benefits. If you really want the perks – don’t talk about the perks.

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Quitting Your Job? 5 Considerations Before Deciding

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

Are you frustrated with your job and ready to make a career change? It is important that you are strategic when quitting your job. You should do it correctly so that you can position yourself to move forward in your career. Too often people make the decision to quit without putting a proper plan in place, and they find themselves in a situation where they are struggling to get their career back on track. Here are five things to consider before you turn in your notice at work:

Assess Your Finances
Money is one of the biggest motivators that will push you back to your old job or into a new job that you don’t like. Plan ahead with your finances and build up a nest egg to use as a safety net in case you need a little more time to find the perfect job. Your savings will allow you to take the time that is needed to find the best job for your career, rather than settling for something else because you need to pay the bills.

Start Talking With Other Companies
Just because you are currently employed doesn’t mean that you can’t turn in resumes to other companies. Begin the job application process as soon as possible, because it will help you make a smooth transition from one job to the next. Many new employers are happy to allow a two-week period before your start date so that you have plenty of time to provide notice to your current job.

Don’t Talk With Your Coworkers
As tempting as it might be to tell your friends at work, don’t mention the fact that you are looking for a new job. The information could be intentionally or accidentally leaked to management, which might result in a situation where you burn bridges or ruin relationships with the people that you have been working with. Stay quiet about your job search and be discreet when it comes time to turn in your notice.

Choose Your Reason & Stick With It
When you quit, it is the perfect opportunity to practice effective people skills so that you can manage your reputation. You will need to provide your boss a reason that you are leaving, and you should be tactful with the conversation. It is possible that someone might call your former employer for a reference and your reason for leaving can have an impact on the impression that you leave with the company.

Stay Strong Through the End
Once the end is in sight, it’s hard to stay focused at work. You’re ready to leave, which means that it’s more difficult to complete the tasks that need to be done before you go. Stay focused so that you can be diligent with your work. You will have an easier time maintaining relationships and cultivating goodwill by working hard to make the transition easier for your coworkers and management.

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5 Common Resume Weaknesses – and How to Fix Them

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:37 +0000

Resume mistakes are almost as common as resumes themselves. These five common mistakes can mean the difference between landing the job and continuing the search. Fortunately, you can easily fix these errors.

Your resume is the closest thing an employer gets to a window into your soul, but drafting this document is no small feat. If you’re like a lot of job seekers, you may focus on getting your resume done quickly at the expense of completing it to perfection. This mysterious document doesn’t have to prove permanently challenging, though. Make these five tweaks to your resume and watch as the emails from recruiters begin accumulating.

Listing Duties Instead of Achievements
The employer with whom you apply probably already knows the basic duties your previous job demanded. After all, it’s not as if the job duties of a secretary, lawyer, or doctor are a big secret. Don’t waste precious resume space listing your job duties. Instead, highlight your achievements. Don’t simply state that you answered phones; talk about how you brought in new clients or operated a complex switchboard instead. By highlighting your achievements, you stand out ahead of everyone else, most of whom probably listed only job duties.
Padding Your Resume
Your resume does not need to be a specific length, and not everyone can have a packed resume. Instead, your resume needs to be an accurate reflection of where you are in your career. Adding in irrelevant skills or highlighting jobs you had 20 years ago makes you look less qualified, not more.
Poor Quality Writing
A recent survey found that 61% of resumes have typos. Do yourself a favor and ask at least two other people to read over your resume. Once you’ve eliminated all typos, look at the quality of writing. Get rid of passive voice, which robs you of credit. For example, the award was not won; you won it! Keep your verb tenses the same throughout your resume, and avoid excessive wordiness, which will quickly cause employers’ eyes to glaze over.
Poor Formatting
Particularly if you’re applying for a job that requires computer skills — which most do — your resume needs to look like you know what you’re doing. Keep the fonts plain and clear, and avoid excessively large print. But ensure that your resume is neatly organized and flows well. If you run out of room, for example, you might put your contact information in the margins or rely on columns — two choices that show you know what you’re doing behind the computer.
Forgetting About Skills and Awards
Potential employers don’t just want to know what you did at your previous jobs. They also want to know what you’ve learned. If the job for which you’re applying is skill-intensive, be sure to add a skills section to your resume. Highlight only those skills that are noteworthy and specifically relevant to the job; competence with sending emails or the ability to use Google, for example, have no place on your resume. Higher-end skills such as knowledge of a specific programming language or experience with an unusual word processor, though, should figure prominently. If you’ve won any awards, consider also adding an awards section, which shows you’re not just good at what you do, but great.

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Deal With It, Handling Conflict at Work

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:36 +0000

Unless you’ve got your head stuck in the sand, you know that conflicts happen at work. Maybe you’re embroiled in one now and that resolution isn’t always easy. However, just because something isn’t easy doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile. See conflict as an opportunity to grow as a person, develop better communication and foster an open environment at your work.

Identify the Cause

Why is this conflict happening? Is it really all on the other person, or do you have some responsibility to take? You need to be able to sincerely and truthfully look at yourself. Have you contributed to the problem in any way at all? If you can’t admit your fault, then you really can’t expect the other person to do so either. Once you’ve identified any area where you may have been at fault, address that with the other person.

There are two biggies for why conflict may be happening in your workplace:

Miscommunication

Often miscommunication is the culprit for why you’re having issues. Did you say something that the other person took in a completely different way? Or are you missing some of the facts for the conflict? Lack of information and miscommunication is a major drawback. Clarifying miscommunication often can help resolve the conflict. However, if not, getting a fuller understanding of what is happening and why will be hugely beneficial.

Emotion

As you spend more time with people and get more comfortable with them, emotions can start to run higher. Home life and stress at work are also big contributors. Are the emotions that are being expressed because of other factors? Is the problem the other person, or is it something at home that has you—or them—on edge?

Address the Conflict

Generally, people don’t want to address the issues they’re facing with another person. It’s uncomfortable and all-around not fun. However, your workplace will continue to vibrate with tension until the issue is resolved.

When approaching the other person, be careful how you phrase things. Admit to your responsibility in contributing to the problem, then respectfully bring up what you believe their part was. Do so in as non-confrontational a way as possible. If this means leaving work and having a lunch together and discussing the situation, by all means, do so. Just don’t allow the conflict to continue to simmer. Act as adults in the workplace and take care of the problem.

Make sure that by addressing the conflict that you’re talking with the person the problem is with. Don’t go around the office, asking everyone their opinion and subtly gossiping with those people in the process. If the problem gets out of hand or you need a mediator, that’s one thing. But spreading it around will not be helpful or conducive to fixing the issue either.

No matter how much you enjoy your workplace and your colleagues, you will have a conflict at some point. Whether you observe it happening with others or it happens to you, you’ll have the chance to deal with it. Choose to do so in a smart, considerate way, and everyone at the office will thank you. Don’t let emotions or continued miscommunication get in the way. Address the problem promptly, and then get back to work at that job you love.

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How to Use Effective Humor at Your Workplace

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:36 +0000

Humor at your workplace? Bite your tongue!

But really, humor has great benefits, if done well. People who laugh together create a bond. When you’re enjoying some humor at the office, you’ll generally be more productive and enjoy being at work. However, if humor is done the wrong way or taken too far, you can quickly crash and burn. Here are some ways to properly use humor at work.

When in doubt…

Your idea of funny may not exactly line up with everyone else’s in your office. Something funny to you could be offensive to the next guy. When you’re considering a joke, if you’re not sure if you should say it, then don’t. Better to err on the side of caution. Your goal may be to lighten up the atmosphere, but if your joke goes south, it’s going to make that atmosphere even worse.

“And then I…”

Being able to laugh at yourself is a great trait. Seeing the humor or irony in situations you find yourself in assures that you’re not offending someone by poking fun at them. Also, being able to laugh at yourself is a good way for people to see that you don’t take yourself too seriously. As with all jokes, just don’t go overboard. You still want your colleagues to respect you.

Train yourself

Start to train yourself to see the humor in certain situations. Irony or seeing the absurd is a great chuckle-inducer. Even if you never voice what you find funny, being able to have a lighter perspective on your environment can be helpful to you personally.

Stop the passive-aggressiveness

Humor or making jokes about someone is not the way to go if you have an issue with them. Rather, talk with them directly. Mean-spirited joking really isn’t funny, even if people go along with it and give it a chuckle. If you have to say, “I was only joking!”. Or you find yourself complaining that “they don’t know how to take a joke,” then you’ve got a problem.

Be who you are

Can you tell a joke? Can you really? Let’s be honest, there are just some people who can’t tell a good joke, and that’s okay. Contribute with a smile or a laugh! Be who you are, don’t try to force something when it isn’t natural. Just remember, you can learn how to develop this aspect of yourself.

Think outside the box

The opportunities are limitless for you to come up with a unique way to use humor. From personal choices to office-wide interactions, you can come up with some crazy ways to have fun. If you’ve got an idea, see if you can’t get your manager on board. The more support you’ve got, the greater chance the rest of your colleagues will want to join in on the fun.

Not nearly enough workplaces employ humor well or at all. Be the change at your job and see if you can’t bring some levity with you to work. The health benefits are numerous, the camaraderie building is beneficial and it just makes life better.

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How to Deal with a Controlling Boss

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:36 +0000

Have you ever had a boss who is always peeking over your shoulder, constantly needing to be involved in your work, or sending you a detailed-to-the-max list? If so, you know how it feels to be micromanaged. As much as you would wish the situation would just go away, you may have to learn how to deal with this kind of boss.

Understand the Cause

There are several reasons why a boss may micromanage. None of them is an excuse for this behavior, but knowing “the why” may help you in dealing with them. Basically, this kind of person is a control freak. The need for control can come from a lot of different areas, the principal one being fear. Are they getting a lot of pressure from their boss to produce at a certain level? Are they feeling the stress of a competitive workplace? Whatever it is, knowing this can help in resolving the issue.

Maybe part of the cause is yours or your coworkers’ behavior. Examine your own work. Have you been turning projects in late? Are there things you’ve relaxed on that you need to tighten up? It could be that your manager took the fall for a project that you or one of your coworkers were responsible for. First, be willing to check your work and habits, and if you’ve got an area for improvement, start there!

Think Ahead

Are you constantly reminded to do things that are on your regularly scheduled to-do list? Get ahead on some of those, so that when you’re reminded of them, you can go ahead and tell your manager you’ve already completed it.

Communicate with your coworkers what you’re trying to do. If you’re all working to show that you can do your jobs well, this will help your micromanager understand that they don’t need to be controlling.

You can also keep track of what you’re doing so that if your manager asks you about it, you can show them right then and there. This may also help if they require updates on what you’re doing. By showing that you’re aware of what you’re supposed to be doing and that you’re getting it done, you’ll boost their confidence in your abilities.

Talk to Them

It may come down to confronting—in a gentle, respectful way—your manager about this issue. This can be very difficult to do, especially if you’re in a workplace where you don’t know your manager well. If possible, try talking to them and letting them know how their actions are affecting you. They may not even know what they’re doing.

If you can’t necessarily approach them in that way, then see if you can’t get them to agree to letting you work on a project on your own—without any outside interference. Let them know that at the end of the project you’d welcome a meeting with them. Then you can talk about what you did well and what needed improvement. When you excel, your manager will see that you, at least, don’t need such constant supervision.

There’s no easy way to deal with micromanagers, but it can be done. If you’re willing to put in the work, you may be able to help change their attitude towards you and lose those micromanaging tendencies.

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5 Keys to Building Relationships at Work

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:36 +0000

Just because you haven’t “clicked” with your team yet, doesn’t mean it can’t happen still. There are ways to figure out what makes the people around you tick, and see how that links you both. With some thoughtfulness and strategy, you can build relationships with your coworkers.

Be an Active Listener

Part of what breaks down relationships between coworkers is a lack of understanding about the other person. Why is this? A huge reason is that no one is really listening. Oh, we hear others just fine. But there is a huge difference between hearing and listening. When you practice active listening, you’re listening to understand, not to respond. A way to convey this to the other person is by asking intelligent questions about what they said, to clarify what they’re communicating. You want your coworkers to really know you, right? Well, start by trying to really learn who they are. Listen to what they’re saying, and pay attention to the subtle inferences. You can learn a lot about a person by what they’re not saying.

Know the Facts

What’s their name? If you can’t get this basic information down, you’re in major trouble. Know their name, remember information about their family, be aware of what is important to them in their lives. You may have too many people at work to go in-depth with all of them, which may not be a wise move regardless. At least know their names and then find out something of significance about each of them. When someone has the thoughtfulness to ask about something that’s important in your life, it makes you feel like they see you as important. Create this bonding feeling in others.

Be Willing to Share

No, this isn’t about being willing to lend your stapler to the guy two cubicles over, though that would be nice. This is more about participating in another’s life. Did someone you’ve spent some time talking with get promoted or scored that big contract? Share in their excitement. Congratulate them. Don’t even allow jealousy or envy to brew. Also, the reverse. Maybe they’ve suffered a family setback, and they share that with you. You may have no idea how they’re feeling, but be willing to express a response.

Look for the Best

Probably everyone can think of that one person at the office who rubs them the wrong way. Rather than dwell on his or her annoying traits, do your best to discover something positive about that person. Maybe they’re good collaborators or are willing to do the jobs that others aren’t. You can always find the bright side, and changing your attitude about them will help you out a lot when interacting with them. Who knows, maybe there are those at work who you unwittingly annoy. You’d certainly want them to recognize the good qualities you have, rather than only focus on that one thing.

Be Patient

You’re not going to walk into the office tomorrow and find everyone eager to shake your hand and share about their lives. In fact, that would probably be a little weird. The key to building relationships, for the first time or continuously, is time and effort.

The office isn’t your social playground, but it doesn’t have to be a cold, unfriendly, lonely place either. If you’re willing to take that first step and start working on developing relationships, others will be much more interested in meeting you halfway. Who knows, maybe you’ll even find your next good friend at work.

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Taking Down the Big Four: Bad Habits that Need to Go

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:36 +0000

Whether they show up at home or on the job, everyone has at least one bad habit. Those that keep creeping at your job can actually derail your chances for success. Though these habits probably won’t result in you being fired, they may cause others to dislike you. While you don’t have to try to please everyone, here are a list of things that you should change.

These are the big four bad habits and how to change them.

Always Coming in Tardy

There are multiple reasons for why this is happening, and also many ways to fix it. Showing up late for work or a meeting doesn’t only affect you. When you’re late, that throws off the rest of the day’s scheduled meetings. It also shows that you devalue other’s time, which is a sure way for coworkers to dislike you. Whether you intend for this subtle message to be communicated or not, frequent tardiness can be very damaging to others and to your reputation.

How to fix it: If you’re late because you keep hitting the snooze button, set your alarm for earlier than usual. Maybe part of your routine is setting you back. Adjust that and make the necessary change. By putting in the effort to eradicate this bad habit, you’ll communicate that you do care about others.

Never Having Anything Good to Say

Do people avoid you because of your frequent negativity and bad attitude? This probably isn’t something that will get you fired, but it will become an issue before too long. When you consistently complain or only point out the negative aspects of an idea, people will avoid you, because it sucks the life out of their day too.

How to fix it: You’re going to have issues at work, and it’s not always going to be hunky-dory. But rather than voicing your many, loud complaints, leave them at home. Express yourself to a friend or family member if needed. If they’re major concerns, then take them to your manager. You don’t, however, need to air those all over the office.

Indulging in Gossip

Nothing can damage your reputation faster than trying to tear down someone’s character. Don’t lower yourself by talking badly about someone behind their back.

How to fix it: Consider how you would feel if someone was talking badly about you. A good check for this bad habit is also imagining if you said this to their face. Would you? If not, then don’t say it to anyone else. This includes online or electronic communication too.

Using Improper Communication

If your job requires you to communicate in any sort of electronic form (most job these days), you need to be able to do so in a professional manner. This includes not only grammar but spelling and tone. When communicating professionally, please do not write an informal email peppered with smiley faces and text message abbreviations when responding to a supervisor’s message.

How to fix it: Pay attention to those red lines and do a little work brushing up on basic spelling and grammar rules. You’ll be glad you did. Also, when communicating professionally, keep that same mind set. Don’t allow yourself to slip into an informal way of communicating just because you’re using electronic means.

If you need help in identifying your bad work habits, ask a trusted office friend or your boss; just make sure you’re able to accept the response. Put in the effort to fix your bad workplace habits; and see how people respond. You—and your reputation—will be glad you did.

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Use These 5 Words to Revitalize Your Business Writing

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:36 +0000

“The pen is mightier than the sword.” Those words were written by Edward Bulwer-Lytton over one hundred years ago. Just like the art of fencing requires practice, so does the art of using the pen. Choosing to utilize its power can bring great results.

Most business communication, like presentations, various business documents, and emails are just plain boring. Just like you dread reading that text, so does the person on the other end of your email. It’s time to get a little risky. There are words that you can use that will give some life to that otherwise yawn-worthy email. The person on the other end will thank you.

Here are some words to use as a starting point:

Immediately.

This word conveys swift, effective action. In our microwave world where instant gratification is the norm, people are looking for things to happen or be accomplished speedily. Maybe the person receiving the email will receive the benefits of a certain desired action immediately or you’ll immediately see to their request.

Guaranteed.

No side door or backup plan is allowed with this one, and that’s why it appeals to people. This word provides a risk-free option for the other person because you take on all the responsibility. This word is guaranteed to get your recipient’s attention and ease any concerns they may feel.

Proven.

Be careful how you throw this one around. People are used to hearing companies talk about their “proven” methods when in reality they’ve never actually proven anything. Accompany this word with a specific example of why your claim is true. This shows them that not only are you confident, you’re also trustworthy.

Relevant.

No one likes getting a generic email that really has nothing to do with them or adds no value to their day or their goals. Likewise, any business writing you may be doing or may have to consume can become pure torture if it has no relevance to you and what you’re trying to accomplish. First of all, make sure that what you’re trying to communicate is relevant to the person on the other end, whether it’s a coworker, supervisor or customer. Then use this word—sparingly and succinctly—to highlight the value that you’re adding to the other person’s life.

Refresh.

If you’ve refreshed a plan, you’ve given it a new energy, a new vitalization. You took what had worked before, polished it up, and now it’s like new. Use this word to communicate the benefits of your plan and the overall feeling it will result in.

It’s not all semantics. If you can harness the power of the written word in your business writing and emails, you’ll find the responses that you desire. Being able to spur someone to a desired action because of an email or a well-written business article isn’t just going to happen. You’ve got to put in the forethought and effort. These five words are just a springboard, any word can have powerful results if utilized correctly.

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Yes, it is Possible to be Active at Work.

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:36 +0000

Admittedly, the hardest place to stay active is at work. You may feel chained to your desk, with no hope for a workout unless that includes typing…..you’re at an Olympic level. But there are ways you can stay active at work, and potentially even burn a few calories. If you’re willing to give it a try, brave a few strange looks from your coworkers, and keep a good attitude, you’ll see some good results in the long run.

Try the Obvious

Just like with normal workouts, you can’t expect to go from standing up every 6 hours to being a P90X boss. Start with those suggestions you’ve probably heard before: park farther away and take the stairs. Those are a good start because you’ll at least be starting your day off right. Here’s another idea. Rather than email your coworker or your manager, go ahead and walk over to their desk and communicate your message in person. The benefits of merely standing up and moving a few steps away are huge.

Incorporate Coffee-Break Workouts

Obviously, you can’t spend an hour a day at work on your exercise regimen, but if you take 10-minute segments of time (what the average coffee break takes) you can make some good headway.

What sort of things should you involve in that time period? There are many different options available to you, most that can be done right at your desk. Here are a few:

Run in place. Doing this for a minute is a quick cardiovascular activity that gets your blood flowing and won’t garner too much unwanted attention from your coworkers.
Wall squats. You probably did these in high school. This is the same concept, incorporated into an office. Just make sure that cubicle wall isn’t going to shift.
Stapler curls. You’ll need a weightier stapler for this one, but it’s the same concept as normal bicep curls. Do 12-15 reps then switch or until your coworker needs the stapler from you.

Get on Your Feet

Standing has major health benefits. If possible, see about getting a standing desk for your work. It’s been proven that standing is much healthier than sitting and cuts down on many diseases. When you’re on the phone, stand up, maybe even walk around your office a bit.

Walking is also a huge health benefit. Regular, though not obnoxious, trips to the water cooler can help keep you moving. If you have some say in how meetings can take place, see if you can’t recommend a walking meeting.

Be Balanced

A popular option is to buy an exercise ball to replace your desk chair. There are several health benefits that accompany this one, but I wouldn’t recommend tossing your chair just yet. You’ll have to work in to using one of these full-time. Exercise balls can help with your core and keep your posture more aligned. However, it still takes some thought, because you can just as easily slouch on an exercise ball as your average desk chair.

You may not see immediate benefits from these ideas to keep you active at work, but the long term will prove how helpful they are. Just as you’re involved in practices to help your career over the long run, so you should keep an eye towards your health, even in the office.

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Turn it Up! Use Music to Increase Productivity

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:36 +0000

You may have heard murmurings that music can help in productivity. But is that just an excuse or is it an actual scientific fact?

Studies have been conducted. Research has been gathered. The conclusion is: yes, music does help your productivity. However, not all music is the same, and not all times are right for utilizing music as your productivity tool.

Why is music helpful?

Music helps to focus your mind on the task at hand, depending on the situation. It also helps to put you in a better mood. When you’re engaged in a repetitive task, your favorite tunes can help to lift your mood. Another benefit of listening to music is how it helps you to get in a more creative mindset.

There is some connection between the brain’s function and the playing of music, and when it’s utilized correctly, it works magnificently.

When is music helpful?

Not all situations are ideal for listening to music. When you’re creating or working on something that requires a lot of concentration and creative effort, music can hinder the process because it splits your focus.

On the other end of the spectrum, music is helpful when you’re occupied with repetitive activities. When you have a clear objective and a set plan for accomplishing that, music can increase your productivity and your enjoyment of the activity.

Another situation where music is helpful is when your environment is noisy. Whether you think you’re tuned into it or not, this kind of background noise—people talking, other’s music playing, etc.—can be highly distracting. Your brain tries to analyze all of this new data, which is very difficult and splits your attention. Pop in the headphones and listen to some music, and you’ll find your productivity going up.

What kind of music is helpful?

New music isn’t going to be your best option. With new music, it is easy to get distracted, because you’re hearing it for the first time. Your body releases chemicals related to this, which causes the music to be more appealing to listen to than the task you’re supposed to be doing.

So when you’re working, choose music you’re familiar with. But another parameter would be lyrics. Sometimes, songs with lyrics aren’t the most helpful. When you’re working on those tasks that require more focus, the lyrics can be distracting. Just as if someone were talking to you while you were trying to write an important email. In cases like these, classical music or music with low-tones like jazz, indie, and bluegrass are better options.

Movie or video game scores or soundtracks can also be good options to listen to. They’re generally devoid of lyrics and are meant to amplify the experience and focus the listener on what is happening on the screen, not the music.

The conclusion? Yes, music can be helpful to your productivity. Just be careful in what kind of music you choose and when you listen to it. Oh, and bring your headphones. Nothing is more distracting at the office than hearing someone else’s music playing.

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Put in the Early Effort

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:36 +0000

Given the proper amount of effort and forethought, much of the your daily work could be accomplished by lunch time. Wouldn’t it be nice to have that free time to pursue your life outside of work? Not only is that a possibility, it could become a reality for you.

So how does this work?

Think Ahead

Lists

As you are finishing up your workday, take some time to evaluate your tasks for the next day. Begin a list that will save valuable time that might have been wasted.

Alarms

You may need to sacrifice more morning sleep in order to begin your workday. You still only have a limited amount of time, so arriving early at the office may be the price you pay to leave early. Once adjusted to your new schedule, you’ll be glad of the change.

Of course, this means you’ll have to rearrange your sleep schedule. But since you’re able to accomplish all your work early anyway, that’s not really a problem, is it?

Know Yourself

Your Space

Do you work better in a clean, orderly environment? Or is a little mess necessary for the genius to work? Whichever you are, be aware and take care of your office accordingly as you’re packing up and leaving. You don’t want to lose time cleaning the next day because you can’t get focused. You also know what your boss expects. If you’re used to dealing with organized chaos, make sure it’s organized enough to suit your boss and continuing your regular work schedule.

Your Routine

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it, right? What works for you? Don’t go to the trouble of reinventing the wheel every morning. Keep your rhythm as you prepare for work and let that carry throughout the day. This helps to find your bearings right away, and promote an easier transition into your work day. Sometimes all it takes is one misstep for your concentration and productivity to be thrown off.

Do Work

I know, seems obvious. But really, if you work at the more difficult projects first, it will only be uphill from there. Procrastination is a malady that affects everyone in any job, but manage to push past the temptation and find the reward.

Writing is a hard task. Writing expends a good deal of mental energy, so naturally, it’s easy to put aside. If you have to do some writing for your job, consider putting that first on your to-do list.

Something to remember is that you have a schedule or a to-do list for a reason. Don’t allow yourself to get off track and waste precious time. You must have the discipline to be able to stick to what works and will bring the desired results in the end.

Getting the vast majority of your work done before lunch can be a reality if willing to put forth the effort. It’s only a fairy tale for those who are unwilling to do the work.

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Stop Majoring on the Minors!

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:36 +0000

No matter how oblivious you may be or how positive your outlook on life, you can probably pinpoint some areas at your work that are frustrating. There is a difference, however, between minor frustrations and major, job-switching issues. To err is human, so you’ll never find a workplace free of issues. Instead, you need to be able to see things really aren’t that big of a deal.

Conflicting Methods

When you come into a business, your boss has been doing things there for probably a good deal of time. Because of this, he or she will more than likely have a certain way of doing things. As a new employee, you bring valuable ideas and insight. When beginning your job, you may notice that there are more efficient ways of doing things. By all means, bring this up to your boss in a respectful way. But if they choose not to take your advice, don’t stew over it. Continue doing your best in an efficient, effective way, but remember: you’re not the boss.

Also, a little tip. If your boss has been in the business for years, they may have even tried out your idea before and it didn’t work. Experience is a great teacher.

Conflicting Work Ethics

You may have been raised with a different work ethic than the person at the next desk next. Some, yes, are just plain lazy. If this becomes a problem for you doing your job to the best of your ability, there is a way to bring this to the attention of your supervisor in a considerate way or by talking to that individual directly. However, if that doesn’t fix the issue, don’t let it bring you down. You can’t change people. You can only do the best at your job, and hopefully, your example influences other people.

Conflicting Priorities

Your time can easily get sucked away by seemingly ‘urgent’ requests. These can come in the form of requests from coworkers. Everyone’s issue or request is urgent to them, but you need to be able to determine whether that’s something you should take on for them. Sure, helping a coworker out is nice, but if it makes your own work suffer, then there’s a problem.

Another ‘urgent’ can come in the form of emails. That *ding* from your phone has you trained to reach for your phone to pull up your email/Twitter/LinkedIn, etc. These can seem important and urgent, but they’re actually huge time wasters. Set aside a time to check your email and respond, and then it’s time to get work completed.

Whether it’s a problem with a set system in the company or with a person, some issues aren’t worth the your time and energy. Go ahead and address issues when they come about, but if not resolved, don’t worry about it. Some issues just come with the territory and need to be recognized as such.

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Dump the Slump

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:36 +0000

It has arrived. Your eyes feel sandpapery as you struggle to keep them open. Your whole body feels weighted, but your computer screen continues to glare, reminding you that you’re not quite done yet.

It’s the dreaded 3 pm slump, and it hits hard several times a week, at the very least. It’s that vulnerable time of day when you only have a few hours of work left, and yet you’re not sure you’re going to make it without a quick desktop cat-nap.

If you’re tired (ha!) of barely keeping your eyelids at half-mast, here are some ideas to help you out—short of implementing mandatory naptime at your work, of course.

Get Up

The benefits of movement cannot be overstated in this case. Getting up and moving around can be one of the best ways to wake yourself up. Now, this doesn’t allow you to wander the office for the next 2 hours. You’ve got to get back to work eventually. Taking five minutes to get up, stretch, walk to the water cooler or to a coworker’s desk can have great benefits.

If your job involves having to go out of the office during the day or running, schedule any outings for this time of day. You’ll be up, moving, and active, and you won’t even have to consciously think of this step.

This one has double benefits, as it helps your body wake up and it also relieves the strain on your eyes – if your job involves spending a good amount of time looking at a computer screen.

Interact

Make sure you’re not interrupting or keep them from their work, but consider talking to a friend in the office. Rather than sending that work-related email, go and talk to the recipient directly. Talking, smiling and laughing with others will go a long way towards helping you conquer the drowsiness.

Snack

Not all snacks are equally good for you. A candy bar has a quick energy surge, but an even quicker drop. Opt instead for fruit or veggies, nuts or dark chocolate. Bring something that has a long-lasting effect that you can also enjoy.

Don’t forget water either. Most of us don’t drink nearly as much water as we should, but staying properly hydrated can go a long way toward helping you to stay awake and alert throughout the day.

Plan Ahead

Lasting throughout the day without hitting a slump starts with getting a good night’s rest the night before. You know your limits, and you know the consequences of pushing those. Save yourself a lot of effort and headache and stick to a bedtime that’s suitable to your body’s needs.

Also, consider what you’re eating throughout the day. Experts say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day for a reason. Find what you like, but also consider the long-lasting health benefits of those foods. Yogurt and whole-grain cereal are just a couple of the many options at your disposal. Skip the Frosted Flakes, and go for a healthier alternative. Your body will thank you. Same goes for lunch. Getting the right nutrients at lunch is still important, though not as much emphasis is put on this meal. Protein is a go for lunch, while you may want to cut back a bit on the carbs.

Just getting through the day can be a chore when drowsiness hits you like a truck. Don’t let yourself be beaten by it! Plan ahead, interact, do a few cartwheels (it will certainly help your coworkers wake up), there are plenty of options to pull you out of the slump.

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Choose to be Exceptional, 7 Characteristics

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:36 +0000

Every single person wants to be great at what they do, exceptional even. However, when it comes down to it, few actually want to put forth the effort to see that transformation. Those who are willing to live intentionally and take action in their lives will see the rewards of their efforts. Here are seven characteristics or qualities of those who are truly exceptional.

Focus Forward.

No good will come from keeping your eyes trained backward. This is true in both your work life and your personal life. Sure, the exceptional are willing to learn from their past mistakes. But they don’t let those past errors dominate their thoughts. Rather, they learn the lessons and promptly apply those to their lives now and in the future. Like an athlete running a marathon, they don’t let what’s behind keep their focus. They’re fixed on the prize.

Guard Their Words.

The unfortunate truth is, it can be hard to resist wanting to be ‘in the know.’ However, this is one of the quickest ways to lose credibility and the respect of others. Those who wish to be successful at work must also work on their interpersonal relationships. The gossip may be the person who has the most following, but they are also the least trustworthy.

When the gossip itch starts, rather than scratch it, consider if you would say that to the person the information is about. Suddenly, it’s not such an appealing idea. Resist the urge to lower yourself to this level, choose instead to walk away, you’ll be glad you did.

Stick to Priorities.

Those who are successful in their workplaces don’t allow themselves to be swayed by other people’s unreasonable or unnecessary requests. They understand what is most important to achieve, and what they enjoy doing. If it’s a matter of your boss needing you to do your job, that’s one thing. But being a ‘yes man’ to everyone else’s demands will quickly cause burnout and you’ll find yourself falling behind on what you really needed and wanted to accomplish.

Practice Active Listening.

There are so many areas where this applies, but a big area is in conversing with co-workers. The successful person won’t interrupt others because they’re choosing to actively listen instead. Interrupting often happens because you’re not engaging in active listening, but instead, you’re considering your response to what they just said. What you want to say may be very important or pertinent to the conversation, but interrupting shows a lack of respect for the person you’re speaking with and is a sure way to shut down that conversation you were trying to have.

Never Hold a Grudge.

Sure, you might not trust that person who lied to you and ended up stealing an opportunity from you, but that doesn’t mean they’re public enemy #1. Holding a grudge and maintaining bitterness towards someone wastes valuable time and energy, and affects you more than it does them. Those who are truly exceptional? They don’t allow grudges to take root.

Live Genuinely.

Those who are successful—truly successful—are those who are themselves. They don’t mold themselves into who everyone wants them to be. The exceptional person is valuable and has something to bring to the table because of who they are, as a unique individual. Bring who you are, your unique perspective and way of doing things, into your job and your boss will thank you.

Keep Moving Forward.

These people aren’t found vacillating over a decision for long periods of time. They aren’t seen sitting on the sofa, waiting for a response to the resume they sent in. They’re always taking a step forward, no matter how small, because they understand the power of movement. Not only will this look good to a future employer, they also understand that it creates an active mindset that rejects laziness. Even when they don’t know exactly what step needs to happen, they find a small way to move forward, maybe in a new direction. Whatever it is, they take that first step.

None of these seven qualities are unattainable or particularly remarkable. Anyone can implement them in their lives. But all seven require effort and work, which is why so many choose not to expend the energy and those who do stand out in a big way. Start adding these qualities into your life and live exceptionally.

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Take Your Break!

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:36 +0000

It is the one thing at work that you think you’re succeeding at the most. Turns out, you could be underutilizing this time more than any other point of your day. What is it? Lunch.

Lunch isn’t the most important meal of the day. It can be inconvenient because it’s smack-dab in the middle of your workday and workload. But it is a critical aspect of your day-to-day life.

You are not alone in your low-view of the noon meal. Research has found that a huge percentage of Americans don’t take a lunch break or simply snack at their desk.

No matter how many good reasons you have to skip out on this break, or squeeze in your sandwich while replying to a work-related email at your computer, the experts have spoken. It’s healthier physically, mentally and emotionally to take a break.

Let’s talk about lunch.

It’s Not Just About Nutrition

The energy you get from the simple act of eating goes beyond what you’re putting into your body. Standing and moving to a new location gets your blood flowing and helps to naturally energize your body. The intake of nutrients combined with the extra movement also helps you to think more clearly and positively.

When you take advantage of this built-in break, your body will feel healthier, your mind will be clearer and you will be able to function at your job better.

Cheating Doesn’t Count

Thought you could get around this, didn’t you? Well, eating at your desk isn’t going to cut it, not even if you shift around on your seat to “get the blood flowing”. When conscious of what you’re eating, it signals the brain that you’re full.

When your focus is on your work, enjoyment of your food and the contentment of being full will be lost to you. Which may lead to buying or bringing along snacks to work that are high in sugars and low in health benefits. Eventually, this snacking will lead to unhealthy weight gain.

So, What Can You Do?

Take advantage of your lunch break and let others know what you intend to do. The workplace culture tends towards not taking a break. If this is an issue with your supervisors, talk about getting the break you need and of the productivity benefits for them.

Schedule your lunch break into your daily to-do list. Set an alarm and do take advantage of this built-in productivity booster. Both you and your employer will be glad you did.

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5 Simple Ways to Love the Job You Have

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:36 +0000

All of us long for a career where our passions and skills perfectly align with what we get paid to do. If we’re honest, we have to admit that this dream is simply not the present reality for many in the workplace. However, this does not mean you have to forfeit joy and fulfillment in what you currently do. There is unprecedented joy in loving where you currently are in the process of life rather than focusing solely on where you think you should be. So here are 5 small changes to help you love the job you have right now.

Remember Why You Are Still There
If you’re in a job that you don’t love, then chances are, you’re still there for a reason. While some jobs have contractual commitments, most employees in a job they don’t love could quit anytime. But they don’t. So why stay if you don’t love it? That’s a serious question. Think about why you are there and how this job is functional for you in some manner. Whether it’s the entry level job into a career you love or simply the means by which you feed your family, both have merit. When you can appreciate this present reality, you can love the job you have in this very moment because it’s leading you somewhere.
Invest in relationships that matter
It has often been proven that you can endure much if you enjoy the people with whom you endure it. Relationships at work are often a choice. Will you choose to engage your co-workers or will you bury yourself in work and run out the door at 5? When you take the time to invest in relationships that matter, those friendly faces can be the very reason to walk into work with some joy.
Pick a Fight
Not literally. Don’t pick a fight with one of your co-workers. After all, it was just said to invest in relationships that matter. What is meant by pick a fight, is to pick a fight with a particular purpose. When you’re in a job for some time and monotony sets in, you often lose that fire in your eyes that you had at one point. So find a particular outcome and resolve yourself to see it through. Pick a fight with a purpose in the midst of less than favorable work scenarios and reignite that first love.
Learn
Feast on every bit of knowledge you can find at work and become the consummate learner. You see, while your outcome produces benefits for your employer, your learning produces for you. The benefits of knowledge will stick with you for the rest of your life. When you realize that your job is contributing to your lifelong skill set then you can love every day of it.
Find the little things
Lastly, the experts would suggest that you learn to appreciate the little things. Not all jobs bring with them the full benefits of the highest earning tech companies. When you find a way to appreciate the small wins, then you set yourself up to be happy regularly. Think of the football player whose only joy is winning a Super Bowl, despite how rare an event that actually is for them. Now think of the Football player who finds joy in every catch or every tackle. Which one will be happier more often? Start finding joy in the little things and you will find a quick path to loving the job you have right now.

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5 Tips to Boost your Credibility at the Office

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:36 +0000

Success in your career is contingent on one important thing: getting people to take you seriously. If you want to move forward in your career, then you need to make sure that you’re building credibility with the people that you’re working with. Here are a few things that you can do to build more credibility with coworkers, your boss, and hiring managers:

Be Aware of Your Body Language
Your body language sends many verbal signs about confidence or a lack thereof. Pay attention to the way you’re sitting, standing, and moving throughout the day, and be more deliberate in managing your body language. For example, if you’re always slumped over in your chair and keeping your head down, then you’re sending the message that you don’t want to talk to anyone and you probably don’t want to be there. On the other hand, straightening your shoulders, looking people in the eye, and holding your head a little higher shows confidence and authority.
Dress for Success
Your appearance has a strong impact on first impressions, and dressing the part shows that you’re serious about your job. It’s unnecessary to spend a lot of money so you can always wear designer clothing. But it is important to stay well groomed and be one of the best-dressed people in your company.
Be a Good Listener
People love to talk about themselves, and they want to be heard. When people are talking about themselves, it actually stimulates a portion of the brain to trigger pleasurable emotions. If you want to make a good impression with someone, then you should ask questions and let them talk. This process will form social bonds and increase the likelihood that they will have a favorable memory of the interaction.
Do Your Homework and Take Action
It’s important to know what you’re talking about to add valuable insights and information to the project. The best way to provide value to the project is by researching the topic and preparing in advance so that you show up to the meeting with good insights to share with the group. Make sure to follow through with the things that you’re suggesting. You don’t want to be the person who is all talk and no action. The follow-up is even more important than the presentation of the idea.
Master the Art of Public Speaking
Whether you’re sitting in an interview or presenting an idea in a board meeting, you need to have the skills to clearly and succinctly share your message with the group. Pay attention to small details, such as the intonation of your voice, how many times you use filler words like “um,” and the clarity and emotion of your words as you speak. Try to incorporate stories into your presentations. Stories capture the attention of everyone in the room and they leave a stronger impression than boring facts and statistics.

By implementing these tips, you can improve your confidence in the workplace, and that confidence will naturally encourage people to take you seriously. Make sure to maintain this confidence and stay humble at the same time, because finding the right balance will help you achieve higher levels of success in your career.

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The Beginner’s Guide to Social Hiring

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

It’s a candidate’s job market and, if businesses hope to compete, it’s imperative that they can attract top talent. A huge portion of the talent pool today is, at most, “passively” looking for new opportunities. This means that you can’t just post your open jobs to a job board and hope that the right candidate applies; you must actively engage even passive candidates if you have any hope of winning the “war on talent.” While most organizations today are aware that social media can be a powerful hiring tool, a surprising number aren’t using it to its fullest, or even at all. Social media can be a brilliant source of recruiting potential if used well. So where to start?

Be Consistent

Consistency is key to developing a successful social recruiting process. You may not need a dedicated social recruiter posting on your behalf day and night, but the sporadic posting of jobs to LinkedIn, Facebook, and their ilk will not be very impactful. You should be posting content regularly, ideally daily, to attract and grow a potential candidate pool. Your “voice” and “tone” should also be consistent. Figure out how often you want to post and how you want your social messaging to sound, then make sure you consistently strive towards your goals for both.

Be Engaging

Easier said than done, volumes have been written on the topic of audience engagement. The whole thing is liable to feel overwhelming and overly technical to a social hiring novice. It’s important to remember that there will be some trial and error, but in time you will figure out what works to engage your audience. Try out different strategies; do you get more reaction when you ask questions? Do people respond well when you share photos? Whatever you do, make sure you tailor your message to your target audience – the people you’d love to have working for you – as much as you can.

Be Diverse

While you obviously want to use your social hiring efforts to fill your open jobs, if you truly want to get the most from social recruitment, you should try to connect with your audience on many levels. This isn’t just your chance to advertise job openings, it is your opportunity to showcase the great things about working in your organization. Share useful content, post about your successes, and connect with your future and current candidate pool beyond just the scope of filling a req.

Be Targeted

There are a mind-bending number of social media platforms in regular use today and attempting to maintain a diverse, engaging, and consistent footprint on all of them would likely require much more effort than it was worth. For that reason alone, it pays to be targeted in your approach. Go to where your audience already is. It may require some research and a bit of trial and error, but determine who you’re looking to attract to your organization, and then find out which platforms they use the most. If you have the biggest need for seasoned executive talent, you’ll probably find them in a different place than you would new grads. Figure out the type of talent you want to attract and then make sure your efforts are targeted to reach them.

While there is certainly plenty more to creating a successful social hiring strategy, these four steps should help you create a great foundation. By creating a presence that is consistent, engaging, and varied and then targeting your efforts to the places they’ll be the most impactful, you will have a scalable and customizable process that can be used to supercharge your recruitment efforts and meet whatever talent needs you may have.

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Choosing Between Two Great Candidates

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

It’s an enviable position to be in; you have a surplus of great candidates who are willing to join your team. The hard part is over and your only remaining job is choosing between them. Enviable as it may be, it still poses a problem. In a perfect world, you’d have the budget to hire all the qualified candidates that you come across. However, that usually isn’t a real possibility and you may have to make some tough choices. What is a hiring manager to do? If you find yourself forced to choose between two equally weighted candidates, take some time to think through the following to determine who the best addition will be. The plus side is, you know no matter what your decision, you’ll get a talented employee.

Hire for Runway
While you are screening candidates for a position, it is important to think ahead. Could you see either of the candidates moving up in the organization in the future? The candidate with the most potential to advance in their career with you will be the more strategic hire. Not only will you be making a great pick for your current role, but you’ll be improving your succession plan for the years to come.

Hire for Eagerness
You may want to hire both candidates equally, but do both candidates equally want to be hired? Most of the time, the candidate who is the most excited about the opportunity will be the more successful in the long run. After all, isn’t it better to work with someone who really wants to be there? Think back over your interactions with both candidates throughout the process and try to determine how eager they each were to move on at each step of the way.

Hire for Fit
While both candidates may seem equal on paper, cultural fit is much harder to discern from a resume. Take a beat to define and describe your organization’s culture. Chances are that one of the two candidates will be a more organic fit for the environment. The person you hire should share the values and ambitions of the company, so cultural fit can be crucial to a successful hire.

If all else fails, you can always make an old-fashioned pros and cons list. Just make sure that you are taking runway, eagerness, and cultural fit into account before you make your final decision. When you have two great candidates to choose from, there really isn’t a wrong answer. However, every hiring decision is important, so be sure that you carefully consider every angle. When in doubt, bring others into the process and ask them to rank the candidates against the above criteria. Once you’re sure that you have a candidate who has the most runway for promotability, the most ambition to be a part of your team, and who is the most appropriate cultural fit, you’ll know you have the best candidate for the job.

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4 Ways to Quickly Boost Employee Engagement

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

Employee engagement is something that many organizations take very seriously. It has been a growing focus among leaders and is the driving force behind many strategic initiatives undertaken by major companies in recent years. Despite all this, one look at employee engagement scores in the workplace at large will show you that there is still a lot of room for improvement in most cases. So what is a leader, looking for quick and impactful ways to boost engagement, to do?

Conduct Engagement Surveys

This may seem like a pretty obvious first step, but a surprising number of companies are not conducting these surveys. Among Fortune 500 organizations, as many as 96% are utilizing these tools. However, among midsized companies, this number drops to just 65%. Not only are these surveys vital to understanding where you stand with your employees, the simple act of giving your employees the chance to feel heard can have immediate impacts on your engagement overall.

Recognize Achievements

One of the fastest ways to lose the interest and attention of your employees is to let good work go unnoticed. You don’t necessarily need to build a formal employee recognition program (though that is certainly an option), but it is critical that you take the time to recognize and reward the accomplishments of your employees in some way. This will incentivize them to keep making an impact and help ensure that they feel appreciated.

Provide Growth Opportunities

One of the biggest reasons why employees leave their jobs is a lack of growth opportunities. When your workforce does not feel challenged, they will inevitably begin to lose interest. It’s not always possible to promote employees continuously, but it is important that you find ways to offer your key talent projects which test their abilities, opportunities to learn new skills, and a variety of experiences to keep them engaged.

Offer Guidance

Offering employees mentorship can be an invaluable way to build loyalty and drive positive engagement. Providing your employees with guidance shouldn’t only be restricted to the performance improvement plan. If you give your workforce the chance to take advantage of mentorship – whether formally through a program or informally through access to great leadership – they will become a more engaged and better-skilled workforce overall.

Employee engagement is multifaceted and complex. There are countless factors that contribute to how engaged your employees are, and no one solution will be the end-all-beat-all to building a culture of engagement. However, these four tactics can go a long way in making a positive impact on your engagement scores. When you take the time to listen to your employees’ concerns and needs and provide them with appropriate recognition, development, and mentorship opportunities, you lay down the foundation for an engaging workplace culture.

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The Anatomy of the Recruiting Process

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

Finding the perfect candidate can be an arduous process. It involves a lot of investment in the way of time and energy, but it’s an entirely necessary evil. Understanding what makes the process tick can go a long way to demystifying and streamlining things, however. By understanding the clear delineation between the phases of the recruitment process, you will be better able to manage expectations and timelines for all parties. From the beginning to the end, knowing what is happening behind the scenes at each phase will enable you to react more nimbly and make better decisions at every turn, whether you’re doing the hiring yourself or working with a recruiting partner.

Phase One: The Intake

During the intake phase, it is critical to get consensus from all stakeholders. Never assume that everyone is on the same page and has the same candidate profile in mind. If you fail to have these discussions at the outset, you run the risk of wasting a lot of time, money, and effort going after the wrong candidates. Make sure you ask for input from everyone who will be involved in the hiring decision, including any “must haves” or “can’t dos” so that you have a clear picture of who you are looking for. If you are working with any external recruiting partners, share as much of this information as you possibly can, so that they will be able to find you the best candidates for the job.

Phase Two: Candidate Sourcing

The second phase generally involves a lot of research and legwork on the computer and/or phone. If you are working with a recruiting partner, a lot of this legwork will hopefully be their burden to bear. This part of the process can be one of the longest, so don’t be surprised if it takes a bit of time before you start seeing resumes that fit the bill. If you post your job description online, you’ll have to spend a fair amount of time weeding through resumes. Sourcing candidates should ideally also include the strategic outreach to passive candidates whose backgrounds would be a great fit. It is critical not to stop this phase once you’ve started. Even if you think you have the perfect candidate, there are any number of ways that falloff could occur, so even if you ramp down a bit, be sure to keep the sourcing going until you have your hire made.

Phase Three: Interviewing

The interview phase is different for every organization and may even differ from position to position. In some cases, one onsite could be all it takes to decide to make an offer. In others, there are flights to arrange, calls to schedule, and a host of stakeholders for potential candidates to meet. Make sure you have a clear roadmap of what the interviewing process will look like before you start looking to schedule. Set candidates’ expectations ahead of time and try to minimize the time that elapses during this phase.

Phase Four: Making an Offer or Starting Over

After phase three comes the moment of truth. Either you have a viable candidate who’s emerged, or you must start over. Sometimes, unfortunately, it may be both. Even if you make an offer, you have no guarantee of acceptance; this is why it is so critical to continue sourcing candidates even as you progress through the other phases of the recruitment process. If you don’t find yourself with a viable candidate, revisit the intake stage and see if there are any areas where you were perhaps too specific or where you may have missed the mark on the ideal profile.

While this may be a somewhat oversimplified version of the work and the time that goes into successfully navigating the recruitment process, it does give you an idea of what you should be focused on at each juncture. From the moment you realize you have an opening until the moment your new hire walks through the door, you should be fully engaged in this process. Be sure to keep your recruiting partners in the loop at each phase as well. If you can manage to do all of this, you’ll find that the process runs much more smoothly and you will insure against any costly lulls.

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5 Reasons Your Job Isn’t Getting Filled

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

Finding the right candidate for a role can be a daunting endeavor. It takes time, patience, and a good deal of legwork to successfully source, screen, and hire the right person for the job and any number of things can go wrong along the way. If you have found that your roles aren’t being filled in a timely fashion, there could be any number of factors to blame. The following five issues are some of the more common culprits that can cause the recruitment process to break down, leaving you with an empty role.

Your Budget is Too Low

This is one of the biggest hurdles to jump when it comes to filling a role. If there are internal equity issues restricting your budget, it can pose a serious problem. However, if you simply aren’t offering the right amount of money for what you’re looking for, you are going to have a tough time attracting qualified candidates. If you think you might be off the mark on the compensation, market surveys can help you determine if you need to make an adjustment. If the dollars aren’t in the budget, then you may have to lower the scope of the role itself to find the right fit for the right price.

You Are Being Too Specific

If you find that your budget isn’t the problem, it could be the job itself. While of course there is a required level of experience for any role, if you narrow your candidate pool too far, you will have a tough time finding anyone who happens to be qualified. Make sure that you don’t narrow your search too far and try focusing on high-potential talent who can be trained in any skills they might be lacking.

You Are “Posting and Praying”

This is a very common mistake when it comes to sourcing talent. It is an incredibly competitive market out there, so talent can be choosy and companies must get creative to find the talent they need. If you simply post your job description to the big boards and screen the candidates who apply, you may find it takes much longer to find what you’re looking for. Instead, be proactive. Take up the mantle of seeking out that great talent and actively work to recruit them, rather than hoping that they come to you.

You Are Taking Too Long

Time is never your friend when it comes to the recruitment process. Candidates get cold feet, accept competing offers, or just generally lose interest if you drag the process out for too long. Make recruitment a priority, and if you find a candidate that you like, move quickly!

You Aren’t Screening Well

If you find that you keep getting pretty far into the process, only to determine that you don’t have the right candidate, you are likely dropping the ball somewhere in the early screening process. This can cost valuable time and leave you with an unfilled role, despite a lot of effort. Make sure that you are asking key questions early on, that you have the right people interviewing candidates, and that you have clear guidelines about what qualifies a candidate for the role.

While there is certainly no shortage of places where the recruitment process may break down, by focusing on these five areas, you will eliminate many of the common culprits. If you have a role that you just can’t fill, it pays to take a beat and ask yourself if you may be making missteps in these areas.

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The Beginner’s Guide to Working with a Search Firm

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

For hiring managers who have never had the opportunity to partner with a search firm, the idea can seem a little foreign. It can be confusing trying to determine what the recruiter’s role will be, what information you need to provide for them, and what to expect from the whole partnership. If you are considering working with a search firm for the first time, there are a few foundational things that you can do to ensure a meaningful partnership.

Be Forthcoming

This can’t be stressed enough. Your recruiter should be your partner. After all, it is in their best interests to find you the right candidate, so you truly have a common goal. For this reason, you should be comfortable telling them everything that they need to know about the position they are helping you to fill. You should tell them the good, the bad, and the ugly. Give them any relevant background about your organization. Tell them about the personalities of those they’ll be working closely with. The more information given to your recruiter, the more effective they can be in getting you the talent you are looking for. Don’t hold back!

Ask for Advice

Many times, hiring managers don’t take full advantage of the consultative resource that a good staffing partner can be. Recruiters focus on talent all day every day, so if you have any questions about the process, the search, or the market in general, don’t hesitate to use them as a trusted resource. If you’re uncertain about how you should handle any part of the search, asking your recruiter for advice can be a simple and effective way to gain perspective.

Set Expectations

Setting expectations early and often is critical to a mutually beneficial partnership. It is especially important if you aren’t accustomed to the process of partnering with search firms. Tell your recruiting partners what you expect from them and what they can expect from you (your response times, your availability to interview their candidates, etc.). Clarify and qualify as much as you can, and continue to revisit these expectations as you progress through the process. This act alone should go a long way towards helping you demystify your new partnership.

By following these few guidelines, you are setting yourself up for success in working with a search firm. Your new recruiting partners will be thankful that you have been so forthcoming and communicative. They will clearly understand what is expected of them and will be able to help you understand what they expect from you. You may even find that they can be a fantastic resource, not simply a candidate generation tool. These steps are ideal for those new to the process, but even for veterans, they are good habits to revisit and engage in. As you consider working with a search firm, set yourself up for success and ensure that you get the most out of the experience.

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3 Steps to Selecting the Right Recruiting Firm

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

There are certainly no shortages of choices available in the recruitment marketplace. There are mega-firms, boutique firms, regional firms, industry-specific firms, and so many others to take your pick from. Most hiring managers receive a high volume of phone calls from these recruiters, all vying for their business. It can be a bit overwhelming if you’re just trying to figure out where to get started. While there is no shortage of volume out there, it can be quite a task to sift through the competing firms to find the one that best suits your business and your talent needs. However, with a few simple steps, it will be easy to narrow down the numbers and target the firms which will be most effective for you to partner with.

Follow the Reputation

One of the quickest ways to discern a great firm is to ask your colleagues who they would recommend. This will help you to feel more confident in making the connection, and because you came to them on referral they will have a bit of extra motivation to deliver for you since they are certain to want to receive more referrals down the road. Whether you ask your coworkers or others in your network, be sure to find out who has provided the best talent they’ve seen, and ask if they have been placed by any great firms in the past.

Get Specific

Recruitment has become increasingly specialized over the years. While some of the big firms still handle the full gambit of searches, most small to midsized firms have some areas of specialization. Ask any firms you are considering if they specialize by region, function, level, or industry. You may find that it’s best to have several different recruiters who you use for different types of positions, so it can be helpful to compile a pipeline of reputable firms who have a variety of focus areas.

Ask for Metrics

Search firms employ a variety of metrics as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). One of the fastest ways to determine a firm’s effectiveness is to ask them about some of these measurements for success. One of the most telling metrics is the time-to-fill, which indicates how long it takes from the start of a new search until successful placement. Likewise, asking about their offer acceptance rate will give you an idea of how well they close offers once they’ve been made. Any reputable firm should track some kind of metrics, so ask for the numbers when you’re introduced.

By following these three steps, you should be confident in your chosen recruiting partners. Depending on your needs, you may even work with multiple firms simultaneously – it all depends on your business and the roles you need to fill. Use your network to your advantage in narrowing down the options, find firms who have full candidate pipelines in the specialties you’re searching for, and make sure you ask them to quantify their success to ensure that you are making the perfect match every time.

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3 Signs You’re Using the Wrong Recruiting Partners

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

Recruiters are so plentiful these days, it can seem like they’re a dime a dozen. Hiring managers the world over are inundated with a ceaseless stream of voicemails from recruiting firms eager to provide their services. Not all recruiters are created equal, and with so many competing firms it can be hard to discern whether you have the right staffing partners at your side. If you have found yourself questioning the relevance of your current recruiting partners, there are a few sure-fire ways to know that you haven’t chosen the right fit.

You’re seeing too many candidates

Of course you’d like to see a good number and variety of candidates during the course of a search, and it is important to keep in mind that there tends to be a period of calibration with any search, during which your recruiting partners are fine-tuning their screening process and discovering a bit more about what you are looking for in candidates. However, if you find that you are seeing a huge volume of candidates – particularly if many of them are missing the mark in some way – it may be a sign that your recruiter doesn’t quite understand what it is you’re looking for. A recruiter who takes the shotgun approach may get you a good candidate occasionally, but it is certainly not the most effective approach and it will ensure that you spend more time than is necessary screening resumes yourself. Isn’t that why you work with staffing partners in the first place?

You aren’t learning anything

While the primary goal of a recruiter is to match the right talent with the right opportunities, that shouldn’t be all that a trusted recruiter can do for you. A great recruiter can be an invaluable resource for you, providing insights into the market, actionable and applicable information, and guidance during your decision-making process. A true partner will be consultative and helpful, and you should find yourself better for having engaged them, even if you don’t hire their candidate.

You’re doing too much legwork

Your staffing partners aren’t your secretaries, so you shouldn’t expect them to do an undue amount of paperwork or to run errands for you. However, you will find that most firms are very accommodating and will be happy to help remove some of the burden of the screening process from you. If you are finding that, too often, you must chase your recruiters down or take time out of your day to follow up on something they have promised to do, it is a clear indicator that you don’t have an invested partner by your side.

The next time you are evaluating your relationships with your staffing partners, make sure to think a bit about those three topics. Ask yourself if you are seeing an overabundance of resumes, if you have learned anything helpful from them, and if you are doing an appropriate amount of the legwork in the relationship. If the answer is no to any of the above, it might be time to return some of the countless voicemails left by their competitors.

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Mind the Gap: 4 Ways to Address Skills Gaps in Your Organization

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

Addressing skills gaps within organizations is no simple task. Whether you are looking to improve technical skills, like software or systems knowledge, or soft skills, such as coaching or leadership, there is no shortage of approaches you can take. From hiring and training to continuing education, these gaps in skill should be addressed from several angles to be effectively resolved. While bolstering skills is not a single approach undertaking, there are a few key areas of focus which can help a business make a big impact in a relatively simple way.

Cross-Training

Cross-Training can be a great way to improve skill gap areas because it allows you to optimize resources that you already have in-house. Encouraging employees to become cross-trained in other areas where you have a need for talent will not only shore up the immediate shortcoming, it will leave you with more highly skilled talent across the board, so you can improve knowledge transfer throughout the business.

Strategic Hiring

Employees with in-demand skill sets can be difficult to find and pricey to hire, so hiring strategically is key. By partnering with recruiters, schools, and associations, leaders can better position themselves to capture talent strategically. Practices such as hiring new grads with the training you need can help businesses bring in the in-demand talent without overpaying.

In-house Development

Providing developmental opportunities in-house is not only a good way to ensure that you are bridging the skills gaps that are impacting your business, it can also help to improve employee engagement and retention. Developmental opportunities are important to employees, so investing in in-house learning opportunities can pay off in many ways. Developing training programs or curriculum is no small task, but it can be tailored to your business in order to take care of any skills gaps you may identify.

Outside Education

In some instances, it may be cheaper or easier to look outside to provide developmental opportunities for employees. Many organizations are willing to foot the bill for employees to pursue certifications or degrees in order to bolster their bench strength as an organization. Even association conferences can be sponsored, providing a great perk to your employees and allowing you to improve the level of training in your business.

Fixing skills gaps is not generally an easy task. Whether you invest the time in undertakings like training employees and devising effective hiring strategies, or you invest the money in pursuits such as building a curriculum and enabling your employees to pursue an education, there will be costs to the company. However, these investments can pay off tenfold in the results your well-trained and knowledgeable workforce can provide. It’s a true win/win for everyone, since your employees will be grateful for the developmental opportunities, and your organization will be able to improve upon the skills it needs to be successful.

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3 Ways to Incentivize Employees (Other Than Compensation)

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

When it comes to motivating employees, cash seems to be king. However, while you certainly aren’t going to hear your employees complain about a monetary reward, the fact of the matter is that money alone is not a huge motivator. Studies have shown time and time again that, when it comes to incentivizing employees, it takes more than money to be truly successful. Whether you are incentivizing employees to meet a specific goal, or just trying to motivate and engage your workforce, these three motivators can work wonders.

Recognition

A pat on the back for a job well done can be a surprisingly powerful tool. In fact, recognition (or rather the lack thereof) is one of the top reasons why employees leave their jobs, so it is important to make it a priority. Whether your organization has a formal awards program which recognizes great performance or you simply take the time to recognize someone’s hard work personally, a bit of recognition can motivate an employee in a far more meaningful way than a cash incentive. Not only will you be helping to incentivize your workforce, you will also be aiding retention at the same time.

Development

Developmental opportunities have long been a major priority for employees, so it should come as no surprise that they can make very powerful incentives. By offering employees the chance to develop themselves – whether through offering formal training, the chance to take on a new challenge, or something else – employers can both motivate their team and offer something which is vital to their satisfaction by providing these developmental opportunities. The chance to learn something new will engage employees and chances are good that they will be grateful for the opportunity.

Freedom

Freedom and flexibility can be amazing incentives for employees. Treating employees like adults is more than a reward, it is a sign that their hard work has earned them your trust and respect. Whether you have formal flexible work arrangements in place, which allow employees to work remotely, or you simply make a conscious effort not to micro-manage, giving employees freedom can incentivize them to work hard in order to keep it.

The bottom line is that, while bonuses and merit increases can certainly be motivating, the best incentives tend to be a bit less tangible. Some extra cash is nice, but earning the chance to be recognized for hard work, to grow in their careers, or to enjoy a little flexibility will be far more meaningful for employees in the long run.

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5 Questions You Should be Asking Your Staffing Partners

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

Talent acquisition is practically a science; there are multitudes of social channels to navigate, an often-specialized screening process, and what can be a very technical candidate sourcing process. While every recruitment firm has its own specific method of doing things, there are a few key questions that you should be asking your staffing partners, to set your own expectations and ensure that you are working with the right people.

What channels do you use?

From Facebook to Indeed, there are innumerable channels that recruiters can use to source talent. If you are working with a staffing partner who is only using the big job boards, you are missing out on a lot of talent. Recruiters can use associations, social media, job boards, and more to find talent, so you should look for a partner who has a multi-pronged approach, rather than a “post and pray” firm.

What is your time-to-fill?

This metric is common for a reason: it’s telling. While every search is different, finding out your partner’s time-to-fill can help you set your expectations and will enable you to compare their effectiveness against their competitors. The lower the time-to-fill, the faster results you can expect to see.

What is your offer acceptance rate?

Perhaps a less commonly used metric, the acceptance rate refers to a recruiter’s ability to close the deal. Simply finding the right candidate isn’t enough, you need a partner who can help you get them onboard. It is a competitive marketplace, so top talent can be difficult to attract and it never hurts to have an experienced closer on your side. The higher your partner’s offer acceptance rate, the better they are at sealing the deal.

Where do you specialize?

Some recruitment firms are more specialized than others. Recruiters may focus primarily on a function, an industry, a job level, or a location, so the right partner for one role may not be the best fit for another, even within the same company. While many staffing agencies can work in multiple spaces, it helps to ask your partners where they specialize, so that you can play to their strengths when you need help finding talent.

How many candidates do you expect to present?

It’s important to remember that, while you certainly want plenty of talent to choose from, having more candidates isn’t always better. Some recruiters tend to present large slates of candidates for review, while others tend to focus on a small but well-vetted group. Asking how many candidates your staffing partner expects to present on a particular role will help give you an idea of how they operate as a firm. The volume that works best for you will be dependent on how involved you want to be in the selection process, so there is no one right answer here.

By asking your potential and current staffing partners these questions, you will better position yourself to partner effectively with them. By asking pointed questions, you can begin to understand their process, their success rate, and how they can be best utilized as a resource.

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You Get What You Pay for: Breaking Down Recruiting Fees

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

In today’s competitive marketplace, there is a constant push to shave more off the bottom line, and the recruitment budget is no exception. With the tightening of the purse strings, it becomes more and more important to justify your recruitment spend. However, with recruiting fees – like many things in life – you usually get what you pay for. The competition in the market extends to talent as well. If you hope to find the best employees, investing in third-party talent acquisition partners may be necessary. If you find yourself balancing these two opposing forces, it’s important to understand the anatomy of a recruitment fee and to know what you are paying for. This is so you can accurately determine whether the investment is paying off.

The Types of Recruitment Fees

Not all fee structures are created equal. There are several common models to choose from. Many firms offer a contingent fee structure, which means that you pay a predetermined amount (which may be based on a percentage of salary or a flat rate), but only after a successful hire. A popular competing fee structure is the engaged (or retained) model, in which a retainer is paid at the commencement of the search. The remainder of the engagement fee can be paid out on a variety of schedules, so it’s important to clarify with your staffing partners what their payment schedule is at the start. There are certainly some industry standards, but every firm is different.

Cheapest Isn’t Always Best

In the interest of keeping costs low, it can be tempting to look first and foremost for the lowest fee. While there is certainly nothing wrong with partnering with a recruiter who charges a reasonable fee, there is something to be said for the old bromide, “you get what you pay for.” Staffing firms who can afford to charge a fee well under market value are likely to subsist on volume, so you may not get as many dedicated resources or as much consultation as you would elsewhere. This means searches could take longer and the caliber of talent may not be the same. If you are filling a key position, for instance, it may be worth a higher fee to receive a higher level of service. A good employee should more than pay for the cost of hire, so make sure that you focus on finding a partner who can find you the best talent and provide you with the level of service you need.

Fee is Only as Good as Guarantee

Before you agree to pay a fee, you should make sure that you fully understand what is being covered. For instance, if an employee doesn’t work out the recruiter may be responsible for refunding their fee or replacing the employee. Fees may also guarantee advertisement on major job boards or background checks and drug screens. Pay attention to contracts and make sure you know what your payment will and won’t cover in order to determine the real value of what you’re buying.

There is no true standard for a recruiting fee and every firm will be a little different. Depending on the level of the role you are filling, the industry, and the job function itself, the dollar amounts can differ immensely, so do your market research and choose the fee structure that best suits your needs. Try to keep in mind that the lowest bidder may not be the best suited to meet your needs and make sure that you know what you are paying for. When you pay a recruiting fee, you are essentially buying the dedicated resources, man hours, expertise, and networking power of your staffing partner, so make sure you are getting the most out of the partnership and positioning yourself to find the best possible talent available.

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5 Ways to Improve Candidate Experience

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

The candidate experience is essential to a company’s ability to attract top talent. Unemployment is low and the competition for talent is tough, so it’s vital to get off on the right foot and create a positive impression. A lot can go wrong during the interview process, so striving for positive candidate experience is key.

Be Expedient

One of the quickest ways to lose a candidate’s interest is by taking too long. The hiring process can take time and you should by no means rush a decision, but it’s important that you move things along as quickly as you can. Candidates who are left on the hook for too long may lose interest or get another offer, so if you like a candidate don’t drag your feet.

Keep it Simple

The hiring process can be a bit tedious for candidates, so it’s important that you make it as simple as you can. From initially applying to onboarding, candidates should find the process easy to navigate. Optimize your processes wherever possible to make them user-friendly and candidates will be free to pay attention to all that the company has to offer, instead of spending time being frustrated.

Be Communicative

Lack of communication is one of the most frustrating things for candidates. It is crucial to communicate the experience early on – tell candidates what they can expect at every stage of the process so that there aren’t any unwanted surprises. Even if they didn’t get the role, candidates still deserve to hear back from you. From the first interview until the final, keep the lines of communication open.

Get Feedback

An often overlooked source of information, feedback can help you vastly improve your candidate experience by hearing directly from candidates. There are many ways to ask candidates for feedback, such as formally through a survey or informally during the interview process. The method you use isn’t important, but it is key that you put the feedback you gather to work and use it to optimize the hiring process.

Be Accommodating

Candidates appreciate flexibility. When you are asking them to interview, you are asking them to take time out of their lives. It’s not always easy, so try to give them ample heads-up before an interview and make yourself as flexible as possible to accommodate them. Candidates will appreciate the consideration and the process will seem far less tedious for them.

Investing in your hiring process is critical to improving your candidate experience. There is a lot of competition for talent, so your ability to find and hire the best employees will be contingent on your ability to engage them during the critical hiring process.

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What to Look for in a Staffing Partner

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

A staffing partner can be an incredibly valuable asset for businesses hoping to find the best talent. However, not all recruiters are created equal and you will only be as successful as the firm you choose to partner with. So how do you decide who to partner with? There are several simple ways that you can use to determine whether a firm is right for you.

Responsiveness

This is a very quick way to gain insight into the staffing partner you’re considering working with. When you partner with recruiters, you want to know that you are getting a partner who has the time and resources to make you a priority. Pay attention to how quickly you receive responses from them via email. Try calling the office to speak to someone. If you get voicemail every time and don’t hear back quickly, chances are that your potential partners have bigger fish to fry and won’t be able or willing to make you a priority.

Relevancy

Increasingly, recruiting firms have grown more and more specified, some focusing on specific industries or functions. To find the most relevant partner for your business or immediate talent need, you may want to start by looking for firms that specialize in finding the talent you are looking for. Even the best recruiting firm won’t be as successful if their focus is not relevant to your needs. The firm with the best pipeline of talent that fits your needs will be the most successful in the least amount of time. Ask potential staffing partners about their last five searches, where they typically focus, and what types of roles they are the most successful in filling.

Track Record

You obviously want to partner with the most successful recruitment professionals. You should come prepared with questions to ascertain their track record before engaging them. Ask about their metrics, such as time-to-fill and offer acceptance ratio, to determine how successful they are. Don’t be afraid to ask about references and recent successful searches to get an idea of where they are the most successful and how successful they are.

Fee and Guarantee

Depending on your specific needs, there are a variety of fee structures that might work for you. Some staffing firms use only contingent search, some only engaged, and others may offer both. If your talent need is crucial and urgent, you might be better off working with a firm on an engaged basis – meaning you pay a portion of the fee up front in exchange for dedicated resources. If your concern is more about the budget, then you may want to use a contingent model – meaning you pay only once a hire is made. Whichever model you go with, it’s also important to understand your staffing partner’s guarantee. Find out what their replacement guarantee is, in case their hire doesn’t work out. Ask about what guaranteed resources they offer, such as search channels they use and places where they advertise.

The proper staffing partner can be a great resource for businesses looking for top talent. Knowing what to look for and the right questions to ask can help you find a partner who will get you results within your budget and without much ado. Make sure that you vet your potential partners before agreeing to anything so that you can find the firm which works best for you and your company.

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Recovering from a Bad Hire

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

A bad hire can be a costly, frustrating, and time-consuming mistake. The US Department of Labor has estimated that the cost of a single bad hire equals up to 30% of the employee’s first-year salary. The time and money spent to find, hire, and train these bad hires will all be for naught, and what’s worse is that you will still be on the hook to repeat the process when you inevitably must replace the employee who didn’t work out. It’s a discouraging, frustrating, and stressful experience for hiring managers, but it’s not all doom and gloom. With the benefit of hindsight on your side, you’ll find your ability to recover from a bad hire – and hopefully, save yourself from another in the future – is greatly improved.

Act quickly

The moment that you realize you have made a poor hiring decision, you should begin taking steps to correct it. In most instances, the bad hire should be let go as soon as you realize your mistake. While it might be tempting to keep them on until a suitable replacement can be found, they may be doing more harm than good during that time, leaving you with more of a mess to clean up in the end. As soon as it’s feasible, you should cut ties and begin the process of recovering.

Take a step back

Your next step on the road to recovery from a poor hiring decision is a bit of thoughtful reflection. Time is always of the essence when you have a talent need, but taking a beat is crucial to making your next hire a better one. Going off half-cocked and rushing to find a replacement isn’t going to do you any favors in the long run, so spend some time analyzing and reflecting on the employee who didn’t work out.

Ask the right questions

Think through any red flags that you might have missed during the hiring process that could have potentially given you a heads-up that the candidate wasn’t the best fit. Once you’ve identified them, you can remind yourself to keep an eye out in the future. Consider where and how you found the candidate, and try to discern what questions you could have asked that might have exposed the shortcomings in advance. Doing this will help you make better selections in the future.

Ask others

Relying on only your own input is limiting and ill-advised, which is why many companies form interview panels or conduct multiple rounds of candidate screening. You should apply this strategy to analyzing your bad hire, as well. Others may have noticed things which you overlooked, so their input could prove valuable in improving your screening process in the future.

If (or more likely when) a bad hiring decision is made, it isn’t the end of the world. While it can be costly and frustrating, if you act quickly, take the time to learn from the experience, develop a better strategy for the future, and share the burden a bit, it will hopefully be a long time before you find yourself in a similar situation.

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Why Good Employees Leave

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

Attrition is a major concern for business leaders, and it’s not one which can be easily resolved. When a good employee leaves your organization, you’re not only facing the immediate costs of hiring and training a new employee, the bottom line is also impacted by the internal knowledge that key employees take with them. There are ways to mitigate these costs and risks – such as having a recruitment strategy and talent pipeline in place for backfilling roles and creating robust knowledge transfer processes – but if you hope to tackle the root cause and not just alleviate the symptoms, it’s important to understand why good employees leave an organization. To do this, we’ll explore information from a recent LinkedIn report from one of the world’s largest studies on the subject.

Reason #1: Lack of Career Advancement

It may come as a surprise to some, but the number one reason that employees left their jobs was not due to money or work/life balance, but rather due to a concern about a perceived lack of advancement opportunity within the organization. Good employees are ambitious, so they will be looking for room to grow. If they can’t find those developmental opportunities in your organization, then they are going to look elsewhere.

Reason #2: Poor Leadership

The leadership of an organization is a major key to its success. Your employees are only as empowered as their leaders enable them to be, so it’s little wonder that so many of those who felt unsatisfied with the leadership of senior management left their roles. Choosing the right senior leaders is crucial to the happiness of every employee in your organization.

Reason # 3: Poor Cultural/Environmental Fit

Workplace culture is difficult to define. Each organization has its own unique culture and environment. Some employees thrive in fast-paced, lean cultures while others prefer a steady and deliberate pace and need plenty of resources to thrive. It’s important that hiring managers screen for cultural fit during the hiring process, and if you identify a “toxic” element in your organization’s culture, making a cultural change could have a big impact on your attrition rates.

Reason #4: Compensation

While compensation is certainly important to employees, you may be surprised to find it this far down on the list. However, Compensation and Benefits satisfaction (or rather, the lack thereof) was still a major driving factor in employees’ decision to leave a job. Market surveys should be used to ensure that your organization is paying competitively or you stand the risk of losing good employees to the highest bidder.

Reason #5: Lack of Recognition

More than just an appreciated pat on the back, recognition and rewards for a job well done are critical to an employee’s sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Many companies have formalized recognition programs, while others rely on frontline leaders to provide that recognition. There is no “correct” way to congratulate an employee for exceptional performance, but it is important that you find a way to do so. Rewards don’t necessarily have to be monetary (although you aren’t likely to hear any complaints if they are), it is simply important to employees to feel that they’ve made a difference.

While attrition remains a moving target and motivations to change jobs are always complex, by better understanding your employees’ needs and working proactively to ensure they are met, you can have a very tangible impact on your ability to retain top talent. Not limited to any one issue, attrition is contributed to by any number of combinations of the factors listed above. Each is as important as the last to your employees’ happiness and longevity, so any effort that can be made to improve the above five areas will have far-reaching positive impacts.

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The Hidden Costs of an Empty Desk

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

It isn’t overly difficult to calculate the costs of sourcing, hiring, and training a new employee. These are all tangible, recordable costs that can be easily tracked. But what happens if you fail to fill that position in a timely manner? The losses to the company may appear in a variety of ways, but it can be far more difficult to ascribe a dollar value to them. These “empty desk” costs can add up to cost your organization significant money and are worth paying attention to, despite having a less obvious price tag attached. While many are hesitant to make room in the budget for hiring, balking at the immediate costs, it is important to remember that the costs of NOT filling a position are just as real. What do those costs look like?

Loss of Productivity

Productivity is, by far, the most obvious (and perhaps the most easily calculable) cost of an empty desk. Quite simply, you have one less set of hands driving production. A simple calculation can be used to define this cost:

Assuming every employee has a positive impact on the bottom line (which one would hope they do), you can easily calculate your Revenue per Employee by dividing the company’s annual revenue by the number of employees. This annual number can then be divided by days per year to determine the daily cost of a missing employee at the most basic level.

Burnout

Harder to track than the loss of productivity, burnout is nonetheless a very real cost of a vacant position. The volume of work doesn’t slow down just because you’re shorthanded and other employees are left to pick up the slack. They may have to slow down their own production to keep everything moving, which can adversely affect the bottom line. Pulling double duty in this way is not a sustainable arrangement and will eventually cause burnout in even the most engaged employees. If this doesn’t let up, you may find yourself with even more vacancies, compounding the problem and multiplying the costs exponentially.

Lost Opportunity

Perhaps the most difficult cost to calculate is that of lost opportunities. Every day that you have a vacant position is a day in which a member of your team was unable to contribute by having new ideas, driving current initiatives, or solving existing problems. It is impossible to say what might have been contributed by the employee who will eventually fill the seat, had they been there sooner, but you can be certain that the amount contributed by the empty desk will be steady at zero every day.

Remember these costs the next time you balk at a recruiting fee or are tempted to cut your hiring budget, and don’t be afraid to remind your leadership that – in a very real sense – time is money when it comes to an unfilled job and the dreaded empty desk.

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Tapping Into A Secret Resource: Employee Referrals

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

In 2015, LinkedIn completed one of the largest studies of recent job changers in the world. One of the statistics that the study revealed was the number one channel through which job changers heard about their new opportunity. Surprisingly, the top spot was not occupied by job boards or even recruiting agencies, but rather by employee referrals. This statistic underscores the importance of a resource which is all too often overlooked: employee referrals. When you find yourself with a talent need, your first step should be to take advantage of your employee network. After all, they make great ambassadors for the business and have unique insight into the needs of the organization. Making the most of employee referrals is easier said than done, however, and it takes dedicated effort to keep it up.

Just Ask!

It seems almost too easy, but there really is no big secret to asking for employee referrals. If you have a talent need, one of the first steps you take in your search should be asking your top-performing employees who they know that might be interested in the role. Your chances are good that the top talent in your organization runs in the same circles as other high-potential candidates and most great employees are all too happy to help network on behalf of their company and their friends. You may even choose to ask new hires for referrals as a part of their orientation – you never know who they will know!

Incentivizing Employees to Refer

If you want to take your employee referral game to the next level, you may also choose to provide incentives. Incentivizing your employees to send you qualified referrals is one of the easiest and most consistent ways to ensure that you are capturing all the talent of your network. Most often these rewards are monetary and only apply after a successful hire is made, but there are plenty of ways this arrangement can be structured to suit most needs and budgets. There are certain restrictions surrounding what and how much you can provide as compensation, so some legwork is necessary to ensure that you are fully compliant before you institute an employee referral program with incentives. Though these programs may require a bit of research and monetary investment, they can more than pay for themselves if even a single fantastic hire is made.

It’s a Two-Way Street

Whether you choose to explore a formal employee referral program, or simply dedicate yourself to being more proactive about networking in-house, it is important to remember that this relationship is a two-way street. Your employees are trusting that you will provide their referrals with a satisfactory candidate experience; if you don’t deliver, they won’t continue to help. It’s in your best interests to explore every referral that you receive. If an employee feels strongly enough to vouch for a friend or colleague, you should at least reach out to make the connection. Even if they aren’t the right fit for your needs today, you never know what the future will bring and it pays to know good talent. Take the time to follow up and put as much work into the candidate experience as you would for any other potential hire.

The statistics are clear; optimizing your employee referral process will pay off in the long-run. By asking your employees to network on your organization’s behalf, you multiply your hiring power exponentially. If you play your cards right and take advantage of these referrals, you will quickly see why it’s the leading channel for job changers to land new roles.

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Hire the Athlete, Train the Sport: Hiring for Potential

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:32 +0000

When you set out to fill an open position, you naturally begin a sort of mental wish list. There are, of course, the absolute must-haves like special skills knowledge, availability, or compensation requirements, but after that comes the (usually lengthy) list of desired qualifications you would prefer a candidate to have. Unfortunately, as anyone who has been charged with hiring will be quick to agree, it is incredibly rare that you can hit every item on the list in a single candidate. For this reason, the ability to prioritize your needs is vital. If you can’t determine which qualifications are requisite and which you can make concessions on, then you could be allowing a ton of great talent to slip through the cracks while holding out for a candidate who doesn’t exist.

These non-existent candidates are often referred to by recruiters as “purple squirrels.” They represent the hypothetical idea of a perfect candidate. There is nothing wrong with having deal breakers or requirements in your hiring process, but you begin to hamper your ability to attract top talent when you narrow your search too much. The War for Talent rages on, and intelligent, ambitious candidates won’t stay on the market forever. If you’re allowing these potential employees to get away simply because they are lacking some of the less critical qualifications on your wish list, you can be sure that your competitors are scooping them up and developing them into fantastic employees. The key to making the most out of hiring isn’t filtering your candidate pool to a select few who possess certain skills, it’s finding the most capable and eager employees and figuring out how to best utilize them. Many skills, both soft and technical alike, can be trained or taught. Ambition, intelligence, and cultural fit, however, are something a candidate must bring to the table themselves.

If you have too often found yourself thinking, “I wish we could do something with them” as you let a good candidate walk out of the door because they didn’t check every box on your list, you have likely done yourself and your organization a great disservice. Clearly, you won’t be able to hire every sharp person who walks through your door but don’t dismiss a talent out of hand just because they haven’t had an opportunity to learn a certain skill or to have a particular experience.

In sports, you’re better served teaching a gifted athlete to play a specific sport than you are trying to play a sub-par athlete who already happens to know the game. Hiring is no different. If there is a chance to hire a true talent – even one who might take a little development or training – you should take it. Even if it means passing up a “plug and play” candidate who is perfectly adequate in favor of a rock star who needs some investment and development, hiring the high-potential talent should be your priority. If you’re hiring someone just to do a job, and not because of their potential, then you are missing out on finding the very best talent. In a word: you should hire the athlete and train the sport.

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4 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Get Ahead at Work

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:31 +0000

How do you get that promotion at work when your coworkers are also jockeying for it? Standing out from the competition may be easier than you think. Here are some ways to stand out without destroying your relationships with your colleagues.

Go Above and Beyond

Yes, you probably have heard this before, but have you applied it? Showing initiative and taking on tasks you weren’t necessarily assigned to do will get attention from the boss. Just make sure someone else wasn’t assigned to that job. Being willing to step outside your normal job or skill set and do what others won’t will draw good attention. When you’re willing to volunteer for projects others avoid, your boss will be thankful to have you and will be more likely to consider you for future promotions.

Do Your Job

Doing your job to the best of your ability will put you leaps and bounds over some of your competition. Many people just show up to work because of the paycheck. They don’t have any drive or desire to be there or to try and enjoy their work. If you come to work with a smile on your face and do what you do to the best of your ability, you’ll stand out. Even if the job you’re in isn’t your dream job, you can still pick parts of it that you enjoy. Focus on those. Find fulfillment however you can in your job. The quality of your work will improve and you will definitely stick out from the crowd.

Be a Leader

When opportunities for leadership come up, ask to be put there. Don’t shy away from added responsibility. After all, that’s what promotion is all about. This is also a great opportunity to learn the best ways of leadership. If you’re able to, ask your boss once you’ve completed the project how you did. Ask her in what ways you could have improved. Your boss will appreciate your humble attitude, proving that leadership won’t go to your head in the event that you get that promotion.

If you’re able to be a leader, make sure to do your best to cause your colleagues to have success too. Encouraging them and praising them for their work is a great leadership trait. As a leader, not only do you want to succeed, you should want them to be successful too.

Talk to Them

If you know that you and a coworker are both trying to get the same promotion, talk to them. Don’t let the tension simmer. Not only will that make your workplace uncomfortable, it could potentially ruin your relationship with your coworker. Be willing to sit down with them, acknowledge that you both want the job, and commit to remaining friendly throughout the process. By taking the initiative in doing this, your coworker will know that you aren’t going to try to get the job by underhanded means and you’re not out to destroy their career.

Simply doing your job to the best of your ability and taking the opportunities that come your way can get you a long way in your career. Do the right thing. Avoid the temptation to succumb to underhanded measures and back-stabbing techniques. Those may get you ahead for a short while, but in the long run, they will ruin your career.

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Personal Branding and Marketing Yourself

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:31 +0000

A personal brand is all about what people know you for. Ideally, you want them to associate you with a specific thing, a niche so that when they see or hear your name, they think of success in that area. People need to think of you as a leader or expert in that area. Personal branding is all about finding what you’re good at, prioritizing, putting yourself out there, and sharing what you know with others.

Discover Yourself

So how do you start? Well, it’s not as mystical as it sounds. Very simply, think about what makes you unique. What do you bring to your job, business, the world that is different? What are your strengths? And then combined with that, what do you enjoy doing and are passionate about? You may be good at a certain thing because it was drilled into you, but if it’s not your passion, you won’t stick with it. Make a list of what makes you unique, what your talents are, and then cross-reference that with your passions.

Grow

Now that you’ve figured out what makes you you, grow in that area. Learn about it more, take your strengths to greater heights. Do what you need to become an expert in that area. You need to learn enough, be experienced enough, practice enough to be the go-to person in this area. Your personal brand is no use to you if you can’t do it well or even better than anyone else. This is continuous. You never stop learning, growing, and developing. Doing so is critical to successfully branding yourself.

Prioritize

You know what you’re good at, so don’t let your attention get snagged by other things. Set goals for yourself that are in line with your strengths and uniqueness. Prioritize the growth of your personal brand. Do what it takes to develop it. When other opportunities arise, use your goals as a measure of whether you should pursue them. If they aren’t in line with your priorities and branding, then you can politely decline.

Share

Now that you’ve accumulated all this knowledge, it’s time to put it out there. You will never develop your personal brand if you don’t impart your value to others. Find the platform that works best for you, whether it’s social media, a website, or both and start making noise. Don’t be obnoxious, but participate in discussions, write articles, and generally make it known that you have some knowledge in your area. Use your network to spread the word. By helping people there, they’ll tell others, and so on.

Creating a personal brand is a great asset in today’s business world. It does take work and effort, but it’s not impossible or only available for the elite. In fact, it’s all about becoming one of those elite by being an expert in your niche.

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5 Steps to Asking for a Raise or Promotion

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:31 +0000

It would be nice to never have to ask for a raise or a promotion at your job. Instead, you do your work well (like you’ve been doing); and your boss sees and rewards accordingly. Unfortunately, that’s not the real world. Employers are dealing with many employees on many different levels. It’s easy for someone to fall through the cracks. Which is why you will probably, at some point in your career, have to ask either for a raise or a promotion. These are some ideas for how to tactfully do so.

Do your homework.

You don’t want to ask for a ridiculous dollar amount when talking to your boss about a raise. This would be unwise and show that you don’t really know what your industry is like. Check out what others in your field and your geographical area are making. Search Google and pick the brains of your mentor (you have one, right?). Don’t come to your meeting with your boss unprepared. Not only will you waste your best chance at that raise, you’ll waste their time, which won’t bode well for you.

Choose your timing.

Asking your boss for a raise when the company has just lost a major contract would not be the smartest choice. Consider where the business is currently. Is now the best time to ask? Bring into consideration your boss’s position. Did you hear that your boss was just reprimanded by the higher-ups? Approach your boss when they’re in a good mood and when the company is in a good place. Your timing could be what makes or breaks your attempt.

Start building a case.

If you really want a raise or a promotion, then you should be taking on more responsibility and projects now. You have to be able to show that you’ve been handling your current work well, and could easily take on further responsibility, adding value to yourself now and in the future. Don’t expect to get a raise when you’ve been doing the same thing day after day for the last three years with no expansion in your duties.

Consider your approach.

You do not want to be confrontational. This will be a quick shut-down to your request. Instead, approach your boss with the attitude of, “what can I do to achieve this promotion?”. Someone who is willing to be teachable and learn is someone who will do well in a promotion. When you’re asking for a raise, you can’t just have the attitude that you should get one because you want one. That may be what you’re thinking, but you have to show your boss that you’ve added value to the company in your position. You’ve gone above and beyond, and you’re an important asset to the company. Convincing your boss of your worth will go much farther than just telling them that you feel like it’s time for a raise.

Be in it for the long-haul.

The key is not to rush. Being patient will get you the places you want to be. If you ask your boss for a raise or a promotion and they tell you “no,” be willing to wait a little longer and see if circumstances change. Your boss may not be able to give you what you want right now, but if you approached them right, then you’ll be on their mind the next time they have the ability to offer a raise or a promotion.

Asking for a raise or a promotion is a tough thing to do. However, with some preparation and patience, you’ll be able to pop the question in a professional, unemotional way. Don’t rush into a confrontation that you’ll regret. Take your time and use circumstances to your advantage.

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How Overwork Could be Destroying Your Health

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:31 +0000

Maintaining your health is vitally important. However, many people sabotage their efforts by living like workaholics as they try to get ahead. No matter how good your intentions are, working longer hours is bad for your health in many ways. Here are some of the health problems you could encounter.

Cardiovascular issues

When you go above and beyond consistently and are at the office well beyond a normal 8 hours, your risk for heart-related problems and diseases increases. Putting in the extra hours isn’t good for your heart. You may feel like you’re getting ahead now, but long-term you’re digging yourself into a health hole that will not be easy to climb out of.

Diabetes

Sitting for long amounts of time is not a benefit to your body. One of the big issues that can come from it is diabetes. To combat this, try to get a standing desk for your work. Getting on your feet is a major plus for your health. Also, whenever you’re able, take a walk. Use your lunch break to get on your feet and get out of the office for a little bit. When you’re home, avoid slipping into this work habit. Instead, get active and get moving.

Stress

Constant stress can result in many health issues. Obesity, high blood pressure, and heart illnesses can be linked to this. Also, long-term stress can have an impact on your mental health as well. This is why it is so important to unplug when you go home at night or on the weekends. Separating yourself from the stress greatly helps you in the long run.

Lack of Sleep

If you’re putting in the long hours, then your sleep is probably being sacrificed. On the surface, this seems like a good time to give up. However, not getting the sleep you need (7-9 hours for an adult, according to Mayo Clinic) can result in illness. Going without the sleep you need will result in you not only being more tired at work but unable to focus well and perform creatively. Sleep is when your body recharges, and without it, you’re more susceptible to a variety of diseases and illnesses.

Eye strain

By now it’s common knowledge that looking at a computer screen for an extended amount of time is bad for your eyes. If you find yourself with a job that requires this sort of work, practice the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes stare at something 20 feet away, for 20 seconds. This will help to reduce eye strain and the symptoms that go along with it, like headaches, nearsightedness, and other maladies.

Lack of exercise

When you’re staying at the office well after your normal 8 hours are up, one of the first things to go, other than sleep, is exercise. Being active during the week is very important. The life of a weekend warrior simply won’t cut it. Exercising cuts down on the chance of getting virtually any of the diseases and health issues that have been listed so far.

You may think you’re getting ahead by sticking around work longer, but you’re creating a huge potential problem for yourself. Take care of your health and work smarter, not harder. Take advantage of the time you have at work to be your most productive self.

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5 Basic Practices to Strengthen Your Employer-Employee Relationship

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:31 +0000

Your boss is a critical part of your everyday life. They have the authority to hire and fire, and they may dictate what work you do throughout the day. Because of this necessary and pivotal relationship, you want to have the best working partnership with your boss. Here are five ways to be the employee any boss would love to have.

Be a team player

No lone wolves here. In order for work to get done smoothly, most workplaces require a team effort. This may be by getting to your work on time so that it can be accessed by other members of your team, or sitting down and collaborating together on a project. No matter how it looks, it is essential to consider yourself a part of the team. Have the whole team’s goals—including your boss’s—in mind. Seek ways that you can help your colleagues out, that doesn’t interfere with you getting your own work done, of course.

Be respectful

You may not agree with every single choice your boss makes. In fact, you don’t have to and probably shouldn’t. However, that doesn’t make you exempt from showing them respect. Being able to give your opinion in a respectful manner will impress your boss. When you are willing to show respect for another person, reciprocally they will more than likely show respect to you. This is also a way to be a leader among your coworkers. If your boss can count on you not to bad-mouth them behind their back, you’ll become a valuable asset to their team.

Be humble

If you’ve done something wrong or you messed up on a project, admit to it! Don’t make feeble excuses. Be willing to explain how you mean to remedy the situation, but fess up to what you did wrong. Being able to take responsibility is a trait that is becoming less and less common. Your boss will appreciate and value an employee that admits their flaws, but also works to fix them.

Be considerate

Did you find out that you’re going to need to take a day off in two weeks? Let your boss know. If they are aware of your need for time away they can plan accordingly. This is a simple way to help them with the amount of stress they have to deal with. Employees who ask for the next day off five minutes before the end of the workday will be on their short-list of annoying people.

Be dependable

Do your work, and do it thoroughly and well. Get to your job on time and be ready to go as soon as you sit down at your desk. Turn your work in on time, and avoid wasting time on social media sites, etc. If you’re dependable, your boss can rely on you. And your boss isn’t going to rely on someone they don’t like. Put in the extra effort that will set you apart from the crowd by being your boss’s rock in the workplace. This will also be a huge bonus to you when promotion time comes.

You don’t have to be a ‘yes man’ (or woman) to get in your boss’s favor. Nor do you have to be the teacher’s pet. Being a person of your word who lives with integrity will do the work for you.

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Acceptable Reasons for Calling into Work

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:31 +0000

What is a legitimate excuse for not coming in to work? What qualifies as a sick day and what will get you a reprimand? You may hate taking any of your sick days, or you may already be maxed-out and it’s March. Whichever end of the spectrum you land on, here are some good reasons for taking a sick day.

Contagious illness

This could be everything from the flu to a sore throat. When you’re sick, you will not be very productive. Add to that the possibility of your coworkers becoming ill as well, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. So what kind of illnesses would this cover? The flu, stomach sickness, fevers, pink eye and sore throats are some of the reasons you may want to call in sick. It works, because you actually are sick. The key to this is that it is contagious; and others could catch whatever you have. For the sake of your coworkers, please, just stay home.

Death

Of course, if a family member dies, call in and let your boss know you’re not going to be able to come into work. This has been a standard acceptable reason not to go to work. However, never lie. If your boss finds out that your family member did not actually pass away, you’ll be in big trouble; and your trustworthiness will be called into question.

Family sickness

If your kid has to stay home from school sick, it’s acceptable for you to take a sick day. After all, you’re probably not going to be able to find a sitter who wants to hang out with your ill child. Explain why you can’t come in, and leave it at that. Your boss will appreciate your forth-rightness rather than you coming up with a crazy excuse for why you can’t work. Most workplaces are okay with you taking off a certain amount of days throughout the year for family issues.

Doctor’s Appointments

Do your best to schedule your appointments for late in the day or early in the morning, not at 1 p.m. This way, you can get to your appointment without having to take off too much time. Even if you schedule your appointment for late afternoon, you’ll still be leaving work earlier than usual, which will give you some time to relax and kick back, even if it is in the doctor’s office.

Blizzards

Or any other weather that would make it dangerous to get to your job. If you’re hiding out in your basement because of a tornado, call in, let your boss know you’ll be a little late. They’ll probably already be aware of whatever natural disaster is going on, and won’t have any problem telling you not to come into work. Rainy days and light snowfall don’t count, though, so don’t try to use those as an excuse.

Some unacceptable reasons: being hungover, laziness, disliking your boss, procrastination, you fill in the blank. You’ve probably read of, or heard of yourself, many excuses that are just plain outrageous. Whatever your reason is, make sure it’s legitimate, and don’t lie to your boss. If you have to lie about it, then it’s probably not a good reason to skip out on work.

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7 Ways to Deal with a Difficult Coworker

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:31 +0000

Unfortunately, there is always going to be that person at work. The one who always finds the negative in every idea, who complains constantly, or never turns in their work on time, or ever. However, your productivity and quality of work doesn’t have to be dragged down by their poor performance. If you’re dealing with a toxic coworker, here are some ideas to manage the situation.

Don’t get too close

You already know that this person gets on your nerves, why exacerbate it by spending inordinate amounts of time around them? If you have to work on a project with them, try to keep an emotional distance. After all, this is work. Even if they do get on your nerves, you can respond in an adult-like manner. The rest of the time, try not to spend too much time in their vicinity. You don’t want that negativity rubbing off on you and sending your day down the drain.

It’s not about you

Remember, they’re not acting in the way they are because of you. It’s actually not personal, it’s business. They are responsible for their own actions, no matter how much they may try to blame that on other people. With this in mind, try to maintain that emotional distance between you and them. They’re simply colleagues who have performance issues, and fortunately, colleagues don’t get to come home with you when the day is done. Keep it that way in your thoughts too.

Vent away from work

Sometimes sharing your struggles with another person is helpful. Just make sure that you’re not doing this at work. Find a friend and vent a little. Being able to talk it over with someone else can be helpful. They can help you evaluate the situation with another perspective and maybe give you ideas for how to deal with this person.

Check yourself

Make sure that you’re examining your own words and actions. Have you contributed to the tension at all? It’s possible, after all, that they’re not the only issue there. If you see ways that you have been a part of the problem, not the solution, then change that. Make sure that you take responsibility for your actions first.

Promote a team-focus

The person you’re struggling with may be all about themselves, but you can try to work against that. Try to include them in meetings or projects. Get them involved and thinking with a big-picture mindset. Sometimes, just getting people to feel like they belong as a part of a team can get them to lose that negative mindset. This may seem counter-intuitive, but try it out, you may be surprised by the result.

Remember what matters

Yeah, sure, that person may be driving you up a wall. But you shouldn’t base your happiness at work on other people. Did you just nail that big contract? Celebrate it, don’t let the other person deflate your mood! Maybe you finished a big project and know that it was done well. Let that lift you up. Don’t allow your emotions to hinge on someone’s else’s reaction. If you do, then you’ll be on a constant roller coaster.

What’s the real problem?

Sometimes you just need to do some thinking and digging to find out what is motivating these people to act like they are. Has someone at work consistently slighted their work? Do they have issues happening at home? Maybe they’re frustrating to you because those things that annoy you are actually your own habits. If you’re the only one who is having a problem with this person, then that might be what the real issue is.

You’re always going to encounter interpersonal conflict. How you work to resolve it and deal with the issue is the true measure of the bigger person. Rather than blow up at your annoying coworker at work—and ruin your own reputation—employ some of these tactics to find better success.

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6 Tips for the Productive Telecommuter

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:31 +0000

You may have dreamed of it for some time, and now it has finally arrived: the opportunity to work a couple days, or even full-time, from home! Ah, the joys of telecommuting. Here are some things to pay attention to if you are going to be a successful, productive telecommuter and keep your productivity level up.

Have a set office space

You need to have a place you can go to to get away from distractions. If your kids are at home while you’re working, go into your office and shut the door. Even though you’re working from home, you still have to be mindful that work is required of you. So have a set place where you can work, whether that’s an actual office space or a desk set up in a corner of your bedroom. Treat it as you would your office in your workplace.

Stick to a routine

As appealing as it may sound to just roll out of bed and get to work, that’s not the best idea. Getting up, showering, and dressing as if you were going to work helps to get you in the right frame of mind. It helps you and those around you to remember that you’re working, not just bumming around the house.

Along with this, have a set start and end time. Don’t allow your hours to get ridiculously late. Stick to the clock, just as you would at work.

Lunch like you would at work (just better!)

Now you actually have the opportunity to prepare healthy, quality meals. Take out or junk food isn’t your only option now, so take advantage of the change. Don’t just snack through lunch, as tempting and easy as that might be. Take a break, eat a healthy lunch, then get back to work feeling motivated and refreshed.

Create a to-do list

Since you’re telecommuting, you have to be able to manage your schedule a little more closely. What do you need to have done by the end of the day? What projects require your attention? Do you need to make any business calls? Know what needs to get done and make a list with those things. Enjoy the satisfaction of crossing them off throughout the day. It’s also handy for when your boss checks in and asks what you’ve accomplished. You’ll have a neat little list to rattle off.

Communicate with your family

Let them know that, though you’re home, you are still working. This means that other than emergencies, you shouldn’t be disturbed. Hang a sign on your door that lets your family know if you’re busy or if it would be okay to interrupt. Communicating your expectations with them right away will help you all in the long run.

Keep distractions to a minimum

Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you should vacuum the whole house, entertain periodic drop-in guests, or go to all of those unnecessary appointments all day long. Invest in some noise-cancelling headphones to help you stay focused on your work. Don’t answer the door and avoid answering your phone other than for work. While you’re at it, if friends have the tendency to stop by during the day because of your “flexible schedule,” politely let them know that that’s not going to work.

Telecommuting isn’t for everyone. If you try it out and find that you don’t like it or it doesn’t work for you, it’s fine to go back to the office. However, if you enjoy it and your boss is happy with your work, then use these tips to excel with ease while you work from home.

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6 Speech Habits You Should Eliminate From Work

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:31 +0000

Developing quality relationships with your coworkers and boss takes effort. One of the things you need to watch in order to protect these relationships is your words and speech patterns. You probably remember being told to “use your words” as a child. There are some words and speech habits that you should not use at work.

Complaining

“I can’t believe he got that raise…” “She’s a terrible leader…” Not only is complaining unprofessional, it tears down your attitude and the attitudes of those around you. It’s one of the fastest ways to make your reputation crash and burn. No one wants to be around someone who complains and never seeks a solution to their problems. If you have an issue with someone, then you need to address them. Maybe you perceived your boss as being harsh; go and talk with him or her. You may have been passed over for a promotion. Don’t be envious of your coworker. Instead, be willing to congratulate them. Whether you’re able to fix your problem or not, never complain to others at work.

TMI

Sharing about bodily ailments beyond a headache or a cold falls into the too much information category. Getting too personal and talking about your latest relationship difficulties should be left out of your office conversations too. If you have a close relationship with a coworker, then some of that information can be shared with them. But please, don’t broadcast your many and in-depth personal issues to the office.

Gossip

Just as complaining can result in a loss of credibility, so does gossip. In fact, gossip is an even quicker career killer. A gossip is apparently unable to keep information to himself, and so lacks discretion. You wouldn’t trust a gossip, so why would your boss or your coworkers? Don’t give in to the urge to tell someone when you know a piece of information. Protect your reputation and say ‘no’ to this urge.

Inappropriate Jokes

This should be a no-brainer, but it is still a regular visitor at many offices. If a joke could be offensive to a group of people, then don’t tell it. It’s not worth the few uneasy chuckles you might get to insult someone and damage your relationship with them. Steer clear of crude or rude jokes. They’re really not funny.

Immediate Refusal

A boss or coworker may request something of you that seems unreasonable or isn’t within your immediate job description. Rather than quickly shutting them down, consider their request. If you feel it clashes with your workload, explain that to them. Be willing to hear them out, but also know how to communicate the stress it would put on you. If you can help them out with some or all of their request, don’t be unwilling to do a little extra work. Helping a boss or a coworker fosters goodwill, which is always good to have at a workplace.

Slang

Using slang is unprofessional in the workplace, even if it’s your normal way of speaking. If it becomes too much of a pattern, it can seep into your speech when it really counts, such as a presentation to the board.

Help yourself out, and keep others from discounting you because of poor speech habits. Be professional and courteous at work. Set the pattern for respectful and meaningful interactions at your workplace and show yourself a leader worth following.

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6 Practices that Will Boost Your Career

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:31 +0000

Whether your workplace is a driven, get-ahead atmosphere or a laid back, friendly place, you need to be considering your actions if you want to be moving forward in your career. There are things that you are doing now that can get you that raise, better office, or new position. You should already know about these 6 things. Now it’s time to focus and put them into practice.

Have a Plan

You should already have goals for your career, but if you don’t, now is as good a time as any to start. Figure out where you want to go, and then plot out a route to get there. Be aware that you’ll encounter detours and sidetracks along the way. But while you’re trekking along, always keep your career map in your head. Making your plan and then following it will help you to keep your career moving in the direction you want it to.

Find a Mentor

This could be your boss, another coworker or another professional in your industry. Find someone who has been there, done that and is willing to pass on their knowledge to you. Then learn from them. What mistakes did they make and wish they hadn’t? What would they have changed?

Practice Confidence

It can be difficult to aspire to those places of leadership because self-doubt can crop up quickly. However, don’t let fear paralyze you. Be willing to take a risk and step out and try new things…new challenges. As you learn and do well at the new opportunities, your confidence will naturally grow.

Work Smart and Creatively

You don’t have to put in 60+ hours per week to reach your aspirations. Rather than working more, work smarter. Use your time effectively. Excel at using the time most others waste. And be creative. Seek new ways of doing things, if you believe the result will be better.

Nurture Your Network

Keep up on the relationships you’ve made with people. Whether it’s a coworker, a contact at another company, or the UPS delivery guy, foster those relationships. As humans, we thrive on relationships. So keeping those friendly contacts will help you as a person. You also never know how they could be useful to you down the road as you reach for new heights in your career.

Take the Lead

A great way to prepare yourself for that leadership position is by learning to be a leader now. Ask your boss if you can take point on the next project. If you start small but show initiative, your boss will see those leadership qualities in you. Be willing to demonstrate those by motivating your team and being willing to take responsibility for whatever happens—good or bad. Challenge yourself to be now what you want to be then.

Start practicing these career boosters. Show your boss that you’re in it to win it, not to just sit around. As you do your best for your current boss, your reputation as a reliable, excellent worker will grow, and so will your opportunities.

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Avoid These 3 Hidden Pitfalls in Your Strengths

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:31 +0000

A strength is a strength, right? Well, taken to extremes, the strengths you’re proud of and have honed for years can actually become detrimental to you and the people around you. Certain aspects, when taken too far, can be a more harmful weakness to you than you might realize. These three strengths are most often the ones that are taken to harmful lengths.

Detail-oriented

This is a good trait. Being able to see to the details is important, and it’s not something that everyone can do. If you’re detail-oriented, you probably have a plethora of lists, on your phone, on your desk, on your fridge. Lists help you to get everything done, in the most efficient way possible. You’re good at following directions, and would not deviate from those. Here are the drawbacks you need to be aware of:

Unable to bring others on board: Delegating can be a big challenge when details are your specialty. You have to be able to give up some control and bring others on board with what you’re doing.
Unable to see the big picture: this can reveal itself in a variety of ways. Focusing only on your own job can make you miss the big-picture of the whole company. It’s easy to develop a narrow focus when you’re too detail-oriented because it keeps you from seeing the grander scheme of things.

Big-picture focused

This is the opposite end of the spectrum from the detail-oriented person. If you’re a visionary and are able to come up with ideas, then lists probably aren’t your thing. You’re able to think through solutions to your company’s problems, campaigns that will hit it big, and the next big go-to product. Thinking in a big-picture way and generating ideas is not something every person can do. But it’s not all roses.

Unable to take the steps necessary: You can clearly see what the end results will be, but you can’t figure out how to get through the middle. You can get so wrapped up in what it should be, that you miss small things that will help you succeed.
Unable to communicate the idea: As someone who can come up with ideas, you need to be able to communicate those effectively. However, big-picture thinkers often don’t allow for time for the other individuals on their team to get on board. Instead, they assume that, since the idea is so great, the rest of the people will fall into place. You must give your people time to get with you and provide them with the necessary information to understand your vision.

Good Work Ethic

Excelling at what you do, that’s something to be proud of. If you’ve got a good work ethic, you get the job done, and done well. No one follows up after you to make sure everything is taken care of. When you have this strength, you are dedicated to quality, so others can count on your work. However, that dedication can be taken too far. When perfectionism becomes the goal, everyone around you suffers.

Unable to finish: A perfectionist becomes paralyzed by the urge to perfect and so they aren’t able to finish their tasks. Their excuses will sound like, “It’s just not ready,” or “I need time to make sure it’s perfect”. This paralysis quickly negates the perfectionist’s work, because it never reaches the delivery stage.
Unable to accept lesser results: Perfectionism is a quick team-killer. If you’re a perfectionist, then you have the tendency to push yourself and those around you to unreasonable levels of production. Your teammates can’t—and won’t—take this, and you’ll quickly find yourself with a bunch of stressed colleagues and a body that can’t handle the push.

Know your strengths and hone them to be the best they can be. But be aware that your strengths can quickly turn to weaknesses if not checked. Avoid the pitfalls of these three, and let those qualities be just what they are: strengths.

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Find Your Perfect Work-Life Balance

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:31 +0000

Striking a balance. That’s never easy, no matter what you’re doing. As humans, we tend to swing the pendulum from one extreme to the other. Though it can be difficult, it is possible to strike that perfect balance between work and personal life. Here are five tips to find that balancing point for your work-life.

Unplug

The benefits of unplugging and getting away from any sort of screen time are enormous. Turning off, silencing, or leaving behind your phone will greatly help you to focus on your family. The temptation to check your email, and then wander into responding to a business email is great. But if you want to be happier and find that perfect balance for yourself, you’ve got to do this.

If you find yourself spending extensive time in front of a screen, unplugging can also help your eyes and brain adjust. When you spend long amounts of time looking at that glaring white light, your eyes become strained. This is an undisputed health issue in today’s increasingly technological world. You’ve probably even experienced this yourself. Go with the healthier option, mentally and physically, and choose to unplug, at least for a specific length of time, in the evening and on the weekends.

Prioritize

What really matters to you? What do you want to achieve in your work, your personal life? Knowing this, and having those things written down, can greatly help in knowing what to say “yes” or “no” to. You have a limited amount of time, how you spend it is really up to you. Define your priorities and talk with your family about those, so that there are no misconceptions. Then when someone requests something extra of you at work, if it doesn’t fit into those priorities, you can say “no” and clearly explain why.

Leave it at the Office

Part of what makes the average worker unbalanced is once they leave the office, they keep thinking about work. Instead of being able to shut off that part of their lives for a while, they’re constantly thinking about what they did that day and what needs to be accomplished tomorrow. If you’re afraid of forgetting what you need to accomplish or a key point you need to bring up in that meeting, write it down before you leave the office. Leave a sticky note with a to-do or reminder list there. Take these precautions so you don’t take those concerns and thoughts home with you.

Abandon Perfectionism

Perfectionism is a quick killer to a balanced life. If you’re constantly striving for perfection at work or having that required of you, you’ve got a problem. That’s not a healthy way to live. You’re only human, and as such, you have a life beyond work. Rather than trying to reach an unattainable level of perfection, go for excellence. Do your best at what you do, but when it comes time to leave, leave it there. Shut down thought patterns that agonize over whether that presentation is absolutely perfect or what have you. You’ll always fall short of perfection, which will result in a poor attitude. At that point, you’ll have already given up time at home, and what time you have will be colored by your apparent failure.

Exercise

Taking care of yourself, physically, mentally, and emotionally, is very important to this balance. Exercise has health benefits that extend to reducing stress and providing a healthier attitude and mindset. This is usually the first on your list to go when your schedule gets cramped, but if you choose to use this tool to help with your work-life balance, you’ll thank yourself in the long run.

Do you have a work-life balance? Or have you seen ways that you haven’t been using this list in your life? Use these five tips to create a balance perfect for you and your unique situation.

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Grow in These 7 Areas to Become a Quality Leader

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:31 +0000

Are you in a leadership position in your company right now? Or do you aspire to be in that position someday? No matter where you are, these qualities can be worked on right now. If you want to be a good leader, they’re essential to your success.

Communication

How are your communication skills? Could your current communication proficiency even be called a “skill”? Communication as a leader is vitally important because your team needs to know what you need from them. Articulating what needs to be done, and then motivating your team to do that is an important skill. Also, being able to communicate to your team what they’re doing well and what they need to improve on is key.

Consistency

Do your words match up with your actions? Are you someone that practices what they say? If not, then your people won’t want to follow you. No one respects or wants to listen to a hypocrite. You have got to be willing to do those difficult jobs that most would avoid before you can expect your team to do them. A leader that leads by example consistently is one that people will want to follow.

Humility

No one enjoys being around a know-it-all. So don’t allow yourself to develop that mindset. Just because you’re a leader doesn’t mean that you’ve “arrived,” so to speak. You’re still just as human and prone to error as the rest of your people. Be willing to admit your faults, and learn from your employees. This will help them develop respect for you. Leaders who charge ahead and turn a deaf ear to the ideas and thoughts of their people won’t get very far.

Vision

What does your company want to accomplish? What is your goal in making that happen? You’ve got to have this nailed down. What are your ideas? In what way can you implement them successfully? First, you need to understand your vision and how to make it happen. Second, you need to be able to communicate and share that with your people. Help them to catch the vision, and you’ll all go far.

Goals

Don’t set vague goals. You want your people to feel a sense of accomplishment by reaching a goal, and that’s impossible if they don’t know exactly where that goal is set. Make clear goals, communicate those to your people, then help them work towards meeting those. Both you and your employees will feel a great sense of accomplishment when you reach those. This will also help you to stay on target and not get distracted.

Accountability

This one goes along with humility. Being willing to be accountable and setting that up is very important. You’re an employer, not a dictator. Let your employees know that they can bring up issues that they see to you. Establish that trust with them, so that they feel comfortable in approaching you respectfully with their concerns. It is very easy to become blind to things that are very close to you, so having those extra eyes on the lookout will greatly help in your success.

Learn

This is also tied in with humility, because your are always learning and growing. In this culture, there is always new data, new technology and new methods. If you’re unwilling to learn, grow and understand the new ways of doing things, you’ll quickly find yourself falling behind. Don’t allow yourself to get stuck in a prideful mindset that inhibits growth. Instead, purposefully look for ways to grow and set an example to your people.

There are plenty of leaders out there, but the exceptional, quality leaders are the ones who practice and grow these 7 areas in their lives. Be the best leader you can be and see what area(s) you need to work on.

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Avoid These Four Business Email Errors

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:31 +0000

Email has been around for a while now, and one would think, the errors would have gotten sorted out. Unfortunately, that simply isn’t true. There is still a need to understand what is and isn’t appropriate to include in an email, especially in the business world. Here are some things that you definitely should not include in a business email.

Informality

You are not emailing a friend. Even if your coworker is your friend, that doesn’t make it appropriate to throw all etiquette out the window. Especially if you’re communicating with clients or those higher up in your company….formality is very important. Using an informal tone, text-like abbreviations (lol), or emojis , is just not appropriate. In fact, this annoys people. When you use this kind of informality, it conveys a lack of respect for the person you’re communicating with, as well as the information you’re communicating. If you want to be taken seriously—and not receive a reprimand—don’t use any form of informality in your business emails.

Misspellings, improper format, missing subject line

Misspelled words is a quick turn-off to someone reading your business email. It is seen as very unprofessional, and it damages your reputation. Spell check is incorporated into email these days, but that doesn’t let you off the hook. Always, always, ALWAYS read through your email once, and then twice to make sure that everything is spelled correctly.

Re-reading will also help you to catch improper format or bad grammar. If it was necessary to copy and paste text into your email, sometimes that leaves the format looking strange, so be aware. Additionally, unusual fonts or images will translate into something completely different to the receiver. Make sure that your font is professional and business-like.

A missing subject line is a quick way to find your email in the recipient’s spam. The email software could automatically send it there, and if not, the recipient may just as easily do that rather than open an unknown correspondence. Make your subject clear and to-the-point. This keeps your email from ending up in the spam box, and increases the probability of your email being opened and responded to promptly.

Angry or emotional messages

If a problem arises between you and a coworker, do not, I repeat, do not respond in an email. There is a disconnect between the brain and the keys that make you write things that would never have been said in public. Don’t give in to the urge to respond immediately in an angry fashion. Choose instead to let those emotions fizzle down, and then talk to that person either face to face or over the phone. Protect your reputation and keep from any embarrassment.

Quit Your Job

This is a deceptive way of avoiding conflict, but it will result in bridges being burned. When it comes time to quit your job, you owe your boss the respect of handing in your resignation face-to-face. Don’t take the easy way out—and earn a bad reputation—by quitting over email.

Those are four of the most common business email errors that you should avoid. Don’t let your reputation be hurt by this simple and useful tool for communication. Instead, start using proper email habits. Both you and your recipients will be glad you did.

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5 Ways to Make Your Boss Glad They Hired You

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:31 +0000

Your boss has a lot going on, whether it’s managing people or responding to those who are in charge higher up. With all that going on, there are things they want you to be doing that they might not express. Here are five actions that will make your boss glad that they hired you.

Volunteer

Your boss is going to have projects that many probably aren’t going to want to be involved in because they see no benefit to themselves. Rise above this mentality of self-seeking and volunteer to help your boss out. Remember that they’re a person too, and as such, they have bosses that they answer to. Show some camaraderie in assisting your boss. This can also benefit you because their estimation of you will instantly go up. Next time there’s a job opening further up, they’ll also remember your initiative and willingness to work on projects that were outside of your job description.

Express

When your boss presents an idea, look for ways that you agree or how it could be beneficial. You may not think the whole idea is the best, but there will be parts that you can get on board with. Reinforce those first, then later on, address your concerns with him or her. The best way to present those, however, is sandwiching them between compliments on the better parts of the idea.

On the other side of that, don’t be afraid to disagree with your boss. You weren’t hired to nod along with everything your boss says. Be willing to express your different opinion or opposing viewpoint in a respectful way that will result in a better project overall.

Initiate

An employee taking initiative and getting things done without the boss having to get on their back…now that’s a person the boss would love to have work for them. When you see something that needs to be done, do it! Don’t wait around for your boss to have to ask you or another employee. If you’re not sure about it, then you can ask. Most managers would agree, they would rather have someone who would take the initiative and not get it 100% right than to have someone who never made the effort at all.

Inquire

This one covers a few different subjects. First, ask if your boss needs your help with anything. They may or may not, but offering your assistance is a good way to show that you want them to be successful too. You don’t want them to think that you don’t think them capable, so don’t overdo this one. When the time is right, feel free to ask how you can help them.

Be willing to ask how they think you can improve. Your boss will love an employee who is willing to take constructive criticism and let it change how they do things. Use this to measure how you’re doing in your work projects, with your coworkers, etc. Just be willing to think about what they say and apply what fits. Nothing is more annoying than someone asking for advice and then never following through.

Own

Don’t keep playing the pass-the-blame game. If something happened that shouldn’t have, and you were at fault, own up to that. No matter how uncomfortable it makes you, be willing to take ownership for your mistakes. This shows that you’re responsible, and if your attitude is humble, that you’re also willing to learn from them. No one likes to make errors, but we all do. How you respond after you do is very important and will stand out to your boss.

Keep working on these five things, and your boss will definitely be glad that you’re on their team. Rise above those around you who are only interested in their own careers and strive to be a team player, your boss included in that team.

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7 Stress-Relieving Interview Tips

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:31 +0000

Whether it’s your first interview or your tenth, there are always ways you can improve your interview skills. Interviews can be intimidating, and a lot of pressure may hang on them. However, with some preparation and forethought, you can take the stress out of your interviews and perhaps even have some fun. Here are seven stress-relieving interview tips.

Understand What You’re Communicating

A lot is said about verbal communication, but equally important is what you’re communicating with your body. Crossing your arms shows a defensive and disinterested posture. Even if this is normal for you, avoid it so that you aren’t giving the interviewer the wrong impression. Leaning in or sitting up straight shows interest in what the other person is saying. Practicing good posture is also a good idea. Not only does slouching look sloppy, if you allow your shoulders to slump it appears like you don’t have much confidence. If you don’t know what nonverbal habits you’ve fallen into, ask a friend to observe you and give feedback.

Don’t Dodge the Questions

Whether you mean to or not, not answering the interviewer’s questions completely or at all will seem like you’re trying to avoid the answer. Which maybe you are. Be familiar with the type of questions that come up during an interview. Practice what you might say to them. If you’re asked an uncomfortable question, like why you got fired from your last job, be direct in answering that. Avoiding it will make it seem like you have something to hide. With this type of question, if you phrase it positively and emphasize what you’ve learned and how you’ve changed, you can actually create a better impression.

Carefully Consider What You Want to Ask

In the same token, when you have the opportunity to ask questions, do so! Come with a few questions prepared. Just make sure they’re not easy, basic questions you could have found with a quick Google search. As the interview progresses, if you think of a question, keep that in mind. Asking questions in return shows that you’re engaged in the interview and are interested in the job.

Practice Active Listening

This is an important skill, but so many people miss the mark with it. You can show that you’re really interested in what the other person is saying by asking clarifying questions or nodding every now and then. Maintaining eye contact and considering your facial expression are also good ways of communicating this.

Watch Your Language

This isn’t your home and this person isn’t your friend. They may be eventually, but now is not the time to be overly familiar. Be careful how you talk and what words or phrases you use. Don’t reference outdated technology or overused buzzwords that will make you seem fake. Also, cursing should not show up at this interview. Your interview is about business, keep it that way.

Know the Company

You probably have sent in applications for several jobs and may have more than one interview. With that in mind, do some research on the company and the interviewer you’re meeting with. Brush up on that, so that you can tailor your responses to the job. You also want to make sure you don’t mix up this company with another one and offend your interviewer.

Give Thanks

Finally, finish off your interview by thanking the other person. End on a high note in this way. Additionally, send a thank-you email or card to continue showing your interest in the job. This is good manners and is also a good way to follow up with the interviewer and keep yourself at the top of their mind.

Interviews don’t have to be high-stress and anxiety-inducing moments. By applying these tips, you’ll find yourself prepared and more relaxed for your interview.

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Leveraging Numbers On Your Resume

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:31 +0000

Much advice is given about resumes. What to include, what not to, say one thing one way and not the other. A popular piece of wisdom is to list achievements and not just what you did. If you want to make an even bigger impact and go deeper than just your achievement you can add the use of numbers. Numbers can quantify what you did and what sort of value you brought to your company and what you could bring into a new job. Here are some ways you can use numbers to catch a potential employer’s attention.

Follow the Money

It’s all about the bottom line. Companies are always trying to do things less expensively for greater profit. If you can describe with numbers how you saved your company money in a certain way, you’ll be one step closer to that job offer. List your achievements, but with each one get more specific. Explain how you led a team of a certain number of individuals to greater productivity in their sales and marketing which resulted in a certain number of increased profit. The key is to be specific.

Another important factor whenever you use numbers, not just with money, is to have other quantifying numbers. Maybe you helped your company increase sales but over what length of time? This creates a fuller picture so that the person looking over your resume has more background.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock

Wasted time is wasted money, so use numbers to explain how you saved time or managed time well. Maybe you cut down on production time by implementing a more efficient process. Be able to explain that with numbers. Other than money, time is one of the things companies are always trying to use better. If you can share how you saved your company time in your specific area, you’ll grab their attention.

Other Areas

Maybe it’s not time or money for you. How you help your company may be a bit more nebulous. You can still use numbers even if that’s the case. Did you help to grow a team or complete a certain number of projects? Those are numbers that you can use to your advantage still.

You may not know exactly what that number may be. That’s not a problem. If you can estimate or give a range, that will help. If you write, “Fielded 10-15 calls from XYZ company a week,” that’s still better than not having a number at all. Make sure you’re not giving an unrealistic picture with your numbers, though. Also, consider what your numbers are conveying to the person reading your resume. Will they expect you to work in that same way and accomplish those same results? If that’s not what you want, then be careful what numbers you put down. You want to make sure you can deliver what you are inadvertently promising.

Numbers grab the attention of the person looking over your resume. Leverage those to the best of your ability to stand out from the stack even more.

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Have Some Fun! Round-Out Your Resume

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:31 +0000

Usually, the words “fun” and “resume” would never be combined unless you were a down-and-out clown looking to do some birthday parties. You don’t have to be in the entertainment industry to enjoy bulking up your resume while between jobs or with an eye towards a job switch.

You’ve probably heard the advice that you should be doing something while you’re out of work or between jobs. But what, exactly, is this something that would be so profitable? Here are some ideas to utilize that will not only look good on your resume but will also help you grow as a person and enjoy your life.

What’s more, many of these ideas are cheap or free and put you in the path of potential networking opportunities.

Learn a Language

Our world is becoming smaller and smaller, and many businesses are expanding to encompass global markets. Learning a language can be fun, but it can also be very valuable in business relations. Understanding a foreign culture or being able to communicate without an interpreter would be invaluable to a boss.

This also shows a commitment to a challenging task. It shows initiative on your part, but only if you stick with it.

Just be sure to communicate your level of fluency, you don’t want to find yourself over your head because your boss mistakenly believed you could speak Swahili without a hitch.

Participate in a Public Speaking or Acting Class

Both help to provide a certain level of comfortability when in front of groups. Being able to stand in front of a group and express your vision or your company’s goals in a clear, commanding way, is incredibly valuable. Take the opportunity to continue to build on your public speaking skills.

Try Something New

Consider the different fields or abilities that are in high-demand right now. If one of those interests you, think about taking a class on it. You never know when it may be beneficial to your employer. Or, try something seemingly fun or frivolous that doesn’t necessarily apply to your profession. Who knows, later on down the road you may find that exact skill coming in handy, and you’ll get to be the one to save the day.

Pursue What You Love

Do you have a hobby you enjoy? See if you can turn that into a business opportunity and make some money in the process. The initiative to take what you love and develop it into a profitable opportunity will stand out on your resume, even if it doesn’t pan out like you thought it might. Plus, in the process, you’ll probably find that you really enjoy spending more time pursuing that thing.

Volunteer

What do you know? Are you a marketing guru? Take that knowledge and help your favorite charity get their name out there in a better, more visible way. Whatever it is that you’re good at or have spent time doing, see if you can’t use it to help others out. Volunteering is good at any point in your career and benefits all involved. It’s especially good when you’re between jobs. It gives you something to do and it shows your future employer that you’re interested in the long-term.

You don’t have to use all of these ideas to see your resume grow. Pick a few and see where it goes. You’ll definitely have some fun and your future employer will appreciate the well-rounded employee you are and the unique skills you bring to their business.

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Send Thanks and Stand Out From the Crowd

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:31 +0000

It used to be standard to send a thank-you after an interview. While the practice has fallen out of vogue, it is still polite to do so. When you do, it also distinguishes you from the many people who don’t. Industry experts disagree on whether their decision to hire a candidate would change based on getting a thank-you or not. That being said, it’s best to play it safe and actually rise above the many interviewees by sending in a thank-you.

Why is it important?

Really, why does it matter? Sending a thank-you is another way for your interviewer to learn more about you. Are you thoughtful or do you just send a form thank-you? (Don’t do that, by the way.) If you incorporate personal and specific elements, which you should, it will show that you were truly listening during the interview. It’s also just one more way to show your interest and enthusiasm for the job. Sending a thank-you is just good manners.

When should you send one?

Though exact timing varies, most people you would ask would say either the same day or within twenty-four hours. You want the interviewer to be thinking about you and your suitability for the job. Becoming forgettable is never a good thing. This is generally a good time because the interview is still fresh in your mind so you can remember specific things to draw attention to in the thank-you and they still remember who you are.

What format?

Handwritten notes are becoming less and less common, so if you really want to stand out, send one by snail mail. However, if you know that the decision is going to be made quickly, send an email. If you really want to send a handwritten note, you can do both. Send an email and a handwritten note so they have double the reminder of you. Just make sure your handwriting looks nice and is legible on the handwritten note.

Other things to keep in mind:

This is business correspondence, so make sure that you read your message. You don’t want to make a fatal error and misspell the company’s name or find it littered with incorrect grammar. If you’re writing a handwritten note, take the time to write it out on a separate piece of paper first so you can edit it as needed before writing it down on the card. To ensure you’re sending the email/note to the right person and right address, make sure to exchange business cards with those you talk with/interview you. Then you’ll know for sure that you’ve got the right information.

Sending a thank-you note after a poor interview probably won’t snag you the job. However, if you did well at the interview, a thank you might just give you that little nudge that will set you above the rest of the crowd. Sweating the small stuff, like thank-yous, is often what sets you apart from the masses.

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Enrich Your Resume with Your Experience

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:31 +0000

Being employed for an extended period of time is a good thing. However, you want to avoid appearing out-of-touch or old on your resume. Instead, learn how to phrase your experience as a huge benefit to the company you’re applying at now.

Don’t Stop Learning

A concern that employers have about employees who have worked at the same company for many years is that they don’t continue to learn. Avoid becoming stagnate at all costs. Hopefully, that’s been your goal. List a continued learning or continued education section on your resume. If you were able to go back to school or continue taking classes and earned another degree or certificate, highlight that. Take advantage of your employer’s offer of continuous learning. If that’s not provided, then go with the added expense and pay for added learning yourself.

Highlight Your Positions

Though you’ve been with the same company for some time, you probably haven’t been in the same position for the duration of your stay. Don’t make the mistake of squeezing all your positions into one on your resume. List promotions and extended responsibilities. Show how your company trusted you by promotion or added tasks. This can show how your company valued you, and also any ways you may have worked in a diversified manner.

List Your Accomplishments

Don’t just stop at describing what your positions were like. Did you help your company pull through a dry spell? Be able to describe that, preferably with solid numbers to back up your claim. If you received special recognition or a reward this would be a good place to mention that too. Don’t just say what you did at your job. Describe what you were able to achieve and how that was beneficial to your former employer.

Eliminate Irrelevant Information

Industries are constantly changing, which is good. That’s probably why you’re looking for a new job. Remember that the skills you started off with are probably different from what you have now. Don’t get stuck in the past with irrelevant skills. Instead, check out job postings and see what skills are listed there. If one of yours isn’t, then that ability is probably no longer needed. Draw attention to your other pertinent abilities instead.

Play to Your Strengths

You’ve been in the workforce for a long time at one specific job. That shows commitment and loyalty. Be willing to display that in your resume. Finding new employees, training them, and dealing with the constant flux that is employment these days is costly to a company. Show that you’re a long-haul employee who knows what it means to stick with it through both the lean and good years.

Don’t let your long job history be a drawback. When you update your resume, draw attention to all the benefits that you bring to a company. Experience is an advantage. Play to that as you submit your resume and attend interviews.

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6 Tips for a Great Phone Interview

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:31 +0000

With so many people applying for the same job, phone interviews are still something that employers use to narrow the field a bit more. Understanding how to stand out, even in a phone interview, will greatly help in taking that next step towards the job. Take your phone interview seriously by implementing these six tips.

Prepare

A phone interview is still that: an interview. You need to prepare and think through your responses like you would if you were going to an in-person interview. Make sure to have your resume or CV out and handy. Do some research and refresh yourself on the company that’s calling and who the person is that will be interviewing you. Along with that, just like for an in-person interview, study up on what questions commonly come up in a phone interview and prepare for those. Tailor your answers for that specific job. Think through ahead of time your strengths and weaknesses, so that you have a quick, easy answer for that specific question. Then make sure, just like with a normal interview, that you have questions ready to ask them.

Finally, get dressed and ready like you would for a regular interview. You may think now is the time to skip out on that step and relax, but getting ready like you normally would is a great way to get yourself into the right mindset. It’s also a good idea to have pen and paper nearby for taking notes.

2. Take your time

When you’re on the phone, it can be difficult to know when the other person is done speaking. Make sure to listen and wait so that you know that they’re done and don’t have more to add to their statement or question. Then take time in answering, don’t rush it. Try to tailor your response to their specific needs. Make sure you speak slowly and enunciate clearly.

3. Get rid of distractions

If you’re at home, don’t sit out in the living room with your kids and dog running around. Think ahead and eliminate any distractions. This includes browsing the internet or flicking through the channels of the T.V. Your interviewer will know you’re distracted, guaranteed. So don’t let other things steal your focus.

4. Practice

Just like you would practice your response to an in-person interview, practice for your phone interview. Record yourself so that you can see what speech habits you need to eliminate. You can also see if you speak too fast or aren’t enunciating well.

5. Smile

Yes, they can’t see your smile. However, when you smile, it brightens the tone of your voice. Your tone is all the other person has to go on, but they can tell when you’re smiling. So do your best! Turn up the watts and have your smile on full-blast during your interview.

6. Send a thank-you

Don’t forget this important step. Again, this is a real interview. Make sure you follow up with a thank-you. Sending one by email is sufficient, but you’ll certainly stand out if you send one the old fashioned way. Either way, make sure to thank the interviewer at the end of the call, and then send some sort of thank-you.

Don’t be forgettable by providing a colorless, generic phone interview. Stand out by using these six tips.

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4 Critical Interview Mistakes

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:31 +0000

At last! You’ve finally scored an interview with that company that is a perfect fit and has the job you love. Don’t detract from that victory by making mistakes that could cost you the job. Avoid these four things at all costs.

Arriving late

You should build time into your travel to account for this. You never know when you might encounter unforeseen road construction, a train crossing your path or an accident. Building in a good time-cushion will be helpful if something comes up. If everything goes well and you arrive twenty minutes ahead of schedule, you have extra time to prepare before you go in and knock that interview out of the park.

Dress malfunctions/wrong kind of dress

It’s always wise to call the office ahead of time and ask what kind of dress is expected. Don’t show laziness or a misunderstanding of the company and its culture by coming in your sweatpants and comfy T-shirt. An interview is all about evaluating whether you’ll be the right fit for the company, and part of that is how you dress because you are a reflection of your workplace. If you spill coffee on yourself or have some other wardrobe malfunction, you’re in luck! You’ve already built in time for unforeseeable events and can take the necessary measures to fix the situation. If you have the misfortune to have this happen during the interview, address it casually, don’t let it drag the whole appointment down.

Checking your phone

A good rule of thumb for an interview is to turn off or silence your phone before you go into the building. Leaving it on vibrate is not acceptable because it can still be heard. If you have trouble remembering this, don’t bring your phone in with you. Being distracted by your phone communicates to the interviewer that this job really isn’t that important to you.

Bashing previous employer

This doesn’t endear you to your interviewer at all. In fact, they may have a connection to your former boss or may contact them as a reference. If you had issues with your former boss, acknowledge them in a more generic way. Don’t give in to bad-mouthing your former employer, colleagues, or work place. It won’t get you anywhere but on your way to your next interview.

An interview is a great opportunity to communicate how you are the best fit for the job you’re applying for. Avoid these mistakes to keep your interview on track. Be considerate of your interviewer, your previous employer, and yourself, and you’ll find yourself breezing through a great interview.

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Eliminating the Age-Factor on Your Resume

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:31 +0000

If you’ve been out of the job hunt mindset for a while, you might be a bit rusty when it comes to resumes. However, it may be time for you to look for a new job. And for whatever reason, and you’re back at it again. Things have changed since you were last sending out resumes and job applications. Here are some common things to avoid that have become outdated and obsolete, and are easy ways to reveal your age.

Extensive work history

If you’ve been working for 20 or 30 years, chances are you’ve got quite the line-up of jobs to describe. Rather than get into the extensive list, narrow it down to the jobs that affect the one you’re applying for. Leave out your college years foray into waitressing if it doesn’t have application to the job you’re hoping to get. What most companies are looking for is what you’ve been doing for the last ten years, and if you have any pertinent job experience before that.

Mentioning old technology

Technology changes and fluxes incredibly quickly, so mentioning old technology used in your job will date you. Leave those out, and instead use the opportunity to describe current technology you’ve worked with. The stereotype is that older people aren’t tech-savvy and don’t care to be. If you describe the current technology you’ve used (pertinent to the job, of course), you’ll definitely be getting a leg-up.

Old-styles of email addresses

Listing your email as an AOL address or whatever email was provided by your internet provider instantly dates you. Those hearken back to the days when email was just gaining momentum among the general populace. Instead, set up a Gmail account for interaction with potential employers. It’s easy to do so, and it’s free. Take this extra measure so you don’t immediately get placed in the “dated” resume pile.

Listing your home phone number

The days when landlines were found in every home are gone. Though some people still have them, you don’t want to list that as a number your potential employer can reach you by. Instant availability goes with the territory now, so put your cell phone number down instead.

Not using social media

This goes back to the technology stereotype. It doesn’t matter if you enjoy or understand the hype of social media. Employers are actively using it to learn about applicants. If you can’t be found, or worse, if they think they’ve found you but found someone else, it’s very likely you’ll be passed over for someone more visible. LinkedIn is the major website for workers these days, so having a presence there is essential. Being visible and your potential employer being able to find you is very important.

Don’t let age be a factor keeping you from getting the job. And don’t let your resume reveal your age to your potential employer. Get updated and show that you and your resume are current and ready enter the workforce.

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Social Media Errors that are Affecting Your Job Hunt

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:31 +0000

Contrary to what some people may think, who you are online is not disconnected from who you are in your day-to-day life. As social media continues to gain normalcy, people filter their tweets and posts less and less, while potential employers are checking out social profiles more and more. What you say online could cost you the job you’re applying for. No matter how sure you are that what you’ve posted, tweeted, or shared is private, it’s not. Here are some things not to include on your social media or any other online accounts.

Fun Pictures from College

Believe it or not, if you have a picture from your college days, maybe as a previous profile pic on Facebook, it could work against you. Especially if said picture is you doing a shot or some other questionable picture. Employers look through your posts and pictures pretty well, and finding an image, even from way-back-when that is questionable could work against you.

Complaints about previous jobs

These definitely shouldn’t make it into your tweets or posts. Whether or not you actually say the name of your boss, coworker, or company, you could get passed over. Venting your frustrations online about your job is never appropriate. Choose instead to talk it over with a trusted friend. What you have to say may be true, but it creates a poor impression of you. After all, if you lacked discretion then, your potential employer is probably wondering if you lack it still.

Inflammatory statements

Especially with your professional accounts, you don’t need to state your political affiliation. As much as you might like to engage in a debate about your favorite or least favorite political candidate, resist the urge. You don’t need your potential employer viewing your professional account and finding long rants or heated conversations with other LinkedIn users. Everyone has opinions and expressing them is good. But there is a time and place for that. Social media, even if it’s your private account, may not be the best place to do so.

Anything illegal

Whether it’s a joking reference or not, avoid this at all cost. Online, you can’t decipher tone or context, so no one really knows what you mean by what you said. Any illegal activity on your part could get you in trouble with the law and would reflect poorly on your company. So don’t reference anything illegal and keep your reputation pristine.

Playing when you should be working

This one seems obvious, but it happens quite often. Requesting time off work for a “family emergency” and then posting pictures of yourself at a party is not going to end well for you. Lying to your boss obviously is poor judgment, and will reflect badly on you. Even if your potential employer doesn’t know the context, your post contains a date and time mark. This means that they see when it was posted, presumably when it was happening.

A good rule of thumb is to keep your personal and professional accounts separate. Don’t let the two mix. Stay professional on your LinkedIn and Twitter professional accounts. On your personal accounts, simply use good judgment. You can be more relaxed, but be aware of what can really turn potential employers away.

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The Top 7 Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:31 +0000

If you’ve been on the job search journey, you’ve spent some time with the Interview. Many people struggle with the questions they are required to answer. Here are several go-to questions that you can review that will help you to be better prepared.

Tell me about yourself.

While worded as a statement, this is really a question you can use to describe your work background and qualifications. If you capitalize on this opportunity, you may subtly describe why you’re the best candidate for the job. This is the time to outline your professional (not personal) journey. What you’ve learned along the way and what you may value at a job. Tailor this to the job you’re interviewing for, and you’ll not only impress the HR person but give them some valuable info. Remember, this isn’t the time to describe your personal life journey, including the brief period of heartache when your fish, Fido, passed on.

Why are you leaving your current job? or Why were you fired from your previous job?

While this may seem like a tricky question, it’s one that you can easily manage if you give it some thought. In a way that doesn’t bash your previous boss or coworkers, explain your reasons for moving on, but phrase them in a positive way. Talk about the growth opportunities at this job or, if you were laid off, explaining the bad economy at your job is okay too. Be honest about the reasons for your firing. But also tell what you’ve learned from the experience and what you’ve done to address the issues your boss had with you and your performance.

Why do you want to work at this job?

This is where you show your research about the company (which should be done before the interview). Be able to explain the benefits of working in that environment, with those opportunities. Bring up specific examples you’ve researched. In this way, you show that they’re not just another company, but a place you have a strong interest in.

What is your greatest strength?

Another great opportunity to address the job’s specific needs, you can really shine on this question. Relate them to your abilities and how they can fix the problems that the company is encountering. Be able to express your unique strengths and qualities specifically, but keep it brief. Don’t allow arrogance to kill the appointment. Also, be willing to give a brief story of how this played out at your job.

What is your greatest weakness?

This is the question that often paralyzes people. Don’t go for one of the trite answers, like “perfectionist tendencies”. Those are insincere and don’t really give the HR person any idea of what your weaknesses might actually be. Choose something that you’ve been working on, or was an issue in your last job. Try to find something that doesn’t specifically relate to the issue in the position you’re applying for. Once you know what it is, explain how you’ve been working on it or addressing it and give a specific example of how you’ve improved.

Why should we hire you?

Though another potentially intimidating question, this opens up the floor for you to explain what is unique about you. This is your opportunity to share what made you think you’d be suitable for the job in the first place. Remember, researching the company to know their specific needs will be very helpful to you. Tell how you’ve solved a similar problem at a previous job.

Do you have any questions for us?

Do not say no! It may have been a long, rigorous ~~interrogation~~, I mean, interview, but don’t allow your weariness to keep you from getting the job! The vast majority of people say “no,” so saying yes will immediately catch their attention. Come prepared with thoughtful questions you’ve considered ahead of time that address the company’s values or concerning the job itself.

Feel prepared to conquer your next interview by reviewing these questions and considering your response to each of them. You don’t have to have a memorized response to each. Actually, if you’re going to be going to several different interviews, then that would be a bad idea. Do your research and know how you would answer, and you’ll be ready to knock that interview out of the park!

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Four Don’ts for Your Resume

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:31 +0000

Whether you’re accustomed to working with a recruiter or not, there are some things that they—and others—don’t want to see on your resume. With so many resumes coming to them on a daily basis, recruiters want you to cut to the chase. Get rid of the unnecessary parts that bog you down.

If you found yourself adding one or more of these to your resume, don’t lose heart! Get out your resume right now and as you read, make the necessary changes. It’s never too late to create an exceptional resume.

Don’t Over Compensate

Have you not had much job experience yet? Maybe you’re fresh out of college or you’re just starting in your field. Don’t try to mask that by going into extreme—and unnecessary—detail on the jobs you have had. Instead, explain what you did at that job and also what the results were from that. What did you accomplish because of your responsibilities?

Don’t Follow the Crowd

Buzzwords are a big thing. And because they’re a big thing, everyone uses them. So rather than picking your ten favorite buzzwords and using them in your resume, go for something more personal. They’re called buzzwords because people are talking about them and using them. Which means that, by the time you’re on to the game, they’re old hat and are becoming overused. Carefully choose what words to use in your resume, and if you feel one of these is necessary, see if you can’t use a synonym instead. Use words with punch. As soon as they become overused, they lose impact and gain a reputation as annoying.

Don’t Try to Hide Gaps

If you weren’t working for a time, explain why that was, don’t try to hide it. Maybe because of a downturn in the economy you were out of work for a while. Perhaps you had to quit your job to focus on caring for a relative. Whatever the reason, rather than trying to hide or come up with ambiguous dates to conceal the gap, explain it.

Don’t Get Too Creative

If you’re applying for a design job or something having to do with illustration, then by all means, go for it! But if you’re not, then you don’t need—and shouldn’t include—7 different kinds of fonts with 5 graphics. This ends up distracting from what you’re trying to say, not adding to it. It also comes off as unprofessional, especially if you don’t do it well. Consider the job you’re applying for. Be somewhat creative, use small, effective means to make your resume pop, just not enough that it explodes on the recruiter’s desk.

In a competitive economy, where many people are applying for the same jobs, it’s no easy task to stand out. However, if you pay attention to these details, the recruiter will thank you. Or really anyone who may come across your resume. Show how great a candidate you are, and boost your chances to get your resume noticed.

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The 5 Questions To Ask In A Job Interview

ACG Resources — Mon, 04 May 2020 10:00:31 +0000

It has become the custom for job interviews to end with a question directed at the candidate – “Do you have any questions for me?”. The question signals the close of the interview. While it’s tempting to snap out the word “no” and escape the hot seat, doing so may result in automatic failure of the interview.

When you ask questions at the close of your job interview, you show the interviewer or committee you were listening while they spoke. You convey your interest in the company and showcase what a good fit to the team you would be. Your questions garner insight into how you would fit into a specific role and where you would devote your energy. Questions are critical to the success of your interview.

Here are the 5 essential questions to ask in an interview – no matter what the job.

What is the best part of working here?
Asking what the best part of working at the company illustrates positivity. Companies love an employee who pays attention to the bright side of things, boosts morale and enjoys what they do. Also, by asking the interviewer and/or team members what they love about working at the company, you will hear about perks and experiences that may not always be shared until after the hiring process is complete.
May I meet some of the people I would be working with or have a short tour?
While this question may seem a bit presumptuous, it signals to the interviewer that you are taking the time seriously and have a vested interest in the position. Also, by getting an impromptu tour, you get to see the office firsthand, observe colleague interaction, and take note of workspace details (such as lighting, noise and cleanliness).
I recently read that…
This is the time to ask something specific about the company or organization you would be working for if landing the job. As a good rule of thumb, be prepared and read up on the company prior to the interview. The company website is a great place to start your research. By asking something specific about the company based on what you read, you build instant rapport with the committee members and show off your research skills.
How would you define success for the person in this position?
This question helps you understand what the job will entail and also presents company expectations. You may be able to gain insight into the daily routine, how many hours you are expected to work, and how leadership views success.
Do you see any reason why I might not be a good fit for the job?
While this question may be difficult to ask, it is a great way to close your questions because it allows for an opportunity to clarify any misconceptions that may have popped up during the interview. This will give you a chance to elaborate on a topic or present your skills in a positive light. You will leave the interviewer with one last tidbit of why you are the right person for the job.

+1 – Bonus Tip:
Always remember to have a list of questions to ask prior to your interview. You don’t want to show up empty-handed or forget to ask a few questions at closing. Don’t grill your interviewing committee with twenty questions, but reserve a handful, like the ones listed above.

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Finance Jobs: 3 Ways To Reduce Employee Tardiness

ACG Resources — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 10:24:08 +0000

Businesses of all shapes and sizes have to deal with employees arriving late for work, aka tardiness (though hopefully to a lesser extent for sole proprietors or single-member LLCs). The effect of employee tardiness on businesses is obviously negative because an employee cannot do their finance job if they are not present and lost productivity means lost revenue, on top of many other consequences. According to HR Magazine, around 20% of the American workforce has a problem arriving to work on time. Employers that tolerate employee tardiness, even for high-performing employees, run the risk of creating the perception that other employees can perpetuate tardiness too. So how should a employer reduce employee tardiness? See below for an informed plan of action many businesses nationwide have used to reduce employee tardiness.

Everything flows from having an employee tardiness policy in finance jobs so everyone knows what to expect and the odds are greater that everyone will feel like they are being treated to the same standard. This is the first thing a company can do to reduce employee tardiness. It is important for businesses to develop a thorough employee tardiness policy, make sure it is easy to understand, provide it in multiple places so it is easily accessible, and regularly update the policy to prevent it from becoming outdated. Some of the things the policy should include are: a definition and criteria for tardiness, how the employer will be tracking tardiness, and consequences of tardiness. Some forward-thinking businesses include consequences of tardiness (negative) and consequences of non-tardiness (positive) to encourage employees to improve in this area.

The second thing a company can do to reduce employee tardiness is to deploy an easy to use time-tracking system that is also extremely accurate. This will prevent managers from having to spend too much time on tracking employee tardiness; time that managers should instead be spending on mission-critical activities that are actually productive to the company. It also lets the employees see that the company is serious about tardiness and that there will not be any lapses in tracking tardiness (assuming the system is high enough quality).

The third thing a company can do is to have a gradual progression when it comes to the consequences of tardiness. It is not feasible for a variety of reasons to attack tardiness too strongly, such as instant termination the first time an employee is tardy. Who would want to work at such a company? Instead, as spelled out in the policy, have a gradual progression of consequences to give the employee a chance to correct the problem before termination needs to enter the conversation. Speaking of conversation, it is helpful to include avenues for communication in multiple places within the system of consequences in hopes that everything related to the tardiness will be on the table, giving the employer to help in other ways, if possible.

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The Future of Tech: Will Robots Take Your Finance Job?

ACG Resources — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 19:04:11 +0000

No one can deny that automation is gradually playing a huge role in our daily lives. Just think about today’s customer service, artificial intelligence education, and your IoT-equipped office, among others. This has certainly served as warnings about our future and how robots could disrupt our world in different ways—from the social point of view to the economic one. So, what about the future of employment and your finance job?

A recent study from the National Bureau of Economic Research revealed that 670,000 jobs were lost to robots between 1990 and 2007, which is very alarming, but it doesn’t stop there. According to a study made by the Brookings Institution, 25% of American jobs are at risk of being automated over the next 20 years. Some of the roles that are at risk involve predictable and repetitive work such as transportation, administrative support, and logistics.

All this might sound overwhelming but don’t worry, we assure you that there are two sides to this situation. First, let’s look at the bright side of things.

The Positives

Jobs that involve creative and tactful tasks will remain crucial for the development of our society and that’s something robots are still not able to achieve. Since they are unable to demonstrate emotions such as empathy or compassion, endearing professions such as teachers and nurses will not be obsolete.

On the other hand, specialists say that even if robots don’t take all of our logistics jobs or finance jobs, there will be an increase in robotic tools to do those tasks. This will require companies to invest in training programs for their employees. In this scenario, the economy will still work for all of us—we’ll just need to learn new skills to work in different fields.

The Less Than Positives

What Can We Do to Avoid This?

The best way to keep human society active in the future of work is to study tech trends and learn new skills that will be necessary for the future. Considering that most logistic, repetitive and easy-to-replicate jobs will be obsolete, you should focus more on those jobs that directly work with technology, but require an analytical approach—something that only a human can do. This Bill Gates quote might be accurate for this situation: “Displaced workers could fill gaps that currently exist elsewhere in the labor market—like elder care, teaching and support for special needs children.”

Wrapping up

Whether we like it or not, robots will play a huge role in the future of work—be it because they replace many occupations or because you’ll need them as a tool to make your work more efficient. In order to keep the economy alive and the population’s quality of life, we’ll need to evolve, learn new skills, and create a future where our empathy and analytic skills are required. If you would like to start learning a new tech skill, get in touch with ACG Resources there are many schools that offer programs for professions that will shape the future for all of us.

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Opioid Crisis Affects American Small Business

ACG Resources — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 12:12:58 +0000

As of 2018 there are 30.2 million businesses in the United States. The proportion of those that are small businesses is a whopping 99% (like ACG Resources) employing more than 47% of the private workforce. There are many statistics related to small businesses, such as just 50% of small businesses survive beyond five years. Similar to medium and large businesses, small businesses are being hit by the ongoing opioid crisis in America in a variety of ways. In 2017, more than 70,000 people died from drug overdoses, making it the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. Of those deaths, almost 68% involved a prescription or illicit opioid. About 80% of the people who use heroin first misuse an opioid, so the chance of escalation from using a prescribed opioid (such as a painkiller) to an illegal drug like heroin is very high. This article will explore the ways that the opioid crisis is affecting American small businesses. We help fill finance jobs left vacant in these tragic circumstances.

At the onset, the opioid crisis is leaving a smaller workforce available from which small businesses can hire, which has a significant impact when the unemployment rate nationwide is below 4%. (before the Covid 19 pandemic) This smaller workforce comes in the form of people who have died related to opioid addiction in addition to the people who are currently unable to work due to their addiction. Unfortunately problems from the opioid crisis extend into the future due to the fact that pregnant women are some of the people addicted to opioids, which has many adverse effects on unborn children. Next, the opioid crisis is a major factor in the increasing costs of health insurance. Providing health insurance to employees is a challenge for businesses of all sizes, but it frequently is more burdensome on small businesses due to less resources available to devote to insurance coverage in the first place and less bargaining power with insurers.

The result of having an employee addicted to opioids is a vast array of negative consequences: absenteeism, loss of productivity, workplace behavior issues, potential legal issues, and potentially death. This means small businesses and employers have had to spend more resources on hiring & recruitment, whether because an employer is having to replace a previous employee who was addicted to opioids or measures (such as enhanced background checks) to prevent the hiring of another employee addicted to opioids. These costs come in addition to increased training costs for employees (typically managers) to be better able to identify people affected by opioid addiction. In an effort to be proactive, small businesses have developed or joined employee assistance programs (EAPs) that offer resources (such as counseling) for situations such as opioid addiction.

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Depression and Its Effect On US Finance Jobs

ACG Resources — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 13:08:19 +0000

Depression is a common but serious mood disorder that affects millions of Americans in their finance jobs and daily lives. Those who experience it (and the people who interact with them) see symptoms of prolonged sadness, anxiety, irritability, difficulty sleeping, and unusual appetite changes. These symptoms affect how a person thinks, feels, and handles daily activities, which naturally means it impacts how a person functions in the workplace too. The symptoms vary depending on the type of depression a person is diagnosed with, such as dysthymia, postpartum depression, psychotic depression, seasonal affective disorder, or bipolar disorder. Depression can happen at any age, but often begins in adulthood. Risk factors include family history of depression, major trauma, and certain medications. In this article we will look in more detail at the defect of depression on the American workforce.

To start off with, employees must decide whether or not to disclose to their employers that they’re suffer from depression. Because there is a choice available, obviously that means employees are not required to tell their employer if they do not wish, in most situations. Some people choose not to disclose their depression because of a real or perceived stigma related to the disorder. Most medical doctors and psychologists agree that the stigma related to depression is far less than what it used to be decades ago. Some people may still not want to disclose their depression because they are afraid their colleagues will view them differently in a negative sense; that they will be seen as weak or incompetent. Most doctors and psychologists recommend that people make their decision on whether or not to disclose based on their specific situation. Advantages of disclosing include legal protections against discrimination and legal requirements to accommodate. Disadvantages include real or perceived stigma and adverse reactions from an employer disguised as something else, such as performance.

Assuming an employee discloses to their employer that they suffer from depression, what does that mean for the working relationship from that point forward? One thing is that some employers are often more than willing to help! Some employers include with their benefits package free counseling sessions or discounts for health disorders such as depression. Some employers also add a layer of support on top of that by negotiating for a prescription plan that covers most common depression medication. Employers, in addition to employees, have an interest in combating depression because the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 200 million workdays are lost annually due to depression. For those working in finance jobs in such a competitive environment with the current economic situation, lost workdays obviously translate into lost productivity and lost revenue. An employer can also make sure that the employee has an adequate amount of leave/sick days to accommodate their situation. Lastly, it is incumbent on employees to be honest and forthright with their employer at all times to avoid a situation where an employer perceives that its accommodations are being taken advantage of.

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Franchise Business Success Rate vs Non-Franchise Business

ACG Resources — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 18:56:21 +0000

Some people get bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, but some do not and are happy to work for someone else for a living. For those who are interested in going into business for themselves they have many decisions to make at the beginning of that process. One big decision is whether they want to build their business from the ground up (aka a non-franchise business) or buy into a branded business (aka a franchise business).

Like with everything else, there are pros and cons for each option here. Franchise businesses typically have a higher growth rate and more stability, but there is less freedom and control in how the franchisee runs the business. The opposite is true of non-franchise businesses, whereby they are more risky (typically a lower growth rate) but they give the business owner more freedom and control in how the business runs. Another big factor, and the topic of this article, is the success rates between the two types of businesses. Typically the success rates for franchise businesses are higher than non-franchise businesses. Below we will look in more detail at what the specific numbers are and why the rates of success differ for each type of business.

There are many franchise business opportunities available, in the United States and worldwide, for such popular brands as Firehouse Subs, Planet Fitness, and Massage Envy Spa. The thought of coming up with a completely new business idea or a business idea that will have enough differentiating characteristics to make it viable can be daunting. By this point in human history, are there even any new ideas left? For entrepreneurs who prefer to fast-track through this part, the thought of buying into a franchise is very appealing. Odds are the business is going to make money because it’s already been making money and having success, right?

You would not have heard about it otherwise, and any franchises where you heard they are losing money instead of making money, obviously you would stay away from those in the first place. Franchise businesses already have vital processes, training, financing, and other resources available that entrepreneurs do not need to develop on their own (which requires hard to quantify amounts of time and money). All of this leads to the success rates for franchise businesses to be as high as 90-95%, though that figure is debatable, so it should be considered on the high end of a possibility spectrum.

Non-franchise businesses offer entrepreneurs total control over their business, so they do not have to worry about a never-ending power struggle with a franchiser. With risk comes reward, so non- franchise business also mean that the owner has the potential for greater earnings due to not having to give a percentage back to the franchiser. If an entrepreneur has a truly unique business idea, there may not even be any franchise opportunities for the industry they are looking to get into. Because of the extra time and money it typically takes to make such businesses viable and create all the necessary processes, there is an increased margin for error (and failure). That means that the success rates of non-franchise businesses are typically around 72% after 4 years.

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American Small Business Ownership Broken Down By Age & Gender

ACG Resources — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 17:54:23 +0000

As of 2018 there are 30.2 million businesses in the United States. The proportion of those that are small businesses is a whopping 99% and they employ more than 47% of the private workforce in jobs. There are many other interesting statistics related to small businesses, such as the statistic that 50% of small businesses survive beyond five years. Ownership typically has a bigger impact on small businesses, as compared to medium or large businesses, because of the level of involvement and control they have. This article will focus on a 2 key statistics related to the ownership of small businesses: age and gender.

Because of the extensive media coverage of technology companies, and the perception that they are all founded by 20-something year olds, the perception could be that today most of America’s small businesses are owned by young adults. But is that true? Looking harder at data from the government and various surveys and research studies, it turns out that is not true. As of 2016, the median age of a small business owner is around 50 years old, per a Babson College study. Note that this accounts for traditional small businesses that have multiple employees and not those who only employ independent contractors or are “one-man-armies.” This should not come as a shock given that even though there is more financing and other resources available to start small businesses than ever before, it is typically middle-aged people who take advantage of the resources. This could be due to many reasons, such as more young people going to college to get bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate’s degrees than ever before. Most young people focus on their school work instead of trying to split time between going to school and starting a small business that has multiple employees. The finances of most younger people are also typically not ready to own a small business given the other major expenses that typically accompany early adult life: a house, child expenses, new vehicles to accommodate growing families, etc.

When it comes to gender, the percentage of small business owners that are male is still in the majority (55%), per the same study, but there is a growing number of small businesses owned by females. The difference in proportion to begin with could be due to a variety of reasons, but one that is typically cited is that women have to take (at least some) time off from their professional life when they have a child (or children). Though there are more resources available to such small business owners than in decades past, this still has a huge impact when it comes to ownership vs a front-line employee due to the involvement and responsibilities of a small business owner.

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Best Jobs For An Optimist

ACG Resources — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 16:51:07 +0000

One of the most common pieces of advice given to young people deciding what they want to do professionally for the rest of their lives is to “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

That is easier said than done depending on what a person loves to do for a job, but it is made easier depending on the imagination of the person contemplating their professional future. Another thing that helps when choosing a career is choosing one that matches or compliments a person’s personality, rather than one that contradicts it.

One big personality characteristic that people use to define themselves is whether a person is an optimist or a pessimist. Below are some career paths that are popularly known to be compatible with optimists.

Optimists typically bring a shine or energy to whatever job they choose. Many people bring their optimism to the profession of teaching, where it is sometimes vitally important due to the various challenges of being a teacher. A teacher sets the mood for their classroom, which has a big impact on the facilitation of learning. Optimistic teachers frequently radiate the optimism that is associated with young, fresh minds interested in learning and experiencing new things, back to their students. Even for students who don’t find learning as easy as their counterparts, a teacher’s optimism to help them pull through is typically remembered decades later by the thankful students.

Creative jobs such as writer or artist are also ripe for optimists. Frequent revisions, or outright rejections, are typically commonplace in such jobs but can be weathered or balanced by an optimistic person’s personality. When such people do succeed professionally, their optimism helps lay the groundwork for some truly remarkable final products. Optimists are also typically known for making up their own rules and thinking outside of the box, which is crucial for writers and artists.

Nurses are on the front lines when it comes to caring for all kinds of patients in the healthcare system. Sometimes nursing jobs can be difficult when things do not go in favor of a patient, but an optimistic nurse can power through to focus on being able to help the next patient. Because of the typically unexpected or dire circumstances that causes people to interact with the healthcare system, optimist nurses are a vital part of guiding patients through the difficulties related to their care so they can hopefully get back to their normal life as soon as possible.

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Best Jobs For A Pessimist

ACG Resources — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 16:49:13 +0000

One of the most common pieces of advice given to young people deciding what they want to do professionally for the rest of their lives and to find the best job for them is to “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” That is easier said than done depending on what a person loves to do, but it is made easier depending on the imagination of the person contemplating their professional future. Another thing that aids in the choosing of a career is choosing one that matches or compliments a person’s personality, rather than one that contradicts it.

Actuaries appraise, manage, and advise their clients on areas of potential financial risk. It is vitally important that their calculations are correct because of the impacts they could have downstream. Pessimists can thrive as actuaries because of their knack for sticking to what the numbers truly are instead of trying to dress them up. Because actuaries typically deal with worst-case scenarios, who better to conceptualize a worst case scenario than a pessimist? Businesses who rely on the work produced by pessimistic actuaries rarely find themselves facing scenarios worse than the ones foretold by their calculations.

Solicitors (also known as barristers in the UK) are attorneys paid to represent their clients in court regarding legal matters. Pessimism can be a vital tool for these career paths for a variety of reasons. Because of the dire circumstances than can accompany legal proceedings, clients typically appreciate being apprised of exactly how bad their situation could be so they can plan accordingly. Pessimistic solicitors and barristers can be reliable communicators of such topics without the temptation to soften up potentially bad news. Also because of the high stakes of such proceedings, legal opponents are frequently stooping to new lows to represent their clients. A solicitor or barrister armed with pessimism is less likely to be caught off guard by such tactics.

Quality control engineers are tasked with ferreting out potential defects of a finished product to prevent various levels of financial, reputational, or legal harm down the line. This is done by creating benchmarks for product quality and testing products to test for statistically significant variations. A pessimist will be more likely to raise an alarm (and less likely to sweep under the rug) if a product is not up to par.

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How Much Does the Average Company Spend a Year Training Employees?

ACG Resources — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 22:10:06 +0000

Training employees is one of the most important parts of running a business. This can make or break how well your company functions and the amount of revenue you make. Since it is so important, how much should be spent on training employees? How do you balance the amount spent on training with the amount that they will bring in?

Every December the Association for Talent Development releases a report of the average amount spent on employee training by businesses in various industries and sectors. The latest report on the average company spending for the year on training employees shows that there has been an upward trend in direct learning expenditure. In fact, 2018 was the sixth year in a row to see that pattern and the number of employee learning hours has maintained a healthy increase as well. The Association for Talent Development published that in 2017 there was an average of $1,296 spent by companies on training each employee (2018 State of the Industry). Despite our leanings toward technology as a society, almost half of employee training is still done in-person or in a traditional classroom training.

It is also important to look at not only the average cost of training but also the average amount of time that employees are being trained for. The trend for number of hours has been increasing in correlation to the amount spent with the average hours for 2017 being at 34.1 hours, the same as in 2016, 33.5 hours of training in 2015, and with 32.4 hours in 2014 (ATD Releases 2016) (2018 State of the Industry). It makes sense that the number of hours would increase with the amount spent, but it is surprising that the hours with in-person training remained the same.
We are seeing that employers are putting more into training as the years go by.

What does this say about the business world? Are we seeing this increase because of unavoidable inflation of overall spending and costs? Or, does this have anything to do with a trend to spend more time training employees? It has been shown that spending more time training can help with the onboarding process and employee productivity, so these numbers could be a good sign of measures taken.

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Four Ways to Reduce Employee Turn Over

ACG Resources — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 00:03:55 +0000

Finding and hiring employees is a difficult and important process that every business has to go through in order to function. Since it is such an arduous task, it is important to do it right! That is why employee turnover can be so frustrating. After all of the work it takes to find, hire, and train an employee, high turn over rates can be detrimental to a business and its ability to run effectively. Let’s look at four ways to reduce employee turn over:

1. Onboarding:

This is one of the most important ways to ensure that a new hire is successfully introduced to the company and their coworkers. A proper onboarding process can make or break an employee’s decision to remain with a company. During the first few weeks at a job, the new hire should have another employee assigned to show them around the office, answer questions, and check-in on them periodically. We all know to have someone show the new kid around for the first day, but the really important time is the few weeks after that first day when they are trying to find the
coffee machine, want to know if everyone shows up 15 minutes early for meetings or only 5, and other questions that come up once they have gotten to work. Most people do not feel comfortable enough to ask those minor questions, but they are important in making someone settle into an office.

2. Listening to Complaints:

Every company is supposed to listen to employee complaints
and try to resolve issues, but we all know that this is usually not the case. There are a lot
of problems that go unnoticed or ignored in offices that are not major blowups but can
slowly wear away at employees. You should have a way of mediating smaller issues in
the office to show workers that they are being heard and that changes can be made to
make everyone feel comfortable.

3. Invest in Employee Happiness:

Gone are the days when people were content with
vacation time and the occasional potluck lunch or company issued barbeque set;
employees want a company that challenges them and cares about their happiness. You
should be looking for ways to do this by offering online training courses, flexible
scheduling, and other perks that show the employees you are listening to their needs.

4. Constant Checks:

Everything is always changing: the industry, economy, politics, and
even our favorite reality shows. Your company is always changing, and you need to be in
tune to it and adjusting for that. Employees generally notice shifts long before upper
management does so you should constantly be asking them for their feedback. If there
is anything that can lead to employee turnover, it is stagnation.

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Ten Great Perks for Employees That Do Not Break the Bank

ACG Resources — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 23:58:55 +0000

You can be selling the best product, have the most clients, and be at the top of your industry, but are your employees happy? Every company relies on its workers in order to be successful, and if you do not take the time to invest in their happiness and well-being then you run the risk of employee turnover and loss. Of course, you are still running a business and while it is important to invest in your workers it is also important to make smart financial decisions.

Ten Great Perks For Employees That Do Not Break The Bank!

Flexible Schedules: People have things going on in their lives outside of the office. Many of them value time with their families and the ability to adjust their work hours to fit their needs.
Company organizations or clubs: Since employees spend so much time with their coworkers, it can be exciting to form groups that allow them to interact with each other in a different capacity. Some companies have formed health and wellness groups that meet on the weekends to do bike rides together, bring in speakers about nutrition, and implement healthy initiatives for other employees. Other ideas are book clubs, public speaking, community service, crafting, etc.
Company outings: Instead of paying for separate departmental gatherings, invite the company and their families for a day at the local aquarium or rent a cool event space for a picnic. They will be able to treat their family to a fun day and know that their company cares about them.
Career development programs: One perk that is beneficial for you and your employees is to offer online courses and specializations for them to take advantage of. People love being able to learn and improve plus this makes them more skilled workers.
Fitness centers: Access to a fitness room or center is a great perk that can tie into a health and wellness group and it shows your employees that you care about their physical health.
Counseling or mental health services: Along with physical health, it is important to promote mental health. This could be bringing in a monthly speaker, offering counseling services, or creating spaces in the office such as a Zen room, meditation, or just a quiet place for people to take breaks.
Fundraising opportunities: Just as companies love to be involved in charities and community service programs, so do individuals. Create a contest among your employees to raise money for a charity, encourage workers to participate in a charity run, host a blood donation truck for a day, etc.
Unique dining: Corporate cafeterias are a thing of the past and most employees grow tired of the same food every day. Invite food trucks to park in the company parking lot once a month to support local businesses and give your employees a treat!
Childcare: Many parents struggle with running their young children to daycare before work. Eliminate that issue by offering childcare services for your employees so they can feel relaxed and happy knowing their children are taken care of while they work.
Birthday Parties: How long has it been since you were in school and your mom brought in cupcakes on your birthday? Do you remember how fun and special you felt? You can offer that same feeling to your employees by giving them a cake, cupcakes, or any treat to celebrate. This is a very personal way to make them feel special.

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How Working Out Boosts Productivity In The Workplace

ACG Resources — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 16:56:09 +0000

In order to be productive in the workplace one must be driven, alert, and focused. Working out can help boost employees drive, alertness, and focus, among other things.

Increased Alertness and Energy

Working out increases blood flow to the brain, which can sharpen the senses. Thus, sharpening increases alertness, making employees more prepared to start their next big task. Exercising also gives you more energy, making employees feel more awake and ready to go when at the office.

Improved Mental and Physical Health

Exercising greatly improves one’s mental health, by helping to curb feelings of anxiety and depression. The process of working out sends out chemicals that improve mood and relieve stress, making it much easier to focus on the tasks at hand. Working out has the obvious physical benefits of getting one healthy and in shape, but it also helps prevent illnesses and infections, through increased immunity. This means that employees will be able to take less sick days as they will be overall much happier and healthier.

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Personality Types and Their Best Fit In a Company

ACG Resources — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 16:00:39 +0000

Unfortunately, not every personality type will work well with every company. It’s important to know what your personality type is, so you can figure out which jobs would be best for you.

The most common way to figure out your personality type is through the Myers-Briggs personality test. There are 16 different personality types, based upon a combination of four different categories:

1. Introversion (focuses more on the inner world) vs. Extroversion (focuses more

on the outer world),

2. Sensing (focuses on basic information as it’s taken in) vs. Intuition (interpreting

and adding to the information as it’s taken in),

3. Thinking (uses logic more in decision making) vs. Feeling (focuses more on

people and special circumstances in decision making),

4. Judging (prefers to make decisions quickly) vs. Perceiving (prefers being open to

new information).

Based on one’s individualized personality type, they may be better fit for a management position in a company, while someone with a different personality type may be better fit for a groundskeeping position.

Forbes writer, Ashley Stahl, breaks down each of the 16 personality types and their ideal careers in her article: What Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type Means for Your Career.

1. ISTJ People with this personality type are practical, factual, organized, and logical. They’re great problem-solvers who thrive in careers that are heavy with facts, numbers, and data. They make excellent accountants, engineers, air traffic controllers, and security guards.

2. ISFJ ISFJ’s are warm and sympathetic, but also detailed, organized, and thorough. They are natural protectors, so they tend to thrive as health care professionals or working with children, but because they are so detail-oriented, they also do well in positions that work closely with money, like bookkeeping.

3. INFJ Sensitive, creative, and intense. They thrive with language and symbols. They long for meaning in their careers, and because they are adept at reading people, they do best in the arts, medicine, education, and science.

4. INTJ Decisive, innovative, insightful, and logical. They’re able to apply their big-picture thinking along with their problem-solving skills, which makes them best-suited for work in very technical careers like architecture, science, and engineering.

5. ISTP People with this personality type are very hands-on and are analytical, practical, and exacting. They are natural troubleshooters and problem-solvers, so they do very well in careers with computers, electronics, and technology, but they also thrive in the outdoors so are well-suited for farming and ranching as well.

6. ISFP This personality type is gentle, adaptable, observant, and loyal. They’re sympathetic and reflective and love to help others, so they are natural born teachers, nurses, and coaches.

7. INFP INFP’s are creative, empathic, and inquisitive. They’re natural helpers and are deeply caring. They tend to have excellent communication skills, so they make great writers, and they thrive in other artistic positions as well such as musicians, graphic designers, and in language arts.

8. INTP Individuals with this personality type are intellectually curious but also analytical, objective, and conceptual. They thrive as architects and engineers, as well as in various scientific fields and in construction.

9. ESTP Smart and energetic, they make great entrepreneurs. They’re realistic, analytical, and efficient. They have solid people skills, so they’re awesome in sales, and they’re best-suited for careers that don’t require a lot of routine.

10. ESFP Energetic, caring, resourceful, and adaptable. Hands-on. They’re enthusiastic and seek excitement, so they make fantastic performers. They thrive when helping others and working closely with people, so ideal career paths include hospitality, health care professionals, and food service.

11. ENFP Individuals with this personality type are imaginative, creative, insightful, and caring. They’re very service-oriented and have great communication skills. They do best in careers where they are helping others and/or being creative, so they’re great as counselors, fitness trainers, and therapists, as well as artists, actors, dancers, and musicians.

12. ENTP This personality type tends to be energetic, analytical, enthusiastic, and theoretical. They are adept at solving problems creatively. Because they work so well with others, they make great leaders—they thrive as executives and can function well in a variety of different fields, including business, the arts, and even sports and media.

13. ESTJ People with this personality type are logical, assertive, decisive, and results-oriented. They’re critical and tend to take charge, so they’re natural-born leaders. They make excellent executives and are diverse enough to be successful in a wide variety of industries.

14. ESFJ ESFJ’s are sociable, caring, and very people-oriented. They’re most successful in roles that enable them to serve others and fulfill their needs—nurses, doctors, childcare workers, and teachers, to name a few.

15. ENFJ ENFJ’s are passionate and charismatic. They’re sociable, warm, empathetic, and imaginative. Born leaders, they have strong humanitarian values and do best in positions that allow them to help and support others. They’re great communicators and enjoy working with people, so they are great teachers and counselors, but they also thrive in the arts.

16. ENTJ Individuals with this personality type are organized, critical, and logical. Organizers and planners, they’re strong leaders and very career-driven, so they thrive in the corporate world. They’re exceptionally hard workers and do very well in the following industries: legal, engineering, scientific, sports, and even the arts.

Not everyone is meant to do everything, each personality type is unique, as is the jobs that they’re suited for. Figuring out your personality type and where you fit in the workforce can be extremely helpful in the long run.

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Open vs. Traditional Floor Plans Within an Office: Which is Better?

ACG Resources — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 21:00:56 +0000

Let me start by answering this question straightaway: it depends. The floor plan of an office needs to reflect the organizational culture and management style of that office. As with many of my prior articles, “business know thyself”!

At one end, is the culture typified by a stable business model and mature market. The company itself has been around with improvements, but no radical change for many years, possibly decades. It probably has developed an office migration strategy as part of its informal compensation plan where privacy has value based on old military models. At the bottom are the soldiers: well trained to do their job and they are typically in an open configuration with little privacy. Everyone can overhear their conversations and walk around seeing what is on their screens. This is a command and control environment. Supervisors and low-level managers get a tiny but more privacy, perhaps with a glass walled office, to reflect the need to do a private conversation with employees, but strategic direction and client relationships are not really part of the job. Their task is to ensure the troops follow the battle plan laid out by the generals. Upper management gets to have the ego stroking separate floor and conference rooms so they can do bigger thinking and bigger conversations with clients who need to feel special. There really is nothing wrong with this model, and many people thrive in it. It may stifle innovation, but in a mature business that is not really as important as following the process with perfection.

At the other end of the spectrum, and most organizations are not at either end of this pendulum, is the type of company described by Richard Sheridan in “Joy Inc.”. This advertises an open room with no fixed interior walls where everyone sits and that includes the CEO and HR/Payroll. There is no privacy at all for anyone, but somehow the group mentally motivates and encourages everyone such that production is high, and innovation is constant. This business model is one of constant new projects where the communication pace of the standard hierarchy would be too slow and inefficient.

As stated above, most companies are in-between the extremes, but careful self-reflection on company culture will reveal how much togetherness makes sense for your situation.

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Important Tips for Rebranding

ACG Resources — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 21:00:13 +0000

Rebranding is a short word for “changing the perception of some population”. Brand can be about a product, a person, an organization, or even a philosophy. We sometimes call branding: spin. No matter what is being rebranded, keeping a few short tips in mind will make the chance of success a lot higher:

1. It is easier to make an airplane than to modify a ship into an airplane- Which means if you already have a well-established brand, it would probably be simpler to create a separate, even competing, brand and just retain ownership of both.

2. The public is not actually stupid- While claiming new and improved may work for a short time, if there is no actual change for the customers’ value, then the overall brand loses.

3. Do not confuse lack of choice with loyalty to a brand- Many have been the regulated monopolies that thought they were doing well until they were allowed a competitor. So, before you start declaring a new product from a brand they can trust, ensure they actually trust the brand. Otherwise, see tip 1.

4. Emphasize with the customer- If you do not know exactly why customers see value in the existing brand, changing to another name/logo will not have the desired effect. If it is escape from an image of the current brand that is desired, know what drives the negative perception or you will probably replicate it. See tip 2.

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It Is Not Enough to Say What You Do, You Have to Say Why You Do It

ACG Resources — Mon, 30 Dec 2019 16:00:58 +0000

Everyone has heard of the infamous “elevator pitch” in which you are supposed to justify your importance to the organization in the time it takes you and the Big Boss/ Important Client to ride the elevator. There are many guides for how to put together this short but powerful message and how you need to prepare, memorize, and practice it. Essentially, these all offer some variation on how to state, who you are, what you do, and why it is of value in 30 seconds or less. In addition to your short pitch, you will probably want to prepare a longer version, between 3 to 5 minutes, in case you are asked that question at a social gathering and have a little longer to introduce yourself.

Let’s go back to that 30 second pitch and the last part of it; specifically, let’s discuss the part that is least likely to be remembered by you, but the most important to that career influencer in the elevator: why. Why do you do what you do? It is a statement of value. Why do you get paid? What does the organization really get from you that counts? If you can answer that question, then you have justification for being part of the team. If the answer is purely procedural and administrative, then try again. Here are some examples:

Good:

I help customers by (insert action).

I increase profits by (insert action).

I control costs by (insert action).

I help with customer retention by (insert action).

Bad:

I answer calls from customers.

I manager product margins.

I search out waste.

I try to talk customers into not leaving.

Take note of the first set, they are all starting with a short but very business value-oriented statement. The second set is really just the action you take, although several could be a little more carefully worded. The action alone is not enough; you need to explain the value too, but do not assume it is obvious. On an elevator, with other things on their mind, the career influencer with whom you converse may also be thinking, “Do you know why you matter?”

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The Three-Year Rule

ACG Resources — Mon, 30 Dec 2019 21:00:37 +0000

There are several three-year rules in society: there is section 2035 of the U.S. tax code which is known by, and only interesting to, serious accountants, there is the guideline that dating people more than three years older or younger than you is socially unacceptable until after you reach the age of twenty five, and there is the one where people who leave a job before three years may be seen as job hoppers or have some unseen character flaw. Let us talk about that last one.

Historically, Americans joined a company, or a profession, and worked at it for most of their lives; they would receive a nice watch, a pension, and a cake at retirement. There were exceptions, but most people signed on for the long haul with the knowledge that their efforts would be rewarded and their loyalty would be appreciated. Even the hyper ambitious would stick around for years before leaving for a greener pasture. Some boomers actually remember this social construct of employment, but times changed, and the social construct changed too.

After the savings and loan crisis and recession of 1990 rules were changed and companies could no longer afford the old pension model, 401 k’s were introduced. This allowed employees to take their pension with them as they changed jobs; they no longer had to work at a single company for ______ many years to be able to retire. The internet boom of the 90’s changed the nature of the workforce to more information and soft-skilled workers. The resulting .com bust changed the nature of the employer/employee relationship. Traditional manufacturing jobs disappeared in the “e-conomy” of the new millennium. Workers had no choice but to take back the total responsibility for their own career and they had the rules and tools to do so. The life-long employee concept had disappeared, but one of the social constructs of that time period remained.

It is expensive to hire and on-board an employee. Depending on the situation, it can take a year or two for productivity to be sufficient to break even on those training costs. This is one reason employers call it “investing in a new hire”; the company really does not start showing a return on their decision until that two-year mark and can really take a hit when the employee leaves early. Similarly, a new hire is not truly acclimated to the work until that time has passed and should not make career decisions until maturity in the role and organizational culture is achieved. Of course, if the fit is terrible, it should be obvious quickly and that would result in a significantly shorter than three-year stay, most likely only a few months. In general, the company and the worker should count on an informal three-year commitment as being in place, so that each party can judge the real merits and challenges of the relationship. If the employee is released or leaves before that time, it is a flag to future employers that something is wrong. It may be with the company or with the worker, but either way it should be researched before a new company/worker relationship begins. The exception is a contract employee who is brought on with the upfront knowledge and agreement to a specific term, and employees on that type of arrangement should call this out from the beginning so the recruiter knows and does not worry about something lurking.

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Resume secrets you need to know: Tips to get your resume through a parser

ACG Resources — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:00:46 +0000

Industry-leading resume parser, DaXtra Technologies, reveals tips guaranteed to get your resume through a parser

By M. Christine Watson, Marketing Director, DaXtra Technologies

Writing a resume can be one of the most important things you do in your life. You can have a shining personality and all the credentials to get that perfect job, but if your resume isn’t up to par, you have a much-diminished chance of landing the job of your dreams. To add to that, it’s not just the content of your resume that should concern you, but the structure as well.

Accommodating our growing population, the advancement of today’s technology to expedite the hiring process has become a necessity. For the most part, long gone are the days of paper resumes landing on the desks of hiring managers. Even receiving resumes via email and online sources are too much for recruiters to handle. Getting a job today, whether it be through an agency or corporate recruiting, more than likely involves a resume parser. If a parser isn’t used by an agency yet, it will be in the near future as recruitment automation expands.

What is a resume parser?

To parse something means to extract the meaning from a sequence of words. It usually applies to text and the act of reading natural language, analyzing and converting the text into language a computer or parser can understand. Resume parsers automatically extract, store and analyze resume or candidate data in a way that the information is then able to be categorized, coded, sorted and searched — all automated — for the recruiter. The overall benefit recruiters see by using a resume parser is increased speed of matching candidates to jobs or jobs to candidates. The company with the job opening benefits by having their position filled more quickly. And the candidate looking for a job has the advantage of not only quick placement, but of finding a job that is a better fit for them. A win-win-win situation!

Unfortunately, many folks don’t even know resume parsers exist or if they know about them have misconceptions. This article’s intent is to clear up misunderstandings and educate on how best to write and format your resume so you have a better chance of having your resume be seen by hiring managers.

Resume content

We all know the basics of writing a resume. You’re advertising yourself, so use some marketing skills, don’t let emotion drive you, use your head. Here’s a quick refresher:

First and foremost, research. Research the position you’re looking for and research the jobs you’ve had. Whether you’re looking for a similar position, a slightly different position or are going for a whole new career path, there may be skills that crossover.

Use what is out there instead of reinventing the wheel. Glean skills, keywords and descriptions from job descriptions and other resumes. This doesn’t mean copy someone’s resume verbatim, but it helps to see what others have done and how they have phrased things.

Do use job titles, but also focus on skills — both hard skills and soft skills. Clearly list job titles and skills in the description of that job — not just a list of skills. A parser uses the context to determine where your strongest skills are versus something you are just slightly familiar with.

Top resume parsers use machine learning to stay on top of skills taxonomies, so they are aware of new and trending skills sets and keywords and can often predict skills that will be used in specific jobs by noting trends. Some skills are general while others are specific. We’ve even noticed that “DaXtra” has now become a skill as more folks become DaXtra users!

One additional hint on keywords and skills. A parser often ranks a candidate’s skill levels by the position on a page and how often the skill or keyword is used. Repetition of relevant skills and keywords is important, but don’t attempt to try to out-smart the system by “white lettering” skills and keywords, repeating the terms multiple times in the margins by making text white so it’s not visible to the human eye. Top parsers are too smart for that and will detect the cheat and may kick your resume out of the system.

Be brief and to the point. You aren’t writing a novel. Use bullets where you can instead of explanatory paragraphs. Sometimes it can be more of a challenge to winnow things down to make it short and sweet, but it’s necessary. Keep it simple.

As far as education goes, along with your formal education don’t be afraid to list relevant coursework, even MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses,) like those offered by Coursera, Udacity, edX and Universities. They show you are interested in furthering your knowledge on a subject and you have the drive and wherewithal to dedicate yourself to learning.

Don’t forget your achievements. For instance, if you helped increase sales, back it up with quantifiable numbers. List projects you worked on and the role you played, making sure to highlight the results. Accentuate any achievements and awards you’ve received. Note memberships or affiliations that are meaningful to your career path.

Essential elements

Make sure you have mandatory search fields filled in like First name/Last name. Don’t use initials and don’t just abbreviate for any reason, whether it be to shorten your name or anonymize your resume. Parsers will not pick up an abbreviation in a mandatory field, so write your whole name (first and last) out.

Another mandatory field needed is your address. For privacy reasons of all sorts, many people leave their actual address out, assuming if they have their contact phone number and email address listed, they are covered. They conclude that the recruiter has enough information to contact them so don’t think it’s important to have more. What they may not realize is that when running a search, the address field is a key parameter in locating candidates within the area in which the recruiter is looking for a placement. Your street address isn’t necessary, but city, state and postal code are musts.

Recently, I’ve encountered a few resumes that could be featured in a blog entitled, “How to avoid being seen: Tips on writing a resume that will never get through a parser.” That has been the catalyst for writing this piece.

Resume formatting

Content aside, you can have the best possible written resume, as far as content goes, and because of bad formatting it can be missed by a parser. There are crucial elements you’ll need to include as well. Leave one of these out and your resume could get kicked out of the system.

First, create your resume in a simple word processing tool like MS Word. Although the best parsers can parse headers and tables, the best advice is to avoid using headers and tables altogether. Even the top parsers’ accuracy rates diminish when these are used.

Use a simple font that is used and read universally across various platforms. Helvetica/Arial, Times New Roman/Times or Courier New/Courier are all safe universal web fonts, along with other good options on the MIT link. Don’t put spaces between letters for any reason. The parser will not be able to read it as a word. You can format to stretch, but no spaces.

Avoid using graphics, photos or word-art, and do not save your resume as an image. What looks good to the human eye may be misread or missed completely by a parser. Avoid unconventional or complex layouts like text slanted at an angle and creative uses of typography. Elaborate templates offered online are not a good idea either. A parser can’t do anything with these elements, with the exception of some elements containing text. Some parsers incorporate Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and so are able to read the characters and get results. However, I still don’t recommend it. As with tables and headers, top parsers may be able to read these, however accuracy rates diminish when these elements are used.

As a seasoned creative who loves good graphic design, I know that the resume can be a showpiece or calling card for those in creative fields, so when I say, “Don’t get creative in the design,” it breaks my heart just a little bit. However, this article’s purpose is to inform you that corporations and staffing firms use parsers and you need to greatly simplify your design to better the chances of your resume being seen. A good answer, of course, is to create a gorgeous, sleek, well-designed resume in InDesign, saving to a readable PDF, (not an image) while also having a simplified Word document on hand to accompany it and to upload online. Your creatively designed resume can be displayed in your website portfolio. Once again, keep it simple.

The age of automation

As the age of automation dawns there is a bit of a learning curve to get through as we transition into full recruitment process automation. We need to be educated about how the recruitment process works. All age groups: Boomers, Gen-X, Millennials and Gen-Y alike, need to learn how the automation works and how to get their resumes seen so they can be entered into the qualified pool of candidates who are open for any given job. Job seeking is tough enough without getting frustrated over your resume not making it through the first hurdle. If you have the qualifications, this knowledge is the key to finding the job that is the perfect match for you.

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Getting Back in the Workforce: How to Readjust After Taking Time Off

ACG Resources — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:00:46 +0000

So, you are heading back into the work world, this can be a bit daunting for anyone no matter how long you have taken time off. While there will be several items which are common to everyone in the workforce, you have to reacclimatize yourself to deal with them. The routine of arriving on time and handling whatever personal tasks you have without impacting your work time are two situations which initially spring to mind.

Those are the easy ones; there is also the relationship aspect which must be handled. Unless the reason you are reentering is due to prison time or some other drastic cause, the fact is that you cannot just avoid other people. You will have to deal with coworkers who may not click with you in the work environment and customers who may be less than gracious. So, the hardest part of reentering a work life is becoming used to be a “friendly acquaintance” again which is neither a close friend nor a person to be avoided. An example which explains this in-between relationship status is that you would go have drinks after work with them, but only is a group. You would tell them about your kids, but not go into any detail about the challenges of parenting. Fitting into the office/factory social culture is a major factor in how well you will adjust to work life. In the work world, getting along in a team situation is a critical skill. Some managers even ask questions in the hiring process about your participation in sports simply to determine if you are a team player. This skill is not natural to many people. We must put aside personal ambition and replace it with team ambition to function well. Even if you are one of those people whose dream job is to sit quietly in a dark office/cubicle interacting only with a computer. You will still need to be friendly and warm to your coworkers in the breakroom. If you have time before starting, a way to practice this is to join some volunteer or civic organization. Intentionally try to be a friend to all, but close to none. Even though many people meet close friends through work, let it take time.

It can also be hard rearranging the things you used to do around your new work schedule. Allow yourself a period of adjustment as you test different ways to be a worker while handling your personal needs or the needs of others. There is also the issue of having to dust off some of your old skills in order to complete your work. Take the time to review any past experience you may have and evaluate what you need to work on; it may take a little while to get back to your previous skill level, but like riding a bike the muscle memory will quickly reveal itself. Also, do not hesitate to ask your new coworkers or boss what skills they find most helpful for your position so you can know what is expected. Do not be afraid to reenter the workforce because once you nail your routine, dust off your old skills, develop a working relationship with your coworkers, and just settle back in to the work routine you will be on your way to acting as a normal and well-adjusted employee. Treat this as a chance to restart and enjoy the excitement you felt when you initially began your career: take chances, work hard, and give it your all!

The post Getting Back in the Workforce: How to Readjust After Taking Time Off appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

The Ultimate Guide to Happy Employees

ACG Resources — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 09:51:04 +0000

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that when someone is happy, they’re more likely to work harder and do more for the people around them. Blame it on the endorphins or the generally uplifted feeling, but happiness is infectious and has a motivating effect on everyone within close proximity.

When you take that statement and adapt it to a workplace scenario, can you see how important it is to ensure your office is a happy one?

Morale is something every high quality manager understands, and they know that in order to be productive and make money as a business, employee engagement and happiness has to come first. Your employees are your biggest asset, and treating them as just a number is not the best way to ensure business growth and success! Of course, that doesn’t mean you should treat your employees well simply because you want to earn money, it means treating them as humans and understanding the vital contribution they make towards your shared goal, as a business family.

This guide is going to run through everything you need to know about ensuring happiness for your employees. Of course, happiness comes from within to a certain extent, and you can’t stop things happening in your employees’ private lives, which may have a direct impact on how well they perform at work. What you can do however, is ensure that what you can control, you control well, by giving them the working environment they want and need and ensuring that they feel supported, listened to, and comfortable during their working hours.

Stress is one of the biggest reasons that businesses lose money. Staff become overwhelmed, morale falls, sickness rises, and lost working days cost the business money. Mistakes are made, customers are affected, and the entire business loses its focus. All of this can be changed simply by creating a culture within the office which supports every single employee, reflecting complete fairness and equality.

To highlight the problem, check out this infographic which outlines the surprisingly high cost of stress to UK businesses.

It’s surprising how many managers aren’t quite sure where to begin when it comes to revolutionising their office space and ensuring a more uplifted and positive feel. Your luck is in however, as this guide is going to show you how.

WHY A HAPPY EMPLOYEE IS A PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYEE

Before we get into practical advice, we need to highlight exactly why a happy employee is beneficial for your business.

In order to explain this properly, think about times when you’ve been very satisfied in your job role. A time when you felt supported, happy, and you didn’t have any qualms about getting up to go to work every morning. Many people struggle to remember such an event, but if you concentrate, you’ll find at least one or two days to reference towards!

The feeling of being content in your work means that you’re happy to challenge yourself on a daily basis. You want to do more, you want to be recognised and you want to help those around you. This is a feeling which pushes you to achieve and reach your own potential, but also one which benefits the business direction too.

A happy employee places importance upon their job role. They see this as extension of their life and therefore they want the business to succeed too. That means they will go the extra mile. They will work that little bit harder, come up with new ideas, and the ironic thing is that happy employees are literally brimming with new ideas and creative solutions to problems!

A business can take advantage of these ideas by actively listening to them and taking them seriously. Who knows, you might find an idea coming your way which could completely change the direction of your business and create a much more profitable outcome! Several heads are far better than one, and when employees are happy and engaged, you’ll have more ideas than you know what to do with!

The space also feels more positive, and that in itself is truly infectious. Everyone will catch on to the uplifted vibe, and soon you’ll notice smiles everywhere you look. This isn’t a stretch or anything unrealistic; everyone has days when they would prefer to stay in bed because they’re tired, and those days don’t count. What we’re talking about here is the will to go to work because you want to and not because you just have to. Happy employees don’t sit and watch the clock, willing it to move faster; they’re amazed at how fast time goes because they’re so engaged with their work!

All of this creates a picture of productivity and that in itself leads towards profitability. The more profitable a business is, fewer mistakes are made, the more work is done, and the more innovation comes out of it. This improves customer relations, attracts new business, attracts new talent to the office space and helps the business to overtake the competition.

There is no downside.

WHAT IS MORALE AND WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO IT?

We’ve just talked about happiness, but what is morale? Is it the same thing?

Yes and no.

Morale incorporates happiness, but it doesn’t just stop there. Morale incorporates motivation, new ideas, a willingness to learn, and a desire to do well. Of course, happiness comes into it, but it’s not all morale is about.

Check out the video below which explores the interesting question of where morale actually comes from.

There are many things which contribute towards morale and most of it is about allowing an employee to feel empowered, valued, and listened to. The main morale contributors are:

Feeling valued as an employee
Feeling listened to whenever suggestions and ideas are put forward
Feeling supported and knowing you can go to your employer and be taken seriously if you have a problem or concern
A team of supportive and like-minded colleagues
A varied workload which isn’t too much or too little
Regular challenges which do not cause stress, but stretch your abilities just enough
Opportunities to learn and develop via training courses and education
A comfortable working environment which is inspiring in decor and design, as well as supportive to the body, with the right types of office furniture in place
Promotion opportunities available and room for progression
An equal, diverse, and inclusive working environment for all
Management who treat everyone fairly and don’t delegate work for the sake of it
Regular social activities which allow colleagues to bond as a team
A shared aim, e.g. work that you care about

That might seem like a long list, but much of it is common sense and comes down to treating employees as people and not numbers. At the end of the day, everyone wants to be taken seriously and treated as though they’re worth something. Humans have an in-built desire to want to be part of something bigger than themselves, and you can tap into that as an employer by creating a team working environment which is driving towards a common aim.

Many businesses also find that connecting with local charities is a great way to boost morale. This creates a common aim to work towards, e.g. fundraising and events, and gives everyone that feel-good vibe, because you’re working to help out those less fortunate. This is certainly something to look into, because not only are you benefitting the business, but you’re benefitting others too!

The bottom line is that in order to be successful as a business you need to take morale very seriously indeed. A business which has a low level of morale is going to fail eventually, it’s that simple. Employees will care less and less about their job, mistakes will be made due to lack of focus, customers will be impacted and could take their custom to one of your competitors, word will get around and before you know it, you’re losing money. Productivity falls and you’re on the slippery slope towards failure.

That is how vitally important morale is.

WHY MANAGEMENT HAS A HUGE ROLE TO PLAY IN ENSURING EMPLOYEE HAPPINESS

A little later we’re going to cover 10 ways you can ensure employee happiness and you’ll notice that every single one of those methods is initiated and maintained by management.

Poor management is one of the biggest reasons why employees leave a business and move elsewhere. Feeling unsupported and having a total lack of leadership does not lend itself to a particularly happy or supportive environment and one of the single biggest problems in modern businesses is that management doesn’t recognise its role in maintaining its staffing levels.

A poor manager is enough to demotivate an employee, especially someone who may be lacking in confidence and requiring a little leadership or mentoring. In that case, this employee is completely missing out on their potential and the business isn’t going to get the best out of them at any point. The longer the poor management goes on for, the more damage is done. Employees start to turn on each other, conflicts occur, and the entire office space becomes a place that nobody wants to attend.

Whilst a manager can never be ‘one of the gang’, ensuring a certain amount of closeness and approachability is vital. Employees that know their manager’s door is always open if they have a problem are far more likely to approach them if they do have an issue they need to speak about. Its far better to have that scenario than a group of employees who desperately need to speak to their manager but they’re too scared to approach them.

For instance, an employee might be feeling overwhelmed and under too much pressure at work, and they would like to speak to their manager about the stress they’re under. Unfortunately, they don’t feel able to do so because they’re so unavailable and also because they don’t feel they would be taken seriously. This is a culture of fear and it’s not a picture of productivity in the slightest.

Far too many managers place too much importance on decision making and business focus, but they fail to notice that they’re neglecting the number one asset the business has – its employees. As a manager, you need to realise the power your employees hold, and look after them, mirroring their importance in your business picture.

It’s also about how you speak to your employees, in order to motivate them in the right direction. Check out this useful infographic which highlights this issue very well.

Now we’ve outlined in detail the importance of happiness and morale, and we’ve talked about why management has such an important part to play in the whole picture, let’s get practical. We’re now going to talk about 10 different ways you can boost employee happiness, pulling in engagement, morale, and productivity all at the same time.

10 WAYS TO ENSURE A HAPPY WORKFORCE

If you ask someone what makes them happy in the workplace, they’ll probably come up with a myriad of different suggestions, and you’re never going to please everyone 100%. What you can do however is focus on the main areas and ensure you get them right.

We’re going to discuss 10 different ways you can ensure a happy workforce, and it’s a good idea to try and hit all 10 if you can. The good news is that none of these suggestions will cost you a huge amount of cash, and most of them can be implemented straight-away. A lot of it is down to mindset and office culture, and whilst some of these suggestions might take time to actually affect happiness and morale levels, any progress is good progress at the start.

Without further ado, let’s discuss our top 10.

#1 – A COMFORTABLE, SUPPORTIVE, AND ATTRACTIVE OFFICE SPACE

An office which is light, airy, comfortable, bright in decor, and basically something to be proud of is a space which employees will want to attend on a daily basis. If you think about offices you’ve worked in over the course of your career, do any of them stand out for good or bad features?

Dark and small offices drag down morale simply by proxy. The space doesn’t allow for movement, creativity, and the lack of light is downright depressing. On the other hand, a space which is light, has plenty of fresh air and light flowing in and out, and is decorated in colours which stimulate creativity, is a far better option.

It’s not about knocking down walls or moving to a larger space, it’s about doing the best with what you have. Of course, if you have the cash to renovate in a big way, go for it! You’ll quickly recoup the cash through extra productivity profits.

The main points to hit when it comes to creating this ideal workspace are:

Plentiful natural light, and artificial light choices which aren’t too harsh on the eyes
As much fresh air flowing into the space as possible, via open windows which aren’t blocked with heavy blinds or stored items
A suitable temperature, i.e. not too hot and not too cold, with ventilation to ensure everyone feels comfortable
Office desks which are suitable for the task at hand, e.g. large enough, but not too large, and which make the most of the space you have. This could be corner desks, bench desks, straight desks, anything you like!
Suitable office chairs for the task your employees will be undertaking. This could mean looking towards ergonomic options to ensure comfort, but also means thinking about other types of seating for different areas
Easy to use filing systems which don’t cause frustration or waste time. Modern office cupboards which are organised correctly are a must, or digital systems, such as Cloud storage
A bright and inspiring decor. Colours such as yellow, green, and blue are ideal for creativity, but you could also go down the route of monochrome for a sleek look, provided you ensure enough light is making its way in. Monochrome could look very dark in a small office
Utilising biophilic elements wherever possible, such as small plants on executive desks and slightly larger plants dotted around the space. These are ideal for purifying the air but also provide stress release and focus boosting too
Different spaces for different types of work. Many offices are choosing to implement an agile way of working. This means having quiet zones, collaborative zones, break zones, and other areas where specific tasks can be done in a more detailed way. These are very creative spaces and ideal for boosting morale
Relaxation or break spaces where employees can go when they feel slightly overwhelmed and need five minutes’ to themselves. This should also incorporate easy access to the outdoors, so employees can grab some fresh air when required.

Moving your office around and finding the ideal setting might take time and a little effort, but it’s more than worth it for the results that will come your way. By providing your employees with a comfortable and attractive office space, you’re giving them somewhere they want to attend every day. You’re also going a long way to creating a very positive first impression for visitors into your space too.

#2 – HAVE AN OPEN DOOR POLICY

We’ve touched upon this one a few times already, but it’s certainly one of the best ways to help your staff feel supported and valued.

If a member of staff has a problem with their office workstations or a personal issue at work which is causing them stress and discomfort, they should be able to discuss it with their manager, without feeling like they’re not going to be taken seriously.

Yes, managers are busy with decision making and other management tasks, but that doesn’t mean that there is an excuse for being unavailable for their employees. Nobody is that busy!

An open door policy doesn’t literally mean your door is always wide open, it means that your employees feel confident to knock on your door for a chat when they feel they need to. You’ll probably find that this happens very rarely, especially if you create the right feel in your workplace and improve your morale levels. However, when staff do need to discuss something, they will feel more able to do so. This will ensure that problems are sorted out quickly and effectively, without being left to linger and cause long-lasting, chronic problems.

This also doesn’t mean that you need to reserve a space around the meeting room seating and discuss things in a formal way, it means an informal chat between manager and employer, with the scope to take things further if the issue requires it. At this point, employees simply need to know that they will be listened to, taken seriously, and not pushed away. All of this comes down to treating your employees as human beings!

#3 – FOCUS ON AN EQUAL, INCLUSIVE, AND DIVERSE WORKPLACE

Part and parcel of being taken seriously and not pushed away is about ensuring that everyone is treated equally.

These days we’re extremely aware of equality, diversity, and inclusiveness. We shouldn’t have to be aware of these things, because they should be a given. Everyone should be treated equally anyway, we shouldn’t have to highlight it! Unfortunately, in some areas we need to point this out and it’s important that you asses your workplace to ensure that there are no issues in this regard.

Check out this very useful video which explores this very important issue in a bit more detail.

All of this basically means that regardless of gender, age, sexuality, race, religion, disability, or anything else, everyone is given the same opportunities, heard the same, listened to the same around the boardroom furniture, taken as seriously as everyone else, and treated the same. An equal, diverse, and inclusive workplace is a high morale workplace, and this is something which new talent will look for when deciding whether to work for you or a competition. This is certainly amongst one of the biggest considerations for employees today.

#4 – INCORPORATE A TEAM WORKING ENVIRONMENT

A team working environment is a happier and more productive place to work. Everyone is working together with one aim in mind, everyone feels supported, and nobody is left out or alone. This is a far better situation than having several people working alone, feeling under pressure and struggling to meet deadlines.

Much of this also focuses on collaboration. Collaboration is the key to employee happiness in many ways, because it allows creative ideas to flow. Incorporate some booths in your office space where staff can to go brainstorm and come up with innovative ways to tackle a problem and you’ll find morale is on the rise. In addition, everyone feels that they are a part of something, and not simply going to work for the sake of earning money.

Creating this type of environment simply requires a little broader thinking in terms of office design. For people to be able to collaborate, they need to be able to move around. If you can have a separate space for collaboration, perhaps with a modular office desk which can be moved around as required, this is ideal.

These spaces usually incorporate trendy office furniture to bring more creativity to the fore too, whilst ensuring that those who need to work on quiet tasks aren’t disturbed. This is also part of the agile working model we mentioned earlier.

You should also think about having occasional team building days and exercises, and also organising social events for special occasions. This will go a long way to further ensuring the workplace bond between colleagues, and ensuring that everyone is pulling together in the same direction.

Whilst you can never count out the possibility of an office conflict occurring, having a happy, team working environment makes it far less likely.

#5 – ASK FOR SUGGESTIONS AND TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY

In order to help your staff feel like you’re taking them seriously, you need to ask for their opinions on things which matter and also freely ask for suggestions. By doing this, you’re showing your staff that you care about their views, and that you feel they’re able to change the course of your business with their ideas. This helps them to feel uplifted and part of the biggest picture too.

Of course, you can’t simply ask for opinions and not take them seriously, so ensure that you really listen to any suggestions which come your way. Take them all on board and decide which are feasible, and which aren’t. It’s also a nice touch to talk to your employees when you don’t feel you can move forward with one of their ideas, so they don’t feel like you simply pushed it to one side.

Having weekly or fortnightly catch ups is a great idea for pulling ideas out of the ether. Gather everyone around the office tub chairs and have an informal catch up. Ask for ideas on certain issues and note down all the suggestions that come your way.

#6 – DISCUSS CHANGES, DON’T SIMPLY TELL

When changes are afoot within the business or the office itself, far too many managers simply tell employees what’s going to happen, and don’t think about the impact the changes might have on their morale or their anxiety levels. Rather than telling employees a plan, why not discuss it with them beforehand and see if they have any ideas or suggestions which might be better than the ones you have? Don’t assume you know all the answers!

Before major changes, it’s a good idea to sit everyone down and explain what the problem is, or what the idea is. Explain that nothing has been decided yet and that you’re very open to any ideas they might have. By doing this, you’re cutting down on anxiety and you’re allowing your employees to see that you care about the effect any changes might have on them. It’s far easier to deal with change in the office if everyone knows what is happening every step of the way. No nasty surprises!

These changes could be large or small. It could be something as small as thinking about incorporating active working, with stand height tables, or it could be a complete shake-up of the department. Whatever it is, keep your employees informed.

#7 – FOCUS ON HEATH AND WELLBEING

Healthy employees are happy and productive employees! We mentioned earlier about ensuring a supportive and comfortable working environment and furniture for your employees, but this is the tip of the iceberg. Put together a wellbeing package for your employees, which covers counselling services, smoking cessation help, awareness of healthy eating, perhaps reduced price health insurance or gym access, basically anything which is health-related.

By doing this, you’re showing your employees that you care about them and their wellbeing. You might think that this is a waste of money, but it’s certainly not! Businesses lose a huge amount of money every year through sick days and lost working days. By focusing on health and wellbeing, you’re reducing that cost and ensuring profitability. The overall cost of unhealthy and unhappy workers is always far more than anything you pay to turn the situation around.

#8 – TREAT YOUR EMPLOYEES OCCASIONALLY

Everyone gets a kick out of doing something nice for someone else occasionally and the same goes for managers who do nice things for their employees! Treat your staff occasionally, perhaps with a basket of cupcakes or a round in the local pub after work one day! All of this shows that you appreciate the work they do for you, and as a result, they’re going to feel valued and work harder for you.

This doesn’t have to be a regular thing and it doesn’t have to be anything huge, but a simple gesture every now and again to ensure your staff know that you value them as individuals and not as numbers.

#9 – OFFER TRAINING AND PROGRESSION

As promotion opportunities come up, make sure you fairly offer them amongst your employees and focus on those who can do the job the best, without favouring any other elements. This echoes on the equality point we made earlier.

Having a career progression route available is a good reason for an employee to stay with your business and not to move elsewhere. This ensures that you retain high quality, trained staff, and you don’t have to spend time and money on a lengthy recruitment process.

In addition, be sure to offer regular training for your employees, such as on-site training sessions, off-site sessions, and the possibility of distance learning for employees who request it. Again, this shows that you’re investing in their future, meaning that you value them and their contribution to the business.

#10 – ENSURE THE WORKLOAD IS FAIRLY DISTRIBUTED

The final point, and probably one of the biggest, is to ensure that the workload within the office is shared out equally against your employees, and that nobody is struggling with too much work, tight deadlines and unfair targets.

Having work shared out equally means that everyone is being treated the same, and from there you can assess whether deadlines or targets are possibly a little too tight or unrealistic. Ensuring fairness of work means that nobody is becoming stressed unnecessarily, and nobody feels singled out.

If you do have targets for your employees to meet, also make sure that these are realistic and fair. Sit down around the office tables and discuss these with your employees, getting their view of the work that is done and how quickly it can be performed, to the best quality. Remember, they’re the ones doing it at the end of the day!

CONCLUSION

And there we have it, 10 ways to ensure that your workforce is a happy one.

There are always going to be times when perhaps one member of staff might be a little less happy than others, but this could equally be about something unrelated to work. Having that open door policy will allow that member of staff to come to you if they feel they need to.

Every single point we’ve mentioned will benefit your workplace immensely, and it’s up to you as a manager to start implementing them straight-away. The beauty is, most of them can be started right now!

The first step is to assess the happiness and morale levels within your space and work out if you have a team of happy or unhappy workers. From there, implement these changes and watch your levels rise!

Article Credit: Calibre-furniture

The post The Ultimate Guide to Happy Employees appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Playing it Hard with Soft Skills

ACG Resources — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 16:00:51 +0000

By 2020, “soft skills” will be in higher demand across industries than narrow technical skills.

While working in the United Nations community for over 10 years, I observed something very interesting: High-ranking diplomats, regardless of their country’s stance, knew how to maneuver themselves successfully amongst each other and get the job done. This was no different when I worked for elected officials or politicians. Yet, as captivating as these worlds are – I don’t believe you have to be in them to understand what skills are needed for them or any other job.

Soft skills such as listening, communicating, having a strong work ethic and integrity; are critical and applying them correctly – will give an individual the arsenal they need to defend themselves in any setting.

Soft skills may be called etiquette, communication skills, people skills, emotional intelligence, human or personal skills; but no matter what it’s called everyone should know what they are and how to apply them successfully. Unfortunately, this is not the case, which is why I decided to start teaching them.

Recently, while interviewing candidates for a managerial position, I noticed some significant missteps. One candidate was very polite, but her outfit was a bit too tight and ill-fitting. The creases, gaps and holes distracted me from her experience on paper. Another individual presented a resume full of errors and possessed an email address which seemed to reflect an adult movie actor’s stage name and not the one given to them at birth.

On another occasion, the candidate– who I highly recommended– appeared in a sweat top, loosely fitted pants and spent a majority of the interview speaking ill of his former employer.

These individuals had little in common except for two qualities: They failed to exhibit knowledge on how to apply soft skills successfully, and… they didn’t get the job.

Indeed.com, an employment-related search engine states: “The key differences between hard skills and soft skills are how they are gained and put to use in the workplace. Hard skills are often gained through education or specific training whereas soft skills are seen as personality traits you may have spent your whole life developing.”

Ok, fair enough – but I’ll add some spice to this.

The way I see it, soft skills are the crucial communication skills that stand out when they are not observed or practiced, whether in a professional or personal setting.

It’s what’s implied, when words have been uttered; it’s that gray space between you and the person with whom you are interacting. It’s the way we look at a stranger on the train, speak to our children, respond to our partner, treat the dry cleaner, sanitation worker and token booth clerk. It’s the greeting we share with our co-workers and detractors alike, the pitch in our voice on the phone, the gesture we make when expressing an opinion, the kind of shake we give when extending our hand and the way we carry ourselves.

It’s how we use images, emojis and abbreviations on social media-– all of which give insight into who we are negatively or positively.

The World Economic Forum’s Executive Summary “The Future of Jobs” 2018 Report states: “On average, by 2020, more than a third of the desired core skill sets of most occupations will be comprised of skills that are not yet considered crucial to the job today, according to our respondents. Overall, social skills — such as persuasion, emotional intelligence and teaching others—will be in higher demand across industries than narrow technical skills.”

Based in Switzerland, The World Economic Forum is an institution whose motto is “Committed to Improving the State of World.” They host an elitist gathering every January in the pristine, snow-capped, highly-elevated mountain resort of Davos where world leaders, CEOs and the like gather to well… “improve the world.” I’m all for it, but more and more there is a need for us to “keep it real”, stay on the ground and be responsible in showing teenagers, college-bound students, adults experiencing re-entry into the workforce – anyone really – on how to improve their soft skills and succeed.

It is automatically assumed that because we live in a digital era everyone has access to the same information, yet this is not necessarily the case. My company, WorldCeres Inc. recently held a resume workshop and while posting flyers in my community, a young lady asked me “What is a resume?” Another time, while teaching a class, a 14-year-old expressed disbelief when I explained that whatever someone posts on their Twitter account can come back to haunt (or help) them years later when job hunting. These reactions demonstrated a disparity in how information is shared and used within certain communities and it troubles me.

Harvard University claims that “85% of job success comes from having well developed soft skills and that a mere 15% can be attributed to technical and hard skills.” Yet, when I get on the train, I see advertisements on how to become an EKG or X-Ray technician, commercial truck driver, or obtain training in HVAC installation. One can become a nurse’s assistant, security guard or a licensed mechanic.

There is no question that these jobs are essential and demonstrate how one can acquire hard skills, but what about skills that will enable someone to keep the job? Shouldn’t there be information on how to acquire soft skills as well? Don’t you think it’s important? Take a moment to think back to a recent doctor’s or hospital visit. What do you remember most, the person who was extremely rude or very nice?

In my column, I will expand on the importance of soft skills, analyze and cite examples of how they have been used in public, and provide suggestions on how you can apply them now in any setting.

You’ll come to the table ready to play hard and get what you want in life… What’s soft about that?

Article Credit: BKREADER.COM

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The Importance of Periodic Self-Evaluations

ACG Resources — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 21:00:50 +0000

You and everyone already knows the importance of employers conducting periodic evaluations on their employees, but they are not the only ones who should be checking on your work. Take the time every few months or when you switch projects to take a step back and look at yourself. Are you at the top of your game? There are a few important questions that you need to ask in order to ensure you are working at your fullest capacity and being an asset to the company.

First, take a look at the projects you are working on. Have you been consistently meeting deadlines? If not, why? Are you not being productive or is this an issue outside of your control?

The next thing to look at is your attitude. What is your expression when you walk into work every morning? How well are you interacting with your coworkers? Are you approaching your work with positivity or with dread?

These questions lead to: how is your attitude affecting your work? Are you putting your focus into work or are you distracted by something else? How is your life going outside of the office? Is there anything preventing you from working at 100%?

The questions are not hard, but it is important that you are completely honest with yourself. It can be hard to admit that you might not be doing your best work, but the sooner you confront this issue the sooner it can be fixed. This is why periodic self-evaluations are so important; you do not want to wait until your manager notices that something is wrong with your work because at that point it might be too late to fix it. Take the time to check in with yourself and see what you are doing well and what can be improved. This will affect your attitude, productivity, workmanship, and overall status as a valuable employee.

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The Delicate Art of Firing an Employee

ACG Resources — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 21:00:03 +0000

One of the worst parts of being a leader in a company is that not every employee is going to be useful and sometimes people have to be fired. It is not a pleasant experience for either parties and is not something that should be taken lightly. Before moving into the firing stage, it is important that the employee is given warnings or chances to change their behavior. When a problem is identified with an employee, make sure to document the issue and the steps taken towards trying to fix it. Firing an employee is delicate business and you need to be careful how you go about it.

As stated before, employees need to be made aware of any issues with their work or behavior and given a chance to improve. When you point out these issues or another employee comes to complain, WRITE IT DOWN. Document everything that is said or done when it comes to disciplinary actions against one of your employees and make sure that Human Resources is also aware of what is going on. You do not want to find yourself down the line without any proof of their misconduct or the chances you gave them to improve. Hopefully a warning will encourage your employee to straighten out, but always be prepared for the worst. If you are not ready to cover your butt when some angry ex-employee sues you for wrongful termination, then you are going to be in for a headache trying to defend your company.

When it comes time to sit down and fire an employee, take a few steps to make sure the environment is right. You should have them come to your office or some enclosed area that does not allow others to overhear; also, make sure there is another witness in the room to vouch for how the situation unfolds (usually this will be a representative from Human Resources). Be straightforward when addressing the employee and make sure to reference the warnings that were given before it came to the firing. There is no need to be unnecessarily harsh but be clear that they are no longer meeting expectations and are fired. You may need to give them time to process your words and be prepared for sudden anger or tears. The whole point of having another company representative in the room is to make sure that A. you are safe if an employee acts irrationally and B. they can bear witness to your method if it is ever called into question. Once the deed is done and the employee has filled out any necessary paperwork, give them a chance to say goodbye and clean up their desk. Do not rush the process because even though this person no longer works for your company they deserve respect as they leave.

Firing people is unpleasant but a necessary evil of working at a company. You need to make sure that you have the best suited people for the jobs you are working. In the end, firing an employee will be the best for both your company and the person.

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Crafting a Diversified Resume

ACG Resources — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 16:00:00 +0000

One of the biggest traps that people fall into is thinking they have to craft the perfect resume and that will get them the job. This is wrong for one reason: no one resume fits the needs of every company. When applying for positions, it is important to recognize that every company, position, and recruiter is looking for something different. That is why it does not matter how perfect your resume is if you only send out the same resume for every job you apply for. Here are a few things you can do to diversify your resume to appeal to a variety of companies:

1. Look for key words in the job application- The wording used in job applications is a great way to understand what the employer is looking for in candidates for that position. Once you have identified what these qualities are, try and work them in to your resume. If the company wants someone who is good with finances, then it would be best to mention the previous work you did with accounting. If a company values someone who is a leader, then write down the experience you had managing a team at your last job.

2. Do your best to tailor your work experience on the resume to the things that the company is actually looking for- I am sure you have countless different jobs, projects, or internships that you have been involved with and all of them are incredibly impressive, but the people reading your resume do not care about anything outside of their sphere of work. Do yourself a favor and cut out all of the extra unrelated work. The fastest way to have your resume thrown out is if it is five pages long and includes everything you have ever worked on since college.

3. Make sure you have a variety of experiences to draw from- Each company will be looking for something different and it helps if you have actual experience you can write down. Jump on different opportunities at each chance you get, you want to be able to appeal to as many employers as possible and have experience in a wide variety of roles. You never know when you are looking for a new job what skills you can bring to the company.

The most important thing to remember is that you should almost never be able to use the same resume on more than one application. Diversify your resume and tailor it for every position you apply for and you will get more responses than ever before.

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Understanding The Difference Between Being A Leader And Being A Boss

ACG Resources — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 20:00:45 +0000

In the workplace there bosses and there are leaders, though the two are very distinct, there is only a fine line between the two. Here are a few differences between a boss and a leader: Leaders Lead Leaders tend to motivate employees, working beside them on projects, giving them inspiration and ideas. Employees will thus follow the example set by their leader, helping them to become leaders on future projects. However, bosses push employees to finish assignments before deadlines, don’t give much advice, and leave their workforce without strong guidance. This lack of involvement creates dissatisfaction and a loss of respect among the employees for their boss. Leaders Listen Leaders are more likely to listen to and value what employees have to say before speaking up themselves. Leaders value equality in their assignments and have a deeper respect for their employees than the average boss. Bosses are more likely to be dominant when having conversations with their employees, expecting their staff to carry out commands without question. This leads to employees feeling undervalued, as they are not truly being heard. Leaders Work Leaders are most likely giving suggestions, working alongside employees, and motivating the team when working on a large project. This hands-on approach shows employees their leader values his time the same as he values theirs. Bosses tend to stand aside and supervise when a project is started, only interacting to give commands or criticism. This hands-off approach restricts the creativity of employees, ultimately making them less motivated. Leaders Are Respected, Not Feared Leaders rarely have to force employees to complete tasks, as they are beside their team for every step of a project. Therefore, their team is more likely to already understand what is expected of them, so there is no reason for them to fear their leader. Bosses, however, tend to give more orders and less guidance, leaving employees in a state of intimidation by their boss as they do not know what is expected of them.

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Steps to Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur

ACG Resources — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 20:00:46 +0000

Becoming an entrepreneur, by definition, means a person who organized and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk or an employer of productive labor. This can be a scary feat for any person or group to undertake because it means finding a way to start, create, and sell an idea. Here are a few steps that every aspiring entrepreneur needs to take in order to start on the path towards success:

1. Identify a need- In order to become an entrepreneur, you need to identify a need that you can fill. Whether this is a product or a business, you must first find what is missing and needs to be filled.

2. Look at the market- Is there already something that fills this need? See what other companies are doing to try and address the need. Can you improve on your idea or are you simply trying to copy? The product will not sell unless it can better address the need or completely eliminate the need altogether.

3. Create an idea to fill the need- Now that you have looked at the market and seen that there is space for improvement, you need to create the actual product!

4. Test your product- Once you are past the development stage, now it is time to test your idea. Find a group of people to evaluate your product, and it would be especially helpful if these people are familiar/participate in the market you are trying to break into.

5. Make revisions if necessary- Your previous test should help you identify any issues with the product. Is it too expensive? Is it aesthetically pleasing? Did your testers find it useful?

6. Decide on the structure of your company- Once the product is ready, you need to have a solidified business plan that will explain how you will market your product, find your manpower, create more products, and continue to supply the capital needed to support a running company.

7. Find investors- Do your research and find people who can give you the capital in order to make your product available to the mass market. Take your market research, your test results, and any information about the revision process to different investment companies, banks, or people who would be interested in helping your company take off.

8. Implement your business plan- You have the product, you have the money, and you have a structured plan, so put it into action! This may be the scariest step, but you have put so much work into your initial idea and now it is time to launch it into the market.

Every business venture is a risk, no matter how much research and preparation you have done, but every entrepreneur has to take that step if they want to be a success.

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Pros and Cons of Postgraduate Education

ACG Resources — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 16:00:53 +0000

This has been a major debate over the years of how much education is required to be successful in your chosen career. Some people say that an undergraduate degree is enough for an entry-level job while others say that you need your master’s degree or even your doctorate in order to be employable. So, what does a new graduate do? Here are a few ideas to help you make your decision on whether or not you want to pursue a postgraduate education or try to enter the workforce:

Some of the pros of getting a postgraduate education are that it gives you more time to find your passion or the field that you want to work in. Another pro is that as long as you remain in school, any student loans do not have to be paid off until six months after you complete your education. It also gives you the opportunity to learn more; any further education is a benefit to your personal and professional life. When you do enter the workforce, you will have more knowledge and skills than some people that skipped their master’s degree. It also gives you the chance of starting at a higher pay grade.

Some of the cons of pursuing a postgraduate education are that it costs more money and time than the four years already spent on your bachelor’s degree. It also means that you are putting off getting paid and will have to find some way to not only fund your education but also live on. This also prevents you from entering the workforce and starting on your career path where others will get a jumpstart. There is also no guarantee that getting another degree will automatically secure you a job upon graduation.

There are many things to weigh when deciding whether or not it is worth getting a postgraduate degree. You have to think about money, opportunity, and the time that is being sacrificed, but the choice is ultimately yours. Decide what is best for your situation and make an educated decision based on your understanding of the pros and cons of getting a postgraduate degree.

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How To Handle Different Personalities At Work

ACG Resources — Mon, 02 Sep 2019 12:00:50 +0000

Being a part of a team means being a part of a group of people with different backgrounds and different personalities, learning to handle those different personalities can be hard but necessary to the proper functionality of the team. Here are some tips to help you bette handle all of the personalities that you’ll encounter in the workplace: Stay Focused On The Team Remember that at the end of the day, you’re all on the same team. Try your very best to get along with the people you have to work with, because if you don’t, it will make team work much more difficult than it needs to be. Learn To Let Go The key to working with a lot of different people with a lot of different personalities is to learn to not take everything so personally. Someone may say something that you might consider rude, but to them it’s funny, people have different senses of humor among other differences, so learning to go with the flow a little more will help you to better handle those different personalities. Learn To Handle Egos Some people have bigger egos than others, some people need to act like they’re better than everyone else to make themselves feel better. This is just how some people are and when working in a team, it is crucial to understand this. Sometimes you just have to let people talk themselves up to get the job done, and that’s okay, it’s all in how you handle it. Stay Positive Gossip happens, it’s inevitable. The key is to always keep it positive, talk about how great people are doing on their projects or how well the new guy seems to be fitting into the team. The second gossip turns negative, the team will begin to turn against each other and fall apart.

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How to keep employees interested and engaged

ACG Resources — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 16:00:07 +0000

Keeping employees interested in their daily routines can be difficult. After doing the same activities daily, people tend to become less engaged in their responsibilities. Here are some ways to keep employees interested and engaged: Encourage Creativity Being forced to carry out tasks in the same manner every day creates a monotonous environment for your employees, this will lower engagement and make it harder to find employees willing to take on extra tasks. Encourage your employees to be creative with their workspace, projects they’re working on, or how they tackle tasks. The more creative your employees can be, the more likely they are to engage in the workplace and volunteer for any extra assignments. Decorate Many workplaces are devoid of décor and are painted in the simplest way to avoid distractions, unfortunately for employers this can backfire. Drab surroundings leave employees unmotivated, adding plants can avoid this lull by keeping employees focused on their tasks. Plants also remove bacteria and dust from the air, creating a cleaner environment. Recognize Success When employees feel as if their work is not being noticed, they tend to become disengaged with their tasks. Employers can help keep employees engaged by recognizing when they make a vital addition to a project, take a leadership role, or just have a good work ethic for a difficult task. Employers can recognize employees through personalized emails or just thanking them for their addition to the team. Keep Busy Most employees prefer to stay busy through their entire shift rather then being bored. Staying busy tends to make time go by faster, this helps cut out days beginning to feel monotonous which will help employees stay interested longer.

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How To Properly Fire An Employee

ACG Resources — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 16:00:39 +0000

Termination should not be the first thing to come to mind when an employee is not entirely working out, but sometimes it does become necessary. When termination is the only option, make sure to handle the situation properly: Document Everything If you’re continually having to correct the same behaviors, you need to have a record showing this. The first time should be just a warning, but it should still be properly documented for future reference. Enforce Disciplinary Action Simply warning employees and then letting the situation go is not enough. It is important to set goals for improvement and follow through with the necessary steps to improve employee behavior. Investigate The Issue Before terminating an employee, be sure to fully investigate the issue to ensure that you have done everything you can to improve the situation. Termination should always be a last choice, so being sure that you have done everything you can to prevent it is ideal. Be Brief But Thorough If termination is the only option, be sure to not sugar coat. Tell the employee what led to this moment and why it is best that they part ways with the company. Also, be sure that you have filled out all the proper paperwork to ensure the termination is fully complete and legal.

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Pros And Cons Of Hiring Remote Employees

ACG Resources — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 16:00:01 +0000

Remote employees can be a great addition to any team, but they may not be the best fit for every employer. Here are some pros and cons of hiring remote employees: Pros: Find Better Employees There may not be someone exactly right for your position where you’re located, so making the position remote can help you find someone better fit for the job. Hiring remote employees allows you to get someone who is the best fit for what your company needs. Retain Better Employees Employees are happier when they’re given to the freedom to work when and where they want, so they will be more likely to stay in the position longer than your average employee. Lower Costs Remote employees cost less to employ and maintain than on site employees. Their expenses are overall lower and you save more on not having to provide extra insurance and on site equipment as they provide all of that themselves. Cons: Minimal Face to Face Interaction One downside of remote employees is how little you get to see and interact with them. It’s harder to check in regularly and see how projects are going when employees are not in office, as you have to contact them through email or phone rather than simply visiting their office. Team Challenges Having remote employees makes teamwork more difficult as one part of the team is harder to get into contact with. It also makes keeping the team together more difficult as they would not be able to participate in team building or other office activities.

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How To Ensure Your Employees Are Performing Their Best

ACG Resources — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 16:00:24 +0000

The team is going to be at it’s peak performance when all of the members of the team are performing their best, here’s how to ensure that your employees are performing their best: Set Goals Set goals for your employees, so they know what your expectations are early on. Setting goals helps to ensure that your employees are at their peak performance. Employees are performing at their best when they know what is expected of them. Develop A Plan Employees also perform their best when they know how to go about achieving what is expected of them. Developing a plan will help ensure that your employees are meeting your goals, which will ultimately improve the overall functionality of the team. Empower And Assess Your Employees Rewarding employees for accomplishments will encourage positive behaviors and ensure that they are performing their best on future tasks. Even simply letting employees know that they’re doing a great job can be enough to empower employees to keep doing the same great work.

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How To Choose The Right Candidate For The Job

ACG Resources — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 16:00:07 +0000

You need a new employee, but you want to find the best fit for the job, here are some ways to ensure you always find the best candidate: Know Your Ideal Candidate You cant find the right person for a position if you don’t even know who the right candidate is. Setting clear goals of who you want for the position will help you find the right person when the time comes. Write Clear Job Descriptions Letting candidates know exactly what the position entails will help ensure that only the best candidates for the position will apply. This will allow you to have better, fewer candidates to sort through to find the best one for you. Market Well Using online recruitment softwares and other marketing will help ensure that your job gets out to the public. Without marketing, very few if any candidates will apply, meaning you will get stuck with whoever find your position rather than who is best for the position.

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How To Be An Effective Team Leader

ACG Resources — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 16:00:22 +0000

Leading a team is not always easy, but here are a few tips to make it a little better: Make Time For The Team Make time to be there for your team, to lead them properly, not from afar. Also, get to know your team, getting to know each member on a more personal level will help you lead them better as a whole. Communicate You can’t lead if you aren’t willing to communicate. If you don’t communicate, employees won’t know what you need them to do and they will have to lead themselves. Communicating with your team and allowing them to openly communicate with you is crucial to leading an effective, productive team. Lead By Example If employees see you sitting around on your phone not doing anything, then they won’t want to do anything either. Taking an active role will encourage employees to do the same. Be Willing To Learn Rewarding employees for doing well is great, but encouraging employees to learn from failures is even better. You need to be willing to learn from missteps so that you and your employees can grow and improve. Be Decisive Knowing how to make a decision is one of the hardest, most important things you can do as a leader. Making decisions and following through with them is crucial to the team running smoothly. It is also incredibly important to delegate tasks, so that you have more time to focus on other tasks and all employees get the opportunity to help.

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The Importance of Conferences

ACG Resources — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 16:00:35 +0000

Conferences. For some, that word brings out a sigh as they picture boring speakers that go on for days. A new age of conferences has arisen and become a very important tool in networking, learning about the field, and keeping up to date on the latest developments. Essentially, conferences are about throwing some of the most important people in a particular industry or career field and forcing them to teach and interact with each other. These meetings are designed for those already working at the companies, but those are not the people who are going to get the most benefit from the speakers, panels, and dinners that comprise a conference.

The people that have the most to gain from attending conferences are undergraduate students, recent graduates, and those looking to switch career fields. They are the ones who can benefit from listening to speakers who talk about current research in the field, meeting managers and heads of divisions of the big companies in the field, and talking to people already employed to see what it is truly like to work in that career. These are the people that conferences need to be marketing to because they have the most to gain. How else is an undergraduate going to know if they are better off working in engineering or computer systems? Conferences allow an unparalleled chance for learning and reaching out to others that students may never meet otherwise. They can network and find jobs while also showing companies the kind of talent that is soon to be entering the workforce.

Conferences can be utilized by both employers and future employees to start a process of learning about new advances, making friends, and connecting as a community that serves the same career field.

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Take Your Child to Work Day: The Importance of Children Being Exposed to Their Parents’ Careers

ACG Resources — Thu, 11 Jul 2019 16:00:57 +0000

Do you remember the days where companies would host “Daddy-daughter work day” or “bring your child to work day”? These are events of a past time when businesses incorporated family values into their goals and allowed time to be spent not only on the company growth, but on the personal growth of each employee. Unfortunately, this idea is a distant memory from a bygone era, and I am starting to wonder why. Why do we no longer want to expose our children to the workforce from a young age? Why would we want them to be less educated about their parents’ work or left unexposed to a normal office environment?

Children need to know what different career fields look like, what kind of work their parents are expected to do, and how interactions occur in an office environment. They are eventually going to grow up and enter that workforce, so why should they not be educated about it as they learn the lessons that will allow them to have careers? Bring your daughter to see what an IT technician does, show your son how to manage a group of marketing executives, or take your kid and teach them about running a store and working with employees. The younger we show kids about adult life, the better prepared and excited they will be about the choices they get to make when they become adults. How can we expect them to know what they want out of a company if they have never seen someone work at one? We push teenagers to take jobs and find they have no clue how to interact in the environment because they have never seen the other side of the cash register.

Parents are supposed to guide their children and teach them how to grow up into fully functioning members of society, and part of that society is their careers. Companies need to reinstate the “bring your child to work day” not only for the benefit of their employees and their families, but to their own advantage as these children will grow up to become a more competent workforce.

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Short Term vs. Long Term Goals: When to Use Each

ACG Resources — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 16:00:58 +0000

In the current whipsaw environment of stock market measurements, evaluations, and executive compensation programs, it can be easy to forget that no product will last forever. No market share will remain unchallenged. Everyone will refine the process as time goes on. These are simple facts. We often lose ourselves in the effort to perfect the current situation which leads to the detriment of preparing for the next situation.

Executives need to remember their job is to think for the future not about the present; even board of directors need to be reminded to extend their focus on to a longer time frame. There are plenty of managers to hold kaizen events; executives need to be thinking about the next product, market, and focus should be. There is one question you need to ask which will help determine whether you are focusing on a short or long-term goal: Can you measure its effect quickly?

This applies to any project. If you can see a change in pieces per hour coming off an assembly line, it is a short-term goal. If you will not know for another year or two if the market will accept it, then it is a long-term goal. The time frame to measure success is what defines whether it is a short-term goal, as a real long-term goal cannot be determined as right or wrong for a longer period of time which involves greater risk. This is why executives need to be focused on the long-term and big picture roles because they have the scope and power to take risks with a business. Leave short-term goals for lower levels of management as they have the focus and ability to accomplish those easily and efficiently.

Everything goes back to that one question: can you measure its effect quickly? So, now use your discretion and answer this question to the best of your ability in order to maximize productivity on every level of your company.

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The Future of the MBA

ACG Resources — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 08:44:47 +0000

How Shifting Enrollment Trends Are Changing Business Education

For business schools around the country, business is anything but usual. Since fewer Americans are willing to drop out of a strong economy to earn a graduate degree, enrollment in MBA programs is shrinking. Decades of declining job satisfaction also suggest that many professionals are tired of trading hours for dollars. Instead, they crave specialized, meaningful, and creative work — aspirations not always prioritized by traditional business programs that emphasize the bottom line.

These trends invite an important question: Has the MBA lost its luster, or can business schools find new ways of attracting applicants who are both values-driven and cost-conscious? Fortunately for students, the MBA is still a highly regarded degree; in fact, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) reports that overall enrollment that includes international business schools remained steady between 2016 and 2017. Increasingly, however, American students are choosing nontraditional business programs with leaner, cheaper, and more flexible MBA options.

What’s Behind Declining Interest in MBAs?

According to a 2018 survey conducted by GMAC, applications to MBA programs in the United States dropped by 7% in 2017, with 70% of full-time MBA programs reporting some level of decline. This trend began around 2014, and now even elite programs — including Stanford, Harvard, and UPenn — are feeling the effects.

Relative Change Trends in MBA Application Volumes Over Time Vary by Program Type: Source: GMAC

This isn’t totally surprising. For the average American worker or recent college graduate, the opportunity cost of dropping out of a strong economy to attend an expensive, full-time MBA program is enormous. On top of high tuition, students who can’t continue working while in school face a loss of income for two years, a double whammy that hits young professionals hard — particularly those contending with rising costs of living across the country.

Another issue is that young professionals increasingly want innovative and specialized degrees, but many business programs are old-fashioned, offering cookie-cutter curricula that don’t prepare students for modern business challenges. “The business of business education is changing,” said Prashant Malaviya, senior associate dean for MBA programs at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. “The MBA market has matured, meaning that it is seeing stagnant growth and little differentiation among programs.”

In an interview with BestColleges, Malaviya explained that “there has been a shift in the business education industry to one-year specialized master’s programs, which are a more cost-effective option for professionals earlier in their careers to gain an advanced degree.” In today’s job climate, this means a master of science degree in a niche business area, such as finance or business analytics, may be more economical than a generalized degree like an MBA.

While cost and specialization are primary considerations among many would-be applicants, some aspiring MBA grads in the United States are simply setting their sights overseas, according to U.S. News & World Report. Some international MBAs are shortened into an 18-month format, and the relative strength of the dollar can make these programs more economical. And while some Americans are heading abroad, competition from a growing number of international business programs in Asia and Europe has reduced the number of foreign applicants to American MBA programs.

The Wall Street Journal reported in November 2018 that enrollment of international students at American colleges and universities fell for the second consecutive year. In addition, GMAC reports that while U.S. applications are down, applications to full-time MBA programs in the Asia-Pacific rose by 75%. At the graduate level, new international enrollments in the United States decreased by 5.5% overall, although China — the top exporter of international students to the United States — contributed 2% more students than the previous year.

Absolute Change Analysis by Total Application Volume: Source: GMAC

While the causes of shrinking international enrollment aren’t fully known, Inside Higher Ed attributes part of the decline to the unpopularity — and sometimes the direct effects — of the Trump administration’s policies. For example, the total number of students from countries affected by the president’s travel ban decreased dramatically for the 2017-18 application cycle.

No matter the causes, prospective students should be aware of how these changes are affecting MBA programs nationwide. Some business schools have created bespoke online degrees for working professionals, innovated their curricula to be more cutting-edge and socially relevant, or lengthened or accelerated completion times to fit unique student needs. Other programs, however, may simply be falling behind the times.

The Future MBA: Flexible and Affordable

Decreasing enrollment has an obvious negative effect on U.S. business schools, but it may prove beneficial for newer applicants. For starters, the admissions process for even top programs may be less competitive the longer this trend continues. But more importantly, lower demand will incentivize programs to innovate their curricula, cost structures, and delivery methods. For example, GMAC reports that part-time, self-paced, and flexible MBAs have all weathered enrollment fluctuations better than full-time business degrees.

Part-Time Self-Paced MBA, U.S.: Source: GMAC

Flexible MBA, U.S.: Source: GMAC

One surprising development is that some regional public universities have seen their MBA enrollment grow. The Washington Post reports that Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts, Louisiana State University at Shreveport, and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke have all bucked the larger national trend because they’ve embraced cheaper, accelerated, or online MBA options.

“The only way to survive is to adapt to the shifting climate,” according to C. Tad. Brinkerhoff, director of MBA programs for the University of Illinois Gies School of Business. “That is hard for universities who are used to a system that sometimes does not encourage innovation. … Schools are going to have to be very good at knowing their mission and competitive advantages and then executing in those areas. Otherwise, they won’t survive.”

Brinkerhoff described to BestColleges how Illinois Gies launched an iMBA program with Coursera at a reasonable price point compared to the average MBA. Total tuition is just $22,000, significantly more affordable than the $180,000 price tag some schools charge. Brinkerhoff suggested that business schools are innovating programs in response to shifts in the overall economy. “The very nature of work is changing … so the way we educate and train future leaders and employees will have to change in parallel.”

For its part, Georgetown is recruiting its first class of “flex MBA” students. Malaviya explained that the program will “better allow [business] students to manage full-time work, family time, and their education. Through new formats, including hybrid classes, the addition of Saturday electives, and the ability to shrink or stretch the duration of the program from 2.5 to five years, our students can build a program that works for their individual needs.”

The rise of regional public universities, as well as the expansion of nontraditional MBA programs like Georgetown’s “flex MBA,” are both positive outcomes for students who want to take advantage of high-quality business programs without the cost or rigid structure of full-time programs. These MBAs may also foretell a future in which business education actively adapts to the needs of a cost-conscious, tech-savvy, and socially conscientious generation of business professionals.

Toward a High-Tech, Socially Responsible MBA

Other than providing more affordable and flexible MBAs, some business programs are trying to make their concentrations more high-tech and cutting-edge. To compete with one-year specialized master’s degrees, for example, many schools are beefing up their concentration options by offering MBAs in areas such as business analytics, cybersecurity, and financial technology.

The only way to survive is to adapt to the shifting climate … Schools are going to have to be very good at knowing their mission and competitive advantages and then executing in those areas. Otherwise, they won’t survive.

C. Tad. Brinkerhoff, Director of MBA Programs for the University of Illinois

Since cross-disciplinary expertise is a valuable asset in business, the so-called “tech MBA” may be the model for the future, developing skills that target specific industries in technology hubs like Silicon Valley. The Cornell “tech MBA,” for instance, teaches students about data science, the fundamentals of modern software, and designing data products in an intensive one-year format.

A tech upgrade may not be enough to assuage doubts about the value of MBA degrees, however. Some of the latest shifts in the business education landscape may stem from criticism — some of it from the inside — concerning issues such as corporate responsibility. Martin Parker is a professor of organization studies at Bristol University in the United Kingdom and has taught at business schools for more than 20 years. In an interview with The Conversation, he pointed out how disconnected business schools are with some of the challenges society faces today:

“They rarely engage with the challenges of a low-carbon economy, of the shorter supply chains that we need to encourage localisation, and the need to address social justice and inclusion.”

In an age of extreme wealth inequality, an overriding worry may be that business programs do little to thwart the attitude that “greed is good” or to promote leadership values that do more than protect the bottom line. Business operates in a larger social ecosystem, and many rightly argue we should demand more from corporate and financial leaders in the 21st century.

Fortunately, some university administrators recognize the need for change and innovation. Among them is Barbara Bickart, the senior associate dean for MBA programs at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. In an interview with BestColleges, she described the qualities needed in today’s leaders:

“The skill set required for our leaders has changed,” Bickart explained. “[It] is increasingly important that MBA graduates are able to approach problems with an innovative mindset … and to understand and assess the consequences of organizational decisions for the workforce and society at large.”

Many business schools have started thinking along these lines, developing their programs to be more socially responsible and ethically minded — largely through new concentrations, coursework, and research centers. At BU Questrom, Bickart described the school’s “social impact” MBA and additions related to energy and sustainability:

“The Social Impact MBA offerings are tied to the Questrom Susilo Institute for Ethics in the Global Economy, as well as the Boston University Institute for Sustainable Energy, which is housed in the Questrom School of Business. Students with an interest in social entrepreneurship can also take advantage of the programs offered by Innovate@BU and the BUild Lab, a workspace for new ventures.”

So Is an MBA Worth It?

The skill set required for our leaders has changed … [It] is increasingly important that MBA graduates are able to approach problems with an innovative mindset.

Barbara Bickart, Senior Associate Dean for MBA Programs at Boston University

Change is a principle not lost on business schools, to say nothing of laws like supply and demand. From a certain point of view, the MBA has proven remarkably adaptive to shifting preferences and economic conditions. From another, significant progress still needs to be made to temper the MBA into a sharpened tool for the modern age — one that business leaders can use to encourage a more inclusive, equitable, and greener future.

MBA Student Loans: Compare Your Options. CLICK HERE for the full guide.

Article from: Best Colleges BY REECE JOHNSON

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Are You Being Too Smart for Your Own Good?

ACG Resources — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 16:00:41 +0000

Gaming the system has always been a temptation for businesses, but customers have learned to adapt to whatever you are doing far more quickly than you would think. Here is a classic example: the infamous sale. A sale has become so ubiquitous that people will not buy a product until it is on sale. In a sense, businesses have taught customers to distrust pricing. Is that a good thing?

No! This is not a good thing! There are many other situations where the fine print is used to disappoint people. This may save the numbers for your company for the current reporting period, but once again you have taught someone to distrust you and have lost their future business. There is a similar idea of accounting games to make a month or even a quarter look good, but almost all of the tricks will be caught quickly and then the real problems begin. Now you are under increased scrutiny, which even if there is nothing to hide, takes extra time and effort.

A good way to think about all of your future moves is the almost cliché “win-win situation”. Are you creating a scenario that is good for your bottom line but does not mislead your customer base? If you do not play smart and anyone loses, the business will eventually be the one to lose in the long-run. Do not allow cleverness or the allure of short cuts to lead you to break the trust created in a buyer-seller relationship because the buyer will hold on to that grudge longer than the business has to fix it.

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The Science of Negotiation

ACG Resources — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 16:00:10 +0000

Do you remember learning the “Scientific Method” back in High School? The process is easy: make an observation, take a guess, test that guess, analyze what happened, and then repeat until the analysis shows the guess was correct. The more background data you have, the better the guesses, but you can learn this as you repeat. The process of negotiation is very similar; you start with the knowledge of what you want but can only guess at exactly what the other party(s) in the deal may want. Therefore, there is a, potentially long, series of probes and questions to determine the background data and come to an agreement on the things you will get and what they will get.

A negotiation is testing and reevaluating the value of a relationship. As an example, let’s look at negotiating a salary for a job. First, is the knowledge that you need a job and have done the investigation to determine that the position is one that would benefit you. On the other side of the negotiation table is a person who knows they need someone to do the job and they have done the investigation to determine that you could fill that need. Now comes the part where the two of you have to agree on the value of the relationship: you want the job to pay as much as you can possibly get, and they want to fill the job at the lowest cost. There may be background of the bare minimum you can survive with, the market for similar jobs, and the estimated value you can bring to the position. You may have other reasons to bargain into the value as well: title, office arrangements, vacation, benefits, etc. These may be items which both sides can use to change the perceived value of the position. These are all background data which enables a better guess as to the terms of the relationship, and will aid you in any negotiation.

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Marketing Yourself

ACG Resources — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 16:00:33 +0000

The time when both employee and employer looked at their relationship as being a long-term commitment is past. Employers are constantly looking for new employees, new ideas, and new ways to make money. They carefully market themselves to potential talent to draw the interest of those who may be of value to the company. Branding, selective advertising, and careful management of social media messages are all part of the corporate marketing. So as a potential employee, you need to be doing the same. Even if you already have a job, especially is you already have a job, you need to be preparing for your future opportunities. Here are some tips:

1. Use social media to create your brand. LinkedIn especially seems to be a place to carefully describe what makes you of value to an employer. Link to coworkers and interest groups of career related topics. Do not use this for cat videos, political rants, or inspirational posts. In fact, do not use ANY social media for cat videos, political rants, or inspiration posts. Potential employers can and will find them. Cleanse your Facebook/Instagram/Twitter/Snapchat/Tumblr/Etc. postings of pictures from the pub crawl and delete the argument you had on Twitter about whatever was in the news. Unfriend those who blanket your feed with garbage; you need to be professional everywhere!

2. Join and attend some professional groups near you. Meetup.com is one place to find them. Establish relationships, do some educational work (give or take), take on a leadership position if you want. What counts is that others see you as a great worker with a passion for whatever field you are in.

3. A personal/blog is another way to establish yourself as a passionate participant in your field. A word of warning, you have to keep it updated, because nothing is more irritating than a stale message of your supposed competence.

4. Carry a business card with you at all times. The card can be simple: name, phone number, email, your title, and any necessary degrees or certifications you may have. Any time you leave your house, you have a chance of making a connection and you do not want to be empty handed.

Do not wait until you need a new job to prepare for the new job. It may not even require you change employers, but you always need to be up to date and ready to market yourself to anyone you may meet.

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Happy to be at Work

ACG Resources — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 16:00:42 +0000

We all want to be happy at work, but what does this really mean? The official definition of happiness is the quality or state of being delighted, pleased, or glad as over a particular thing. According to many researchers, happiness is a synonym for contentment. At work, to be content sometimes means your career is not moving forward at all. Still, many people get to a place in life where that is okay; they will get their self-worth from some other avenue.

Savvy management can encourage some of those other avenues to keep employees’ content in an otherwise boring, mind-numbing role with little advancement opportunity. For other people the opportunity to grow, to gain influence and respect are needed to allow them at least the perception of being significant. Humans want to be significant; we want to have a reason for our existence. It has been said that a person with a ‘why’ to live, can put up with almost any ‘how’ they live, and this seems to bear out. Humans will subject themselves to extreme discomfort to the point of death if they have a cause to die for, yet they will whine about the trivial things in a life of luxury if being comfortable is all they have as a goal in life.

Knowing of both these two paths to happiness: contentment and significance, allows management to structure the workplace culture based on the requirements of the role. If a routine job is important, develop those alternative mechanisms for personal value to be obtained by the workers. If the job demands innovation and drive, sharing the visions and glory of the goal will be needed to inspire the team to their maximum effectiveness. Do not confuse or mix the two paths as worker confusion and even bitterness may result.

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Are You Ambitious Enough?

ACG Resources — Thu, 30 May 2019 16:00:44 +0000

In the second century, the philosopher and Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, engaged in a discourse with the future tyrant, Commodus, as to what constituted virtues and vices for a ruler. The one topic they could not agree in which category fell ‘ambition’. It seems to be both. A great ruler needed to have a drive to achieve his vision in order to overcome the inevitable setbacks and challenges of any great goal. On the other side, a drive to try too much leads to frustration and often a collapse of the empire in the process.

While our own career challenges are not quite to the extreme of leading an actual empire, the question of how much ambition is appropriate is the same. If we do not have the internal drive, then our dreams remain exactly that, dreams. If we push beyond our actual talents and skills, we will frustrate ourselves. Therefore, many people stop short of being all they can be, settling for something they can do well. The potential for personal significance is usually stopped by contentment. Entrepreneurs know well that failure is just an opportunity to try something different, but did you notice that they have failed? We all hate failure; it is embarrassing, and sometimes involves hardship for yourself and your family/employees. Not fun at all.

If we are not bumping into a failure periodically, we are obviously not trying. That may be the secret answer to the question of “are you ambitious enough”. Have you failed recently? If not, you need to try something. Are you frustrated with multiple failures? Then maybe you need to just try something different!

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When Inspiration Strikes: The Benefits of Corporate Culture

ACG Resources — Thu, 23 May 2019 16:00:21 +0000

We spend a lot of time at work. For a typical 9 to 5 worker, over the 45 years from college graduation to retirement, with a little held back for vacation, illness, and holidays, the total time spent working is around 90,000 hours. Add in a few thousand hours of commuting, a few late-night crises, and a weekend email check or two, and it becomes clear that we spend a significant part of our life in the work environment. It sure better be pleasant!

What makes a job pleasant? It could be affected by many things: interesting tasks, challenging problems to solve, hope for advancement (or at least stability), cordial coworker and client relationships, comfortable physical environment, available refreshments, and lunch options are all aspects which effect the culture of a company. However, the actual culture is a matter of work pace and attitude set of characteristics. As these listed items are all variables in the real business world, so a large corporation may have multiple cultures. Think of the difference in the work culture of a manufacturing plant vs. a corporate headquarters accounting group.

Each employee will view the culture slightly differently as each has their personal priorities and characteristics. It is well known and well researched that happy employees tend to be much more productive and loyal than dissatisfied ones. In a culture mismatch between the company and the employees, expect high turnover unless some outside influence (i.e. depression level job market) forces a temporary stability on the workforce.

Some levers of the employee perception of the culture are beyond the ability of the executive team to directly influence. Line management must be the ones trained to recognize and guide the task assignments and team relationships so that employees are neither bored nor overwhelmed. However, policies and behavioral guidelines can be established so that employees at all levels can understand the basic tenets of the culture, and executives need to be honest with themselves about the company’s business. Saying that work-life balance is important and then scheduling night and weekend work activities means the culture is one of workaholism. Not an incorrect culture, but not one of work-life balance. Employees see actions a lot clearer than printed policy. Establishing a Google-ish culture in a buggy whip business is a recipe for disaster, but if innovation and ambition drive the business plan then do not set up a regimented process culture or a different mess will occur.

Being clear about the culture wanted for the business and then putting it into practice will enable the company to have high productivity with low turnover even in the most unexciting business.

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Best Office Gift Ideas

ACG Resources — Thu, 16 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Best Office Gift Ideas

Uh oh! It is holiday time. The questions of what gifts to give can be quite perplexing. Giving the boss a gift can be seen as brown nosing, but not giving the boss a gift can be seen as an insult to them. Oh, what to do in this world of hyper sensitive office environments? Well, here is a list of things to give that will not have you as the subjects of the twittersphere while still wishing your coworkers a token of appreciation. Here is a list of gift choices that are appropriate for your fellow employees:

Food is good, but some people only eat bird seen and leaves, so a box of donuts is not appreciated. Plus, some people are trying to watch what they eat during the holidays and are insulted when the food is not part of their diet or because it is part of their diet. On second thought, food is not good! However, food gift cards, like a Honey Baked ham or Starbucks, lets them do the choosing. A much better idea.
Sports team memorabilia- this can be a nice choice as long as you are sure what team they support, and they have not recently lost a major game causing all true fans to be depressed.
Toyish trinkets- Think spinners or Rubik’s cubes; items like this are seldom inappropriate and can be fun knick knacks.
Office safe potted plants- It is important to choose ones that can sit on the desk and are able to live in the dark with no water for weeks. If the office environment has the option of keeping a plant at the desk, these work well. Plus, there are plants that live basically in the dark with water every few months, and plants tend to cheer people up for a long time.
Coffee cups, water bottles, etc.- These actually work well, especially if a nice, politically correct, logo or saying is on them. Avoid using company logo —giving those just says you care enough to raid the conference room closet.

Whatever you do, keep it inexpensive. Government employees cannot accept anything with a value over $25 and that is a good rule of thumb. If there is someone very special, then do not use their holiday office gift as their gift. Make it a personal gift and give it outside the office environment.

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How the Time of Day Can Impact Your Work

ACG Resources — Thu, 09 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000

How the Time of Day Can Impact Your Work

Mark Twain famously said to eat a live frog first thing in the morning and then be assured nothing worse would happen to you that day. While this is not exactly the most appetizing image, the concept of getting your most difficult task done early is based on basic physiological principals. We each have biorhythms which ebb and flow in 3 to 4 hour cycles as our waking day progresses. Although we may be groggy when we first tumble out of bed, by the time we are dressed and headed out our brain chemicals will be flowing at their peak rate. This is the time to tackle the most challenging tasks you have on the list (i.e. eat the frog).

As the day progresses these brain chemicals slowly get used up, and by about mid-morning we are in need of a little energy. This is the origin of the concept of a coffee break. Once refueled with some energy, the ability to concentrate returns and we can again be quite productive through lunchtime. Then the typical biorhythm causes a drop in the chemical level, and even with a nice pile of calories to fuel the body, a slump will occur. There is a reason we tend to nod off in those after lunch meetings, and it’s not just because of how boring the topic or speaker may be.

About mid-afternoon another peak of brain chemicals occurs and the pace of work can be high for a few hours. In most people, they will experience the same slump around dinner and peak an hour or two later making early evening a very productive time personal and social tasks. As we approach bedtime, those brain chemicals drop off once again to enable sleep. Another peak even occurs while we are asleep, and those who can push themselves past the bedtime slump may experience another high productivity time about 1 to 2 hours after normal bedtime as this peak is not dependent on being asleep or awake. Another down cycle will occur before the up-and-at-em morning peak; this down cycle corresponds to the deep sleep period of our nightly cycle and is when most of the body’s resting occurs. If you try to push to stay awake through it, there can be negative effects on your bio-cycles for the next few days.

By using this knowledge of the body’s biorhythms, you can plan the best times to complete different tasks. This will increase your productivity and make the work day more

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How to Stay Motivated Even in Redundancy

ACG Resources — Thu, 02 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000

How to Stay Motivated Even in Redundancy

Redundancy is a bad word; in the work world it means your job is ending, and even worse it means your job is truly disappearing. This is not because you are doing a bad job and being fired for something you could correct. Unfortunately, this happens to a lot more often than people think. Automation, mark evolutions, competitive substitutions, or even poor business strategies are some of the reasons, but when it happens to you, it all seems personal. People even go through a classic Kubler-Ross Grief Cycle: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. That is the key thing to focus on because this is a grief event and you need to treat is as such, so you can move through it as quickly as possible.

Initially, upon hearing the news of the redundancy event, the typical response is one of compassion for your fellow coworkers who are losing their jobs because surely this event will not affect you. I hate to be the bearer of bad news: yes, it will! You are just in denial. So get started on your search for a new job or see the retirement planner immediately, you really do not have much time. Do not allow yourself to feel shame for being in this situation, it was not your fault. Talk to your coworkers, trade referrals, and get recommendations.

Next, you will feel anger at the company for allowing this to happen. After all, you did a good job, were a team player, supported the boss, and went the extra mile. Use your anger to motivate yourself to network and take training to make yourself a better candidate for the next position; whether you want to or not, a change is coming. During this time, be sure and continue doing your job as well as possible because that recommendation from your boss for helping right up to the end is going to be one of your trump cards when the time for change truly hits.

Bargaining occurs when you start thinking of what you could do to make the current job last longer. Everyone tries this, but do not deceive yourself. This was never personal anyway. Keep your focus on the change that is in progress; use any additional energy you have to go towards that goal. And energy is going to be limited because. . .

The last step before mentally and emotionally moving on to the new world is depression. Classic symptoms being exhaustion, short temper, and dullness. This is our body’s response in a sort of long term “fight or flight” stress response syndrome, and use of mechanisms to overcome that: exercise, meditation, distraction will work. Use them!

Facing a redundancy event is not pleasant, but you can move on and thrive in spite of the situation. Just be honest with yourself and go through the grief; there is a light at the end of this tunnel.

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How To Reduce Office Turnover

ACG Resources — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000

How To Reduce Office Turnover

Office turnover rates are one of the biggest issues in the common

workplace, but employee retention doesn’t have to be so hard.

Here are 7 ways to reduce employee turnover and overall make

employees much happier

1. Hire Better Employees

It all starts with hiring better employees. If you discuss the position in the interview and the interviewee does not seem all that interested, they’re probably not, so move on to the next candidate. If you hire employees who are not excited about the company and the opportunity, then they likely won’t be there long and they definitely won’t be the right fit for what you need. 2. Make Sure The Team “Fits”

If you do end up hiring an employee and discover that they aren’t the right fit, don’t hesitate to let them know. This employee will either work harder to be what the company needs, or it will become necessary that they part ways. A more cohesive team works better together and is more likely to stick around for the long run. 3. Offer Competitive Pay and Benefits

As much as an employee may long a certain company or job, it is increasingly necessary in today’s economy to go where the money takes you. Therefore, offering competitive pay and a variety of medical and other benefits will ensure employee retention. 4. Foster Team Building

The team may be together all the time at work, but how much do they really know about each other? Bonding outside of the workplace can be crucial to allow the team to bond with one another. With the team more bonded, people will feel more like they belong and they will be less likely to start looking for somewhere new.

Recognize and Reward Hard Work

If an employee does a great job on their task, let them know. Rewards don’t always have to be promotions or pay raises, a simple congratulations can go a long way to boost morale and make an employee feel better about the company and the individuals that they are working for. 6. Be Compassionate, Be Flexible

Some employees have families or other outside commitments that they need to tend to, remember this. Expecting long hours and denying off requests from employees is not the way to make anyone happy. Be flexible, if someone needs to take a day off because their child is in a play that they need to go see, be open to working with them. This doesn’t have to mean let anyone take off whenever they want with no notice, but being willing to be flexible with employees from time to time will mean a lot to them. 7. Allow Advancement Opportunities

No one wants to work at a company long term if they know that they will never advance. Offering employees the opportunity to move up within the company is a great way to ensure employees stay on long term to see what could come of their hard work.

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Best Ways To Foster Teamwork

ACG Resources — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Best Ways To Foster Teamwork

Teamwork is a crucial part of helping a business run, because if the

team is not working then the business isn’t either. Here are four

ways to foster teamwork among your employees:

Hire the Right People

It doesn’t take very long into an interview to know if the interview is what you’re looking for or not. It is typically easy to tell whether they will be a good fit for the team, so if you interview someone that you can tell wont mesh well with the team, refrain from hiring them. Seek out candidates who will fit well with the employees you already have to ensure that the team works together more smoothly.

Promote Outside Team Building

Having a retreat or other outing outside of the office to promote team bonding will help them get to know each other so that they may work more effectively as a team. When team members become more comfortable with each other, they will be more likely to help one another and overall work better together.

Encourage Collaboration

Collaboration is key to team success, as the team has to be able to rely on one another when they get stuck. When employees collaborate, ideas are better and the team works better knowing that they’re not alone. 4. Communicate

It is important for the team to always keep an open line of communication, so that no one is feeling left out or harboring other negative emotions that may slow down the team. Knowing that they can communicate with one another is crucial for employees to be able to work better together knowing that they are always heard.

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How To Properly Scale Your Business

ACG Resources — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000

How To Properly Scale Your Business

Scaling a business can be hard in today’s ever growing and

changing economy, here are three tips to help you get started:

Invest In Your Business

Your business won’t grow unless you put a little of your own money into it to help it along. More so than just money though, you have to be willing to invest time and resources to your business. If you have to get a business planner to help you figure out the next steps, do it. If you have to update your technology or business model to better meet today’s demands, do it. All of your investments will eventually come back to you and seeing your company grow and succeed will make it worth it in the end.

Find The Right People

You can’t grow a company with employees that aren’t willing to grow with it. It’s important that you find employees with similar values who share your frame of mind and want to see the company grow and succeed. Don’t be afraid to cut out employees who are hindering the growth of the company, you can find better employees who will be more beneficial to the company’s growth.

Market Your Business

Marketing is the most overlooked portion of a business, but it is also one of the most important, especially when you’re looking to grow the business. Getting the company out there on as many platforms as you can and promoting events and sales in every way possible will greatly increase sales and help the business grow. There are professionals whose job it is to help market business, so if you’re struggling with marketing, there is someone who can help you get your company out into the public eye.

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The Power of Executive Search

ACG Resources — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Better Hiring Decisions! The Power of Executive Search

Executives depend on the quality of their people to achieve their corporate and personal career goals. It is an old adage – and a true one – that the best jockey cannot win races if he only rides slow horses. A better understanding of the skills and abilities of executive recruiters will enable any manager to greatly increase the quality of his hiring decisions, and thereby enhance his own career!

Some managers are aware and take full advantage of the best possible means of identifying and selecting top quality candidates for critical staff openings. However, many do not. Frequently, this stems from misconceptions regarding the merits of utilizing the services provided by topflight executive recruiting firms.

By a better understanding of these realities, hiring managers will dramatically improve their ability to secure the most qualified candidates in a timely manner.

Misconception # 1: Companies Can Find the Same Talent That Executive Recruiters Can.

With the rise in popularity of on-line job boards and networking platforms, many companies mistakenly believe that these sources contain the same talent that can be found through executive search firms.

This belief couldn’t be further from the truth. Executive recruiters don’t just post ads on job boards to find qualified applicants. Typically, they focus on specific industries, and many even specialize by types of positions within those industries. The benefits of doing so are enormous. It allows them to invest tremendous time and energy forging relationships with high performing candidates within these niche markets, learning the types of positions in-demand people would see as advancing their careers.

Professionals who genuinely excel have neither the time nor desire to peruse on-line ads or to respond to on-line inquiries. It is only when a search consultant personally approaches them that the best people take the step to becoming available for your firm.

Good recruiters invest countless hours establishing unique connections with key performers. These connections allow access to talent pools built over many years…and which are available through no other sources.

This, along with the ability of executive recruiters to carefully screen and evaluate the best candidates, is what allows them to bring the strongest talent to a company’s attention. Companies that rely on job boards or networking platforms will never find the outstanding quality of talent that executive recruiters can provide.

Misconception #2: The Internal Staff Can Do the Same Job as a Quality Executive Search Firm.

While this belief is prevalent within some firms, a thoughtful analysis will prove the opposite. Executive recruiters make a living by finding talent that companies cannot find on their own. While in-house resources may be effective for lower level roles, it makes sense for hiring managers to give themselves every opportunity to interview the very best candidates.

Moreover, internal recruiters typically spend their time vetting applicants who apply or can be found through on-line portals. Search firms focus on finding superior candidates who are successful in their present situation. This very different methodology results in a very different level of candidate.

The ability to call proven performers with direct competitors to discuss career options is a significant factor in what sets professional recruiters apart from internal recruiters or HR people. Having the ability to reach out to these peak performers offers hiring managers access to highly-sought-after candidates they would never see otherwise.

What experienced manager has not extended an offer to a candidate who would have helped the manager’s company and career enormously – only to receive a turndown? In many instances, the manager is not emphasizing the specific elements of the opportunity which are of greatest interest to the candidate. These quality performers are not actively looking, and may need to be “sold.” While there are various reasons why good candidates are open to making a change, the fact is that virtually none would be comfortable sharing those concerns with an internal recruiter.

Professional recruiters have great expertise in developing in-depth individual relationships with the candidates they present. As part of a professional recruiter’s service, they will provide the candidate’s primary motivators to making a move – and thereby reduce or eliminate turndowns, and assure the manager of securing the best talent available.

Misconception #3: Executive Recruiters Are Too Expensive.

Executive recruiters report that many of the companies that can most benefit from their services employ internal recruiters. This may lead to the belief that utilizing executive search firms when internal recruiters or HR people are employed is not cost effective.

A simple cost analysis will show otherwise. Consider the combined cost of salaries and benefits of HR personnel and internal “recruiters”, as well as the time that HR people spend doing non-productive interviews with unqualified candidates. These direct and indirect costs are substantially higher than paying out a one-time fee for an executive recruiter’s services.

Executive recruiters eliminate the time and expense required by a firm to find, hire and train a new internal “recruiter”. And any truly successful in-house recruiter will soon leave his salaried position to become a successful executive search consultant.

Additionally, your chances of securing a long-term contributor are much better if an experienced executive search consultant is involved. Studies have shown that a bad hire costs companies three times more than an employee’s annual salary.

With executive recruiters, their work isn’t done once a candidate has been placed successfully. A guarantee covering the candidate during the probationary period is standard in the industry. Seasoned recruiters make a point of periodically checking in with candidates that they have placed and will share any concerns with the hiring manager. This is invaluable information and directly contributes to a long-term successful employee… and a highly-productive staff.

Internal recruiting can be a good solution to filling less critical positions. They can screen the candidates that apply via the company portal and can provide hiring managers with candidates for lower end roles.

However, for more significant positions, it is an excellent and necessary business decision to utilize the services of a highly-skilled executive recruiter with a strong industry focus.

Steve Finkel is a globally-renowned author and trainer for the executive search profession. Further information on Mr. Finkel’s background, products, and services is available at stevefinkel.com.

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Pros and Cons of Flexible Work Schedules

ACG Resources — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Pros and Cons of flexible work Schedules

Flexible work schedules can be good or bad, depending on your business and the employees you have. Below are some pros and cons of flexible work schedules:

Pros:

Flexible work schedules make it easier to find employees and it makes the ones you have happier and more loyal to the company, because it makes all employees feel as if their needs are being met and you care about how they feel and what they think.

The flexibility also reduces employees stress and makes them less likely to call off from work, because they will have more time to focus on their own mental and physical health when they need to.

Allowing employees to choose when they work also increases productivity because team morale is higher and people are more eager to work for the company that is working for them.

Most importantly, flexibility helps employees improve their work-life balance, which is ultimately what most employees are looking for in a job.

Cons:

Some employees like having a set work schedule, because that’s what they’re used to and it works for them.

Allowing employees to choose when they work does reduce employer control, and can possibly lead to employees taking advantage of the policy.

Also, for some jobs, flexible work schedules just aren’t possible, as work need to be done on a set schedule and not whenever employees can get there.

This flexibility also makes it more easy for there to be a breakdown in communication, possibly making it more of a hassle than it is worth.

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3 ways to become a better leader

ACG Resources — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

3 ways to become a better leader

Leading a team or even just a few individuals takes practice, here are 3 tips that make being a better leader just a little easier:

Be A Good Role Model

Employees notice when their leaders follow their own rules, and they notice even more when they don’t, so being a good role model for your employees is crucial in leading a team. It is not possible to lead a team through words alone. If you just tell your employees how you want them to act or what you want them to do, they will not know exactly what you’re hoping for. However, if you model the tasks and behaviors you want your employees to follow, then they will be encouraged to act more like you and follow your lead.

Encourage Creativity

Allowing your employees the creative freedom they desire will not only allow them to do their tasks more efficiently and at a higher quality, but it will also make them more excited about their job. When employees know that you will allow them the freedom they need to do their job, they will be more likely to want to follow you on future projects. Being a leader is not just about delegating tasks, but it also about trusting your employees to do what they need to to complete their assigned tasks.

Communicate

Communicating with employees is by far the most important part about being a leader. Simply communicating effectively with your team makes it much easier to leave them and it makes them much more likely to actually want to follow you. Communicating with your team doesn’t mean just telling them your expectations, it means being open and honest with them when things go right, and even when they don’t.

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5 Tips for successful Job Interviews

ACG Resources — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

5 Tips for successful Job Interviews

Job interviews can be a difficult task for some job seekers, below are 5 tips for more successful interviews:

Familiarize Yourself With The Company

Before going in for an interview, it is helpful to do a little research on the company that you’ll be interviewing for, and it can even be helpful to familiarize yourself with the person you’ll be interviewing with. Getting to know the company will not only help you answer the interviewer’s questions, but it will also make you seem all around more prepared.

Make A Good First Impression

It is important to make a good first impression in the way you speak and act. However, possibly more importantly, it is crucial to make a good first impression in the way you present yourself. Showing up on time and looking professional are two great ways to present yourself to make a better first impression.

Be Positive

There is nothing an interviewer hates more than a candidate with a bad attitude. Even if you did not like your previous job or employer, focus on some things that you did like, make the negative more positive. Also, if an employer asks about your personal weaknesses, that is a great opportunity to show your positivity, don’t just list your weaknesses, talk about things you’re not great at and discuss ways you plan to improve in the future.

Ask Questions

Near the end of the interview, when the employer ask if you have any questions, think of something to ask. Asking meaningful questions about the position lets the employer know that you were not just listening to them, but you were also processing what they were saying and you are interested in being more informed.

Send A Thank You

Whether by phone or email, it is important to follow up with an employer shortly after an interview to thank them for the opportunity to interview. This not only keeps you fresh in their mind, but it also lets them know they you are truly interested and dedicated to the position.

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Benefits of Vacation on Employee Performance

ACG Resources — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Benefits of Vacation on Employee Performance

There have been endless studies, articles, and blogs about the importance of vacation for employee performance. Humans are not machines; we wear out eventually especially when creativity requires constant fresh input to keep it going. Employees need to take the time to experience new things outside of their work environment in order to incorporate new ideas when they come back to it. People call it recharging your batteries for good reason because it restores employees’ abilities to concentrate and to think. Here is a list of a few of the best benefits that come from vacation time for employees:

They get to a break from their daily routine and scenery- As humans we want to explore and see new things. It can become tiring to see the same places and same faces day after day. Vacation time allows employees to interact with other people and take a break from the daily grind.
More time spent with friends and family- Employees may enjoy their coworkers, but they do have lives outside of the office. Vacation time allows them to bond with their family or make memories with their friends. This will make them happier and they will bring that happiness with them back to the office.
Exposure to other culture- This one is a bit more specific to employees that use their vacation time to travel, but many people do. Travel can be one of the most beneficial uses of a person’s time because it exposes people to different cultures. This can be an enjoyable and educational experience that will allow your employees to explore their interests, see new things, and try different activities. They will come back with new experiences which can aid them in their creative endeavors.

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Fostering Collaboration among remote workers

ACG Resources — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Fostering Collaboration among remote workers

Having remote employees can make it very difficult for teams to collaborate with each other, but there are ways to make it easier on everyone.

It is incredibly important to always ensure that communication lines between remote employees are open. Setting ground rules, like when and how employees communicate also helps prevent potential problems down the line.

However, no matter how much the employees attempt to communicate, progress can not be made without the proper equipment. It is important to ensure that your employees have the proper technology they need to communicate electronically with remote employees.

Even if employees are too far apart to meet in person, having Skype interviews can be a great way for employees to feel more like a team, allowing collaboration to be much easier.

Also, on the rare occasion that Skype isn’t good enough for what they need to get done, it is good to have a set location somewhere in the middle where employees can travel to in order to collaborate better in person.

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How to Get the Right Hire on the First Try

ACG Resources — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

How to Get the Right Hire on the First Try

There is one thing you need to understand before reading this article; there is no guarantee that you will get the right hire on the first try. That being said, there are many tactics you can use to increase your odds on getting it right the first try.

First, be honest with the nature of the job you need done. If you really do not a hard driving type A person to consistently be able to keep shelves stocked, then quit asking for one. We tend to spend way too much time looking for purple squirrels, or someone who already has all the skills we need, and too little time on finding characteristics that will make someone successful in the job. Businesses often over-hire and then wonder what went wrong when the person becomes bored or an offer for a better position comes from somewhere else and they leave. The problem is that you did not need as much as you asked for. Find someone with the correct personal characteristics who can be challenged and grow into the job vs someone who can step in immediately and end up without a sense of self-worth from too easily being able to do the job.

One the other side of all of this, be honest enough to say if you really need characteristics of creativity, dedication, perseverance, or innovation and look for those. Try to narrow applicants down by characteristics and not their skills. While there must be a certain level of skills met, skills can be learned but characteristics are very challenging if not impossible to teach. You can help an employee learn a new software or style of work, but you cannot teach them to have perseverance or to be innovative.

When it comes to finding the right hire on the first try, use these tips to fine tune your search.

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How to Onboard Effectively

ACG Resources — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

How to Onboard Effectively

Hiring a new employee can be exciting and stressful for both the employer and the employee. This initial period it is important to onboard which means make sure that the new employee transitions easily into the company and the employer can assess if this is going to be a good match.

One of the best ideas when it comes to onboarding effectively is to have someone else who recently onboarded to assist the new hire. This will help eliminate a lot of simple problems that long-term employees would not anticipate because they are used to it. Where is the coffee pot? Is there a good restaurant nearby? Where should they park? Basic logistics of that particular workplace are second nature to those who have been there for a while.

Another advantage of having a recently onboarded employee help the newest hire is that they take on a peer advisor type role. They are not a mentor because they are someone who is not in a direct line of authority that can help assist with how to work in company culture. The culture is important, and a new hire will have questions that they are more comfortable to ask a peer rather than a boss.

Use this advice and you will see the results of more effective onboarding tactics.

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Importance of a Company Vision Statement

ACG Resources — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Importance of a Company Vision Statement cannot be emphasized enough. It sets a clear path for the company’s direction

A vision statement helps outline what the company sees for itself in the future, where they see the company going.

A vision statement is crucial for a company to help keep everyone involved focused on the long term goal. It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day work and forget why you’re even doing that job in the first place, so having a clear, well written vision statement helps refocus and motivate employees.

Having a concise vision statement also helps employers when determining who to hire, or what tasks and projects to give employees. If an employee or a project doesn’t help move the company forward and put them closer to completing that vision statement, then maybe they/it aren’t the right fit for the company.

A vision statement is incredibly important to keep the company focused on where they are and why they’re doing what they do.

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Pay Attention Please!: Cognitive Quantification and Why It is so Important

ACG Resources — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Pay Attention Please!: Cognitive Quantification and Why It is so Important

Cognitive quantification is a fancy term for being able to know without a doubt that people are paying attention to what you are saying. Everyone has to give speeches, reports, presentations, or memos and we do not always know if we got the message across with communication. By practicing and understanding cognitive quantification, you can add a level of maturity to your communication that we need to achieve in order to analyze how much attention is necessary to get the point across; considering, that nobody will pay attention for more than a few minutes to ANYTHING without having to be pulled back in.

Some great examples of engaging communication skills come from professional speech writers. They know that it is necessary to use sound bites to lock down whatever point is being made and add a joke or other break in between points to keep an audience’s attention. Many times, these sound bites or jokes will be the only thing that people can remember, so they have to make them count. With careful consideration, you can get people to remember what communication you put forth.

This is so important in the business world because you will be sending important emails to employees, making presentations for clients, or interacting with the higher-ups and in every conversation, you want to be remembered. It does no one any good if an important memo is sent out and the email is so long that people do not read to the end to know the actual message. So, take a few minutes before your next meeting, you send a new email, or present and read it to quantify how long does someone need to pay attention to know what it is about. This will help you cut out any excess or negligible information to send out clear communications that anyone can read and comprehend.

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Overcoming a rut in your career

ACG Resources — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Overcoming a Rut in Your Career

The first and most important thing to understand is that everyone goes through a rut in their career. It does not matter what field you are in, eventually you will get a little bored or you realize that you have already faced the challenges which will be offered to you. Everyone wants to feel that they are contributing something significant with their lives and time. If you do not feel like this then it can be extremely hard to make yourself continue with the same old. So, if you understand that feeling, it is now time to evaluate the reason for your career rut: is it you or the situation you are in? This will determine the next steps that you take to get out of your rut and feel rejuvenated.

If you decide that it is a personal issue, then there are a few steps you can to take. Many people leave their vacation days to accumulate, so take advantage of your time off! Go on a trip, even if it ends up being a staycation, just allow yourself a good break from the office to rest and get your energy back. You can find ways to change the makeup of your days to liven the workweek grind. Try adding an exercise class during your lunch break or see if you can change the hours you spend in the office. Anything to mix up your normal routine and make things interesting again or give you something to look forward to.

If you decide that is a situational issue, then it might be time to look at a new job or redefining your position in the company. In some extreme cases you may decide that you need to switch careers and are just not feeling satisfied with the field that you are in. Any decision you make, the goal is that you get out of your rut so that you can tolerate all the facets of work once more: the unrealistic demands, impossible odds, etc. Essentially the things that make your job difficult, but rewarding and fun!.

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How to Engage a Multigenerational Work Force

ACG Resources — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

How to engage a multigenerational workforce is a very timely topic. The workforce is one of the first places that different generations interact in a team environment without as much emphasis placed on age. It is important to understand since the workers will come from different backgrounds, education levels, and generations that the manager or employer must know how to engage and interact with every age level. Remember that everyone in every generation wants to feel relevant, needed, and appreciated.

Motivation for each generation comes from a different place; identify where it comes from and utilize this to your advantage. The oldest generation of workers, and these are going to be the baby boomers, want to be recognized for their lifetime of experience. Their years need to have value to their employers even if their years in the workforce may be limited. The next generation of workers are your in-betweeners and they have different needs. To engage the in-betweeners, they need to feel like they are rising and in control. They are going to be feeling a loss of power when their skills are replaced by someone in another generation even if they have more knowledge or better ideas. Give this generation of workers power within the project and the ability to prove themselves because these are the employees are the pool to be promoted to high level management positions. Finally, your young generation, the famed millennials, are going to be excited about introducing new ideas. Show appreciation for their ideas, energy, and enthusiasm because they place value in their fresh perspective.

Now that the values of each generation of worker has been identified it is important to assign them roles based on how they will best be engaged. The older generation should be assigned a task that allows them to be the subject-matter expert and show off their years of experience. The younger generation should be placed in the role of the innovator; let them utilize their spirit and imagination to push the project in new directions. The in-betweener should be the manager or guide for the whole process. Let them demonstrate and test their leadership skills by leading the team to complete the assigned task.

By keeping in mind the needs and values of each generation, you can successfully engage a team that is comprised of workers from different age groups.

Multigenerational

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Tips for minimizing workplace negativity

ACG Resources — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Multigenerational

Treat All Employees Equally

Negativity energy in the workplace can often stem from employees feeling that others are being treated better than them. If all employees are treated in the same manner, following the exact same rules than employees will be less hostile, making them more likely to get along, reducing negativity in the workplace.

Allow Employees the Freedom to Express Their Opinions

Allowing your employees to give input in decision making, helps make them feel more like they are a part of the team. It also helps employees feel like you are listening to them, and you care about what they have to say. Overall, listening to your employees allows them to feel more involved, making their feelings about the workplace more positive.

Help Promote Team Building

By encouraging camaraderie among your team through team building exercises, you allow employees to become more familiar with one another. As a result, employees will be more likely to get along, thus making them more positive towards one another overall.

Do Not Allow One Person’s Missteps Reflect the Team

When one person breaks a rule, or does something bad, do not make a new rule or take it out on the team as a whole. If you take one person’s mistakes out on the whole team, you will cause the rest of the team to gang up against that one person, making the workplace environment extremely tense and negative.

Give Employees Opportunities to Advance

If employees are held in the same position with no opportunities for advancement, they will start to resent the company and have a more negative attitude. Allowing employees the opportunities to advance makes them more excited about coming to work and doing their job.

Recognize Hard Work

Reward employees, within reason, when necessary. When an employee really shines, it is important to let them know that you appreciate all of their hard work and you are happy for them. Letting employees know when they’re doing well makes them more excited to keep doing their job, which not only makes the company more productive, but it also makes the workplace environment focus more on positivity.

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6 Characteristics of a strong corporate culture

ACG Resources — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

6 Characteristics of a Strong Corporate Culture

All corporate organizations, big or small, has a culture. It is defined by it. Corporate culture gives identity to every organization. To be more precise: it is what gives a company its personality.

Like an individual, a culture defines the way how your corporation interacts within itself and to the outside world, such as your trade partners, your suppliers, and especially, your clients. Culture also serves as an inspiration and a motivation for your employees; it serves as their guide in their actions within the bounds of being a part of your company. Corporate culture actually covers a vast field such as when your corporation has a healthy, happy, and productive work environment, it attracts employees. How your employees describe their workplace, how well they comprehend the business, and how they view themselves who plays a role of your organization, is also a part of it.

Establishing strong company culture is important to moving your company towards success. A strong corporate culture means that your workplace is a nurturing and fun environment, resilient to challenges, clarity of purpose, and committed to excellence.

A Clear Vision and Mission

A strong corporate culture starts off with a clear vision and mission. You know what you want and how to get it. Usually vision and mission are a phrase that gives your company and employee purpose. But it is not simply enough that this purpose is stated; for an organization to have a clear vision and mission, they must understand it. Each employee understands what is their purpose, the role that they play, and what responsibility do they shoulder. Employees who know what is their purpose and adapt their decisions to that purpose. Having a clear vision and mission can also boost understanding between supplies, business partners, and customers. Vision and mission are the basic, but most essential element of identity in corporate culture.

Code of Conduct

Apart from purpose, a code of conduct is a set of guidelines that are needed to realize their goals. The code of conduct establishes the spirit of commitment and trust within the organization. This guideline is communicated all over the company to build the proper behavior and mindsets that are needed to correspond to coworkers, handle clients, interact with partners, and promote professional conduct.

Teamwork

The corporate world is highly competitive; employees have to gain advantage over their peers to retain their positions or be promoted to a higher one. An organization may have competitors, but it should not be. Strong corporate culture involves learning to work with each other in teams. Every employee in the organization and their team is moving towards the same goal and they are at the same side. Unity is encouraged and should be appreciated.

Adapting to Change and Facing Challenges

When organizations face changes, employees tend to be distracted. It is usually fear of the unknown and what change that would bring. This fear of uncertainty incapacitates development and ability to be flexible makes employees distracted from their vision and mission. Upholding a strong culture motivates to face these challenges that seem to be difficult to win over; the resolve to realize the organization’s vision is stronger than the fear of the uncertain. Managers and team leaders should give proper support to keep their employees in track despite the difficulties.

Communication

Through communication, employees get a clear understanding on how what their organization is trying to achieve. It is a simple way for the organization to reach out and listen to their employees’ voice regarding management, departments, and colleagues. Feedback that are received clearly, productively, and with sensitivity to variety of personalities, temperaments, and cultures. This promotes a culture of sharing sentiments and knowledge; the organization also promotes a culture that shows genuine care for their employees.

Thriving Workplace

A healthy working environment demonstrates corporate responsibility of their employees. Not only should you have high standards on results, you should also have a high standard on your employees’ wellbeing. Not only through a physical and mental aspect, a strong corporate culture should also consider the thriving working environment that enhances employees’ skills and talents. A healthy working environment motivates employees to work, be absent less often, and are more motivated which is a win for everyone.

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3 Reasons for Having an Employee Recognition Program

ACG Resources — Thu, 10 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

The 3 reasons for having an employee recognition program are as follows

In 2013, a poll conducted by Gallup found that 87 percent of workers surveyed in countries all over the world were disengaged with their jobs. Only the remaining 13 percent stated that they were satisfied with their jobs and felt deeply engaged with the companies they worked for. Higher levels of engagement have proven, time and again, higher levels of employee satisfaction, a greater increase in productivity, greater company loyalty, higher profits, and better customer satisfaction. One of the best ways to increase engagement is to make sure that employees feel appreciated and that hard work is suitably rewarded both financially and in some other ways. Having a strategic recognition program in place is one of the most effective ways to get results and take advantage of the following three key benefits:

Improve Business Results

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that happy and motivated employees are better equipped to address customer concerns. Staff members need to feel that they have a vested interest in selling the brand and its products and services, while also offering impeccable customer support. Around 40 percent of companies that have adopted peer-to-peer employee recognition programs claim to have increased customer satisfaction. Many senior managers consider them an investment rather than an expense. People want to be rewarded for good work and they’ll be mentally far better equipped to face the monotony of modern corporate culture if they know there’s a good bonus and other rewards waiting for them.

Decrease Employee Turnover Rate

While money is obviously the main motivator in almost any job, offering a pay raise isn’t the most effective method to hold on to employees. In fact, studies have shown that about half of employees leave within two years after accepting a raise, a statistic that clearly indicates that salaries and job satisfaction don’t always correlate. Often as important is employee recognition, which has proven to lower turnover rate significantly. Employees who are widely recognized and rewarded for their work are about 30 percent less likely to leave the company. Other benefits include increased happiness and productivity and reduced stress and frustration levels. A lower turnover rate also saves money, since a direct replacement can cost up to half the previous employee’s annual salary.

Increase Engagement and Productivity

An employee recognition program is all about clear communication, transparency, and having a solid rewards-driven system in place. Such a strategy leads to greater employee engagement, since it makes members of staff feel like they’re a part of something bigger. An employee who has a vested interest in the direction the company is heading will be genuinely concerned about the day-to-day operations of the business. By contrast, someone who counts themselves in the 87 percent of people who claim to be disengaged with their jobs will be more likely to sleepwalk through each workday while looking forward to nothing more than the paycheck at the end of the month. Additionally, the aforementioned Gallup survey showed that two-thirds of employees considered praise from managerial staff to be the top motivator.

Final Words

There are many ways to implement an employee recognition strategy and most of them don’t require a huge investment. Some of the most popular methods include publishing the company’s greatest achievers in email newsletters, using staff meetings as an opportunity to include praise, or preparing regular status reports. However, a more original and engaging employee recognition program might include an achievement- or score-based system complete with rewards and prizes for top workers.

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How to Make Your Weekends Work for You

ACG Resources — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Weekends

How to make your weekends work for YOU! The work week can be tiring and when the weekend finally hits many people are not sure what to do with their time. Some try and get even more work done while others completely check out until they step back in the office Monday morning. Studies have shown that humans need a break about every 5 to 7 days or else their productivity, focus, and creativity can suffer. A break does not have to mean laying around in your sweatpants for two days and sometimes working through the weekend is unavoidable, but here are a few ways that you can enjoy your two-day break while still being productive.

The most important thing to understand about the term “break” is that this does not just refer to taking a nap or watching TV all day. A break can be anything that is different from your daily routine. Saturday and Sunday are days designated for your enjoyment and spending time the way you want to, but do not waste the free time you have been given.

Take away some personal errands that you would have to run during the week: getting your oil changed, buying groceries, cleaning your house, going to the doctor, etc.
Do something physical that will allow you to move around and work muscles that you do not use at work: go to the gym, hike a trail, play a round of golf, etc. Anything that will get you moving and out of your second place of work: your house (because sometimes even home can be stressful and tiring).
Have social interaction, and preferably it should be with people outside of your workplace. It is great to be friends with your coworkers but try and spend time with non-work friends. These are the people that you can talk about kids, sports, politics, or basically anything that does not have to do with the project you are on.

This does not mean you cannot have a weekend routine, just make sure whatever you do that it is separate from your weekday activities; its important because different activities cause other pathways in your brain to fire and exercise places not normally used. This can make you a better well-rounded person and actually help your work abilities.

Admittedly, there are many positions where people worry if they do not know what is going on at work. It is perfectly fine to read your email over the weekend, but DO NOT ANSWER IT. Many people find it beneficial to read it on Saturday or Sunday afternoon, so they can prioritize what they do on Monday.

A bonus activity to do on the weekend which will make your work week so much more productive is to meal prep. Go to the grocery store and buy ingredients to make some of your favorite meals that you can refrigerate and pop in the microwave as needed. This means less time spent eating out, eating fast food, or not even eating at all. Prepared meals mean no more late nights coming home from the office where you are too exhausted to make anything besides cereal or a frozen pizza. Also, this is a great helper for working parents! Have snacks prepared ahead of time for when the kids get back from school, do lunch prep so you are not up late at night making their sandwiches, or make and freeze some casseroles that you can cook in the oven when you get home from work. This will ease the strain on your already limited time at home and help you to stay healthy while being kind to your wallet.

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3 Common Motivators For Employees Outside of Money

ACG Resources — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

3 Common Motivators For Employees Outside of Money

Money is one of the biggest motivators to employees when finding a new job, but there are many other things that can motivate employees. Below are three things that can motivate employees more than money:

Experience

Starting a new job can be a great feeling, but if you already know exactly what you’re doing when you start then that job is not really benefitting you the way it should be. Ever new job should be an opportunity to gain new knowledge and experience to make employees more well rounded, employable individuals. So experience, regardless of pay, can be more than enough of a motivator to employees who need more experience to get a higher up job in their field.

Progression

Employees like to be able to see where they are in a job, and how far they’ve come since they first started, seeing yourself progress can be a great motivators to employees to keep up their hard work. However, with profession comes recognition, meaning employers must know how to recognize their employees progression and properly reward them when they have done well. This doesn’t mean giving employees big, fancy gifts, but simply telling employees that they are doing a great job can go a long way in boosting morale and increasing their motivation.

Responsibility

Giving your employees responsibility, whether promoting them or allowing them to lead a project, can motivate them to work harder to produce a greater outcome. Promotions tend to come with increased pay, but if you were to increase an employee’s pay and not increase their responsibilities, they would not be greatly motivated to try harder. Employees find joy in being able to lead and accomplish tasks at work, and the first step is to motivate your employees by giving them more responsibilities at work.

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Why happy employees are more engaged and productive

ACG Resources — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Why happy employees are more engaged and productive

Happiness is essential to workplace productivity. Being happy in your everyday life makes it more easy to engage at work because you do not have other troubling things on your mind. However, being happy at work can make employees more productive overall.

Employees are more engaged when they’re happy in their personal life, and while as an employee you can’t do anything to determine their personal happiness, you can do things to make employees more engaged while they’re at work. Finding ways to make tasks more enjoyable and interesting can help keep employees engaged. Also, allowing employees to take breaks to do something relaxing or fun when tasks get frustrating can help keep employees engaged with their tasks.

Also, if employees actually enjoy what they do then they will be more likely to do it well. Making sure your employees are happy in their job will increase their overall productivity because if they enjoy working for a company they will be more likely to work harder to see that company succeed. However, simply enjoying their job is not always enough; positive reinforcement is necessary to keep employees engaged. When employees continually go above and beyond with no positive reinforcement it can be discouraging, so telling employees when they are doing well and letting them know you appreciate all of the wire they’re doing can be incredibly beneficial in keep employees engaged and productive.

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The Importance of the 5 Whys

ACG Resources — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The Importance of the 5 Whys

If you have ever had something go wrong, then you have to fix it. What happens if something similar goes wrong? This means you never got to the root of your original problem. This can waste time and resources because to make a mistake once is a lesson if you make the same mistake twice that is a choice. Choose to learn your lesson the first time and dig deep to reach the true root of your problem; it is as easy as asking “why?” five times.

The 5 why method is a tried and true way of digging past the obvious answers to see what is actual causing your problem. The reason this method works so well is because it requires some deep thought and advanced problem-solving skills which will test your employees on their ability to think both logically and creatively about an issue. The first why is going to scratch the surface of an issue.

Let’s look at it through a hypothetical situation: a grocery store gets their delivery of produce for the week and the majority of the product is rotten.

Why? Well the fruit must have rotted in the transport stage.
Why? It was not properly stored or preserved for transportation.
Why? The fruit arrived at the distributor already ripe and they could not prevent it from rotting even with refrigeration.
Why? The growers harvested the fruit late in the season.
Why? The farm or company does not have enough workers to harvest the fruit in a timely manner.

We have taken an issue and boiled it down past the grocery store, past the delivery, past the distributor, to the source of the product which is the farmers that grew the produce. This is just an example, but it demonstrates the importance of asking “why?” enough times to find a real solution for the problem. This will prevent your employees from repeating the same mistake and that will save you time and money.

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Tips to Become a Better Leader

ACG Resources — Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Leadership, despite what everyone thinks, is situational. Often people assume that only certain people have the necessary skills to be leaders, but that is a myth. A leader is someone who has a vision of the opportunity or challenge and the courage to take action based on that. Someone who is a leader in one situation may be a follower in another because the most important tip to become a better leader is to recognize your own skills and understand when you should take charge and when you should be a follower. Here are a few tips to help prepare you to be a better leader:

Know your skills- In order to be a good leader, take stock of your strengths and continue to learn everything you can. Know your leadership style, improve on your weaknesses, and periodically update your knowledge to make sure that you are up to date on new technology, processes, etc.
Be willing to let someone else lead- Every person has individual talents and skills that they bring to a team, and the leader should be the best suited for the challenge or task that needs to be completed. The leader should always be changing to the person who can best lead the group during that time.

Pay attention to opportunities to take action- Always be aware of obstacles, tasks, or challenges that may arise during a project and be willing to step up and take charge. A good leader does not wait to be appointed; a good leader finds an opportunity and takes action.
It is not about directing others, but about getting something of value done- A good leader does not order people around for the sake of doing it. The purpose of a leader is that they have skills and a deep understanding of the task that allows them to direct others to accomplish the task. A leader should always be thinking about how can the team move forward and use their skills to successfully complete their work.

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Performance Appraisals Pros and Cons

ACG Resources — Thu, 29 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Performance appraisals are not a revolutionary idea in the business world. In fact, they are one the most dreaded traditions for both employees and employers. This is the yearly, or sometimes monthly, chance that employers get to look at their employees and see if they are doing their job efficiently. Since performance appraisals have become so widespread, one would think that they are useful for companies and without any downsides. Unfortunately, with every technique there are pros and cons to how it is administered and its ultimate purpose. Here are a few that we came up with to help you decide whether or not you want to conduct performance appraisals and the best way to do them.

The best performance appraisals are not scheduled and do not involve paperwork; this should be a conversation between a boss and employee. Some questions of the best questions asked are: what is going on in the current job, where do you see yourself going, how can we get you trained, and how can you get the experience you need. Appraisals can be a useful part of on-going mentoring in a company and taking the temperature, so to speak, of the office environment. Performance appraisals on a yearly basis do not allow for true improvement and they should be conducted at least monthly or even more often. The environment is always changing within a company and employers need to be tuned into the needs and desires of their employees. Plus, within the long time-frame little correction will be done because there is no deadline and no urge to stay on top of the changes.

Some of the cons of performance appraisals is that they are often conducted for the sole purpose of trying to figure out who to fire, and even worse is that employees know this. These appraisals are often held under the guise that they are for the benefit of the employees and can lead to promotions, but often they are a way of weeding out who met obligations and is not going to be fired, for now. There is no motive for employees to improve on their critique aside from the basic idea of keeping their job. Employers need to make the time to actually listen to their employees and see how they can help them instead of using these appraisals as a competition for who gets to keep their job.

Performance appraisals can be both useful and detrimental to a company depending on how they are administered, how often, and the follow-up to these meetings. Use this pro and con list wisely to make the most out of your company performance appraisals.

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Top Tips for managers to engage employees

ACG Resources — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Top Tips for managers to engage employees

To keep employees productive and committed to the job, is vital to keep them engaged. Here are some ways to help keep employees more engaged in the workplace:

Support Your Employees

Getting to know your employees lets them know that they are not just another employee, but an actual person that you have taken a personal interest in. This will make them feel more comfortable coming to you when they may be having issues, allowing them to feel overall more comfortable in the workplace. Also, no matter how qualified or experienced the employee, everyone needs a little help sometimes. It is important to let employees know that they will not be punished for asking for help, but instead will be helped to the fullest extent of your abilities. It is also vital that when an employee comes to you with an issue, be it personal or workplace related, you support them and try to resolve any workplace conflicts they may be having.

Leave Room For Them To Grow

Employees will not be dedicated to a job if they know that no matter what they do or how hard they work that they will never be able to grow within the company. Giving employees equal opportunities for promotion and growth will keep them overall more committed to the job and the company. Also, it is important to let all employees lead at some point in their career, even if they may not be the best one for the task. Trusting employees to lead a task will let them know that not only do you trust and support them, but you are also willing to take a chance on them to push them farther in their career.

Reward Hard Work

Recognizing your employees’ hard work helps them feel more like they are a valuable member of the team, making them more committed to the team as a whole. Rewarding employees doesn’t even have to be monetarily, a simple thank you can go a long way to make a hard working employee feel appreciated.

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Resolving Communication Problems Within The Office

ACG Resources — Sun, 25 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Resolving Communication Problems Within The Office

Communication, or the lack thereof, within a company can lead to many issues. Lack of communication causes frustration with the team and causes the company to be less effective as a whole. Here are a few ways to better manage communication in the work place:

Have Regular Meetings to Discuss Happenings

Meeting with staff regularly to discuss problems and other happenings in the work place, will help keep everyone involved. Meeting not just one on one, but with everyone at once allows everyone to be involved in the conversation, keeping everyone equally informed. However, not all issues can be solved publicly.

Have An Open Door Policy

It’s one thing to tell employees that your door is always open, but actually following through with an open door policy is crucial in maintaining healthy communication in the workplace. Having an open door policy allows employees to come to you when something is bothering them, without having to air their grievances in front of other coworkers. This will overall make employees feel much more comfortable, making them more likely to communicate openly with you in the future.

Follow Through

When an employee communicates with you to let you know that something is wrong, is important that you take that communication seriously and follow through on coming up with a solution. The quickest way to lose the trust of employees and stifle future communication, is by not taking their complaints seriously and putting off handling things that are bothering them in the workplace. Even if you think a complaint may not be valid, you at least owe it to the employee to investigate their claim, so they know that you take what they have to say seriously.

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Employee Motivation ideas that won’t break the bank

ACG Resources — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Employee Motivation ideas that won’t break the bank

Monetary rewards are not as motivational in the long run as letting someone know they’re doing a great job. Here are a few simple, free ways to motivate your employees:

Allow Them More Autonomy

Allowing employees to make more decisions on their own motivates them to be more responsible. Also, when employees are working towards a goal they set themselves, they are more motivated because they want to prove that they can do what they set out to accomplish.

Celebrate Their Successes

When you celebrate your employees’ successes, it makes them feel good about the work that they have done and they will be more motivated to continue. Celebrating successes doesn’t have to extravagant either, simply calling someone out in a team meeting for doing something well can be more than enough motivation for your employees.

Get to Know Your Employees

You want to keep the workplace professional, however, treating employees like they’re simply placeholders in your team won’t encourage them to do more for the team. Getting to know just enough about all of your employees to be able to connect with them on a more personal level will humanize you and allow them to feel more like they belong in the team.

Encourage Friendly Competition

Allowing your employees to have a little friendly competition here and there will motivate them to do better, as they are no longer just competing against themselves, but someone else. However, it is important to not let things get too out of hand, as competition can easily go from friendly to negative very fast. Make sure to always keep competition professional, and it will be a great motivator for employees.

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Best tips for training new employees

ACG Resources — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000

New employees can be a great asset to any team, their fresh mind can offer the team a new perspective that no one may have considered before. However, new employees are only as great as their training, so below are three of the best tips for training new employees:

Introduce The Team

Introducing new employees into a team can be difficult at first, so it is important to let staff know beforehand when a new employee is expected to start. Once the new employee starts, it is important to introduce them to the team. Formally introducing new employees to the team as a whole helps the new employee fit in faster and it helps them to get to know the team, so if they need help in the future they know that the team is there to help and they know exactly who they need to go to.

Give Constructive Feedback

New employees may not be used to doing things the way that your company does them, so it is important to give new employees a variety of tasks to practice with. However, the whole point of practice is to learn from your mistakes, so it is important to remember to give new employees constructive feedback at the end of each task so that they are able to learn from their mistakes to help them going forward in the new job.

Don’t Stop Training After A Few Days

Training a new employee should not stop after the first couple of days or tasks, it is important to follow through and continue training employees until you know they’re ready for more independence. However, even after you give new employees the freedom they earn, it is still good to continue checking in from time to time for a little longer. There may be something you didn’t cover in the initial training that they’re struggling with months into the job, so it is important to check in to make sure that they have everything handled.

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Five Ways to Build Great Work Teams

ACG Resources — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Building a great work team can seem daunting. How do you take a diverse group of employees and turn them into an efficient, innovative, and effective team? The ultimate goal is to create a group that follows the agile system development technique, which can be applied to many different industries. The colloquial term for the process is stormin’, formin’, norman’, and performin’. A more technical explanation of the system is that it is created by small group dynamics which allow a self-regulating team to define, motivate, and manage themselves. Here are five steps to help build a team that can achieve that goal:

Mix personalities and skills- Do not assign five identical people to the same team. The more you can mix it up the better. Try to create diversity in age, experience, background, and education to have a well-rounded team. Each worker will be able to provide a new perspective and set of skills that the rest of the team may not possess.

Give them a clear goal- It is a group of people; which means if they do not have a clear goal, they will pontificate ad nauseum. Assign a task, give them some set parameters, and make sure that they have a clear understanding of what the end goal is.

Let them figure out how to get there- This is known as the stormin’ part of the process. There may be some arguments and this step can take longer than some of the others, but the team will come out on the other side of the discussion with a creative way to achieve the goal that utilizes their individual strengths.

Time block their work- Make it a realistic period, but a little challenging. This is another part of the Agile technique: break into short components to allow short bursts of energy that will lead to more progress than one long stretch of time. The idea is to have the team break the work down into sections, so their energy can be focused on one part at a time. This will mean every step of the process is given equal attention and that the team can reevaluate what they need to do each step of the way.

Unless there is a strong personality conflict try keep the team together through multiple projects- With every project they work on together, they will continue to improve as a team. They will become in tune with how their coworkers go about their task and will set up stronger lines of communication.

With these few steps, a company can take a group of employees and turn them into a strong and united work team that can produce great work.

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5 Tips For Building Workplace Etiquette

ACG Resources — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Workplace etiquette is critical in running a business, and it can change how employees interact with each other and with their employers. Below are five ways to build workplace etiquette to ensure everything runs smoothly:

Make A Good First Impression

Coming into a new workplace is difficult, you don’t know anyone, and you don’t know the current dynamics of the workplace. However, making a good first impression will make colleagues more likely to bring you into the workplace environment. Doing this will make the team work more cohesively to accomplish things faster and easier.

Keep Communication Lines Clear

Communication is the key to any working relationship, including employee relations in the workplace. Communicating when something is bothering you, professionally, will help solve problems quickly and efficiently before they start. However, it is important to remember that not all communication is good communication. Gossip, complaining and other forms of negative communication should never be able to find their way into the workplace.

Be On Time

Being on time to work is one of the hardest things for employees, but constantly arriving late to work while all of your colleagues are on time can wear on the team. Continually asking your colleagues to cover for you because you’re running behind, again, can cause the team to start to resent you for not doing your part to further the team. Being on time will make the team get along more and be an overall more cohesive unit.

Be Available

Being available to your colleagues is incredibly important. Not just being in your cubicle able to be called on when needed, but responding to emails promptly and answering phone calls when you can. It is also important to remember that your off days are not everyone else’s off days. If you’re off and someone calls you with a question it is vital that you respond at your quickest availability to help your colleagues further their projects.

Plan Outside Team Building

Planning outside team building activities can significantly improve team morale and make the team work together as a more cohesive unit. Events such as team building workshops, or even a team lunch, cam greatly improve how the team works together. The better a team can work, the better the workplace as a whole can function.

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How To Reach Passive Job Seekers

ACG Resources — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000

How To Reach Passive Job Seekers

Active job seekers are people that are actively looking for jobs, reaching out to employers and filling out applications, while passive job seekers just look around without ever applying for anything or making contact with employers. While active job seekers may be the only candidates you hear from, they still may not be exactly what you’re looking for, so it is important to target candidates with the skills and qualifications that you are looking for so you can reach out to them personally.

The best way to reach out to passive job seekers is through email; everyone has one, everyone checks it. Start by sending out a personalized email to any and all candidates that you are interested in, tell them why you reached out to them and what you think makes them stand apart from those that have reached out to you. Not only will being pursued by a job make them feel good about the company and the opportunity, but it will make them feel good about themselves, and everyone wants to work at a company that makes them feel good.

Now that you’ve piqued their interest, start selling the company and the job opportunity. People don’t want seasonal employment that will only last them a few months before they have to start their search all over again, so sell them a long term opportunity. Tell them about benefits and chance for promotion and improvement within the company. Passive job seekers are not quick to jump on just any job opportunity, so discuss with them the career path that they have always wanted to follow and talk to them about how your company can help them get there.

Now, you have thoroughly covered all sides of the opportunity, and you have likely convinced even the most reserved of passive job seekers; but it is important to know that your job doesn’t end there. Be persistent, follow through. Even if you have answered all of their questions and negated all of their worries, you still have to continue to follow up with the candidate until the deal is sealed, or it may just slip through the cracks.

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What to Look for When Recruiting Staff

ACG Resources — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000

What to Look for When Recruiting Staff

When recruiting staff, most people will say that they look for a specific skill or experience in a particular industry. That is the easy part; recruiters that do not understand the job will often rely heavily on those specific skills in their selection criteria because they do not know what they should be looking for. What should they be looking at? There should be a focus on a match between the human characteristics of the job and the candidate pool. Proper identification of the true characteristics of the successful employee in the job is the key to finding the best candidate.

Let’s say you are trying to find a candidate for an isolated, boring, and repetitive job, what kind of person do you need? A type A hyper creative team player who is also highly disciplined and well educated will not be successful in this role. The type of person who would be best suited for this role would be a loyal, predictable, and dependable person that thrives on routine. In this case, a recruiter should not be looking for someone who has a specific skill because most people can be taught, it is the core personality that needs to fit.

To find the best candidate for each job, recruiters need to fully define the characteristics needed to be successful in the role and then select people based on those. There are of course a few general aspects that should be consistent across all roles: maturity, morality, ethics, and judgement. Outside of these key qualities, each job requires a different type of person and by identifying that personality type you can successfully recruit staff that will be suited for their jobs.

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Managing Millennials: Tips and Downfalls

ACG Resources — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Managing Millennials: Tips and Downfalls

Millennials are often treated as if they are some special generation that requires extra care, but they are no different from the Woodstock idealists and those that came before them. The unifying characteristic of Millennials is they want to change, and the world and they want to do it NOW. Knowing this is essential to being able to manage Millennials as it is one of their best and worst characteristics. They are no different than the Baby Boomers of old except they are a bit more socially aware and the Boomers were more socially aware than the WWII generation and so on and so forth. Millennials want to work on something that has meaning, is that really so different than the desires of the generations in the 1960s?

As I mentioned before, the key to managing Millennials is recognizing their drive to make a change. This has resulted in a generation that is self-driven and works better when they organize themselves; give them a goal and let them figure out how to get there and accomplish their task. The methodology behind this managerial style is used in computer application development which is known as the “Agile” method, and this system has shown tremendous results by not managing the people on a team. How it works: a product owner identifies, defines, and prioritizes functions and features to be developed. The team is responsible for determining how to do this work, in what sequence, and assigns the tasks to get it done. While to some people this sounds like chaos, it has been proven to yield great results. Toyota first introduced this idea in their Lean Manufacturing technique, and this proves allows Millennials to be high performing, top quality, and enthusiastic workers.

The downfall of managing Millennials is the same as dealing with any other generation: it is important to recognize what they want and what they are willing to work for and utilize that to get the results you want. This is an idealistic generation, so they need to see how their work is going to be effective in the long run. Any good manager identifies what is important to their team and focuses on that to create the best results. In the case of Millennials, they need to be given a basic structure that they can freely work within and to let them see the impact of their work.

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Inexpensive ways to thank employees for a job well done

ACG Resources — Wed, 22 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Inexpensive ways to thank employees for a job well done

Employees work just as hard as you do to make the company a success, and you couldn’t do it without them, so it’s important that you remember to thank them for all of their hard work every now and then. Here are a few thoughtful, yet affordable things to do to thank your employees:

Have a Small Party to Celebrate Successes

Having a small office party to celebrate all of the employees’ individual successes can be a great way to encourage and motivate employees after a lot of hard work. A small party every quarter can be both affordable and fun, allowing employees to enjoy themselves for a day while bonding more as a team. However, you can do better than a simple pizza party, try thinking outside of the box, do a taco bar or a sundae bar, something different that your employees can look forward to.

Send a Thoughtful Card

Cards are a great way to say thank you for all you do, but if that’s all it says, then it isn’t properly doing it’s job. Writing your own personal message in the card lets your employee know just how much you appreciate all they do for the company. Knowing that their efforts are being recognized can really help motivate and encourage employees to continue working hard.

Call Out Accomplishments

If an employee lands a big deal or does something particularly well, let them know. It can be especially beneficial to call out accomplishments publicly, bringing up successes in front of other employees will not only let other employees know what you’re looking for, but it will also allow the employee to have a moment to celebrate all of their hard work.

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Tips and Tricks for Noteworthy Presentations

ACG Resources — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Tips and Tricks for Noteworthy Presentations

There are many companies that teach seminars and even college credit classes focused on the topic of created a noteworthy presentation. For those of you who are still looking to improve, here are ten steps which, if followed, will get you 80% of the way to outstanding presentation skills. As a bonus, here is how to get started: close that blank PowerPoint presentation that you had opened because you need to think first.

Know what results you actually want from the presentation- Be honest! If all you want is to impress the audience with your vocabulary, knowledge, and wit, then admit it. Usually the desired outcome is an action you want the audience to perform: closing a sale, making a correction in business tactics, or perhaps going in a new strategic direction. Think carefully about what you want your audience to do! This is your win for the presentation. Now, write your goal down on a stick note and put it on the wall in front of your face. It is far too easy to forget the main purpose when you get deep into putting the actual presentation together. Make it so visible that every time you look up from the keyboard, you will see your note.

Define the audience members- Who are they? What is their role? Are they supporters? Are they sceptics? Decision makers? Influencers? Vetoers? What is their age, intellectual, and cultural background? The more you can know about them, the better chance you have of getting the results of Step 1. Write down anything you know in a list. Hint: skipping the part about writing this down will guarantee that you will not convince them. It is a mental trick on yourself, so use it!

Take the list and write in one sentence why they care- Are they concerned? Do they want something? Are they scared of something? You are defining the wins and losses for the audience, and to be successful you need to address each of these items. Note: “so they will understand” is not a reason for your audience to attend the presentation. They want or are worried about something.

Presentation logistics- You need to write this down as well; consider whether this will be an in person or electronic communication. Will the audience be able to see a visual presentation, or will it be solely audio? What time of day/week will it take place> Are they going to be at a biorhythm high or low? What are the culture considerations? How long do you have for the presentation?

List three points you intend to make- This means only three points. People do not remember or even notice anything over three major points, but they also may actually get insulted and feel their time was wasted when only one point is made. This is not an easy step because you have to address all concerns listed in Step three while still requesting the result of Step 1.

Write the conclusion first- This goes back to Step 1 because people tend to remember the last, most important, and first things they head in a presentation, in that order. Make sure the last thing they hear or see is the very best. This should include all three of your points and a request for your win from Step 1. Please do not end with a question and answer session! This is a guaranteed way to ensure the presentation is less memorable than the odd unanticipated question which inevitably comes up. If you must do a Q&A session, then give your conclusion after that time.

Define a few example stories for the three points- This means only for the three points! If you tell an entertaining story which does not illustrate/support one of those points, you have potentially replaced a significant point with an insignificant piece of entertainment.

Pictures and diagrams- These can be great, but only if they illustrate one of the points. The same risk as Step 7 applies here.

Practice, practice, then practice again- You should have your presentation memorized by the time you finish practicing. This enables you to maintain audience contact as well as bolsters confidence during the actual presentations.

Retrospect- Shortly after the presentation is complete, sit and evaluate your work, consider the message given and the methods you used, and then think carefully about how you handled yourself as the presenter. Write all of these thoughts down so that the next presentation will be even better.

Good luck!

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Incorporating Self-Care into the Workplace

ACG Resources — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Incorporating Self-Care into the Workplace

Self-care has become a hot topic in the media as people are trying to be more intentional about taking care of their mental and physical health. It is both the right and the responsibility of the employee to take care of themselves, but employers can take steps to ensure their employees feel comfortable doing what they need to do. Often, simply knowing that the employer cares and tries to help is enough to instill loyalty and inspire motivation in employees. It is important to remember that each employee is different, and every job is different, but some things transcend the differences. No matter what, every employee needs to be physically, mentally, and emotionally fit for their role.

Office workers who sit at a computer all day may need a periodic break to stretch and move around; health studies have shown that simply standing and walking a few dozen steps every 20 to 30 minutes dramatically increases an individual’s energy level as well as having long term health benefits. An employer should communicate that they know this and promote that 1 to 3-minute break to help their employees get better work out of the rest of their time. Mental stress can also be reduced by having these mini-breaks incorporated into the workday.

Health and wellness committees at different companies can really help to improve and promote self-care in the lives of their fellow employees. Some programs that are popular are: lunchtime walkers, diet support groups, etc. These types of initiatives show that the employer appreciates their workers and cares about their general well-being. A great way to encourage team and relationship building among the workforce is to have these programs be employee led. This is an area which has strong influence over employee retention.

Another area for self-care improvement is the stress induced by having personal business which must be postponed or delegated due to lack of available time. Giving employees an area and some time to make private calls or do online work for personal business, awards points to the employer too. This does not have to be much time either! Just 5 to 10 minutes a day to call a doctor or dentist, order a gift online, or fire off a quick note to a teacher from a personal email, can be the difference between feeling stressed by the job and feeling appreciated. People will take this time anyway, but by making it official is what counts for happy employees.

Finally, offer help with career coaching and planning for the future. No matter what the age of the employee, they are considering their future whether it is at the company or elsewhere. Smart employers recognize this and make available resources that may not even be directly related to the employee’s current role. Bringing on-site a short seminar or class is what shows the employer actually cares about employee growth. Examples of this might include hosting a Toastmasters group, bringing in a financial planner for a seminar, small scale technical seminars, or classes; all show commitment to growth for the employee. Even try hosting a local college or trade school fair where employees can see what educational opportunities are available and negotiating a discount for company employees is often quite easy. The key to incorporating self-care into the workplace is to be obvious and intentional about any programs supported by the company that are meant to help their employees.

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Making Connections: How to Effectively Network

ACG Resources — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Making Connections: How to Effectively Network

The first step in successful networking is identifying what you want in a connection; relationships take energy and you have to be willing to put in the effort into the connections which will make a difference. Be sure to spend some time and physically write down the goals you for the connection, this will ensure you get results. In most cases, the connections we want are business oriented. We want sales leads, future employers, potential employees, technical ideas, or simply credentials that come from belonging to the “right club”.

The best way to make connections in the modern business world is to have a professional social media presence, i.e. LinkedIn, Ladders, etc. This is a pre-requisite, as anyone you might start to connect with will use these to check you out at some point in the relationship formation process. Notice that this is necessary, but not sufficient alone to establish a strong network. Physical presence is almost always required to start a relationship. You have to go to where the right connections go, talk the talk and walk the walk. You will find that many groups are welcoming to new members, as long as you have shown the initiative to find them. Social and service organizations have traditionally been the best places to meet local business and political leaders. Beware, you may also be meeting nothing but salesmen eager to network with you. Another idea for find groups: look online at places like Meetup.com. These websites are especially useful for connection with specific populations interested in a well-defined topic. If you do not find one convenient to you, then start one in your area!

That is the easy part; you now know where to find and meet contacts who could be good connections and you are ready to start networking. What next? The first step to prepare yourself is to dress appropriately for the group. In some cases, this means: a dark suit, white shirt, power tie and other times it means jeans and a clean t-shirt. Always dress based on what you think the contact would be comfortable wearing themselves. Do not forget to bring a stack of business cards with you; in addition to giving them to a potential connection, they are good notepaper. Bring a pen and an extra one in case someone else needs to borrow yours.

Networking is all about establishing a relationship. The best way to do that is by paying attention to the other person and asking questions that give them the opportunity to speak; basically, show interest in them! At a first meeting, your objective is simply to get to know them. If they have a business card, take it and use it to make notes about them and their situation while they talk. Practice your own short introduction about who you are, make it short and then turn the conversation back to them. After your first meeting, you need to decide whether the person meets the criteria for a good connection. If they pass, then send them a note, and email is fine at this point, expressing your interest in what they were talking about and try to ask a question. The follow up is critical as it cements the start of a network relationship.

The next step in the networking process is to schedule a coffee or a lunch. You should have plenty to talk about due to the email correspondence. By the time the next meeting of your group occurs, you have established at least one contact in your network. Remember to maintain your network with a monthly email and contact at the group event. Follow these steps and you will be a professional at making business connections and expanding your network.

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CANDIDATE FIRST DAY PREPARATIONS

ACG Resources — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

First Day Prep for Candidates

Do not be late. Prove to yourself, your superiors and your fellow colleagues that you are serious about the role, the company, and the responsibilities. Showing up late will only result in disconnection between your peers and could result in more severe consequences. Aim to be as early as possible. Make sure you are mentally and physically prepared. We encourage all of our candidates to approach the first day like another interview. It’s much better to overdress than the opposite. After the first day, you should have a clearer picture of the working atmosphere and more importantly, the acceptable business attire.

With any new position, questions and concerns will certainly arise. In this regard, we strongly encourage you to ask away. On one hand, it shows a strong level of curiosity and desire to learn the position’s fundamentals, as well as the culture of the company. From a personal perspective, it will make your job transition much less of hassle. However, understand that there is a time to listen, and a time for input. During the initial days of employment, be sure to listen and gather as much information as possible.

It’s important to remember that your background and experience landed you the role in the first place. The company is well aware of your capabilities. However, only you truly know your strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, we strongly suggest creating a pre-planned set of questions ready to be asked to your manager/superior. Clarification and confidence is the key!

Throughout your first day (and the first week for that matter), be sure to mingle and introduce yourself to your fellow colleagues. Do not be afraid/intimidated to discuss your background, intentions, etc. Establishing early camaraderie is key for any successful team to flourish. Be sure to keep an open mind.

If invited to lunch, we strongly encourage you to attend to get to know your fellow workers. What better way to introduce yourself!

Most likely you have heard of the “elevator-pitch.” We strongly encourage you to prepare a short bio to memory as a way of formally introducing yourself and your background. This can serve as a great ice-breaker.

Over the course of the week, really crunch down on the business practices and how decisions are made. Understand the culture, what is acceptable, and how your actions apply (and follow), company policies.

Company policy is extremely important and directly relates to all business functions. If still unclear, don’t be afraid to ask your colleagues for further clarification. Odds are, advice will be given to those who ask.

We’re Here to Help!

Again, congratulations on your new position. If you have any questions/concerns/comments, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 212-566-7600. We pride ourselves on our ever-growing working relationships with both our candidates and clients. We assure you, our business relationship will not end here.

Best of luck!

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Benefits of a Well-Done To-Do List

ACG Resources — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Benefits of a Well-Done To-Do List There have been countless articles written about the power of a to-do list and creating tangible goals. With all of the focus and time spent on this topic, why do people still struggle to understand the power of a well-done to-do list? The reason is that people just do not take the time to do it. We are all natural procrastinators and a to-do list can force us to work harder.

In order to understand the benefits of a great to-do, it is important to understand how to create one. A list should be tailored to your life: what are your life goals and values? This list should not be like a grocery list, yes you may need to pick up bread, but that is not the point of a to-do list. Understand your goals and break them down to little steps that you can do every day to get closer to that goal. Write down what you need to accomplish each day and then do it! Do not let your to-list become a reminder of what you cannot get done- beat the list and finish it each day by choosing manageable tasks. Once you identify your tasks for each day and work to complete them, you will find that you get a lot more done. It can be easy to fall into the trap of creating a mental list of things to-do, but by writing everything down you can better plan your day. A physical list allows you to visualize everything that needs to be accomplished and prevents anything from falling through the cracks.

This leads to the benefits of a well-done to-do list. The major benefit comes from the motivation and proud feeling you get when everything is checked off at the end of the day. Creating and completing small tasks each day will eventually turn into great progress. Has some goal been eluding you for a long time? A promotion that you want? A new certification? A to-do list may be your way to finally accomplish this goal. Let’s go with the promotion; each day create a list of extra tasks you can do to prove you are ready to take on more responsibility. Once you create a to-do list of your normal tasks and the extra steps you want to add, you can better organize and optimize your day.

Allow your to-do list to work for you and take the hard part out of planning your day. Watch with each day you check everything off your list as you become more productive and start taking steps towards reaching your goals in life!

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Top Reasons to Invest in a Wellness Program

ACG Resources — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Top Reasons to Invest in a wellness program. Wellness seems to always be a popular topic at the beginning of year. Everyone wants to start being more active and getting in shape, and companies can play a big part in helping to keep their employees healthy. There are many reasons to invest in a wellness program for your company and here are some of them:

Motivated employees- By putting in the time and money to create a wellness program, you are showing the employees that you care about them. This will motivate employees to work harder and do better work because they know that the company is willing to invest in their wellbeing.

Better work- When employees are healthy and taking care of their bodies, the results will come across in the work they do. There will be less people taking sick days and increased performance as everyone gains more energy. Also, with health comes a confidence that makes people take better pride in their work and step up their game in the office.

Better mental states- Wellness programs encompass more than physical health as they also help mental health. When employees start caring about their bodies and their minds, they will be happier. A health mind can also move faster and take on more work. Your employees will increase in their mental and physical capacities.

Insurance benefits- Many insurance companies give discounts for health and wellness programs; this is especially true when there is a focus on stopping people from smoking or increasing heart health. This means in addition to the discount you can get, you will also see a reduction in your employees’ health care costs and thus the entire companies’.

A work and life balance- Wellness programs allow your employees to incorporate some of their life interests into their work with the company. These programs become part of their social lives as they go on weekend biking trips or meet their coworkers at the dog park. An effective wellness program should incorporate activities both inside and outside the office that will show the employees you care about their personal and professional lives.

A bonus that can come from having a wellness program is that many young workers in the job market are looking for companies that have increased interest in their wellbeing. As the workforce is being taken over by millennials and Gen X, since the baby boomers are starting to retire, it is imperative to identify what attracts them to a company. They want to work in a place that is invested in the life they are living, because a job should be more than 9 to 5, it becomes a major part of their social life.

Wellness programs have huge benefits for both the company as a whole and the individual employees. Invest in one to take your company to the next level and help your growth.

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Three Tips to Deal with Difficult Co-Workers

ACG Resources — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Three Tips to Deal with Difficult Co-Workers

Working in any job can be difficult but when adding in office politics, work can become almost impossible. Everyone has different personalities and it can be hard to navigate difficult coworkers on a daily basis. Here are three tips to help deal with coworkers so that you can stay focused on your job:

Avoid “watercooler” gossip- It is one thing to come home to your family and friends and blow off a little steam by talking about an incident, but do not discuss these issues at work. It may seem like you can trust your coworkers to remain quiet, in many cases you can, but word spreads like disease in an office environment and the person you are complaining about will find out. Avoid any extra drama that may be caused by talking about people behind their backs.

Create boundaries- When dealing with difficult coworkers, it is important to maintain a professional relationship; there is no reason you have to be best friends with them. Create boundaries that prevent you having to spend extended amounts of time with any coworker that you have problems with. By limiting the amount of personal time you spend with this coworker, you can hopefully avoid any extra stress. Try changing the time you eat lunch or taking a walk when you feel any frustration starting to rise. Keep boundaries between your professional interactions and personal ones in order to deal better with a difficult coworker.

Confront them with any major issues- The best way to get rid of any issue with a coworker is to try and work out a solution with them. Do not be rude or try to incite anger; just talk with them about the issue and politely try and come up with a solution that works for both of you. If your coworker becomes angry or does not agree with a solution, try talking to the HR department about mediation. By allowing issues go unresolved, the tension will continue to rise and it will become more difficult for you to work with your coworker.

All of these tips will help you to better handle working with a difficult coworker, and just remember that they are just one part of the job. You will always have to deal with people you do not like and find ways to handle your differences. This being said, if you feel your coworker is crossing any lines such as harassment, then file a formal complaint with your superior. It is one thing to deal with someone who is very nosy or steals your food, but you do not have to tolerate any illegal harassment. So take charge of your interactions at work and find a way to be comfortable in your office environment.

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Common Myths About Project Management

ACG Resources — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

There are Common Myths about Project Management The Process of Project Management is one that many employees don’t see the value of and often dread. Here are some common myths about project management and why they aren’t true:

Leaders Never Help

Employees often believe that project managers are just there to be your boss while your boss is busy, but that’s not the case; project managers are there because they have previously been in projects as a follower and they have proven that they have what it takes to lead. Project managers do much more than just double check your work, they delegate, plan, and pursue the project so that all of the work that everyone else does can come together in the end to make a presentable finished project. They do the behind the scenes work that makes the whole thing possible.

Every Project is Worth Pursuing

Just because you begin a project and put a lot of work into it, does not necessarily mean that it must end in a finished product. It is okay to admit that something is not working, actually it is better to admit when something is not working, instead of following through with a bad idea and allowing a poor final product to be put out under your company’s name. This is another reason that planning before you even begin working on a project is a good idea, so that you don’t waste too much of your time on something that won’t work.

There Is No Room For Change, Policies Are Policies

Just because something has always been done a certain way and there may be a policy or template in place, does not mean that your boss is not open to suggestions for improvement. If you have a skill that you believe can help get the job done better or more efficiently than the previously set policy/template, then pitch your idea. Come up with a short pitch, include some visuals to help your boss better see your idea, and then pitch your idea, let your talents shine, while also improving the company.

Just Get It Done, Forget The Extra Steps

Many employees believe that the whole point of projects is just to get it done, the process is all that matters, the extra steps to double check your work aren’t necessary; but they are. It is important to fully plan out a project before you begin, this can ensure that the project will actually be able to come to fruition without putting all of the work in. After the project is done, it is also equally as important to double, or even triple, check your work both for accuracy, and to ensure that it meets your company’s standards.

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4 Key Attributes to Look for When Recruiting Staff

ACG Resources — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000

4 Key attributes to look for when recruiting staff can make the difference between a good hire and a bad hire Knowing who to hire is difficult enough but knowing what to look for in prospective employees doesn’t have to be. Here are four key attributes to look for when hiring new employees:

Ambition

You want to find employees that are not only going to show up to work on time, but that are also going to go out of their way to get things accomplished. Ambitious employees can also encourage their coworkers to become more ambitious, which can tremendously improve company morale and productivity over time. When an employee takes charge and finds things that need to be done without waiting for you to instruct them, they not only save you time, but they can also take extra work off of your plate and help their coworkers out if they are struggling.

Honesty

Honest employees are a necessity. If an employee is honest and straight forward, even about past mistakes, it can make them easier to work with and it can save you the trouble of having to double check everything they do. When you know am employee is honest, you know that you can trust them to do what they are supposed to be doing, and trust that they are doing it right, which saves you from having to check up on them, which means that you are left with more time to do your own work. Also, with honest employees, comes loyalty, so you don’t have to worry about them leaving you on short notice for another job, as they are more likely to be straight forward and tell you beforehand when another opportunity comes along.

Passion

Anyone can show up to a job and do the work, but it is important to find employees that are truly passionate about the work that your company is doing. Not only are people who are passionate about the work that they do more likely to stay with the company in the long run, but they will be more driven and thus more likely to help drive the company towards accomplishing their common goals. Also, people who are truly passionate about their job are less likely to create unnecessary work drama or simply hang out without doing their work.

Detail-Oriented

Finding employees that see a task as a combination of all of it’s little parts, rather than one big picture can be valuable for any company. Seeing the parts that make up a task, ensures that the employee is more able to focus on every part, making them less likely to miss small details in a big task. Over time, production can not only increase, but better end products can be produced, which can mean and increase in clients or sales.

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Asking the Right Interview Questions

ACG Resources — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000

There are many jokes about the “right” interview question. The right ones will reveal what motivates the person, who is it, what do they enjoy, why do they want to work, what they reason do they want to work for you. The purpose of an interview is to find out what you do not already know from a candidate’s resume. Okay, they led a team for a marketing campaign that increased revenue %5 over the last two years. What does this tell you? Did they meet deadlines on time? Was the team working together or just getting by without the help of a leader? Are they the first to show up in the morning and the last to leave at the end of the day? These are important questions that a resume will not answer, but are vital to predicting how successful a candidate would be once hired. Starbucks can teach a barista how to make coffee, but they cannot teach them to smile and leave customers with a positive impression. These personal characteristics are what you need to discover in the interview.

Now let us look at the other side of an interview: what questions should you ask an interviewer to get the best idea of whether you want a job? In an interview setting, you are trying to get to know them just as much as they are trying to get to know you. Make sure to ask questions about the environment of the company: how many of their employees are contractors? What is the average amount of time that employees stay with the company? What is the average amount of time an employee works in a position before being promoted? These are important questions that can help you predict the company’s commitment to their employees and whether they hire for the long-term or there is a lot of turnover.

Both sides of the interview need to try and learn as many personal details as possible in order to determine whether or not they are compatible. A job interview should be approached as a first date: what are the most important things you need to know before deciding if you want to continue pursuing a relationship? Carry this mindset with you into an interview and you will walk out prepared to make a decision as to whether or not to hire a candidate or to accept a job.

Interviews

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Best Tips for Employee Motivation

ACG Resources — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Best Tips for Employee Motivation

Employee motivation is one of the most popular topics to write about because employee happiness is so important to running a successful business. Many authors and business experts have given their two cents on how to motivate employees, so I have tried to narrow down their many suggestions to just three key tips.

Be organized so they can be given advance notice of what is going on- Surprises have their place in some parts of human life, but work is not one of them. Companies and managers need to maintain organization, so they can give advance notice of any new projects, change in deadlines, or additional work that the employees need to do. This will help keep everyone happy and prevent excess stress from hurting the office. Preparation creates better results in their work and makes everyone’s job easier since they are not playing catch up and have an adequate amount of time to complete a task.

Clearly and openly communicate with them- Hiding is retroactive because people can invent worse things than the truth. If there are issues with administration, layoffs, budget cuts, or any other changes that can shake up a company, then be honest with employees. Even if it means telling them that they can expect a period of restructuring in the near future or other vague answers, at least the employees can mentally prepare for the future. Secrets will always be leaked in the office and you do not need the rumor mill to get ahold and terrify employees over some simple changes. Honesty and transparency are also important because these are your employees; it is their business as well! Every company is a family and the changes will be felt in every branch and office. Show your employees that they can trust their livelihood with you by being honest and maintaining open lines of communication.

Have a clear goal that they can create their own path to- Creativity and intelligence go hand in hand. Just because employees have earned their degrees and landed a job does not mean they should stop learning. By providing goals and allowing employees to use their own intellect and skills to reach them, you are giving them the freedom and pleasure of discovering the best way for them to personally complete a task. This also means there must be a clear goal that way they know when their job is done. It has been proven that productivity and overall happiness increase when people have some wiggle room to figure out their own way to meeting their goal.

These three tips to help employee motivation may seem simple, but they are effective. Employee motivation means that the company can keep running and growing.

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Three Common Management Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

ACG Resources — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Three Common Management Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Three common management mistakes and how to avoid them Every business is reliant on managers to organize employees and maintain daily work. Good management is a fundamental foundation to any successful company. Since this is such an important position, every manager should be aware of the most common management mistakes and how to avoid them to ensure the company runs as smoothly as possible.

The first mistake is over management. A good manager should show employees what needs to be accomplished, but not how to accomplish it. It does not help anyone if they are told how to finish a job and it does not create a better employee if they do not have the chance to think on their own. A manager should present a problem for an employee and provide them the encouragement and support to devise their own solution and figure out how to implement it. The best way to avoid over management is by identifying the basic information that the employees need and then provide any extra help they need as they ask for it.

The second mistake that managers can make is under management. It is just as bad for a manager to dictate everything their employee should do as it is for a manager to neglect their employees. Never assume that employees automatically know what to do; everyone needs support and encouragement no matter how prepared or intelligent they may be. A good manager wants their team to succeed and will provide them the tools to complete their project. This means that managers should pay attention to their employees and what they need; being in tune to how the project is progressing and aware of where others are struggling with it, is the best way to ensure that the manager gives their employees the direction they need to be successful!

The third mistake that every manager should avoid is trying to be a friend instead of a manager. It is imperative to treat employees and team members well, but do not mistake common courtesy with friendship. Remember at the end of the day, the manager might have to fire an employee; a manager’s duty is to the company and not to the people. A great example of this mistake is Michael Scott from the popular show The Office. Scott is the regional manager of Dunder Mifflin paper company and a great deal of the humor from the show comes from the friendships and interactions between him and his coworkers. Scott has great difficulty separating himself from the employees and often runs into issues when he needs to fire them or discipline them; he has always portrayed himself as their friend and as a result they do not take anything he says seriously. Managers keep the company running and the employees on task, and they cannot do that if no one takes their directions seriously. Managers can avoid this mistake by keeping a fine line between their personal and professional lives. This may seem cliché but by being friendly and keeping a professional relationship with employees, managers can successfully run their team.

Management

Every manager should recognize these three mistakes and avoid them in order to be a productive and efficient leader.

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The Benefits of Employee Feedback

ACG Resources — Wed, 23 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The Benefits of Employee Feedback

There are benefits to employee feedback that are immeasurable. Employee feedback is necessary in any working environment; employees crave it, while bosses often shy away from it. It is easy to believe that it is only necessary to give employees feedback when they do something wrong, but it is helpful to both you and the employee when they know that they are also doing something right. Employee feedback can have a multitude of benefits for both individual employees and the company as a whole. Here are some of the main benefits of employee feedback

First, employee feedback can motivate employees. If you are directly told that what you are doing is right and you’re doing it well then you will be more motivated to keep doing what you are doing. Over time, employees work will also improve because they are motivated to work harder and do their best at all times. This increase in motivation which will lead to increased morale and productivity among all employees, which will over time improve the company as a whole. Also, getting feedback can make employees more eager to even come to work. People innately crave feedback, good or bad, so when they start to get that feedback at work they will be more eager to go to the office to complete their tasks for more feedback.

Providing your employees with feedback can also allow them to grow the company, while also growing within the company. If an employee knows what they are doing right or wrong, then they can figure out what it is that you are looking for and how they can improve in the future. It is easy to fall into the belief that if you tell your employees they are doing a good job then they will no longer put forth the same amount of effort, however, people are constantly seeking the approval of their superiors. If you tell an employee they are doing well, then they will strive to do even better the next time you give them a task, and if you tell an employee that their work wasn’t where you would’ve liked it to be, then they will realize what it is you are looking for in their work and they will do better to meet your standards in the future.

Employee feedback does not always have to be simply when employees are not doing well. It is helpful to always let employees know where they stand as far as their performance. When an employee does several tasks with no feedback from their superiors, then they may start to wonder if they need to do things differently for the next tasks as they do not know how their work was received. Thus, by not telling employees when their work is done well, they may assume they need to change it and instead give you something that you aren’t looking for. Employee feedback helps employee motivation and production, as well as both individual and company growth, among many other benefits.

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7 Common Hiring Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

ACG Resources — Thu, 17 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Here are 7 Common hiring mistakes and how to avoid them … Hiring is a difficult and time consuming task that employers have to maneuver to keep their business running at it’s best. However, there are things that companies can do reduce the pressure and difficulty of the hiring process.

  Hiring too fast

Hiring is a long and time consuming process, so employers often settle for an okay candidate instead of waiting for the best of the best because they do not have the time to keep looking. A good way to solve this issue is by pre-screening candidates and only interviewing the few that really fit the companies standards. Pre-screening allows even the busiest of companies to keep looking until they find exactly who they’re looking for.

Not hiring fast enough

On the other side of hiring too fast, is not hiring fast enough. Sometimes employers come into a new employee search with too many expectations. They come with this picture in their head of the perfect employee, and most of the time that absolute perfect person will not come along. It is important for employers to know that even the perfect job candidate will not have every single skill you hope. However, if they are really the right fit for the job, then they will be willing and able to learn to all of the necessary skills to make them the absolute best fit for what the employers are looking for.

  Not knowing exactly what you’re looking for

While some employers go into candidate searches knowing exactly what they want, others go into them with no expectations or standards. This is bad because not only will you likely have ht problems of hiring too fast or not fast enough, but if you don’t know what you’re looking for then how will you ever know if you’ve found the right fit for the position. I think a good common ground here is to set some expectations like education background, degree type and even experience levels, but not to set too many by adding height, language or technology requirements, especially if they have nothing to do with the available position.

  Doing all of the talking in an interview

It is very common for interviewers to feel the need to do all of the talking in an interview, whether it be about the company or their own personal life and background. It is important in an interview to tell a candidate a little more about the company, but it is more important for the employer to learn about the candidates background. Interviews are about getting to know all of the potential candidates, not about all of the candidates getting to know you, so it is important to allow the candidates to do the talking and save more personal sharing for whomever gets the job.

  Going with your gut/not checking references

It is also common for employers to like a candidate so much that they choose to save time by not checking the candidate’s references, but the problem with trusting your gut in an interview, is that everyone knows how to put on a good impression. Who you interview and who you get on the first, second or tenth day of work can be vastly different. People dress their best and put their best foot forward when it comes to interviewing because they want the job, but what you really need to know is how this candidate will act once they already have the job. This is where references are helpful, because previous bosses can tell you who the candidate really is after the interview, which can help you determine if they are really the right fit for your company.

  Giving just anyone the authority to interview and hire new employees

Employers also often delegate the task of hiring new employees to free up time for their more important tasks, but hiring should become more of a priority to employers. Employers can tell their interviewers what they are looking for in a new employee, but the interviewer may interpret these expectations in a different way than the employer, so who they end up hiring may not be what the employer was originally looking for. In order to get the employee that you know will fit in the position and company the way you want them to, it is best to make hiring a priority and personally handle interviewing candidates.

  Not clearly defining job expectations or the companies’ standards

It is easy to overlook parts of a position and thus leave them out of the job description, which can make retaining new employees more difficult. When you hire someone with the expectation that they will have a certain number of tasks and responsibilities without specifying that additional responsibilities may added when necessary it can lead to issues in the workplace. New employees are often overwhelmed already, so adding more to their plate after hiring them on certain conditions can lead to tension in the workplace and may leave you back at the beginning of the hiring process; so it is important to specify in every job description that new tasks/responsibilities will be assigned as needed.

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The 3 Ways to Maximize the Value of Breaks

ACG Resources — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Taking breaks throughout the work day actually increases productivity in the workplace by helping employees refocus their attention on the tasks at hand. Here are three ways to maximize the value of breaks to ensure increased productivity:

1.   Get Moving

Sitting at a desk can get redundant, which allows you to lose focus of what you should be working, so just take a quick walk around the office if you need to. Walking away from a task, especially one you have been working on for a prolonged period of time can allow you to stop and think about it without the pressure of feeling like you need to do it right away because it is right there in front of you. Many studies have also come out recently detailing the health hazards of sitting all day, so walking for even a few minutes every few hours can both help you focus more on your work and benefit your health.

2.   Meditate

Meditation has been shown to relieve stress, so if you’re having a particularly stressful day at the office, take a break, meditate and clear your mind. Clearing your mind through meditation not only allows you to destress, but it also allows you to refocus and prioritize the tasks at hand to prevent future stress from becoming a problem.

3. Take a Nap

I know this one may seem a little out of the norm for most places, but a short 30 minute nap has many benefits. It can help reenergize the body just enough to finish out the work day, and much like walking, it also increases cognition and focus. Short naps have also been shown to increase memory and mental alertness which can help employees finish more tasks faster than they would have been able to before.

Breaks can be incredibly beneficial to employees, employers and companies as a whole, but the benefits depend on how you maximize the value of your break time.

The post The 3 Ways to Maximize the Value of Breaks appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Hiring Freelance Employees

ACG Resources — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

There are many Advantages and Disadvantages to hiring freelance employees. Freelancing is becoming more common in the fast paced economy, with surveys showing freelancers made up 35% of the U.S. work force in 2016. With this increase in freelancing, stable, full-time employees are becoming less common, but it is important for employers to know the advantages and disadvantages of freelancers before making the switch.

Advantages

With the freelance economy growing, freelancers offer many advantages to companies.

Freelancers cost less than full-time employees. The freelance economy is extremely competitive, forcing many freelancers to lower their rates to get ahead of the competition, which allows companies to hire qualified workers for less than a full-time employee’s salary. Also, because freelancers work on an as needed basis, they do not qualify to receive company health benefits that a full-time employee would, saving the company in insurance expenses.

Freelancers can also get more work done, faster. Freelancers typically work project-by-project, allowing them to devote all of their time to a project, which results in a better quality output in a much shorter amount of time. Freelancers make a living through repeated work, which means that their quality of work is higher because they want to be hired again for future jobs.

Freelancers hold a variety of skills, which allow them to complete many different tasks. The variety of tasks that individual freelancers are able to take on prevents companies from having to hire a different full-time employee for each task individually.

Freelancers also do not take up space in already crowded office buildings, as they work remotely, freeing up space for companies that do not have enough rooms to give every individual employee their own office.

Freelancers mostly work remotely, so employers are not limited to the local workforce. Employers can find the best freelancer to fit their needs without worrying too much about location. Also, freelancers are not as permanent as full-time employees, so if employers realize that a freelancer is not working out as they had hoped then they can simply hire a new freelancer without all of the paperwork.

Freelancers also come with their own networks of connections and resources, which can help employers source more work freelancers for future work.

Disadvantages

Despite their advantages, freelancers do still come with many disadvantages.

Freelancers are loyal to the whatever will make them the most money, so they come with little to no loyalty to an individual company. When a freelancer is hired, they complete a contract to finish the one or many jobs agreed upon, but at the end of that contract if a better deal becomes available then they will go where the money is. Companies often like to hire the same freelancers on a consistent basis because they know that rates will stay constant and the quality of work can only improve. That being said, for companies with that expectation of loyalty from their freelancers, they may want to look into extended contracts with competitive rates to prevent having to start fresh every time they need a job completed.

Freelancers require employers to take a big risk at first. Companies often hire freelancers after simply reading their resume and looking at select work samples, which is not a very good way to measure someone’s ability to complete the task at hand. Potential employees often pick their all time best work to show prospective employers instead of their most recent, which is not representative of what they are capable of producing at that time. With all that in mind, companies have to take a risk hiring freelancers, hoping that they will be able to make high quality products that the fit the company’s needs.

Freelancers are independent workers, which means that employers have little control over them beyond the contract. Freelancers do what the contract asks in the time frame discussed, but that is the only control that employers have over them. If employers decide they want something changed or added, freelancers charge extra for each individual thing, while a regular employee would just make the additions.

Freelancers can be great assets to help companies accomplish more than they would normally be able to. However, employers need to consider all of the pros and cons to decide what is best for their company before making the switch from full-time to freelance.

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Top Ten Benefits of Using a Staffing Agency!

ACG Resources — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By Len Adams, CPC, CTS

Companies who have recently received large contracts, urgent work, or seasonal needs have a

choice to make:

Do you take on the task of trying to quickly find people to fill the extra positions or

do you hire a staffing agency to do it for you?

Here are nine reasons to hire a placement agency to the hard work for you:

Ability to try out an employee before hiring- It is hard to determine whether an employee will fit in just through interviews. This can create a giant headache later on if the employee does not mix well with the other workers, the management, or their skills are lacking. Now you have not only a problem employee, but also a position that needs to be filled immediately. By using a placement agency, if a worker does not fit in they are simply removed from the project and replaced by the next one in line. This allows both the employee and the employer to decide whether or not the placement was successful without having to worry about a long-term relationship.

Ability to access very specialized skills and roles for a short period of time. A new project may require skills that your team does not possess or training they cannot get in time. Placement agencies can access candidates with those talents and bring them in to complete their aspect of your project without committing to finding them another job after the specialized task has been finished.

Ability to level out resource needs that are not constant or long term- This point goes along with the previous one. If your resources do not cover the needs of a new project, then an agency may be necessary to bring in a source for a short or sporadic period. You do not want to make a long term commitment to a short term problem.

Quick way to get employees in without the hassle- Every person who has worked in HR or in a business environment is aware of the mountains of paperwork that come with the hiring process. For a short-term contract, the process of sorting through resumes, interviews, and eventually hiring is excessive. A staffing agency handles all of that paperwork for you, so they get the headache and you get a new worker.

Avoidance of the ACA limits- When a company reaches 50 employees, they have to provide health insurance for their workers. If you are a small company, and not at the point of being able to provide insurance or benefits then using an agency to find contractors may be the best solution. This way they are not categorized as full employees, but they do the work you need.

Cost appears in different place on accounting statements- Contract labor, through staffing agencies, can be directly attributed to a project and then capitalized. Employee labor is difficult to capture the complete cost and capitalize. A full-time employee may be credited with working eight hours, but how much of that was used for other administrative duties? A contracted employee is credited based on how many hours of work they put in to their project.

Finds a much larger talent pool- Placement firms are constantly recruiting so they always have people lined up. In order for your HR group to keep up, they would have to already have jobs posted, without knowing actual need, in order to gather the quantity of candidates that these agencies have. This also allows you to see a different group of workers who may be more interested in doing short-term projects instead of those who are looking to come in to a career track at a company. It avoids any reputational problems your company may have- Sometimes a company does not have the best reputation for potential employees.

Be honest: have there been large layoffs, scandals or public problems that are preventing your company from being an appealing place to work? Contracted workers through staffing agencies do not have as much of a choice in which company they go to. These are not your employees; they do not care if the managers agree with them, they do not pay attention to office politics, and massive layoff rumors do not affect their contract. This person has one job and that is to finish their contract and provide a service.

Avoid fear of firing- Many business ventures can be risky, and no one likes to fire employees when something does not work out. With contract workers, there is no fear of losing their job because the contract has simply ended.

They are not relying on you to provide a job that will carry them to retirement. This puts less stress on your ability to take risks with your company and keeps your employees from feeling the pressure if a project goes badly.

Staffing agencies have many attributes that make them appealing to help you hire workers for your company. Here are only ten of the best benefits of using a placement agency, and once you have worked with one there will probably many more reasons that come to mind.

The post Top Ten Benefits of Using a Staffing Agency! appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

How to Dress for Success in Job Interviews

ACG Resources — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTS

Job interviews are the first date of the business world, so it is important to dress for success in order to impress the interviewer with both appearance and knowledge.

A good guideline to follow is when interviewing for a white collar or office job wear a suit and for those applying for a blue-collar type job then dress business casual; it is never acceptable to wear casual clothing to an interview.

The most important thing to remember when dressing for an interview is cleanliness. Pig Pen from Charlie Brown may walk around with a cloud of dirt, but that does not mean the rest of us can. Men should have their hair cut and keep any facial hair well maintained.

Hair and Makeup

Some PR representatives even recommend completely shaving off any facial hair for interviews, but that is up to each person’s discretion. Women should brush their hair and make sure it looks styled. This may mean straightening it, adding in some curls, or pulling it back in a clean ponytail.

Ladies also make sure to wear some makeup, no you do not need to paint your face completely, but some powder, mascara, and lipstick go a long way in helping you look your best! Cleanliness also applies to fingernails: make sure to clean any dirt from underneath and women may want paint their nails a neutral or soft color. This should be an obvious statement, but make sure to take a shower and put on deodorant. Clean is the best smell there is, so do not load up on fancy perfumes or colognes and let soap do its job!

When choosing clothing to wear to an interview, fit is imperative. Clothing should not be too tight or too loose, and if you have issues with finding clothes that fit then any tailor can help modify your outfit to fit you like a glove. Also remember that you should feel comfortable in your outfit, so this is not the day for ladies to test out their new heels. Seductive does not equal attractive.

Men should make sure to wear dark socks and polished shoes. It may seem excessive to worry about what goes on your feet, but shoes do matter when it comes to overall appearance. Another thing that should be understood is to wear properly fitted undergarments; bra straps should be hidden and please no visible underwear lines. Your clothing should be another way to help you feel confident as you go into your interview, so you can worry about impressing the employer and not on how much your shoes pinch.

Tattoos and Piercings

Tattoos and piercings have been a hot topic of debate amongst employers recently and every person has a different opinion on the matter. Just be aware of any visible body art that you have, and try to keep it looking clean and understated. Small tattoos or pieces are fine, but this is not the time to show off your sleeve or multiple piercings. Some companies may have their policy about body art on their websites, but it is always safe to show less until certain of their views.

Follow these simple rules and remember the most important one of all: a confident smile and clean look will get you far with any employer.

The post How to Dress for Success in Job Interviews appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Five Tips for Organizing Meetings That Get the Job Done

ACG Resources — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CSP

We have all been there: the meeting is scheduled to last thirty minutes, but the executive shows up late and the team will not start until they arrive, forty-five minutes later everything but the actual topic for the meeting has been discussed, and half the room is comprised of people who have no say in the matter and are just “silently observing”. This is the reason that everyone dreads face-to-face meetings and has led to the rise of the email and phone team discussions. Here are some easy ways to organize meetings that will be both time efficient and help the team tackle problems.

Start on time and end on time- Employees are busy, and they usually have to run from one meeting to the next while finding time in between to do their actual work. They do not have time to waste waiting for everyone in the room to get their coffee or for catching up on how the weekend went. The meeting is scheduled to start at 1:30 then everyone is seated and ready to start at 1:30. If the most important person is late, it’s even more important to start on time because everyone else can make it on time and so can they.

Have a purpose for the meeting- This can be in the form of an agenda, but overall just a clearly defined purpose for the meeting. Having a clear goal for the meeting allows the team to focus on the task at hand and know if they have done their job. Creating a purpose also prevents time being wasted trying to pick a topic to work on and can direct the flow of the meeting so you do not spend half of it trying to decide who goes next. This is such a simple thing to do but it can really affect the duration and effectivity of your meeting.

Everybody in the meeting is there to actually participate- People are not there to listen they either have a say in the matter or they do not need to be in the meeting. When executives sit in the meeting to listen, it gives a feeling that they do not trust you are doing work or your ability to do it well. It is imperative that the employees are confident that upper management and executives trust their skills and that they do not need to be babysat while at work.

Somebody has to take notes- Afterwards assemble them and send them out. Especially if decisions were made, or actions were assigned. This will prevent a million emails being sent reminding everyone about what they signed up for in the meeting.

Stick to the topic- Do not allow the excuse of having all the right people in the room to warrant talking about another topic. If a meeting ends early, then let it end early. The meeting has a purpose, so that time should be spent on tackling that issue and not a catch-all for every topic that the team wants to discuss.

Here is a bonus tip to help organize a better meeting:

If at all possible, make it face to face- Well over half of communication is non-verbal and people listening on phone calls cannot get the full message. Face to face meetings are more efficient and effective than phone conferences or email.

Do not continue to let meetings be a drain on time and resources; use these tips to organize meetings that get the job done!

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EACC Insights: Will AI cause the Death of the Recruiting Industry?

ACG Resources — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTS

Originally printed in the European American Chamber of Commerce Newsletter

There has been great hype recently about artificial intelligence and its application to the recruitment process. Much has been written about the potential for the recruitment function to be replaced by AI.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being touted as the wave of the future, allowing HR and hiring managers to quickly narrow down their received resumes to just a few qualified candidates based on AI “learning” what their hiring criteria and jobs require. While in theory this sounds like a great idea, which I am sure will possibly assist in reducing the time it takes to wade through a large number of resume responses, I do not believe that AI will eliminate the human factor necessary to perform this function.

For as long as I have been in the executive search, recruiting, and staffing industry (over 40 years), every new innovation has been predicted to be the cause of the death of the recruiting industry.

First it was the fax machine, then it was monster, followed by the increased use of applicant tracking systems, then LinkedIn. The fact of the matter has been that through the advent of all of these innovations, the search, recruiting and staffing industry has not only survived, but grown. The reasons for this are simple: smart practitioners in the industry have been able to adapt and utilize new innovations to enhance the way they do business.

Search and recruiting is still a human function. I firmly believe that the same will hold true for AI. While AI will no doubt prove to be a wonderful tool, it will be just that, a tool that smart practitioners will use to perhaps make their jobs easier.

The function of search and staff always has and always will be a human function. A computer, no matter how much artificial intelligence it is programmed to have, will not have the capability to evaluate and identify soft skills and those skills that sometimes an HR professional feels in their gut about a prospective candidate. Yes, the key words will be there, and yes, the computer will learn what types of candidates are historically hired by the company, however, there are traits and skills that just cannot be determined by a computer. PEOPLE Hire PEOPLE.

I do believe that AI will be adapted by the industry and yes, it may change the way we operate. Clients will utilize recruiters for the soft skills that they possess. The intuition about a prospective candidate, the reputation a candidate possesses, the soft skills that are not always easily quantified. In short, the recruitment and staffing industry will still be called upon to search and recruit, but will also be heavily relied upon to attract, evaluate and negotiate.

Additionally, AI is great when resumes are received; however, in many cases, particularly for more senior or hard-to-fill roles, a computer will not be identifying, searching and recruiting passive candidates, or more importantly, those executives that are not even passive, they are just not seeking to make a job change. A computer will not have those relationships and pipeline that an active search, staffing and recruiting firm will maintain.

As a family owned search and staffing firm now going into a second generation, I look forward to the continued growth of the industry and encourage the third generation to come up behind us.

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Four Keys to Improving Employee Engagement

ACG Resources — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By Len Adams, CPC, CTS

Your company is running and you have hired your team of employees now comes the next step: how do you keep you employees engaged and happy? First thing to know is what does it mean to be engaged? Engaged refers to employees who are active participants in the company and they are interested in doing more than just the basic amount of work expected. This is important because a company is only as good as its weakest link, so happy workers make for a better and more productive company. Only 15% of employees report that they are interested or engaged in their work according to Gallup’s State of Global Workplace report (Gleeson). Here are four ways to help improve employee engagement:

Recognition of your employees’ time commitments- Every person experiences conflicting needs for a home life and that can make it a challenge to keep them interested in extra time commitments at work. This is especially true for after-hours events such as socials, training, and company sanctioned events. It is important to recognize the challenge that many have in balancing their work and their personal life. Try to keep after hours events to a minimal amount because employees will not be happy if they are spending every day at company events and missing dinner with their spouses or time with their friends. One great way to resolve this issue is create events that the employees can invite family to come to; try holding a company day at the aquarium, tickets to a sports event, or any activity that allows the employee to have good family time.

Assign meaningful work- Every person wants to feel like they are working towards something or that they are contributing towards a greater cause. Employees do not want to feel like their work is underappreciated or useless; recognize the importance work they are doing and do not waste their time on meaningless busy work. The employee is being paid for the time they put into the project, so do not waste that money. This also effects their overall attitude; if employees feels like they are doing compelling and valued work, then morale will benefit (Gleeson).

Recognition of work and effort- This ties into the last point of assigning meaningful work because not only should the task be important, but also recognition should be given where it is earned. Often people feel as if their talents and effort are not appreciated as they should be, and the best way to keep employees engaged is to support their confidence in the work that they do. People will take pride in their work if they know that a good job will be appreciated and recognized. This will motivate employees to work harder to do their best work for a company that they feel values them. Although it is important to note that the level of praise should be appropriate for the work done. Employees recognize unearned praise and it can have the opposite of the desired effect. Also understand when dealing with underperformance, it is important to know the difference between gentle encouragement and brutal honesty. The most important lesson to take from all of this is that employees want to know that their employer is aware of their efforts and contributions whether they are performing above or below expectations. If you are unaware of the employees’ actual work, you are better off saying nothing than overpraising or overcorrecting.

Consistently ask for their opinions on how to improve- Employees are the only ones who can decide what will help them be happier with the work they are doing or the company they are at (Gleeson). It is important to ask for their opinions on different initiatives and ways the company treats the employees. A great example of this practice in action is Toyota; their entire area of business discipline is based around their practice of going to the factory floor to get solutions for high level questions. The higher in the hierarchy of management that a person is, the more isolated they tend to be. The workers know the situations and, if they feel comfortable doing so, will share sage advice. Feedback is essential when working within a company setting because things are constantly moving, employees are growing, and engagement must adjust to employee needs.

Employee engagement is an important issue that every company struggles with. Take into account these four keys to promote engagement and watch overall morale and productivity improve.

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Is casting a broad net when recruiting more effective than a Targeted approach?

ACG Resources — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTS

The conventional wisdom of most organizations is that the more outlets they use to post open positions, the better the odds of identifying the “IDEAL” candidate(s). Many subscribe to the theory that “more is better”.

As the owner and CEO of a company in the Search, Recruiting and Staffing space for over 40 years, and, at the risk of appearing to be self-serving, I disagree with this approach for the most part.

I will be the first to admit that the decision to utilize multiple recruiters/outlets to post open positions depends on the specific situation, number of positions, level of position(s), etc.

The truth of the matter is, in most cases, more is not better. As the hiring client, the primary reason to use a recruiting firm should be for the recruiting firm to assist in presenting a qualified pool of candidates. What often happens is a client wants to see a LARGE pool of candidates. I would argue that a large pool doesn’t necessarily mean that a client will find a better candidate based on the number of candidates they see.

Narrowing the pool of submissions

A quality recruiting firm can generally evaluate a large pool of candidates and assist in narrowing the pool down to several that the client would want to interview.

In any given market, if several recruiting firms are being used for a position, chances are they will step on each other’s toes when reaching out to qualified candidates. Most firms have an internal database of candidates as well as access to networks of people as referral sources, etc. A qualified recruiting firm will access all of those tools quickly and effectively. Just because a position is listed with numerous firms, it does not guarantee that a search will yield MORE quality candidates. In reality, having a position listed with several firms may actually REDUCE the quality of resumes that are presented. Oftentimes, recruiters, knowing that there are multiple outlets being utilized, will race to make the submission so as not to “lose the submission race.”

Multiple recruiters submitting resumes can mean multiple submissions. This can lead to scenarios where a timeline of submission can cause a conflict amongst multiple firms (and the client).

Confidentiality

If a search is CONFIDENTIAL, it becomes more difficult to control the flow of information than if it’s listed with more than one firm. If a client has asked a firm to keep the search confidential, they can hold that firm accountable. If more firms are working on the search, it becomes far more difficult to control.

Another point to consider is that from a time management viewpoint, it’s far easier for the client to manage a relationship with one or two recruiters than with 30. Plus, if you are working with multiple recruiters, the number of resumes you will receive will multiply by that number of recruiters. Kind of defeats the purpose. With this being said, as the number of resumes multiply, it becomes far more difficult to review each and every resume consistently and effectively.

We hear from clients many times that one of the main reasons they do not work with one firm exclusively is that they do not want to give the appearance that there is something unethical going on (i.e. kickbacks, etc.).

My question to that is, how many Accounting firms, Law firms, Insurance brokers, etc., does the client use? In most cases it is one. If the decision to use one firm is based on SERVICE and QUALITY, then that potential argument should not hold water.

To that point, if a client feels that they may want to maintain good relationships with more than one Search or Staffing provider, perhaps they can do what one client of mine did for many years. She rotated positions amongst three qualified firms. ALL three firms were competitors in the space. We all knew that we were not going to receive every job, but when we did get a job, we had an exclusive. This enabled the client to receive superior service from each firm and allowed the firm to know that when we received an open position, we had a very good chance of filling it, rather than trying to race the clock to make submissions.

This holds true as well when it comes to Temporary Staffing. One of the issues we have encountered when a client lists temporary positions with multiple firms is that “rate Race” occurs. Rate race means that in an attempt to compete, some firms (or candidates) will bid up the rate in an effort to attract the candidate to be assigned through their firm… All this accomplishes is it creates an artificial increase in the value of a position.

When evaluating a Search or staffing firm partner, there are several things that should be considered:

Length of time in business

Quality of Recruitment staff

Responsiveness of Sir Management to any issues, concerns, etc.

Resume submission to Interview ratio

Internal turnover of staff

Is recruiting performed by in house staff or do they outsource to an RPO Model (Generally overseas)

The bottom line is, working with multiple recruiters and staffing firms on every assignment does not really benefit anyone, the client, the candidate or the recruiting firm. As a matter of fact, if a position is listed with more than 1-3 recruiters, the recruiting firm is not incentivized to spend a great deal of time on a position where there is very little chance that they may actually fill it.

If a client can develop a PARTNERSHIP with a small number of firms, they will find that their service level will be far better. If you as the client are truly satisfied with the services of your recruiting firm partner, why go anywhere else.

Conversely, if you are NOT satisfied, or you do not truly believe that they can effectively meet your needs, then by all means, tell them and go somewhere else.

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Beyond Salary: Conditions and Benefits Employees Want Most

ACG Resources — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

“Money talks” is a common phrase used when discussing hiring employees and how to attract the top people to join your business. Besides salary, what other benefits do employees want the most? Abraham Maslow, a renowned psychologist, describes a hierarchy of needs that applies to every human. At the very least, everyone wants to survive but at the absolute most people want to feel that they are contributing members of a larger cause. This is commonly known as self-actualization: the realization or fulfillment of one’s talents and potentialities, especially considered as a drive or need present in everyone. More money does not necessarily increase self-worth and people want to feel as if they have influence and control. So once a company offers the basic amount of money needed to survive, what benefits allow employees to feel self-actualized?

One way companies have attempted to do this is by offering employees a share of the stocks, so they feel like they have some control over the direction that the company moves. While this helps with feeling in control of the company, many workers struggle with controlling and balancing their work and families. For many years, people have wrestled with dedicating time to their jobs and devoting time to their families without letting either suffer. Employees want their employers to acknowledge the time commitment that a family takes and to recognize that is equally important. Flexibility in scheduling is a huge benefit because it allows a father to drop his kids off at school in the morning and stay an hour later in the evening to make up for that time or it gives a single mother the chance to work all of her hours Monday through Thursday so she can devote Friday to taking care of her children. Control over how one balances their personal life and their career is an invaluable benefit that employees desire. These family employees also want their companies to recognize their families through extra activities everyone can attend such as a company day at the aquarium, tickets to a sporting event, or anything that allows employees to see that their company cares about the relationships they have with their spouses and children.

As for singles and younger employees, they value the experiences that a company can provide. These are the people who would benefit from travel to conferences, access to extra certifications and training courses, new projects, and anything that helps them to grow as a person and as a worker. Their desires for company benefits can be summed up as learning something new, doing something new, and seeing something new. These employees want self-actualization through the new experiences that will help them learn more about their own skills and desires. Companies grow with their employees and that can happen when they show interest in helping each person learn through taking on new challenges.

Every employee wants to know that their employer values the same things as them and is willing to help them achieve their goals in life. The best benefits that companies can give is investing in the growth, education, and happiness of their employees.

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Employee Privacy: Why Smart Employers Guarantee It

ACG Resources — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTS

Employees’ right to privacy in the working environment has stirred quite a controversy.

within the media for the past years. Right to privacy has been a hot topic wit the industry especially in this age when technology and information can easilypaved a way for faster and more private methods of communication, but it isbe shared with a click. Telecommunications such as internet and e-mails have through these types of privacy that agitated employers. Companies have shared concerns on how to monitor their employees without the fear of prosecution.

When employers would monitor their employees’ emails or other types of communication, it makes them feel that it is a violation of their privacy. But that is usually allowed in some states. Employee activities, especially ones that are conducted within the company grounds, have more protection in terms of privacy. Employers can have reasons to monitor employee activities since such hidden communications can harbor illegal activities such as substance abuse.

Employers also need to know the people they are hiring, hence the need for personal information. They also have to address both personal and professional issues serves to ensure the security of other employees, for the benefit of their workplace. Workplace surveillance and monitoring

The employer’s need for information and the employee’s right to privacy should find balance.

Employers should clearly state what personal information they require from their employees and candidates. They should also clearly state for what purpose does it serve to give private information.

The collection, disclosure, and use of private information should be done with full knowledge of the employee. It is with full consent that they give personal information to the responsibility of the employer.

Gathering of employee information should only comprise what is necessary for the employer for future reference.

The method of gathering employee information should be done through lawful means. Hacking emails, social media accounts, and rummaging through private mails can mean that this is a breach of an employee’s right to privacy.

Employers should not give out private information of their employees easily. Only when they are dealing with legal action that it is required to access personal information of the employee. Other than that, employers should not give away personal data other than its stated purpose.

Employees should not give false information. All the data that they provide to their employer should be thorough, factual, and updated. If ever any of their provided information has changed in the course that they are still employed, they should notify their employer for any changes.

The personal information should be accessible to employees. They should have the right to see that the information they had provided had not been altered or changed. If so, they have the right to question those responsible in handling their personal data.

Many companies now have practices for the privacy of their employees. It is required by law that employees have the right to question company liability. Employee privacy is not just avoiding litigations; it is about the right of an individuals to set boundaries and have it respected.

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How to Deliver Effective Employee Training in 6 Easy Steps

ACG Resources — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTC

The success of your company lies in your employees. Employees are the best asset of any company; their performance determines your company’s success and by developing an employee training program it can contribute to the success of your business. It benefits greatly to both employees and employer. Training programs help employees, especially new recruits, to be more efficient in their tasks. A training program that is implemented properly can make employees more efficient. They can become more productive, updated to and compliant to company regulations and policies, increase their motivation, and create a smoother workflow.

When it comes to operating businesses, your employees need to have the talent, skill, and to be continuously productive. Employees need to understand their roles better and what standards they have to adhere to. Developing an effective employee training program can be determined by a lot of things, but with these easy steps, we can make it a whole lot easier.

Determine the Company Goals

What does our company aim for? What do we want to do as an organization? These are the questions you have to ask to know your goals. It’s hard to become successful when you do not know what you are aiming for. Determining what your company’s goals are helps you and your employees know what they will focus on. Usually business goals include increasing worker efficiency, productivity, and client satisfaction. Regardless of what your organization focuses on, determining your company goals will tell you how to move towards developing the training program.

Determine Employee Characteristics and Where to Assign Them

Consider your employees’ characteristics and determine which type of training program would be the best, that is effective and would help them enhance their skills. As an employer, you cannot cater to each individual in your company so you need to sort them out in groups to make these trainings faster and easier. Do my employees learn better through computer-based teaching or do we need an instructor? Do they learn faster if we have manuals or would they do better with lectures? These are just some of the examples of what you have to consider when you create a training program; it is complicated to have only one training program for it might not be effective for some of your employees and they will have trouble coping. Consider training methods that compliment different types of employees for a better chance to reach out to everyone.

Set Schedules

Training sessions take time to prepare. Before training your employees, you have to make sure that everything is in order. The time it will take for the training to complete will depend on the complexity of the content in the program. Take into consideration that there might be some setbacks or difficulties the program may face. Will the program be completed after a few weeks? Will everyone in the team absorb all the information by then? Or will some of them be overwhelmed by the information? Learning takes time and it is a process; setting schedules will help your employees cope with the process before moving forward.

Develop Training Materials

It should be the primary focus of the training program that employees have all the learning materials that they might need. Materials should contain information that is linked directly to the learning objectives of the program. If possible, it should include simulations or active participation as much as possible since it is easier to learn by actually doing it. Will these exercises help in retaining what employees have learned? Do the materials help them in being equipped with the right skills that will contribute positively in the company?

Keep Track of Progress

To see how well your program is working, you need to keep track of it. Even during the training, assessments should be conducted in order to evaluate any progress. Assessing skills can be simple tests for knowledge, memorization, analysis, simulations, and hands-on skills and attitudes towards the training.

Feedback

Once the program is completed, request participants’ to give feedbacks. This is where you can see what the advantages and disadvantages of the training program were. Through feedback, employees can discuss what they have learned and how much they can apply it in an actual working situation. Also through feedback, you can see what the comments and suggestions from the participants are so that it can help in improving employee training programs.

The post How to Deliver Effective Employee Training in 6 Easy Steps appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Negotiating as a Job Seeker

ACG Resources — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTS

Negotiation is defined as the use of information and power to affect behavior. Whether we realize it or not, we negotiate something every day of our lives.

Whether it be what time our children to bed or what the final price of the car we want to lease, or purchase is going to be, a negotiation takes place.

This is especially true when it comes to the job search process.

There are several items to be cognizant of when it comes to negotiating, whether it be for a job or in our everyday lives.

Who, What, When, Why

Yes, it is true that these are the same questions utilized by reporters when writing a story. However, these game questions must be examined when negotiating,

Who am I negotiating with? Does the person I am negotiating with have the power or authority to make the final decision regarding the issues I am confronting? All too often, particularly in a job search the candidate spends far TOO much time negotiating points with someone who either may not be the decision maker, or, may not be able to influence the decision maker

What am I negotiating? Are the issues I am raising important enough to discuss! Are they really deal breakers? All too often, a deal may fall apart based on an issue that, when examined, is really not that important to either side.

When do I negotiate? Again, one of the most common mistakes candidates make is beginning a negotiation far too early in the process. Most candidates mistakenly believe that the first interview is the time to begin negotiating- Nothing could be further from the truth. The first interview, and in most cases, the second interview, are times to “Sell” oneself. The objective of these meetings is pure and simple…. To learn as much about the position and Company as possible, and, to get the employer interested in you. Once sufficient interest is established, then, and only then, should the negotiating process begin

Why? Is the issue important enough to negotiate? Is it really critical to me or is it an ego booster? Same for the client side. Is it a policy issue or is it an arbitrary line in the sand?

Negotiable Issues

Contrary to popular belief, most items are negotiable when it comes to a job offer. However, several are more negotiable than others. This is the variable that a skilled negotiator can determine. There are many factors to consider. One of the most important is to realize what type of job market one is negotiating in. If it is a candidate driven market, or, if the candidate has skills that are in demand, then many of the negotiable items increase. If the reverse is true, the pendulum swings back towards the employer.

Some of the more common items that may be negotiated are: Salary, Title, Benefits, Hours, perks Review period, Bonus, Sign on Bonus, Location/Work from home policies.

Each of these items carries with it nuances s to how negotiable they are. Again, it is important to remember to ask oneself the question…HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO ME? Is it a deal breaker?

To what degree do I want to negotiate this point?

For instance, salary may be a primary motivating factor in your acceptance or decline of an offer. It is important to look at the full picture. does the position carry other benefits with it that may outweigh the salary differential you are facing? In many cases, the salary differential is merely an arbitrary number that either side has focused on. Consider negotiating a review period sooner than the normal one. Many employees will view this as an indication of your willingness to demonstrate your ability and be rewarded accordingly. I have a saying that I have used for years in my business…. If money is the only thing standing in the way of an offer being accepted by either side, then the issue is not the money there is SOMETHING else that has not been communicated by one or both sides. The skilled negotiator needs to find out what that issue is.

The same holds true for just about each of the negotiable items. The key is to find how the employer and prospective employee can meet each other’s needs in a win win method.

The post Negotiating as a Job Seeker appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Everything is Negotiable!

ACG Resources — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTS

Negotiation is defined as the use of information and power to affect behavior. Whether we realize it or not, we negotiate something every day of our lives.

Whether it be what time our children to bed or what the final price of the car we want to lease, or purchase is going to be, a negotiation takes place,

This is especially true when it comes to the job search process

There are several items to be cognizant of when it comes to negotiating, whether it be for a job or in our everyday lives.

Who, What, When, Why

Yes, it is true that these are the same questions utilized by reporters when writing a story. However, these game questions must be examined when negotiating,

Who am I negotiating with? Does the person I am negotiating with have the power or authority to make the final decision regarding the issues I am confronting? All too often, particularly in a job search the candidate spends far TOO much time negotiating points with someone who either may not be the decision maker, or, may not be able to influence the decision maker

What am I negotiating? Are the issues I am raising important enough to discuss! Are they really deal breakers? All too often, a deal may fall apart based on an issue that, when examined, is really not that important to either side.

When do I negotiate? Again, one of the most common mistakes candidates make is beginning a negotiation far too early in the process. Most candidates mistakenly believe that the first interview is the time to begin negotiating- Nothing could be further from the truth. The first interview, and in most cases, the second interview, are times to “Sell” oneself. The objective of these meetings is pure and simple…. To learn as much about the position and Company as possible, and, to get the employer interested in you. Once sufficient interest is established, then, and only then, should the negotiating process begin

Why? Is the issue important enough to negotiate? Is it really critical to me or is it an ego booster? Same for the client side. Is it a policy issue or is it an arbitrary line in the sand?

Negotiable Issues

Contrary to popular belief, most items are negotiable when it comes to a job offer. However, several are more negotiable than others. This is the variable that a skilled negotiator can determine. There are many factors to consider. One of the most important is to realize what type of job market one is negotiating in. If it is a candidate driven market, or, if the candidate has skills that are in demand, then many of the negotiable items increase. If the reverse is true, the pendulum swings back towards the employer.

Some of the more common items that may be negotiated are: Salary, Title, Benefits, Hours, perks Review period, Bonus, Sign on Bonus, Location/Work from home policies

Each of these items carries with it nuances s to how negotiable they are. Again, it is important to remember to ask oneself the question…HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO ME? Is it a deal breaker?

To what degree do I want to negotiate this point?

For instance, salary may be a primary motivating factor in your acceptance or decline of an offer. It is important to look at the full picture. does the position carry other benefits with it that may outweigh the salary differential you are facing? In many cases, the salary differential is merely an arbitrary number that either side has focused on. Consider negotiating a review period sooner than the normal one. Many employees will view this as an indication of your willingness to demonstrate your ability and be rewarded accordingly. I have a saying that I have used for years in my business…. If money is the only thing standing in the way of an offer being accepted by either side, then the issue is not the money there is SOMETHING else that has not been communicated by one or both sides. The skilled negotiator needs to find out what that issue is.

The same holds true for just about each of the negotiable items. The key is to find how the employer and prospective employee can meet each other’s needs in a win win method

The post Everything is Negotiable! appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Find and Hire the Best Candidate for the Right Business

ACG Resources — Fri, 26 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By Len Adams, CPC, CSP

The corporate world is always changing. Adapting to these changes is important and finding the right candidate for the organization is just as essential. After all, employees are the core of an organization. They are the people who man the desks and keep the business up and running. Simply put: a business cannot run without their employees. It is evident that companies would like to hire candidates that will contribute greatly to their organizations’ goals.

Any business owner would want to have good employees. Hiring the right candidate can be a demanding procedure. When companies hire the right employee for the job, it is actually an investment in itself. Employees who fit right for the tasks compensates the company through productivity, helping flourish the working environment and culture, which is overall a positive influence. However, the cost of hiring the wrong employee can harm a healthy working environment, not to mention it is also wastes time.

Selecting the best candidate greatly improves the work culture. These employees contribute to the self-confidence of their colleagues, which can help in innovating plans for the company, propelling the company’s goals, and finally accomplishing them. There is no precise guideline to finding and hiring the best candidate as each company’s needs differ from the other, but there are basic criteria that need to be evident when screening. When picking candidates, companies need to look at how adaptive, analytical, cooperative, resourceful, and their eagerness to learn.

Most often, what companies look into is the attitude of candidates to see if they have the flexibility to bend with the culture of the company. Change is the only constant thing that is present in most organizations. Employees need to grow and evolve or else they will be left behind by progress. Adapting to new positions and embodying a new outlook are important when it comes to weathering out the changes the industry brings.

Critical thinking is one of the attributes of a deserving employee. They should be able to synthesize and analyze their surroundings and tasks. This starts off during job interviews, when they are encouraged to ask questions about the organization they are applying to. It shows that how candidates can be attentive, incorporate what they had heard to their understanding, and finally ask the essential questions regarding the focus of the business. The hiring process needs to have interview questions that can tap into how the candidate thinks. It also shows how their patience, response to inquiry, and how they react under certain circumstances.

Teamwork is nothing new in a business organization. In a place where there are numerous tasks that needs to be attended to, it is not a surprise that people are working together. Despite that the corporate environment is a competitive place, it should not get in the way of teamwork. A candidate cannot be so independent that they refuse to work with others; progress would be slow if that would happen and infighting would most likely occur between employees. A candidate that understands their own train of thought can be amplified by teamwork and a variety of ideas.

Being resourceful is one critical skill of outstanding employees. Improvising the best solution on a problem that seemingly has a dead-end showcases skill and critical analysis in the face of pressure. Resourcefulness is about improving of what is available; it is not just about constructing something new, but also make old methods work better.

Learning never stops; it is a life-long development and the knowledge we acquire is never enough. The same can be said for candidates who stand out among the rest. Candidates who are always thirsty for knowledge and new skills are known to be versatile and open-minded. A cultured staff is an essential part of a company’s accomplishment and growth.

The post Find and Hire the Best Candidate for the Right Business appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Resume and Cover Letters

ACG Resources — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

It is an interesting fact to note that one of the most difficult tasks most people face in their professional lives is the preparation of a resume and cover letter. It transcends age, education and professional standing. I have seen some of the brightest and most successful people in their own right have extreme difficulty in writing a resume.

When preparing a resume, it is important to remember what a resume is and what its’ primary function is – a profile designed to describe ones’ accomplishments and experience in a concise, clear manner, generating enough interest to culminate in the scheduling of an interview.

Simply put, a resume should provide enough information to pique the reader’s interest, without giving away the whole story.

Please keep the following tips in mind when preparing your resume and cover letter: A I D A

Since the primary function of a resume is to assist in marketing oneself, utilize the basic principle of marketing:

ATTENTION – Get the reader’s attention in the first third of the profile. If you do not “grab them’ they WILL NOT READ ON

INTEREST – You must hold their interest…. specific facts and figures to back up opening statements are in order

DESIRE – By the end of the resume, the reader must have the desire to learn more about you, the candidate (product).

ACTION – The desire will culminate in the SCHEDULING OF AN INTERVIEW Format

Name, Address and Telephone/Cell number and email should appear on top center of resume.

E-mail address—Make sure it is a professional email and not cutsey or offensive. Be sure to monitor it frequently You should not use your employer email for job seeking

Do not utilize first person “I,” or third person “he” or “she”. Instead, write in a narrative fact format i.e. “Consistently met or surpassed sales quotas”

Summary Vs. Objective

Most employers would prefer to see a brief summary of accomplishments and experience, as opposed to your objective. Remember, the employer wants to know what you can do for them. They are less concerned with what you want them to do for you.

Write in clear, concise sentences. Accentuate the positive. Describe your specific accomplishments.

Eliminate flowery or verbose language. Four brief sentences are far better than two long sentences.

Bullet Points read easier than long paragraphs

After summary, list work experience, working in reverse chronological order. List months and years of employment, employer’s name and address, title and specific responsibilities and accomplishments.

Omit reasons for leaving and salary history.

Education is shown last, listing last highest degree attained, in reverse chronological order. No need to list high school or grade school (unless very prestigious).

Paper resumes are next to extinct in todays world. Fancy Fonts in different sizes, caps, etc. and colors (paper & ink) are almost impossible to scan. Make sure that your resume includes all of the appropriate phrases and words that will enable your resume to be easily identified via a database search or via AI. It is not uncommon today to format your resume to a speciic position, as long as the information contained is truthful

Spell check, grammar check, proofread and proofread again. After you have proofread, have someone else do it. Sometimes another set of eyes will pick up an error.

Use “buzz” words. This will make it easier for the recruiter and a computer to pick up on your specific experience.

NEVER EVER EVER LIE. Honesty is always the best policy.

Do not omit employers, degrees, titles or stretch dates of employment. It WILL come back to haunt you, and can result in termination from a position. Most recruiters and corporate Human Resources professionals are aware of all the tricks.

Omit personal information (sex, age, race, political affiliations, marital status, etc.) These are all illegal pre employment questions, Therefore, why volunteer the information?

Do not waste space on comments such as “Satisfactory References will be furnished upon request” I have yet to see a resume that read “I refuse to provide references, even if asked”!

TRY TO BE AS CONCISE AS POSSIBLE. If it is too long or verbose it is almost guaranteed that it will not be read. If you have substantial experience that you feel is that important, consolidate it into a one or two page summary, and have a longer version ready to present AFTER the interview.

Put yourself in the prospective employer/recruiters’ shoes. Ask yourself objectively “Would I want to interview me after reading this resume?”.?”

RESUMES SHOULD INVITE QUESTIONS – NOT ANSWER ALL OF THEM

Cover letters should be brief and to the point- Indicate the specific position you are seeking, salary information, why you are qualified, and how you may be contacted.

Resume/Interview Checklist

Readers’ attention is attracted in first third of page

Contact information is correct and properly formatted (include e-mail, cell phone and telephone number with voice mail) * be sure to check vm frequently

Emil address should be professional,,,,, Nothing offensive or cutesy (iesexylady444@aol.com or sexgod@aol.com are no nos)

Resume reads easily and is internet friendly with fonts that are able to be scanned

Resume invites questions

Employment history and accomplishments are true and verifiable

Resume has been spell checked and proof-read for grammar

Interview Check List

Confirm dress policy of company. If you absolutely need to be in casual dress so as not to arouse suspicion of your current employer, advise interviewer before hand to determine acceptability.

Prepare for the interview by learning as much about the company as possible. Visit web site prior to interview.

ARRIVE ON TIME

Turn off cell phone and be sure to focus on the interviewer. Eye contact is important

The purpose of an interview is to learn as much about the specific opening and present oneself in as positive an approach as possible.

The first and second interviews are not the time to negotiate compensation, benefits, etc. If the issue of salary requirement is brought up, it is appropriate to provide current or past salary history (verifiable). DO NOT MAKE SALARY AN ISSUE AT THIS POINT. Indicate that while salary is important, it is one of several factors that should be considered by both sides. Impress upon interviewer your willingness to discuss a reasonable offer at a point further into the process.

Be aware that at time of offer, many companies ARE VERIFYING compensation by asking for w- 2’s or pay stubs. Be prepared for this eventuality.

Be upfront with your referring recruiter on all aspects of your background Post Interview

Always send a brief follow up note to all of those with whom you have interviewed (HR and Line Manager)

Thank interviewer for their time

Elaborate on any points that were discussed during the interview that may enhance your consideration.

Note may be sent via mail or e-mail.

Follow up with your referring recruiter immediately after the interview. YOUR FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT.

The interview is part of a PROCESS. It is important to complete as much of the process as possible.

The post Resume and Cover Letters appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Recruiting For Diversity

ACG Resources — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

When someone mentions diversity, what comes into mind are different factors concerning gender, age, race, and cultural background. In the workforce, it does not only mean to hire people of different races, age, and gender. Most businesses are now acknowledging the importance of having a diverse company culture. We may share a common interest, but at the end of the day, we are unique individuals with different outlooks and experiences.

Diversity within the company is vital especially business that are expanding towards the global field where they interact with clients from different cultures.

1. Varying Perspectives

When the workplace consists of different cultural backgrounds, employees are exposed to varying perspectives. This creates brainstorms that can result on a variety of analytical approaches and solutions based on their different experiences and methods of thinking. The organization can base what they have learned from varying perspectives and use it to improve their next business strategy. Companies can make new business strategies that can meet the needs of their customers more efficiently.

2. Attracting Talents

Diversity in organization is viewed as an openness to change and culture. A diverse business will most likely attract a wider range of candidates since it will appeal to more individuals from different backgrounds. It will not matter what position the organization is opening, but this will lead to the number of applicants to increase and the chances of finding talented candidates will also follow. Talented employees are important in a highly competitive industry.

3. Retaining Employees

Finding and hiring new employees can take a lot of time. Replacing and training new recruits can be expensive. Retaining talented employees gives organization a competitive edge. Employees feel they are appreciated, valued, and included in the organization. They feel appreciated and their loyalty and morale increase with the feeling of belonging. Appreciating diversity makes employees feel that they are valued for their individuality.

4. Going Global

When the workforce has a diverse language community, this pushes businesses forward due to its diverse community. Team members contributing to different cultures and mindsets, companies can cater to clients at different parts of the globe. Services and products are augmented to serve clients from various parts of the globe. The wealth of language paves a way for organizations to communicate efficiently as well as establish relationships and understanding cultural characteristics.

5. Leading Innovation

Working in a diverse environment can help in appreciating differences and blurring the lines of traditional mindsets. New concepts and innovation can be born from the exchange of suggestions, comments, and feedbacks between individuals. Team meetings whose brainstorming are fueled by the differences of cultures can have lasting impacts. Diversity of culture can also mean a diversity of personalities and attitudes, and each can play to their strengths. Usually traditional mindsets are contained to what is already known and practiced over and over again. New concepts are not explored. Creative minds can formulate ideas and solutions, and also have the expertise and experience to make it happen.

6. Adaptability to Change

A company that embarks into the global spotlight knows how fiercely competitive it is. A workforce that is already accustomed to the different cultures, will not have a hard time adapting to changes challenges will bring. Companies who are adaptable to change have potential to have strong working culture that is sure to endure.

The post Recruiting For Diversity appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Five Easy Ways to Improve Your Productivity at Work

ACG Resources — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTS

You spend only a certain amount of time in the office. It would be a bad idea if your concentration is spiraling, not being able to focus on one task. You would end up missing deadlines or rushing to meet them.

Are there times when you find yourself mindlessly clicking away on your office computer browser? Alright, so you start every day with a To-Do list, but you soon find yourself becoming distracted on tasks that are the least of your priorities, or just, simply, procrastinating. Keep in mind that you are only in the office for a certain period of time during the day, so it is important to make the most out of it.

Being productive at work isn’t exactly hard; you just need to know how to increase your output. That is, you either work hard and redouble your efforts or you work smart. The latter is preferable especially in time constraints and that means, it is required that you learn how to manage your timetable.

So how do you get your focus on and get some work done? Here is the list of five easy ways to improve your productivity at work:

1. Set Your Schedules

You might say ‘Isn’t this the same as a To-Do List? You know those things don’t work for me.’ Do not assume that setting your schedules and your to-do list are the same. While the to-do list enumerates what you have to do for the day, it does not always mean that you can effectively manage your time.

Think of it as a time table on what are the tasks you should be doing by the hour. The problem with To-Do Lists is that they can be counterproductive: these lists enumerate what you have to do, but not give you the appropriate time. You cannot focus one task at hand, but instead your focus would shift to the rest of the projects you have to finish.

The human brain is a muscle and it can only really focus for 25 minutes. You may notice as time progresses, your attention and focus shifts elsewhere, like for example, the rest of the projects and what can you to finish them within the day. A time table keeps track of what you should achieve or what you are able to finish within a designated time. Finished or not, proceed to the next task. This will help you increase your productivity level and get the results that you need.

Also make sure to establish a contingency plan. There are factors such as your personal life can get in the way of your schedules.

2. Have A Routine

After you have established a schedule, it is time to establish a routine. For example, what time will you answer all your emails? What time would you be doing these sheets? What time should you take a break?

Routines may sound bland, but they can actually make you more productive. You have set your concentration and your focus on a designated field or topic. Even checking your emails, which category do you check first, sets your brain to kick start the concentration it needs. Routines actually help you condition for your day.

3. Stretch and Take a Break

Think you can get more work done by sitting on that chair until the end of your shift? Think again.

According to Dr. James Levine, sitting for a prolonged period of time can actually increase cholesterol levels and excess waistline fat, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and also the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Simply put: sitting for long periods of time is harmful. Spending a few hours in the gym during the weekend is not enough to deter these health risks. In a study conducted by Stockholm University doing exercise at work helps increase in productivity levels. Learn how to manage your energy and stress levels. Try taking a break after every hour to get up and stretch. One of such workplace exercise is, instead of sitting down during meetings, walk laps with your colleagues. It helps circulation and improve stamina after a long day sitting down.

4. Do Not Procrastinate

You have set a schedule and a routine for each of your task, but that does not mean that you will have that “I’ll do it tomorrow instead’ attitude. That is no longer time management; that is called procrastinating.

You only stay in the workplace for a certain period of time so learn how much work you can do it that shift. Making time and learning how to manage your tasks, helps you increase your productivity levels, and helps you minimize your distractions. Discipline yourself to not put off tasks to the next day. Learn to do them now efficiently.

5. Do Not Stop Learning and Improving

Being productive is a learning process. It is not just about making time tables or routines, but it builds your character on how to discipline yourself to overcome any obstacle. Improving your productivity and your schedules may not remain the same; it is about overcoming challenges and hardships, avoiding bad habits, and finding ways to achieve your goals efficiently. Always keep your mind open, accept challenges, appreciate your success and even your failures.

Improving your productivity at work is not at all hard to learn. Always remember to work hard and to work smart.

The post Five Easy Ways to Improve Your Productivity at Work appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Proper Policies on Drug Testing

ACG Resources — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Career Personnel

Use of illegal drugs is dangerous in all aspects of society. Illicit drug use can cause harm to everyone not just to the user, but also the people who are involved with them. Substance use and abuse are notably harmful in the workplace. Apart from the fact that it can place the efficiency and profits of the business into scrutiny, it can also put detrimental harm onto employees. It is important for companies to implement methods and policies that are able to test for illicit drug abuse and approaches to pursue a drug-free working environment.

There are numerous companies that call for drug tests and screening for new employees. These companies also issue contracts that when they are hired, they agree to undergo random drug testing whenever it is requested. Conducting drug tests for background screening and retesting are the best methods to enhance workplace security. Companies also have to impose policies on their drug testing. Legalization of drugs can vary from state to state making the policies to need to be compliant with local regulations.

When an employee uses illegal or unprescribed drugs, it is more likely that they will be less productive than their peers who do partake in drugs. Most illegal drugs take a toll on a persons’ decision-making, reaction time, and even behavior. When companies instill drug testing policies, this encourages employees not to abuse drugs during work hours and even in their own home. Avoiding drugs will help employees in completing their tasks properly and risk-free.

Another importance of having drug testing policies is that it protects the company and their clients. When a person is hired, the company is liable for their safety. It is up for the company to ensure the safety of everyone in the workplace. Drugs in the workplace do not only endanger the user, but also to their peers, clients, and even their superiors.

Everyone can contribute to the fight against drug abuse. For businesses who have numerous personalities working for them, this is a huge responsibility to carry. Imposing proper rules and policies against drug testing help in uplifting employee health and company development. Whenever companies employ people who are clean from illegal drugs, they are keeping drugs away from the area and at the same time help the community away from any drug-related crime.

Proper drug testing policies establish grounds of legality wherein companies can justly conduct drug tests on their employees. These policies give a clear account to what goes on in drug testing. Usually, these tests are conducted by a separate licensed party, an independent medical clinic or laboratory, which follows the standards established by the state laws and government. These third parties ensure the privacy of employee identity and protection against tampering of test results. Companies usually pay for the testing procedures. Drug tests usually take place during working hours and participants are compensated for their time with the usual rates.

Company policy on drug testing does not only stop there. When an employee tests positive that he or she is using any illegal drugs, then they are given choices. Either they agree to enter a licensed rehabilitation program approved by the company and agree for a retesting after the end of rehabilitation or the employee will be terminated at once with no chance of being rehired.

The drug testing policy of companies shows how they show effort and concern in the welfare of their staff and clients. Combating prevalence of illegal drugs does not only work with the authority, but also to businesses. Through these policies, companies can implement a healthy environment that does not need substances to perform well.

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How to Manage a New Employee’s First Day

ACG Resources — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTS

The first day on the job for a new employee can be daunting. Simple tasks can be overwhelming and they can make common mistakes in front of their more experienced coworkers which can sink their morale. Of course, on the interview phase, they show a lot of promise, loyalty, and budding talent, but that should not stop there. Investing time into the first day of a new employee should keep that momentum going. New hires should have that feeling of being passionate with their job and with the company.

Managers have to supervise this new recruit to make their first day a success, make them feel that they are part of the team. These simple steps will make a new employee an efficient member of the company.

1. Introductions

It is very important to introduce new hires to everyone in the team. It seems simple, but it is essential. It establishes identity. Giving time to introduce them around and be acquainted with the rest of the team. Do not simply introduce the new hire by their name or what tasks are they appointed with. Provide background of what the tasks they are assigned to and their sets of skills.

“Everyone, I’d like to meet Jen. She’s our new content writer and proofreader. She does an amazing job at writing content and she’ll be a huge help for promoting our website. If there’s any content you want checked, just let her know what you need.”

In this way, introductions also include an acknowledgment of the new employee’s strengths and responsibilities in the team which will make the new employee feel involved.

2. Welcoming Team

Integrating new hires to the team does not stop at introductions. It is always a good idea to let the team adjust to the new employee. Be prepared not to make them feel overwhelmed on the first day; managers should see to it that the team will also orient and coach their new member. See to it that new hires are closely monitored in any case they need more assistance.

3. Set Up the Training Program

It would be disheartening for the new employee if managers would just simply toss the list of video tutorials and manuals for them to read, give them their username and password in the company’s software, and simply say “Just get familiar with it. It’s easy enough to understand.” It would seem like new hires are being left on their own and it will leave doubts to whether or not this type of company appreciates their presence and potential.

Conducting training programs to orient them of what their responsibilities are, get them acquainted with upcoming projects, and how their skills can contribute to the organization’s success. This makes new hires feeling that they are valued and confident that they found the right job that suits them.

4. Establish Short-Term Goals

Some new employees may become too eager to contribute to big projects immediately. However, it would be best if new hires have short-term goals to work on. Setting some short-term goals with new hires during the first day will make them feel more connected with the company’s own larger goals. Small success can help them build their confidence and earn the respect of their coworkers.

5. Provide a Mentor

Usually new employees are not yet familiar with the details of their tasks or how it should be done. They will have inquiries during their first few days or weeks in the job. Managers will not be there all the time to entertain questions since they also have tasks to finish. Providing a mentor can make them feel more comfortable when they have questions. Instead of wondering who to approach, they have one person who they know will help them. It can help them ease the tension and be more productive at work.

6. Share Company History

As the first day draws to a close, helping new employees understand the company culture they are now immersed in. Open up the company’s history so they can understand more of the organization they are now a part of. This is a boost in morale and can help in making new hires work more efficiently with their team members.

7. Feedbacks

By the end of the day, encourage the new employee to talk about what they have noticed about their new responsibilities. By simply asking “So how was your first day?” can mean that the management cares what new hires think about their new working environment. It can provide insight to what new employees feel and how did their team members behaved towards them. Requesting feedbacks can also help managers provide suggestions to improve performance for the next day.

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Opening Up Meaningful Conversations with Email Marketing

ACG Resources — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTS

Email has become a means for swift communication. In the world of business, it is crucial to open up communication to old and new clients. The usage of email has opened an essential route for marketers looking to invite, employ, and maintain their clients and prospects. This method of marketing has become quite challenging and competitive.

Companies need to know what their clients think and through email marketing they can reach out to the right marketing niche. Email has given the advantage of reaching out to numerous clients without the need for expensive production costs such as printing pamphlets, television commercials, and radio advertisements. Maintaining a healthy email marketing list is made in order to specifically target the right niche and sending them customized emails that fit what they want to see and what they are interested in. This also helps in promoting company reputation.

Simply sending out emails is not enough. When establishing good rapport with customers, marketers should know how to keep the line open and cordial. Communication does not mean that only one party is heard, but also the other. Sending out marketing emails should not just be about the company, but also the clients and prospects. Clients, after all, are the most integral part of business; their feedback on customer service can determine how well the company would do in the future. Email marketing should not be one-sided; it should be an attempt to open up to customers, give them the choice to respond and allow their experiences be shared to other networks as well.

The audience of email marketing is vital. Marketers need to know who they are speaking to and how these people would like to be addressed. Personalizing marketing emails and crafting them to show that the audience is not talking to a machine, but to an actual person, lets them know that they are heard and their feedback is appreciated, and are even implemented into the company. This will increase rapport and allow current clients to share their experiences with the company, which will open up to new prospects.

Composing a catchy subject line is also an important part in opening up a profound interaction. Usually, people would just scroll through their inboxes, not giving much thought for promotional emails. They are more focused in emails that are more personal. Marketers can get an idea from this habit. When marketing emails are fashioned to be addressed in a personal manner, customers are more compelled to open and read them. It piques their interest and attention. Not only that, it gives them the thought that there is a listening ear to what they want.

A long list of recipients means that there are many personalities that is addressed to. Email marketing may tend to derail with what is the initial focus due to its mindset onto building lists and sending out numerous updates. Though this is a good method for promoting branding, it should never forget to understand about their customers’ stages of purchasing. It is also important to have that appeal with customers with regards to their purchasing rhythm. Not all the time customers have the finances to purchase goods or employ services regurally. Timing of these emails is important.

Deepening the rapport with customers with great content makes marketing emails interesting to read. Great content in addition to customization makes customers eager to open up their emails and strike a conversation with their marketers. Knowing what customers want and what they need gives insight on what businesses need to promote and improve. Nurturing customer-company relationships will definitely help with company success.

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The Keys to a Successful Job Search

ACG Resources — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTS

Regardless of whether you are currently employed and seeking to change positions, or, are between positions due to lay off, corporate restructuring, etc., the principles behind a successful search strategy are the same. The only potential variable is the sense of urgency which one might feel.

Nevertheless, it is important to realize that when undertaking a job search program, one must believe that the search process itself is work. Therefore, if you are currently employed and seeking to make a change, the process must be approached as if you are taking on a part time job.

Conversely, if you are seeking a new position because you are out of work, your full time job is now to seek work

Following are the basic steps:

Perform a Self Skills Inventory and Evaluate the Possibilities

Whatever your reason is for seeking a new position, it is an ideal time to evaluate what you want out of your next position that you do not currently have, or did not have in your last position.

Evaluate your current skills and abilities

Are they in demand?

Do they need to be updated?

Are you an entrepreneurial type who has been stuck in a large corporation; or, have you been in a marketing role when you really should be in an administrative position?

Is the position you have been in one that is no longer in demand (e.g.; BASIC programmer, Switchboard operator, )?. Are any of your skills transferable?

Expand Your Horizons

One of the most serious mistakes most job seekers make when undertaking a search is to seek positions only within the industry they were in. I have found it very useful to explore “allied industries.” As an example, if one was employed as a banker, it may be

useful to explore companies that develop and market any one of a variety of products and services to banks (i.e. computer software, hardware, forms, etc.). The knowledge that someone has from the “inside” is invaluable to those industries that market to the industry you have been in.

Temporary Work – A Permanent Necessity

Another mistake many jobseekers make is to discount the value of temporary or consulting work. It is a known fact that a large number of interim positions in today’s market end up as full time opportunities. We in the industry refer to these “temporary” opportunities as “long term paid interviews.” What better way to showcase your skills and abilities to a potential employer than to successfully complete a project for them? Do not look down on temporary work. It is no longer just for secretaries and administrative support as was the case years ago. Temporary positions exist in almost every professional category available in today’s’ marketplace . Remember – “Life is a temporary assignment.”

If You Can’t Raise the Bridge – Lower the Water

Flexibility is one the keys to a successful job search . It is imperative that one set realistic expectations regarding compensation, title, perks, benefits, etc. Consult industry salary surveys to determine your “market worth.” If you are out of work, and are having difficulty identifying positions to match your last salary, evaluate whether your previous compensation plan was commensurate with the rest of the marketplace. If so, the marketplace will dictate a reasonable package.. While we do not advocate selling one self “short”, if your skills did not match your compensation, put your ego aside and explore every reasonable opportunity. As important as money and perks are, do not let them, be the focal point of your search. I have always said that all things being equal, if the candidate is perfect for the position, and the position is perfect for the candidate, money is usually not an object of discussion.

Develop A Plan and Commit To It

The job search process is appropriately named –it is a process. The process involves the development of a comprehensive plan to determine what type of position you are looking for, where this position might exist (if it exists), and what steps are necessary to attain this position.

It is imperative to know where, how and when you are going to search. As in any of life’s journeys, if you do not know what you are looking for, how will you know when you have found it?

Get Organized

One of the most important tips to remember as you begin your search is to GET ORGANIZED! In simple terms, this means you must keep detailed records and plans as to where you are going to send your resumes/marketing letters, set up specific follow up dates and stick to it!

Be sure to frequently answer your home phone or cell phone or whichever number you are using to apply for positions. Same goes for email. Be sure to frequently check and respond to messages. There is nothing more frustrating for a potential employer than not being able to reach a candidate that could be a good fit for a position

Do It Now!

No one can do it for you. As one involved in an industry where the telephone is our livelihood, I can tell you that that telephone begins to weigh 1000 pounds after a while. It is very easy to develop “writers block” when it comes to sending out those cover letters; and, we can think of a 101 contests on which to use that postage! Unless you are in a field in which there exists a great demand for talent, no one is going to come looking for you.

You must get your resume out, or, if you are employed, make yourself visible.

Now What?

You are ready to begin, now what? It is useful at this point to identify what some of the most common and useful job search tactics are (in no order of importance).

First – Network, Network, Network!

Work your contacts. Anyone who has been in business for any period of time has no doubt developed a priceless resource of contacts right in their own contact list. DON’T BE SHY! The more people who know you are looking (unless you are currently employed and need to maintain strict

confidentiality), the better off you are. We in the recruitment industry live by the philosophy that everyone knows ten people. If you get the word out to enough people, exponentially, your search will multiply itself. Continue to attend industry seminars, volunteer to speak, keep up with industry colleagues

Second – Surf the Web But STAY FOCUSED

The Internet has become one of the most useful tools available in the job search process. It makes it possible to identify recruiters, corporations, job listings and a myriad of information.

The downside is one can spend five years on the Internet, 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, and probably not even scratch the surface of the amount of information available. It is a wonderful tool.. Use it as such. It is very easy however, to quickly become lost and possibly become the victim of “information overload.”

Third- Create and/or update your Linked In Profile

Linked in has become one of THE most viewed sites by professionals and recruiters alike. It enables professionals in all industries to build their networks quickly. It is also widely utilized as a networking tool by most recruiters and executive search professionals. Be sure to put a great deal of thought into your profile , as it will be your representative on the site

Fourth – Monitor Job Boards

Religiously monitor the job boards that are pertinent to your industry (Monster, Career Builder, ACAMS, E Financial, Wall Street journal, etc) and other business and professional sites.

By doing so, you will not only discover positions, you will also learn what areas of the job market are in demand, as well as what skills employers are seeking. Set up Job Alerts on as many job boards as possible. This will keep you abreast in real time of activity in your desired field.

Fifth – Seek Out Professional Recruiters

Utilize the services available through the professional recruitment industry. When utilized properly, a professional recruiting firm can be extremely useful in identifying and successfully attaining positions.

The post The Keys to a Successful Job Search appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Tips to Regulate Employee Internet Use

ACG Resources — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTS

The internet has been a great innovation to help with communication and transactions especially in business. However, the internet can also be a distraction in the workplace. There are plenty of websites to waste time on: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, downloads, shopping websites, and many more. Wasting time means outputs are delayed and along with it, is the company’s progress. There is a difference on being strict on internet usage policy and keeping employees from wasting too much time on the internet. It can be more serious if employees would use the company’s internet connection to look up inappropriate websites and conduct illegal transactions. It might seem severe to completely monitor employee internet usage at work, but try to minimize personal usage and wasted time.

Here are a few tips to regulate employee internet usage:

1. Set Clear Policies on Internet Usage

Setting clear policies on internet usage makes the benefit and restrictions clear to everyone. Set rules on what grounds are acceptable to use the internet during working hours, such as emails, chatting, video messaging, blogging, and web browsing. Also consider writing this on the policies wherein all employees agree to. Internet usage policy should also include how internet is used productively during working hours.

2. Inform and Remind Employees

Inform employees that the company has rules against improper usage of the internet during work hours. Transparency on policies and the measures taken on regulating internet can keep employees aware of internet regulation and are informed of the company’s policies.

3. Use Monitoring Software

Regulating employees’ internet use has been sparking innovation. Software that can monitor web data without the help of managers and supervisors are available in the market. This can also minimize the effort of managers to constantly check on employees as these kinds of software do this for them.

4. Put Passwords on Connected Devices

If there are only certain devices that require the internet, enable passwords so that only employees who are authorized to use the internet can only use them. This is a way to control who uses the internet for company purposes only.

5. Only Grant Access to Employees Who Require It

There may be employees who require internet connection to work. However, create a set of rules that only they can use their assigned devices and not lend it to anybody during working periods.

6. Manage Bandwidth Settings

Only allow a certain frequency of bandwidth available. This feature will lessen employees’ tendency to watch online videos or download data.

7. Block Websites

Internet can still be used by everyone, but take note to block certain websites that can hinder focus such as social media and shopping sites.

8. Act Out Disciplinary Actions

Put out rules that covers what actions need to be done when certain employees break internet usage policies. Make sure that these disciplinary actions are proper and fair.

In conclusion, companies would always want their employees to be productive. But of course, there are times that employees would want to unwind in the workplace. Find balance with controlling the internet; perhaps allowing employees to check their personal accounts during lunch and coffee breaks for example. Remember that limiting internet use does not mean that it is being restricted. Granting access to internet for personal and leisure use in appropriate times does not hurt productivity.

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Survival Guide to Life – Society

ACG Resources — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Society

Call your family often.

Each day give something good to others.

Forgive everyone for everything.

Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.

Try to make at least 3 people smile each day.

What other people think of you is none of your business.

Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Do the right thing!

Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

GOD heals everything.

However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

The best is yet to come.

When you awake ALIVE in the morning thank GOD for it… Every day that the flowers are under your feet and not over your head is a GIFT

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Survival Guide to Life- Personality

ACG Resources — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Personality

Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control.

Don’t over do. Keep your limits.

Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.

Dream more while you are awake.

Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.

Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.

No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

Smile and laugh more.

You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

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Survival Guide to Life- Health

ACG Resources — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Author Unknown

Health

Drink plenty of water.

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants

Eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

Live with the 3 E’s – Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer.

Play more games.

Read more books than you did in 2017

Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

Sleep for 7 hours.

Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.

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How to Create a Productive Workspace on a Limited Budget

ACG Resources — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTS

All business organizations know how important it is to have productive employees. Productive companies have healthy and energized employees and they are always the basis of a successful organization. Getting ahead means that a company needs to maintain a productive team.

The workplace contributes a lot to employees’ productivity. Projects and tasks usually need focus and a clear head, but if the workspace does not give employees just that, they might have trouble getting down to work. Whether it is a cubicle or an open desk, it is important that it should be the best for employees’ health, work pace, and concentration. It may come into mind that making changes in the workspace can come a hefty price, but it doesn’t have to be. There is no need for a big overhaul when a productive workspace can be made without costing a fortune.

Here are some recommended changes to get that productive workspace for a modest price:

1. Color Theory

Colors can actually affect behaviors and emotions. For example, red is associated with attentiveness and energy, while blue is attributed to peace and tranquility. Knowing how to apply the helpful effects of colors helps in supporting the necessary behavior for work. If painting the workspace is not an option or the workspace are cubicles, using furnishings while applying the right color can help the workspace encourage concentration and productivity.

2. Windows and Natural Light

Sunlight can naturally invigorate people. Opening up windows instead of letting the blinds or curtains down can surprisingly provide changes in concentration. Working under fluorescent lights for long can actually make employees feel sluggish. Even though what’s outside the office is not a large green pasture filled with flowers, having sunlight to illuminate the workspace can help everyone be more energetic and alert.

3. Organize

A cluttered work area can be annoying to look at, not to mention it can consume time just looking for something in that area. Having a messy desk or area can induce frustration and people can actually become ill-tempered just by looking at a disorganized space. Clutter doesn’t mean being productive; it does not look professional as well. Being organized helps employees enjoy a clean space to work on.

4. Comfortable Office Chair

When working for long periods, employees should have something that provides them comfort in order to help them focus more on their work. If they would be sitting on a chair that causes back or shoulder pains or any other discomfort, it would add delays to their work. Not to mention it would induce health problems. A comfortable office chair does not need to be stylish; it just needs to have a good and practical use.

5. Good Ventilation

It would be difficult to concentrate working in a sweltering hot room. Same goes for a freezing one. Working in a hot room is also bad for computers and other gadgets. Bad ventilation can also induce a number of health problems such as asthma, colds, and rashes and so on. When employees get sick, they tend be absent more often.

6. Inspiring Furnishings

Furnishings inside the office does not have to be elegant. Simple and minimalistic furnishings can already do a great deal to boost productivity. A place where employees can take a breather or draw inspiration can already help in maintaining a productive attitude. It is unavoidable that employees can feel frustrated inside the office. A simple vase of a blooming flower, a picture frame with a single motivational word, or a billboard of the quote of the day can already provide a sigh of relief or a stroke of inspiration.

The post How to Create a Productive Workspace on a Limited Budget appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Improving Employee Engagement

ACG Resources — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTS

What makes a business highly efficient? It’s employees who are engaged in their work, but why do companies need to maintain a high level of employee engagement? Engaged employees who have passion for their work willingly put more effort into their roles. They bring joy, dedication, and efficiency to their work. Employees who are more committed and motivated excel and provide better results.

Here are some tips to improve employee engagement:

1. Help Employees Find Purpose in Their Roles

Putting emphasis on how employees can contribute to the success of the company is a vital aspect. Employees should have that mindset that they can help the company achieve success. Their level within the organization should not matter; it can be as simple as contributing quality performance to their respective departments or service for clients. It can also be supporting teammates. It is important to help employees see that their daily efforts contribute to the company’s larger goals.

2. Encourage Employees Cooperation Not Competition

Effective teamwork shows how employees get along with each other. Within a business, employees are working towards a common goal, a shared success. Encourage employees to use their social skill to help each other to attain their goals quickly and efficiently. An effective team also discards the potential formation of “workplace politics” where instead of working together, employees will work against each other. Competition is toxic for the work environment and instead of moving forward, the company will crumble due to competition within. Encourage employees to cooperate with each other and help one another where their talents and skills can contribute to their success and at the same time learn something from their colleagues.

3. Say “Thank You” and Give Rewards

Showing appreciation for a job well done greatly boosts employees’ morale and motivation. It is a simple gesture, yet it can go a long way. Giving a few words of appreciation encourages employees to do better in their tasks and it shows that every hard work is appreciated and acknowledged. Employees are motivated to give their best knowing that their efforts will be recognized and rewarded.

4. Encourage Feedback

One good way to make employees engage in their work is requesting feedback. Requesting feedback is a way to share viewpoints and concerns and also find the best solution. Feedbacks encourage employees to know what could make them detached in their work and find the best solution to increase productivity and focus. Communicate with employees to raise awareness what could be done to improve the working environment.

5. Balance Time

It is common to hear about employees becoming more and more discouraged working for their company due to constricting work hours. They have little time for their friends and family or other hobbies and this leads to employees burn out. Employees who have liberty in choosing their schedules can make them more productive and engaged in their work. It gives them more time to de-stress and focus better to their assigned tasks.

Communication is the core value of employee engagement. Efficient leaders should make time to listen to their employees’ needs and what motivates them. Create opportunities and challenges for employees to develop an engaged mindset. A supportive work environment is where workers are focused with their work and are dedicated to carry out the company’s vision and mission towards success.

The post Improving Employee Engagement appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Six Characteristics of a Strong Corporate Culture

ACG Resources — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTS

All corporate organizations, big or small, has a culture. It is defined by it. Corporate culture gives identity to every organization. To be more precise: it is what gives a company its personality.

Like an individual, a culture defines the way how your corporation interacts within itself and to the outside world, such as your trade partners, your suppliers, and especially, your clients. Culture also serves as an inspiration and a motivation for your employees; it serves as their guide in their actions within the bounds of being a part of your company. Corporate culture actually covers a vast field such as when your corporation has a healthy, happy, and productive work environment, it attracts employees. How your employees describe their workplace, how well they comprehend the business, and how they view themselves who plays a role of your organization, is also a part of it.

Establishing strong company culture is important to moving your company towards success. A strong corporate culture means that your workplace is a nurturing and fun environment, resilient to challenges, clarity of purpose, and committed to excellence.

1. A Clear Vision and Mission

A strong corporate culture starts off with a clear vision and mission. You know what you want and how to get it. Usually vision and mission are a phrase that gives your company and employee purpose. But it is not simply enough that this purpose is stated; for an organization to have a clear vision and mission, they must understand it. Each employee understands what is their purpose, the role that they play, and what responsibility do they shoulder. Employees who know what is their purpose and adapt their decisions to that purpose. Having a clear vision and mission can also boost understanding between supplies, business partners, and customers. Vision and mission are the basic, but most essential element of identity in corporate culture.

2. Code of Conduct

Apart from purpose, a code of conduct is a set of guidelines that are needed to realize their goals. The code of conduct establishes the spirit of commitment and trust within the organization. This guideline is communicated all over the company to build the proper behavior and mindsets that are needed to correspond to coworkers, handle clients, interact with partners, and promote professional conduct.

3. Teamwork

The corporate world is highly competitive; employees have to gain advantage over their peers to retain their positions or be promoted to a higher one. An organization may have competitors, but it should not be. Strong corporate culture involves learning to work with each other in teams. Every employee in the organization and their team is moving towards the same goal and they are at the same side. Unity is encouraged and should be appreciated.

4. Adapting to Change and Facing Challenges

When organizations face changes, employees tend to be distracted. It is usually fear of the unknown and what change that would bring. This fear of uncertainty incapacitates development and ability to be flexible makes employees distracted from their vision and mission. Upholding a strong culture motivates to face these challenges that seem to be difficult to win over; the resolve to realize the organization’s vision is stronger than the fear of the uncertain. Managers and team leaders should give proper support to keep their employees in track despite the difficulties.

5. Communication

Through communication, employees get a clear understanding on how what their organization is trying to achieve. It is a simple way for the organization to reach out and listen to their employees’ voice regarding management, departments, and colleagues. Feedback that are received clearly, productively, and with sensitivity to variety of personalities, temperaments, and cultures. This promotes a culture of sharing sentiments and knowledge; the organization also promotes a culture that shows genuine care for their employees.

6. Thriving Workplace

A healthy working environment demonstrates corporate responsibility of their employees. Not only should you have high standards on results, you should also have a high standard on your employees’ wellbeing. Not only through a physical and mental aspect, a strong corporate culture should also consider the thriving working environment that enhances employees’ skills and talents. A healthy working environment motivates employees to work, be absent less often, and are more motivated which is a win for everyone.

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Difficult Conversations – Poor Performance

ACG Resources — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By Len Adams, CPC, CTS

Dealing with a poorly performing employee can be frustrating. It can be complex and time consuming to make sure you get the right result – an improvement in their performance, or failing that, them being managed out of the organization in a fair and legal way.

It is likely you will meet with a poorly performing employee at least twice; the first time to tell them how their performance is ineffective and set targets for improvement, and the second to review their progress and make a decision about their future. In practice, you may have several other steps to follow, but the conversations will follow the same pattern, and if you master that pattern, you will find it easier to deal with any conversation about performance effectively.

And what is the pattern? You prepare. You talk. You listen. You consider. You decide. You communicate your decision. In basic terms, it is as simple as that.

Prepare

Preparation involves making sure you know company policy and what authority you have to make decisions; you know where the employee’s performance falls short (and you have specific examples), you’ve planned how you want the meeting to go, you’ve given the employee appropriate notice and information in accordance with company policy, and you’ve identified a suitable time and venue.

Talk

Next, you talk. You may have a predetermined structure to follow or perhaps an agenda you have drawn up, in either case, you need to explain the reason for the meeting and what you want to achieve – to discuss the performance issues and what needs to be done about them. Then you give them the evidence of their performance shortfalls.

Listen

Now you give the employee the opportunity to talk and you need to listen. The quickest way to make sure someone doesn’t engage with you is to make them think you’re ignoring what they say. And the only way you are going to get an improvement in performance is if they are working harder, better, or differently. You need their participation. That said, if they refuse to make the effort, then you can still take action. It’s not about handing over control. It’s about managing the situation.

It may be that there are some issues that you’re not aware of. They may not have been trained to carry out that particular task. They may have to rely on a third party which is causing the problems. They may have a health problem that impacts on their ability. There can be as many reasons as there are staff.

They may also get emotional. You might face anger or distress. You can never tell how someone will react until you’re in that situation. Don’t let this side-track you. If they become too emotional to carry on, take a break, but always make sure you get back to the matter at hand. As a general rule, having evidence of performance issues makes it easier to deal with any emotional reactions since it is harder to ignore facts. It also helps you deal with those who might use an emotional reaction as a tactic to delay the discussion.

Consider

This leads neatly on to considering the information you now have. No effective manager would make a business decision without having the relevant facts or without weighing the options. Performance management is as much a business decision as any other issue you will face. Staff pay is often the biggest budgetary outgoing, where even the lowest paid member of staff can cost tens of thousands over the course of two or three years. Dealing with performance issues is a key opportunity to ensure you get the best return on that investment.

Decide

Now you have the decision to make. You’ll know from your preparation which options are open to you: it may be a verbal or written warning, it may be dismissal. Whatever it is, ensuring that you have been fair and followed policy will mean your decision is more likely to stand if the employee decides to challenge it. It would be unfortunate to end up fighting a legal battle and losing, just for the sake of following the process properly.

Communicate

Once you have made your decision, you need to communicate it to the employee. This needs to be done in the most appropriate way. Face-to-face is usually best, with written confirmation including an action plan. This should be given to them as quickly as possible to both capitalize on the momentum from your discussion and to reinforce its importance. There should also be clear demarcation between responsibilities, especially since the employee is the only one who can improve their performance.

And how do you know if you get it right? The employee goes away knowing what they have to do, how they have to do it, when they need to do it by, they have no illusions about the part they have to play, they know the support they can expect from you and the organization, and they understand the consequences of not meeting their targets.

And finally, it can be uncomfortable for any manager having to have these discussions with an employee, but if you do it in a fair, reasonable and supportive way, you can be their biggest ally, even if, in the end, it doesn’t work out.

The post Difficult Conversations – Poor Performance appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Three Reasons for Having an Employee Recognition Program

ACG Resources — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

By: Len Adams, CPC, CTS

In 2013, a poll conducted by Gallup found that 87 percent of workers surveyed in countries all over the world were disengaged with their jobs. Only the remaining 13 percent stated that they were satisfied with their jobs and felt deeply engaged with the companies they worked for. Higher levels of engagement have proven, time and again, higher levels of employee satisfaction, greater increase in productivity, greater company loyalty, higher profits, and better customer satisfaction. One of the best ways to increase engagement is to make sure that employees feel appreciated and that hard work is suitably rewarded both financially and in some other ways. Having a strategic recognition program in place is one of the most effective ways to get results and take advantage of the following three key benefits:

1. Improve Business Results

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that happy and motivated employees are better equipped to address customer concerns. Staff members need to feel that they have a vested interest in selling the brand and its products and services, while also offering impeccable customer support. Around 40 percent of companies that have adopted peer-to-peer employee recognition programs claim to have increased customer satisfaction. Many senior managers consider them an investment rather than an expense. People want to be rewarded for good work and they’ll be mentally far better equipped to face the monotony of modern corporate culture if they know there’s a good bonus and other rewards waiting for them.

2. Decrease Employee Turnover Rate

While money is obviously the main motivator in almost any job, offering a pay raise isn’t the most effective method to hold on to employees. In fact, studies have shown that about half of employees leave within two years after accepting a raise, a statistic that clearly indicates that salaries and job satisfaction don’t always correlate. Often as important is employee recognition, which has proven to lower turnover rate significantly. Employees who are widely recognized and rewarded for their work are about 30 percent less likely to leave the company. Other benefits include increased happiness and productivity and reduced stress and frustration levels. A lower turnover rate also saves money, since a direct replacement can cost up to half the previous employee’s annual salary.

3. Increase Engagement and Productivity

An employee recognition program is all about clear communication, transparency, and having a solid rewards-driven system in place. Such a strategy leads to greater employee engagement, since it makes members of staff feel like they’re a part of something bigger. An employee who has a vested interest in the direction the company is heading will be genuinely concerned about the day-to-day operations of the business. By contrast, someone who counts themselves in the 87 percent of people who claim to be disengaged with their jobs will be more likely to sleepwalk through each workday while looking forward to nothing more than the paycheck at the end of the month. Additionally, the aforementioned Gallup survey showed that two-thirds of employees considered praise from managerial staff to be the top motivator.

Final Words

There are many ways to implement an employee recognition strategy and most of them don’t require a huge investment. Some of the most popular methods include publishing the company’s greatest achievers in email newsletters, using staff meetings as an opportunity to include praise, or preparing regular status reports. However, a more original and engaging employee recognition program might include an achievement- or score-based system complete with rewards and prizes for top workers.

The post Three Reasons for Having an Employee Recognition Program appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Practice Practice Practice Your Presentations

ACG Resources — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Presentations. The word itself sends a chill down the spine and you can feel your blood pressure spike. This is one of the most dreaded aspects of the business world and unfortunately All of us have to give presentations or speeches to small to large groups at some point. To avoid the panic that ensures when this occurs, it is highly recommended that you practice making speeches and presentations often so you are in “good shape”. Just like exercising at the gym, creating presentations comes down to practicing until it is all muscle memory. Almost any volunteer organization or activity you get involved in will give you the opportunity to practice. This can be from your local Rotarian group to teaching at church to organizations like Toast Masters.

Join groups and organizations to take the opportunity of practicing how to be able to quickly pull together a presentation on some topic. It does not matter if this is related to your job or if you have joined the Earthworm Enthusiasts Society; all that counts is you taking the time to pull together your sources and being able to deliver your presentation to a crowd of listeners. You know your business well; it is the difficulty organizing into a presentation that this practice will give you. Get used to knowing your material and content and then formatting it to present in front of a crowd. Many people who are used to a weekly Bible Study can do a quick presentation on a project situation because they are used to short deadlines and speaking in front of an audience that is not always interested in what they have to say. Martin Luther King Jr. did not give his famous “I Have a Dream” speech as his first public presentation. He was accustomed to preaching to a congregation every week, the only difference was a matter of scale.

With time, practice should help you be able to quickly organize your thoughts and clearly explain and display it, so your audience can understand what you are saying. Remember: practice practice practice makes perfect.

Organizing your thoughts, and clearly bringing them forth

Practice practice practice makes perfect

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Industries Served

ACG Resources — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Industries Served

Banking / Finance

Logisitics

Cybersecurity

Medtech

Startups

Retail

Compliance

[one-third-first]

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[two-thirds]

Member:

French-American Chamber of Commerce

British American Business

Italy America Chamber of Commerce

European American Chamber of Commerce

[/two-thirds]

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Functional Specialties

ACG Resources — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Functional Specialties

General Management

C-Suite

Operations

Customer Service

Accounting/Audit

Finance

Compliance

Risk & Security

Sales/Marketing

Administrative

Legal

Product Management

Purchasing

Quality Assurance

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Services Offered

ACG Resources — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Services Offered

Executive Search

Mid-Level/Staff Recruitment

Retained Search

Contingent Search

Hybrid Search

Interim Management

Temporary Staffing

Staff Augmentation

Organizational Change Assistance

Administrative Surveys

Consulting

Customized Compensation Study

Financial Services Salary Surveys

Management Training

Facilitation Services

Improving Customer Service

Legal & Liability

Background Checks

Outplacement Services

Payroll

The post Services Offered appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Employers Home Testimonial

ACG Resources — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

I have engaged Len Adams and his staff on many high level executive search assignments as well as middle level managerial and technical positions. They not only grasp the skills, knowledge and experience levels to fill a need, but they also understand the attitudes, habits and work ethic required for the right fit. I highly recommend him and his firm to anyone with immediate staffing needs or in need of a consult on how to staff for growth.

– Phillip S., President / COO
Savings Bank

ADAMS PLEDGE

Always represent the interests of our corporate clients and adhere to a strict non-recruit policy with regard to our client relationships.

Discuss all fees, guarantees, and service charges prior to the acceptance of an assignment.

Access every means necessary (recruiting, internal & external database search, internet access, and advertising) to successfully complete a given assignment

Maintain complete confidentiality of our clients at all times (our client’s identity is never disclosed until the scheduling of an interview).

Submit interim staff/temporary employees and consultants who are fully bonded and insured.

[one-third-first]

[/one-third-first]
[two-thirds]

Member:

French-American Chamber of Commerce

British American Business

Italy America Chamber of Commerce

European American Chamber of Commerce

[/two-thirds]

[ssba_hide]

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Job Seekers Home Testimonial

ACG Resources — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Len is a detailed, consistent, and successful entrepreneur who has built his business over the years on the basis of excellent customer service, adaptability, and delivery. He conveys honesty, voracity, and transparency, qualities which are not so readily apparent in any business. I consider him a good friend and, perhaps more importantly, a rare professional who views you as a person.

– Bill S., Sr. Risk Consultan

Member:

French-American Chamber of Commerce

British American Business

Italy America Chamber of Commerce

European American Chamber of Commerce

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Footer Contact Form

ACG Resources — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

[contact-form-7 id=”199″ title=”Footer Contact Form”]

[ssba_hide]

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The Beginner’s Guide to Social Hiring

ACG Resources — Wed, 28 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

It’s a candidate’s job market and, if businesses hope to compete, it’s imperative that they can attract top talent. A huge portion of the talent pool today is, at most, “passively” looking for new opportunities. This means that you can’t just post your open jobs to a job board and hope that the right candidate applies; you must actively engage even passive candidates if you have any hope of winning the “war on talent.” While most organizations today are aware that social media can be a powerful hiring tool, a surprising number aren’t using it to its fullest, or even at all. Social media can be a brilliant source of recruiting potential if used well. So where to start?

      Be Consistent

Consistency is key to developing a successful social recruiting process. You may not need a dedicated social recruiter posting on your behalf day and night, but the sporadic posting of jobs to LinkedIn, Facebook, and their ilk will not be very impactful. You should be posting content regularly, ideally daily, to attract and grow a potential candidate pool. Your “voice” and “tone” should also be consistent. Figure out how often you want to post and how you want your social messaging to sound, then make sure you consistently strive towards your goals for both.

      Be Engaging

Easier said than done, volumes have been written on the topic of audience engagement. The whole thing is liable to feel overwhelming and overly technical to a social hiring novice. It’s important to remember that there will be some trial and error, but in time you will figure out what works to engage your audience. Try out different strategies; do you get more reaction when you ask questions? Do people respond well when you share photos? Whatever you do, make sure you tailor your message to your target audience – the people you’d love to have working for you – as much as you can.

      Be Diverse

While you obviously want to use your social hiring efforts to fill your open jobs, if you truly want to get the most from social recruitment, you should try to connect with your audience on many levels. This isn’t just your chance to advertise job openings, it is your opportunity to showcase the great things about working in your organization. Share useful content, post about your successes, and connect with your future and current candidate pool beyond just the scope of filling a req.

      Be Targeted

There are a mind-bending number of social media platforms in regular use today and attempting to maintain a diverse, engaging, and consistent footprint on all of them would likely require much more effort than it was worth. For that reason alone, it pays to be targeted in your approach. Go to where your audience already is. It may require some research and a bit of trial and error, but determine who you’re looking to attract to your organization, and then find out which platforms they use the most. If you have the biggest need for seasoned executive talent, you’ll probably find them in a different place than you would new grads. Figure out the type of talent you want to attract and then make sure your efforts are targeted to reach them.

While there is certainly plenty more to creating a successful social hiring strategy, these four steps should help you create a great foundation. By creating a presence that is consistent, engaging, and varied and then targeting your efforts to the places they’ll be the most impactful, you will have a scalable and customizable process that can be used to supercharge your recruitment efforts and meet whatever talent needs you may have.

The post The Beginner’s Guide to Social Hiring appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Leveraging Numbers On Your Resume

ACG Resources — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Much advice is given about resumes. What to include, what not to, say one thing one way and not the other. A popular piece of wisdom is to list achievements and not just what you did. If you want to make an even bigger impact and go deeper than just your achievement you can add the use of numbers. Numbers can quantify what you did and what sort of value you brought to your company and what you could bring into a new job. Here are some ways you can use numbers to catch a potential employer’s attention.

Follow the Money

It’s all about the bottom line. Companies are always trying to do things less expensively for greater profit. If you can describe with numbers how you saved your company money in a certain way, you’ll be one step closer to that job offer. List your achievements, but with each one get more specific. Explain how you led a team of a certain number of individuals to greater productivity in their sales and marketing which resulted in a certain number of increased profit. The key is to be specific.

Another important factor whenever you use numbers, not just with money, is to have other quantifying numbers. Maybe you helped your company increase sales but over what length of time? This creates a fuller picture so that the person looking over your resume has more background.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock

Wasted time is wasted money, so use numbers to explain how you saved time or managed time well. Maybe you cut down on production time by implementing a more efficient process. Be able to explain that with numbers. Other than money, time is one of the things companies are always trying to use better. If you can share how you saved your company time in your specific area, you’ll grab their attention.

Other Areas

Maybe it’s not time or money for you. How you help your company may be a bit more nebulous. You can still use numbers even if that’s the case. Did you help to grow a team or complete a certain number of projects? Those are numbers that you can use to your advantage still.

You may not know exactly what that number may be. That’s not a problem. If you can estimate or give a range, that will help. If you write, “Fielded 10-15 calls from XYZ company a week,” that’s still better than not having a number at all. Make sure you’re not giving an unrealistic picture with your numbers, though. Also, consider what your numbers are conveying to the person reading your resume. Will they expect you to work in that same way and accomplish those same results? If that’s not what you want, then be careful what numbers you put down. You want to make sure you can deliver what you are inadvertently promising.

Numbers grab the attention of the person looking over your resume. Leverage those to the best of your ability to stand out from the stack even more.

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7 Stress-Relieving Interview Tips

ACG Resources — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Whether it’s your first interview or your tenth, there are always ways you can improve your interview skills. Interviews can be intimidating, and a lot of pressure may hang on them. However, with some preparation and forethought, you can take the stress out of your interviews and perhaps even have some fun. Here are seven stress-relieving interview tips.

Understand What You’re Communicating

A lot is said about verbal communication, but equally important is what you’re communicating with your body. Crossing your arms shows a defensive and disinterested posture. Even if this is normal for you, avoid it so that you aren’t giving the interviewer the wrong impression. Leaning in or sitting up straight shows interest in what the other person is saying. Practicing good posture is also a good idea. Not only does slouching look sloppy, if you allow your shoulders to slump it appears like you don’t have much confidence. If you don’t know what nonverbal habits you’ve fallen into, ask a friend to observe you and give feedback.

Don’t Dodge the Questions

Whether you mean to or not, not answering the interviewer’s questions completely or at all will seem like you’re trying to avoid the answer. Which maybe you are. Be familiar with the type of questions that come up during an interview. Practice what you might say to them. If you’re asked an uncomfortable question, like why you got fired from your last job, be direct in answering that. Avoiding it will make it seem like you have something to hide. With this type of question, if you phrase it positively and emphasize what you’ve learned and how you’ve changed, you can actually create a better impression.

Carefully Consider What You Want to Ask

In the same token, when you have the opportunity to ask questions, do so! Come with a few questions prepared. Just make sure they’re not easy, basic questions you could have found with a quick Google search. As the interview progresses, if you think of a question, keep that in mind. Asking questions in return shows that you’re engaged in the interview and are interested in the job.

Practice Active Listening

This is an important skill, but so many people miss the mark with it. You can show that you’re really interested in what the other person is saying by asking clarifying questions or nodding every now and then. Maintaining eye contact and considering your facial expression are also good ways of communicating this.

Watch Your Language

This isn’t your home and this person isn’t your friend. They may be eventually, but now is not the time to be overly familiar. Be careful how you talk and what words or phrases you use. Don’t reference outdated technology or overused buzzwords that will make you seem fake. Also, cursing should not show up at this interview. Your interview is about business, keep it that way.

Know the Company

You probably have sent in applications for several jobs and may have more than one interview. With that in mind, do some research on the company and the interviewer you’re meeting with. Brush up on that, so that you can tailor your responses to the job. You also want to make sure you don’t mix up this company with another one and offend your interviewer.

Give Thanks

Finally, finish off your interview by thanking the other person. End on a high note in this way. Additionally, send a thank-you email or card to continue showing your interest in the job. This is good manners and is also a good way to follow up with the interviewer and keep yourself at the top of their mind.

Interviews don’t have to be high-stress and anxiety-inducing moments. By applying these tips, you’ll find yourself prepared and more relaxed for your interview.

The post 7 Stress-Relieving Interview Tips appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Have Some Fun! Round-Out Your Resume

ACG Resources — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Usually, the words “fun” and “resume” would never be combined unless you were a down-and-out clown looking to do some birthday parties. You don’t have to be in the entertainment industry to enjoy bulking up your resume while between jobs or with an eye towards a job switch.

You’ve probably heard the advice that you should be doing something while you’re out of work or between jobs. But what, exactly, is this something that would be so profitable? Here are some ideas to utilize that will not only look good on your resume but will also help you grow as a person and enjoy your life.

What’s more, many of these ideas are cheap or free and put you in the path of potential networking opportunities.

Learn a Language

Our world is becoming smaller and smaller, and many businesses are expanding to encompass global markets. Learning a language can be fun, but it can also be very valuable in business relations. Understanding a foreign culture or being able to communicate without an interpreter would be invaluable to a boss.

This also shows a commitment to a challenging task. It shows initiative on your part, but only if you stick with it.

Just be sure to communicate your level of fluency, you don’t want to find yourself over your head because your boss mistakenly believed you could speak Swahili without a hitch.

Participate in a Public Speaking or Acting Class

Both help to provide a certain level of comfortability when in front of groups. Being able to stand in front of a group and express your vision or your company’s goals in a clear, commanding way, is incredibly valuable. Take the opportunity to continue to build on your public speaking skills.

Try Something New

Consider the different fields or abilities that are in high-demand right now. If one of those interests you, think about taking a class on it. You never know when it may be beneficial to your employer. Or, try something seemingly fun or frivolous that doesn’t necessarily apply to your profession. Who knows, later on down the road you may find that exact skill coming in handy, and you’ll get to be the one to save the day.

Pursue What You Love

Do you have a hobby you enjoy? See if you can turn that into a business opportunity and make some money in the process. The initiative to take what you love and develop it into a profitable opportunity will stand out on your resume, even if it doesn’t pan out like you thought it might. Plus, in the process, you’ll probably find that you really enjoy spending more time pursuing that thing.

Volunteer

What do you know? Are you a marketing guru? Take that knowledge and help your favorite charity get their name out there in a better, more visible way. Whatever it is that you’re good at or have spent time doing, see if you can’t use it to help others out. Volunteering is good at any point in your career and benefits all involved. It’s especially good when you’re between jobs. It gives you something to do and it shows your future employer that you’re interested in the long-term.

You don’t have to use all of these ideas to see your resume grow. Pick a few and see where it goes. You’ll definitely have some fun and your future employer will appreciate the well-rounded employee you are and the unique skills you bring to their business.

The post Have Some Fun! Round-Out Your Resume appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

Choosing Between Two Great Candidates

ACG Resources — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

It’s an enviable position to be in; you have a surplus of great candidates who are willing to join your team. The hard part is over and your only remaining job is choosing between them. Enviable as it may be, it still poses a problem. In a perfect world, you’d have the budget to hire all the qualified candidates that you come across. However, that usually isn’t a real possibility and you may have to make some tough choices. What is a hiring manager to do? If you find yourself forced to choose between two equally weighted candidates, take some time to think through the following to determine who the best addition will be. The plus side is, you know no matter what your decision, you’ll get a talented employee.

Hire for Runway
While you are screening candidates for a position, it is important to think ahead. Could you see either of the candidates moving up in the organization in the future? The candidate with the most potential to advance in their career with you will be the more strategic hire. Not only will you be making a great pick for your current role, but you’ll be improving your succession plan for the years to come.

Hire for Eagerness
You may want to hire both candidates equally, but do both candidates equally want to be hired? Most of the time, the candidate who is the most excited about the opportunity will be the more successful in the long run. After all, isn’t it better to work with someone who really wants to be there? Think back over your interactions with both candidates throughout the process and try to determine how eager they each were to move on at each step of the way.

Hire for Fit
While both candidates may seem equal on paper, cultural fit is much harder to discern from a resume. Take a beat to define and describe your organization’s culture. Chances are that one of the two candidates will be a more organic fit for the environment. The person you hire should share the values and ambitions of the company, so cultural fit can be crucial to a successful hire.

If all else fails, you can always make an old-fashioned pros and cons list. Just make sure that you are taking runway, eagerness, and cultural fit into account before you make your final decision. When you have two great candidates to choose from, there really isn’t a wrong answer. However, every hiring decision is important, so be sure that you carefully consider every angle. When in doubt, bring others into the process and ask them to rank the candidates against the above criteria. Once you’re sure that you have a candidate who has the most runway for promotability, the most ambition to be a part of your team, and who is the most appropriate cultural fit, you’ll know you have the best candidate for the job.

The post Choosing Between Two Great Candidates appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

4 Ways to Quickly Boost Employee Engagement

ACG Resources — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Employee engagement is something that many organizations take very seriously. It has been a growing focus among leaders and is the driving force behind many strategic initiatives undertaken by major companies in recent years. Despite all this, one look at employee engagement scores in the workplace at large will show you that there is still a lot of room for improvement in most cases. So what is a leader, looking for quick and impactful ways to boost engagement, to do?

      Conduct Engagement Surveys

This may seem like a pretty obvious first step, but a surprising number of companies are not conducting these surveys. Among Fortune 500 organizations, as many as 96% are utilizing these tools. However, among midsized companies, this number drops to just 65%. Not only are these surveys vital to understanding where you stand with your employees, the simple act of giving your employees the chance to feel heard can have immediate impacts on your engagement overall.

      Recognize Achievements

One of the fastest ways to lose the interest and attention of your employees is to let good work go unnoticed. You don’t necessarily need to build a formal employee recognition program (though that is certainly an option), but it is critical that you take the time to recognize and reward the accomplishments of your employees in some way. This will incentivize them to keep making an impact and help ensure that they feel appreciated.

      Provide Growth Opportunities

One of the biggest reasons why employees leave their jobs is a lack of growth opportunities. When your workforce does not feel challenged, they will inevitably begin to lose interest. It’s not always possible to promote employees continuously, but it is important that you find ways to offer your key talent projects which test their abilities, opportunities to learn new skills, and a variety of experiences to keep them engaged.

      Offer Guidance

Offering employees mentorship can be an invaluable way to build loyalty and drive positive engagement. Providing your employees with guidance shouldn’t only be restricted to the performance improvement plan. If you give your workforce the chance to take advantage of mentorship – whether formally through a program or informally through access to great leadership – they will become a more engaged and better-skilled workforce overall.

Employee engagement is multifaceted and complex. There are countless factors that contribute to how engaged your employees are, and no one solution will be the end-all-beat-all to building a culture of engagement. However, these four tactics can go a long way in making a positive impact on your engagement scores. When you take the time to listen to your employees’ concerns and needs and provide them with appropriate recognition, development, and mentorship opportunities, you lay down the foundation for an engaging workplace culture.

The post 4 Ways to Quickly Boost Employee Engagement appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

The Anatomy of the Recruiting Process

ACG Resources — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Finding the perfect candidate can be an arduous process. It involves a lot of investment in the way of time and energy, but it’s an entirely necessary evil. Understanding what makes the process tick can go a long way to demystifying and streamlining things, however. By understanding the clear delineation between the phases of the recruitment process, you will be better able to manage expectations and timelines for all parties. From the beginning to the end, knowing what is happening behind the scenes at each phase will enable you to react more nimbly and make better decisions at every turn, whether you’re doing the hiring yourself or working with a recruiting partner.

Phase One: The Intake

During the intake phase, it is critical to get consensus from all stakeholders. Never assume that everyone is on the same page and has the same candidate profile in mind. If you fail to have these discussions at the outset, you run the risk of wasting a lot of time, money, and effort going after the wrong candidates. Make sure you ask for input from everyone who will be involved in the hiring decision, including any “must haves” or “can’t dos” so that you have a clear picture of who you are looking for. If you are working with any external recruiting partners, share as much of this information as you possibly can, so that they will be able to find you the best candidates for the job.

Phase Two: Candidate Sourcing

The second phase generally involves a lot of research and legwork on the computer and/or phone. If you are working with a recruiting partner, a lot of this legwork will hopefully be their burden to bear. This part of the process can be one of the longest, so don’t be surprised if it takes a bit of time before you start seeing resumes that fit the bill. If you post your job description online, you’ll have to spend a fair amount of time weeding through resumes. Sourcing candidates should ideally also include the strategic outreach to passive candidates whose backgrounds would be a great fit. It is critical not to stop this phase once you’ve started. Even if you think you have the perfect candidate, there are any number of ways that falloff could occur, so even if you ramp down a bit, be sure to keep the sourcing going until you have your hire made.

Phase Three: Interviewing

The interview phase is different for every organization and may even differ from position to position. In some cases, one onsite could be all it takes to decide to make an offer. In others, there are flights to arrange, calls to schedule, and a host of stakeholders for potential candidates to meet. Make sure you have a clear roadmap of what the interviewing process will look like before you start looking to schedule. Set candidates’ expectations ahead of time and try to minimize the time that elapses during this phase.

Phase Four: Making an Offer or Starting Over

After phase three comes the moment of truth. Either you have a viable candidate who’s emerged, or you must start over. Sometimes, unfortunately, it may be both. Even if you make an offer, you have no guarantee of acceptance; this is why it is so critical to continue sourcing candidates even as you progress through the other phases of the recruitment process. If you don’t find yourself with a viable candidate, revisit the intake stage and see if there are any areas where you were perhaps too specific or where you may have missed the mark on the ideal profile.

While this may be a somewhat oversimplified version of the work and the time that goes into successfully navigating the recruitment process, it does give you an idea of what you should be focused on at each juncture. From the moment you realize you have an opening until the moment your new hire walks through the door, you should be fully engaged in this process. Be sure to keep your recruiting partners in the loop at each phase as well. If you can manage to do all of this, you’ll find that the process runs much more smoothly and you will insure against any costly lulls.

The post The Anatomy of the Recruiting Process appeared first on Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources.

5 Reasons Your Job Isn’t Getting Filled

ACG Resources — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Finding the right candidate for a role can be a daunting endeavor. It takes time, patience, and a good deal of legwork to successfully source, screen, and hire the right person for the job and any number of things can go wrong along the way. If you have found that your roles aren’t being filled in a timely fashion, there could be any number of factors to blame. The following five issues are some of the more common culprits that can cause the recruitment process to break down, leaving you with an empty role.

      Your Budget is Too Low

This is one of the biggest hurdles to jump when it comes to filling a role. If there are internal equity issues restricting your budget, it can pose a serious problem. However, if you simply aren’t offering the right amount of money for what you’re looking for, you are going to have a tough time attracting qualified candidates. If you think you might be off the mark on the compensation, market surveys can help you determine if you need to make an adjustment. If the dollars aren’t in the budget, then you may have to lower the scope of the role itself to find the right fit for the right price.

      You Are Being Too Specific

If you find that your budget isn’t the problem, it could be the job itself. While of course there is a required level of experience for any role, if you narrow your candidate pool too far, you will have a tough time finding anyone who happens to be qualified. Make sure that you don’t narrow your search too far and try focusing on high-potential talent who can be trained in any skills they might be lacking.

      You Are “Posting and Praying”

This is a very common mistake when it comes to sourcing talent. It is an incredibly competitive market out there, so talent can be choosy and companies must get creative to find the talent they need. If you simply post your job description to the big boards and screen the candidates who apply, you may find it takes much longer to find what you’re looking for. Instead, be proactive. Take up the mantle of seeking out that great talent and actively work to recruit them, rather than hoping that they come to you.

      You Are Taking Too Long

Time is never your friend when it comes to the recruitment process. Candidates get cold feet, accept competing offers, or just generally lose interest if you drag the process out for too long. Make recruitment a priority, and if you find a candidate that you like, move quickly!

      You Aren’t Screening Well

If you find that you keep getting pretty far into the process, only to determine that you don’t have the right candidate, you are likely dropping the ball somewhere in the early screening process. This can cost valuable time and leave you with an unfilled role, despite a lot of effort. Make sure that you are asking key questions early on, that you have the right people interviewing candidates, and that you have clear guidelines about what qualifies a candidate for the role.

            While there is certainly no shortage of places where the recruitment process may break down, by focusing on these five areas, you will eliminate many of the common culprits. If you have a role that you just can’t fill, it pays to take a beat and ask yourself if you may be making missteps in these areas.

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4 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Get Ahead at Work

ACG Resources — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

How do you get that promotion at work when your coworkers are also jockeying for it? Standing out from the competition may be easier than you think. Here are some ways to stand out without destroying your relationships with your colleagues.

Go Above and Beyond

Yes, you probably have heard this before, but have you applied it? Showing initiative and taking on tasks you weren’t necessarily assigned to do will get attention from the boss. Just make sure someone else wasn’t assigned to that job. Being willing to step outside your normal job or skill set and do what others won’t will draw good attention. When you’re willing to volunteer for projects others avoid, your boss will be thankful to have you and will be more likely to consider you for future promotions.

Do Your Job

Doing your job to the best of your ability will put you leaps and bounds over some of your competition. Many people just show up to work because of the paycheck. They don’t have any drive or desire to be there or to try and enjoy their work. If you come to work with a smile on your face and do what you do to the best of your ability, you’ll stand out. Even if the job you’re in isn’t your dream job, you can still pick parts of it that you enjoy. Focus on those. Find fulfillment however you can in your job. The quality of your work will improve and you will definitely stick out from the crowd.

Be a Leader

When opportunities for leadership come up, ask to be put there. Don’t shy away from added responsibility. After all, that’s what promotion is all about. This is also a great opportunity to learn the best ways of leadership. If you’re able to, ask your boss once you’ve completed the project how you did. Ask her in what ways you could have improved. Your boss will appreciate your humble attitude, proving that leadership won’t go to your head in the event that you get that promotion.

If you’re able to be a leader, make sure to do your best to cause your colleagues to have success too. Encouraging them and praising them for their work is a great leadership trait. As a leader, not only do you want to succeed, you should want them to be successful too.

Talk to Them

If you know that you and a coworker are both trying to get the same promotion, talk to them. Don’t let the tension simmer. Not only will that make your workplace uncomfortable, it could potentially ruin your relationship with your coworker. Be willing to sit down with them, acknowledge that you both want the job, and commit to remaining friendly throughout the process. By taking the initiative in doing this, your coworker will know that you aren’t going to try to get the job by underhanded means and you’re not out to destroy their career.

Simply doing your job to the best of your ability and taking the opportunities that come your way can get you a long way in your career. Do the right thing. Avoid the temptation to succumb to underhanded measures and back-stabbing techniques. Those may get you ahead for a short while, but in the long run, they will ruin your career.

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The Beginner’s Guide to Working with a Search Firm

ACG Resources — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

For hiring managers who have never had the opportunity to partner with a search firm, the idea can seem a little foreign. It can be confusing trying to determine what the recruiter’s role will be, what information you need to provide for them, and what to expect from the whole partnership. If you are considering working with a search firm for the first time, there are a few foundational things that you can do to ensure a meaningful partnership.

Be Forthcoming

This can’t be stressed enough. Your recruiter should be your partner. After all, it is in their best interests to find you the right candidate, so you truly have a common goal. For this reason, you should be comfortable telling them everything that they need to know about the position they are helping you to fill. You should tell them the good, the bad, and the ugly. Give them any relevant background about your organization. Tell them about the personalities of those they’ll be working closely with. The more information given to your recruiter, the more effective they can be in getting you the talent you are looking for. Don’t hold back!

Ask for Advice

Many times, hiring managers don’t take full advantage of the consultative resource that a good staffing partner can be. Recruiters focus on talent all day every day, so if you have any questions about the process, the search, or the market in general, don’t hesitate to use them as a trusted resource. If you’re uncertain about how you should handle any part of the search, asking your recruiter for advice can be a simple and effective way to gain perspective.

Set Expectations

Setting expectations early and often is critical to a mutually beneficial partnership. It is especially important if you aren’t accustomed to the process of partnering with search firms. Tell your recruiting partners what you expect from them and what they can expect from you (your response times, your availability to interview their candidates, etc.). Clarify and qualify as much as you can, and continue to revisit these expectations as you progress through the process. This act alone should go a long way towards helping you demystify your new partnership.

By following these few guidelines, you are setting yourself up for success in working with a search firm. Your new recruiting partners will be thankful that you have been so forthcoming and communicative. They will clearly understand what is expected of them and will be able to help you understand what they expect from you. You may even find that they can be a fantastic resource, not simply a candidate generation tool. These steps are ideal for those new to the process, but even for veterans, they are good habits to revisit and engage in. As you consider working with a search firm, set yourself up for success and ensure that you get the most out of the experience.

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3 Steps to Selecting the Right Recruiting Firm

ACG Resources — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

There are certainly no shortages of choices available in the recruitment marketplace. There are mega-firms, boutique firms, regional firms, industry-specific firms, and so many others to take your pick from. Most hiring managers receive a high volume of phone calls from these recruiters, all vying for their business. It can be a bit overwhelming if you’re just trying to figure out where to get started. While there is no shortage of volume out there, it can be quite a task to sift through the competing firms to find the one that best suits your business and your talent needs. However, with a few simple steps, it will be easy to narrow down the numbers and target the firms which will be most effective for you to partner with.

      Follow the Reputation

One of the quickest ways to discern a great firm is to ask your colleagues who they would recommend. This will help you to feel more confident in making the connection, and because you came to them on referral they will have a bit of extra motivation to deliver for you since they are certain to want to receive more referrals down the road. Whether you ask your coworkers or others in your network, be sure to find out who has provided the best talent they’ve seen, and ask if they have been placed by any great firms in the past.

      Get Specific

Recruitment has become increasingly specialized over the years. While some of the big firms still handle the full gambit of searches, most small to midsized firms have some areas of specialization. Ask any firms you are considering if they specialize by region, function, level, or industry. You may find that it’s best to have several different recruiters who you use for different types of positions, so it can be helpful to compile a pipeline of reputable firms who have a variety of focus areas.

      Ask for Metrics

Search firms employ a variety of metrics as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). One of the fastest ways to determine a firm’s effectiveness is to ask them about some of these measurements for success. One of the most telling metrics is the time-to-fill, which indicates how long it takes from the start of a new search until successful placement. Likewise, asking about their offer acceptance rate will give you an idea of how well they close offers once they’ve been made. Any reputable firm should track some kind of metrics, so ask for the numbers when you’re introduced.

By following these three steps, you should be confident in your chosen recruiting partners. Depending on your needs, you may even work with multiple firms simultaneously – it all depends on your business and the roles you need to fill. Use your network to your advantage in narrowing down the options, find firms who have full candidate pipelines in the specialties you’re searching for, and make sure you ask them to quantify their success to ensure that you are making the perfect match every time.

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4 Key Questions You Should be Asking Candidates

ACG Resources — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Every hiring manager wishes they had a crystal ball. Hiring a new employee is a big investment, and there is a certain amount of risk involved any time you make that decision. There will inevitably be times when a poor hiring choice is made, and it’s only natural to wonder if there was some way you could’ve seen it coming. While you probably aren’t going to find a crystal ball that will work for you, there are ways to tell if candidates are going to be the right choice. You simply have to ask the right questions!

      Is there any reason why you wouldn’t take this job?

       This question is a powerful way to uncover any hidden reservations a candidate might have about the role. It is direct and to the point, giving the candidate the opportunity to express any hesitations they might have and you the opportunity to pick up on any potential causes for concern. Asking this of candidates before making an offer can also put you in the best position possible to get an acceptance since you’ll know in advance what obstacles you may need to overcome.

      Walk me through your career – how did you get to where you are today?

       Asking for a step-by-step walkthrough of a person’s career can tell you a lot more than just what they’ve done; it gives you insight into why they have made the moves they made. Have they simply drifted along aimlessly, or has their career been deliberate? Do they seem to be the “victim of circumstance” too often, or have they chosen to make moves on their own? This simple question can give you deep insights into the background and intent of the candidate you’re interviewing.

      Where have you made the biggest impact in your career?

       This is a great question because it gives the candidate plenty of room to maneuver. The subject matter is open to interpretation, leaving your interviewee to speak to what they found most meaningful in their careers without the burden of an overly specific topic to speak to. Their answer should help you gauge what is most important to them and where their strengths have been best applied.

      In a perfect world, what would you do next?

       It’s another open-ended question that can help you draw out the candidate’s motivation further. Asking what they are looking for is also to-the-point enough to help zero in on whether the role you’re considering them for is aligned with their objectives and needs. Giving a candidate the opportunity to speak about their wants can also give you a lot of valuable information that can help you set them up for success if they join your team.

       The common thread that these questions share is that they are all thought provoking and designed to solicit meaningful responses. Communication is the key to discovering potential roadblocks before they can become an issue. From the first interview to the offer letter, you should make it a goal to engage your candidates with meaningful questions that give them the opportunity to tell you what matters to them and to define and qualify their accomplishments.

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Send Thanks and Stand Out From the Crowd

ACG Resources — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

It used to be standard to send a thank-you after an interview. While the practice has fallen out of vogue, it is still polite to do so. When you do, it also distinguishes you from the many people who don’t. Industry experts disagree on whether their decision to hire a candidate would change based on getting a thank-you or not. That being said, it’s best to play it safe and actually rise above the many interviewees by sending in a thank-you.

Why is it important?

Really, why does it matter? Sending a thank-you is another way for your interviewer to learn more about you. Are you thoughtful or do you just send a form thank-you? (Don’t do that, by the way.) If you incorporate personal and specific elements, which you should, it will show that you were truly listening during the interview. It’s also just one more way to show your interest and enthusiasm for the job. Sending a thank-you is just good manners.

When should you send one?

Though exact timing varies, most people you would ask would say either the same day or within twenty-four hours. You want the interviewer to be thinking about you and your suitability for the job. Becoming forgettable is never a good thing. This is generally a good time because the interview is still fresh in your mind so you can remember specific things to draw attention to in the thank-you and they still remember who you are.

What format?

Handwritten notes are becoming less and less common, so if you really want to stand out, send one by snail mail. However, if you know that the decision is going to be made quickly, send an email. If you really want to send a handwritten note, you can do both. Send an email and a handwritten note so they have double the reminder of you. Just make sure your handwriting looks nice and is legible on the handwritten note.

Other things to keep in mind:

This is business correspondence, so make sure that you read your message. You don’t want to make a fatal error and misspell the company’s name or find it littered with incorrect grammar. If you’re writing a handwritten note, take the time to write it out on a separate piece of paper first so you can edit it as needed before writing it down on the card. To ensure you’re sending the email/note to the right person and right address, make sure to exchange business cards with those you talk with/interview you. Then you’ll know for sure that you’ve got the right information.

Sending a thank-you note after a poor interview probably won’t snag you the job. However, if you did well at the interview, a thank you might just give you that little nudge that will set you above the rest of the crowd. Sweating the small stuff, like thank-yous, is often what sets you apart from the masses.

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Personal Branding and Marketing Yourself

ACG Resources — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

A personal brand is all about what people know you for. Ideally, you want them to associate you with a specific thing, a niche so that when they see or hear your name, they think of success in that area. People need to think of you as a leader or expert in that area. Personal branding is all about finding what you’re good at, prioritizing, putting yourself out there, and sharing what you know with others.

Discover Yourself

So how do you start? Well, it’s not as mystical as it sounds. Very simply, think about what makes you unique. What do you bring to your job, business, the world that is different? What are your strengths? And then combined with that, what do you enjoy doing and are passionate about? You may be good at a certain thing because it was drilled into you, but if it’s not your passion, you won’t stick with it. Make a list of what makes you unique, what your talents are, and then cross-reference that with your passions.

Grow

Now that you’ve figured out what makes you you, grow in that area. Learn about it more, take your strengths to greater heights. Do what you need to become an expert in that area. You need to learn enough, be experienced enough, practice enough to be the go-to person in this area. Your personal brand is no use to you if you can’t do it well or even better than anyone else. This is continuous. You never stop learning, growing, and developing. Doing so is critical to successfully branding yourself.

Prioritize

You know what you’re good at, so don’t let your attention get snagged by other things. Set goals for yourself that are in line with your strengths and uniqueness. Prioritize the growth of your personal brand. Do what it takes to develop it. When other opportunities arise, use your goals as a measure of whether you should pursue them. If they aren’t in line with your priorities and branding, then you can politely decline.

Share

Now that you’ve accumulated all this knowledge, it’s time to put it out there. You will never develop your personal brand if you don’t impart your value to others. Find the platform that works best for you, whether it’s social media, a website, or both and start making noise. Don’t be obnoxious, but participate in discussions, write articles, and generally make it known that you have some knowledge in your area. Use your network to spread the word. By helping people there, they’ll tell others, and so on.

Creating a personal brand is a great asset in today’s business world. It does take work and effort, but it’s not impossible or only available for the elite. In fact, it’s all about becoming one of those elite by being an expert in your niche.

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How to Quit Your Job Without Burning Bridges

ACG Resources — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The time has come. Maybe it’s because of a health reason, a better opportunity, or a lack of growth, but the job you’re at is no longer the one for you. How you quit a job is almost as important as how you enter a new one. Though you may want to go out in a dramatic way, resist the urge and choose a better tactic. Here’s how to quit with dignity.

Be Absolutely Sure

Before you officially quit, make sure that’s what you want to do. Consider the pros and cons of both your job and the one you’re applying for. You don’t want to quit your present job in haste and find yourself regretting it. Avoid that awkward phone call asking for your job back by making absolutely sure that you want to quit in the first place

Get Ready

If you work with a company computer or use a company email, make sure to clear out any personal items. Don’t leave personal emails or documents behind. The same with your desk. Get it somewhat cleared out before you resign. Sometimes your boss will ask you to leave that day rather than taking the two weeks’ notice. If you think that might be the case for you, take the precaution of being ready for that. If you are required to stay for two more weeks, you’ll need to do this anyway.

Write a Resignation Letter

This is the formal and polite way of letting your boss know that you’re leaving. It also provides a record for how you left. It’s very important that you write a polite letter—even if you’ve had it with your job—because that’s something a potential boss can look back on. You don’t want a poor resignation letter following you around for the rest of your career. There are plenty of sample letters out there to look at, so take advantage of the knowledge of those who’ve gone before you.

Be Considerate

Make sure to give an appropriate amount of head’s up. The requirement is generally two weeks. Another good way to promote good will and show consideration is by offering to train your replacement. This will help your boss and will add to your experience. Do your best to make the transition process as painless as possible for both you and your employer.

Don’t Forget the Details

If you have company property of any kind, make a mental note of that so that you can return it. You don’t want to be accused of theft because it slipped your mind as you were leaving. Additionally, be aware that you may have to participate in an exit interview. This gives the company feedback as to how they can improve. Take advantage of this as another opportunity to leave on a good note. Also be aware of any package or paperwork that is involved in your leaving.

Be Thankful

No matter how much you didn’t like your job, there is something you can express your gratitude over. Don’t lie or make something up, but be willing to give credit where credit is due. Don’t miss this last opportunity to keep good relations with your company. You never know when you may need a reference further down the road, or when an interested employer may get in contact with your former boss.

Though it may be difficult, resist the temptation to leave your job in (a briefly) emotionally satisfying way. Just being in a new workplace will have to be enough, because you’ll never know what bridges you may need in the future.

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Enrich Your Resume with Your Experience

ACG Resources — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Being employed for an extended period of time is a good thing. However, you want to avoid appearing out-of-touch or old on your resume. Instead, learn how to phrase your experience as a huge benefit to the company you’re applying at now.

Don’t Stop Learning

A concern that employers have about employees who have worked at the same company for many years is that they don’t continue to learn. Avoid becoming stagnate at all costs. Hopefully, that’s been your goal. List a continued learning or continued education section on your resume. If you were able to go back to school or continue taking classes and earned another degree or certificate, highlight that. Take advantage of your employer’s offer of continuous learning. If that’s not provided, then go with the added expense and pay for added learning yourself.

Highlight Your Positions

Though you’ve been with the same company for some time, you probably haven’t been in the same position for the duration of your stay. Don’t make the mistake of squeezing all your positions into one on your resume. List promotions and extended responsibilities. Show how your company trusted you by promotion or added tasks. This can show how your company valued you, and also any ways you may have worked in a diversified manner.

List Your Accomplishments

Don’t just stop at describing what your positions were like. Did you help your company pull through a dry spell? Be able to describe that, preferably with solid numbers to back up your claim. If you received special recognition or a reward this would be a good place to mention that too. Don’t just say what you did at your job. Describe what you were able to achieve and how that was beneficial to your former employer.

Eliminate Irrelevant Information

Industries are constantly changing, which is good. That’s probably why you’re looking for a new job. Remember that the skills you started off with are probably different from what you have now. Don’t get stuck in the past with irrelevant skills. Instead, check out job postings and see what skills are listed there. If one of yours isn’t, then that ability is probably no longer needed. Draw attention to your other pertinent abilities instead.

Play to Your Strengths

You’ve been in the workforce for a long time at one specific job. That shows commitment and loyalty. Be willing to display that in your resume. Finding new employees, training them, and dealing with the constant flux that is employment these days is costly to a company. Show that you’re a long-haul employee who knows what it means to stick with it through both the lean and good years.

Don’t let your long job history be a drawback. When you update your resume, draw attention to all the benefits that you bring to a company. Experience is an advantage. Play to that as you submit your resume and attend interviews.

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6 Tips for a Great Phone Interview

ACG Resources — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

With so many people applying for the same job, phone interviews are still something that employers use to narrow the field a bit more. Understanding how to stand out, even in a phone interview, will greatly help in taking that next step towards the job. Take your phone interview seriously by implementing these six tips.

Prepare

A phone interview is still that: an interview. You need to prepare and think through your responses like you would if you were going to an in-person interview. Make sure to have your resume or CV out and handy. Do some research and refresh yourself on the company that’s calling and who the person is that will be interviewing you. Along with that, just like for an in-person interview, study up on what questions commonly come up in a phone interview and prepare for those. Tailor your answers for that specific job. Think through ahead of time your strengths and weaknesses, so that you have a quick, easy answer for that specific question. Then make sure, just like with a normal interview, that you have questions ready to ask them.

Finally, get dressed and ready like you would for a regular interview. You may think now is the time to skip out on that step and relax, but getting ready like you normally would is a great way to get yourself into the right mindset. It’s also a good idea to have pen and paper nearby for taking notes.

2. Take your time

When you’re on the phone, it can be difficult to know when the other person is done speaking. Make sure to listen and wait so that you know that they’re done and don’t have more to add to their statement or question. Then take time in answering, don’t rush it. Try to tailor your response to their specific needs. Make sure you speak slowly and enunciate clearly.

3. Get rid of distractions

If you’re at home, don’t sit out in the living room with your kids and dog running around. Think ahead and eliminate any distractions. This includes browsing the internet or flicking through the channels of the T.V. Your interviewer will know you’re distracted, guaranteed. So don’t let other things steal your focus.

4. Practice

Just like you would practice your response to an in-person interview, practice for your phone interview. Record yourself so that you can see what speech habits you need to eliminate. You can also see if you speak too fast or aren’t enunciating well.

5. Smile

Yes, they can’t see your smile. However, when you smile, it brightens the tone of your voice. Your tone is all the other person has to go on, but they can tell when you’re smiling. So do your best! Turn up the watts and have your smile on full-blast during your interview.

6. Send a thank-you

Don’t forget this important step. Again, this is a real interview. Make sure you follow up with a thank-you. Sending one by email is sufficient, but you’ll certainly stand out if you send one the old fashioned way. Either way, make sure to thank the interviewer at the end of the call, and then send some sort of thank-you.

Don’t be forgettable by providing a colorless, generic phone interview. Stand out by using these six tips.

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Risk | Banking Staffing | ACG Resources

ACG Resources | Why AI Can’t Do What I Do: The Real Limitations of Artificial Intelligence in Recruiting

A Resume Is Not a Person The most fundamental problem with AI-driven recruiting is this: it reads resumes, not people. And in this business, those are two very different things.

Where I Come Out on This People hire people they trust. That’s been true for as long as I’ve been in this business, and I don’t expect it to change. The tools we use will continue to evolve. The underlying dynamic won’t.

AI in Hiring: Powerful Tool, Not a Replacement for Human Judgment

The Rise of AI in Talent Acquisition

The Limits of Automation

The Human Element

Finding the Right Balance

The ACG Resources Perspective

A Conversation on Hiring, Job Seeking and the World of HR with Len Adams, CEO of ACG Resources

Building Future-Ready Teams: Why Prioritizing HR Upskilling is a Must

1. Why Upskilling HR Matters More Than Ever

2. Key Areas for HR Upskilling

3. The Benefits of HR Upskilling

4. How to Implement an HR Upskilling Program

Conclusion

Boosting Productivity and Morale: Why Wellbeing Programs are Essential for Your Workforce

1. Why Wellbeing Programs Matter for Business Success

2. Core Elements of Effective Wellbeing Programs

3. Steps to Implement a Successful Wellbeing Program

4. The Impact of Wellbeing Programs on Employee Engagement and Retention

Conclusion

Aligning Goals and Actions: A Guide to Crafting an Impactful Business Strategy

1. Understanding Business Strategy:

2. Prioritizing for Impact:

3. Creating Flexibility within Structure:

4. The Role of Communication in Strategy Execution:

5. Measuring and Adjusting:

Conclusion:

Consistency Experience Perseverance Success ft. Len Adams

Employment Law Update: Key Considerations for Strategic Business Priorities

1. Remote Work Regulations and Compliance

2. Employee Classification Standards

3. Wage and Hour Regulations

4. Workplace Safety and Health (OSHA)

5. Data Privacy and Employee Monitoring

Conclusion:

How Acg Helps solve Recruitment Problems

Navigating the Complex World of Legal and Compliance in the Workplace

What is Legal and Compliance?

Why Legal and Compliance Matter

Key Areas of Legal and Compliance for Businesses

How to Build an Effective Legal and Compliance Program

Conclusion

Unlocking Potential: The Essential Guide to Leadership Development

Why Leadership Development Matters

Key Components of Leadership Development Programs

How to Build a Leadership Development Plan

The Future of Leadership Development

Conclusion

The Importance of Workplace Wellbeing: Building a Healthier, More Productive Workforce

What is Workplace Wellbeing?

Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters

How to Promote Workplace Wellbeing

The Role of Leadership in Workplace Wellbeing

Conclusion

Evolving Workforce Demographics: What It Means for Your Business

Generational Diversity: The Multi-Generational Workforce

The Rise of Diversity and Inclusion

The Gig Economy and Remote Work

The Aging Workforce and Skills Gap

Conclusion

Building a successful staffing firm

Employee Engagement: The Key to Unlocking Organizational Success

What is Employee Engagement?

Key Drivers of Employee Engagement

Strategies for Enhancing Employee Engagement

Conclusion

Generative AI in Staffing & Recruiting: Transforming the Future of Talent Acquisition

Enhancing Candidate Sourcing and Screening

Revolutionizing Job Description and Content Creation

Personalizing Candidate Engagement

Streamlining Interview Processes

Improving Diversity and Inclusion

Conclusion

Evolving Workforce Demographics: Adapting to a Changing Talent Landscape

The Rise of a Multigenerational Workforce

Increasing Diversity and Inclusion

The Impact of Globalization

A Resume Is Not a Person
The most fundamental problem with AI-driven recruiting is this: it reads resumes, not people. And in this business, those are two very different things.

Where I Come Out on This
People hire people they trust. That’s been true for as long as I’ve been in this business, and I don’t expect it to change. The tools we use will continue to evolve. The underlying dynamic won’t.