8 questions to help set your plan for the new year

8 questions to help set your plan for the new year8 questions to help set your plan for the new yearNew Years Eve has come and gone. Its a funny night. You are left with a twinge of remorse and a twinge of hope. People migrate to parties and streets with champagne in their hands surrounded by 150 of their closest friends to watch a ball drop anywhere from 10 to 141 feet, while they try to forget that they didnt accomplish brde years resolutions and set lower bar resolutions for the coming year. Truly the happiest people of the evening are the cabbies who are out in scores to drive all the partiers home where they welcome the next day with a headache, little recall of their pared back resolve which sounds something like I will not drink caffeine when the Penguins have a full healthy roster and a pork shank that needs to be roasted.Most resolutions dont come to fruition because they are merely notions. I will lose weight and I will get a new job are notions. I will go to the gym for an hour three times a week and I will define my transferable skills and create a matrix of companies that align with my values are goals.Growth and fulfillment come from self-awareness, self-regulation, self-nurturing and aligning goals with values. Below are a few reflective questions that help you set intent for the year based on realization. Maybe all is good? And maybe there is room for mindful growth and adventure.What happened last year at work?What happened last year in your relationships?What happened last year with your personal growth?What happened last year socially?What are you ready to leave behind?What do you realize most about last year?What is one thing you want this year?What is the first thing you will do to get it?Fulfillment isnt outside watching a ball drop. Fulfillment is inside you asking to be set free. How will you stop searching outside and open your internal windows to smell fresh air and allow opportunity to flood you with marvel? Right now you can move on to your to-do list. Or you can spend 15 minutes becoming a thought leader on your future. If youre not sure how youll end 2019 you are already there. Craft a linear plan on how to advance your life this year with the FREE Career/Life Plan that I give my clients.MaryLeeGannon, ACC, CAEis an executive coach and corporate CEO who helps busy leaders get off the treadmill to nowhere to be more effective, earn more, bemore calm and enjoyconnected relationships with the people who matter while it still matters.Watch her FREE Master Class training on Three Things to Transform Your Life and Career Right Now atwww.MaryLeeGannon.com.

4 ways that leaders can prepare for change at work

4 ways that leaders can prepare for change at work4 ways that leaders can prepare for change at workManagers should always be prepared for changes that come their way at work. No leader and no work situation is perfect, but there are ways to ensure that youre covered if something comes up on a big day, or massive, company-wide changes are announced.Here are four ways to be ready for anything that comes your way.Make sure gruppe members know how to fill in on other jobsYoull want to be sure that youre covered if something comes up. In other words, your team is better off if multiple members know how to handle the basics of other job responsibilities.Things happen.Never only have a Plan ARoy Osing, author of book series Be Different or Be Dead, blogger, coach, educator and adviser, writes on TalentCulture that ones of the ways to cope when the unexpected wants to sabotage your company is to have a Plan B mentality.A surprising new technology is introduced, a new competitor springs up, market pricing suddenly is reduced, government policy changes and customer demand changes without warning, he writes. The only effective coping mechanism in the face of this dynamic is to have contingency plans on the shelf ready to go on a moments notice. These what if plans are just as important no, MORE important than the cousine plan because they prepare the organization for a body blow they make responding to the unexpected an integral part of the culture.Be ready well before its critical for the survival of your team.Be as transparent as possibleDont leave your team members in the dark - its not fair to them.While they dont necessarily need a play-by-play of the chain of events, you owe it to them to be as upfront as you can so they dont feel like they dont know whats going on.After all, no one likes to find out at the last minute about changes that could impact their livelihood.Always work aheadInstead of accepting the bare minimum, make sure team members are able to work faster if need be.Say a huge deadline is moved up, or a major meeting with executives has been rescheduled - youll want to make sure that your team is able to adapt to these new demands.Your job as a leader is to cultivate an environment where team members feel comfortable rapidly adapting to change, and are able to move forward, doing their best work.

How to Communicate Better with Other Departments - The Muse

How to Communicate Better with Other Departments - The MuseHow to Communicate Better with Other Departments Does your workplace feel a little like Congress lately? Is everyone working for his or her own kollektiv and bedrngnis for the collective betterment of the company? Are you having trouble reaching across the aisle to get the information you need to do your job well- or at all?Although nonprofit employees are united by the mission of their organizations, Ive found that these issues plague nonprofits as much as they do any other type of company. While we may have one end result in mind, were easily divided by our functions and how we fulfill that mission. The most frequent clash in the nonprofit world is between program staff and fundraising staff. Program employees often accuse fundraisers of focusing on money over mission, misrepresenting the organizations work, or exploiting clients. On the flip side, fundraisers get frustrated when program staff dont key them in on important developments, making it hard for them to raise the money necessary for the programs to function. Add in the fact that nonprofits are perpetually understaffed, and you have a stressed and overwhelmed staff- which can lead to snappish behavior and ineffective fundraising and program development.Whether youre also part of a nonprofit or your company is simply divided into invisible silos that cant seem to play nice, here are a few of my best tips to bury the hatchet with your co-workers and figure out how to communicate better.1. Clarify Your RoleThis seems basic, but its likely the root of many of your problems. In my situation, as a fundraiser, I expect that all staff- no matter their designated roles- will participate in fundraising at some level. However, if theyve never had to do that in a previous role or dont fully understand why Im making the request, Ill often encounter some resistance. To smooth things over, I explain what I need and why I need it. Otherwise, to people who do nt have a lot of experience with my function, it looks like Im asking them to do my job for me. Also, its often helpful to clearly state how your role can help them in return. For instance, as someone who regularly communicates with funders, I explain what my organization does and how we do it on a daily basis. I also meet with foundations that support several other nonprofits in our field and have a sense of best practices. This makes me a perfect participant in any program planning meeting, especially if the leader is concerned about whether or not a new program can get funded.Once your co-workers know exactly what you need from them to fulfill your role and how you can help them in return, youll find that communication and collaboration becomes much easier. 2. Attend the Other Sides MeetingsHonestly, the biggest communication problem in many organizations is often that we arent actually communicating with each other Now, I know that no one needs another event on the calendar, but if youve noticed a breakdown in collaboration or communication between departments, maybe its time to drop in on the other sides regular meetings. That way, they dont have to take notes, type them up, and send them to you (which youll probably never read anyway). Instead, by being present, you can interpret the information immediately. I love having my colleagues sit in on fundraising meetings- they often have great ideas or feedback on issues that my department is facing. Sometimes the agenda is as simple as a program update, but occasionally, someone from another department will suggest a completely new way to think about a project- which means a new way to fundraise for it, too.These meetings also allow you to better understand your colleagues challenges. If you think theyre being ridiculous for hounding you for certain information or lazy for not addressing what you think is a sternfrmig idea, that may change when you start to understand their entire strategy or when you discov er how much work goes into one of their projects. 3. Planning is PowerIn my organization, the most friction between staff arises over schedules and expectations. Fundraising employees are in charge of managing proposals and reporting deadlines to foundations, and sometimes those deadlines require pretty ridiculous turnaround times. If program employees are caught off guard by those deadlines to collect and analyze the necessary data, they can- understandably so- become frustrated and stressed. And sometimes, because of the complexity of the data and information needed, it may be impossible to turn it around in that timeframe. If thats the case, the fundraising staff can negotiate and set different expectations with the funders, but they, too, need time to do that- meaning the programming staff cant wait until the last minute to request an extension. Depending on your organization, something as simple as setting up a shared calendar can help you communicate internal and external dead lines. Its also not a bad idea to address any concerns right when they pop up, like when a grant confirmation letter arrives, so the fundraising staff has more time to negotiate or the whole team can work together to create a plan B.As much as email, mobile phones, and the internet have helped us keep in touch, effective communication remains a challenge for every workplace. At the end of the day, remember that youre all in it together and that your success depends on everyone doing their job well. (And if all else fails, listen to Otis and try a little tenderness.)

How to Accept That Youll Never Be the Best - The Muse

How to Accept That Youll Never Be the Best - The MuseHow to Accept That Youll Never Be the BestWhen I welches a little girl, my pushy and overbearing mother forced me into dance lessons. Now, Ill let you in on a little secret about me Ive always been the type of person whos completely unwilling to do anything halfway. If Im going to put the time in anyway, you can bet Im going to give it my absolute all.So, personal background aside, lets get back to ansicht dance lessons. My group of squirrely and uncoordinated dancers had rehearsals on Wednesday every week in order to attempt to pull together this mess of a tap dance routine- which basically consisted of all of us zustromning back and forth across the stage stomping as loudly as we could.But, in my mind, I was Ginger Rogers. I practiced every night, eagerly awaiting my gelegenheit to soak up the spotlight and show that crowd of beaming parents exactly what I was made of. I knew that I was so far above these other spastic so-called dancers, I would surely steal the show and politely curtsy to an unending standing ovation. When the day of the big recital came, I was amped and ready. I had on my pink leotard with a sewn-on fuzzy tail, feeling perfectly polished for our Pink Panther tap routine. My sparkly pink ears were centered on my head, and I was ready to stand center stage.The music started, I pasted on my adorable grin, and prepared to strut my stuff. The audience smiled, giggled, and let out adoring ooohs and ahhhhs. But, when I looked out into the crowd, I noticed that they werent looking at me. Well, of course my parents were, but that wasnt necessarily the endless admiration I was aiming for.Instead, everybody was totally captivated by a different little girl on the stage. Well call her Jennifer for the sake of her anonymity (though, you know who you are, Jennifer). I hate to even admit it, but she was charming and adorable. Apparently I wasnt the only one who would run home to practice in front of dea r old Mom and Dad. She completely stole my thunder. Me? Well, I was so dumbstruck by the fact that this other little panther had swooped in out of nowhere and took all of my glory that I completely froze- causing the girl behind me to step on my fuzzy tail, trip and tumble to the floor, and rip a giant hole in the butt of my leotard. Definitely not one of my finer moments.So, where am I going with this long, rambling story of childhood woe? Well, Ive always lived my life with the idea that if Im going to do something, Im going to be the absolute best at it. But, as Ive moved on from that tap dance trauma and grown into an adult, Ive realized something Thats an absolutely exhausting way to live.Its a harsh reality- youre likely never going to be the best at what you do. And, the sooner you can swallow that pill, the better off (and saner) youll be. Need some guidance? Here are four steps that will help you accept that brutal fact- before you get your tail stepped on by some clumsy-fo oted person behind you. 1. Recognize That Things Are Always ChangingThe world- and even your career- are constantly evolving and changing. What does this mean for you? Well, even if you do manage to attain the title of reigning champ for a brief, shining moment, it probably wont last for too long.Just think Tom Anderson from Myspace was the coolest thing in a white tee to ever hit the social networking scene- until some nerdy Harvard student by the name of Mark Zuckerberg came along and turned things around. George Washington was our first president- but 42 others have come after him. NFL teams are awarded the Vince Lombardi Trophy- but only until another team wins it next year. So, heres what you need to remember about truly being the best at something Only one person can do it at a time. And, even once you pull that off, someone will be directly behind you poised and ready to rip that crown off your head. Trying to constantly fend off those competitors for the sole purpose of rema ining on top? Its plain old exhausting and- quite honestly- unproductive.2. Identify Your Personal BestLets think about marathon runners for a minute. Do these athletes all participate in these long races because theyre setting out to cross the finish line first? Absolutely not. In fact, most of them are just aiming to finish at all- even if they come in dead last.Instead of trying to breeze past everyone around them, marathoners set goals of beating their personal best every time they run. They dont really concern themselves with whos ahead of them or behind them. Theyre only competing against the clock and their own best time.This is a mindset you can apply to your own career and life, whether youre a runner or not. Simply stop obsessing over how successful or accomplished everyone around you is, and focus instead on being the best you can be. Let me tell you, once youre competing with yourself- and not every single other person around you- life gets a whole lot easier. 3. Think A bout OutcomesMany people want to be known as the best- but for really no good reason. So, before busting your hump to achieve that fleeting status, its important that you take some time to think about what that accomplishment actually gets you. If your only answer to that question is bragging rights, youre probably not pursuing something in your own best interests. But, wait youre likely retorting now, Being the best means Ill be successful and well-respected in my career field Sure, thats true. But, think about it this way- do you absolutely have to be number one in order for that to happen? Wouldnt you also be considered successful if you completed that challenging project ahead of the deadline or solved a complex problem in your office? Wouldnt you also be well-respected if you were always kind and considerate of all of your colleagues? There are plenty of people out there with amazing professional reputations and important legacies that were truly never the best at what they did . That number one spot really isnt the be-all and end-all. 4. Accept Good EnoughIve already admitted to being an obsessive perfectionist. So, if youre anything like me, the words good enough are like nails on a chalkboard or Styrofoam rubbing together. They make me grit my teeth and cringe. And, I think its important to mention that Im not at all insinuating that you should half-ass all of your commitments in the interest of keeping your sanity.Instead, my point is simply that you dont need to be the best at something in order to still be great at it. They arent mutually exclusive. Dont believe me? Ask a roomful of people who the greatest band of all time is, and Im willing to bet you get tons of different answers. Because, in the end, the title of best is really quite subjective. So, yes, you can still take immense pride in your skills and work, without having a shiny trophy or accolade to hold high above your head. In fact, I encourage you to do so. Its human nature to crave that top spot that earns you the title of most successful and most accomplished. But, setting being the best as your sole aim in your life and career is a surefire way to drive yourself straight into the ground. So, use these four steps to help you stop obsessing over being the best of everybody, and instead focus on being the best version of yourself. Take it from me- being the second cutest tap dancer on the stage really doesnt end that poorly.

Barista Resume Skills - an in Depth Anaylsis on What Works and What Doesnt

Barista Resume Skills - an in Depth Anaylsis on What Works and What Doesnt State the position youre seeking followed by the outcomes you would love to bring. By way of example, during the interview, the hiring manager might even ask you to earn a drink immediately If that is true in where you are, make certain to include your certifications on your resume. The skills section in a barista resume is given lots of attention by many employers that are seeking to employ the most suitable individual. The sole difference is that many of the drinks youre going to be making are very hot Go in the shop and get to understand what the other baristas are like, how the business presents itself, and what items they provide. If you presently have experience in the coffee industry youre ready to go and the sole thing which should worry you is the wording of your abilities and experience and how you portray them. Baristas are the ones accountable for making the greatest coffee-based drinks, a s well as the ones providing us with amazing customer support. Craft your cover letter the way that you would the ideal cappuccino with the ideal quantity of finesse. Make certain you know the differences so that you may leid only brew them well, but in addition make recommendations to customers. Barista should take into consideration preferences of visitors and advise the selection or blend that best meets the requirements of the customer. By the way, if being a barista is an upcoming ambition then participating in these kinds of activities now will go a very long way toward assisting you to fulfill your aspiration someday of being a true barista. Secondly, you should understand the significance of grind size for different brew techniques and extraction. Throughout the following article, you will be supplied with two barista cover letter samples which youll be in a position to utilize in order to make your own. The expert barista cover letter sample that follows will offer y ou a good idea of where to begin. See the sample bullets below to find a better idea. What Barista Resume Skills Is - and What it Is Not Soft skills are more difficult to teach than hard abilities, and that means you may not think about developing them. If youve got these general abilities, youre boost your marketability. Technical skills are either something youve got or you dont, but theyre always something which youre able to learn. Not bow hunting abilities or nunchuck abilities. Among these other skills is friendliness and the capability to work with the general public in a professional method. A candidates capability to be friendly and sociable with customers ought to be highlighted. An outstanding expert Barista resume, including this example, will incorporate a range of impressive professional skills your employer is searching for in a candidate. Be certain to emphasize communication abilities and previous experience to allow it to be obvious you are the very best candidate for the position. Paying attention to the specifics of orders is a significant part of your work and one which matters to the total level of your work. There isnt any way that you are able to be successful at what you do if youre not customer service-oriented. Adapting your resume You should write a new resume for each and every job that you apply for, or you may just change sections of it to make it even more personal, like mentioning the name of the business that you wish to work for or changing a number of the skills so they meet their requirements. Reply to a certain job offer. Lies Youve Been Told About Barista Resume Skills Naturally, starting your resume with personal information is a necessity. With LinkedIn, you can place your resume online, keep it current, and show off your abilities. In the event youre keeping your resume online, we recommend that you simply send your address upon getting in touch with possible future employers. The response to the s econd is not quite as straightforward. The success of a coffee shop isnt merely contingent on the grade of the espresso but in addition on the experience. Or maybe youve attended coffee tasting classes at a neighborhood coffee shop. Working in a restaurant or coffee shop demands exceptional hospitality and client service abilities. Working in a laid-back coffee shop atmosphere might seem to be a stress-free, relaxing job, but it requires a lot of work supporting the counter to be a thriving barista. Whether its because of the high degree of caffeine found in coffee or some individuals just arent themselves in the early hours, but the job of a Barista can be exceedingly stressful. You do not need to include different details from previous work that dont have any relevance to turning into a Barista. A Barista is similar to a bartender. A superb Barista is not only somebody who knows how to create decent espresso.

Is Salary Information Like Catnip For Job Seekers - Spark Hire

Is Salary Information Like Catnip For Job Seekers - Spark HireIn this tough job market, salary information can be a welcome sight. It makes a job feel more real. A concrete number also lets job seekers know whether they can afford to apply for the job, or not. This can save everyone some time but there are certainly also cons to divulging salary information in a job posting, especially if the salary is substantial. The chart below illustrates just such a predicamentSo, as a human resources manager, how do you sort out the wackos from the worthwhile candidates? Furthermore, do the drawbacks of stating salary in a job posting outweigh the benefits?First of all, it is true that a nice, high salary can attract a larger number of both qualified and unqualified applicants. The good nachrichten is that this is a good problem to have. The better news is that new technologies, like video interviews, make sifting through a large number of applicants even easier. While recruiting software might help weed out under-qualified applicants at the resume stage, one-way video interviews can make your early interview rounds much faster. You can go through ten one-way video interviews in the time that it takes to do one phone interviewwackos watch outThe dilemma outlined in this chart isnt a problem at all, of course, if you choose not to include salary information in your job posting. There are certain advantages to this. First of all, you will likely receive fewer applicants. Second, the applicants who do apply will likely do so out of genuine interest in the job since no salary figure is there to tempt them. Keeping salary information private can also help keep competitors from out-bidding you on the job market.With all of this in mind, striking some kind of compromise seems like a good idea. There are a couple of ways to do this. One solution is to indicate a salary range in your job posting, instead of a concrete dollar figure. This allows qualified applicants to have hope of a higher salary, while allowing you the freedom to name a lower one.Another solution is to not divulge the salary of the position until the first interview. A video interview would be a great place to name a salary range. This keeps the information private from your competitors and helps guard against wackos who are only applying because of the posted salary. However, divulging the salary range early allows candidates to opt out sooner, if it turns out that they cant afford to take the job. This saves everyone some valuable time.Do you usually advertise salary in your job postings? Vote yes or no below, and spark a conversationIMAGE Courtesy of resources.dice.com

Firing people What you do versus how you do it

Firing people What you do versus how you do itFiring people What you do versus how you do itThere sure is a lot of angry talk about firing people unterstellung days.I try to stay away from the raging emotion, ideology, and irrationality of politics.But I feel compelled to comment on one claim that I keep encountering - one sometimes stated openly and sometimes implied - about firing practices in the private sector that is distorted, misguided, and often downright wrong.Heres the alleged lesson that bugs meThe practice we see in Washington of firing people in sudden, impersonal, and often humiliating ways is sometimes portrayed as a reflection of how things are done and OUGHT to be done in real businesses.I beg to differ.Yes, there are often good reasons that people ought to be removed from their jobs. Yet(at least outside of politics) both the research evidence and wisdom from skilled leaders suggests that firing people in humaneand caring ways is best for the organization, the peop le doing the firing, and those who are sent packing.InThe Ahole Survival Guide, I quote veteran senior executive and venture capitalistMichael Dearingon this point.Michael has fired quite a few people over the years.It was part of his job as a senior executive at companies including Filenes Basement in Boston and eBay in Silicon Valley, and as co-founder and CEO of a chain of shoe stores in Los Angeles that went out of business.Now, as an early stage venture capitalist atHarrisonMetal,he sometimes has to remove CEOs or pull funding from the startups he invests in for business reasons. BUT, as Michael puts it, there is a difference between what you do, and how you do it.Michaels goal is to fire people in the most dignified and civilized way, to treat the person with respect, to thank them for their efforts and accomplishments, and often, to help them find a new job that is well-suited to their talents.Michael treats them with dignity both because he is a caring person and it is in hi s best interests as a hardcore capitalist.Michaels experience dovetails with lessons the I learned early inmyacademiccareer, when my research focused on the processes of organizational decline and death.I studied how humaneleaders implemented tough decisions such as firing, layoffs, and closures.I discuss such lessons inGood Boss, Bad Bossand in this McKinseyinterview and video.In short, the four hallmarks of leaders who do firings or layoffs well areThey give affected people as muchpredictionabout how the process will unfold which protects them from unpleasant surprises, helps free them from being in a constant state of fear, and allows them to plan their lives.They createunderstandingby explainingwhythedecisionwas made to people who are sent packing and to their surviving colleagues.They help fired people exercisecontrolover how and when they leave.They might, for example, give people a say over the wording of the announcement to their colleagues or the press. Or they might allow them to decide whether to leave immediately or stay around for a few days. Their goal is to do little things that enable people to feel less helpless or ashamed about losing their jobs.Above all, leaders expresscompassionto the person who is being fired and when they discuss the person with others.Rather than bad-mouthing people they fire, smart bosses usually do the opposite.Venture capitalist and former CEO Ben Horowitz wrote alovely pieceon how to do layoffs that captures what a humane firing process looks like prediction, understanding, and control are evident throughout.This paragraph explains what compassionate leaders do during layoffsBe present. Be visible. Be engaging. People want to see you. They want to see whether or leid you care. The people who you laid off will want to know if they still have a relationship with you and the company. Talk to people. Help them carry their things to their car. Let them know that you appreciate their efforts.Ben is talking about layoffs done to cut costs a humane compassionate process may take different forms when a single person is fired for poor performance or unsavory behavior. But treating people with as much dignity and respect as possible, while doing the dirty work that must be done, remains the guiding principle.There are at least five rational reasons why treating people with dignity is good for your organization and for you.1.Ripple effectsTreating fired people with respect rather than disdain dampens the fears of employees who remain.Employees know that, down the road, they may be sent packing too, and often think, or even say, when a colleague is canned I wonder if I am next or But for the grace of god go I.When they see that colleagues are treated with dignity in the process, it amplifies their psychological safety and confidence in you as a reasonable and sane leader.And the resulting dampening of their fear, anger, and anxiety helps them concentrate on doing their jobs and to feel good about going th e extra mile for you and the organization- and makes them less likely to start looking for another job.2. ReplacementsIf you are firing a person that you need to replace, by treating them with dignity, you are less likely to scare away strong candidates for the position especially internal candidates who see your civilized firing style first hand.But if you treat fired people like dirt, word will spread (including to external candidates), and they may well decide against taking a job that may end in ugly insults and humiliation.3. Candidate poolMore generally, if your organization develops a reputation for cruelty and vindictiveness in its firing process, word will spread (by word of mouth, social media, and especially at sites where employees provide anonymous evaluations of employers such asGlassdoor), and will drive away strong candidates for all positions.4. Revenge and litigationBy treating the people that you fire with dignity in the process, they are less likely to become an gry and vindictive former employees who sue your company (and you) and bad mouth you to others.Much as I have seen with Michael Dearing and other compassionate leaders, the people you fire with dignity may even thank you, remain loyal to you, and say good things about you and your organization.5. Your day may comeFinally, if you have belittled, bad-mouthed, and otherwise disrespected the people that you fire, you ought to worry about what will happen when the tables are turned- when the day comes that you get fired.Colleagues who have watched your nasty ways over the years may not be able to resist giving you a taste of your own medicine.But if you have treated others well, they are likely to return the favor inkind,and help you preserve your sanity and dignity in the process.Sure, there are instances when instant firings make sense.An abrupt firing might be wise if an employee commits such an awful or unethical act that you want to send the message that some behaviors will not be t olerated.But beware of using moral outrage as an excuse for your rash, stupid, and mean-spirited actions.AsGeorgetown Universitys Christine Porathsuggests, you are especially prone to treat people like dirt if you wield power over them, feel rushed, or are exhausted.If any or all of these pressures are at play, beware that an incompetent, lazy, or mean-spirited employee is especially likely to unleash your inner jerk.AsDr. Jerome Groopmanput it, sometimes the best advice is Dont just do something, stand there. Slow down and imagine that it is a few days later - and you are knee-deep in a sh-tshow that youve created with your impulsive, insulting, and humiliating actions. Sometimes imaging an ugly future can spare you the pain of having to live in it.P.S.A slightly different version of this piece first appeared in mynewsletter.Thisarticlefirst appeared on LinkedIn.

August 2017 Jobs Report

August 2017 Jobs ReportAugust 2017 Jobs ReportAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employers added 156,000 jobs last month, which is below many analysts expectations. And revised numbers from the BLS for June and July show that 41,000 fewer positions were created than previously reported. But the employment market remains robust. Looking at the broader trend, payrolls have expanded by more than 1.4 million jobs since the start of 2017, averaging nearly 176,000 new positions per month.Among the biggest contributors to last months job gains were businesses in the professional and business services sector, which added 40,000 jobs. Manufacturing grew by 36,000 positions. And healthcare continues to expand, adding 20,000 jobs in August.The overall unemployment tarif increased slightly to 4.4 percent in August, up from 4.3 percent in July. The unemployment rate for college-degreed workers who are 25 or older - the most sought-after candidates - held steady at 2.4 percent

Candidate Selection Tips

Candidate Selection TipsCandidate Selection TipsThe candidate selection process isnt easy - just ask those trying to fill in-demand positions such as data scientist or web developer.Not all tech positions are as challenging to fill, but no matter what job youre hiring for there comes a point in the candidate selection process when you have to make your top choices for an in-person interview.Here are some candidate selection tips to narrow the field down to the top three IT candidates1. Tally up their qualifications. The job description in the employment ad should list all the required and preferred qualifications the applicant should possess use that as a guideline for candidate selection. Make a list of the educational level, years of experience and technical skills needed for the open position. Review the applicants materials alongside your list, and check off all the must-haves and nice-to-haves that each person fulfills. This process will leave you with a clear visual representa tion of the most qualified IT candidates, based on their applications. Take the top 40 or 50 percent of IT candidates from that list.2. Assess their soft skills. Todays IT professionals need mora than technical abilities to succeed in their jobs. So, the next step in your candidate selection process should be a preliminary evaluation of the applicants nontechnical abilities. You wont be able to get a full picture of a potential hires interpersonal skills from words on paper, of course. But one thing you can assess is the all-important written communication skill.Are both the cover letter and resume well organized and easy to read? Are they free of typos and other errors? Poorly written applications show a lack of attention to detail (and could be an indicator of how IT candidates might approach their technical work). Also, did the applicant address the letter to you personally, even though your anthroponym wasnt on the job posting? This could demonstrate initiative.A cover letters c ontent and overall tone also can shed some insight as to whether a candidate would be a good fit for your corporate culture. Is the letter stiff and formulaic, or is it appropriately respectful and engaging? After reading it, do you have a better picture of the person who might become your employee?3. Examine their work history. Pay close attention to resume red flags, such as how long a candidate has held previous positions. You want employees who are driven to succeed, but a history of job-hopping every six months could be a sign that a candidate is undependable or unable to commit.Also, take note of any extended periods of unemployment, but dont assume the worst. There are many valid personal and professional reasons why a technology candidate has one or more lengthy gaps in their full-time work history. Just consider how uncertain working in tech can be Its possible an IT professional simply had a run of bad luck working for startups that never took off. So, be sure to give othe rwise stellar IT candidates a chance to explain any significant employment gaps.4. Make anfangsbuchstabe contact. Once youve whittled the list of potential hires to less than 10, reach out to each applicant through a phone screen interview. Schedule these interviews via email to get an idea of their response time as well as another look at their communication style.One hiring trend is to conduct a phone interview without advance notice, but this tactic isnt really fair to IT candidates. You dont want to write off qualified applicants just because you catch them at a bad time and they arent fully prepared to speak with you.During the phone interview, pay attention to how candidates present themselves. Do they seem engaged? Is their tone enthusiastic and friendly? Do you get the sense that they have a personality that would complement your team?Also, be sure to keep the questions consistent across phone interviews so you can easily compare the responses of all the IT candidates youre considering.By following these four steps, you can make the IT candidate selection process easier. Once you narrow down the field of applicants to the top three IT specialists, youll invite them for in-person interviews.Being systematic about the candidate selection process can help avoid a bad hire, and puts you on the path to finding the right team member to help your organization innovate and grow.Hiring? We can helpREQUEST IT PROSThis post has been updated to reflect more current information.