Labor Day is over. You can start to feel a slight nip in the breeze. People are closing up their pools, putting away their lawn furniture and openly talking about plans for Thanksgiving. And school’s back in session – a blessing and a curse to working parents. A blessing because it will no longer be… Read more »
Remember story problems from math class? You’d learn about a concept (say fractions), then after doing a bunch of rote practice equations, you’d eventually graduate to word problems: “You have six bananas and Sally took half. How many bananas do you have now?” Behavioral interview questions are like the story problems of the job search… Read more »
Social media has become a big part of the career-building process. Almost all job search activity now happens online, with much of the action expanding from websites like Indeed or Monster to places like Facebook, Twitter and, of course, LinkedIn. This last hub represents the main beachhead for the social-media takeover of the job-search process.… Read more »
Relationship building is key to any business. It’s true for sales. It’s true for networking. And it’s true with your staffing agency. This last one might seem counterintuitive. After all, your staffing agency gets paid when you do. The “relationship” is fixed around getting you a placement. What’s there to develop? But working with a… Read more »
If you find a good temp, it can be hard to see them go at the end of their assignment. Once you have a temporary employee that does a good job and fits in well with your team, saying “goodbye” can leave you wondering if there was an opportunity for them to grow with your… Read more »
Flint, Michigan, has a hard scrabble reputation. From Roger & Me to the water crisis, when the national media turns its attention to Flint, it tends to characterize the city as an example of economic turmoil in de-industrializing America. But the city is much more than that. Without downplaying the challenges that have marked the… Read more »
Managing a workforce is challenging under any circumstances. Temp workers provide a special challenge. Temps add a lot of value, allowing more flexibility and helping to keep costs under control. However, they can exist outside the normal rhythms of hiring and onboarding. Added turnover, uncertain schedules and nonstandard training procedures can make it difficult to… Read more »
You scoured the web and found the perfect job opening. You re-taught yourself how to iron a shirt and managed not to sweat through it during the first interview. Something must have gone right, because they’ve called you back for a second meeting. Now what? First off, congratulate yourself. Even if you don’t end up… Read more »
Technology long ago took over the workplace. You use it in almost any aspect of business – probably to such an extent that you’ve stopped thinking about it as “technology.” Now, it’s just the tools you work with. You use computers to facilitate the sales process, drive efficiency and to improve production. But one aspect… Read more »
You’ve made it to the final job search stage: the offer. After slogging through unemployment limbo, enduring the ego-shrinking ordeals of the job search process and overcoming your insecurities during the interview, you’re finally at the finish line. But just before you cross, there’s a few things to consider. Not all opportunities are created equal.… Read more »