It is beginning to feel a lot like… the holiday season.
No, I don’t just mean the peppermint mochas, Christmas cookies, and holiday lights; I mean it is starting to feel like the holiday season at work.
Meaning—Distraction city.
Between ugly sweaters, office parties, and secret Santa exchanges, it is hard to feel focused at work this time of year.
So, how do youstay on task during the holiday season? Because, let’s face it, even though this time of year can be enjoyable, you still have a job to do.
Well, here are a few tips on how to stay productive:
Separate work and personal tasks
We all know those people who wait until the last minute to do their holiday shopping. The stress of not knowing what to get for someone, wondering if your Amazon package will get here on time, or if your Aunt Bertha will behave at the annual family get-together. All of these stresses can cloud your mind when you are in the workplace. This is why it is important to separate the two: work tasks and personal tasks.
When you are at work, focus on work. I know this is easier said than done, but when you alleviate your mind of all the outside distractions, it allows your brain to better focus on the tasks at hand.
Be Organized!
It can be hard to keep track of everything that needs to get done during this time of year. So, get all your tasks out of your head and put them on paper. Take a pen and notepad and outline the things you need to accomplish at work before you go on vacation, or before the end of the year.
Once you have a list of the important things that need to get done, create a schedule that outlines that to-do list, so it becomes more manageable.
This way, you have a written reminder of what you need to do for work and when it needs to be done by, to keep you on the right track.
Prioritize
Work on one project at a time and prioritize which are the most important. Don’t be afraid if you need to ask someone for assistance. Keeping your mind focused on one task at a time will make it easier to be efficient and productive.
BEWARE… Distractions!
Distractions are everywhere, holiday time or not. But you need to recognize when the distractions start becoming harmful to your workflow.
Find something that helps you to stay focused. This could mean closing your office door, playing music on your headphones, or sitting in a quiet-secluded space. Whatever you can do to push out those distractions and make the most of your time at the office.
Don’t stretch yourself too thin
Whether it be work life or personal, DO NOT over commit. Balance your work obligations with your holiday activities. Sometimes this means saying no. You want to maintain a good work-life balance, and if that means you can’t attend your friend Sarah’s gingerbread house competition, then IT IS OKAY. No one can be in ten places at once. When you are overloaded, this can lead to stress which ultimately can lead to diminished productivity at work.
Take time to recharge
Yes, this is the the season of giving, BUT it is also imperative to take care of your personal well-being.
Exercising is a great way to release all the stresses of the day. When you exercise, your body releases neurochemicals called endorphins, which are proven to elevate your overall mood.
If you can’t make it to a gym, try going for a walk around the park during your lunch break, or even take the stairs instead of an elevator in your office. Anything that gets you up and on your feet.
It is also important to take care of your mental health. Try meditation, yoga, or mindful breathing. These methods can help better focus your mind and bring it to a calm state, so you do not feel overwhelmed.
And most importantly, make sure you are getting enough sleep. There is no need to stay up watching holiday infomercials until the wee hours of the morning or trying to squeeze in last minute gift wrapping; it will all be there tomorrow. You need to let your brain rest, relax and recharge. Try and get at least 6-8 hours of sleep per night so you can take on the next day.
You did it! After sending resume after resume to countless job openings, and receiving what felt like endless negative responses, you finally got that call for an interview.
You sit there with a smile on your face, and a sense of pride washes over you. “Finally, someone wants me,” you say to yourself.
But, it is not long after that the excitement turns to anxiety. You start to think about how you are going to sell yourself and how to make a good impression.
Don’t worry! You are not alone!
The interview process can be scary and intimidating, and it takes preparation! This can be hard to tackle alone. What do I need to say? How do I need to dress? What if I don’t know how to answer a question?
This is why you are here, reading this article, and we at Friday Services are here to help. So, take a deep breath, and focus on these main things:
1. Do your research!
Before you go in to the company, do as much research as you can. Look up the company you are interviewing for and take notes. Write down a few numbers or facts, and pay attention to the company philosophy or motto. Companies like to know that you are serious about them, and that you have gone the extra mile to do research. Maybe even venture out from the company website and check out their blog or social media.
Knowledge is power.
2. Practice, practice, practice
Once you have done your due diligence and studied up on the company, it’s time to practice. Conduct a mock interview with a friend, or with your family, or even with your dog! You do not want to sound rehearsed in the interview, but you do need to sound confident. It is all about selling yourself, so practice (and confidence) is key.
3. Do some self-reflection
Grab a notebook and a pen, and list what you think your strengths and weaknesses are and why. Having it written on paper will help you see what you can highlight during the interview, and how you can answer those kinds of questions when they arise.
4. Don’t be cocky
I am sure you have heard this before- be confident, not cocky. Yes, they chose to interview you, which means they like you on paper, so make them like you in person too. Be humble but knowledgeable.
5. Bring materials – be prepared
In an interview, it is always important to be prepared. This can mean bringing a notepad and pen to write down some important details, or, bring an extra copy of your resume, just in case. Being prepared shows initiative and organization.
6. Write down questions
Always have a few questions written down, or sitting in the back of your mind, to ask at the end of the interview. Showing curiosity in the job makes the interviewer see that you are serious about their company. This could include questions about the day-to-day office routines, clarifications about the position, or the hiring timeline moving forward.
7. Make a good first impression!
Don’t simply show up at the exact time your interview is, arrive a little early! That way it can give you time to get your thoughts in order, so you are not flustered by running late. Second, is make sure you are dressed appropriately. Visit the company website and see what the employees are wearing in their head shot photos, and emulate that. And finally, SMILE, show that you are happy to be there and that you WANT to be there.
A person’s body language can reveal a lot about what they are thinking and feeling. So, smile, have good eye contact, be friendly to everyone in the office, and have a strong confident handshake.
8. And lastly, just relax!
You have researched, practiced, and you feel confident, so now it is time to take a deep breath and RELAX! You are prepared and ready to conquer this interview. Of course you will be a little nervous, but go into the interview relaxed, confident, and ready to tell them why YOU are the best candidate.
And most importantly, do not forget to FOLLOW UP after the interview! Get the contact information of the interviewer and send he/she a note afterwards (handwritten or an email) thanking them for their time and emphasizing how you are best for the job.
Good Luck!
By Brianna Ek
At Friday Services, we are proud to work with employees of all ages. Our goal is to place the right people in the right jobs every time. We would love to get to know you and match you with a job that helps you feel fulfilled. Check out all of our available job posts, and contact us with any questions.
We have all been there- you are sitting at your desk, or on your couch, at home with your computer on your lap and Netflix on in the background. You have been combing through and applying to what feels like countless job openings with no luck. It has been weeks, maybe even months, with no reply. You are at your wits end and think to yourself, “Will I ever find work?”
Well, you are not alone! Trying to find work on your own can be draining, time-consuming, and (let’s face it) a little lonely. With so many jobs out there, it is normal to feel as if you are sending resumes into the black hole of the internet.
That is where we come in!
Working with an employment agency, like us here at Friday Services, can be vital in the job search and can alleviate a lot of the stress job seekers face. At Fridays, we are hired by companies to help with their staffing needs and to find the best people for the jobs they need filled. If one of those jobs is in your wheelhouse, we do everything we can to help you get it.
Friday Services Logo
It is our mission is to bring the right people to the right job every time. When we fulfill that mission, we better people’s lives and increase our customers’ and employees’ success.
Still not convinced? Well, here are five more ways an employment agency can help you find your ideal job:
1. Connect you with the best openings
Since founded in 1980, Friday Services’ recruiters have been experts on the job market in Western North Carolina. Headquartered in South Asheville/Arden, we know who is hiring, who is planning to hire in the near future, and what companies are looking for. If there is a job opening that fits your talents and skills, we can help you stand out above the rest.
2. Polish your resume
We offer tips and essential advice on how to write your resume and tailor it to the jobs you are applying to. Whether you’ve added something new that highlights your skills or makes you more marketable, we will help you arrange your talents and experience in the best way possible to help you land that perfect job. Check out even more tips on our website.
3. Improve your skill set
Every company is different and is looking for different skill sets. Improving your skills could qualify you for a higher paying position. We offer free, self-guided computer software training at all of Friday’s locations by appointment.
Training is offered in:
Keyboarding
Windows
Microsoft Office – Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint
And many more!
4. Interview coaching
You will have access to tips (both in person and online) to help you nail the interview. You will get the coaching you need to feel prepared and confident when tackling that job interview.
5. Help you thrive
Once you landed the perfect job, Friday Services will continue to be here for you. We provide career tips, counseling, and ongoing professional development advice to help you thrive as a professional in the working world.
6. And all of this at NO CHARGE to you!
No employment agency should ever charge employees looking for work. Friday Services does not, and will not, charge you to use our services. We want to help you find work and that means we are available to you for free!
By Brianna Ek
Find a Job Today!
At Friday Services, we are proud to work with employees of all ages. Our goal is to bring the right people in the right jobs every time. We would love to get to know you and match you with a job that helps you feel fulfilled. Check out all of our available job posts, and contact us with any questions.
According to a recent report on MarketWatch.com, a financial information website and a subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company, our nation is continuing to experience record low unemployment rates. A study conducted by the site found the monthly average of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to 212,250 – the lowest since December 1969. And our area has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country: The Mountain Area Workforce Development Board, a strategic planning board for workforce issues and needs in Western North Carolina, just reported that as of July, Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania Counties have an unemployment rate of 3.3%, the lowest in NC, with Buncombe County at 3.1% and Henderson County at 3.4%.
While this is great news for people who are unemployed and seeking work, it could be even better news for people who already have jobs. Why? Because extremely low unemployment rates mean you have a choice of jobs out there. Whether you’re seeking better hours, better benefits or a chance to launch a new career, now is the time to do it.
Deborah Pressley, who has worked at Friday Services for 30 years and serves as its VP and COO, has seen how fluctuating employment rates influence the decisions of companies when it comes to hiring and benefits packages. “A cycle of low unemployment usually means that companies will go the extra mile to retain the workforce they have and to entice new employees,” she says. “The companies we work with are currently offering everything from monthly catered events for their staff to paying 100% health insurance, to retention and referral bonuses for employees who work a certain amount of time for them. They want to sweeten the pot to fill positions and to keep employees.”
What does all of this mean for you? If you aren’t employed, it will most likely be easier not only to find a job, but to find one that offers what you want. And if you’re already employed and would like a change, now is the perfect time to make a career move. But don’t make a move without first making a plan. If you’re strategic and follow the steps below, you can make these record unemployment rates work in your favor and land a job that’s truly right for you.
First, create a “Most Wanted” list. What would you like out of a job? Better benefits? More pay? Working different hours? A better company culture? Go ahead and write down anything and everything, even if it seems far-fetched. Then, prioritize your list with your needs first and your wants second. (Yes, we’d all like an all-inclusive vacation to Bora Bora on the company’s dime, but even in today’s market, that’s probably not going to happen.) Does your family need a new car? Would you like treat your kids to a vacation to reward them for their hard work in school? List your top two or three needs or what’s most important to your family at the top of your paper.
Next, take a few minutes to spiff up your resume. Make sure you have your references and information up to date and that it’s free of typos. Even though the company may not have as many applicants as usual for a job, you’ll still want to present yourself as professionally as possible. Remember, when you walk in the door looking prepared for the job, the more likely a company will want to hire you – maybe even on the spot!
Lastly, be sure to research the companies that seem appealing to you. Here’s where staffing agencies like Friday’s can make your work a lot easier. You can end up spending a lot of time on the internet reading up on companies and submitting your resume, but even if you land an interview, it can still be hard to tell what a company is like. Friday’s has long-term relationships with reliable, local companies, and we can tell you everything you need to know about benefits, perks, bonuses, the culture of the company and how their management operates. Instead of spending hours of your own time reading online, making calls, and going to interviews, spend just a couple of hours at Friday’s and find the match that’s right for you.
Give Friday’s a call today at 864-684-8700 or take a look at our latest job opportunities at https://www.fridaycareers.com/jobs/. You can easily apply in seconds by clicking the “Apply Here” button on any job. Once you do, one of our staffing generalists will contact you and you’ll be on your way to finding a job you love!
You did it. You spent a few hours writing your resume, making sure to include your complete job history, all of your skills, your education, and even a few of your strengths for good measure. You might have even had a friend read over it, just to be sure you didn’t miss anything. Now you’re ready to bring it to your interview, post it online, email it to a potential employee – or all three. Done and done, right?
Not so fast. Recruiters get tens, if not hundreds or even thousands of resumes each week, and many are just looking for an excuse to move as many as possible to their trash bins to save time. (Hey, we can hardly blame them.) So before you settle down to tune in to that new Netflix series you’ve been meaning to catch up on, follow these three small but significant steps to make sure your resume goes from standard to stellar. The best part is, you can do it all in about the same time it would take to watch one episode of TV. (Don’t worry, Netflix will still be there for you when you’re finished.)
Be sure your contact information is front and center. (Five minutes.)
Don’t make a potential employer search for your phone number or email; they won’t take the time. The heading of your resume should include your name, phone, email, city and state (you don’t need to include your full address) and any social media accounts relevant to the job, such as your Linked In profile.
Make it look good. (Ten minutes.)
Double check your spelling. A typo will get you noticed quickly, and not in a good way. It may be just the excuse the recruiter is looking for to toss your resume and move on to the next.
Be sure that the format of your resume is clean and uncluttered. Use as few words as possible to describe each job. You can find easy-to-use resume templates in Microsoft Word – just open a new document and type “resume” in the template search. (You can also find some snazzy resume templates online. Hubspot.com offers 11 free resume templates that can be customized using Word, and Resumonk.com offers both free templates and lots of helpful resume and job search information – some free of charge, and some for a small subscription fee.)
Check that the name you use on your resume matches your Facebook and Linked In profile names. That way, when potential employers perform a Google search for you (and they will), they can easily find you and match all your profiles and information.
Use the right words. (20-30 minutes.)
Many companies are now using robots to filter resumes according to key words – meaning that your resume is scanned for specific words and, if it doesn’t contain them or contain enough of them, it’s automatically rejected. Similarly, recruiters will quickly scan their pile of resumes looking for words and phrases that match the job description they’ve written. So make sure your resume contains what they’re searching for, and instead of getting rejected, get noticed!
The first key word to concentrate on is the title of the job you want. For instance, you’re looking for work as an Injection Molding Operator, but should you use “Injection Mold Operator,” “Plastic Injection Molding Machine Operator,” or “Injection Molding Operator”? One easy way to figure it out is to perform a quick Google search. When you do, you’ll see all three terms pop up, but which title is used the most, and more importantly, what terms do staffing agencies and job search sites use? It looks like “Injection Molding Operator” wins, both as a general description of the job and on multiple job search sites.
Next, focus on your job duties and abilities you have that are specific to the job (also known as hard skills). Look again at staffing agency and job search site postings and copy the words they use. Hard skills for an injection molding job often require that you be able to “follow specific manufacturing instructions” and “use and read measuring tools.”
Finally, take a look at your soft skills (think of them as your “people skills”), such as being a team player or a problem solver. These skills are often found in many different types of job descriptions, but focus on your specific area, because the employer has listed what’s important to them for this particular job. If you see “good communicator” or “independent worker” in several different job postings, and you know you’ve got them, use those same words and phrases.
Now that you’ve made it easy for an employer to contact you, got yourself looking like a million bucks and incorporated words and phrases that will grab the attention of humans and humanoids alike, it’s time to pop some corn, kick back and fire up the Netflix!
Did you know that you can easily apply for Friday Services jobs with our short-form application? Click to apply & enter your info in seconds, and we’ll contact you to help you find your perfect job!
To get more tips on creating a great resume, click to read our Resume Writing Tips.
Today is National Hire a Veteran Day. Friday Services places a high commitment on helping find jobs for veterans. Find out more about our current opportunities, veteran’s resources, FREE resume help or call us at 828-684-8700. It is an honor for us to serve those who have given so much to our country.
Meet Isaiah Johnson
Isaiah Johnson is feeling pretty blessed these days, both personally and professionally. He’s a single father of four girls and a boy: Tehyah, 18, who graduated high school in May and is going into Army active duty in intelligence in August; Jynessa, 16; Kiennes, 17, who is applying for the Air Force Academy; Isaiah, Jr, 10; and Vinterra, 9. Isaiah is also a veteran of the I/9 Infantry, US Army. He was born in Greensboro but grew up in Asheville, where he graduated from AC Reynolds high school. During his time there, he enrolled in ROTC, then decided he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, who had served in the military for 20 years.
In 2003, he attended basic training in Ft Jackson, then moved to Ft Lee to begin his career, which was servicing medic tanks. “I’d told the recruiter I didn’t want to go overseas, and I thought I’d be staying here in the States – but the next thing I knew, I was stationed in Korea!” he laughs. Isaiah continued his work in Korea as an infantry fielder, where he gained x-ray knowledge. Then, in 2004, he was sent to Iraq.
“As soon as we got to Iraq, we were attached to the Second Marine Division,” he says. “In 2005, we fought in the Second Battle of Fallujah.” In March of that year, four American private military contractors had been tortured and killed by Iraqi insurgents. In response to that killing, the US Marines commenced Operation Vigilant Resolve, where they attempted to capture the insurgents responsible for the deaths of the contractors as well as other insurgents. Forty Marines were killed during the battle, as well as hundreds of Iraqi fighters and civilians. “We saw things no human should have to see,” remembers Isaiah. “It was the worst battle of my career.”
Isaiah decided to return to the States and reenter civilian life in the spring of 2006. “My plan had been to be career military, but after Iraq, I decided it was best for me to return,” he says. “I felt lucky to come back with all my limbs and my mind still intact.”
He soon earned a degree in radiology, where he combined his previous x-ray experience with electronics. But a few years later, he suffered third-degree burns on his hands, which left him unable to work.
He began looking for work again in June of this year. Since his family has lived in the Asheville area for many years, they were familiar with Friday’s long-standing presence in the community. “When I came through the doors of Friday’s, I expected finding a job for me would take about two months,” he says. “Instead, I they found a job for me in two days!”
Isaiah is excited about the future. “Friday’s placed me at a company where I can use my background in electronics,” he says. “And they really takes care of their employees. I can see myself going somewhere here.”
“Jobs for vets are incredibly important,” finishes Isaiah. “It can be difficult for some men and women leaving the military to convert the skills they learned into civilian jobs. Vets have sacrificed so much to serve and protect their country – so it’s important that we honor their sacrifice by making sure they’re able to work and provide for their families. Friday’s is helping vets, not just by finding jobs for them, but by finding jobs that use their skill sets and where they have the opportunity to advance.”
Meet Jacob Maxwell
Jacob Maxwell couldn’t agree more. A native of Hooper’s Creek, a community situated between Fletcher and Arden, Jacob served in the US Navy from 2012 – 2016, after taking Electrical Engineering classes at Western Carolina University. “I came to the conclusion that at the time, Electrical Engineering wasn’t for me,” he says. “My dad was an E5 in the Army when I was a child, so I’d experienced being in a military family, and I decided to enlist in the Navy.”
Jacob attended Navy Basic Training in Chicago Illinois, then moved to BUD/s Prep at RTC Great Lakes, Illinois. After the completion of BUD/s Prep, Jacob moved to Coronado, California to attend Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S), BCT (Basic Crewman Training) at the Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC) School House. SWCC is an elite group that undergoes intense physical and mental training and supports special warfare operations. During the first few weeks of training at Coronado, Jacob sustained a shoulder injury, and made the decision to leave the program with the option to return after it had healed.
Jacob enjoyed his work, but his BUD/S training in Coronado was “a game changer,” he says. It was there that he decided that he wanted to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and after three and half years at Tinker Air Force base, he applied for and was granted a 60 day early release to further his education.
“When I got out of the service, I was lucky,” says Jacob. I had close friends who ran a construction business, and they asked me to come work for them. I left the military on a Friday and started my new job on a Monday.”
And Jacob was lucky in other ways – when he’d attended WCU in 2010, he met Kelsey, whom he began dating. The couple remained together the entire time he was in the Navy, seeing each other only 12 times in the four years he served. But Jacob wrote Kelsey every night while he was in basic training. “I remember getting letters from him where I could tell he’d fallen asleep writing – there would be a long line of ink where the pen had dragged across the paper as he nodded off,” says Kelsey with a smile.
After they were married in May of 2017, Kelsey began working as a Staffing Generalist for Friday’s, and was able to put Jacob back in touch with a local company he’d worked with briefly before enlisting in the service. Today, he is working full time at that company alongside Isaiah while finishing his Mechanical Engineering degree.
But Jacob notes that his ease in finding work is often the exception and not the rule for many men and women who serve our country. “Job opportunities for veterans are often limited because many people have the perception that vets are institutionalized; that they don’t have the skill set that will translate to civilian jobs, and that they are very intense people who might be unstable or erratic due to the stress and severity of their experiences.”
He counters this with his own experience. “When I was at Tinker Air Force base, I worked with people from all walks of life, who came into the program with different skill sets and different backgrounds. But through training and guidance, we all became proficient at our jobs; many of these guys moved up in rank and are now training new people coming into the program. When you give people a chance, they will usually rise to the occasion.”
“The men and women who serve in our military are sacrificing their time and sometimes their very lives so that those of us at home can be with our families and stay alive,” he continues. “We need to honor those sacrifices by making sure they can provide for themselves and their families when they leave active duty.”
You’ve been at your job for a couple of years, and maybe you’re beginning to get bored and need more of a challenge. Or maybe you took the job because your family moved, or you needed more money, and it was all that was available at the time. You’d like to move up in your company, but you’re not sure how. Here are three steps you can take to propel yourself into a position you want!
1. Start by listing everything that you do, even if it’s not in your job description.
Say you have a job inspecting products on an assembly line. You stand for long periods of time, you have to pay close attention to what you’re doing and you must make certain that the product has been built correctly and works properly. That’s the “job description” part of your job. But in addition to that, you know enjoy your relationships with your coworkers and often find that they come to you for help because you’re approachable. You also know that you frequently catch others’ mistakes and help them correct them. Sounds like you’d be great in a management position!
2. Build relationships with people you can learn from.
Once you’ve made a list of what you do and identify what you enjoy doing and what you’re good at, seek out people who can help you grow. Develop a good relationship with your manager, and ask him or her to help you come up with a plan to build on your strengths and improve upon your weaknesses. Be as transparent as possible; let your manager know that you want to learn more because you’d like to move forward within the company. A good manager won’t be threatened by your motivation, especially if you are clear that you believe you can better serve the company by moving into a different position.
If you don’t feel comfortable going to your manager, or simply want more resources, find people or groups outside your company that you can talk to about building on your skills. Did you know that in most cities, there are Meetups for nearly any type of interest, including learning new job skills? Click to search Meetup groups in your area. Local Chambers of Commerce often host networking events where you can meet others in your industry; click for the Asheville Chamber of Commerce website and for the Burke County Chamber, or simply Google “Chamber of Commerce near me” to find the one closest to you.
3. Shine!
After you’ve identified the job you want and while you’re gaining more knowledge, be sure to show ‘em that you’ve got what it takes to move up! Keep a positive attitude; always try to approach challenges in your job by showing a willingness to work toward a solution, not by pointing fingers or placing blame. Be willing to take on tasks that are outside your job description. And be determined to never stop learning. Your can-do spirit will soon be noticed by everyone around you, which not only will improve your chance to be promoted, but will more than likely inspire others to do that same. And that’s never a bad thing!
Now You’re Ready!
As you’re taking your steps, be sure to keep detailed records of all the things you’ve done. Good businesses are concerned with their bottom line and with employee satisfaction, so show how you helped keep costs down by catching all those mistakes and how you helped resolve a conflict between coworkers by sitting down with both of them to talk about the problem. Again, be as transparent as possible with your supervisor or HR department; let them know how motivated you are to move up in the company so they can be on the lookout for opportunities for you.
Once you hear about a job opening in your company, or even if you decide to pitch creating a position (hey, might as well reach for the stars!), go to your manager or HR and let them know you’d like to talk. Then bring in the list of what you’ve done and how it’s helped the company. Even if another position isn’t available right away, they’ll be impressed with your motivation, and chances are you’ll be next in line to move up!
But how do you really know if a job will be the right one for you? While online searches are useful, they usually don’t give you a good feel for company culture. And once you do land an interview, you sometimes only talk to one or two people for a couple of hours at most – how will you know for sure that you’ll be working for a reliable company?
Using a staffing agency is one of the best ways to save time and energy when searching for a job; a staffing agency has connections with multiple companies and can usually find a job match for you quickly, but you’ll need to make sure you’re dealing with one that will go beyond just helping you find a job. Here are five ways to tell if the agency you’re considering is merely good, or if it will go above and beyond and be the BEST:
#1: A good staffing agency will gather your basic information and present you with a list of options. A GREAT staffing agency will take the time to learn where you excel and can find the BEST match for you.
A good staffing agency will ask for your skills and experience, but a great staffing agency will find out what you’re CAPABLE of and encourage you to apply for jobs where you can continue to apply your capabilities. That might sound counterintuitive; don’t skills and experience matter? Sure, but consider this: do most of us perform the exact same work, all day every day, all of our working lives? Most of us don’t; what you do might change, even if slightly, from one job to another. Performance skills like “increased production by 90%” at your current job are fantastic, but your real success came from your drive and ambition. A great staffing agency recognizes that you’ll be able to use that same amazing ambition and work ethic within another company, even if you’re doing something a bit different than you did before.
#2: A good staffing agency has good local connections. A GREAT staffing agency has had a presence in the community for many years and has developed and maintained solid, lasting relationships with reliable companies.
Many staffing agencies have set up shop in your community and have a good working knowledge of local companies. But their portfolio can also include national and even international clients. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but building strong relationships takes time and energy, and unless you’re looking to relocate for a job, you might want to consider an agency who has dealt with local companies for many years. A great staffing agency deals only with companies they know are reliable – companies who are good to work for and who they communicate with daily (or sometimes hourly!) about the needs within that company. They know how the company operates. They know the human resources personnel, plant managers and CEOs by first name. They’ve kept strong relationships with them, even when the company or the economy has gone through hard times. So they know what the company really stands for, what kinds of people work well within the company and how the company handles challenges, such as personality conflicts or workers comp issues.
#3: A good staffing agency will spend just enough time to find a decent job for you. A GREAT staffing agency will find the right job for you and will follow up to make sure it continues to be a good fit for you.
A great staffing agency will call YOU soon after you begin the job to see how your first few days have gone. And if you encounter any challenges or concerns while on the job, a stellar staffing agency will act as a liaison between you and the company to help determine solutions that work for everyone. When you interview with any staffing agency, ask them what their process is after you begin work at the company, and listen carefully to what they say. If it’s along the lines of “Give us a call if you need anything,” you might want to consider another agency.
#4: A GREAT staffing agency will never charge you to use them. They are paid by the company. If fees or charges are mentioned at any point in your interviews with an agency, keep walking.
#5: Finally, a GREAT way to determine if you’ve found a GREAT staffing agency is to take note of how their employees conduct themselves. The first time you enter their office, does someone immediately acknowledge your presence and smile at you? Is the staff professional, and do they seem excited about what they do and happy to be at work? These factors are all good indicators about the way the agency is run and if the people who will be helping you are invested in what they do — or if they’re just phoning it in. It’s your livelihood – don’t accept less than an agency who truly cares about you as a person and wants to help you find the RIGHT job for YOU. Circumstances in life can change – you might take a break from work to start a family or for medical leave. A great staffing agency will always be there for you.
In short, a GREAT staffing agency is all about relationships – with you and with the placement company – that continues beyond simply signing you up and wishing you good luck as you head out their door.
About Friday Services
Friday Services’s mission is to bring the right people to the right job, every time. Accomplishing this, we better people’s lives, and increase our customers’ and employees’ success. Locally owned and operated for nearly 40 years, we’ve been the leading employment solutions provider for Western North Carolina, providing staffing services for Professional, Administrative, Industrial and Technical industries.
As our employee or client partner, we believe that you deserve and should receive:
The highest quality professional services
The Friday Services pledge of integrity
Solid experience doing what we do best
We list jobs in Asheville and Morganton NC, and the surrounding areas, including Black Mountain, Marion, Fletcher, Arden, Brevard, Mills River, Hendersonville, Clyde, Etowah, Flat Rock, Horseshoe, and Mountain Home.
I answered a call on my business line from a client who had utilized my training programs for many years. I anticipated another enjoyable conversation, just as each had been in the past, but today was different.
When exchanging initial pleasantries which included, “how are you doing?” I was taken aback when that customary question was met with, “I just want to kill myself”. His tone of voice told me he wasn’t joking, so like any concerned person would do, I asked what was wrong.
This question prompted a litany of frustrations which included primarily, the exhaustive process he had just gone through to find a new salesperson, to no avail. “From now on, you’re selecting all my salespeople!” he exclaimed.
This problem was not unique to this one client. One of my most requested seminars was on selecting and hiring top candidates. At the end of each session, business owners would approach me and express their appreciation for the insight and their regret for not having had it before their last hire.
The big “aha” moment for those attending these seminars was the realization that most hiring decisions were based on what studies suggest is the least reliable source of information, a resume. Could it be that it’s the universal reliance on this document that makes it seem credible?
According to Nationsearch.com, a full 58% of resumes contain lies and embellishments. Often, it’s lying about an academic degree (i.e., in 2012, Yahoo! CEO Scott Thompson stepped down from his role after just four months when it was discovered that he’d lied about his education) or embellishment of skills and experience (i.e., someone bragged to me once that she had friends pose as former employers to falsely validate experience she didn’t have in an industry that required years of prior experience). She got hired. Her employer got duped!
This is a common scenario. It’s played out in Corporate America on a daily basis. It’s time-consuming, costly and for the person responsible for staffing their company, it’s stressful.
Resumes are based on historical data. Meaning, at best, they offer nothing more than a candidate’s interpretation of each job they’ve held in the past. They provide no insight into character, decision making or ability to do your job, in your environment and with your clients.
And herein lies the fallacy. Resumes focus on past performance. Hiring focuses on future performance.
If you’re among those that believe that past performance predicts future performance, you may be relying on the wrong currency, and I suspect you’ve had some mishires that proved this theory wrong.
Looking great on paper is not the same as being great on the job.
A person will excel in some situations but will not be motivated to excel in all situations, including yours.
Human behavior is driven in large part by external circumstances. Your culture, management style, performance expectations, clients, etc. are all unique to your company. Collectively, these things drive performance.
That’s why I recommend hiring someone based on why you would fire them. In other words, start with the end in mind and hire for performance capability and not skills and experience. What results are you seeking from the new hire? What activities will they have to perform to realize those results? Can they demonstrate instances from the past that required the same behaviors? What is the environment, management style they’ll have to adapt to in order to achieve this performance level?
These things matter more in predicting future performance than having a number of years of experience, strong communication skills and being results-oriented. In order for a candidate to tick all the right boxes in an interview, the right boxes have to be identified.
Which proves the point that success doesn’t come from knowing ─ it comes from doing. And, all too often, a resume is nothing but a description of what one knows rather than what they did.
I had a client once that called me to discuss how baffled he was that his new salesperson with many years in outside sales was underperforming in his company. When I probed into the new hire’s background, I discovered that his past sales experience did not transfer to selling staffing services. In his past role, he was an order taker, calling only on existing customers to maintain their stock. My client hired him to be an order maker, initiating sales and profits.
Failure was inevitable. He was a spare peg trying to fit into a round hole.
Since most resumes you’ll receive are nothing more than a glorified job description, you’ll have to probe beyond the candidate’s language of being “charged with” or “responsible for” this or that which provides no insight into results ─ only expectations.
If you receive a resume riddled with this type of language, your only hope to getting to the truth is to adopt Aristotle’s belief in “logos”, that is, the logic behind the argument. Require each candidate to describe in detail an accomplishment that’s most comparable for each of the objectives you have identified for the job.
If a candidate can provide verifiable examples of how they achieved similar results elsewhere, and the way they went about realizing those results matches up with the behaviors and actions needed to succeed in your company, then the resume you’re relying on may actually turn out to be a Holy Grail.
We each have all the time there is but never seem to have enough!
During a sales training seminar, I had each participant make a list of their daily activities. They were then instructed to mark next to each activity the percentage of time they spent on it each day. At the conclusion of the exercise, each participant shared the top five daily activities that took the majority of their time.
This proved to be an eye-opening exercise for this group, as no one, not even the owner of the company, was spending the majority of his or her time on the core functions of their job. Most were spending the majority of their day on peripheral work such as:
reading and answering email messages
preparing internal reports
attending staff meetings
planning and organizing
setting appointments
It wasn’t that they never got around to the main functions of their role. It’s that these functions received less attention generally. While administrative activities are meaningful, none of them will keep the doors of your company open or your bank account healthy. Since the sole purpose of any business is to make a profit, the single most important activity is to generate revenue or support those who do.
Time is the great equalizer in life. How a person uses it makes the difference between achieving success and just getting by. Most people go through life believing they have no control over their time; that external demands dictate where and how they use their time. I used to call on a Human Resources Manager who would, without fail, lament the same “My time is not my own” mantra to cancel every meeting I scheduled with her. I hoped she got a good price for it since she gave ownership of her “dash” (the years lived between birth and death) away to others.
“Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to.” ― Lao Tzu
It’s a given that we can’t control time. If we could, most of us would stop the clock in our twenties. But you can make a conscious decision to either go through life with a compass or a clock.
Choosing a compass means you view time as a precious gift. You live life with purpose. You spend your days doing meaningful work. You are present in life and you expect a return on your time investment.
The very idea of “spending” means you’re using something up or exhausting a supply. People who “spend” time at work each day may put more emphasis on being busy than being productive. On the other hand, invested individuals will go the extra mile to achieve the results (return on time investment) that they’re seeking. Time investors know that when time is spent, it’s gone.
There’s no better example of someone living this principle than famous television writer and producer, Norman Lear. That is, adopting what he says is a two-word philosophy that allows him to stay present and focused. “I think the two least-considered small words in the English language may be ‘over’ and ‘next”. “When something is over, it’s over. We’re onto next. I live in that moment.”
Time is a gift we receive at birth. You could be born under a lucky star, but the reality is that none of us know how much time is encoded in our destiny. Time is a gift we should all cherish. Any wise man will tell you … “You can always make more money, but you can never make more time”.
The late Stephen Jobs began each day by looking in the mirror and asking himself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” If the answer was ‘no’, he would change something.
At the end of the day, if time is money and you’ve merely spent your time, you’ll have little to show for the effort you’ve made. A good test of time investment is to reflect back on your day and ask yourself, “am I remembering tasks or accomplishments”?
A farmer told his wife he would plow the north field the next day. In the morning he went out to oil the tractor, but he found he was low in oil, so he went to the storage shed to get some. On the way he noticed that the chickens had not been fed. He went to the corn crib to get some corn, where he saw some sacks on the ground. That reminded him that the potatoes needed sprouting, so he started toward the potato pit to sprout the potatoes. On the way, he passed the wood pile which reminded him that he had to take some kindling to the house. He had picked up a few sticks when an ailing lamb passed by. He dropped the wood and reached for the lamb. And so it continued until he reached the end of the day and had not touched the north field.” ─ Source Unknown
We all have days that make that story relatable. But, we would be wise to make those days an exception rather than a rule. As the wise Japanese proverb teaches us, “Spilled water never returns to the cup”!
