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If you take a look at any hiring manager’s wish list, you’re likely to find ‘work ethic’ somewhere at the top, and with good reason. A strong work ethic is an important part of any successful employment relationship; it builds a level of professional trust and respect by showing that you are hardworking, reliable, and committed to doing your job and doing it well. If you posses it, your career journey is likely to present you with more opportunities, but if you lack it, you’re more likely to face barriers when trying to find or maintain employment. Here are some tips for demonstrating a strong work ethic while job searching to help you put your best foot forward:

Don’t wait for the right opportunity to find you. 

People with a strong work ethic make finding work a priority, often viewing the job search as a job of its own. Ultimately, your career is in your hands, so it is up to you to take ownership of your job search by taking action and being thorough and persistent in your pursuit of employment opportunities. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket by submitting an application and then waiting to hear back; proactively explore multiple employment resources like job boards, career fairs, and even networking events to increase your likelihood of securing a job in a timely manner. 

Understand wants versus needs.

As a job seeker, looking for a job that meets your needs makes perfect sense – it’s important to do what’s best for you, your family, and your career. Take inventory of your needs before you conduct your job search, and make sure you can clearly distinguish your true needs (the non-negotiables that you can’t live without) from your wants (the nice-to-haves that aren’t necessarily deal-breakers). Needs and wants vary from person to person depending on their unique circumstances, and there’s no ‘wrong’ answer for either category – it’s just a matter of your priorities. If you are currently unemployed and your priority is to secure a job as soon as possible, it may be necessary to make reasonable sacrifices with your wants. If a job opportunity comes along that meets the vast majority of your true needs, what areas are you willing to compromise on? You may decide that working an occasional Saturday or earning slightly less per hour is worth the stability and peace of mind that immediate employment can bring you. Bottom line: only you know what makes the most sense for your situation, so enter your job search with self-awareness and realistic expectations. 

Be strategic in your approach. 

While taking a broad approach in your job search is important, strategy is important too. Applying to any and every job without regard for the job duties or necessary qualifications is not a strategy for success; it dilutes your efforts by taking energy and focus away from more promising opportunities, depletes morale when you’re still not hearing anything despite your high volume of applications, and may send the message to employers that you’re not paying attention to what you’re applying for. To increase your chance of success and show that you’re taking your job search seriously, carefully read the job advertisements of every job that you plan to apply to. This will help you develop a deeper understanding of what the job is and how you can add value to it so that when you apply, you can better position yourself as the candidate of choice. 

Avoid chronic job-hopping and multiple lengthy employment gaps.

Life happens; maybe there was an emergency or change in life circumstances that required you to switch jobs or be out of work for a period of time. Hiring managers understand this. But if your resume shows a long term trend of this happening over and over again, it may leave them wondering if the trend is due to a lack of work ethic. So whenever possible, try to establish some longevity in each of your jobs, and avoid leaving a job before securing another one. Think carefully about your strengths, weaknesses, work preferences, and career goals before accepting a job to help minimize job dissatisfaction and turnover. Taking these steps will help you build a solid work history that you can be proud of, provide you with a strong resume that demonstrates reliability and work ethic, and improve your future job prospects. 

Please join us for future articles as we explore other skills that are important in the job search and in the world of work, and provide tips on how to improve these skills. If you are looking for work, contact a recruiter today.

Work plays a critical role in our lives. It helps us gain new skills, improve our financial stability, gives us purpose, and plays a role in developing our individual identity just to name a few. But, work itself is not easy – it takes effort, commitment, dedication, and sometimes just a little boost of inspiration. Often times it is the basic, every-day skills that have the largest impact on the direction that our career takes. No matter who you are or what level you are at in your career, we can all benefit from some tips to thrive!

	Find Positive Role Models We all tend to learn much about the world of work from those we spend a lot of time with. If you really want to thrive in the world of work it is important that you surround yourself with positive role models. Look around you and watch the people that you know have a history of success in their professional lives. What do they do they do differently? What can you learn from them? It is said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with, so set your sights high and surround yourself with people that will rise you up, not those who bring you down.
	Recognize The Gap Between Expectations and Reality Many of us would like to make more money, have more vacation time, or more flexibility in our schedules. To thrive in the world of work it is important that you recognize that there is often a gap between expectations and the reality of the situation. When facing a situation at work where you think things should be different, or if you think your career should be progressing at a faster speed than it is, take a moment to put your expectations in perspective. Are your expectations and desires in line with reality? Does the position you hold have the ability to offer those benefits? Have you done the work necessary to climb the corporate ladder?
	Be Open to Learning From Others It doesn’t matter your education level, or your position within an organization; we can all learn something from everyone. To thrive in the world of work you must be open to learning from everyone around you. Every person (yourself included) can teach something. Even if those lessons happen to be ‘what not to do’, always be open to learning from the experiences of others. When faced with a situation at work, stop and think about what you can learn from this, and before you know it you will be taking in lessons from every experience and heightening your professional skill set.
	Take Charge Of Your Career While you may not be able to control everything that happens in your life, you are in control of how you handle it. That includes the direction your career takes. If you want more from your career, what are you willing to do or to sacrifice to get to where you want to be? If you are unhappy with your current employment situation, or your skill level, what are you doing to improve it? Don’t wait for others to give you the opportunities you desire, have a plan and work it. Having that mindset alone will pay dividends. Try it and see just how far you can go with a little determination and a lot of hard work.
	Focus On Your Daily Actions It is easy to get overwhelmed when we look at our career as a final destination and what we end up with when it is all said and done. To thrive at work you need to recognize that your career is a journey filled with many twists and turns, obstacles and triumphs. Set manageable, short and long-term goals and focus on how your daily actions help move you closer to where you want to be. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies and can even self-sabotage our own success through the little mindless things we do each day. Don’t try and fix the future, instead work on being the best possible worker you can possibly be today – and then do the same tomorrow, and every day moving forward.

Want more tips to help you thrive in the world of work? Click the links below.

The world of work is always changing, so the skills needed to do our jobs are changing too. However, there are some core skills that are vital to any line of work, and not having a strong grasp on them may make it difficult to secure and maintain satisfying long-term employment. Read on to learn more about these basic (but critical) skills, and why they are so important in the world of work. 

Communication

Communication isn’t just about what you say, it’s also about how you say it. The ability to clearly and concisely articulate information not only enables positive and productive working relationships, it also helps prevent miscommunication and conflict, making this a critical skill to have in any professional environment.  

Digital Etiquette

Technology has streamlined and simplified our work in so many ways, but it also presents unique challenges that workers in decades past didn’t have to consider. Digital communication, as well as maintaining an online presence, is something that should be handled with care, because any missteps may live on long after you hit ‘delete’ and potentially have a negative impact on your career.

Appropriate Behavior

Behavioral norms can look different from one workplace to the next; some are very formal, while others are more casual, so standards of appropriate conduct will vary depending on where you work. But some behaviors – such as violence, hate speech, discrimination, or dishonesty – are simply unacceptable regardless of the environment.

Cooperation

The success of any organization depends upon the ability of its workers to come together in support of common goals. No matter where you work, your ability to set aside differences and work effectively with others can make or break your career success. 

Personal Accountability

Everyone makes mistakes, it’s how we handle them that sets us apart. If you have the ability to take ownership of your mistakes and commit to bettering yourself, you will not only distinguish yourself as someone that is trustworthy and reliable, you will also set yourself up for increased personal and professional growth and success.

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is more than just ‘knowing who you are.’ It’s also about having a deeper understanding of your feelings and reactions, as well as how people perceive the things that you say and do, so that you are better equipped to make decisions that support your overall well-being. Lack of self-awareness can lead to a lack of job satisfaction, and may contribute to feeling misunderstood in the workplace. 

Dependability

Trust is the foundation of any successful relationship, and this is no different in the workplace. If your employer and coworkers cannot count on you to consistently be at work, on time, and ready to do the work you’ve committed to doing, then your employment relationship is not likely to fare well. 

Work Ethic

Having a strong work ethic is an important part of finding and maintaining employment at any company. No matter what field you’re in or what job you have, your employer and coworkers are counting on you to not only do your job, but to do it well. There is also a sense of pride that comes along with doing your best and achieving goals as a result of that effort.

Personal Appearance

The way you present yourself can have a big impact on your career, and whether we like it or not, personal appearance sets a tone about who you are and how seriously people take you. Tending to personal hygiene and wearing clothes that fit comfortably (and comply with company dress codes) can go a long way in helping you project a professional image and enjoy greater self-confidence.

Integrity/Ethics

Would you enjoy employing or working with someone that has demonstrated they cannot be trusted? Neither would anyone else. It’s important to be honest in the workplace, to ensure that your actions are consistent with your words, and to follow company policies and guidelines.

Boundaries

Understanding and recognizing personal and professional boundaries is an important part of helping others feel comfortable, safe, and respected in the workplace. Some examples of appropriate workplace boundaries may include observing others’ needs for personal space, not discussing or inquiring about highly personal matters, and minimizing excessive noise and other distractions that may hinder someone’s ability to focus on their job. 

Please join us for future articles as we explore these skills in greater depth and provide tips on improving areas that you need to work on. If you are looking for work, contact a recruiter today by clicking here. 

No matter where you are at in your career; it is the soft skills that you bring to the work environment that can make the difference. From front-line workers to CEOs, there are core foundational workplace skills that every employee needs to embrace and improve upon. Skills such as self-awareness, time management, and digital etiquette are just a couple examples of the skills that each of us need to possess in order to thrive in the world of work. 

The jobs that are here today may not be here in 20 years. The company you work at now could go out of business tomorrow. Perhaps you have a major life event that requires you to take your career in a different direction. Regardless of the circumstance, the world of work is ever changing, which is why it is important that we all recognize what soft skills are and the role they play in our professional success.

Basic Doesn’t Mean Simple

Just because we consider something a ‘basic’ skill doesn’t make it an easy skill to master. Unfortunately, it may not even be as ‘common sense’ as one might think. Everything we do from eating, talking, and yes, even how we approach work – are all learned behaviors. Many people have been fortunate to have excellent models in their lives that effectively taught them most of those basic skills. But, what about those people who were not as lucky? Is the best outcome giving up on them, or is it taking the time to help? Sometime the most basic skills, like communication and setting healthy boundaries, are the hardest skills to master because different situations call for different approaches. So those that see the world in more black and white, may not have the natural ability to adapt as easily as others. 

Know What To Look For

When you experience a conflict at work or are witness to a situation that leaves your wondering how the offender didn’t know that was inappropriate, pause and try to consider the basic skill that the person may need some help with. Maybe they made a mistake and placed blame on others, or they made excuses – in both the instances, you are looking at a lack of personal accountability. When you are able to bring the basic skill into the equation, you are better prepared to find a resolution and can see opportunity for an honest and productive conversation about the actual issue and set clearer future expectations.

Focus On Daily Actions

Skills and habits are two very different things. Habits are things we do every day, sometimes unknowingly – like biting your nails or the order in which you open programs on your computer before starting your day. Skills on the other hand are things we have learned and developed over time. By focusing on your daily actions and how situations and results are impacted by skills such as cooperation, follow-through, and integrity, you will be able to get a clearer picture of how those basics skills make a difference and where your strengths and weaknesses are. You are in control of your career, and if you take your work seriously and strive to be the best you can be, there is no limit to how far you can go. 

Adapt To Your Environment

Every company, every department, and every team member has different expectations in regards to things like acceptable behavior and personal appearance. Since it is unlikely that you will remain in any one job or work with the same people for the entirety of your career, you must be willing and able to adapt to your surroundings. There are of course, zero tolerance behaviors everywhere you go such as violence, hate speech, and dishonesty that will never be tolerated – but most of the basic skills that we all need have varying levels of acceptance depending on the situation. For example, some departments may be pretty lax on things like socializing while on the job or cell phone use at work, while others may be less accepting of those distractions. To be successful in the long-term, you must be able to be nimble and step back to assess your environment and adjust your approach.

We Are All Teachers AND Students

We are all works in progress, and we live in a society where social expectations are constantly evolving. This means that we all must be willing to both provide and accept feedback. It doesn’t matter if you are on the giving or receiving end of the feedback, the best approach is to recognize that feedback is being provided because people care enough to help. It is almost always given with pure intention, even if the delivery was off (maybe the giver could use some guidance on communication). The bottom line is that we will be working on these skills throughout our lives, we need them to be successful, and that means we all must be lifelong teachers and students.

Please join us in future articles as we breakdown a number of basic skills and specifically outline on how each one impacts work. 

If you are ready to work with a staffing partner that gets the importance of soft skills, contact us today.

The last two months of every calendar year have a familiar and energizing feel of celebration. From Thanksgiving to the New Year, our thoughts often revolve around feelings of gratitude, accomplishment, and exciting of the possibilities the coming year will bring. You don’t have to break all-time records in order to have something to celebrate, but if accomplishment is what you are after – there are a few things you have to do in order to set the stage.

Set Clear and Measurable Goals

In order to celebrate anything, you have to first have a firm grasp on what you are working towards. Just having vague or nebulous ideas of what you are hoping to achieve doesn’t serve you or your business well. Take a look at what you achieved in past years; how far do you want to move that needle? How can your big picture goals be broken down into smaller goals that can be measured throughout the year?

While you want to set your sights high, it’s also important to consider outside sources that could impact your ability to be successful – for example the chance of a recession, or loss of a major client. Anticipating outside influences is not done in order to make excuses for falling short, but to help you prepare to overcome them. Will you need more staff? What about skills-enhancing training for your team. Whatever the obstacle may be, having a plan in place can help mitigate the impact. 

Get Your Team Involved

You can have all the business goals in the world mapped out in your mind, but the fact is it is unlikely you will have much direct impact on whether or not the goals are accomplished. The key is to get your team (from leadership down) invested. That all begins with communication, and ends with effective performance management. How does each department play into meeting the targets? What are the activities they should be doing in order to be successful and support the team? Shine a light on that information, and encourage them to set their own departmental goals to work towards. 

Once goals have been set, and you have decided on how to measure them and what activities you want to highlight, it becomes a matter of managing to your goals. Being able to have quality discussions with your team members about the impact that are having can not only make a difference in reaching the mountaintop, it can also be a great opportunity for performance management conversations.

Visuals Can Help Motivate

No doubt you have heard the phrase “out of sight, out of mind.” The same can be said about goals. In fact, researchers have found that people that write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them. A well-timed visual not only will help keep the goals top of mind, it can also help fuel excitement and motivation. Visuals can (and should) come in a number of forms. Visuals can include things like tracking sheets that help individual team members focus on those key activities that drive business results and report on their results, or visual displays that marke progress to milestones and big picture goals. However your team chooses to visually measure progress, the end results is keeping everyone focused on the mission and moving in the same direction.

Acknowledge The Milestones

Big picture goals are often large and can feel unattainable. To combat the overwhelming feeling that could cause some to give up the goal before they even get started, you should break down your big picture goals into more manageable pieces with target timelines. When individuals, departments, or the company as a whole meets any of those milestones, make it a priority to acknowledge it. The nod to the completion of a milestone can be as big or small as you desire, but it needs to be genuine and geared to keeping everyone moving forward.

Celebrate and Repeat

There is a chance that by doing the steps above, you notice that your team is crushing the goal, and may even meet it in advance of the deadline. Resist the urge to move the goal post, and instead start the goal setting process over again. Having goals that are unreasonable, or constantly being moved, can be incredibly deflating for team morale resulting in lower performance. This is another reason why you need to put care into setting the goals appropriately from the start, focusing on the past, looking at potential upcoming obstacles, and also making note of what resources need to be provided to support the team in their work. If you did all of those things and your team achieved the results you work aiming for then celebrate, and celebrate big; then set new goals.

If more staff is needed to help you reach your business goals,

Manpower is poised to deliver.  

While the holiday season is an exciting time that many look forward to, there is no denying that it can present some challenges at work. Between team members being out on vacation, year-end wrap-up, and the personal challenges of preparing for and participating in all of the festivities, the threat of distraction and overwhelm is real. Fortunately, with a little planning, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy all that this special time of year has to offer AND continue to succeed at work so that you can end your year on a high note. Here are a few tips to help you do just that:

Create your to-do list and prioritize your tasks.

Lists can be a powerful tool when you’ve got a lot on your plate; sometimes all you need is a visual representation of the situation for your motivation to kick into high gear. When you’re feeling stressed, it’s all too easy to get hung up on the details – revisiting the big picture will help remind you what’s important so that you can focus your energy where it’s most valuable. Start with mapping out your major work to-dos and personal commitments, including dates if possible so that you can quickly identify and resolve any conflicts. Then talk with your supervisor to confirm that your priorities align with the needs of the company, and start creating an action plan that makes sense for you. 

Start your year-end tasks early.

Regardless of where you work, there are likely things that need to be done in addition to your regular workload to wrap the current year up and prepare for the one ahead. Whether that’s counting physical inventory in a warehouse or prepping financial statements in an office, start as soon as you can! Last-minute panic is no fun for anyone, nor is starting the New Year with lots of loose ends at work. Starting early and doing a bit here and there as you can will help set you up for success while minimizing the stress factor. 

Don’t take your work home with you. 

When you’ve got a busy schedule, it’s normal for your mind to wander back to work during your downtime, but whenever possible, redirect your thoughts back to where you are and enjoy the moment. Time with loved ones is what this season is all about – give yourself permission to be present and fully enjoy it! Plus, mental breaks are imperative to your overall wellness. They will help you to be more focused and efficient when you do get back to work, so your to-do list won’t feel quite as daunting. 

Take time to celebrate your wins. 

You’ve worked hard this year, so of course one of the best ways to end your year on a high note is by celebrating your successes! Success comes in many different forms; maybe you learned new skills, honed existing ones, built stronger relationships with your coworkers or customers, or reached for a goal outside your comfort zone and surprised yourself – whatever it is, you should be so proud of yourself for nurturing your professional growth, so take time to enjoy it! 

Brainstorm some exciting goals for the New Year. 

What better way to ignite your motivation and sense of urgency than by having fun things to look forward to? Think of a couple professional and personal goals that you feel passionately about, and use that excitement to fuel your year-end success! Ending your year on a high note will help set you up for success in the New Year, so make choices today that your future self will thank you for!

If your goals for the New Year include finding a new job, contact a recruiter today by clicking here. 

Are you confident that your staff feels appreciated? Have negativity and all of life’s stressors invaded your workplace? Whether it is related to work or personal challenges, we are all carrying around stress, feeling the burden, and it is undoubtedly impacting your workplace. According to the annual Stress in America survey by the American Psychological Association, many adults say that money and work are a significant source of stress in their lives. Cultivating a life of gratitude has been shown to help provide stress relief and build resilience. While there is no way for you to solve all the woes in the world, one thing you can do to make a positive impact is to create a culture of gratitude; here is how.

Focus on Accomplishments of All Sizes

The first step in creating a culture of gratitude is recognizing that everyone wants to feel appreciated, whether they vocalize it or not. In instances of grand results or exceptional performance it is easy to recognize the superstars, but what about the people behind the scenes that helped? Rarely will you find a case where even the biggest of achievements were completed alone; it takes everyone playing big and small roles to get the job done. Make sure that people on your team are fairly acknowledging those good-ol’-reliable workers, the ones that modestly go about their work with consistency and confidence, and the ones that lend a helping hand when appropriate. While their work may not have been done with major fanfare, it is no less worthy of acknowledgement than those big wins. Creating a culture of gratitude requires you recognize accomplishments and jobs-well-done of all sizes.

Genuine and Specific Appreciation Matters

While a flippant ‘thank you’ or ‘atta-boy’ may be helpful, it is not nearly as effective as a genuine and specific show of appreciation. Make it a common practice to observe how others do their work, what their challenges are, and how their work impacts the whole. When providing feedback, make it a point to explain in appropriate detail what it was that stood out to you and why. Take for example: systems go out unexpectedly and you notice a team member is staying busy by catching up on some filing. Instead of saying “good job staying productive,” try, “I just wanted to let you know that I noticed that when the systems went down you were able to stay productive by getting the team caught up on filing. I appreciate you stepping up and showing the team how to stay busy when systems go down. That is leading by example, and how we keep our business running smoothly.” Just adding a few specifics helps to send the message that you truly noticed and are being genuine in your praise. That high-quality level of acknowledgement will also likely encourage the team member to continue those positive behaviors.

Spread Gratitude Around Freely

We all have habits; some good, some not so much. Imagine a workplace where expressing gratitude was a habit, versus merely something done out of obligation. Make it a point to go out of your way daily to express gratitude to someone you work with. It may feel forced at first, but before you know it, showing appreciation will be just as routine as checking your email. While some may try to build a case of ‘too much of a good thing,’ you would be hard-pressed to see ‘too much’ genuine recognition of good work be anything but an exceptional morale boost.

Get Creative

There are more ways to show appreciation in the workplace than we can list here, plus getting creative with the presentation is half the fun. The bottomline is that you don’t have to have a formal conversation with each and every thank you. In fact, the more informal ones are likely going to have the greatest impact. Whether you leave a simple post-it note on someone’s computer, send a well-timed email after overcoming an obstacle, plaster the office with a giant birthday banner, or drop off their favorite sweet treat with a little note – it will all be well-received and brighten someone’s day. Also be sure to get your team involved by providing opportunities for them to show appreciation to their peers both publicly and privately. The possibilities are endless, but providing positive feedback should be the highlight of your day, so enjoy it.

Creating a culture of gratitude will pay dividends to your organization. You will quickly notice a lighter feeling in the air, more creative problem solving, increased teamwork and collaboration, and improved results – all because people who feel appreciated always do more than expected. So go on, who are you going to thank first?