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Challenging professional experiences can happen to all of us. Maybe you had transportation issues in the past that led to poor attendance, or maybe your performance suffered because there were things happening in your personal life that affected your ability to focus during working hours. While challenges such as these can sometimes be difficult to overcome, they don’t have to define your future career success. Here are some great tips to help you tell your work story – challenges and all – at your next job interview.

Take accountability. 

Past mistakes don’t have to define you; it’s how you address and overcome them that will ultimately determine your success. When jobs don’t work out as we had hoped, it can leave us feeling frustrated, embarrassed, or even ashamed – and in those moments, it may feel easier to blame others for the outcome. However, humbly owning up to your mistakes demonstrates that you’ve gained the maturity and perspective needed to move beyond them so that you can do better in the future. So if you are interviewing for a job, and you have to explain that you were let go from a previous job due to poor attendance or other issues, don’t lie or make excuses. Keep it simple and state the facts – your potential employer just wants to know that you can take accountability for your actions, and that you have taken appropriate steps to ensure that what happened in the past won’t be an issue moving forward. 

Demonstrate that you’re ready for a second chance.  

First, check in with yourself to see if you’re truly ready for this new opportunity. If the factors that contributed to challenges at your last job haven’t changed, think very carefully about whether or not to proceed. It would be very unfortunate to be in the same situation again a couple of weeks or months down the line, and if you repeat those same patterns at multiple jobs, it can make the barrier to employment much more difficult to overcome. If you are indeed ready for a second chance, make sure that you clarify what has changed and what actions you have taken to ensure that you can be counted on to show up on time and ready to work. 

Don’t overshare.

It’s important to recognize that when it comes to interviews for employment, it’s best to stick with providing objective, relevant information. Your personal experiences are valid, but what a hiring manager really needs to hear about is what makes you a good fit for the job at hand. If you share too much personal information beyond that, it could draw attention away from where it belongs – on your qualifications. Do you want the hiring manager to leave your interview remembering the great skills you have to offer, or your detailed story about that one coworker who just wouldn’t stop picking fights with you?  

Focus on the positive, and highlight your successes.

You don’t have to pretend that you loved your past jobs if you didn’t, but you do need to be able to communicate what you learned from those experiences, how they helped you grow, and the skills you gained from them that make you qualified for this job. If there were tasks that you excelled at or found particularly enjoyable, mention those – it gives your enthusiasm for work a chance to shine! Sometimes people are reluctant to talk about their successes because they feel like they’re bragging, and while you do want to be careful not to come across as arrogant, it’s important to celebrate your professional victories! Doing so not only highlights your qualifications, but also shows that you take pride in your work.   

If your job search could benefit from the help of a staffing firm, we hope that you will consider partnering with Manpower. To get started, contact your local branch today by clicking here. 

Candidates’ preference for technology and their expectations for the job search process are changing rapidly. As employers, this leaves us with two distinct options: we can spend our time reminiscing about the good ol’ days and how it used to be, OR we can focus on how the recruiting process has evolved and do what it takes to get the job done. Which option seems more effective to you?

Technology is pervasive in every aspect of our lives, including hiring. It has set a precedent for immediate action and connection. Where candidates used to go out and look for jobs, now jobs that match their preferences are delivered directly to them using a plethora of platforms from texting to social media. Companies that recognize this, stop arguing with reality, and proactively respond to candidates’ technological preferences will ultimately win the war for talent. Those who don’t… well, let’s just say the future isn’t as promising. 

The NextGen Recruiting Game

For as much as the internet pokes fun at millennials and other younger generations, they sure do seem to be agents of change. They younger generations, including Xennials, Millenials, and GenZ, are taking the world of work by storm and living by the mantra “say no to the status quo.” While we may all agree that perhaps some of their expectations are more than what we can provide at the moment – one place we can easily offer compromise is the recruiting game. 

Embracing Social Media

From Facebook to Pinterest, every social media channel serves as an opportunity to connect with people, and isn’t that what recruiting is all about? If you were standing in line at the supermarket and you overheard someone saying they were looking for a job in your industry – if you were hiring, would you not attempt to inspire them to consider your company? Well, think of social media in the same way. According to Statista, 81% of people have at least one social media profile, and 29% of those using social media use it as their primary source for job searching. 

Each platform has its own unique following, which means you have to be aware of which platform to use for each position, and which message and design scheme will be most appealing to those users. And as a heads-up, just as soon as you think you have it all figured out – it changes. In addition, all of these platforms have developed their own sort of pay-to-play methods. So, especially where business exposure and advertising is concerned, obtaining significant organic reach can sometimes seem to be an impossible fete. 

Go Mobile

As smart phones get smarter and bigger, and data plans more robust and affordable, the time people are spending on their cell phones versus firing up the laptop or desktop is increasing. From Apple watches to Google Glasses, our mobile devices are basically an extension of ourselves. That means websites need to be mobile friendly, mobile responsive online application systems, email messages concise, and yes, it is time to embrace texting and even instant messaging. It is unlikely that the role mobile technology plays in our lives is going to decrease in significance – if anything, it will greatly increase – so the time to jump on board is now. 

Be Aware of Rules & Regulations

As HR professionals, you know better than anyone that there are laws governing how you interact with candidates and employees, and what ‘protected’ information you have access to that could impact a hiring decision. Recruiting is a form of both hiring and marketing with laws that govern how you can interact. Digital recruiting can pose a legal risk. Having a clear and concise policy on social media and technology usage for recruiting, as well as thorough training, is crucial to mitigating that risk. Review your policy with your legal team to ensure your are not violating any laws by obtaining and using information in your hiring decisions that is deemed ‘protected’ by state and federal law. 

Don’t Have Time For All That?

Then you can either continue reminiscing about those good ol’ days we talked about and spin your wheels while your positions remain unfilled, or you can partner with someone who has the time, expertise, energy, and resources to do it for you. The choice is yours, and if you choose the second path – we hope you will consider partnering with the Manpower team.

Your career is serious business, so it’s important to approach each aspect of your job search with thought and care. One thing to consider as you’re looking for work is whether or not to partner with a staffing firm – if you’re not familiar with them, you may not be aware of what they have to offer. While this is not an exhaustive list, here are a few great reasons to consider working with one:

You’re going through a career transition.

Maybe you’re re-entering the workforce after an extended period away from it, or you’ve just graduated and you’re trying to land your first job. It can be helpful to partner with staffing firms during transitions like these, because they are experts on the local labor market and have extensive relationships with companies that are actively hiring. They can help make the transition smoother for you by helping you get a sense of what is available, as well as helping you navigate the hiring process.

You’re looking for temporary work. 

You’re only available for a certain window of time, and you know that it will be a challenge to secure employment, because companies often don’t want to take the time to train someone who won’t be around for the long haul. Whether you’re moving, going back to school, or your regular job will be picking back up soon, a staffing firm can help you with your seasonal employment needs. In addition to filling long term, temp to hire, and permanent openings, staffing firms also frequently work with companies that seek help with short term projects, vacation coverage, and other temporary needs within their organizations.  

You’re trying to get your foot in the door at a highly competitive company.

Staffing firms like Manpower are successful at what they do because they know how to build relationships, both with their associates and the companies they partner with. They are connected to a vast network of companies, big and small, and they often include some of the most reputable companies in their respective industries. If you’ve got your eye on a really competitive company, but haven’t quite been able to get your foot in the door yet, a staffing firm may be able to help you bridge that gap. A company may be more willing to take a chance on you with a temp to hire opportunity, which allows you to prove your skills before they make the commitment to bring you on permanently.   

You want to make things easier for yourself by partnering with a pro.

Life is busy – we totally get it. One of the benefits of working with a staffing firm like Manpower is that one resume opens you up to a world of possibilities! By submitting an application, you can be considered for numerous positions that are available. Recruiters have their fingers on the pulse of the local job market, and when something becomes available that fits your experience and what you’re looking for, they present you with the information so that you can decide if the opportunity is something you’d like to pursue. They’ll help guide you through the interview and hiring process so that even when life is a little crazy, you know that your career goals are right on track.  

You’re not getting the results you want. 

If the job search you’ve been conducting on your own isn’t yielding the results you’re looking for, you could benefit from partnering with a staffing firm. In addition to helping you navigate the hiring process, recruiters can provide you with valuable feedback to help you improve as a candidate. From resume tweaks to interviewing advice, you can trust that they have your career goals at heart, and will do what they can to help make the right match and prepare you to secure an opportunity that you will be successful in. 

If your job search could benefit from the help of a staffing firm, we hope that you will consider partnering with Manpower. To get started, contact your local branch today by clicking here. 

Spring is a season that is ripe with transitions. As the frost-covered ground warms and softens to accommodate May’s first blossoms, you may find yourself transitioning from academia to the workforce, or seeking to leave a job you’re comfortable in for a new job with a more engaging learning curve. Career transitions can be intimidating, but they are also exciting, and if you’re up for the challenge, they present a tremendous opportunity to learn and help your career bloom. 

Follow these tips to set yourself up for success and make your transition as smooth as possible. 

Take Advantage of Training Opportunities Available to You.

Take it upon yourself to learn as much as you can, and when opportunities for additional training arise, seize them! Learning new things is a vital aspect of any successful career, and the ability and willingness to learn is a trait that is highly sought after by nearly all employers. Not only can learning new skills open the door to growth within your current organization, it also helps you strengthen and diversify yourself as a candidate, which can have a positive impact on your career for years to come. 

When you work with Manpower, you have free access to our PowerYOU training platform, which offers thousands of online courses on a wide range of topics. From basic software applications like Excel, to in-demand programming languages like JAVA and SQL, and certification prep courses for HR and project management – there is no shortage of opportunities to update existing skills or explore and develop new ones that will help you level-up your career.

Ask For (and Accept) Feedback.

Critical feedback can sometimes be difficult to take, but it is a powerful professional development tool, because it provides you with insight on yourself that you may not have been able to obtain otherwise. It’s a challenge to be objective about ourselves, which is why it’s important to seek out, and gracefully accept, constructive criticism. Don’t be afraid to ask your supervisor or trusted coworker for feedback on your performance periodically – they’ll likely be impressed by your initiative! Just don’t overdo it – asking once per quarter is a good place to start, as it will provide you with regular feedback as well as plenty of time to implement it. 

Thank them for the feedback, and don’t get defensive if it is difficult to hear. Pause, reflect on the feedback, and ask clarifying questions if needed. Remember that they want you to succeed, and then start taking steps to act on the feedback and improve your work. 

Partner With an Industry Expert.

Career transitions can be made a whole lot easier by working with a partner like Manpower who is extremely well-versed on the labor market, and is connected to an extensive network of employers across a wide variety of industries. A recruiter will talk with you to learn more about your experience, education, skills, work preferences, and career goals – and then works to match you with the most suitable opportunities. Experts help you navigate the process, and take the guesswork out of finding work that works for you. 

Know That Everyone Starts Somewhere, and All Work Is Noble. 

We are our own worst critics, and there are times in our lives when we may feel that we’ve fallen short of where we thought we would be by now. Those feelings are normal – but don’t let them leave you feeling defeated. Everyone starts somewhere, and while your current job may not be your dream job, it is a stepping stone to something bigger. Much like life journeys in general, career journeys have many unexpected twists and turns. The path to the finish line (your ultimate career goal) will not always be clear – in fact, it is very likely there will be some detours – but if you treat each of your professional experiences along the way with the care and attention they deserve, you will build a career you can be proud of. 

If you are looking to make a career transition, click the link below to contact your local Manpower team!

2.7%. That is the most recent unemployment rate released for the State of Maine. In fact, reports are even saying it is a record-breaking low since recording the date using the current methodology. That’s good news, right? Yes and no. It is fabulous that Maine is putting people to work, but the harsh reality is that it’s now a lot harder to fill your job openings. 

Since we are deep in the trenches of a job seeker market, we want to cover a couple of the options you have.

Wait Patiently for the Purple Squirrel 

You have a perfectly crafted job description and have envisioned the ideal candidate for the role. Problem is, they either don’t exist, or they want twice what you are able to pay for the position – so you wait. Perhaps you invest in another advertising resource, bump up some of your benefit offers, or craft yet another job advertisement hoping to lure in more perfect matches.

The problem with this approach is that while you wait, the work piles up and creates more burden for your current staff, which could result in poor employee morale and increased turnover – leaving you with even more job openings to fill.

Go for Broke And Double The Salary

Okay, maybe not double the salary – but we all know that money talks. The question your have to ask yourself is, how long will the applicant listen? Having a competitive salary and benefits package is an important piece of remaining competitive in the market, and very well could be a quick fix to fill that opening.

The problem with this approach is that it could provide a false sense of security. If a candidate knows their skills are marketable, will they just jump ship and leave you back at square one the moment a better offer comes along?

We hope that by now you are saying, “Wait a minute, this all sounds pretty depressing.” Sound about right? Good. There is a much better way for you to handle this.

Level-Up Your Current Staff

Your current staff has already demonstrated loyalty to your organization, they understand your business, they know what you expect, and they know how to deliver. Why not create a win-win situation by leveling-up your team? By providing training and development programs to skill up your team, you can help transition them into those more specialized roles. Then the openings that remain are likely your more entry-level positions, which have a larger candidate pool for you to pull from. 

Many employees want to increase their skills, try new things, and move up within an organization – so why not show your dedicated staff some loyalty and gain even more loyalty from them in return?

The biggest challenge with this approach is that when you first initiate it, it could take some time. But what is important to remember is that there is a risk with every approach you take; when hiring someone new, you really can’t be sure they have the staying power you are hoping for or that their skills are up to par. With this approach, you know they have staying power and you can train them on exactly how you want the work to be done.

Whether you invest in mentorship programs, on-the-job training, offsite training, tuition reimbursement, use digital learning platforms, or a combination of all of those options – you can build a solid funnel of candidate so you never worry about going without. Also, you will likely be recognized as an employer of choice with candidates banging down your door because you demonstrated a commitment to your staff. What employee doesn’t like to know that their new employer is as committed to them as they are to you?

You have a great product or offer an amazing service, and that is a terrific start; however, many businesses have both of those things and still struggle to take their business to the next level.  Why is that? The answer could very well be that they are hiring the wrong people to carry out the work. Having the right people on board can take your company to new heights, whereas having the wrong people on board can cause you to crash and burn.

While it would be nice to believe you, as the leader, control your customer’s experience, it is ultimately your employees that are being entrusted with that responsibility – your biggest opportunity to control the outcome is by hiring the right people. This is why having a clear hiring strategy for each and every position in your company is crucial.

Know What It Takes To Be Successful in Every Role

Take a look at each of the roles in your organization. Who are your ‘rockstars”? You know, the ones out can count on day in and day out to perform their job with excellence. Once you have determined who those people are, it is time to take a look at not only their pedigree, but more importantly those intangible characteristics that help them take their job to the next level. All too often, organizations paint themselves into a corner with blanket policies requiring specific education levels or years of experience when hiring, when it is often those less tangible characteristics that are a greater predictor of long-term success.

Know the Micro-Cultures In Your Company

While it is absolutely reasonable to have culture standards that are met across the organization, you should keep in mind that each department withing your company likely has it’s own micro-culture. Your accounting department is going to be operated and staffed much differently than your production floor. In order to hire the right person for each job, it is important that you understand both the big and small differences between each department, or even between different managers or shifts.

Advertise To The Right People

Once you really understand what it takes to be successful in the job and the departmental micro-cultures, you need to know where to find the people that will thrive in that specific role. Where would they likely be looking for jobs? What is it about the company that would grab their attention? Make sure when crafting your job advertisement you have their interests in mind. The more you speak their language, the more likely you are to attract (and then hire) the right people.

Make Sure the Candidate Experience Is Tailored

The screening and interview process for a production worker versus a marketing professional should look very different. For each role, you must consider what you want bother the pre-screening process and the interview process to look like. This includes how you “screen-out” versus “screen-in” your candidates. Must they have a resume? Do you require a lengthy phone screening? How might that impact the candidate experience and whether you are attracting the right people to your jobs?

Train Your Team 

Unless you are the one that screens, hires, and manages all staff members, then you must once again trust that you have hired and trained your staff on how to carry out your plan for best results. If your organization conducts peer interviews, make sure you are thoroughly training the individuals you want to participate. While getting unfiltered feedback is important, it is crucial that your team is trained to ask the right questions and to look for the characteristics you value.

What to Watch Out For

You have now designed a hiring model for each department based on perceived best practices, but be sure when you are hiring you are focused on the right characteristics. As you are building your team what you need to be focused on is balance. Diversity is good, it is health, and it helps us challenge our thinking and our processes. If everyone on your team thinks the same, chances are your results will become stagnant. And stagnation is not a state in which businesses thrive.

We get it, hiring is serious business! If you need so support building your team, Manpower wants to be the staffing partner you trust to deliver. Simply contact us by clicking the link below.