Throughout the United States, unemployment is at record lows. The unemployment rate nationally stands at 3.7 percent, the lowest it has been in decades – and in Reno, unemployment is even lower than the national average at 3.5 percent.
With record-low unemployment in Reno, businesses are hard-pressed to find qualified candidates. If you’re thinking about finding a better job in Nevada, now is a great time to do so! Employers are eager to find high quality candidates.
If you’re looking for a job in Reno or throughout northern Nevada in the new year, here are four tips on how to get ready for the job search.
1. Think About What You Are Looking For
Looking for a new position in a time of robust employment has many advantages, but one of the best is that it’s a good time to transition, whether you’re seeking a higher position with a new company or looking to shift your career path. When job markets are hot, employers are more willing to take a chance.
With this in mind, take the time to think through what you really want. Do you want the perks and challenges of a higher-level opportunity? Or do you have a goal that’s a bit different than the path you’re currently on, and want to take a shot? The better you clarify your career goals for 2019, the more likely you’ll be able to articulate your goals to interviewers.
2. Communicate Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Interviewers frequently ask job applicants about what their biggest strengths and weaknesses are as a professional. It’s a very good idea to develop answers to these questions when you’re in the job market.
Think through your job-related strengths. Are you great at teamwork and internal communication? Do you work well in a challenging, fast-paced environment? Decide on two or three strengths to highlight above any others and prepare to discuss specific examples highlighting each one. Then, plan a way to tie your strengths and how you utilize them to the job you’re interviewing for.
Discussing weaknesses is a bit different. Part of what the interviewer may be assessing is how you handle the question! Interviewers want to see your self-awareness to identify what you need to work on, but you can also use this question in the interview to show how you’ve overcome and corrected past weaknesses.
It’s also wise to choose a weakness you can paint in a more positive light, either because it reveals good things about your work habits or because you have solved a previous weakness. In the first instance, you might say, “I was so dedicated to helping others on my team that I ended up stretching my limits to help team members who were underperforming. I ultimately realized, though, that underperforming members need to be actively brought up to speed, not have someone do their work.” For an issue you have worked to overcome in the past, you might say “I used to be very shy about speaking up in meetings, but by growing in my previous role and taking on leadership responsibilities over time, I realized how valuable everyone’s input is to the team, including my own. I now realize the value of my own insights, and no longer feel shy in meetings.”
3. Review Your Experiences and How You Can Highlight Accomplishments
Before any interview, review your experiences and qualifications with an eye on discussing them with an interviewer. Choose three or four that highlight your best accomplishments. It’s a very good idea to either emphasize any contribution to the bottom line, either by a job that increased revenues or cut costs, with specific numbers if you have them.
An example might be “At ABC Company, I was part of a team that was responsible for increasing production in the last six months of the year. We had to learn new management techniques and incorporate them into our workflow methods. Our rollout of these new processes was successful, boosting production 15 percent last year.”
4. Practice Your Interview Techniques
It’s common to feel some anxiety before and during interviews. Practicing your answers to the strengths and weaknesses questions and to discussing your experiences is a good idea. Ask family or friends to play the part of the interviewer, or use your smartphone to record yourself and watch for tendencies you may want to correct when asking questions.
This also gives you a chance to work on body language. Many people look down during an interview, or use negative body language, like crossing their arms in front of them. Practice looking at the interviewer in a friendly way and sitting in a relaxed but professional manner.
Get Out on the Job Hunt in Reno and Northern Nevada This Year!
Using these four strategies, you can conduct an effective job search and find the new opportunity that will help you reach your 2019 career goals! The Applied Companies’ staffing team is ready to help you find the jobs you’re looking for. Contact us today, or head right to our job board and apply for new opportunities in your area.
Are You Sticking with Your Career and Personal Resolutions for 2019?
/in Career Tips /by The Applied CompaniesCan you believe how far we are from New Year’s already? Are you still sticking to the career and personal resolutions you made when 2019 was still new and shiny?
You may not be. For 80 percent of people reading this post, you’ve fallen off track from your resolutions already. New resolutions are hard, because they require you to modify your behavior. They may require you to get out of your comfort zone. New traditions and practices might involve unfamiliar or uncomfortable behavior, and those habits take a long time to stick.
But resolutions have the power to change your life for the better as well. If you made a personal resolution, not sticking with it means you’re still in the same place a year from now. If you made a career resolution to find a better-paying job and break that resolution, you’ll be stuck in the same spot too.
So how do you make sure you keep resolutions? Here’s how.
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What Do You Need to Know Before Offering Flexible Work Schedules?
/in Management Best Practices /by The Applied CompaniesFlexible work schedules are defined as schedules that don’t stick to the traditional 9-to-5 day of an office. With flexible work schedules, employees may come in or leave earlier or later than conventional times dictate. Some flex-time employees also compress work weeks, and may work four 10-hour days rather than five 8-hour ones.
In the end, the goal is to find the best schedule that allows your team to perform optimally. What do you need to consider if you’re thinking of offering flexible work schedules? Here are the pros and cons.
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Do You Know What You’re Worth in the Job Market? Here’s How to Find Out
/in Career Tips /by The Applied CompaniesKnowing what competitive salaries look like in your region and industry can help you negotiate during the interview and hiring process. Do you ever wonder if you’re being paid what you’re worth? Or do you sometimes think that you may not be, but don’t know how to find out?
Usually, employers have a range in mind, depending on your skills, experience and length of time in similar positions. Knowing what you’re worth can help you negotiate to the upper end of the range.
So how do you find out salary information for positions like yours – or the one you’re working towards? Here are three tips.
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Building a Company Culture Your Staff Loves
/in Management Best Practices /by The Applied CompaniesA company’s culture can be a key component in ensuring that employee morale and retention are strong. Employees who enjoy the culture tend to be happy and engaged, and will stay with the company for a long time. Cultural fit can help teams worth at peak productivity. Companies known for a culture their staff loves, moreover, tend to attract top employees.
But how can you build a stronger culture and become an employer of choice? Follow these three tips.
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What Options Can Federal Employees Consider in a Furlough?
/in Career Tips /by The Applied CompaniesThe United States Government was recently locked in the longest shutdown in our country’s history, with wide-ranging consequences. While this development had negative effects on government agencies, services and the economy as a whole, hundreds of thousands of federal employees across the country are feeling the pain personally.
If you were living paycheck to paycheck during the shutdown, you may now be struggling to make ends meet or even put food on the table. In the event of another government shutdown, what can furloughed federal employees do to avoid financial issues?
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What Do You Need to Know Before Working with an Executive Recruiter?
/in Career Tips, Executive Search /by The Applied CompaniesIf you’re an executive at midlevel or above, you might be interested in working with an executive recruiter to seek new opportunities or advance a search. Since executive recruiters work on positions that are not broadly advertised, it’s a method of accessing a job market.
But working with executive recruiters in Nevada can be quite different from other types of recruiters or past job searches. Here’s some tips you need to know about executive recruiters.
Executive Recruiters Have Very Specific Requirements
Executive recruiters are either working for a specific organization that needs a high-level position filled or for an executive search firm or contingency firm that specializes in recruiting for higher levels positions for specific companies.
Executive recruiters are looking for at least mid-level executives through vice president and C-suite positions. Therefore, they approach executives who are already employed and visible in similar positions. They spend time researching the available pool of candidates to ensure success and a good fit.
You Can Maximize Your Ability to Be Found by Executive Recruiters
If you are interested in being approached, there are methods that can make that more likely.
First, know the business model. It’s the job of executive recruiters to research and screen candidates who might be a good fit with the hiring organization. To do that, they review company results and returns driven as well as industry publications and conference presentations. They also actively network to obtain information on company leadership. Make sure you have an active presence in your area so executive recruiters can get an idea of your expertise and initiative.
Second, tailor your methods to fit the business model. It’s important to be visible. Publishing an article or giving a conference presentation are two ways to do that. Being active in professional associations is a method. Leading a company to excellent results is a method. Innovative or successful leadership is a method. Networking within your industry is a method.
Build a Relationship That Grows Over Time
If a recruiter does reach out to you, build the relationship. They may reach out to ask if you are interested in a position, for example, or to ask if you know of anyone who is qualified for a position. If you are interested and qualified, great! If you are not interested or don’t feel you are qualified, be candid.
If you are contacted by a recruiter who wants to know your opinion of what candidates might be a good fit, or who wants to know who might be in the applicant pool for a given position, be pleasant and helpful. They will appreciate it, and it’s a good way to be remembered for a position later on.
Find Your Next Executive Opportunity in Northern Nevada
The Applied Companies’ executive search team is ready to help you find the opportunity to advance your career goals to the next level. Contact our team today to learn more.
How a Reno Staffing Agency Can Help You Find Top Talent
/in Hiring Advice /by The Applied CompaniesCompanies looking to find top talent in the current job market environment have their work cut out for them. The unemployment rate is at historic lows the United State has not seen in 50 years. As a result, skilled employees are in higher demand across all parts of the country, and northern Nevada is no different.
It can be more challenging to recruit in an environment in which employment is so robust, as there can be stiff competition for top candidates. Many may be already employed and content with their position.
A staffing agency in Reno can help employers find the best-qualified potential employees, not only in tight employment markets like the current one, but throughout the economic life cycle. Here are three reasons why they can help.
1. Connections with Talent Networks
Staffing agencies, especially those that work in a particular geographic area or employment niche, have deeper networks than many individual companies. They have past relationships with candidates, so they know the qualified candidate pool in the region. As a result, they can reach passive candidates (those who aren’t actively looking for new jobs) that companies may not know about.
They are also in a position to hear word-of-mouth about people who are potential candidates, such as friends or relatives of past candidates.
2. Deep Industry Insight
Staffing agencies know the industries they work in. They know where qualified candidates are, and where they come from. They understand if your business niche has seasonal needs. They understand if climate and geography play a role in whether candidates are likely to be top employees or not.
They understand the skills and qualifications needed in your industry. As a result, they can develop a customized staffing solution that benefits your business.
3. Save Your Business Time and Money
Recruiting issues can cost businesses both time and money. First, of course, the recruiting process can take months if a company does it on its own. Drafting a job description, sorting through applications, interviewing, and checking references all can take a considerable amount of time. Plus, it’s time that hiring managers often need to take from schedules packed with other crucial tasks.
Staffing agencies can remove the time burden. They can help with job description development, screening resumes and applications, pre-interviewing, and checking references. They can also move full speed ahead, in a way companies may not be able to because of the needs of their main business.
Ready to Start Working with a Staffing Agency in Reno?
Hiring always has costs, but delays in hiring can cost even more money. While a position remains unfilled, a company’s productivity can suffer. In addition, if a hire doesn’t work out, the company has to go back to the drawing board to hire someone, which can be an additional drain on productivity. A staffing agency in Reno can help you find the right candidates quicker!
The Applied Companies is ready to help your growing business tackle all of your staffing needs, giving you more time to focus on your core business goals in 2019. Learn more about our staffing services for Nevada businesses and how our expertise can benefit you.
It’s a Great Time to Find a Job in Reno!
/in Career Tips /by The Applied CompaniesThroughout the United States, unemployment is at record lows. The unemployment rate nationally stands at 3.7 percent, the lowest it has been in decades – and in Reno, unemployment is even lower than the national average at 3.5 percent.
With record-low unemployment in Reno, businesses are hard-pressed to find qualified candidates. If you’re thinking about finding a better job in Nevada, now is a great time to do so! Employers are eager to find high quality candidates.
If you’re looking for a job in Reno or throughout northern Nevada in the new year, here are four tips on how to get ready for the job search.
1. Think About What You Are Looking For
Looking for a new position in a time of robust employment has many advantages, but one of the best is that it’s a good time to transition, whether you’re seeking a higher position with a new company or looking to shift your career path. When job markets are hot, employers are more willing to take a chance.
With this in mind, take the time to think through what you really want. Do you want the perks and challenges of a higher-level opportunity? Or do you have a goal that’s a bit different than the path you’re currently on, and want to take a shot? The better you clarify your career goals for 2019, the more likely you’ll be able to articulate your goals to interviewers.
2. Communicate Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Interviewers frequently ask job applicants about what their biggest strengths and weaknesses are as a professional. It’s a very good idea to develop answers to these questions when you’re in the job market.
Think through your job-related strengths. Are you great at teamwork and internal communication? Do you work well in a challenging, fast-paced environment? Decide on two or three strengths to highlight above any others and prepare to discuss specific examples highlighting each one. Then, plan a way to tie your strengths and how you utilize them to the job you’re interviewing for.
Discussing weaknesses is a bit different. Part of what the interviewer may be assessing is how you handle the question! Interviewers want to see your self-awareness to identify what you need to work on, but you can also use this question in the interview to show how you’ve overcome and corrected past weaknesses.
It’s also wise to choose a weakness you can paint in a more positive light, either because it reveals good things about your work habits or because you have solved a previous weakness. In the first instance, you might say, “I was so dedicated to helping others on my team that I ended up stretching my limits to help team members who were underperforming. I ultimately realized, though, that underperforming members need to be actively brought up to speed, not have someone do their work.” For an issue you have worked to overcome in the past, you might say “I used to be very shy about speaking up in meetings, but by growing in my previous role and taking on leadership responsibilities over time, I realized how valuable everyone’s input is to the team, including my own. I now realize the value of my own insights, and no longer feel shy in meetings.”
3. Review Your Experiences and How You Can Highlight Accomplishments
Before any interview, review your experiences and qualifications with an eye on discussing them with an interviewer. Choose three or four that highlight your best accomplishments. It’s a very good idea to either emphasize any contribution to the bottom line, either by a job that increased revenues or cut costs, with specific numbers if you have them.
An example might be “At ABC Company, I was part of a team that was responsible for increasing production in the last six months of the year. We had to learn new management techniques and incorporate them into our workflow methods. Our rollout of these new processes was successful, boosting production 15 percent last year.”
4. Practice Your Interview Techniques
It’s common to feel some anxiety before and during interviews. Practicing your answers to the strengths and weaknesses questions and to discussing your experiences is a good idea. Ask family or friends to play the part of the interviewer, or use your smartphone to record yourself and watch for tendencies you may want to correct when asking questions.
This also gives you a chance to work on body language. Many people look down during an interview, or use negative body language, like crossing their arms in front of them. Practice looking at the interviewer in a friendly way and sitting in a relaxed but professional manner.
Get Out on the Job Hunt in Reno and Northern Nevada This Year!
Using these four strategies, you can conduct an effective job search and find the new opportunity that will help you reach your 2019 career goals! The Applied Companies’ staffing team is ready to help you find the jobs you’re looking for. Contact us today, or head right to our job board and apply for new opportunities in your area.
How Can You Effectively Fill Positions Through Employee Referrals?
/in Hiring Advice /by The Applied CompaniesIf you’re looking for people to hire, an employee referral program can have many benefits. That’s especially true in today’s environment, in which employment is at record levels. It can be difficult to find qualified people, and the search can be extensive.
If you have employees who go above and beyond in their work, and they know more people who could help your organization grow, having an established referral system makes those connections possible. What benefits could your organization gain from setting up a referral system?
1. They can find more qualified people
Friends and family members who your top employees already know are likely to be somewhat similar to those employees. They are likely to share a similar work ethic and set of values. Referrals from these employees are likely to fit into the company culture, which can be an important determinant of performance. A referral system provides a process and rewards for having your existing workforce specifically refer people who they know are qualified and are put to work.
An employee referral program can increase your reach throughout your geographic area. It can also reach into connections of your employees who are passive job seekers, who are content in their current jobs but might take the opportunity to work alongside someone they know closely.
2. They make the job search more efficient
A referral program can make your job search more efficient by finding candidates faster. In the weeks and months it takes to conduct a traditional search for active job seekers, company productivity may take a hit. Gaining referrals through employee word-of-mouth is likely to be quicker than sharing job postings online when it comes to finding candidates quickly.
In addition, the new employee’s existing connections will likely make their onboarding and introductions more efficient.
3. They reduce costs
The hiring process can cost a great deal in the long run. Some of the cost is the lost productivity of vacant positions. Some of it is the drain on productivity lost to interviewing multiple candidates and so forth. Referral candidates tend to be more streamlined. The more streamlined the hiring process and the onboarding, the less it costs your company.
Find a Referral System that Works for Your Business
It’s prudent to have a plan to determine the effectiveness of an employee referral program.
The most crucial part of the plan is determining the most important goal for the program. Is it to get more qualified employees? Are you looking to improve the cultural fit of the team? Do you need to reduce time-to-hire and decrease costs?
Then, you’ll need to compare referred hires versus hires who weren’t referred. You won’t have valid metrics unless there’s a comparator group. If your central goal was to reduce time to hire, for example, you’ll need to gather data on time to hire for referred candidates versus non-referred. If you wanted to reduce costs, you’ll need data on costs for referred candidates versus non-referred candidates.
Effectiveness in an employee referral program relies on both goal definition and comparisons, in short. Looking for more expert advice on the process of finding qualified candidates? The Applied Companies is here to help businesses across Reno and northern Nevada. Contact us today to connect with our team and learn how we can help your business grow.
What Can You Do When You “Don’t Have Time” for a Job Search?
/in Career Tips /by The Applied CompaniesIt can be tough to look for a job when you’re very busy. If you’re already working long days, you might not have time at the end of the day to find the new job you need. The very idea of tailoring resumes and spending hours searching job postings can get pushed down the list of priorities.
Working with recruiters in northern Nevada can help you find the right jobs that fit your goals and needs. Check out these four tips for maximizing your time and finding your next opportunity as easily as possible.
1. Streamline your search
It’s easy to spend hours searching for jobs online. In fact, you can spend days on end searching, finding one, and then developing the application materials and filling out online forms. But there are ways to be more productive.
First, decide the type of jobs you want. Make sure your resume is tailored so hiring managers in a certain industry see your background information which is most pertinent to this specific job. Then you can use your time to solely focus on jobs that fit your past experience and what you would like to do.
Use keywords in your search to narrow down opportunities on various job boards. For example, If you’re looking for an administrative assistant position, use “administrative assistant.” Bookmark or save every application you don’t finish while you’re focused on searching so you can come back to it the next day.
2. Focus on jobs that meet your goals and needs
Spend your time focusing on what meets your professional goals and needs rather than applying for any and all jobs available. If you want to move into clerical work, for example, you need to start in an office, not packing in a warehouse. If you need a full-time job for the salary, a part-time job may not be helpful.
When you look at job postings, try to focus only on the jobs and areas you’ve identified as meeting your goals and needs. Sometimes, job searching takes a long time because you’re letting the jobs that are currently available determine whether you respond. Instead, set a game plan and let it determine what you respond to out of the total jobs out there.
3. Tap into your professional network
As many as 70 percent of jobs in some industries are filled through networking and having connections help you through the hiring process. Let others assist you in your job search. Tell all your friends, past coworkers, and relatives you’re looking. You never know who will hear of an available job. Ask the people in your network if they know of anyone who is looking.
4. Work with a recruiter
It’s very smart to contact a recruiter when you begin your job search. Recruiters have large networks of contacts and companies who are looking for jobs to be filled. Many recruiters specialize in a certain industry, so choose one that has extensive experience in the area you are interested in. Recruiters will prioritize your interests and increase your reach in a job search.
While the job search can seem like a hassle, it doesn’t have to be. By using a focused approach and utilizing the resources available to you, you can maximize the time you have and find the new job you need.
The Applied Companies is here to help job seekers across northern Nevada find the new jobs they need in the new year. Apply today or contact our team to start your search. You can also text our staffing team at 775-303-2623 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to learn more about our open positions.