Principled Positions: What Start-Ups Reveal About Values-Based Jobs

There was a time when you could offer promising job candidates high salaries, corner offices and other materialistic perks and be guaranteed that they’d join your company. These days, many young professionals look for a corporate culture that rewards personal and workplace values over monetary gains.

Millennials generally want to make positive contributions to society and feel like their work is important to the world, not just to a corporation’s bottom line. Moreover, many yearn to be creative, avoiding rigid hierarchies in favor of environments where everyone can offer ideas.

The Influence of Start-Ups

Start-up companies frequently embrace such beliefs. It’s little wonder, then, that so many recent graduates flock to these establishments. Start-ups commonly give new employees major responsibilities and the authority to control funds.

Many of these businesses are starting to offer incentives that will attract talent in their job descriptions. For example, employers will offer paid time off for their employees to volunteer for their favorite charity. Or employers will give an in-kind contribution when employees donate to a cause.

The Strength of WBEs

Every day, women launch more than 1,000 businesses in the United States. Between 1997 and 2015, the total number of such companies went up 74 percent. As a result, about 46 percent of private American companies are now either half, mostly or completely owned by women.

What accounts for the staggering success of women’s business enterprises (WBEs)? Female executives tend to be excellent managers: confident, savvy and extremely knowledgeable about their industries. At the same time, they frequently assist one another, and sometimes they even help out their competitors.

In addition, women are often supremely efficient, knowing just how much time to give to various tasks. Perhaps they possess a special intuition because they’re used to juggling a great many responsibilities in their professional and personal lives.

Since many female business owners pursue bold goals while maintaining their integrity, they especially appeal to millennials.

Values in Your Office

No matter what business you’re in, your company can attract those who crave workplace values. Consider your job opening advertisements: In those ads, stress your overall mission and the specific ways your firm improves people’s lives.

To the greatest extent possible, give your employees decision-making power. Also, encourage staff members of all ages and experience levels to collaborate with one another, and always be transparent in terms of the corporate strategies you pursue. By making these moves, you might do more than entice millennials. You might find yourself falling in love with your work all over again.

Contact Madison Approach Staffing today for help with attracting talent and making your next great hire!

Workplace Motivation Across Generations | Team Management

Workplace motivation is a key element in managing an effective and dynamic team, but multi-generational offices require individualized strategies to maintain morale and team building.

As many older employees will have stayed in the same workplace for a significant amount of time, they value recognition for their loyalty and achievements. Employee spotlights in company meetings or newsletters can show long-term employees that they are appreciated. Meanwhile, millennials typically lack company loyalty, but highly value mentorships and interpersonal communication. In creating mentorship programs, employers can motivate members of all generations, who will enjoy sharing their skill sets and forging connections with their colleagues. Mentorships have the added benefit of cultivating loyalty, and improving communication across generations.

As Generation X moves into leadership positions, employees can begin to delegate training of new employees to members of this generation. However, leadership roles do not necessarily need to be defined by age. Instead, cultivating a collaborative environment will help each employee feel valued for his or her unique skill set. In integrating lower-level employees with experienced team members, employers can minimize generational differences and instead focus on commonalities.

Contact Madison Approach Staffing today to discuss how our Direct Hire, Temp to Hire, Temp Staffing, Training, Payroll Transfers and Benefits Administration services can benefit your business.

 

Compensation Challenges in a Multi-Generational Workplace

A multi-generational office can be enriching for all team members, but it also presents unique challenges to effective management. Beyond matching compensation levels to experience and responsibilities, employers also now have to take into account the different compensation preferences of up to five generations. When it comes to attracting and retaining a talented team, employers need to consider compensation factors that go beyond the paycheck.

Younger generations are less likely to build a life-long career at one company, and so they value career development and personal growth.

When identifying incentives for millennial workers, employers can consider funding their LinkedIn accounts, relaxing the office dress code, or sponsoring happy hours where younger employees can connect with more experienced staff.

Recent research has shown that Generation X’s priorities lie in managing their work-life balance, and many will consider sacrificing higher pay for jobs that are less demanding of their time. For Generation X, paid time off is a significant incentive. Meanwhile, Baby Boomers are generally less interested in social incentives, and will be more focused on benefits and matches in retirement plans or pension programs. While experienced-based compensation is expected, additional incentives can help retain employees across all generations.

Contact Madison Approach Staffing today to discuss how our Direct Hire, Temp to Hire, Temp Staffing, Training, Payroll Transfers and Benefits Administration services can benefit your business.

 

Madison Approach’s 80/20 Rule for Smarter Hiring Decisions

As the job market continues to tighten up, finding qualified and flexible new hires is more important than ever. Making hiring decisions can be stressful, especially as you try to weigh a candidate’s interpersonal qualities alongside his or her experience. Madison Approach encourages following the 80/20 rule when evaluating potential employees. Instead of looking for the perfect candidate who fulfills one hundred percent of your expectations, consider past experience and future potential. With the right management, a candidate who fulfills 80% of your most valued skills can be trained on-site to succeed in the field.

It’s Like A Free Day of Vacation!

August is the time for fun in the sun, so take some time off and let us help!

Hire one of our fantastic employees for worry-free vacation coverage and get one day free*!

Take A Break On Us!

Call us today to schedule your getaway:

(914) 428-4800

www.MadisonApproach.com

*offer valid only on new job requisitions of 40 hours or more placed and worked from 8/1/15 – 9/15/15

Tapping Your Employee Network’s Professional Network

Social media has proven to be the new wave of connections, however many companies discourage their employees from checking their Twitter and LinkedIn on company time. Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha and Chris Yeh, authors of ‘The Alliance,” propose a new kind of networked intelligence that might just have managers and business owners embracing social media as a new path to increasing company knowledge.

By choosing to incorporate technology and online interaction, instead of fighting it, both managers and employees can expand their network, make important connections for the company and increase their awareness of new trends and people in the know.

Reid Hoffman’s presentation, “Network Intelligence: Your Company Can’t Thrive Without It,” hits the major points of the book.

“Information and insight from people you know that can give you a competitive advantage.”

In short, Hoffman describes the alliance as a situation where no one loses. The company gains knowledge and the employee gains experience in networking and expands their professional network. The company has access to double; sometimes triple, the amount of information, as it would if individuals only limited themselves to resources in their own company. The example Hoffman uses of a company that practices the alliance method is HubSpot. HubSpot celebrates the number of Twittter followers or LinkedIn connections an employee has. In using this method, “Hubspot attracts two times the number of candidates for job opportunities it posts on LinkedIn.” HubSpot owner and Founder, Dharmesh Shah, says, “My one regret is that we didn’t put the Learning Meals policy in place from the start at HubSpot.” The Learning Meals program provides the opportunity for employees to dine with individuals in their field on company time and money, providing that employees bring back information and share the new knowledge with the rest of the company. Some of the most valuable information is shared via person-to-person contact. Google is informative, but it doesn’t hold all of the knowledge on a subject that an individual does.

“When it comes to knowledge in a highly networked era, who you know is often more valuable than what you‘ve read.”

Just because the information you’re looking for doesn’t show up on the first five pages of Google, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Interacting with knowledgeable professionals in your field usually leads to more answers, because it can be tailored directly to your needs. Networking is something that is highly valued in general and Hoffman points out that networking goes far beyond just the individual. Encouraging your employees to work for you, and themselves, is becoming a new way of thinking. It helps upper level management problem solve quickly and efficiently, allows employees to help grow the company and more importantly, themselves. Gaining network intelligence through an alliance is a necessity for companies to stay competitive. Also, it serves as a means of growth for employees, which could lead to individuals staying longer in a company in the future.

How do you tap into your employees’ resources to grow your business? We’d love to hear about how you empower your employees, utilize their connections and think up new ways to solve your business challenges.

Workplace Burnout

Job burnout is recognized as neither an ailment nor a neurosis, but it doesn’t take a physician or psychologist to diagnose workplace burnout. It may, however, take an informed and experienced manager. Being able to recognize the signs of burnout and implement the right solutions for your employees can mean increased productivity, loyalty and a happier workplace.

Studies have shown that burnout is more likely to affect those working in positions with high stress and emotional demands, such as social workers, police officers, lawyers, teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers and customer service representatives. These can all be characterized by contact with other people whose demands can be emotionally draining.

What is burnout?

Burnout is a level of stress that affects employees physically, emotionally and mentally leading to exhaustion on all levels. There are 3 types of burnout:

• Exhaustion
  • The stressed out employee who is overwhelmed but continues to strive for success by working at all hours despite fracturing personal relationships both at work and at home.
• Cynicism
  • An under-challenged employee who feels a lack of development and value for their work. This employee will begin to distance him or herself from their work, coworkers and the company.
• Inefficacy
  • The employee who gradually loses all motivation. Despite seeing a goal to strive for, the barriers between them and success feel insurmountable.

Signs of Burnout in Employees

This is where experience can help a manager differentiate between a bad employee and an employee on the road to burnout. A manager who knows his or her employees well has an advantage, as the warning signs vary from person to person. Keep an eye out for:

• Lower quality of work
• Decreased productivity
• Drop in job satisfaction
• A noticeable decrease in engagement
• Greater disruption of coworkers’ tasks
• Reduced commitment to both the job and the company
• More and more work absences

Effects of Job Burnout

Like depression and anxiety disorders, burnout can affect the sufferer on physical, interpersonal and emotional levels. Social relationships may either be dropped entirely – through overworking or withdrawal – or become strained from defensive behavior or an increased tendency towards conflict. Often a burned-out employee is unable to understand that stress is the root of their problems.

Burnout can also lead to health problems, such as headaches, colds and insomnia – all of which are caused by maintaining high levels of stress and emotional exhaustion. Further health risks include an increased dependence on self-medication including alcohol, smoking, sleeping pills, mood elevators, and stimulants.

Causes of Occupational Burnout

Only an experience and involved manager will be able to pinpoint the causes in a particular employee, as they run the entire spectrum of workplace issues:

• Overload of work
• Conflicting job demands
• Tasks that are impossible or nearly impossible to complete
• Lack of resources whether training, funds or technology
• A critical boss
• Ingrained perfectionism
• Lack of recognition
• Not enough information about their role
• Not enough feedback
• Difficult clients
• Lack of social support

• Inadequate pay
• Conflicting roles between home and work
• Not enough participation in decision making
• Under-employment
• Menial tasks with no end
• Personal values conflict with company values
• Achieved goals seem meaningless
• Bureaucracy
• A lack of social or emotional skills

Prevention of Burnout

For a manager, taking steps to prevent burnout is a balancing act between maintaining productivity at the office and recognizing what type of burnout your employees are more prone to fall prey.

Train your team well, equip them with the right tools and the resources they need. Don’t spread them too thin – understand the difference between challenging them and overwhelming them. Also be sure to clearly define their roles and give every member something to own, a part of the company where their decisions are key, no matter how small. Provide support and feedback while rewarding and promoting for good work. Be fair and make sure their voices are heard.

Let your employees follow their passion – whether this means rearranging positions in the company or allowing time for work-related side project – find a way to make sure they are doing what they love.

Foster a work culture that makes it acceptable to socialize during breaks but where cattiness and pettiness is unacceptable. Train your employees on stress management, educate them on burnout and make every employee responsible for preventing burnout in themselves and their coworkers.

Some employees need to be forced to take breaks or given a cutoff time for when they have to stop answering email from home. Others find the best reward is being given a mental health day pass or one day a month when they get to leave early to pick up their kids from school. Giving them a chance to balance home and work goes a long way to getting the most out of your employees and creating a work culture that retains productive and innovative employees.

While extreme cases of burnout can be scary, the good news is that it is both reversible and preventable. Educate yourself and your employees and take some time to take your employees out for a meal to learn more about their passions, aspirations and what changes they would like to see. Following through with employee feedback is the best way to make them heard, respected and valued.

The bottom line is a burned out employee is not productive and a drag on an organization, large or small. Providing a productive workforce is the job of every manager and helping your team to manage workplace stress and providing them the environment and tools to be successful is essential for the success of the organization and the individual.

How to Write a Killer Job Posting to Reel In the Right Candidate

The Internet makes it easy to put a job posting in front of hundreds of thousands of jobs seekers, so it’s important that you take the time to craft yours so it stands out to the top talent. Don’t forget that your job posting is an advertisement for you, your company, and your open position!

Take Time with the Title

This is the first impression – don’t be afraid get creative. If you want a candidate to click on your posting, make it worth their while! Whether you are a fun start-up with room for growth, or a serious company looking for years of experience with an emphasis on professionalism, you need to get them to click! Your posting title doesn’t have to match the position title, so make it click-worthy. It is also important that the title is search friendly, so micro-target your future employees.

Be Specific, for Your Sake and Theirs

If you are vague about the duties entailed, you will be bombarded with resumes of candidates that are clearly unqualified.  By taking the time before posting the job to sit down and map out the responsibilities of your hire, you will be able to keep the excess resumes out of your inbox. This small step will give you more time to focus on finding the perfect hire.

Cut the Jargon, for Clarity’s Sake

It’s easy to forget that the terms and lingo used by your company are not a universal language. Have someone who does not work at your company read over your job posting to make sure it is clear. While you may think you are removing unqualified candidates, you may just be alienating those who have the skills with a language barrier.

Draw the Skills & Experience Line

By stating your required qualifications for the position, you will also weed out undesirable candidates. Your position may have space for training, but there are always points you won’t compromise on not matter his or her experience. Be clear and stand firm.

Make the Candidate Show & Tell

No matter the skill or experience level of a position, you can always find ways to challenge the applicants. Creative positions can ask for ad copy for a certain situation, sales reps can be asked how they deal with a difficult client, and social media marketers can be challenged to present their ideas for an imaginary campaign.

A well-written job posting can practically eliminate the need for a first round of interviews. This all hinges on you knowing exactly what you are looking for, being clear about your ideal candidate, and asking the right questions. While it may be easy for you to write a three-page job description, remember to take the time to cut it down to a readable length. The aim is to entice, not intimidate.

Madison Approach is Giving Back: How Will You Help?

Madison Approach Staffing Inc. is pleased to announce our upcoming philanthropic outreach program. We will be working with Westhab, a local community outreach organization that works to create affordable housing in Westchester County. Madison Approach is committed to contributing to the people and programs that help our community grow and thrive, and we are excited to be involved with Westhab’s Employment Training Center.

Westhab Employment Services

Westhab has been offering employment and training programs in Westchester County for nearly 20 years. These services are designed to help place individuals with limited academic skills and work experience in jobs that they enjoy and make them proud. With a client-centered approach, Westhab focuses not just on finding jobs for those in their shelters and transitional units, but also on employment readiness training and job retention counseling. Since 1996, Westhab Employment Services has placed over 2,000 clients into full-time jobs in the New York metro area.

Encouragement and Training

Hearing success stories like the one below from a Westhab client who was successfully placed in a job, inspires us to continue our support of such an important initiative.

“I was attending Job Readiness classes and meeting with [my counselor] often so I could better my job search efforts and obtain job leads. Without giving up, I continued to seek assistance from the Employment Counselor and I filled out many applications throughout the area including jobs that I had never considered before. I was attending counseling sessions with my Employment Counselor so I could try to get some insight on what steps to do next. I finally had an interview for AVIS Rental Car for a driver’s position. Soon after I was called to do a drug test and then followed a background check. I happily began work the following [week]. I am currently working full time and I truly enjoy my job.

My sincere thanks goes out to the Employment Office for all of their efforts and for encouraging me and believing in my abilities. It is very much appreciated.”

Successful Placement

A company that has successfully hired Westhab trained employees raved, “many applicants lack basic life skills, enthusiasm and customer service skills. As an agency, we are pleased with Westhab, Inc. candidates; their dependability, motivation and great patient care attributes.”

Madison Approach Staffing’s Commitment

We will be donating 10¢ per hour, per employee for every new job order placed in September, October and November to Westhab’s employment training center.

How You Can Help

Call our office today at (914) 428-4800 for a consultation about your specific staffing needs for the months of September, October or November. All new jobs during these three months will count for a 10¢ donation to Westhab for every hour the employee works.

Go Above and Beyond

When placing your order for new temporary staff you will have the option to double the donation by matching our 10¢.

We look forward to doing our part to help provide a brighter future for those in need in our Westchester community.

 

Call Madison Approach today to speak with one of our Staffing Coordinators, (914) 428-4800 or go to www.MadisonApproach.com to learn more.

Education and Business Series: The Case for Business Involvement in Education

Like the infrastructure of our Nation, the Education System in the United States is crumbling.  Not for a lack of dedication and effort on the part of teachers and administrators, but from a lack of interest and vision from all of us.  Public education has long been something we took for granted; just expecting it to be there, solid and formidable like the Hoover Dam or the Washington Monument.  But the process of educating and molding a child into a productive citizen is a long, painstaking process-far longer than the attention span of most Americans-and not suited to quick fixes like filling a pot hole on the highway.  We need change.  And we need everyone to roll up their sleeves and lend a hand.

Whether you are a pragmatic business person, an idealistic humanitarian, or concerned patriot, there is good reason for you to be concerned and to get involved.  Over the next decade, the demand for educated employees will increases and the supply of educated employees will decrease leading to fierce competition for talent.  Adding to the talent scarcity is a demographic shift as the Hispanic labor force grows to 23% by 2030. If the tragic education gap between white and Hispanic children persists, the difficulty in finding qualified employees will increase even more.  Not to mention the boomer quotient; the most educated generation before or since will be retiring, leaving a void of educated and experienced labor.  As a nation, we are loosing ground in our ability to compete in the global economy as we loose the education battle.  Given that the success of every business hinges on the skills, knowledge and talent of its employees, we are in for a tough fight and we need to prepare now.

Facts:

• More than half the doctorates awarded in 2010 in key areas such as engineering, math, and computer science went to students with temporary visas
• Three out of ten high schoolers drop out before graduation, five out of ten in urban schools
• Based on the PISA exam of 30 industrialized nations, U.S. high schoolers ranked 16^th in science and 23^rd in math (only four nations scored below the U.S., two tied)

This is not a task to be left to government alone.  Big government, by its nature, is incapable of the speed with which we need to act.  I believe that we, the people, need to take charge of this nation’s future through educational reform today.  Individuals, community groups and business must get involved through hands-on initiatives in local schools.  We all must view ourselves as educators; we all have something we can contribute.  Contact your local school and ask what you can do, what organizations you can support.  Business owners, we must seek out opportunities to support, mentor and nurture our future employees and business leaders.  Let’s get busy teaching.

Allison Madison is the President of Madison Approach Staffing Inc. and CEO of Candid Capture LLC.  Mrs. Madison is on the Board of Lakeland Education Foundation, and is the Grant Committee Chair.  She is also on the Westchester-Putnam Workforce Investment Board, and member of the Youth Committee.  Additionally, she is the Past President of the New York Staffing Association.  Mrs. Madison is a mother of three, a lifetime resident of Westchester County and is reachable at conversations@madisonapproach.com