Tips to Plan Your Career Path & How We Can Help

Unless you are one of the few who were born knowing what you wanted to do, having a plan for your career path—and implementing it—is one of the toughest parts of becoming successful. There are some simple tips to think about that could help make that dream a reality, and we want to help you out.

Plan ahead. Don’t just apply for a job because the compensation or description sounds appealing. Having a big goal in mind will help you plan out the next steps, and keep in mind what the position will do to help you get there. Knowing where you want to go is half the battle.

Referrals are always stronger than job board applications. Before you go applying for jobs on job boards, try asking people you know for referrals. This will help you stand out in the eyes of hiring managers and make you and your resume more appealing.
Act, don’t react. When you’re looking for a job change, make sure it’s part of your bigger career plan and not just a reaction to a problem. Try to avoid lateral moves just to get out of a bad situation; this will be reflected as job hopping to hiring authorities. Always look for a job that will help you grow and get closer to your end goal.

Highlight your accomplishments and types of recognition. If you are doing something right, you should make it known. Make sure to include promotions, presentations, or awards you’ve achieved in the workplace. These things illustrate your ability to accomplish more than what is in a job description.

Believe in your capability. If you’re good at what you do, don’t be afraid to show it and speak about it. If you haven’t been given the opportunity to showcase your talent, find a job that will let you flourish. Most of all make it clear to hiring managers what you want to gain in working for them as well as what you can do for them.

These ideas may seem simple, but keeping them in mind as you plan a change in your career is something a lot of people don’t do. Finding the right recruiter is like having your own career coach.

At Govig Senior Care, we try to do this for our candidates. We get to know our candidate’s goals and accomplishments so that we have the advantage of finding them the right place to grow and achieve their dreams. This is also beneficial for our clients who are looking to find the right candidate to help grow their organization. So if you’re in the senior living industry, look to us to help you on the next step in your career path.

-Atash Najafian

The Biggest Problem in Hiring: Knowing What You’re Recruiting For!

Knowing What You’re Recruiting For

-Atash Najafian, Govig Senior Care

Sourcing and placing the right individuals in jobs is becoming an increasingly important priority in any industry, especially as more and more businesses expand and talent acquisition departments are formed. The talent in your organization can really make or break your return on investments and profitability; therefore, executives really want to ensure that their top hires are the right people doing the right job. In order to correctly fill a position, however, that position must first be defined and hiring managers must outline what they want an employee to accomplish in that role.

What’s the Problem?

A common problem currently plaguing most recruiters and human resource professionals is a lack of understanding of the jobs they are required to fill. Many staffing professionals face the challenge of trying to place candidates in a position when they generally don’t even know what they’re looking for. This not only prohibits them from sourcing the right talent, but also from finding quality passive candidates as well. Let’s create an example to put this dilemma into perspective.

Sally is an HR director working for a long-term care company who is about to acquire several properties. She is in charge of placing a “Director of Education” who will eventually hire and train all of the staff in the new facilities. So Sally scans through countless resumes for candidates with this job title and puts up several job postings to attract applicants. What Sally hasn’t considered is that this role probably requires someone with skills that aren’t on a resume—such as an entrepreneurial attitude and experience with start-up operations. A big reason that Sally hasn’t accounted for these additional skills is that senior management hasn’t translated all of this information to her.  And this isn’t the only job Sally needs to place, so now she has wasted a lot of time and effort on this particular job searching for candidates that are not a good fit for the position. How could Sally and her company have avoided all the excessive costs in time and man power? By simply defining the position before the search began and making sure that Sally was educated on the position and qualifications.

Define the position.

Getting a clear definition of all different aspects of a position from hiring managers at the beginning of a search can have a huge impact on costs for recruiters in the long run. On the recruiters end, really understanding the position and what is crucial to look for in a candidate is just as important to the success of finding the best candidate for the job. This may seem like a time management issue, but having a clear definition to work with from the start will aid in avoiding obstacles later on down the road and will really save time in the end for all parties involved.

Why do we care?

At Govig Senior Care, we’ve really focused on addressing this issue and place a big emphasis on specifying job descriptions with our clients. We can offer expertise you won’t find elsewhere and like to work alongside Human Resource departments to place those hard-to-fill positions—especially in the senior care industry. We have a clear understanding of each role that exists in the market and also make sure we get to know candidates on an individual basis to so that we’re able to place the right people in the right positions. If you’re looking for the perfect person to take your senior housing organization to the next level, or have a difficult position to fill in the long-term care industry, please reach out to us so we can start a search for you today—with the end goal clearly defined from the start, of course.

Is Emotional Intelligence Affecting Your Interview Skills?

5 Soft Skills to Showcase in an Interview

By: MIRIAM SALPETER

If you are extremely qualified, have terrific application materials, a targeted resume and you’re interviewing for jobs, but always coming up with a silver medal, it’s possible that you’re bumping up against an elusive category: likability. Also known in the industry as “cultural fit,” likability is a reason many candidates don’t make the final cut—the interviewers either didn’t like them or didn’t believe they would mesh well with current employees.

One of the reasons that most employers don’t provide specific feedback to a second-place candidate is because it’s difficult to explain why someone doesn’t fit in. An employer can get in legal hot water for explaining that someone didn’t get hired because the team just didn’t like the candidate and couldn’t imagine spending a lot of time together.

Emotional intelligence, otherwise known as soft skills, is the category of skills most likely involved when evaluating likabilityor fit. Wikipedia defines them as “Personal attributes that enhance an individual’s interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which are about a person’s skill set and ability to perform a certain type of task or activity, soft skills relate to a person’s ability to interact effectively with co-workers and customers and are broadly applicable both in and outside the workplace.”

Soft skills include: attitude, communication skills, time management, critical thinking and a slew of other categories that do not relate to intelligence.

There’s no question that soft skills play a role in most, if not all, hiring decisions. So how can you demonstrate these skills during an interview? Eddie Earnest from HigherNext (www.highernext.com), a company that offers the Certified Business Laureate (CBL) certification tests and credentialing system, suggests the following tips to help highlight these five soft skills during an interview.

 

1. Work ethic. Make sure to weave your thoughts about how important the company’s mission and vision are to you and explain why you’re willing to go the extra mile to help the organization succeed. One tenet of evaluating candidates is that past performance is a predictor of future results. Make sure you prove that you have a strong work ethic by giving examples from the past about how you went above and beyond the call of duty to get a job done. “Describe how you always complete projects efficiently and on-time, why you’re punctual and persistent and how you balance your drive to succeed with the company’s goals,” Earnest says.

2. Positive attitude. Give examples of how you improved employee morale in a past position, or how your positive attitude helped motivate your colleagues or those you managed. Earnest suggests: “Some people are naturally bubbly and always upbeat. Others have a more tame and low-energy demeanor. Especially if you tend to be more low-key, smile when you shake the interviewer’s hand and make an extra effort to add some intonation and expression to your responses.”

Make sure you aren’t boring or dry, or you could lose your chance to be hired.

3. Communication skills. Your interview is a great opportunity to demonstrate how well you communicate, so be sure you prepare and practice responses to showcase your best skills. Earnest says, “Be concrete with these examples, and bring proof to the interview. Provide examples of materials you created or written campaigns you developed in past positions.”

4. Time management. This is a crucial skill many employers seek in their hires. Earnest notes, “It’s especially important for candidates who want to work in a startup to know how to manage their time, tasks and responsibilities effectively.” Be prepared to explain how you prioritize the most important items first, delegate the items that others can do and figure out a way to get things done in the confines of your resources on the job.

5. Self confidence. Earnest reminds job seekers, “You can demonstrate self confidence at the interview by the way you present yourself, including how you dress for the interview, the way you approach to shake hands and how you speak about your experiences during the interview.”

 

If you’re not particularly confident, practice acting like you are. Make direct eye contact when speaking with strangers. Listen to your own voice—is it shrill or timid? Rehearse speaking in a more confident-sounding voice. Don’t forget about your body language, which is one of the first ways employers will gauge your confidence levels. If you tend to hunch over, make sure you think about sitting up during your interview.

Don’t forget to think about soft skills when you prepare for interviews to be sure you demonstrate everything you have to offer the employer.

You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression

First impressions are a big deal when it comes to interviewing, but most people believe that the issue of first impressions revolves solely around those going in to an interview. However, an article by Nancy Saperstone offers some great advice about making great first impressions to those who are conducting interviews. These are some really good tips and at Govig Senior Care, we employ all these in our recruiting practices to bridge the gap between candidates and clients to ensure that the first impression is their best.

             

-Nancy Saperstone, December 3, 2012

“We all know the importance of first impressions when we’re the applicant, but it goes both ways when you’re the employer trying to attract the talent. First impressions can mean the difference between closing the deal on a great candidate or losing them to another employer who did a better job of wowing them.
Employers who want to attract the best talent should not underestimate the importance of making a candidate feel special. This doesn’t have to mean spending lots of money on them or having an elaborate interview process. It can be as simple as not rushing an interview or following up with a candidate in a timely manner.

Keeping some simple tips in mind can sometimes make all the difference in helping to portray a company as an employer of choice:

• If you like a resume, follow up with the candidate      promptly to schedule an interview.
• Keep the appointment, whether it is a phone interview      or in person. Don’t be late and only cancel in an emergency.
• Be prepared for the interview by reviewing the      candidate’s resume in advance and staying focused on the discussion.
• Don’t rush the interview.
• Provide the candidate with your contact information or      a business card following the interview and let them know when they can      expect to hear about next steps.
• Follow through and get back in touch with candidates by      the date you’ve told them you will.
• Be honest and don’t promise anything you can’t deliver      on.

Most candidates are not looking for royal treatment but everyone likes to feel welcome. Being a good listener and taking time to get to know a candidate shows that you are interested in them and who wouldn’t want to work for an employer who cares about their employees?”

Employing this advice will definitely cultivate a prosperous relationship between the right client and candidate, and having a good recruiter to facilitate the process can be extremely beneficial both to candidates looking for the right opportunity and clients looking for the perfect hire.

Don’t hesitate to contact Govig Senior Care to help you find your dream and make that seamless first impression.

Become a Valuable Employee in 3 Simple Steps!

3 Steps to Becoming a “High-Value Employee”

By Christiane Soto

Your future rests on your shoulders..not someone else’s.  Yes, there are times when massive downsizing or even closures  occurs ( ala Hostess Brands or American Airlines), and you may be handed a pink slip, but generally, others are not going to hand you a job/promotion/raise out of the blue.  In most cases, when downsizing occurs, senior management makes the decision on who stays and who goes based upon some value judgment of a particular person’s worth.

To make things more difficult, each manager has a different definition and set of expectations for “value”.

So with all this confusion, how can you ensure not only your job stability but your future career growth?  You do this by ensuring that you become a “high value” employee.  Even in the worst economy, “high value” workers have jobs and get new jobs.  Value succeeds no matter the economic times. Looking back in history, companies have formed (and thrived) during economic downturns because they provided value –

• FedEx – the oil crisis of 1973.  Their value?  Package delivery in 1-2 days.
• IBM – the “Long Depression” of 1873 to 1896.  Their value?  Worker’s time clock, tabulating machine, etc.
• Ocean Spray Cranberries – the Great Depression.  Their value?  New and innovative products made from cranberries.

Value is everywhere.  Astute employees, like the astute companies above, know that there are things that they need to do to guarantee success during tough economic times.

For example:

1)    Go beyond the bullet-points in your job description.  Nothing is worse than having an employee or a job candidate pull out the job description (either physically or metaphorically) and say “that is not what I am paid to do”.  You need to go beyond the standard (and the status quo) just like the three companies above.  Not only do you need to perform on every aspect of your job, you need to embrace all the intangible aspects too.   Meeting deadlines, being on time to work, appropriate worksite behavior, honesty, and being proactive are all behaviors that will improve your value.

2)    Show support and give credit where credit is due. No one is an “island unto themselves”.   You cannot be successful on your own.  You have had help getting to where you are …no matter what you do.  In addition, there are people around you right now who are contributing to your current success.  Give them credit.  Do not “toot your own horn” to the point that you block out everyone else’s contribution.  When you recognize others for their contribution, they are more than likely to sound your praises in return.  This adds value in others’ eyes.

3)    Tolerate company idiosyncrasies and embrace your workplace. Every company has something strange about it.  Usually there is something trivial about the way that a company operates –its processes, its employees, etc. – that bothers you.  Look past it.  Like everything in life, nothing is perfect.  Tolerance is the stamp of a high-value employee.  Whining, complaining and antagonism are not.  The more you fight and complain about the people, places and things found in your workplace, the more removed you are from the workplace. When this happens, you are not viewed as being “valuable”.  Value is added by the proactive, team-oriented changes you undertake on the behalf of the company as a whole, not by constant complaints and nitpicking.

Remember, your value is not determined by you.  You cannot tell everyone how valuable you are or how valuable you should be.  Your perceptions regarding your work ethic, your results and your accomplishments do not matter.  It is others’ perceptions that matter.  So find out what others expect of you and learn how they define “value” so you can work towards it.  You will become a “high-value” employee when you can deliver on this expectation.

This article is from: http://blog.snelling.com/2012/12/3-steps-to-becoming-a-high-value-employee/

Connect with Govig on Facebook, Twitter, or contact one of our Recruiters through Linkedin and the Govig Senior Care website!

3 Crucial Questions to Ask in an Interview

3 Interview Questions That Reveal Everything

-Jeff Haden

Employee fit is crucial. Here’s a simple way to know if a job candidate is right for your business.

Interviewing job candidates is tough, especially because some candidates are a lot better at interviewing than they are at working.

To get the core info you need about the candidates you interview, here’s a simple but incredibly effective interview technique I learned from John Younger, the CEO of Accolo, a cloud recruiting solutions provider. (If you think you’ve conducted a lot of interviews, think again: Younger has interviewed thousands of people.)

Here’s how it works. Just start from the beginning of the candidate’s work history and work your way through each subsequent job. Move quickly, and don’t ask for detail. And don’t ask follow-up questions, at least not yet.

Go through each job and ask the same three questions:

1. How did you find out about the job?

2. What did you like about the job before you started?

3. Why did you leave?

“What’s amazing,” Younger says, “is that after a few minutes, you will always have learned something about the candidate–whether positive or negative–that you would never have learned otherwise.”

Here’s why:

How did you find out about the job?

Job boards, general postings, online listings, job fairs–most people find their first few jobs that way, so that’s certainly not a red flag.

But a candidate who continues to find each successive job from general postings probably hasn’t figured out what he or she wants to do–and where he or she would like to do it.

He or she is just looking for a job; often, any job.

And that probably means he or she isn’t particularly eager to work for you. He or she just wants a job. Yours will do–until something else comes along.

“Plus, by the time you get to Job Three, Four, or Five in your career, and you haven’t been pulled into a job by someone you previously worked for, that’s a red flag,” Younger says. “That shows you didn’t build relationships, develop trust, and show a level of competence that made someone go out of their way to bring you into their organization.”

On the flip side, being pulled in is like a great reference–without the letter.

What did you like about the job before you started?

In time, interviewees should describe the reason they took a particular job for more specific reasons than “great opportunity,” “chance to learn about the industry,” or “next step in my career.”

Great employees don’t work hard because of lofty titles or huge salaries. They work hard because they appreciate their work environment and enjoy what they do. (Titles and salary are just icing on the fulfillment cake.)

That means they know the kind of environment they will thrive in, and they know the type of work that motivates and challenges them–and not only can they describe it, they actively seek it.

Why did you leave?

Sometimes people leave for a better opportunity. Sometimes they leave for more money.

Often, though, they leave because an employer is too demanding. Or the employee doesn’t get along with his or her boss. Or the employee doesn’t get along with co-workers.

When that is the case, don’t be judgmental. Resist the temptation to ask for detail. Hang on to follow-ups. Stick to the rhythm of the three questions. That makes it natural for candidates to be more open and candid.

In the process, many candidates will describe issues with management or disagreements with other employees or with taking responsibility–issues they otherwise would not have shared.

Then follow up on patterns that concern you.

“It’s a quick way to get to get to the heart of a candidate’s sense of teamwork and responsibility,” Younger says. “Some people never take ownership and always see problems as someone else’s problem. And some candidates have consistently had problems with their bosses–which means they’ll also have issues with you.”

And a bonus question:

How many people have you hired, and where did you find them?

Say you’re interviewing candidates for a leadership position. Want to know how their direct reports feel about them?

Don’t look only for candidates who were brought into an organization by someone else; look for candidates who brought employees into their organization.

“Great employees go out of their way to work with great leaders,” Younger says. “If you’re tough but fair, and you treat people well, they will go out of their way to work with you. The fact that employees changed jobs just so they could work for you speaks volumes to your leadership and people skills.”

Article source: http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/3-interview-questions-that-reveal-everything.html?comid=90851

New Years Resolution: Take Control of Your Career This Year!

Ten Keys for Taking Control of Your Career
-Stephen Gatlin

“In addition to losing weight and spending more time with family, many people will vow to improve their professional lives in the coming year. According to research, one of the top 10 most popular New Year’s resolutions is job-related. However, in the busy months that follow, many of these goals are forgotten and never achieved.

Here are 10 keys you need to realize your professional objectives and take control of your career:

1. Explore career options
As the year winds down, reflect on your job by asking yourself these questions: Does my current position utilize my professional abilities and talents? Am I maximizing my earning potential? Am I doing what I was born to do or something that I’m passionate about? If the answer is an overwhelming “no,” assess your work style and personal characteristics and discover a career field that highlights them.

2. Brush up on job skills
On the other hand, if your career suits you, take time to better yourself at what you do. Stand out from other employees by completing the latest training and updating your industry expertise. With an Internet connection, workforce development is at your fingertips. You can peruse TheeLearningCenter.com, the world’s largest compilation of career training courses in a number of languages, from the comfort of home to find convenient options that will bolster your skill sets and strengthen your resume.

3. Meet with your boss
Instead of guessing at your strengths and weaknesses; gain the input you need directly from your boss. Schedule a lunch or sit down over coffee to get their opinion on skills that will boost your advancement possibilities. Meeting regularly to review performance will help you re-evaluate goals and set priorities.

4. Set realistic career goals
Identify what you want to accomplish professionally in 2008 and write them down in order of priority. Your goals may include improving current work performance, being promoted to a job that you’re qualified for or making a complete career switch. Just make sure each goal is specific and attainable.

5. Establish a plan of action
Think of the required steps you need to take to get your 2008 career goals underway, and put them down on paper. Give yourself deadlines to follow, but keep them realistic. Remember that becoming CEO of a company does not happen overnight.

6. Start preparing now
What are you waiting for? The downtime of the holiday season is a perfect time for you to get a head start on your career goals. Make a list of career challenges to conquer this week and celebrate your achievements along the way. The small steps today will lead to big accomplishments in the New Year.

7. Get organized
Take time in the slow holiday weeks to rearrange your files so they are more organized and efficient. Start by archiving anything you haven’t sourced in the last year into a file cabinet further from your desk, leaving the files used daily closer and less cluttered.

8. Analyze your work day for efficiencies
Practice better time management in the coming year. Are you making your phone calls when people are normally at their desk (8:00 – 9:30), rather than in meetings or at lunch (10:00 – 1:00)? Are you spending too much time on certain activities? Make a to-do list before you leave the office and dedicate the next day to completing those tasks.

9. Boost work relationships
Strong relationships with people you work with can develop in small ways. For example, keep a positive attitude when working with others or key co-worker birthdays into your calendar and recognize them on their special day. Maintaining good relationships with colleagues will not only make the office a place you want to be but can boost work productivity. And, you never know who may get promoted and become your next boss.

10. Follow through on actions
Taking control of your career will not happen unless you follow through. Visualize your success regularly and don’t be afraid to ask for help when necessary. More importantly, pursue your goals aggressively and resolve not to give up on reaching them.

Being in the career training industry for more than 20 years, if you get a head start on your career resolutions now, this will be the year to reach your full potential and finally take charge of your career.”

A great way to kick-start taking control of your career is by contacting a good recruiter. We can help you out with that! Contact Govig & Associates for more information either through our blog, Facebook, or Twitter – all links are found below.

Article source: http://jobsearch.about.com/od/careerdevelopment/a/careertips.htm

The 10 Commandments of Employee Onboarding

The 10 Commandments of Onboarding

Rules to live – and work – by for a divine onboarding experience.

1. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy employee. Few things are more disappointing than the realization that the job you thought you were hired to do is sorely different than what you’re actually doing. As an employer, misrepresenting your employee’s new role destroys trust in you immediately, after which no amount of orientation efforts can undo the initial damage.
2. Thou shalt give a written plan of employee objectives and responsibilities. A written plan detailing objectives, strategy and expectations of future results helps diminish any confusion about a new employee’s job functions and instead opens up the floor to discuss concerns or new opportunities.
3. Thou shalt give thy employ thy undivided attention. Letting email, phone calls or other employees distract you during orientation sessions sends the message, “I’m just not that into you” and kills morale. Prepare a checklist of subjects to review with your new employees, set aside the appropriate amount of time to do it, and let others know that you are not to be interrupted while you are orienting your new workers. This gives new employees the message that they are the most important item on your agenda. (Or: this lets new employees know that…)
4. Thou shalt have relevant paperwork ready. Make sure all administrative forms—such as employment, direct deposit, and benefits—are ready to be completed on day one so you don’t have to waste time dealing with it later, and so that your employee can start getting these important matters taken care of right away.
5. Thou shalt introduce thy employee to thy neighbors. Provide staff members with the new employee’s résumé and job description and advise them to follow a meeting format that includes sharing a description of their own positions, ways in which their roles interact with that of the new hire, and how they might expect to work together in the future. (This is also a good time to assign a mentor or buddy to the new hire as an immediate resource for any questions and key information about organizational culture and goals.)
6. Thou shall set up thy employee’s workstation. An empty workstation is to a new employee what an unkempt home is to a houseguest. Before the employee arrives on day one, stock his or her workstation with everything from paper and pens to keys and, if possible, business cards. Make sure the phone and computer, complete with voicemail and e-mail accounts, are set up. Leave a copy of an organizational chart, staff list, and phone directory on the new hire’s desk.
7. Thou shalt schedule one-on-one time to ensure you connect regularly with the new employee. If you can’t do this on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, schedule meetings to provide feedback at 30- and 90-day checkpoints, or before a semi-annual review.
8. Thou shalt create a balance. The first day is always tough. Vary the first day’s schedule by including less formal gatherings between meetings. Arrange for a group of staff members to treat the new hire to lunch on the first day to provide a little non-meeting relief and levity.
9. Thou shalt clarify the company culture. Again, to avoid future confusion (or embarrassment), provide the employee with company information, policies – including dress code and late policies – and benefits. If your organization has a new employee handbook, leave that on the desk as well.
10. Thou shalt think beyond the first few days. After 90 days, request formal feedback on the new hire’s performance from his or her supervisor, and be sure to solicit feedback from the employee as well. Take this opportunity to address any issues of concern as well as note any accomplishments so that all parties are confident that the new hire is poised for success in his or her role.

 Article Source: http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobposter/small-business/article.aspx?articleid=ATL_0192ONBOARDINGTIPS_s

Related Articles:

• Employee Onboarding: One Chance for a Positive New Employee Experience

Video Series: Changing People’s Lives – Neil Hefta, CSAM

Neil Hefta is the Vice President of the Govig Senior Care Division. He has been with Govig & Associates as an Executive Recruiter within the long term care industry since 1998.  Neil’s understanding and experience have made him an invaluable member of the Govig Senior Care team, throughout his tenure with GSC  Neil has built a nationwide network of professionals within the senior housing industry, a network that allows him to find the right candidate for the job and the right job for the candidate.

The True Cost of a Bad Hire [Infographic]

Having a warm body fill that vacant seat in your office may seem like a better option than nothing, but beware: Your new hire could be a zombie.

No, not the living dead type. More like the deadbeat variety. Staffing firm Vitamin T has run the numbers and it turns out that a bad employee could cost you upwards of $50,000 when all is said and done. While salary makes up part of the figure, to really calculate the full cost, you have to factor in recruiting, lost business, training and possible legal action.

All the more reason to schedule another interview before you take the plunge. After all, in this economy, employers can afford to be picky and potential employees will put up with a lot.

Source: http://mashable.com/2012/07/09/i-hired-a-zombie/