“I can’t stand my boss.”

“I HATE my job.”

These are very powerful statements that I hear on a regular basis from normal people all around the country.  These statements come from actuaries, bankers, food production professionals and sales people who are frustrated.  Normal, talented, hardworking people are humbled every day by confounding professional situations that affect them both inside and outside the normal work hours – these frustrations permeate their personal lives, affecting spouses, children and others in their wake. 

I’ll be honest, one of the many things that keeps me in this business is a recruiter’s ability to be a part of the solution for problems like these.  Unfortunately, however, no one (including a recruiter) can help a frustrated candidate until the frustrated candidate decides what they want to do with their lives.  Realizing that you are an unhappy employee is only part of the healing process.  Defining the ideal next step is just as critical or the embattled employee is doomed to continued unhappiness.

Deciding what you want to do with your career is MUCH harder than it appears on paper.  Today, there are several directions that almost any professional can take their career.  Within those directions there area several sub-directions that can allow someone to branch out and be a specialist.  Choosing the wrong path at any time in one’s career can mean the foregoing of future career progression, compensation or opportunity.  Choosing the right path can ensure a happy, productive professional career.  Changing jobs is a big deal.

If you could sculpt an ideal job opportunity what would it look like?  How would you interact with your boss and co-workers?  What would the office culture feel like?  What the heck would you do all day every day?  What would your salary be?  In a world of fairness and realism, visualize the professional scenario that would satisfy you the most.  When you begin your interview process, bring that wish list with you.  Screen companies as they screen you.  In each interview, rank the opportunity based on the criteria that you have outlined (just as a corporate recruiter would evaluate you in a job interview).  Map this out in a “T” chart for every interview and when the process is completed, my guess is that you will have made the strongest career decision of your life.

I would be very interested to learn what some of the people who read this blog list as their primary job considerations.  If you could carve out a top three list of things that are most important to you in a job search, what would they be?  Feel free to add comments below.  My criteria are as follows – 1) Am I working for an organization that is best positioned to help the candidates and companies that rely on me?  2) Am I working for an organization that is best positioned to help me realize my potential?  3) Am I working in a culture that is collaborative and rewarding?  What is important to you?

Jeff Kovar, Aureus Group Executive Recruiter

About the Author, Jeff Kovar
Jeff has been with the Aureus Group Executive team since September 2008 and in the recruiting business since April 2007. Prior to entering the recruiting world, he worked for five years in the corporate currency exchange business. He specializes in working with $100K+ candidates in the actuarial, financial, accounting, banking, and many other functional areas from coast to coast. Jeff enjoys golfing, watching Nebraska football, spending time with his wife Jenny, their son Connor, and jogging with their two labs, Freddy and Cali.

There are three major things you need to know about the entrepreneur to win in an interview.

1. They are not trying to build an empire; they simply hate working for “the man”.
One myth about entrepreneurs is that they want to conquer the world and build a vast, wildly profitable empire. People like Donald Trump or James Dyson might come to mind when we think of entrepreneurs. The reality is most business owners started their businesses for one reason, they hated their bosses. They want to earn a respectable living on their own terms. They don’t have the little muscle or synapse in their brain that says, “obey orders”. This is important when trying to understand their motivations.

Along the same lines as not building an empire, is the myth that profits and growth are the topics of choice for this person. “Big business” uses these terms. In reality, business owners are generally much more interested in cash flow and account balances. Obviously, making a profit is crucial, but a discussion focused on them might come across as pie-in-the-sky or hypothetical. Growth on the other hand can be a scary topic for the business owner. Growth means they might lose control over their business, the exact thing they were looking for when they started it.

Clearly, profits are key to the long-term success of the business, and shouldn’t be something you avoid talking about altogether in your interview. The key is to frame your conversation about these topics so that what you say will have a meaningful impact. 

2. They see no separation between themselves and their company.
You have to understand that their company is one of the most important things in their lives. They are looking for people who understand how unique their business is. You may be interviewing for a controller or CFO position, but if you focus on formal education and Big 4 experience, you might lose them. While these things are important and needed, focusing on that forces the entrepreneur to accept that their business can be understood by reading a textbook. This takes away the uniqueness of not only their business but of themselves.

Instead of focusing on your education and knowledge, or citing examples of technical accomplishments, convey that you understand how their business is unique, and ask about the chaos that they feel. When you know what the chaos is (you wouldn’t be there if there wasn’t any) you can cite your background simply and non-technically to build trust and show how you can reduce the chaos. They want the hamburger, but don’t care about what the butcher does to make it.

3. It’s their money.
When you’re interviewing with HR or a large corporation you will still discuss money, but in most cases, it’s not theirs. Sure, they have budget concerns, or might consider the impact hiring you may have on a bonus, but they are not pulling out their own checkbook. Like our friends in Washington demonstrate, it’s easy to spend money when it’s someone else’s. When you talk about compensation with a business owner, you need to keep this in mind, it’s their money, and it doesn’t matter how big the company might be.

You must be able to express your value, on a dollar-per-dollar basis. Directly explain in concise words how you will bring in or save X dollars. Do not be vague, abstract, or use complex financial examples. You might answer a salary question something like this; “Before we get into my comp plan, understand that I wouldn’t be looking for anything more than I can directly add or save the organization. How much time are you spending on…?”. Now, gain a clear understanding about the financial impact the owner expects the right person to create and move forward from there.

Thanks again for your time reading; I hope you find it useful in your current search. Keep in mind, these are just some thoughts on the subject and the most important part of interviewing is to be genuine in all cases. Next time we will take a closer look at human resources professionals and middle management.

About the Author, Travis Lupton
Travis, a Kansas City native, has 14 years of experience working in the banking and financial services industry where his roles have included Vice President of Operations and Director of Sales. Travis has worked for organizations with aggressive growth strategies in a “hands-on” role in talent acquisition and now uses this experience at Aureus Group as an Account Manager to help his clients procure well qualified finance and accounting talent in the Kansas City region.

So, now that we’ve agreed that this is an unfortunate reality of our work life, let’s explore the strategies Sutton proposes when one is faced with the challenge of working with a-holes. One of the easiest ways to avoid working with a bunch of a-holes is to get internal hiring officials to sniff them out during the interview process and avoid hiring them altogether. I realize this is easier said than done, but many of the most successful organizations (particularly when we look at employee morale and turnover rates) try to screen out candidates during the interview process who demonstrate a-hole traits. Here are some great steps organizations can implement during the hiring process to avoid falling victim to the work place jerk’s manipulative interviewing strategies:

• Try to confirm the candidate meets the criteria for the position, from a competency standpoint, prior to actually bringing them onsite for an interview. The face-to-face interview can then focus more on whether the candidate is going to be a true match, from a workplace culture standpoint, by really honing in on their personality traits and professional values.
• Have the candidate meet with several different individuals during the onsite, including people who will be “above, below, and alongside” them, from an organizational standpoint. Also have employees from other departments involved in the interview process, to get a better sense of how this prospective employee will interact with all different types of professionals.

In those instances when an a-hole slips through the cracks and secures a position within the organization, it’s critical for internal leaders to enforce a zero tolerance policy when it comes to a-hole behavior. As Sutton emphasizes in his book, “At places that are most vehement and effective at enforcing the no asshole rule, ‘employee performance’ and ‘treatment of others’ aren’t separate things.”

Unfortunately, we don’t all work in an organization where this philosophy has become ingrained in the workplace culture. If you find yourself in this type of situation, there’s still hope! Here are some key ideas for how to handle the a-holes:

1. Reframing — this refers to taking a situation where you’re dealing with a nasty a-hole in the workplace and detaching yourself from it. Even if you can’t escape the a-hole, you have the ability to change your mind-set.  Sutton provides some great reframing ideas, including avoiding self-blame, hoping for the best outcome, but mentally preparing for the worst, and emotionally detaching oneself from the situation. Always remind yourself that this is only a temporary situation and that, regardless of what happens, you will get through it and will be okay.

2. Hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst — I know this might come across as sounding very pessimistic, but it makes a lot of sense to me. Sutton explains this particular approach as not expecting that the workplace jerk will change their behavior, but reassuring yourself that you will be just fine after it’s all said and done. Dealing with nasty people is mentally and emotionally exhausting. By maintaining low expectations about their work demeanor, you avoid the constant state of disappointment. As you get more comfortable with this approach, you can take it one step further by looking ahead at the future and determining what specific insights/experience you can gain and benefit from as a result of the challenging situations you’ve faced with the workplace jerk.

3. Indifference and emotional detachment — I’m not suggesting becoming indifferent about your job performance or taking an “I don’t care about anything” approach in the workplace. Sutton encourages this as a possible coping mechanism when dealing with workplace jerks because it allows one to achieve self-preservation versus tying your own self-worth directly to how other people treat you. 

I consider all of these strategies temporary fixes until the a-hole is fired, transferred or eradicated from your daily work life for some other reason. If this becomes your reality indefinitely, it’s most likely time to consider making a change and finding a work environment that is not overrun with workplace jerks. If you surround yourself with a-holes for too long, it’s easy to fall victim yourself and slowly morph into a workplace jerk yourself. And none of us want to assume that new title at work, right?

 If you have helpful advice on how to handle jerks at work, please share with us.  

Stephanie Miller, Aureus Group Account Manager

About the Author, Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Miller has worked for Aureus Group for five years.  As a senior account manager within the Finance and Accounting division, Stephanie partners with organizations throughout the state of Iowa and provides staffing solutions within the accounting, finance, and human resources departments. With a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Nebraska Wesleyan University, Stephanie is currently pursuing a master’s degree in negotiation and dispute resolution at Creighton University and is a certified professional consultant.

 Stephanie reports that two of the most rewarding aspects of her job is seeing how pleased the client is when she’s successful in identifying a professional who meets the level of experience/skills the company desires for a particular position and also helping a candidate make a successful career change. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, Chad, and their two dogs, Benny and Olive. She also loves to travel, check out new restaurants, watch movies, run, attend sporting events and theatrical performances, and volunteer through the United Way a few times per month.

The results spurred some very interesting dialogue amongst team members!  Across the board, individual team members gave the overall team a lower ranking in most of the areas of evaluation than they ranked themselves. Everyone was surprised when we recognized this pattern. What did this mean? Are we all oblivious to our individual realities when it comes to individual performance, or does the discrepancy stem more from a lack of understanding of what other teammates are doing day in and day out? 

While the source of the team vs. individual perception can be further debated, participating in this training exercise provided everyone with an opportunity to give and receive feedback.  As one of our fearless leaders so eloquently stated during our last training session, “Feedback is a gift!”

Gaining a clearer understanding of how the people you work closely with perceive you from a work performance and interpersonal communication perspective is priceless! Instead of showing up to work everyday, performing the duties of your position, and waiting for your colleagues/clients to approach you with feedback, take a pro-active step. Make a point of seeking out feedback from coworkers/clients on a regular basis. Don’t take the easy approach by asking general questions. Actually invest some time in crafting questions that will require the feedback source to provide you with a specific, detailed response.

For example, instead of asking a team member, “How do you think I’ve been doing the past few months at work?,” ask a pointed question such as, “Based on your interactions with me, how would you rank my verbal and written communication skills, on a scale of 1-10?” or “What decisions have I made in the last 30 days that may have suggested I was more focused on my individual goals versus the overall goals of the team?”  The point that I’m trying to make here is that you can’t expect to get valuable feedback if the questions you ask are not specific.

Now, going back to this notion that feedback is a GIFT, it’s important to actually do something with the feedback once you get it! In my opinion, soliciting feedback from trusted professionals only to throw it by the wayside is more detrimental than not asking for it at all. If someone is taking the time to share insights and provide you with a new perspective, it’s only respectful to be an engaged listener and use this feedback to implement change or fine tune your approaches on some level.

I’m not suggesting that every single piece of advice you receive is going to be worth implementing, but it’s critical to let the person know you’ve heard them and appreciate the fact that they took time to share their thoughts with you. These exchanges can, without a doubt, leave very lasting impressions on the individuals who are offering the feedback.

In fact, one of the questions I always ask hiring managers when completing references on former employees is how that individual responded to scenarios where they were the recipient of constructive criticism/feedback. Prospective hiring managers tend to be very interested in the responses to this answer and, in those instances where a reference describes the candidate as being argumentative and not open to receiving feedback, the likelihood that the hiring manager is still going to move forward and extend an offer drastically reduces. Lets be honest–people don’t want to work with someone who comes across as a “know it all”!

So, after you’ve been fortunate enough to receive the gift of feedback, take some time to really think about what you are going to do with it.  The way you choose to respond will undoubtedly send a very powerful message to those around you!

Stephanie Miller, Aureus Group Account Manager

About the Author, Stephanie Miller, Senior Account Manager
Stephanie Miller has worked for Aureus Group for almost five years.  As a Senior Account Manager within the Finance and Accounting division, Stephanie partners with organizations throughout the state of Iowa and provides staffing solutions within the accounting, finance, and human resources departments. With a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Nebraska Wesleyan University, Stephanie is currently pursuing a master’s degree in negotiation and dispute resolution at Creighton University and is a certified professional consultant.

Stephanie reports that two of the most rewarding aspects of her job is seeing how pleased the client is when she’s successful in identifying a professional who meets the level of experience/skills the company desires for a particular position and also helping a candidate make a successful career change. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, Chad, and their two dogs, Benny and Olive. She also loves to travel, check out new restaurants, watch movies, run, attend sporting events and theatrical performances, and volunteer through the United Way a few times per month.

We decided to ask our top clients, across varying industries, this question recently: What are the top three soft-skill (non-technical) traits you find in your highest performing employees? Here is what we found, in order of frequency:

1. High Integrity & Ethics
2. Loyalty
3. Accountability
4. Resourcefulness/Adaptability
5. Leadership

Any of this sound familiar? It kind of looks like the bullet points to every mission statement, or listing of company values I have seen. Organizations work hard to craft these company mantras, yet sometimes they are easily cast aside in the name of profit or strategic business direction. What we sometimes forget is that the traits presented in our company mantras are the living, breathing embodiment of our organization and they are what make up the characteristics of our best people.

I have never seen a list of company ideals though that includes intelligence or strategy. Can you imagine the environment of an organization where we only tried to hire the smartest and most strategic people, regardless of other traits? I’m sure there are some wall streeters that could say “yes” to that question, but hopefully that is not the culture we are really trying to breed. More in this in a moment.   

It should be noted that integrity was the runaway winner, with the next four coming in tightly packed together.   When we asked our best clients about their best people, they thought to mention “integrity” and “loyalty” before “intelligence”, “professionalism”, or “strategy”.

Just think how incredible it would be to work in an organization that was unilaterally high in integrity and accountability. Do you figure things might get done with the best intentions in mind always? How would company morale look? How would this impact your customers? Rhetoric aside, it is easy to pose these questions in a blog and imagine nirvana in the workplace. It is much harder to actually apply the idea in the real world. 

After all, how does one illustrate they have these traits? Therein lays the real challenge of shaping a corporate culture that truly follows our ideals. The reality is that many hiring processes are not too much unlike this scenario: Candidate comes in and sits down at a table while a hiring manager asks questions about their resume, and then the interview is over. From this are you able to assess that person’s character?   

We must avoid the trap of falling in love with hard skills and resume fluff and instead realize that although the hard skills must be present, it is the soft skills that make people dynamic. We must not be robotic in the way we profile our talent pool, and always remember that our customers do not necessarily care how smart our employees are, but rather they care about how they feel about the individuals representing our products and services.

Let’s face it, there are a lot of really smart people out there, but have you ever bought from someone just because of their intellect? On the flip side, how many times have your purchased or endorsed products or services based solely on how much you liked and trusted the individual selling it? For me, I know the latter of the two cases is the clear winner.

It is assumed that to get an interview with your organization, candidates will have the technical skills to get in the door. To get hired, they should also have the “it” factor that makes up your best people. Otherwise, even if you have hired the smartest person in the market, you have defeated the very ideals your company stands upon. If we commit to the practice of emulating our best people, we will in fact shape a positive culture and make our organizations stronger.

Nate Elgert, Account Manager, Aureus Group

About Nate Elgert
Nate was born and raised in Lincoln, Neb., graduated from Lincoln East High School, and went on to The University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) where he was a four year letter-winner on the men’s golf team earning a bachelor’s degree in communication in 1999. Nate took a winding road back to Lincoln that led through Phoenix, Des Moines, Chicago, back to Kansas City, and then finally Lincoln once again in 2005. Before coming to Aureus Group in 2006 as an account manager in the Lincoln Accounting and Finance office, Nate was a golf professional, an advertising rep, and a mortgage lender. Currently, Nate is a senior account manager. He enjoys playing basketball, golf, and time with his wife Angie, his daughter Sofia, 2. Nate and Angie welcomed their second little girl in May.

Then I met Chris. Chris approached our group, introduced himself and immediately started talking about his new business venture, a Web site marketing firm. He directed our attention to his shirt, which sported the logo and Web site address for his new business, and started handing out business cards. Everyone smiled and congratulated him on the new venture, but it was clear that the group dynamic had drastically changed, in just a matter of seconds. As I looked around at other members of the group and caught their reactions, I could tell that everyone, with the exception of Chris, was feeling uncomfortable. We were caught off guard by Chris’ brazen approach to use this social gathering as a forum for promoting his new business. 

Chris took advantage of what he saw as an opportunity to do some PR for his new start-up company. While he obviously felt like this was an appropriate decision, I beg to differ. There’s an appropriate time and place for promoting one’s business and professional accolades and this was clearly not the right setting for Chris’ five minute infomercial! Whether you’re a hiring manager looking for top talent to join your team, or a professional who is interested in exploring a new job opportunity and researching great places to work, the opportunities for networking are endless! The critical factor, in my opinion, is evaluating whether the event is truly an appropriate forum for recruiting talented professionals or marketing oneself to prospective employers.

While I can completely appreciate the fact that there are many professionals out there who are motivated to achieve success and land their next “dream job”, networking is something that needs to happen more organically, particularly when it occurs in a setting that is not specifically geared toward this purpose (i.e. a volunteering program). If you force your personal agenda on other professionals whom you’ve just recently met, you risk coming across as inauthentic and self-absorbed, which are not the redeeming qualities most hiring managers are looking for in their next great addition to the team. 

Don’t get me wrong–I am a big advocate of getting involved in community organizations, professional associations, and volunteering programs. There are many positive aspects of becoming an active member in these groups. But, these added perks, such as connecting with other professionals who may be a great resource in helping you achieve your personal goals, should be the “icing on the cake,” not one’s sole motivating factor for joining the group. If you’re focusing on what the organization can do for you, you’re missing the point. The other members are going to eventually sense your lack of true interest or enthusiasm and the negative impact of this discovery could be lasting.

It was very obvious to everyone in our group that Chris was not truly interested in volunteering and giving back to the community. His motivation was to network with other professionals in order to convert his fellow volunteers into new clients for his business. His overzealous approach backfired….big time. I know the next time I’m at a social gathering for this volunteer group and I see Chris venturing my direction, I’m going the other way!  If I wanted to listen to a sales pitch, I can head over to the nearest car dealership. There’s no question that Chris has a lot to learn when it comes to demonstrating appropriate rules of etiquette when engaging in professional networking.

According to the Web site Careerealisim, there are three smart rules to smart business card etiquette.

1. Keeping your business card to yourself!  Don’t hand it out to every single person who walks by you! It’s annoying and, as career coach Tai Goodwin states, “It’s the equivalent of receiving junk mail at home.”

2. Giving your business card to someone when they ask for it. If you are truly interested in connecting with someone after the event, simply ask them what would be a good way to contact them in the future. Additionally, if someone asks you for your business card, take a moment to write something that will serve as a reminder to that person of the context of your conversation (i.e. discuss career opportunities or providing insights on professional certifications).

3. If you are successful in making some promising connections, don’t waste the contact information you’ve gathered during the event. If you ask someone for their work number or email address, take the time to follow up with a thank you and let that person know that you would like to keep the dialogue going.

This definitely isn’t rocket science, people. Don’t take advantage of situations where it’s not appropriate to engage is blatant networking, like my fellow volunteer, Chris. And in those situations where it is okay to engage in such activities, make sure you follow the simple guidelines listed above.

Now that you’re more aware, I have a feeling you’ll be amazed by how many other professionals you cross paths with who aren’t following these rules!  As a result, they end up sabotaging their own attempts to make positive connections with other professionals who may serve as great resources in the future.

Stephanie Miller, Aureus Group Account Manager

About Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Miller has worked for Aureus Group for almost five years.  As a Senior Account Manager within the Finance and Accounting division, Stephanie partners with organizations throughout the state of Iowa and provides staffing solutions within the accounting, finance, and human resources departments. With a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Nebraska Wesleyan University, Stephanie is currently pursuing a master’s degree in negotiation and dispute resolution at Creighton University and is a certified professional consultant.

Stephanie reports that two of the most rewarding aspects of her job is seeing how pleased the client is when she’s successful in identifying a professional who meets the level of experience/skills the company desires for a particular position and also helping a candidate make a successful career change. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, Chad, and their two dogs, Benny and Olive. She also loves to travel, check out new restaurants, watch movies, run, attend sporting events and theatrical performances, and volunteer through the United Way a few times per month.

I was recruiting for some help desk positions recently, and I received more than 500 responses to one of my online ads. I immediately screened most of them out due to having no help desk experience or being extremely over qualified. Of the 20 or so who actually matched the job requirements on paper, after phone screens and interviews, I ended up presenting my top five candidates to my client, who selected just one of them to join their team. That is one out of 500 inquiries, and that does not include the candidates I actively recruited, or those who were referred to me. 

My client had the luxury of being so specific with their requirements because when you add up candidates who applied to them directly and candidates who were submitted through other recruiters, this position probably received a few thousand applicants. With odds like that, it’s no wonder that so many job applicants have struggled to secure new positions in recent years!

In response to this employer-driven market I have seen many companies make the mistake of offering entry-level positions to senior-level people, or offering them a much lower salary than they are worth. Unfortunately, candidates have been settling for these positions and accepting poor job offers because they couldn’t afford to remain unemployed. However, these jobs were never intended to be a long-term solution; rather a temporary band-aid. 

It goes without saying then, that during the past several months I have seen many these quick-fix hiring decisions fall apart, leaving employers with several vacant positions and increasing attrition rates. Senior-level people who accepted entry-level jobs are now accepting job offers that are a closer match to their work experience and desired salary. Instead of projects being put on hold, wage and hiring freezes, and mass layoffs, an increasing number of companies are seeing just the opposite. Employers are starting to hire again, and the market is beginning to turn in candidates’ favor.

What does this mean for employers? It means more competition to hire the best talent. Low ball job offers and mediocre benefits packages won’t cut it anymore. In fact, I have seen more candidates receive multiple job offers and counter-offers in the past few months than I have in the past few years.  I have seen some pretty impressive job offers turned down recently because the candidates were interviewing for jobs that paid a little bit more or that were a little bit closer to home. I have seen too many employers lose candidates to their competitors because they took too long to schedule an interview. 

The bottom line is, the market is turning, and employers need to adjust their recruiting and hiring strategies accordingly. I am not saying that unemployment rates are not still high; I am not saying that candidates no longer have to compete for job openings. What I am saying is that employment conditions are moving in the right direction for job seekers, slowly but surely. So although we have been experiencing an employer-driven market the past few years, the candidate-driven market is right around the corner. Let’s just hope enough employers are ready to compete!

Julie Pentis, Aureus Group Recruiter

About Julie Pentis
Julie has been with Aureus Group since 2006 after graduating from Creighton University with a BSBA in Human Resources and Spanish. In 2010 Julie received her MBA from Bellevue University.  As a technical recruiter for the Information Systems team, she is responsible for sourcing, qualifying, and matching candidates with job opportunities in the Kansas City area. In 2007 Julie earned the designation of Certified Personnel Consultant and currently serves as vice president of membership for a local Toastmaster’s group and co-chair for HRAM’s Workforce Readiness Committee. In her free time Julie enjoys spending time with her dog Jack at the dog park and singing in her church choir.

This new $17.5 billion legislation (scaled down from an earlier $150 billion package) is of particular interest to businesses as it includes new tax benefits directly related to hiring employees and writing off investments in business equipment.

Employers who hire unemployed workers this year (after Feb. 3^rd, 2010 and before Jan. 1, 2011) may qualify for a 6.2 percent payroll tax incentive. The tax incentive is equal to the employers’ share of Social Security tax on wages earned after March 18, 2010

In addition, for each worker retained for at least a year, businesses may claim an additional general business tax credit, up to $1,000 per worker, when they file their 2011 income tax.

Eligible Employees 

• Must be hired between Feb 3, 2010 and January 1, 2011
• Must have NOT been employed for more than 40 hours in the 60 days prior to their hire date.

 Procedure to Receive the Credit

• The employee must complete and sign a form W-11 (click on W-11 to download form). The employee attests that they have met the criteria for the credit.
• The employer claims the credit when they file their quarterly payroll tax form, Form 941 (click on Form 941 to download). The credit is on line 6c and 6d.

As of July an estimated 4.5 million workers, who have been unemployed for an average of 10 months, have been hired as a result of the HIRE Act, according to a recent New York Daily News post. With many employers on the fence regarding when and if it’s the right time to bring on new staff, the HIRE Act is a welcome incentive to make the decision in favor of adding new employees. In the first four months since the Act was enacted, the Treasury Department reports that businesses have saved more than $8 billion.

Source:  IRS.GOV

Chris Carlson, CPC, Aureus Group Regional Manager

About Chris Carlson

In addition, Chris is a Certified Professional Consultant, and has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Chris is an experienced executive in the staffing industry. She has extensive experience in developing and implementing operational analyses and programs and has assisted hundreds of firms streamline processes and upgrade the competencies of its workforce. Finding innovative ways to generate new business and build teams is her passion. She has developed and executed many successful strategic marketing plans. Chris began her career at Aureus Group, a full-service professional recruiting firm, in 1994 and currently serves as the regional manager of Aureus Group specializing in the Finance & Accounting, Systems and Executive search areas.

With great anxiety you spend the next 30 minutes trying to figure out what error you have made. Not able to find anything glaring, you take the next 30 minutes trying to figure out how to respond. Finally after an hour of zero productivity, you summon the courage to print off a copy and walk over to the boss’ desk and explain that you have no idea what was wrong with your report. Sensing your anxiety, the boss starts laughing and says, “You spelled your name wrong.”  Embarrassed and relieved you look closer, see your name spelled incorrectly and start laughing, too.

Crisis averted, right? Maybe not. This scenario is somewhat commonplace and as we dig deeper into why candidates leave organizations, communication with their boss, or the lack thereof, is often the culprit. So, if your boss regularly attacks you via email, as the boss in this scenario, you are likely gun-shy and defensive when messages like, “What is this?” pop up. 

Email is a great signpost, or benchmark invention, that has been spurred by the technological wave during the last 100 years. Email has been paramount to increased corporate productivity with the ability to transfer data and knowledge easily across the world instantly. Like every other gadget that has reached critical mass in our lives, there is the tendency to rely too heavily upon them and get a bit lazy. Allowing email to creep in as the primary method of interoffice communication can be deadly.    

The dynamics of inter-office communication is perhaps the single most important aspect of employee engagement. As we have found, most employees don’t leave companies, they leave managers.  Although none of the individuals I have interviewed in my four years with Aureus Group have told me they desired a close personal friendship with their boss, a vast majority have said that they do desire a professional relationship built on great communication.

A boss has implied power over his or her subordinates and because of that will always have the upper hand in communication dynamics. A good boss understands this and works to mitigate its effect on interaction with employees. A great boss tears down those walls by always encouraging open communication and never using email or instant messenger when the situation calls for a face-to-face meeting, or a phone call.

We encourage all professionals, not just managers, to take a minute before writing an email to determine if it is the best way to communicate your message. If it is, read it a few times to be sure the context is clear, and the message simple. Taking care of these fundamentals of proper office communication certainly aid in the retention of your most valued employees.

Nate Elgert, Aureus Group Senior Account Manager

About Nate Elgert
Nate was born and raised in Lincoln, Neb., graduated from Lincoln East High School, and went on to The University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) where he was a four year letter-winner on the men’s golf team earning a bachelor’s degree in communication in 1999. Nate took a winding road back to Lincoln that led through Phoenix, Des Moines, Chicago, back to Kansas City, and then finally Lincoln once again in 2005. Before coming to Aureus Group in 2006 as an account manager in the Lincoln Accounting and Finance office, Nate was a golf professional, an advertising rep, and a mortgage lender. Currently, Nate is a senior account manager. He enjoys playing basketball, golf, and time with his wife Angie, his daughter Sofia, 2. Nate and Angie welcomed their second little girl in May.

In case you’re not familiar with this phrase, I’m going to refer to Daniel Goldman, someone who has been a pioneer in the study of leadership, for a definition of emotional intelligence. According to Goldman, emotional intelligence (EI) is the capacity for recognizing and managing our own feelings and for recognizing and managing emotions well in our relationships with others. So, now that you know the definition, I challenge you to start engaging in some self reflection! If someone were to evaluate you today from this perspective, what would your EI score look like? 

An emotionally intelligent leader is someone who is connected to their team and who recognizes and understands the value of relationships in the workplace. Leaders with a high level of EI are more empathetic and are in tune with what’s going on among the individual members of their team. On the opposite end of the spectrum, those professionals who seem to be lacking in the EI arena are much more likely to have a negative impact on the overall success and productivity of the team. There’s no question that employees take emotional cues from their boss. If the boss consistently demonstrates a negative attitude and is not emotionally in tune with his or her team, the effects can be very long lasting. Not only does the leader’s EI impact the members of the team, the “ripple effect” that transpires between the leader and the team members will resonate throughout the entire organization and contribute to the overall emotional climate that exists within the company.

So, now that we’ve considered the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace, it’s time for a self-evaluation exercise. There are four main factors that contribute to one’s level of emotional intelligence. These include: self awareness, self management, social awareness, and relationship management. Considering these four areas, how would you rank yourself at this point in your career, from an EI perspective? 

The first EI domain, self awareness, really serves as the foundation for the rest. If a leader doesn’t recognize his own emotions, he’ll be less likely to manage them appropriately in the workplace, not to mention understand how his team member’s emotions are impacting the work performance and professional development of the entire group. While the remaining three domains are pretty self explanatory, I think it’s also important for us to briefly touch on social awareness. When a leader is attuned to how team members feel about their individual responsibilities and other work-related issues, the leader is better able to respond to them in an appropriate and effective manner. People want to feel like they’re being heard and understood and an emotionally intelligent leader is more effective at working with team members to create a shared sense of values and priorities. 

I challenge all of you to improve your EI! Consider how your words and actions are impacting those around you in the workplace. Take time to build trust with team members. Work hard to engage in active listening!  Show your team that you are interested in their professional development. The positive, “ripple effect” of all this will do wonders for improving employee satisfaction rates and contribute to a healthier, productive culture in the workplace.

Stephanie Miller, CPC, Aureus Group Senior Account Manager

About Stephanie Miller, CPC

Stephanie Miller has worked for Aureus Group for almost five years.  As a Senior Account Manager within the Finance and Accounting division, Stephanie partners with organizations throughout the state of Iowa and provides staffing solutions within the accounting, finance, and human resources departments. With a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Nebraska Wesleyan University, Stephanie is currently pursuing a master’s degree in negotiation and dispute resolution at Creighton University and is a certified professional consultant. Stephanie reports that two of the most rewarding aspects of her job is seeing how pleased the client is when she’s successful in identifying a professional who meets the level of experience/skills the company desires for a particular position and also helping a candidate make a successful career change. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, Chad, and their two dogs, Benny and Olive. She also loves to travel, check out new restaurants, watch movies, run, attend sporting events and theatrical performances, and volunteer through the United Way a few times per month.