“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.

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.

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.

1. Smart hiring starts with a true understanding of the requirements of the job being   filled.  Answer these questions – collaborate with others in order to get feedback from team members or individuals who have performed the job duties in the past.

• What are the mental / physical tasks involved (ranging from judging, planning and managing to cleaning, lifting and welding)?
• How will the job get done (what methods or equipment will be used)?
• Why does the job exist (goals and how they relate to others and company mission)?
• What qualifications are truly required? (training, knowledge, skills, personality traits, education)?

 2. Write a performance-based job description. This should outline the job’s goals, responsibilities, and duties.

• Write down the job title and to whom that person will report.
• Summarize the position’s major and minor duties.
• Define how the job fits into the organizational chart and mission.
• Include salary range and benefits.
• Finish with physical requirements and any occupational hazards.

 3. Use the job analysis and job description to help guide your recruitment strategy.

• Determine if you need a part or full-time employee on a permanent or temporary basis.
• Set a desired hire date based on why the position is open and the critical nature of the role.
• Target the ideal candidate pool.
• Perform performance-based interviews.

 These steps may seem elementary. However, I’m continuously amazed at how many of us have outdated, archaic job descriptions that don’t represent the evolution of our firms’ mission or functional / technical roles. Accountability starts with clear expectations.

Chris Carlson, Aureus Group Regional Manager

About Chris Carlson
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.

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.

Jillian, Linda and Gabe pose with Mission Man after being recognized for bringing C&A's mission to life.

C&A Industries, parent company of Aureus Group, brought its mission statement to life late last year when we introduced Mission Man, C&A’s very own super hero and mascot. Mission Man is on a mission to recognize employees who go above and beyond incorporating C&A’s mission statement values into their daily endeavors.

Mission Man paid a visit to the Systems Division of Aureus Group in May armed with words of praise and Mission Man candy tins for Jillian Huston, Linda Aughenbaugh, and Gabe Romero. The Systems team worked with a long-time client to solve not only their staffing challenges, but also their space challenges, by brokering a deal to lease part of C&A’s second floor office space. Way to think outside of the box and listen to the customer’s needs to truly deliver solutions to further strengthen our business partnership!

Key Mission Statement Value: We will build lasting business partnerships by providing exceptional customer service and listening to our clients to truly understand their needs.

Top 5 Motivators for Career Change
1. Company is too unstable
2. Employer does not offer ample career growth opportunities
3. Manager does not recognize contributions enough
4. Seeking better work-life balance
5. Would like to relocate closer to family

This month we’d like to turn the question around to employers. As a  manager or hiring authority, what are your management challenges and what motivates you to make a change on your team beyond economic concerns of the last 18 months? In the effort of sharing common challenges, please participate in this two minute survey by clicking on the link below.

Aureus Group Employer Challenges & Hiring Motivations survey

We will share survey results and solutions in the April Top Talent newsletter.

We all know that hiring and retaining the best employees drives our businesses to success.  Unfortunately, this is still an area which many organizations don’t properly invest in.

Who are your key employees? You know, the ones who always complete projects on time and the quality of their work is considered elite in your industry? Your “go-to” people for new ideas, the ones you rely on in times of crisis and generally to take on extra work? Having this person on your team allows you to sleep easier just knowing they are there. However, are these valued and talented members also keeping their job options open? 

Here is a common scenario: A top employee has a bad day and sees an on-line advertisement in their field of expertise, but busy days stop the employee from applying. Then, a former boss, co-worker, or recruiter shares an opportunity to look at a new position. Top employees are going to evaluate this opportunity because they are too savvy not to keep their options open. They may even agree to an interview with a competitor of yours. They may just walk into your office next week with a resignation letter in hand. At this point, feeling stunned and shocked, you are now trying to replace one of your best employees.

How on earth could this happen? There were no signs of disengagement, and this person had been a loyal contributor for years. Why now? This person is the definition of a passive job seeker, and they comprise the best talent in the marketplace.

What motivates elite talent to leave their employer? This is a great question, and the answers can vary drastically. We looked at our Aureus Group Top Talent candidates who have been placed by our organization during the last 60 days to get an idea of what is driving career changes in 2010. Here’s what they told us:

Top 5 Motivators for Career Change
1. Company is too unstable
2. Employer does not offer ample career growth opportunities
3. Manager does not recognize contributions enough
4. Seeking better work-life balance
5. Would like to relocate closer to family

Surprised?  Stability, growth, and recognition have surpassed the all mighty dollar! Obviously, fair market compensation is a given for these hard-workers, but top producers have something else making them tick. The desire for a culture shaped by vision and growth seems to be the common thread that ties these invaluable players together. They understand that money comes with accomplishment, but this is clearly not a primary factor in deciding on a new path. 

Knowing this, how will you ensure the top talent at your firm remains empowered by the opportunities of growth and recognition you offer? 

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 are also expecting their second little girl in May.

Chris Carlson, CPC, Aureus Group Regional Manager

About Chris Carlson
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.

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

A tight credit market, a rise in workers compensation cost, increased unemployment taxes, uncertain healthcare reform, and other industry specific regulations all affect a company’s immediate staffing decisions. Meanwhile, customers want more for less, the knowledge workforce is also making demands. When new hiring is tight, maintaining current top staff becomes more critical. Consider the following ideas to keep your top performers performing for you. 

COMPENSATION
Calculated fair decisions about bonuses will help keep your number one asset in tact – your people. Although bonus dollars are fewer, if not gone, merit–based pay is difficult to challenge. Many companies widen the difference between payouts to ensure top performers feel appreciated. This is an effective method when there are more dollars to share. However, when it turns into the “haves” and “have nots” where does this leave the average performer? Unfortunately, many companies overlook the negative effects. When a company has been hit by a down year, employees are most concerned about equality. This may be the time to use the “live and die” as a team method. It goes far when the dollars can’t.  Pay-for-performance is only effective if there is a quantitative measure. Precise monitoring and measuring of productivity needs to be clearly communicated to all.

RETENTION
A few interesting statistics published in CFO magazine state that 26 percent of companies are significantly more concerned about losing critical employees today versus before the financial crisis.  Thirty-nine percent are slightly more concerned, and 28 percent have the same level of concern.  Overall, 8 percent of companies are less concerned. How concerned is your leadership team and what steps are being taken to ensure top performers stay? 

ENGAGEMENT
It has been proven time and time again that engagement results in increased productivity, happy employees, and happy customers. Leaders and managers need to embrace new ideas and be sure communication with employees is clear. Every employee should understand how his / her role impacts the bottom line and helps achieve the company’s goal.

Each of these ideas may be summed up the best in this month’s Thought of the Month: “People may doubt what you say…but they will always believe what you do.” Next month I will discuss the top 5 motivators our top talent candidates give us for leaving their current role and their criteria in selecting new employers.

Aureus Group employees Chris Walker and Kristi Epperson wrap presents for the residents of Cooper Village.

Residents of Cooper Village (http://www.utahalee-cooper.org/), a residential treatment center for adolescent boys, were provided with a pizza party, personalized gifts selected from their individual wish lists, as well as Wii video games, two DVD players, various board games, sporting equipment, a digital drum set, and an acoustic guitar to be shared and used by the entire Cooper Village community.

Although not all Aureus Group employees were able to attend the party, everyone helped plan and support the event in some way from working with area businesses to secure donations, bringing in food for Aureus Group’s breakfast fundraiser, or wrapping the donated gifts. Everyone’s collaborative efforts made the event a huge successful and the children were very excited to have our company come in and host a holiday party for them.

With the support of Oscars Pizza, Costco, Wal-Mart, Scheel’s, Hy-Vee, the UNO hockey team, and Godfathers Pizza, in addition to the personal donations from Aureus Group and C&A employees, many lives were touched by our efforts.

Although all of the kids were extremely grateful, some of kids in particular stick out. One young man had asked for a cowboy hat and although I grew up in Blair, NE I couldn’t tell you were to locate something like that. Susan P. went out of her way to track down the hat, and I wish she could have been there to see the smile on his face. One of the kids has intentions of attending Metro Community College and received a back pack and school supplies. Although this isn’t something you consider fun, you could tell how excited he was to have everything he needs to further his education. Another kid actually said, “I can’t believe someone would do this for me.”

The gifts collected for the residents of Cooper Village lined an entire wall of an Aureus Group conference room!

Those at Cooper Village were not the only ones touched by the event, all of Aureus Group felt lucky to take part in such a worthwhile project.

The contingent workforce has historically been a thermometer of the economy highlighting job recovering before full-time employment rebounds. According to the American Staffing Association, which tracks staffing companies that provide contingent and temporary workers to all industries, the number of people placed by staffing firms fell by one third since 2007. This equated to a drop from 3 million in 2007 to about 1.9 million in Q2 of 2009. Recovery in the labor market can be marked by the number of temporary workers, which has been steadily rising since the end of June, and was up 8 percent by early September. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from October to November 2009 temporary employment increased 2.9 percent and 52,000 temporary jobs were added in November, the largest gain since October 2004. A rise in contingent staffing is clearly underway.

As we boldly march into 2010, we are entering a time in our history that will require a new way of thinking about staffing. In a recent survey conducted by Veritude about hiring in the post-recession, it was concluded that only 3 percent of companies would revert to the staffing model used before the most recent recession. Organizations are recognizing that contingent staffing can allow them to be extremely agile in any type of changing environment. Recent studies also indicate that at least 73 percent of employers will increase their contingent workforce in 2010. Among these employers, 35 percent predict more than a 50 percent increase in their flexible temporary employees. 

We have seen hundreds of our customers take advantage of the recent downturn by investing the time to evaluate the competencies and willingness of their workforce. Gut wrenching cutbacks obviously happened. However, we also witnessed some cutting of the fat, upgrading of talent, and alignment of the workforce with true corporate visions. A staffing approach including a higher degree of contingent workers in critical roles will be the answer for organizations that need to quickly attract top talent in order to execute its corporate strategy.    

Contingent workers often have experiences and skill sets that traditional employees do not. Some examples include interim executives acting as change agents leading software implementations, helping an organization go public, or creating and merging new compensation plans. This trend will obviously continue because our retirement age keeps extending. The best contract employees tend to enjoy 1-2 year assignments so they can keep learning. 

As you and your teams discuss the talent needed to meet your goals, you may determine contingent workers are a proactive model that should be a explored further. We have heard the call of our customers, and have worked diligently to locate only the best contingent staff in this marketplace.