Should I Hire an Over-Qualified Worker?

Due to our continuing economic situation, there continues to be more over-qualified people seeking employment than ever before. I also believe we’re seeing the result of a shift in priorities from the “live to work” approach of the past to the “work to live” philosophy that’s more about work/life balance. Regardless, there are still many…

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Unlimited PTO – Friend or Foe?

We touched on this issue briefly in a previous post on new trends in employee benefits. This can be and is a powerful recruiting tool. But is it a good thing or a bad thing? There are several pros and cons to consider. Unlimited PTO originated in start-up tech firms – no surprise — and…

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How do I respond to negative feedback?

None of us like to be criticized. We’re only human. But the important thing to remember when you’re receiving less-than-glowing feedback is feedback is good. It is your friend. How else would you know if you’re doing something wrong? How else would you learn about a better way to accomplish a goal? How else would…

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Salary Transparency – is it a good thing or a bad thing?

It’s both. Transparency can have a lot of positive effects. Gender equality is an obvious benefit. Others are more subtle. A recent study by PayScale (a company that compiles a large database of salary information for both individuals and companies) concluded that how people perceive their pay matters more than what they are actually paid.…

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Attention Employers: Rude Workers Cost you Money!

It’s sad but true. According to a 2007 study published in the Academy of Management Journal, incivility costs companies approximately $14,000 per employee. And, a 2016 study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology says that incivility is contagious. We’re not talking about obvious inappropriate behavior like bullying. We’re talking about more subtle actions like…

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How do I keep my top employees?

Have you ever received an unexpected resignation letter from a top-performing, long-term employee? Arrrrgggghhh! Why did this happen?! Let’s talk employee retention strategies. Doesn’t sound very exciting does it? However, thinking about, developing and putting into place an employee retention program can save you time, money and pain. Employee retention strategies should include a variety…

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Manager Missteps, From Beginning to End

While the work world is full of truly great managers and mentors, we’ve been reminded lately of mistakes that some managers make that cost their employers a ton of money and grief. As hiring has increased significantly over the past several months and especially in hiring for marketing jobs, we’re seeing things turn very quickly…

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Post-Traumatic Job Disorder

We got a call from one of our favorite people a few weeks ago (used to be a hiring client, then became a jobseeker/candidate) and she was flummoxed over getting to work one morning to her new job. She had experienced some car trouble late the night before and had concerns that she would have…

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Is there such a thing as corporate DNA?

Although the phrase “corporate DNA” can be irritating to some, we think it has some meaning in the context of talent discussions. It refers to the traits of the aggregate culture and personality of the organization, including the talent it attracts, the way it treats its clients and employees, and the behavioral imprint it makes…

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Our 2014 Hiring Predictions

As our senior recruiter, Kathryn Lorenzen, often says, “I don’t have the time to write you a short explanation”, so … We didn’t make hiring predictions for 2013, but as the economy continues to show positive strides, at a slow and steady pace, we’re going to take a stab at 2014. First, let’s look at…

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