Best Ways to Hire for Your Lending Business

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Hiring for a lending business

Financial industry jobs are anticipated to grow by 10% by the year 2026. This means it will soon become more important than ever for financial services recruiters to know how to find, hire, and retain talent. 

Lending service hiring is a very specific process. It has challenges that make it more difficult to find the right people to fill open roles than other industries may have. Your company’s financial services recruitment strategies need to be on point if you want to land the most qualified candidates.

What Are the Challenges of Financial Services Recruitment?

Every industry is unique when it comes to best practices in recruiting new candidates. However, many would argue that the financial industry is the most difficult. A large reason for this is simply a lack of suitable talent. In fact, 76% of accountancy and finance employers said a shortage of suitable applicants is the biggest obstacle they face when it comes to hiring. When you add the fact that financial industry jobs often require niche skill sets, navigating a small pool of candidates is even more challenging. Finally, financial employers are often competing with many other sectors for new talent. Many young employees today are pursuing jobs in fields like tech over finance. So, you’re not only competing against your direct competitors but companies in other industries as well.

How Can You Improve Your Lending Service Hiring Strategy?

Despite these challenges facing the industry, there are ways you can position your company ahead of the competition to land some impressive new hires.

Improve Your Employer Branding

If you want to get the attention of quality candidates, you will need to invest in your employer’s brand. You should begin by researching how potential candidates perceive your brand and the things they really want to know about you. Then, you can analyze how those expectations differ from what you’re actually showing them. How can you influence potential candidates’ perceptions about you to appeal to even more people?

For example, you’ll likely be competing with new, fintech companies that have a youthful, engaging brand. If that is something many candidates are looking for, they will skip applying to your traditional, conservative brand. In order to be competitive, you’ll need to make sure your company comes across in a way that resonates with the people you consider to be your ideal candidates. 

Use Recruitment Marketing Strategies

Lending service hiring really is a form of marketing and it doesn’t end with your company branding. You’ll also want to consider how you can employ strategies that will help you build an extensive pool of qualified candidates. This pool can be used for both current and future job openings. 

You’ll want to use digital tools such as programmatic advertising to help get your open positions in front of the right candidates. Another effective strategy is to create ideal candidate profiles for any job openings. This will help you identify the attributes that are most essential to success on the job. It will also help you employ programmatic advertising that targets the candidates with the skills you’re looking for.

Expand Your Sourcing Strategy

Are you looking in the right places to find new hires? Your open positions should be posted in relevant places like social media platforms and online job boards. Online job boards are one of the best places to advertise your openings since 71% of finance professionals said they look for work through these platforms. You can utilize general job boards such as LinkedIn or Indeed and specialist lending service hiring boards.

College job fairs and other recruiting events are another great way to expand your sourcing strategy. These are especially effective in meeting entry-level candidates. If the results of these strategies aren’t satisfactory, utilizing a recruiting agency like Brightwing is an excellent option. We can help you create a more effective sourcing strategy and even take some of the work off of your hands.

Make Growth and Inclusion Part of Your Employee Value Proposition

Today, employees are looking for more than a place to earn a salary. They want to work for a company that encourages their personal growth and prioritizes inclusion. Candidates should hear your employee value proposition (EVP) and immediately know there’s nowhere else they’d rather work. Can you offer training opportunities that your competitors can’t or won’t? Are there clear paths for advancement within the company? Do you hire people of all backgrounds? These are all things that should be an integral part of your EVP. 

Connect Through Email and Social Media

Email and social media are highly effective ways to reach the younger generations of applicants. Consider utilizing email as a way to stay in touch with candidates who didn’t make the cut. You can maintain a relationship and nurture them to keep them in the loop for future job openings using email.

Professional social media sites like LinkedIn are also useful for connecting with candidates. If you’re not convinced it’s a place to spend your time and money, consider that 49% of professionals follow relevant organizations on social media to keep up with their recruitment processes. You already know they are looking there, so why not reach them where they’re already active?

Start An Employee Referral Program

There is no one better to vouch for your company than someone who already works there. Inevitably, your employees will know people who work in similar industries or at other companies. Getting employee referrals is an extremely easy and efficient way to reach new talent. 

You can start a referral program by rewarding employees for recommending employees they think would make great candidates. Employee referral programs lower the time to hire and also help save on recruiting costs so you are not sourcing. In addition, you already know these candidates have a good relationship with your current employees, which is a win-win.

Lending Service Hiring is Hard

There’s no denying that recruiting in the financial industry is hard. Talent is in short supply and the competition is fierce. That’s why lending service hiring and recruiting has to be an active process, not a passive activity. You need to show potential employees why working for you will be the best choice for them. That means marketing to job seekers in a similar way to how you market to your customers.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078267198{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639423677748{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

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What is Technical Recruiting and Is It a Good Career Choice?

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Technical Recruiting as a Good Career Choice

If you identify as a person with excellent communication skills, a strong curiosity streak, and have knowledge of technical career fields, then becoming a technical recruiter could be a good career choice. 

What is a technical recruiter? 

A technical recruiter is a recruiter who specifically looks for talent to fill technical roles, which are jobs that require certain skills and expertise (usually in IT and engineering). Often, technical recruiters have at least two years of experience in the industry field they will be recruiting for, and formal education gives a prospective technical recruiter a competitive edge. 

Technical recruiters match people with opportunities to create a pool of qualified candidates for sustaining a pipeline of talent.

What does a recruiter do? 

To decide if technical recruiting is a good career choice for you, it’s important to understand the duties and responsibilities of a technical recruiter. 

Build recruiting strategy 

Recruiters are responsible for building a pool of qualified candidates for a talent pipeline, a task that is critical to securing a  recruiting firm’s success and longevity as they target the skillset. The importance of the task means that recruiters will have to strategize how to best find new talent and build relationships with them. The process involves reaching out through social media, job boards, text messages, emails, and phone calls.   

Identify sources of high-quality talent

A technical recruiter needs to identify the spaces where they can find qualified candidates for a technical role. This process often includes finding the right circles on recruitment-friendly websites such as LinkedIn and searching for candidates through social media. It’s also important that recruiters maintain a strong digital presence to present themselves as reliable and approachable. 

Reach out to prospective hires

This task is likely the first thing that comes to mind when you think of becoming a recruiter, and it’s a task that requires some tough skin. Technical recruiters will have to reach out to candidates who they identified through their searches who would be potentially good fits for the roles they are looking to fill. Recruiters will also have to be able to market different job opportunities to a prospective candidate. Often, it means reaching out to people who are not interested and being unfettered by blunt responses, rejection, and silences.  

Screen and interview prospective talent

Technical recruiters have to ensure that the candidate is qualified, which is why having industry knowledge is important for the job. The process often includes interviews, technical assessments, and other screening techniques-–often with multiple steps to guarantee talent and experience. To fully assess if a candidate is suitable for a role, a recruiter will need to have strong interpersonal skills and critical thinking.

At Brightwing, we use our tried and tested BRIGHTView Process to guarantee we find qualified individuals for our targeted positions. Beyond gauging a candidate’s technical capabilities, Brightwing technical recruiters dive deeper to learn about a candidate’s soft skills, career aspirations, and potential cultural fit. Brightwing recruiters spend time with the candidate themselves, as well as with previous managers and co-workers to get a 360-degree view.

Recommend prospective hires

Once a technical recruiter has found a candidate they think will be a good match, the candidate will likely be submitted to the client for the role. It is also a recruiter’s responsibility to present the recommended candidate in the best light. 

Coordinate and consult on client interviews

When a client decides to interview submitted candidates, the technical recruiter coordinates the interview scheduling and coaches candidates on how to perform their best during the interview. They’ll follow-up after each round of interviews with feedback from the client and tips on how to best approach the next phase of the process.

Offer and negotiate job offers 

Once the client decides they’d like your candidate to join their team, recruiters will have to contact the candidate with an offer and close them. The conversation can include questions and conditions from the candidate, during which a recruiter will have to answer and negotiate effectively to convince them to accept the offer. 

Represent businesses at job fairs

Recruiters will often be present at job fairs where they will promote and represent their business while also searching for potential employees and candidates. 

Is recruiting a good job? 

High Demand and Potential for Growth

There is currently a recruiter shortage. Today, companies are not only facing a staffing shortage, but also difficulty finding recruiters who can fill those shortages. As such, recruiting jobs are in very high demand with ample opportunities and chances that pay well. According to Indeed, the average technical recruiting job in the US pays around $60,737 a year, while Built-In says the average is closer to $85,000. 

The recruiting industry is also expected to grow in the coming years, which means that there will be growth reflected in both your salary and in recruiting firms. Entering this industry means you won’t be short on good opportunities. 

Work with Purpose

It’s hard to feel motivated by a job if you feel like you’re not making any sort of difference. But as a technical recruiter, your efforts will be tangible. You will be matching people with their best-fit opportunities, which means that with each placement you make, you have brought in new talent to a business. You can feel that you are doing valuable work both for the people you recruit and for the clients you serve. 

Your efforts will also clearly be reflected in your pay, as successful placements will give you commission fees and high-quality recruiting will lead to significant bonuses. 

Transferable Skills and Industry Freedom

A recruiting job is basically a sales job, which means there are countless soft skills you will learn from being a recruiter that you can transfer to other jobs. From excellent listening skills to critical thinking to negotiating, having a recruiter’s skillset prevents you from feeling trapped in one industry, and multiple doors will be open to you in the future. 

Become a recruiter

Here at Brightwing, we hire and invest in our people to help them reach their potential. Learn more about our careers today and send in your resume to see if becoming a recruiter with Brightwing is the best opportunity for you! [/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078267198{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639423677748{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

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How a Recruiting Company Can Help You Fill a Job Faster

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[vc_row gap=”20″][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1585081315933{margin-right: 20px !important;margin-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text]As an employer, sifting through the numerous applicants received for every open position can be exceedingly challenging. Not just because it takes time and effort above and beyond a hiring manager’s normal set of responsibilities (though, of course it does). The challenges of hiring in today’s market are greater than in recent memory. How, when, and why we work has been disrupted over the last couple of years. Shifting priorities make hiring the best people harder than before. That’s where a specialized recruiting agency comes in extremely helpful. Recruitment companies yield more consistent and speedy employee and employment searches, results, and substantial, long-term employment of the best employees for a given role. Not least because they don’t wait for applications to come in – they work proactively to find top talent that may not even be looking to make a change. In this article, we’ll discuss what a recruiting agency is, the leading-edge benefits of using one, and how to make the most of a recruiting company.

 

Why Outsource Your Talent Recruiting?

 

In an ever-changing and evolving job labor market characterized by increasing recruitment and acquisition challenges, high turnovers, unfilled job openings, and changing candidate expectations, many have turned to recruiting firms to find their next career role or to find their next valuable employee. The average cost per hire in 2022 using traditional means is $4,425, and filling the average position takes 36-45 days. Moreover, the cost of a bad hire can be a third of one’s salary. A recruiting company acts as an expert mediator between employers and job hunters. They work for a company to understand their people’s needs and then find the most ideal matches. They have a broad view of the market in that skillset, and they have well-developed pipelines of candidates – some who are actively job seeking, and others who are not.  As a result, the best recruiters are prepared to garner top results for employers and job hunters, and save valuable time, money and energy for both.

In contrast to an employment agency that focuses on hiring unskilled applicants (or laborers), recruitment agencies are highly beneficial to both employers and skilled applicants. A skilled applicant possesses the experience and certifications, as well as the motivation and the soft skills to fill a role on a particular team well. The recruitment agency works with their clients to qualify job requisitions, then engages in recruitment processes that vary from firm to firm. In the case of Brightwing, we’ve developed the Brightview process to thoroughly vet our candidates, as an example. These tasks include meaningfully reaching out to candidates through various networks, identifying the most ideal for a job through their database and various networks of existing relationships, vetting these potential employment candidates, and presenting the resulting top candidates to the employer.

 

Benefits of a Recruiting Company

 

Traditional hiring and job-seeking methods are less reliable and efficient than using a recruiting company. They are more expensive and time-consuming in numerous ways, and less able to yield the best results for both hiring manager and candidate. Some of the top benefits of using a recruitment company such as Brightwing to achieve your hiring goals include expert recruitment knowledge and assistance, easier and faster hiring, higher-quality candidates, extended reach and access, specialist knowledge of the job market and current trends, full support for employers and job hunters, less wasted time and resources, and a more competitive edge for both employers and job hunters.

 

Expert Knowledge and Assistance

The entire job and focus of a recruitment company is finding the best candidates with expert knowledge, resources, connections, and extensive experience above the average employer. Not only do they post compelling job ads, but they maximize interest in the position by leaning on their longstanding relationships with leaders and up-and-comers in the field.

 

Easier and Faster Hiring

An employment recruiter dramatically shortens the time it takes to fill a role with expert knowledge, assistance, and increased focus toward the end goal. What’s more – hiring managers will spend quality time looking at three qualified candidates, rather than sifting through hundreds of applications that are not necessarily qualified at all. The hiring manager or job hunter gets the gift of gaining back their time.

 

Higher Quality Candidates

When working with specialized, agency recruiters, employers receive only the highest quality, skilled candidates in their industry. Hiring managers work through a handful of expertly referenced, pre-screened, and interviewed candidates, rather than a vast pool of unvetted incoming applications.

 

Extended Reach and Access

Alongside expert knowledge and assistance, employment recruiters also have extended reach and access to wider pools of candidates in diverse industries, including ideal candidates that are less easily accessed and/or who may not be aware of the ideal job opportunity.

 

Specialist Market and Trends Knowledge

Recruitment agencies provide clarity on current job market trends, with deeper knowledge and investment in up-to-date research and reports. They provide valuable information and informed advice on how to best achieve goals and improve your employer brand or your job hunting profile.

 

Full Support

The best employment recruiting teams communicate actively with both employers and job hunters, find ideal candidates for various roles and job vacancies individual candidates are ideal for. They engage, make impactful connections, and provide full support, feedback, and suggestions to both.

 

Less Wasted Time and Resources

There is less waste of time and resources expended toward candidate searches, engagement, and recruitment by using an experienced recruitment agency. Expedient recruitment that provides higher-quality candidates saves time, money, and the results pay for themselves.

 

A More Competitive Edge

By providing expert knowledge and assistance, easier and faster hiring, higher-quality candidates and resulting employees, extended reach and access, specialist marketing and trends knowledge, full support, and less wasted time and resources, employment recruiters give employers and job hunters a more competitive edge in their diverse industries of the job market.

 

Experiences Without a Recruitment Company

 

Without an employment recruiter, employers and job hunters spend much more time and resources searching for candidates or jobs on their own through numerous conflicting, and potentially misleading sources of information. The results are ill-fitting employment matches and connections that lead to inefficiency, high turnover and ultimately make reaching organizational goals more difficult and more expensive. Not to mention, any drawn-out in-house recruiting places an additional burden on team members. This additional work can lead to excessive burnout and increased expenses. 

 

How to Make the Most of a Recruitment Company

 

To yield the best results, have a clear idea of your needs and desires for both the employment recruiters and the open role before you engage with a recruitment agency. The best recruiting agencies will press you for clarity on both of these. Provide a clear job description, a list of requirements, and important skills and attributes for the position. Be clear to yourself and toward the recruitment company on your ideal candidate so they know what to look for. And consider carefully which skills or attributes are required versus nice to have. As an ideal candidate, be clear on your own needs, desires, top skills, and attributes to match with the most ideal job for you. Work with your recruiter to develop questions so that you interview hiring companies as much as their interview you.

 

Getting Started With a Recruitment Company

 

Employment recruiters at Brightwing are ready to provide you with expert consultation, and highly efficient results that save valuable time, money, decrease turnover, and increase your teams’ work quality, focus, capabilities, performance, and competitiveness. Whether you are looking to find a job or your next top employee, a recruitment company can help you fill a job faster. For the best employee and employment matches, reach out to us to start a conversation.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078267198{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639423677748{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

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Best Tech Interview Questions and Answers

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If you are looking for a new job in tech, you might be anticipating what questions you will be asked in your interview.

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Best Tech Interview Questions and Answers

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[vc_row gap=”20″][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1585081315933{margin-right: 20px !important;margin-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text]If you are looking for a new job in tech, you might be anticipating what questions you will be asked in your interview. A technical interview is typically different from a traditional job interview. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of the most common technical interview questions to help you prepare. Whether you are a new college graduate who is entering the field, or a seasoned professional who perhaps hasn’t interviewed for a new job in a while, it can help you to know what to expect and how to prepare in order to best prepare your answers, demonstrate your skills and knowledge, and hopefully land that coveted new position! (Or, if you’re a tech employer, these are also some great suggestions for questions to ask during your next round of interviews for an open position!) 

 

What Is a Technical Interview?

A technical (or tech) interview is a job interview for any position that relates to the tech industry, like perhaps an IT (information technology) career. 

 

Technical Interview Questions 

There are a few different types of common technical interview questions that fall into the following categories:  

Knowledge, Education, and Experience Questions 

Even though the answers to these questions are typically on your resume, many interviewers will still ask questions about your training, knowledge, education, and previous experience. 

Behavioral Interview Questions

Technical interviews typically start the same way as an interview for any other type of job interview: with several general questions to learn more about who you are and how you will fit in with the culture of the company. 

Situational Interview Questions

Situational interview questions are questions where the interviewer presents you with a hypothetical situation and asks how you respond to the situation or resolve the problem. 

 

Common Tech Interview Questions 

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions during tech interviews: 

 

Example Knowledge, Education, and Experience Questions

 

Question: What do you know about our company? 

How to Answer: To answer this question, you will need to research the company before you interview. Perhaps there is a particular employee you are excited to work with or a particular project you are hoping to take on. Prepare yourself by scouring the company’s website and social media platforms so you can formulate your answer. 

 

Question: What certifications do you have that will help you perform your duties? 

How to Answer: This question is the perfect opportunity for you to discuss any certifications or education you have that makes you an ideal candidate for this position. Make sure to apply your experience and knowledge directly to how it will benefit you in the specific position you are applying for. 

 

Example Behavioral Interview Question

The best way to answer these types of questions is by showing, not telling. 

 

Question: What was your role and what were your responsibilities at your last position? 

How to Answer: This is a great opportunity to utilize the STAR interview technique. Using this technique, you identify a Situation, Task, Action, and Result of an experience you had that is relevant to the question. 

 

Example Situational Interview Question

 

Question: How would you handle the challenge of working with difficult coworkers on a project? 

How to Answer: Never say that you have never had an issue with a coworker or a team member. Your interviewer will likely know this is not the truth. Instead, describe a project or assignment (ideally one that demonstrates your skills) and discuss how you were able to get along with and work with your coworker and the solution you were able to reach together. Your interviewer is trying to find out how you work with others or on a team. 

 

Example Technical Interview Question

 

 

Question: What coding language are you most comfortable with? 

How to Answer: It is typical to be asked about coding languages when you are applying for technical positions. This is a commonly asked question in tech interviews to determine whether you have a comprehensive understanding of how to use the coding language they use, and whether or not you are able to use more than one language. The best way to answer this question is to touch on all the coding languages you have knowledge of, and then answer which one you know best, and why. 

 

Tips for Answering Interview Questions for Technical Positions

If you want to stand out as the best candidate for the job, here are a few more tips for acing your upcoming tech interview: 

 

Explain Your Reasoning 

Many tech interview questions have multiple answers that could be correct. When you answer a question that has several different solutions, make sure you explain your reasoning and your process for arriving at the conclusion. You might even discuss the various different answers and explain why you chose your specific answer. 

 

Ask for Clarification 

If the interviewer asks you a question and you need more details to answer, ask them for clarification. This is a great way to demonstrate that you aren’t afraid to ask for help when you need it. 

 

Be Honest If You Don’t Know the Answer 

Don’t be afraid to be honest if you don’t know the answer to a question. Most likely, your interviewer will appreciate your honesty. Many workplaces are willing to train a candidate if they are the right fit for the job but only lacking knowledge in one area. 

 

Be Ready to Prove Your Skills

Oftentimes, a technical job interview will include a portion where you will need to prove that you have the necessary skills for the position. For example, this might include a remote coding assignment, a whiteboard coding challenge, or a series of brainteasers. Be prepared to demonstrate your knowledge! 

 

Find Your Next Tech Job with Brightwing

If you have made the decision to look for a new job, make the process much easier with Brightwing. Our Brightwing recruiters can give you access to top, unlisted job opportunities, prep for the interview ahead of time, and give you more assistance when it comes to finding the perfect new position. [/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078267198{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639423677748{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

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Employee Retention Strategies

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Effective Employee Retention Strategies in the Wake of the Great Resignation

2021 was a year of change and struggle for many people, resulting in a wave of resignations which have cost companies millions of dollars in hiring, restructuring, and more. It seems like everywhere, businesses are short-handed and searching for adequate workers. Sometimes called the “Great Resignation,” sometimes the “Great Reshuffle,” millions of employees have switched jobs and even careers in search of a better work environment. Effective employee retention strategies are the key to keeping your employees satisfied and content in their job. 

Employee Retention Strategies 

While there are many strategies for retaining your employees, some are better than others. It is easy to think as an employer that your employees have everything they need, but it is time to consider what might help your employees enjoy their jobs to the fullest. 

Perks and Benefits

While this may seem like an obvious employee retention strategy, it could be the deciding factor between your workplace and a similar job that wants to hire your employees. 

Benefits

If you can make it happen, offer your employees benefits! Access to healthcare and a 401k are the bare minimum in today’s market – can you add other less expected benefits like employee discounts or tuition or childcare reimbursement? Not only do programs like these benefit your workers, but it benefits you as the employer as well. Employee benefits are tax-free, and often it won’t cost you much more to provide them. It also ensures you have a healthier, happier workforce with fewer sick days and more long-term employees. 

Paid Time Off

Another perk or benefit you can easily offer is generous paid time off (PTO). Burnout is a huge contributor to the great resignation. Paid time off can help reduce burnout and provide opportunities for vacations, family time, and needed leave for important other events like doctors appointments or funerals. Everyone needs time off, but a lot of companies make their employees take time off without pay, which can make things difficult for those employees. There are other cultures where everyone has time-off, but people don’t feel comfortable using it. We’ve all heard of the intense work environments where needing time off is looked at as a weakness, and never taking a vacation is rewarded with promotions. Offering generous PTO – and then actually encouraging employees to take it – is a great way to support your employees’ wellbeing and help them to stay with your company. 

Other Perks 

When a company offers perks, it is important not to slight the more important benefits and go straight to fun solutions. However, these fun perks can be effective employee retention strategies, especially in companies where you offer good benefits but need another reason for your employees to stay. Some of these perks are things like gifts over the holidays, contests with prizes, and even remote work options. These can be as exciting and fun as you want them to be! Creating a stand-out work environment can help your employees to see what is so great about your company. Sometimes perks can also look like nice office space, a stipend for office decor or supplies, paid lunches once a month, or even a free gym membership. Get creative! Help your employees see what makes your workspace special. 

Talk to Your Employees

While creating a happy work environment and exciting job package is always beneficial, it can’t replace a great conversation. The best employee retention strategies include several steps: 

Have a One on One With Each Employee

Many companies begin by issuing a company wide survey that gathers quite a bit of data. Then, move on to create a one on one with each employee. If this isn’t possible for you to meet with each employee, ask your managers to step in and meet with some of them. Record your impressions and ask questions such as “What could we do to make your job better?” or “What is your biggest frustration right now in the workplace?”. Make an effort to listen and make your employee feel validated. If you’re already friends, this can be an amazing discussion. Don’t make them feel like you are interrogating them or that if they say the wrong thing, they could lose their job. If that happens, the employee might even feel like they should leave due to these meetings. Be aware of your own shortcomings, and be willing to take some criticism. 

Compile Your Findings 

Notice what your employees say to you. Is there a common thread? What seems to be the biggest frustration of your employees? Maybe take a survey as a part of your meetings. Find what would help your employees to feel happiest in their individual jobs. 

Address the Issues You Find 

Once you have the evidence you need, make changes. Address the issues through effective employee retention strategies. Upgrade the office if needed! Give raises to the employees who deserve it! You will find that your employees will tell you what needs to be corrected if you only listen to their needs.

Growth and Opportunities

One of the most effective employee retention strategies that especially works well for Millennials and other younger employees is the opportunity for growth. Some people are happy staying in the same job for the rest of their lives. Employees often hope for growth, especially when they enter a job at the entry-level or are near the beginning of their careers. Most entry-level employees never grow in salary even after they are much more valuable to the company, prompting them to leave once they have more experience. A great way to combat these employees leaving is by offering scheduled raises or having yearly performance ratings and following up with the employees who go above and beyond. Reward your good employees, without them having to ask for it! 

Upgrade Your Office Equipment 

If your company has been using the same computers for the last 10 years, it’s time to upgrade. If an employee is struggling to complete their work tasks because of a computer, that makes them feel frustrated and like they have no control over their duties. Upgrading your office decor, space, and appliances can also impress clients and visitors to the office, making your employees proud to work there. Upgrading your office hardware can make your office more productive and also help the employees to feel valued and rewarded. Not only does this benefit them, it also benefits you as the employer. 

Employees who feel listened to and have what they need will stay where they are. Creating a safe, sustainable job environment is the most effective employee retention strategy. While it is not easy being an employer, it is hard to continue hiring and rehiring employees who are unhappy and leaving. Do what works for you and your business, and you can gain a loyal employee group that will keep your company running. [/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078267198{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639423677748{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

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Hiring for Your Financial Services Teams

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What to Know When Hiring for Your Financial Services Teams

Financial services recruitment can be difficult, especially in a world full of fraud, scams, and untrustworthy individuals. When you are looking to add data scientists, risk analysts, financial analysts, or accountants to your team, there are several steps to help you choose a good candidate. 2022 is a great year to look for new hires, as many people are looking for change in their jobs or may be seeking new employment. Hiring the right person with the talents you are seeking is a great way to set your business up for success. 

Hiring A Financial Services Team Member

Depending on the type of financial role you are trying to fill, take into account what qualifications you are seeking. A financial manager is responsible for the health of your business! Taking into consideration the kind of person you will need is key. Hiring a financial advisor can be difficult, so it is important to lay out what you would want your financial manager to do before you start the hiring process. It is much easier to find a candidate you want when you are prepared with a job description and your desires.  

What Does a Financial Services Job Entail?

As mentioned before, a financial manager would be responsible for the overall health of your company. Some other unique responsibilities might include: 

  • Fraud monitoring: A fraud specialist may be in charge of tracking and monitoring illegal transactions on clients’ accounts without proper authorization from the account owner. Fraud specialists may also report any suspicious account movements and unusual transactions that may be risky to the bank and/or their clients. 
  • Train and develop staff to create a great customer experience.
  • Delegating tasks to various employees.
  • Developing strategies to increase sales and retention

And that’s just the beginning! Financial services recruitment always comes down to finding someone you can truly trust. Completing those responsibilities in a timely and organized manner is important, but trusting that person with keeping your books and avoiding any issues with your finances is even more important. It is essential to identify a candidate who can work well with you, manage their responsibilities, and be trustworthy. 

How to Find a Good Candidate

Once you have identified what exactly you are looking for, you need to put out an accurate job description. Whether you hire a recruiter or post a job listing, be clear on what you want. Are you seeking an applicant with several years of experience? Would you like for them to have a degree? Make it clear in your listing what you are willing to accept from a candidate. Then, be open to candidates who fit the basics. Remember that years of experience don’t always make an individual trustworthy. The hiring process is one of the most difficult parts of running a business, but once you hire the right candidate, your business will thrive. The main steps to hiring someone in financial services are simple: 

  1. Building the job description – how to make your job opening more attractive than the others flooding the job boards? There are a finite number of candidates and it is important to create a job description that is appealing and unique. This is a critical step and needs to be executed well. 
  2. Reaching out proactively to candidates – in this candidate-driven market, you can’t wait for the best talent to come to you. In this market, employees are less driven to search for jobs when people may be recruiting them already. Good candidates are hired quickly. Get ahead of it by proactively reaching out.
  3. Screening candidates thoroughly, yet quickly– how do you make sure you’re hiring the RIGHT person without losing them to other offers? Candidates will often accept a role that they find gratifying and well-paying. If your process is slow or cumbersome, then you will have likely lost out on any number of great people. 

This may seem easy, but it can be hard if your applicants are not what you are seeking. This can happen for a number of reasons. You may not have a good job listing or an accurate description of the requirements of the job. Maybe your area is lacking in people who are qualified. Perhaps you need your job filled quickly, as the current employee might be leaving soon or already has left. This can make this process even more complicated. 

You will want to ask for referrals from your best workers or use a better job seeking site to post on. Finding a trustworthy candidate is absolutely essential, and unfortunately, people sometimes lie on their resumes. 

Why Use a Recruiting Agency

Let’s face it, hiring a great candidate is an exhausting and time-consuming process. Hiring is just one of many aspects of a manager’s role, and it is a different type of effort than what a manager is accustomed to doing on a daily basis. Managers often have strong skills in many areas aside from hiring though. When it comes to financial recruitment, a recruiting agency takes a lot of the stress and worry out of hiring. Most people running a business find it difficult to take the time to hire and vet resumes while still accomplishing all they need to get done. A recruiting agency should go above and beyond for you to help you find the perfect applicant. 

Good Recruiters Matter

Experienced recruiters who truly care about finding a great hire are key when it comes to financial services recruitment. Finding a great fit has a lot to do with knowing the available applicants well. A good recruiter knows their candidate inside and out. They know their job history, their strengths and weaknesses, and their trustworthiness. They’ve already done the reference and background checks, and they know what kind of job their candidate wants. Then, they bring them to your business, fully vetted. All the groundwork done. 

Relationship-based Recruiting

Good recruiters get to know the candidates, and they get to know you and your business. They ask all the right questions to know exactly what you might be looking for. Let’s say you are seeking an experienced credit analyst with at least 5 years of experience, but the applicant having an MBA isn’t as important to you. Your recruiter can work through their pipeline of talent – some of whom are actively looking for new jobs, and many of whom are not – and get you interviewing with better candidates, faster than if you wait for applications to come in. Simply posting a job and resting on your laurels while waiting on resumes just does not work any longer. You will certainly miss out on a number of great people by not being proactive. Proactive outreach is more critical now than ever. 

Financial Services Recruitment

Recruiting a financial services team can be difficult, but it is possible to find a new hire who can complete your team and help you in your company mission. A great way to make it easier on yourself and your team is to hire a recruiting company to find you the perfect match! Reach out today to Brightwing and we can help you find the perfect candidate. [/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078267198{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639423677748{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

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Find Great Employees for Your Engineering Team

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How to Find Great Employees for Your Engineering Team

Creating an effective engineering team is all about choosing the right members. Just like any job, who you work with makes a huge difference. Engineering is a field where the engineering talent of your team can affect every aspect of your growth, output, and production. Finding the right candidates to join your engineering team takes time and effort, but it is definitely worth it to find the right person. This is why most engineering companies use experienced recruiters like Brightwing to bring the talent to them.  

Attracting Engineering Talent in 2022

Building a team of talent in 2022 can be difficult in some ways and easy in others. In 2021, millions of Americans quit their jobs in search of new opportunities. At this point, there is a large gap in opportunities vs. candidates, which means that the job market for hiring is competitive; however, there are a lot of good candidates to be found. Creating a solid team in 2022 is very possible as a lot of people have left their jobs even after years of working for their prior companies. Finding experienced workers and newly graduated students alike is relatively easy, but attracting them to your engineering firm may be a little easier said than done. 

Job Offers

Creating a unique job offer to appeal to engineering talent is essential in today’s hiring scene. What does a unique job offer look like? There are a few ways to make your offer the best one on the table: 

Competitive Salary

Obviously offering a competitive wage is important, but including things like bonuses and room for pay raises and growth will help you stand out among the crowd. Millennials especially tend to take a job that will promise them a career path and scheduled raises rather than a high-paying job where they can’t grow. Offer salary vs. hourly, whatever may work best for you. A competitively priced job offer isn’t just important in this market, it is absolutely essential. 

Benefits

Offering benefits will help your employees know that you care about their health and welfare. Most large firms are offering benefits like health insurance, dental and vision, and 401ks. Make an effort to offer a benefits package that will be interesting and worth it to your new hires. If you offer a plan that doesn’t cover the basics or has an extremely high deductible, that detracts from your offer. Employee benefits are also tax-free to employers, which can help your business in return. 

Perks

Fun, exciting perks don’t always have to be fancy or over-the-top. You can offer monthly competitions with modest prizes. Have casual Fridays! Have special gifts for birthdays! Find a way to bring something you enjoy into the workplace, like offering a gym membership to each employee or renting out a theater twice a year for a premiere. Sometimes something simple and enjoyable can make your job stand out over another and often turn the tide for an employee trying to decide between two firms. 

Show them Your Spark

Help people know that you offer a problem to be solved or a challenge to face in your field. Show your engineering team that you work on something worthwhile and interesting! Engineering is sometimes seen as boring or stagnant. When you have a project that piques the interest of your candidates, you have a great reason for them to choose you over a firm that just isn’t as interesting. If you specialize in something, tell your applicants. Show them what they would miss out on if they didn’t take your offer! 

Building a Team of Talent 

Creating an engineering team doesn’t mean just finding one good individual and building a team around them, it has to do with recruiting members that will work together as a whole. What makes a good team player in an engineering team? 

Team Players are Leaders

On some engineering teams, younger or less experienced engineers may feel left out or like they can’t make comments, offer criticism, or otherwise contribute beyond expectations. When teams have rigid hierarchies, non-team leads or juniors may self-censor. You certainly don’t want that – you want a team where everyone can rise to the occasion as both formal and informal leaders. Creating a team of leaders helps people to take charge and work together. 

How to Find the Perfect Match

Many engineering firms have a difficult time finding the engineering talent they are looking for to fill their teams. Engineers are busy and work on many different kinds of projects, and each firm may experience something different when hiring. Using a recruitment agency for engineering hires is a great way to go about building a team of talent. A renowned recruitment agency with a long-standing engineering focus like Brightwing attracts engineering talent along with other workers in design and manufacturing. Recruiting takes significant time and effort, especially when the recruiting process is optimized to get to know each applicant’s goals, strengths, and weaknesses. 

Easier for Employers

Creating a team has a lot to do with knowing each member, and it’s hard to go about building a team of talent if you don’t know the talents involved. Self-assessment is notoriously inaccurate, and worse, not everyone is completely honest on their resume. If someone says they are organized and collaborative but they really aren’t, it can have a ripple effect that interferes with your projects, timelines, and budgets. Using an engineering-focused recruiting agency to build engineering teams will save time, money and energy for employers because recruiters are experts at bringing engineers’ true soft and technical skills to light. [/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078267198{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639423677748{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

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[VIDEO] Ignore Employee Engagement at Your Own Risk

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Watch Brightwing President George Opitz discuss the perils of ignoring employee engagement.

 

QUESTION:

 

Why does employee engagement matter?

 

GEORGE:

 

Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) in employee engagement outperform companies in their market segment that are in the bottom quartile of employee engagement by as much as 202%.

 

So why should employee engagement matter to companies? Besides that we’re losing $400-$600 or $650 billion a year across the country?

 

It’s really about how your organization is performing against the competitors.

 

Because if you’ve got a competitor in your market space that has a highly engaged workforce, you’re getting beat every day.

 

 

Looking to build a highly engaged team?

 

At Brightwing, our Talent Acquisition approach is one-part relationships, one-part insight, and one-part results. We know it’s a recipe that can work for you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078579557{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639426064887{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

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[VIDEO] The Power of Organizational Alignment

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Brightwing President George Opitz draws on the example of the mission to the moon to illustrate ideal organizational alignment.

 

Back in 1962, JFK was touring NASA. NASA was the organization that was going to meet his mission. And their mission was to go to the moon.

 

He’s going through the building, and as he is being toured through the building, he sees a janitor with a mop. And so he stops and asks the janitor what he was doing.

 

And the janitor actually looked at him and said: “I’m helping put a man on the moon.”

 

That’s alignment. From the top down.

 

From the president of the United States who announced the mission, all the way down to the janitor at the building in NASA.

 

They were all wanting to get a man on the moon and they knew it.

 

That’s alignment.

 

 

Looking to build your team? At Brightwing, our Talent Acquisition Approach is one-part relationships, one-part insight, and one-part results. We know it’s a recipe that can work for you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078593589{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639423711016{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

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[VIDEO] The Biggest Mistake Managers Make

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Watch Brightwing President and Management Consultant George Opitz talk about the power of exit interviews and onboarding while building your employee engagement strategy.

 

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made while building employee engagement?

 

GEORGE: We didn’t always have it right. You grow into this. I said this before. It’s not like: “We’re going to have an initiative for a quarter or for a year to create employee engagement.” It really is a commitment.

 

We interviewed this young lady to come into our organization as a recruiter. We loved her when we interviewed her. Everybody did. We brought her on board… and she quit. In her exit interview, which is also important –because when you want to learn and build engagement, you need to exit interview your employees so you understand where the missteps were. If we hadn’t heard this, we never would have gone in the direction we went in.

 

And what happened was even though everybody liked her, everybody was very tight. She had trouble breaking in. She had trouble making connections once she was here because everybody else was already so connected. And we didn’t have a process to help with that. And that’s where we came up with what evolved into our onboarding program.

 

And part of our onboarding program is that everybody who comes into our organization has a mentor that they get assigned to. And that mentorship has nothing to do with their particular job. It has to do with helping them connect with the organization and who the organization is.

 

We would never have figured that out without the exit interview. And I feel real bad that that’s what happened to this individual, but as good as we thought we were already in our assessment of bringing people on board, we had missed something. We had built a great, connected organization. We hadn’t figured out how to bring new people into it. And that’s what we learned out of that.

 

Looking to build your team? At Brightwing, our talent acquisition approach is one-part relationships, one-part insight, and one-part results. We know it’s a recipe that can work for you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585078607262{background-image: url(https://brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/yellow-rectangle-scaled.jpg?id=27545) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1639423736265{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”]

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[VIDEO] One Simple Tool for Driving Employee Engagement

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Watch Brightwing President and Management Consultant George Opitz talk about the power of one-on-ones.

 

 

THE TAKEAWAY

 

Managers should sit down with their direct reports once a week or every other week to find out how things are going and how they can help. Why? It’ll align and engage the organization from top to bottom, making it far likelier that you’ll get where you need to go.

 

Treat one-on-ones as an opportunity to check-in with your employee. Get a gauge on how they’re feeling, what roadblocks they may be facing, what they’re excited about. Let your questions be open-ended and your responses authentic.

 

If you check in only once a month – or quarter, or year, – the utility of the check-in fades away. You want to be able to talk in concrete terms about the work they just completed or have straight ahead of them. That way the conversation is substantive and doesn’t require too much recall. Infrequent touchpoints become abstract all too easily.

 

The key? Make one-on-ones a top priority. Don’t let them fall to the bottom of your list. As a manager, it’s one of the most important tools you have to keep your people on board and your team on track.

 

 

Looking to build your team? At Brightwing, our talent acquisition approach is one-part relationships, one-part insight, and one-part science. We know it’s a recipe that can work for you.

LET’S PARTNER UP. WE CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

 

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3 Ways to Fail at Employee Onboarding (and How to Avoid Them)

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Nearly a quarter of all new employees leave within a year. And up to 20% of turnover happens within the first 45 days of employment. In the war for talent, poor retention is as good as a dull spear.

 

So how do you stem the tide of early exits? Part of the answer lies in making sure you hire the right people in the first place. The other key, of course, is building, measuring, and continuously improving your onboarding program. A good onboarding program gets your new hires productive, faster. A great program helps turn new hires into loyal, longstanding employees.

 

Here are three ways to botch onboarding, along with examples of how to create a better new hire experience… 

 

Mistake #1:   Encourage new hires to focus solely on their own responsibilities. 

 

On the surface, it may sound logical that new hires should have tunnel vision. It may seem like a faster route to productivity. But if you push them to keep their eyes on their own work, new employees will have a hard time getting a sense of context for their role and finding a sense of purpose for their efforts. 

 

Instead, put thought into how to give new hires as much exposure to other parts of the business, as quickly as possible. Invite new employees to sit in on meetings in other departments. Have them observe client meetings or other types of customer interactions. The point is not for them to understand every detail of what they observe. Instead, early exposure to other parts of the business gives new hires access to a bigger picture. In the long run, understanding the greater business context will empower new hires to contribute more.

 

At Brightwing, for example, no matter what kind of position they’re in, every new hire observes a client meeting and a candidate meeting as part of their onboarding. Building relationships with our candidates and clients is at the heart of our business. It’s important that every single team member understands what that looks like, even if their daily tasks will never put them face-to-face with candidates or clients again.

 

Mistake #2:   Forget the small wins. Ignore the milestones.

 

Who cares if a new hire just mastered a process? Or reached their first goal? It’s expected of them, so why make a fuss about it?

 

There are a few good reasons to make a big deal out of small wins, one of which is psychological: celebrating smaller successes is motivating. It helps people to feel valued and like they’re making progress. Another reason is practical: it brings the team together. 

 

At Brightwing, every new hire gets a welcome bag that includes an onboarding “Passport.” You get a stamp for each milestone you achieve: attending your “Meet & Greet” luncheon, having lunch with your mentor, observing a client visit, beginning cross-training, and the list goes on.

 

At the point of your first-year anniversary, you’re asked to give a presentation at the company monthly meeting reflecting on your experience.

 

The first year is charted out in a fun and manageable way, so that new hires can feel rooted in the team and the culture quickly.

 

Mistake #3:   Depend on a new hire’s manager to do all the heavy lifting.

 

The responsibility of ramping up a new hire rests squarely on the manager’s shoulders. It’s their job to support and develop the team, so involving others is unnecessary, right?

 

Wrong. Not only will that approach burn out your managers, but it will also be less effective for your new hires. Onboarding is best tackled as a broader team exercise.

 

For example, Microsoft recently implemented an “onboarding buddy” pilot program where they paired new hires with peers. They found that the buddy system helped provide context, accelerated speed to productivity, and improved new employee satisfaction.

 

At Brightwing, every new hire is paired with a mentor. The formal relationship lasts for 6 months, but many extend informally beyond that. Mentors and mentees meet once a week so that new employees can get a better understanding of Brightwing’s values and how we live them out. It’s also an opportunity to dive deeper into how the organization functions. We’ve seen that the deliberate relationship-building helps new employees feel more comfortable and confident, faster.

 

At Brightwing, we’re focused on helping our clients build teams that perform at high levels and last for the long haul. Let us help you find amazing people that fit your culture. Let’s partner up. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Why Our Employees Stay 75% Longer Than The Average

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You’ve got an incredible Systems Engineer. As a sole contributor, his performance is stellar, and his manager couldn’t be happier. The only problem is, your prized Systems Engineer has his sights set on next steps. He wants to become a program manager and then a people manager.

 

Losing this engineer’s output would be a tough hit for the team. And his manager knows how difficult it would be to replace him. To avoid the expense and lost time, his manager whisks his career ladder away and out of sight. So, Mr. Systems Engineer is trapped in his role with no way up.

 

Naturally, he begins to look for ways out.

 

 

Poor retention begets even poorer retention.

 

Companies don’t promote high performers to management roles because they don’t want to lose their contributions. Those same high performers leave because they want career advancement but can’t get it. Because companies no longer tend to invest in robust training and development programs, there is no rising cohort to take on the vacant roles. Instead, the vacancies are filled by peers poached from competitors. And the cycle goes on. (HBR)

 

The absence of development programs creates a vicious turnover cycle. It also leads to a growing epidemic: employee disengagement. The problem of employee disengagement is far spread and costly: “Gallup estimates disengagement runs companies about a third of the disengaged worker’s salary in lost productivity. Actively disengaged employees cost the U.S. economy $483 billion to $605 billion each year in lost productivity.” (Gallup)

 

 

Breaking the cycle.

 

Organizations stand to gain a lot from improving their engagement and retention rates. When managers feel they have growth opportunities, they become more engaged, which in turn increases their productivity. What’s more – good managers are not only likelier to stay themselves when they’re engaged, but they’re also likelier to keep their team on board.

 

We may never return to a point where people spend their entire careers at one corporation – we may not want to – but we should aim to extend average tenure. The median tenure for employees age 25 to 34 is just over 3 years. Extending that median to 5 to 10 years not only saves organizations on the cost of turnover, but it also makes it easier for organizations to grow. The sales pitch to prospective employees is so much stronger when you can point to teams of people who value your mission and culture enough to stay longer than just a couple of years.

 

 

brightwing employees

How Brightwing does employee retention.

 

When prospective employees find out the average tenure of a Brightwing team member is 8 years, they’re often surprised and intrigued. What is it about Brightwing that keeps people engaged enough to stick around so long?

 

Jason Hochstein – Brightwing’s Talent Acquisition Director – was recently asked that same question. Here’s how he tells the story (see his original LinkedIn post here):

 

 

 

[Full text of Jason’s post]: “The other day I was catching up with a recruiter from another firm. She stopped me mid-sentence: “People usually stay for a year or 2. How is it even possible that people stay at Brightwing for 8 years ON AVERAGE?”

 

The sound of her curiosity (& anger) made me pause.

 

Good question. “We keep the beer fridge stocked at all times, KAREN.”

 

Just kidding. Didn’t say that.

 

I’ve been thinking about it, though. A lot of orgs pay lip service to the same core values. But most DON’T hire & fire by them. Most DON’T reinforce them except at yearly review time. At most orgs, the core values are framed on the wall, but have nothing to do with our lives.

 

When we say “Always be Growing” is a core value, we mean it. It’s baked into the way things work. Managers have regular 1:1s with their people to tackle not just the immediate workload, but also to ask the bigger questions. Where do you want to go? How can we get you there? I see colleagues nominate each other for awards for going out on a limb. I see leadership working with team members to carve out a path that makes sense for them.

 

I think the way we practice “always be growing” keeps people at Brightwing.

 

What keeps you at a job? What prevents you from staying for more than a few years?”

 

Jason captures the essence of how we approach employee retention and engagement. Here’s a little more about our approach to developing our employees:

 

 

We customize development opportunities to fit the needs of each individual.

 

As an organization, we’re committed to our people. That means we invest in them. All of our managers consistently talk to their team members about opportunities to grow.

 

What do these growth opportunities look like? Well, that depends on the person.

 

We have one marketing coordinator, for example, who was performing above and beyond expectations. In their 1 on 1’s each week, her manager gauged her feelings about her weekly tasks and asked her to think about a skill she’d like to focus on developing. Turns out, when she faced limitations with website design in the past, she’d really enjoyed teaching herself how to adjust the CSS and HTML here and there. And she’d gotten the hang of it pretty quickly. So, together with her manager, she identified web development as a key area to focus on. Because they knew she learned best by doing, they found a self-paced online coding course she could work on every Friday. Thanks to her training, she was able to design and launch a new website – an accomplishment she refers to today with pride and satisfaction.

 

A pair of recruiters arrived at a development path quite differently. After being promoted to team leads, these two recruiters were ready for leadership training. We identified a training course that we could bring in-house, and the pair sat down with our Director of HR every week to digest the material and discuss real-life scenarios they encountered as they began to manage their teams. 

 

We have a business development manager who has embraced one-on-one coaching with a sales trainer. We have directors who have chosen to attend seminars on how to have critical conversations with their employees.

 

The point is – professional development is not a one-size fits-all program. Weekly or bi-weekly check-ins allow managers to understand their team members’ goals and progress, and a flexible approach allows us as an organization to find the best focus area and delivery mechanism to suit each individual.

 

 

We embrace non-linear growth paths.

 

What does “career path” mean in today’s market? Most often, there’s not an obvious answer. Depending on the individual’s strengths, interests, and circumstances, each recruiter or business development manager could go one of many ways forward. Whether they’re headed toward a leadership role or not, it’s important for that person to have open doors in front of them.

 

We understand “growth” to be a mindset, rather than a goal you can check off your list. That means as leaders we need to be open to possibilities in whatever form they appear to us.

 

One of our lead recruiters started at Brightwing as an intern 14 years ago. She transitioned into recruiting, then sales, then marketing, and then back into recruiting where she rose in the ranks. Her path was a zig zag. And that’s not an accident. By learning about herself and the business through this variety of roles, she became the incisive, high performing lead recruiter she is today. Her growth as an individual didn’t take an obvious course, but both she and Brightwing benefited from her creativity and flexibility as a professional.

 

 

We give our people the opportunity to put their learning into practice.

 

Professional development is pointless if you don’t give people the opportunity to use it. Theory can only take your organization so far – you need to trust your people to practice it in ways both big and small.

 

Take the case of these two Brightwingers. A business development manager and a recruiter had 10 years at Brightwing between them. An ambitious pair, they wanted to manage and grow a Brightwing branch. Completing a leadership training program at a local university helped them on their way to realizing that goal. The leadership team recognized their potential, and today, they run a fast-growing, fast-paced, and fun branch office.

 

Developing your people is certainly a long-term endeavor. But the return is well-worth the investment. Movement up and around the organization helps our people stay engaged. High employee engagement helps us stay successful in an evolving marketing. And for that all to work, we’ve found a customized approach to employee training and development to be key.

 

 

 

LOOKING TO FIND A JOB WORTH COMMITTING TO? JOIN A COMPANY THAT GIVES YOU THE SUPPORT TO REALIZE YOUR POTENTIAL. BECOME A BRIGHTWINGER! CHECK OUT OUR CAREERS PAGE TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WORK HERE.

 

 

4 out of 5 Employees May Switch Jobs in 2019: What Does That Mean for Your Organization?

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4 out of 5 Employees May Switch Jobs in 2019

 

Want to take these insights with you? Download the PDF.

 

Brightwing Talent Insights Survey Results 2019

Brightwing recently invited its talent network to participate in a survey to gain an inside perspective of the candidate market. For employers, this is important data to help them understand what candidates are looking for in a new opportunity and how companies should adjust their processes accordingly. Read on!

 

We like to get inside people’s heads. Find out what makes them tick, what makes them jump for joy or groan with boredom.

 

Nowhere is this truer than when it comes to jobseekers.

 

Making the perfect match between a professional and their future employer isn’t a game of throwing resumes at the wall to see what sticks. It’s about getting to the core of what really matters, building a relationship based on trust and intuition.

 

That’s why we reached out to our talent network to find out more about their experiences, hopes, and strategies in the job search. Turns out, this is profound information to help employers shape their recruitment strategies in ways that truly engage top talent.

 

Let’s dive in.

 

Only 1 in 5 employees are committed to staying at their current job

So, there’s good news and there’s bad news.

 

Only 1 in 5 employees are committed to staying at their current job

The good news is that if you’re actively hiring, there may be more available talent than what appears at first glance.

 

Chasing down those “passive” jobseekers – the 40% of people who are interested if an opportunity presents itself – will be particularly valuable in this case. If your employer branding game is on point and you know how to market your company and open positions in engaging ways, the chance you’ll be able to attract the right people is strong.

 

However, the bad news is that you may need to be concerned about retention. Most companies probably have a few employees who are either actively searching for a new job or at least willing to entertain a new opportunity should it present itself. Can you afford to lose them? Are you prepared to hire replacements? Can your team cover the gap if someone leaves? These questions probably make you nervous, but a strong retention strategy should reduce the chance that you’ll actually need to face these questions head-on.

 

Job boards, recruiters, and social networks are popular job search resources

 

Job boards, recruiters, and social networks are popular job search resourcesWhere are you looking for candidates to expand your talent pool?

 

Posting a job description to your website is simply not enough. Neither is posting to CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed, or any of the other prominent job boards out there. While you could make the accurate assumption that many candidates are searching these job boards, more than 3 out of 5 are actually looking in other places.

 

Many candidates are connecting with recruiters in their industry. This is often the case with those “passive” job seekers who are employed full-time and don’t have the spare hours to search on their own. They also recognize that a recruiter’s network is much deeper than their own and they have the tools to gather information that the candidate couldn’t obtain on their own. Have you considered working with a staffing company to gain access to their candidates?

 

Another significant resource that candidates are using in the job search is social media – especially LinkedIn. Complete with its own job board, LinkedIn gives jobseekers the power to research companies, connect with peers and leaders, and showcase the details of their resume, skills, and accomplishments. Are you reaching candidates where they are?

 

56% of Jobseekers Prefer Email Communication

 

56% of Jobseekers Prefer Email Communication

 

A decade ago, employees everywhere feared for their job in the wake of the economic recession. At that point, they probably had little preference how a potential employer contacted them.

 

Today, we’re all too aware that it’s a candidate’s market. Top talent is regularly inundated with messages from both corporate and agency recruiters. Plus, they’re simply busy. So, it’s little surprise that they’re picky about which messages they give their attention.

 

More than half of surveyed talent are more likely to initially engage with a potential employer through email.

 

With subscriptions and spam typically sent to secondary folders (thanks Gmail), people have more control of the content of their inbox than any other avenue. Algorithms control their social feeds, telemarketers won’t cease their phone calls, but your inbox is your own. That said, 2 out of 5 candidates do still prefer a phone call. In this case, then, your method of communication depends a little bit on trial-and-error for each individual candidate. Your choice.

 

Two Thirds of Jobseekers Are Checking on Your Reputation

Two Thirds of Jobseekers Are Checking on Your ReputationThere are plenty of opportunities out there for most candidates these days. As such, they’re not applying to every job they see or accepting the first job offer that comes their way. They’re doing their research first.

 

What makes a company attractive to apply to or accept a job with?

 

Almost two thirds of survey respondents view the company’s brand or reputation as the most important factor. Quite frankly, that’s a massive number. If a company isn’t on top of brand/reputation management, they may be falling short without even realizing it. Every factor that builds a brand – website, social presence, advertising, partnerships, thought leadership, quality of products/services, customer service, and more – must be aligned with how a company is portraying itself as an employer. If a piece of the puzzle is missing or damaged, candidates may dismiss the thought of ever applying for a job.

 

The second most popular factor in applying to or accepting a job with a specific company is their Glassdoor (or similar) reviews. The insights of both current and former employees (and any responses from the employer themselves) tell a candidate what it’s like to work there. This information is gold. Do you know what people are saying about you? How are you responding?

 

Jobseekers Crave Skills Growth and Opportunity

In today’s competitive candidate market, many companies are willing to pay top dollar to win talent. However, money isn’t always the answer. In fact, compensation ranks a joint third place (with company culture) as the most important factor in accepting a job offer.

 

Jobseekers Crave Skills Growth and Opportunity

Candidates crave growth more than money.

 

Skills development and a projected career path are critical to engaging your employees – and attracting new ones. Without these opportunities, employees grow stagnant, bored, and disengaged. They don’t want that – and neither should you. Smart jobseekers ensure that these opportunities will be available to them before they sign the employment contract. Can you deliver?

 

Almost as important is an employee’s work-life balance, and this ranks second in the survey. How are you providing your teams flexibility? Consider remote work opportunities, flex hours, unlimited PTO, or other alternatives. Make sure you regularly evaluate each team member’s workload to diminish burnout and ensure they don’t feel overwhelmed.

 

Follow Up Within One Week or Risk Losing Top Candidates

Even though top talent can seem scarce, that doesn’t mean you won’t be inundated with resumes and applications the minute you post a job description online – a majority of which will be underqualified. It’s no wonder that sorting through and screening those applications can take days if not weeks to find the right people.

 

 

Unfortunately, you simply don’t have weeks. More than one third of survey respondents said they were willing to wait no longer than one week for a response after they’d applied. And two out of five responded with 3-5 days! A more generous 30% replied with 2 weeks, and, in the minority, 12% said 3+ weeks. It’s clear, then, that prompt follow up is critical to retaining top candidates before they move on to other opportunities.

 

Flex Time and Healthcare Benefits Are Equally Important

 

Flex Time and Healthcare Benefits Are Equally Important

 

An almost identical number of people ranked flex-time/work-from-home and healthcare as the number one most important employer benefit. Though these benefits are very different in nature, they both speak to an employee’s sense of wellbeing – both mental and physical. These are followed by paid vacation and retirement benefits in 3rd and 4th place. Can you meet their expectations?

 

 

Counteroffers Rarely Work

Counteroffers Rarely WorkIf you’re worried about losing top employees – or if you’re worried about losing top candidates to their current employers – you need to know that only 6% of survey respondents are very likely to accept a counteroffer after they’ve given their resignation. A quarter of them may consider a counteroffer only if it’s significant. But about two thirds of jobseekers are unlikely (though that’s not to say not tempted) by a counteroffer.

 

This confirms that most people are simply not motivated by money. While everyone has bills to pay, when it comes to spending eight or more hours doing the same job in the same place with the same people, there are several more important factors prompting them to either stay or leave.

 

Brightwing Talent Insights 2019

With four out of five employees open to new job opportunities this year, it’s likely that if you’re not already hiring, you will be soon. We hope this survey data helps provide some insight for honing your recruitment strategy, as well as any employee engagement and retention initiatives.

 

Finally, with two out of five candidates choosing to use a recruiter in their job search, we can’t help but ask whether you’ve considered partnering with a staffing and recruiting firm. At Brightwing, our talent acquisition approach is one-part relationships, one-part insight, and one-part results. We know it’s a recipe that can work for you.

 

Let’s partner up. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Save these insights straight to your desktop by downloading the PDF. 

Get Competitive with a Candidate-Driven Talent Acquisition Process

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Get Competitive with a Candidate-Driven Talent Acquisition Process

 

The talent economy in today’s job market is low—demand is higher than supply. Because top talent is so difficult to find, the best way to compete in today’s job market is to develop a fast-acting, flexible talent acquisition process.

 

 

Deliver an experience your own employees would want

75% of job seekers say a company’s candidate experience indicates how they will treat their employees, and 86% of job seekers believe that employers should treat candidates with the same respect as current employees. Knowing this, it’s critical to understand how to interact with your candidates in each stage so you can deliver an engaging candidate experience.

 

There are five stages in the candidate journey: Awareness & Consideration, Talent Acquisition, Interview, Offer, and Onboarding. In our eBook “The Candidate Journey: How to Optimize Your Hiring Process in Every Stage”, you’ll learn:

  • How to develop a swift and efficient talent acquisition process
  • Specific actions required in each stage to engage candidates
  • What makes you competitive for top talent

 

 

Complete the form to download our eBook today!

 

[contact-form-7 id=”21592″ title=”Candidate Journey Download”]

12 Employment Statistics to Know

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How do you find candidates that constantly align with your company’s mission and vision? Answering million-dollar question is key to executing a competent talent acquisition strategy and filling those hard-to-place roles.

But in today’s fast-paced business landscape, you need a constant stream of top talent to stay ahead of your competition. But staying ahead of ongoing trends and dynamics is easier said than done, and can post a challenge to remaining competitive and relevant in your market.

Whether we’re talking industry-specific demands, emerging skill sets, or standard salary expectations, staying ahead of the curve will position your company as an attractive employer to high-performing candidates who are looking for competitive compensation, culture, and other factors that can advance their career.

From the initial application to the final interview, every touchpoint along your candidate’s journey should reflect your company’s values and commitment to a seamless and transparent hiring process. Some specific practices to illustrate this include:

  • Timely communication with the candidate (don’t make them wait on you for longer than absolutely necessary)
  • Personalized engagement (no automated stock email templates!)
  • Matching your company’s value prop to their career goals and aspirations (this requires active listening and engagement)

To ensure reliable employment outcomes and make meaningful changes to your recruitment strategy, we’ve put together the following infographic “12 Employment Statistics to Know for 2018.” Use this resource to bolster your talent acquisition efforts so you can secure the best candidates for your company’s strategic needs.

Click the image below to view and download the full infographic.

12 Employment Statistics to Know for 2018 Infographic

Employee Engagement: Win the War for Talent

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The War for Talent

 

 

Employee engagement can help win the war for talent and increase profitability up to 21%.

It’s a candidate-driven market, and the competition for great talent is fierce. To win the war for talent, organizations need to go beyond the resume to identify great people who align with culture and core values. In our whitepaper The War for Talent, Brightwing President George Opitz explains how organizations can make more reliable hiring decisions by providing a high-quality candidate experience, implementing a flexible talent acquisition strategy, and driving employee engagement.

 

Employee engagement has a substantial impact on an organization’s ability to retain great people and succeed in the marketplace. In fact, studies show that organizations with highly engaged employees are 21% more profitable than those with disengaged employees. What about great employees who are disengaged? According to a 2016 study by Gallup, 67% of American employees are disengaged and either actively seeking for new opportunities or simply not performing to their highest potential.

 

 

Go beyond the resume to find great candidates.

The War for Talent Whitepaper

Though education, experience, and hard skills are undeniably important, to make reliable hiring decisions, organizations need to go beyond the resume to the candidates’ core values. Do they align with the organization’s core values? How about those of your top performers?

 

In our whitepaper The War for Talent, Opitz shares valuable information and strategies for attracting and retaining great people. For example:

– Why it’s important to hire talent that aligns with company culture

– Insight on what candidates want in a potential employee

– Steps to improve your employee engagement and retention

 

Ultimately, the real secret to success is surrounding yourself with great people – and money generally isn’t their main motivator. Instead, they are looking for a healthy work environment, aligned corporate culture, social awareness, and brand presence in the market. Organizations that drive employee engagement and take hiring and retaining talent seriously will reap exponential rewards.

 

War for Talent PDF button

 

 

 

How to Ensure Successful New Hires

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How to Ensure Successful New Hires

 

Hiring new employees is extremely costly—don’t lose them after a few months! In today’s world, it’s important to pay attention to every step of the hiring process to secure successful new hires. Follow Brightwing’s top 4 strategies on how to hire and retain great employees.

 

 

1. Establish a High-Quality Hiring Process

Go beyond a resume; it takes more to get the job done. Of course you want new hires with the right skillset and experience. However, if you rush the screening process and fast-forward through the interview, you run the risk of settling for a candidate who only looks good on paper. Instead, develop a strategic process for vetting candidates to ensure the fit is good for both of you.

 

 

2. Develop a Structured Onboarding Process

Once you hire the best candidate for the position, take measures to ensure he/she feels empowered to get the job done. Develop a structured onboarding process designed to introduce new hires to the company, access relevant tools, and navigate the building.

 

 

3. Invest in Your Employees

Brightwing places a premium on the human element. Employees work hard to develop the skills and experience needed to qualify for high-quality roles. Once hired, take time to recognize their achievements and contributions to the company.

 

 

4. Build a Strong Company Culture with Creative Benefits

Today, more than ever, company culture impacts employees’ overall job satisfaction. Consider creative benefits you can offer to provide a positive, encouraging environment. For example, a gym membership, time off for volunteer work, flex time, and discounts on healthy meal delivery services.

 

What’s Your Company Culture?

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Whats Your Company Culture

 

Company culture is everything. It turns an ordinary business into something extraordinary! but what exactly makes up a company culture? To keep it simple, we’ve narrowed it down to two main ideas: People and Vision.

 

People

We believe that people make all the difference! This is why our entire business is based on going beyond a resume and matching the right talent to the right companies. We’ve seen it time and time again — those who excel in a company, tend to be those who match the company culture. These people love their job, and that excitement is what makes them go above and beyond on their everyday tasks. It’s a crucial step for us to find a job that our candidate will love, and an employee that will contribute to the success of a company.

 

Vision

Having a purpose is infectious. It motivates people to do their job because there’s a bigger reason behind it other than “becoming the leaders in x industry…”. Take Google for example, people all around the world apply to work there everyday! Going beyond their fun office and benefits, people know their work is impacting the world through the advancement of technology and offering new opportunities. Having a meaningful vision, is what pushes all of us to give the best part of ourselves everyday.

 

A few of our favorite company cultures:

 

4moms

Speaking of revolutionary products, 4moms has introduced a variety of products that have made parents’ lives a little bit easier. In their own words, they “accomplish great things, and have a great time doing it.” Their values, similar to ours, include innovation, passion and people, which resonates with everything that they do! From corporate events to their philanthropy “4moms cares”, their company culture stands out. Checkout just how awesome their team is from their 2015 yearbook.

 

Deeplocal

Their company purpose reads “To be a place where amazing talent can invent, create, and inspire”. While many people may have the talent, Deeplocal looks for individuals who hold the same values as they do. By doing so, they’ve built a team who continues to strive with their clients such as Nike, Netflix and Google.

 

How to Love Your Job in 5 Simple Steps

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How to Love Your Job in 5 Simple Steps

 

You may find yourself in between jobs, at an entry-level position, or have simply been at a job for a long time. Whatever the case may be, learning to love your job will be beneficial for your career. Rather than focus on where you think you should be, apply the following 5 tips to make the time at your current position enjoyable and rewarding.

 

1. Bumps in the road? Find the value and use it to guide your next step.

Career paths can be long – and there’s a good chance you’ll have to gain experience in an area you don’t love in order to reach your end goal. When you’re in this situation, consider the value you can take away and how it can be applied. Always redirect your perspective to appreciate the value in your current role. Maintaining a positive outlook will make it easier for you to plan your next step.

 

2. Build Relationships

Building relationships with the people you work alongside is a great way to stay positive. Building relationships at work can help take your mind off of things you are not happy about, making the day easier to work through. Getting to know your coworkers and making friends with the people you spend most of your day with will give you something to look forward to when heading in to work.

 

3. Find a purpose, again

Let’s face it, even people who love their jobs hit a wall where the excitement and passion for what they are doing fades a little. When you get in a rut, think about your purpose. Set goals for yourself and resolve yourself to see them through. In the midst of less than favorable work scenarios reignite that first love!

 

4. Never stop learning

Always be hungry to learn more. Through every opportunity, become a consummate learner. These are skills and knowledge that will stick with you for the rest of your life, helping you grow in your career. When you realize this, you will appreciate and love your job that much more as it is constantly building you and helping you grow.

 

love-your-job5. Appreciate how the little things can result in a lot of joy.

Consider two football players: for one player, the only joy is in winning a Super Bowl Championship, while the other finds joy in every touchdown, catch, throw, and tackle. One is bound to enjoy his job more often, and carry a positive attitude to every game. Not all jobs come with full benefits or high earnings. But it’s finding joy in the smaller things that will help you love the job you have right now.

Take Your Career to the Next Level

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Take Your Career to the Next Level

 

In order for you to take your career to the next level, you have to become a better employee. Follow these suggestions that are sure to get you on the right track:

 

Focus on Specific Tasks

Fill the time you spend at your job with efficient and beneficial tasks for the company. Make a to-do list that will keep you organized, and help you achieve your goals by making measurable progress on your current projects. It’s not about just “being busy” all the time. Instead, think about how you are utilizing your time at the office. Is it truly the most productive? Don’t let your career suffer the consequences.

 

Have a Routine

Start your day off with energy and productivity! Don’t be that person that always walks in late nor the one who is falling asleep at their desks. Get yourself in a routine that works for you, and that’ll help you feel ready to conquer the day. Starting with a reasonable bedtime, give your body enough rest to make waking up a little easier. Create healthy morning habits as well. Focus on activities that will boost you mentally and emotionally, such as exercising and having a good breakfast.

 

Procrastinate Procrastination

Procrastination is so easy to do, especially when it’s a task you’re dreading. However, in order to remain productive and increase your value within your company, you must avoid it at all times. Back to your to-do lists, prioritize and tackle one task after another. If possible, finish the task you are dreading the most, first thing in the morning. Trust me, you will thank yourself for the rest of the day. It’s inevitable that a productive employee will continuously take their career to the next level.

 

Give Yourself a Break

Although your co-workers may be counting your breaks, your boss is surely not. They care that you finish your tasks well, and on-time. Taking more short breaks increases productivity and can help you come back to your desk more focused and refreshed. Take some time to stretch your legs, socialize, get some water, etc. to get your creative juices flowing. Not giving yourself a break may cause you to feel tired, and less motivated throughout the day.

 

Implement these suggestions, and become the best employee you can be. By increasing your productivity in the workplace, you will experience better levels of success in your career. You may potentially get the promotion you’ve been wanting!

Career Development: 5 Mistakes to Avoid

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Career Development: 5 Mistakes to Avoid

 

While we all want to advance in our careers, don’t sabotage your own progress through these critical mistakes. As an engineer, be sure to expand your opportunities by paying attention to your everyday actions. Identify, understand and avoid these slip-ups so that you can stay on the right track to a successful career development. Here are 5 habits to avoid:

 

Asking to be Micromanaged

In the world of engineering, and any other industry for that matter, the person to get promoted is the one who takes initiative. In such a complex industry, it’s important to be sure of yourself to complete a project on your own. While it’s okay and encouraged to ask questions (especially on a first-time basis), don’t rely on others to help you through every detail. Trust me, your boss doesn’t want to have to be looking over your shoulder all-day long, and you don’t either.

 

Me, Myself, and I

For career development, one of the greatest skills necessary is to work well with others. While engineers are known to be independent workers or introverts, don’t let your ego or stubbornness crush you! If you are constantly stepping on other people’s toes or bossing them around, you are sabotaging many career opportunities. Instead, learn how to build a strong team and develop professional relationships that will be beneficial in the future.

 

Being a Complainer

No one wants to hear or even be around a complainer. Be conscious of what you express in front of others because it says a lot about yourself and your work ethic. Be the one that everyone wants to work with, and eager to take on any new project. Not only will this increase your expertise, but this is likely to get you ahead of the game and get you closer to the promotion you want. On the other hand, if you encounter an issue, offer a complaint along with solutions to improve the company. Even if your solution may not be the best, your boss will appreciate that you took the time to think about it, instead of just whining.

 

Poor Communication

Whether you’re talking to customers, co-workers, or employees, communication is key to maintaining good relationships. Positive communication will show that you are confident, comfortable, and a team player. This is sure to leave a good, long-lasting impression, and get you noticed in and outside of the workplace.

 

“Yes-Man” of the office

Truth is: we all love compliments. Offering one too many, though, will make you come off badly in front of your peers. By constantly wanting the boss’ approval or being too clingy, you are giving a bad impression to those around you. Of course, be courteous and do offer compliments when they are genuine from time to time, but no need to over do it.

 

Be aware of your habits and actions, and make sure to avoid those who will negatively impact your career development. In doing so, you are bound to keep your career moving forward with your next pay raise or promotion!

Engineering Career Advice from Top Recruiters

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Engineering Career Advice from Top Recruiters

 

Whether you’re ready to take your engineering career to the next level, or you’re thinking about where you want to be in 5 years, you should always be prepared. At Brightwing, we work with dozens of fantastic organizations, and speak to hundreds of engineering professionals every week. We asked our recruiters to give their top engineering career advice – here’s what they had to say.

 

“If you’re looking to advance your engineering career, be prepared! Make sure your resume is up-to-date and proofread, and be ready to answer questions that recruiters may ask you – like ‘What type of job opportunity are you looking for?’ It seems straight-forward, but it could come down to a specific part of a vehicle you want to work on – be specific.”
—Maren Morris

 

“Don’t be afraid to show your passion if it relates to your job, as well as your personal life. There is a lot of people that want to be in the industry, and you will need to stand out.”
—Mike Gourley

 

 

“Let your friends and trusted networks know if you’re looking for a new engineering job. They could come across someone that has potential opportunities. It happens all the time.”
—Julia Powell

 

 

Have a question for one of our recruiters? Looking for for a new engineering job? Contact us any time at [email protected].