Do Counteroffers Really Work?

Do Counteroffers Really Work? BY VICTOR STESIAK Senior IT Recruiter I’ve seen my fair share of counteroffers extended to candidates once they’ve told their employers of their intentions to leave.  Spoiler alert: they never work. At least not in the long run.  Don’t want to take my word for it? Here’s some stats:  Given these statistics, you would think employers would use another retention strategy to keep their most valuable employees on board. But a lot don’t.  Let’s talk about why.   

What is a Counteroffer? 

  A counteroffer is an offer from an employer to an employee, typically in response to an employee expressing his or her intentions to leave their current position. These offers can take various forms, but are usually salary increases and/or job title changes.  Counteroffers are typically given to employees that play an integral part in a company’s critical projects. In these cases, it’s actually cheaper to increase an employee’s salary by a few thousand dollars than lose hundreds of thousands of dollars due to a failed project.   

More than Money

  Though money may be part of an employee’s decision to leave their current position, there’s usually more to it than salary alone.  The top reason employees leave their jobs is due to toxic, unsupportive, and unhealthy workplace cultures. Lack of work-life balance and unhappiness with management are also top reasons people decide to leave their jobs.  Disclosing the reasons why one may believe their workplace is toxic, or why work-life balance cannot be achieved, or why one doesn’t like their manager can ultimately cause more workplace problems.   

Don’t Accept the Counteroffer 

  Here at Brightwing, we almost always advise our candidates to turn down counteroffers. The bottom line is that, once you disclose any intentions to leave a company, your relationships with your boss, coworkers, and position will never be the same again.  I’ve worked with employers who have extended a counteroffer in response to an employee disclosing their intentions to leave, only to look for a replacement for that employee no less than 30 seconds after their office door has closed. Trust is hard to rebuild.

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Don’t Miss This Red Flag in Your Recruiters

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Don't Miss This Red Flag in Your Recruiters Engineering Talent Expert Mike Gourley lays out 2 easy decision trees to help you rule out bad recruiters:
  • Less than 95% of the intro conversation is about YOU → It’s a pass. Don’t work with them.
  • Your go-to recruiter has never told you NO → Hard pass. Don’t work with them anymore.

Gourley identifies more recruiter red flags…

  If more than 5% of your first conversation with a recruiter is about the JOB, that’s a very bad sign. That first call should not be about the job. It should be about you. This is what it looks like when recruiters do their job right: 1.   They know you. Ex: They understand what makes you different from the next engineer who has similar experience and skills. 2.   They know the opportunity. Ex: They understand what makes one automotive supplier different than another, even if they look the same on paper. 3.   They are honest (and considerate) enough to tell you “no” if it’s a bad fit.

Why Good Recruiters Sometimes Say “No”

  “I think it’s a huge red flag if you’re working with a recruiter that doesn’t tell you ‘no.’ I was speaking with a candidate recently that had seen a job that we had posted. Really interesting, very high-level technical role. He obviously really wanted to learn a lot about this opportunity. I provided a lot of information for him. But I also got to know him quite a bit during that time. And it was very, very clear to me that while he was out there exploring, learning about other opportunities, his real motivation was about accomplishment. And his pursuit of that in his current team, building his team. He’s already on his way. He’s already doubled the size of it. There’s still a lot of work to be done there, and it doesn’t look like anything’s going to be slowing that down. I think it was also really important to push back on that and tell him: As much as I think this is a fantastic opportunity for the right person, I don’t think that this is the right time for him. Because his company is going to keep going. And the sense of accomplishment that he’s going to feel after two or three years when they launch their product is going to be so much greater. So I took that back to him, and I think he was really surprised to hear that and to not move that forward. But I do think he really respected that. And he was able to tell me that by the end of the conversation. We left on good terms. We’ll keep in touch. And certainly if something fantastic pops up, we’ll talk with him about that. There’s many people (recruiters) out there that would rather just see the deal go through. And I think I’ve often created much better relationships by being able to push back and tell people no at times. And give them a strong explanation as to why that is.” Looking to hire? Looking for a job? Contact us today! Share This Post [social-share] More Like This

5 Lessons in Employee Engagement from the 2023 Brightwing Annual Summit

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5 Lessons in Employee Engagement from the 2023 Brightwing Annual Summit Data from the Corporate Leadership Council suggests that employees who are engaged at work perform 20% better and are 87% less likely to leave their current company.  Despite early signs of power shifting back to employers, employees still are more likely to quit—or “quiet quit”—than pre-pandemic. Losing an employee is costly, as is replacing them.  The more engagement opportunities you offer your employees, the better:
  • Making employee engagement a key part of your strategy
  • Allowing employees’ insights to inform organizational strategy
  • Giving people time and space to make good relationships
  • Providing opportunities for employees to learn and grow
This is one of the core motivations behind Brightwing’s Annual Summit: a chance to engage, motivate, and inspire the team by involving all employees in goal setting for the new year.  With a workforce distributed across three cities—not to mention increased hybrid work since the pandemic—it’s rare and unheard of for our entire workforce to be in the same place at the same time.  That’s why for the second year in a row, Brightwing prioritized bringing everyone together for a retrospective on the year, planning for the future, and team- and culture-building exercises. Here are some of the key lessons we learned from this year’s Summit.  

1. Involve all employees in company strategy

  Generally, only 30% of employees feel like their opinion matters at work. If you want to buck this trend, you need to go above and beyond in the opposite direction.  One of the specific objectives of the Summit was to gather the whole team together in a conference-like setting. There were a number of reasons for this approach:
  • We truly believe that every team member’s opinion matters, and want to hear from all perspectives
  • Different people have different communication styles—a variety of activities is necessary to draw out quality feedback from everyone
  • Our employees aren’t just cogs in a machine—we wanted to provide opportunities for fun and engagement, especially since they’ve never met some of these colleagues face-to-face
Organizations serious about employee engagement should take note: every person on your team has a valuable perspective.  This is especially true among recruiters, salespeople, and other frontline employees. They’re the ones who are out there talking to your customers. They have their “ear to the ground,” as it were. If you don’t listen to your whole team, you’re going to miss signals—both internal and external—that something needs to change. This could put your business at risk.  

2. Prepare the environment for open, honest communication

  Let’s face it: most employees don’t feel comfortable speaking up at work. And believe it or not, that’s not a problem with the employee—but with leadership. The reason people struggle to speak up is because they don’t have a sense of psychological safety.  That is, employees feel they can take risks, express concerns, ask questions, and admit mistakes—without fear of consequences or retribution. So if you actually want employees to be open and honest in their feedback, you need to establish a psychologically safe environment:
  • Encourage risk-taking and even failure
  • Be upfront admitting your own mistakes
  • Praise employees who ask questions or express concerns
If you want feedback from the team to drive strategy, then you need to prepare the environment so everyone feels safe being open and honest. As you can imagine, this legwork can’t happen overnight. This requires months, even years, of trust-building with your team. For Brightwing, this has been a core part of our culture for 50 years. And at the Summit, we saw the results of that work—our team felt free and safe to share their open, honest feedback.  During the company-wide roundtables, employees and management discussed some topics important to the organization:
  • Celebrating small wins
  • Overcoming hurdles and roadblocks to avoid burnout
  • Leadership without a title
  • Cross-company communication to improve how teams collaborate
Without a track record of encouraging honest communication, our team likely wouldn’t have had the psychological safety to engage in these conversations. However, we did, and our organization will be much better because of it.

3. Maximize feedback quality with group discussions

  Every organization has their extroverts and introverts. Most of the time, getting the extroverts to talk isn’t a problem.  But the quieter, more introverted people on your team have valuable insights to share. Part of your employee engagement process should be finding ways to get them involved in the conversation. During the Summit, we used a group, roundtable format to do just that. Over the course of the conversation, each person built on the ideas of the other, which created high quality feedback.  We found that 6-8 people per roundtable was the ideal size to have a good conversation. Large enough that people could bounce ideas off each other, but not so large that it jeopardized the team’s psychological safety.  

4. Don’t just solicit employee feedback—act on it

  A lot of companies claim they value employee feedback. But unless you actually act on it, it’s an empty promise.  During last year’s Summit, we gathered many ideas, suggestions, and general feedback. We surveyed the team post-Summit to get an understanding of how they prioritized solutions. And here was one issue that leapt to the forefront: Going hybrid – working some days at home and some at the office each week – had helped Brightwingers see the special strengths of in-person work, and they wanted to double down on them. They spotted room for improvement and wanted the office to become a place they could collaborate more easily. In response, over the first quarter last year, we renovated underused office spaces and turned them into meeting rooms. And we built a new kitchenette, fully stocked with snacks and drinks. Collaboration happens so much more easily when you’ve got the right space and a full stomach.
This year fell into a similar mold. The Brightwing team made it a priority post-Summit to put the feedback we received into motion:
  • Meeting with team members to identify ways to celebrate small wins
  • Working to address failures in a positive, opportunity-focused light
  • Creating cheat sheets to define industry-specific acronyms & holding onboarding trainings on “inside-baseball” terminology
Additionally, each department performed SWOT analysis with their team to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats within each team. Leadership is already using this information to plan for the year ahead. To be clear, not every piece of feedback requires action. Leaders need to be discerning in what they choose to apply. But if you have your whole organization saying that XYZ change needs to happen, and you don’t act on it, you’re sending a clear message: you don’t actually care what they have to say. Good luck keeping them on board.  

5. Don’t forget to have fun

  Your employees aren’t just employees. They’re people. And unless you’re a workaholic, you don’t work all the time and always. That’s why, for decades, Brightwing has prioritized a positive company culture where employees genuinely connect and enjoy spending time with each other. We’ve got some pretty cool people on our team, and it would be a shame if we missed that because of an all-work-no-play mindset.  During the Summit, we made sure to not just have serious conversations about the future of the company, but also have some fun. So we decided to do a Nailed It! style cake-decorating contest. Different teams used icing, food coloring, and various cake toppings to create a design that was original, neat, and colorful. Then—and this was the best part—they had to “pitch” the cake to Brightwing’s CEO, Aaron Chernow and former president, George Opitz.  The theme was “dynamic duos.” And the winners of the competition did a stellar cake-depiction of Abbott & Costello’s “Who’s on First?” skit. It was a total riot! Everyone had fun, and we all walked away with a better understanding of each other—not just as teammates, but as people. 

Final thoughts on the Brightwing Annual Summit

  If you want employees to feel bought into the organization, you have to involve them in decision-making.  This means asking for feedback, preparing an environment where they feel safe to be open and honest, and actually using that feedback to make strategic decisions. Brightwing’s Annual Summit is proof that engaging employees and valuing their opinions is key to a solid culture and long-term retention. We hope the lessons we’ve learned along the way will be helpful to you. P.S. If you want a sample of some of the fun that was had at Brightwing’s Summit, check out these videos:   Looking to hire? Looking for a job? Contact us today! Share This Post [social-share] More Like This

How to Write a Cover Letter That Will Set You Apart

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How to Write a Cover Letter That Will Set You Apart

How to Write a Cover Letter to Stand Out

Cover letters are a vital component of job applications. But before you consider how to write a cover letter, you need to understand why they are so important. They provide the opportunity to explain why you are interested in a position and help employers better understand your strengths, experience, and qualifications for a role. In a cover letter, you can emphasize unique skills and highlight your knowledge and experience that makes you stand out from other applicants. Not only do cover letters give potential employers insight into who you are as a person, but they also demonstrate professional communication. By providing a cover letter, you have an opportunity to express enthusiasm and genuine interest in a job, which helps make relevant connections between skills and experiences and the job requirements. Having a cover letter also presents a professional image that reflects positively on you and shows your initiative. It takes time to craft a thoughtful and engaging cover letter, but by putting in that effort you are one step closer to standing out to potential employers. 

Letter of Introduction for a Job

A cover letter is a document sent along with a resume when applying for a job. It should be tailored to the specific position for which you are applying and demonstrate a link between you and the stated position. When writing a cover letter for a job, you should introduce your qualifications, highlight the core points of your application, and illustrate how your skills can benefit the employer. Cover letters should also include your qualifications, interests, and relevant experiences.  Additionally, consider what potential employers may want to hear by showing not only why you’re a good fit for the job, but also why you’re passionate about the company. Cover letters act as a bridge between a resume and an application, allowing you to further explain and clarify your qualifications and experience. They also act as a summary of why you are the ideal candidate for the job. Overall, cover letters should address the specific requirements for a role and incorporate the necessary elements of a job application.

How to Start a Cover Letter

Cover letters are a critical component in applying for a job, but they can be notoriously difficult to write. It’s difficult to strike the perfect balance between being confident in your work and qualifications, while not sounding arrogant or self-absorbed. Additionally, it can be a challenge to stand out from the crowd in a concise form. A cover letter has to be convincing and demonstrate why you are the ideal candidate without being overly long or redundant. Crafting a compelling narrative that establishes who you are, your qualifications, and your fit for the job takes a great deal of thought and effort.  When addressing how to write a cover letter, there must be synergy to attract the attention of the hiring manager. You have to capture their attention in the most concise way possible, almost as if you’re telling a story. Furthermore, you have to have impeccable spelling, grammar, and sentence structure; this is the first impression you make and it needs to be good. Cover letter writing is not an easy task, but with patience and care, you can create something that stands out. So, if you’re trying to figure out how to start a cover letter, here are some things to consider. 

Cover Letter Introduction

When assessing how to write a cover letter, you should absolutely start with a strong introduction. First, you should directly greet the hiring manager. You can look up the relevant department head within the company you’re applying to and directly address them within your letter. This will immediately show commitment and attention to detail in your letter of introduction for a job. As you transition further into your cover letter introduction, the biggest thing to keep in mind is that you want to grab attention. Hiring managers are potentially sorting through hundreds of cover letters, so make yourself stand out. An excellent way to do this is to start with two to three of your top achievements that are relevant to the position. 

Body of the Cover Letter

Within the body of a cover letter, you should provide as much evidence as you can that you are the perfect candidate for the position. An excellent way to start is by reviewing the job description and responsibilities. By properly understanding these job factors, you can tie in your most relevant experience and mirror the company’s language. This will, once again, show attention to detail that will impress any hiring manager.  Additionally, you want to tie in why you’re a good fit for the company as a whole. Employees leaving companies due to a poor cultural fit can cost their organization between 50-60% of the person’s annual salary. To prove you’re a fit for the company, you’ll have to do a bit more research. Look at the organization’s products, services, and About page to see what their business stands for. 

Cover Letter Conclusion

As you consider how to write a cover letter conclusion, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, make sure you’re wrapping up the most relevant information from your previous paragraphs. Make sure you’ve proven that you’re the best person for the job. Next, take the time to be courteous and thank the hiring manager for their time. And, lastly, finish off with a call to action. This is the space where you should encourage the hiring manager to reach out with any questions or to schedule an interview. 

Rely on Brightwing

If you’re actively seeking out new opportunities, relying on talent experts like ours at Brightwing is an excellent idea. Since its opening in 1973, the Brightwing team has been connecting candidates with the right employers. So, let our recruiters help you in your job search journey. Share This Post [social-share] More Like This

The Benefits of a Personalized Letter of Recommendation

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The Benefits of a Personalized Letter of Recommendation

Is a Personalized Letter of Recommendation Beneficial?

References are one of the best ways for employers to understand the character and skills of job applicants. While listing contact information for references on your resume is useful, there are many benefits of using a personalized letter of recommendation instead. In many ways, the right letter of reference could be the key to getting the job of your dreams! 

Benefits of a Professional Reference Letter

When a company looks to hire someone, they often receive many applications and resumes. If there is anything you can do to make your resume stand out, you need to do it! A professional reference letter is a great way for an employer to notice you. It also saves them a phone call or any difficulties contacting someone listed as a reference. In many cases, hiring managers do not have the time to call every applicant’s references, so this ensures they see a job reference that vouches for you. Not only that, but you also get to know exactly what your reference says about you. If you ever worry that the references on your resume won’t offer the most relevant information or might not share what you hope they will, asking for a professional reference letter can help them know what is important to you. 

Who Should You Ask?

One of the most important things to decide when seeking a personalized letter of recommendation is who to ask. When you are considering people, make sure you look for someone who knows you well enough to write something personal. This could be a former coworker, employer, teacher, professor, or someone you have worked with closely. This person should be able to say something about your work ethic, personality, and character. People you should not ask to write you a letter of reference are people like parents, siblings, cousins, friends who you have not worked with, or people you do not know. If you ask a family member to write your recommendation, they might seem biased or not knowledgeable about your work. Choose people who have influenced you, who know about your past successes, and who can share important things about you. This makes a difference!

Different References Share Different Experiences

If you are intending to ask someone for a reference letter, ask more than one person. Different people will share different aspects of your work and character, so seeking out varying perspectives can only benefit you. Most employers look for a letter from someone who managed or supervised you, such as a coworker, and perhaps a teacher or other character witness. If you can get a letter from someone who directly supervised you, they would be the best reference for a new job. One of the reasons why letters of recommendation can be difficult to get is that sometimes you don’t want the people at your current job to know you are looking elsewhere, and hiring managers understand that. However, if you are moving or leaving the company for another reason, take advantage of that time to ask for a personalized letter of recommendation. 

What Should You Ask For?

When you ask someone for a personalized letter of recommendation, they might ask you what you want them to put down. There are several things you can ask for that will impress hiring managers. Letters of recommendation should include: 
  • The name, job title, and contact information of the person writing the recommendation.
  • Your full name and reference to the job title you held when you worked with the person writing the recommendation. 
  • How long the person has known you? This shows consistency and also relevance to your current job and title. 
  • Whatever the person would like to share about your work, character, and any other relevant information, like awards. They can also share personal stories that highlight times they recognized these characteristics in you.
  • They should share what sets you apart from other candidates. If they hired you, why did they do that? Things like this are very useful. 
  • The person should sign the letter as well. 
This is not a complete list. For certain fields, hiring managers want to know about specialized work. For example, if you are a programmer, your job reference can share that you are a specialist in coding languages and how you used them at your former job. Noting any special skills is a great way to highlight your individual quality. 

Your Resume

When seeking letters of recommendation, make sure your resume matches the information in your letters. If you have a letter from a former employer, but you didn’t list that job history on your resume, the hiring manager might be confused and unsure about how you got the letter. Or if in one of your letters of recommendation, your recommender mentions you are a great computer programmer, but that isn’t on your resume at all, that doesn’t make much sense. Ensure your resume is a representation of you, so it matches the information people share about you in the letters. You want to show consistency when you are looking for a job. No matter what field you are in, your resume is important and should reflect what you can do.

Cover Letters

If you don’t have much job history or you haven’t worked with many people you can ask for a job reference. a cover letter can be a great way to stand out as well. You can write a generic cover letter, or you can write personalized letters for each job you apply for. Either way, it is a great way to stand out as well.

Letters of Recommendation and You

Remember, you don’t have to have a letter of reference to get a job, but it certainly helps. Having someone to vouch for you is always beneficial. Finding the right job can be difficult, but having the tools you need to succeed is the first step! Share This Post [social-share] More Like This

How to Prepare for Starting a New Job

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How to Prepare for Starting a New Job

Ways to Prepare for Starting a New Job

Starting a new job can be nerve-wracking. You might not know exactly what to expect on the first day. Getting new job jitters is normal. You want to learn the ins and outs of your new job as quickly as possible to get into a routine. Plus, you probably want to feel acclimated to the new work environment too. All of the nerves aside, starting a new job is also exciting. You get a fresh start at a new place, where you understandably want to start with your best foot forward. You might be feeling a lot of pressure ahead of your first day. That’s why it’s important to prepare yourself beforehand. To help you approach your new opportunities, here are some tips to help you when you’re nervous about a new job.

How to Prepare for Starting a New Role

The first thing you have to do before you start your new job is to celebrate yourself. Congratulations! You just landed a role at a new company. That’s something to be proud of. Obviously, since you were hired, the company already sees you as an asset. Now, a little bit of self-confidence goes a long way on your first day of work. Try to do something to treat yourself the day before or the morning of your first day. Get yourself that special drink from the coffee shop by your house. Not only do you deserve it for starting a new chapter in life, but creature comforts can help ease any worry prior to starting your new role. 

The First Day of Work

When you’re nervous about a new job, planning can help put your mind at ease. Start by planning out your first day. Pick out your outfit the night before. First impressions matter, so you might want to put some thought into your first work outfit. Make sure to choose something that is both appropriate for the work environment but also comfortable for you. Then you’ll want to plan your route. Of course, it goes without saying that you don’t want to be late on your first day of work. But sometimes directions can get confusing or parking becomes a nightmare. Give yourself extra time to get there so you’re not in a rush. This really can go a long way in easing your nerves. The most important thing about your first day in a new role is to keep yourself open. It goes without saying that you won’t know everything. That’s why you should be interested in your surroundings, including your co-workers. Asking questions is a great way to learn more about the ethos of your company. Plus, it also shows your employer that you are taking your role seriously. Try to learn as much as you can about the company, the work environment, and your job responsibilities. It also helps to explore and find out where things are in the office. When you’re nervous about a new job, the best thing to do is to put yourself out there on the first day. 

Nervous About a New Job?

While this might not help put you at ease, it’s true that first impressions matter. That’s probably why starting a new job comes with such intense emotions. A lot of anxiety can bubble up about job performance and developing rapport with co-workers. Take it day by day and try your best. The best advice you can follow is not to shut down or shut yourself away in your own space. Throughout the first week, try to get to know the people you’ll be working with. You’ll be seeing a lot of your co-workers, so it’s important to establish a base relationship with them. Some questions you can ask to get the conversation rolling include:
  • How long have you been with the company?
  • What are your current projects?
  • Is there anything I should know about the company culture?
  • Can I help you with anything?
You’ll want to listen twice as much as you ask questions. When starting a new role, you are like a sponge and the office is the ocean. Learn the culture of the company and figure out its structures. Search for opportunities to get involved and ways to take initiative. The most important part of starting a new job is to learn your responsibilities and take care of them. While this is your priority, all of the other little things that go into the company’s culture also matter. We believe that the most important thing for you to do is to keep yourself open to new things. Establish yourself as someone who isn’t afraid to ask questions and will get the job done right. 

Brightwing Talent Experts

Starting a new job can be a whirlwind of emotions. You might be excited and anxious at the same time. The important thing to remember is that most workplaces will welcome you with open arms. Since you’ve been vetted through the interview process, your employers and teammates know that you have something valuable to offer the company. When beginning a new role, always think on the bright side. Staying positive will keep you resilient, even if it can feel tough at first.  If you’ve just started in a new position, look at our other blog posts. You’ll find answers to important questions about the workplace. Plus, you’re sure to gain some helpful tips about problems you might be facing in the workplace. If you are currently looking for a new role- check out these jobs. We are a team of skilled recruiters and salespeople looking to match candidates with companies. Our top areas of focus are engineering, IT, financial services, and operations. We mainly serve the metro Detroit, Dallas-Fort Worth, and south Florida areas. If these industries and locations are on the list of your preferences, contact us today. We can help you find exactly what you’re looking for. Share This Post [social-share] More Like This

How to Negotiate Your Salary

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How to Negotiate Your Salary

Ways to Negotiate Your Salary

When you’re ready to interview for a job, you’ll probably have a lot of questions to ask your interviewer. The questions can regard company culture, job expectations, and much more. One of the most common and, arguably, most important questions you’ll want to ask pertains to what your salary and benefits are. Starting a job at a new company allows you to leverage your skills and experience for a better salary and better benefits. On the other hand, you can also negotiate your salary at your current company if you’ve taken on more responsibility. In this article, we’ll detail how to negotiate a job offer in ways that will help you when you’re interviewing for a new job or want to be recognized at your current company. Learning how to negotiate your salary is an invaluable skill.

Negotiating Salary

Negotiating salary can seem daunting because you may feel like you have to accept the first offer. However, getting hired by a new company is an agreement for both the new employee and the company, meaning that the parties involved in the hiring process have to agree to the terms of employment. This includes liking and agreeing to your new salary and benefits. To negotiate your salary, you’ll want to be prepared. Of course, you’ll want to be paid more than your previous job since you’re bringing new skills and experience to your next employer.  To negotiate your salary, you can do some research online to see what other people in your prospective position make, including in the area you live. You can also find out how many years of experience correlate with what range of salary. This way, during the interview, when salary negotiations occur, you are aptly prepared to discuss the facts of why you’re presenting the salary you are. When you speak with recruiters or hiring managers in a calm but confident way, you’re helping them listen to you and your valid salary negotiation points!  There are many suggestions when it comes to salary negotiations. Next, we’ll describe other helpful salary negotiating tips for when you negotiate your salary.

Salary Negotiation Tips

These salary negotiation tips will help you communicate what you’d like out of a job offer. As you negotiate your salary with the hiring manager, how they respond can also give you a clue as to how the company’s personnel approaches such discussions. Their attitude can help you determine if the company is the right fit for you, which is another part of the interview process. Nevertheless, let’s continue with more salary negotiation tips.

Be Approachable

When you negotiate your salary, you want to be approachable and not aggressive in any way. By showing the facts behind your desired (but reasonable) salary calmly, your hiring manager  more likely to hear you out. By illustrating the experience you have and showing that people with similar jobs and experience make a certain salary, you are presenting your case objectively. You should also affirm that you’re highly interested in the position regardless. Otherwise, you risk the hiring manager not wanting to hire you if you seem like you won’t take the job because of their offer.

You Can Compromise

It’s possible that the hiring manager can’t offer you the salary you had in mind. It’s important to work within their budget. However, a job offer also includes benefits, such as paid time off, healthcare, a sign-on bonus, sick days, and stock options, all of which you can negotiate for. If a hiring manager can’t match the salary you’re looking for, perhaps you can ask for more paid time off, a higher sign-on bonus, or better stock options. Out of all of these benefits, think about what’s most important to you, and ask if there’s room to increase your benefits instead of your salary. The hiring manager may respond positively to this suggestion since they can’t match your ideal salary. When you show that you’re open to these negotiations, your hiring manager might be as well.

Respect Their Budget

Unfortunately, businesses sometimes have tight budgets that hiring managers can’t adjust for potential candidates. If a hiring manager expresses this when negotiating salary, it’s critical that you remain respectful and listen to why the company can’t offer a higher salary or better benefits. You can ask if the company offers cost-of-living adjustments or promotions, both of which include an increase in salary once you’ve worked in the new position for a period of time. Remaining respectful is key for the hiring manager to still consider you for the job even though they can’t match your ideal salary and benefits. As you consider these salary negotiation tips, remember that it is a delicate topic, as people often avoid talking about their salary and money. However, it’s important to be rightly compensated for a job. Next, we’ll describe how to negotiate a job offer, even after you’ve accepted it.

How to Negotiate a Job Offer

One of the best times to successfully negotiate a salary is when you receive a job offer, especially if a salary discussion didn’t occur during your interview. If you didn’t discuss your salary and benefits during the interview, knowing that the company wants to hire you is one way to boost your confidence to negotiate your salary and benefits. Transparency goes a long way, as long as you illustrate why you need to renegotiate your job offer. As you talk with your hiring manager or recruiter, remain calm and keep confident to figure out how to compromise with them. However, there is a slight risk when it comes to negotiating your salary.

Risk of Salary Negotiation 

How do you negotiate a job offer when there might be a risk of losing the job offer? You’ll want to remain polite and assure the hiring manager that you’re looking forward to starting your work while remaining firm in negotiation details. Being patient and offering a reasonable salary range and benefits is important for the hiring manager to consider your negotiation while still offering you the job. Now, how do you negotiate a job offer after you accept it?

Negotiating an Accepted Job Offer

Negotiating your salary after you’ve accepted a job offer can be difficult, which is why it’s best to negotiate a job offer either during the interview or once you have an offer, but before you accept it. You can ask for a raise after you’ve accepted a job offer and worked at your company for a while, though especially if you’ve taken on more responsibility than what is in your job description. To ask for a raise, you’ll have to ask your manager, who might involve additional management and human resource employees to make a decision. When you ask for a raise, you can explain that you’ve gained more experience and that you’ve taken on more responsibility. By remaining calm and patient, your superiors might hear your side and give you a raise.  Negotiating your salary may seem daunting, whether you’re interviewing for a position, discussing the details of a job offer, or asking your manager for a raise. However, there are ways to go about increasing your salary to accurately reflect your skills and experience. By using these tips to negotiate your salary, you can effectively obtain the salary and benefits that align with your credentials. At Brightwing, we help our candidates find a position that acknowledges what they bring to a company. Share This Post [social-share] More Like This

When to Look for a New Job

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When to Look for a New Job

How Do You Know When to Look for a New Job?

Whether you’ve been at your job for a decade or you’ve recently joined a team just to find out it’s not the healthiest working environment, you may find yourself considering when to look for a new job. But where do you start? Luckily, in today’s digital age, there are many fast and efficient ways to look for a new job to seamlessly transition from one position to the next, including talent acquisition firms such as Brightwing. In this article, we’ll describe more signs that you need a new job, the best time to look for a job, and what to look for in a job, so you enjoy your next adventure!

Signs That You Need a New Job

Even if you enjoy where you work, seeing what open positions there are in your field can help you decide if you’d like a change. As we see soaring inflation, one way people have been mitigating its effects is by finding a new but similar job that pays more. Beyond this example, if you’re considering when to look for a new position, here are some other signs that you need a new job:

No Upward Movement

You can love your role, but if your current company doesn’t recognize your talents and won’t promote you, then perhaps you should start looking for your desired promotion elsewhere. If you’ve gotten used to your usual workload and you’re ready to take on more of a challenge, and the pay raise that comes with it, consider getting hired somewhere that acknowledges your skills and experience. This way, you can enter the next chapter of your career feeling appreciated and seen. 

Your Job Is Unfulfilling

Depending on how long you’ve worked at your current job, it is normal to realize that what you’re working on may not align with your interests anymore. This is another sign that you need a new job, and one you look forward to doing! If you’re uninterested in your work, the workday may feel much longer than it is. However, you can explore your interests and see what positions are open to transfer your already-acquired skills. When you work in a field that you enjoy, you’ll often feel happier!

Management Is Disorganized

A healthy workplace environment requires good management, one that employees can trust for effective leadership. When your management is disorganized, it might be time to look for a new job. Disorganized management could look like frequent changes in leadership or inconsistent feedback. Hostile work environments can lead to decreased productivity. Employees thrive in a positive and consistent environment, not when management is in disarray.

You’re More Stressed Than Usual

Everyone gets stressed. It’s normal, especially when some fields have high-volume times of the year, such as retail around the holidays or accounting firms during tax season. However, if you notice that you’re more stressed than usual, this is another sign that you should look for a new job. It could be that you had to take on more work, or your workplace is toxic. Feeling more stressed than usual isn’t fair to you. Consider taking the time to see what other positions are open and if they have a better workplace culture. 

The Best Time to Look for a Job

There are specific times of the year that might be the best time to look for a job! Sooner is better than later, especially if you’re recognizing the signs that it might be time for a new job, but you can also coordinate your job search to the times more employers are hiring. The best time to look for a job is in January and February. For most companies, businesses finalize their budgets for the new year in Q4. With a new budget for Q1 at the start of the year, these companies are looking to fill the positions that they’ve budgeted for.  There are also certain days of the week that are the best times to look for a job. Look for job postings near the beginning of the week, like Monday and Tuesday. There are a high volume of job postings on Tuesday. You should also plan to apply to jobs midday around 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. when the day’s new postings are the freshest. Now you know when to apply, but what should you look for in a job?

What to Look for in a Job

You made the decision to find your next job. This gives you a great opportunity to think about what’s important to you in a new role and company. Here is what to look for in a job as you begin applying:

Salary and Benefits

Of course, when you look for a new job, you can use this time to negotiate a higher salary and better benefits than what you have at your current job. Benefits include a signing bonus, better health coverage, more paid time off, stock options, and hybrid/remote working options. 

Onboarding Process

As you interview for jobs, another aspect of what to look for in a new position is what a company’s onboarding process entails. Some onboarding processes can take a long span of time, potentially upwards of a week or month. During this time, your hiring manager or other team leads will train you on company policy, client accounts, and your job requirements. You’ll be able to meet your team and learn more about your new role. While this gives you a dedicated time to learn, this process can be lengthy.  Other onboarding processes aren’t as lengthy. Companies may hire you, provide a short time of training, and allow you to get working full steam ahead. While this type of onboarding process is fast, it requires swift learning. Depending on your preference, either process can work and has its own set of pros and cons.

Company Culture

Also during your interview, you can inquire about what the company culture is like. Questions such as “What is the work-life balance of your employees?” or “What’s the typical workday look like for someone in my position?” will clarify what the company culture is like. If you don’t enjoy the sense of the company culture from your interview, don’t worry! When you look for a new job, part of the search is to find a company that matches your expectations! When you start to look for a new job, you should consider companies’ onboarding processes and cultures, as well as similarities to your current job that led you to look for a new position. Going forward, you can use Brightwing’s online job board to optimize your job search. As you apply and interview at new companies, be sure to use your skills and experience to find the best fit and maximize your new salary and benefits. At Brightwing, we ensure that our talent experts match qualified candidates with top employers! Share This Post [social-share] More Like This

How Long Does a Pre-Employment Background Check Take?

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Employers and job seekers alike might be wondering, how long does a pre-employment background check take? Let’s take a look.

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Big vs Small Businesses: The Benefits for Employees

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The size of the company you work for can affect the shape and direction of your career, so it’s important to understand the differences

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Resume Tips From a Professional Recruiter

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Resume Tips From a Professional Recruiter

Resume Tips From a Professional Recruiter

If you are thinking about a job change, consider some resume tips from a professional recruiter. Putting yourself out there on the job market can be challenging. It requires patience, determination, and some humility. Submitting job applications can often put you in a vulnerable place, and no one likes rejection. So there is little point in going about something as hard as a job search ill-prepared. How, one may ask, should someone prepare for a job search? The answer should be at the forefront of your mind, not only during job searches but in your professional career too. A quality resume is powerful. When organized well and executed correctly, a resume can make a job search easy. If a resume is constructed poorly, however, it can be to your detriment. With recruiting and hiring almost exclusively online nowadays, maximizing your digital resume is more important than ever. This article will go over some resume tips that will help you stand out to recruiters.  

Basic Resume Advice

A good resume is not easy to come by. Too many people just slap their work experience into a word document and call it good. Not surprisingly, that is a waste of time. So much more is needed to show off your achievements and skills. There are reasons that simply listing skills and work experience however you please isn’t efficient. When you submit a job application, your resume is going to be one of the first things a recruiter will see. Recruiters are usually trained to look for specific things in a resume. If what they are looking for isn’t found quickly, there is a chance your application could be discarded. Of course, there are some basic rules to follow when putting together a resume that will help you get noticed. Listed below are some helpful resume tips from a professional recruiter:  

Watch the Format

Keep your resume looking nice. It shows professionalism, attention to detail, and that you are interested in working. A polished format will help with the overall look of the resume.. Remember to keep formatting clean-looking, fonts and font sizes legible, and spacing consistent. You can inject personality with splashes of color or unusual headings. Don’t get too carried away though, and don’t include a head shot, or else it might start to look too unprofessional. Consider looking into templates if you need help. Always keep it to one page. Unless you are applying to a big-time executive position, don’t let any information run onto a second page.  

Brag and Boast

If you only have one take-away from this article on resume advice, remember this: your resume is your highlight-reel. It is a ticket to brag about your accomplishments and your skills. Don’t be shy! Mention job titles, awards, honors, and any other kind of things you feel deserve mentioning. Of course, try to keep it relevant and keep it honest. Don’t exaggerate to make yourself look good. Honesty goes a long way, but recruiters really want to see what you can do.  

Limit Content if Necessary

While you should brag about your accomplishments, it is not necessary to list everything you have ever done. Putting down all the jobs you have had since high school will only take up precious space. Instead, consider what is most relevant and what will really help get you the job you want. It is important to limit some content to make way for really important information. The important information will vary depending on the job, so it will require some judgment calls on your part.  

Edit Vigorously

Among all the resume tips from a professional recruiter, this may be one of the most important. Pretend that your resume is an editing assignment for grammar class. A great deal of effort should go into checking grammar, spelling, tense, and pronouns. Some recruiters may immediately discard a resume if they find spelling or grammar errors. A resume free of spelling and grammar errors shows attention to detail and will give you a good advantage. So break out the dictionary and give yourself a refresher on the Oxford comma.  

What is a Recruiter, and How Can You Stand Out to Them?

What is a recruiter, what do they do, and how can you impress them? Picture a college sports team. They send recruiters around the country to scout out talent and recruit athletes that will fit well in the organization. When a good candidate is found, they will try to get their attention and convince them to join their organization. It’s an interesting reversal. Athletic recruiters try to get candidates’ attention while corporate and agency recruiters’ attention is often sought by candidates. So it is your duty, as a job-seeker, to capture the attention of a recruiter. Of course, some may reach out to you through job search apps. You may need to decide if they are worth speaking with. How do you catch the attention of the good recruiters? It helps to know what their job is. They go through many resumes and applications, sometimes dozens at a time. They need to make sure an applicant is qualified and is a good fit for the position and company. They need to be careful about who they select and who they spend time getting to know, as they have to vouch for you when they bring your file to a hiring manager. Thus, it is not their job to do you any favors. So to stand out to a recruiter, you need to make their job easier. Make yourself worth recommending. Project a confident and professional tone. Make sure your writing is free of errors and that your resume is relevant to the position. If you help the recruiter, you are sure to stand out. And of course, unless directed otherwise, a cover letter never hurts.  

How to Send a Resume to a Recruiter

Personalization is the name of the game when it comes to sending a resume to a recruiter. Remember that you want to stand out while also making the recruiter’s job easier. By emailing your resume and cover letter directly to the recruiter, you are sure to stand out. Following the tips previously mentioned will also help with standing out. Keep the body of the email short and professional and avoid cliches. Include a strong subject line. You can usually find a good email on the company website. If an email to a recruiter or hiring manager can’t be found, you can usually find a generic email. Just include in the body or the subject something regarding the concerned department.  

A Quality Resume is Key

Taking the time to polish your resume might very well land you that job. Leaving it in a poor state, however qualified you may be, may cost you the job. A lot of business is done online now, and recruiting is no exception. Because of that fact, resume construction is everything. It tells a recruiter who you are and what you are capable of. It is their only reference of what kind of person and worker you are. Use these resume tips from a professional recruiter and build your resume to make it represent you properly. If you feel your resume is ready, submit it here to be considered for any openings you may be qualified for in your general location. It may be nerve-racking, but adequate preparation will lend great confidence.

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Biggest Job Search Mistakes

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Biggest Job Search Mistakes

The Biggest Job Search Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Job hunting is a stressful time. We have all been there: in the hunt for a new job and completely bungling it due to the stress and inexperience. Many of us only change jobs a few times in our lifetime, and so much can change in between each job search. We will tell you the biggest job search mistakes and how to fix them. Trust the talent experts at Brightwing to help you avoid the biggest job search mistakes.   

The Biggest Job Search Mistakes and How to Fix Them

To prepare you for your next job search, the talent experts at Brightwing have compiled this list of the biggest job search mistakes — and how you can fix each one.   

Using the “Best Job Search Apps” 

Many job seekers rely entirely on job board websites like LinkedIn and Indeed. While there is nothing wrong with using these resources, especially as a starting-off point for your job search, there are better ways of finding the right job for you. Even the best job search apps are just that: apps. Apps cannot compare with people.  A job recruiter gets to know you in a way that an app or website never can. Plus, these apps are full of thousands of jobs. It is virtually impossible to narrow it down to the one job that is a great fit for you. It is extremely unproductive to sit and scroll through jobs for hours on end, especially if you are still working a job while undergoing your hunt for your next one.   

Not Applying Due to Job Search Requirements

Many applicants don’t apply to jobs unless they meet 100% of the requirements laid out in the job listing. Here is a little secret: you don’t have to meet all the job requirements in order to apply. Men tend to apply for jobs when they only meet 60% of the qualifications, but many women tend only to apply if they meet 100% of the listed requirements. Don’t be afraid to apply for that job if you only have two years of experience instead of three, or your degree isn’t the same that is specified.   

Lying About Your Skills

Now, just because you don’t meet the job search requirements doesn’t mean you should lie to meet them. Instead, explain to the company why you are still a fabulous fit for their position, and demonstrate your ability to learn new skills that would help you excel. Never, ever lie in order to land a job.   

Relying On Outdated Job Search Strategies 

If it has been five, ten, fifteen years (or more!) since you have last been on the job hunt, the tactics for securing your next position have most likely changed. Make sure to do your research on the best job search tips, or even better, work with a recruiter who knows the latest strategies for landing the next position in your dream career.   

Underestimating Your Worth 

Even when the job market is tough, never underestimate your own worth and potential. All too often, job seekers accept the first offer they receive. Make sure you know how much your individual skills and experience are worth. A recruiter can help you find positions that you might not even realize you are qualified for! 

Not Working With a Recruiter

Especially if you work in a specialized industry like finance, IT, or engineering, it is best to work with a recruiter to find the right job for you. These types of companies typically work with an agency like Brightwing to fill their positions, and this will give you a leg up during your search.   

The Best Job Search Tips

As talent experts, we know a thing or two about the job search. These are the best job search tips from the professionals:   

Work With a Recruiting Agency

Searching for your next full-time job can oftentimes feel, well, like a full-time job. And at Brightwing, it is our full-time job: to help you find the right role, team, and company. That is what makes working with a recruiting company worthwhile. Working with Brightwing takes all the stress out of the job hunt.   

Know What You Want

Before you begin your job hunt, make sure you know what you are looking for in your next role and workplace. What type of position are you looking for? What is your ideal salary? Do you want to take on more responsibility at your next job? What type of company culture do you prefer? Knowing the answers to all of these questions can help your recruiter find the best fit for you.   

Don’t Limit Yourself to Online Applications

All too often, job seekers apply for jobs online, and never hear back — even if they are ideal for the position. Online applications have a way of getting lost in the shuffle. Many employers rely on referrals and recruiting agencies to fill jobs, which means your resume might not even garner a glance. When you work with a talent expert, they will advocate for you for the position that they know you are right for.   

Be Prepared

If you want to ace your next job interview, be prepared. The number one mistake that job seekers make during the recruitment process is under preparing for their interviews. Make sure to do your research into the company you are interviewing with, and the interviewer if possible, and to show up prepared with examples of your work on hand. Employers not only want to hear about you and your experience, but they also want to know what you like about their company, why you want to work for them, and why you will be a great fit. 

Enjoy the Job Search and Avoid Mistakes with Brightwing

Now, you know the biggest job search mistakes and how to fix them. If you want to find the right job and avoid making any mistakes in the process, consider working with Brightwing Talent Experts. Our company was recently named Great Recruiters Certified for the second consecutive year in recognition of creating a top-ranked candidate experience. Contact us today so we can get to know you better.

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Does Indeed Really Work to Find Jobs?

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Indeed might be able to help you find your next gig, especially in the short term. But a staffing service is the answer for a new careeer.

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6 Steps to Take Before You Start Your Job Hunt

6 Steps to Take Before You Start Your Job Hunt So you’re thinking about finding a new job. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last two years, you know you’re not the only one thinking that. There are a number of reasons why a record number of people are taking their careers into a new direction:
  • Better pay
  • More flexibility
  • Expand your skill set
  • Work with exciting new brands
But changing jobs isn’t all sunshine and roses. Researching, applying, interviewing—it’s an involved process, especially if you’re still working your day job! Then there’s the hassle of putting down roots in a new company and rebuilding key professional relationships. You don’t want to go into this process halfway. So here are some steps to take before you start your job hunt.  

Should you even look for a new job?

  It’s a worthwhile question to ask. Even if you’re not 100% satisfied with your current role, who’s to say that changing jobs will fix the problem? Wouldn’t you rather see if you can address the problem within your current company before investing loads of time and energy into a job hunt? Ask yourself the following questions:
  • Have I maximized my potential in my current role?
  • Are there opportunities to grow within my current company (vertically or laterally)?
  • Can I make changes to my work schedule to be more flexible?
  • Can I negotiate a pay raise in my current company?
  • What benefits will a job change do to move my career forward?
If you can’t honestly answer “yes” to those questions, then it’s a good sign that you should pursue a new opportunity.  

6 steps to take before starting your job hunt

  When you decide to look for a new job, hit pause before jumping into the hunt. Here are six steps you should take to make sure you can maximize your time, relieve stress, and prepare yourself for the opportunities coming your way.  

1. Clarify your goals

There are plenty of good reasons why you should look for a new job. But if you don’t know what yours are, you’re going to have a hard time finding a role that moves your career in the direction you want. Take the time to clarify your goals for the job hunt. This can be as simple as writing down a “wish list” of things you’d like to see in your job and using that to measure potential opportunities. Approaching your job search in a clear-headed, logical way will help ensure that you get exactly what you want and need out of the process.  

2. Build your personal brand

Personal brands aren’t just for Instagram influencers. If you want to be taken seriously as an expert in your field, you need to spend some time investing in your digital reputation. Gone are the days of just putting together a nice cover letter, sprucing up your resume, and calling it good. While these are important steps (more on that below), they aren’t enough to land you an interview. Now, employers look at social media platforms and your online presence to learn about you. You should use this to your advantage, leveraging social media (especially LinkedIn) to build your personal brand. This doesn’t have to take a lot of time, and it doesn’t have to be crazy or fancy. Some simple steps you can take can be:
  • Update your profile and header images
  • Craft a compelling bio that explains what you do and where your expertise lies
  • Post frequently about the goings on in your industry—including advice from your first-person experiences
It may seem like a lot of work, but that’s what it takes to stand out in this day and age.  

3. Grow your professional network

You don’t want to wait until you’re on the hunt to start building relationships with industry professionals. People smell B.S. from a mile away, and you don’t want to come off as “using” people to climb the professional ladder. Instead, take the time to build relationships with like-minded professionals before you start your job search. These can include fellow college graduates, former colleagues at previous companies, or people with job titles similar to yours. Once you know who you’re looking for, make personal, authentic connections with them:
  • Take the time to research the person and craft an authentic message
  • Comment on their posts and contribute to online discussions
  • Post in Facebook and LinkedIn groups—helpful content only
Ultimately, the goal of networking is to foster conversations with people in your industry. If you do this well, you won’t have to ask for a job or a favor. The jobs will come flocking to you.  

4. Create a template resume and cover letter

Every position you apply for will require a tailored cover letter and resume. Before you get into your job search, you’ll want to have at least a template of each asset in place. That way, you can easily make some changes before you apply for the job—instead of having to draft everything from scratch for each application. But remember: these are templates. Don’t send out a generic resume and cover letter (unless you want to be dismissed out of hand, that is).  

5. Start prepping your interview questions & responses

You don’t have to wait until the interview is scheduled to start prepping for it. There are a number of standard interview questions that you’ll probably be asked, and you should use this “pre-game” time to come up with some killer responses:
  • Can you tell me about yourself? (Basically, your 1-2 minute elevator pitch)
  • How did you hear about this position & why did you apply?
  • Why are you leaving your current job?
  • What’s an example of a stressful situation and how did you handle it?
  • Do you work well in a fast-paced environment?
  • When balancing multiple projects, how do you stay organized?
  • What are your salary/benefit expectations?
On the other side of the coin, you’ll also want to put together those questions that you should ask in every interview:
  • Can you tell me about the day-to-day responsibilities of the role?
  • How could I impress you in the first 90 days?
  • How would you describe the company culture?
  • Where is the company headed over the next five years?
  • What opportunities do you provide for professional development?
Like with your resume and cover letter, you’ll want to tailor both your questions and responses to the company specifically. But having some structure for your responses can help make this a smoother, quicker process—especially if you’re handling a bunch of interviews at once.  

6. Build an application tracker

When you’re managing multiple applications and interview processes at different stages, it can be difficult to keep everything organized. Having a simple spreadsheet where you can track the companies you’re applying to, interviewing with, need to send a thank you note to, etc. can help you stay both professional and organized.  

Final thoughts

  Given all the work that goes into a job search, it can be helpful to have someone in your corner  who can advise and advocate for you along the way. With Brightwing, you have the opportunity to work with recruiters that will put you and your goals first. We are especially adept at making placements in highly technical and specialized fields, like electrification and automation. To set up some one-on-one time with a Brightwing recruiter and see whether we can help you, click here.

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How to Work with a Recruiter: 5 Benefits for Job Seekers

How to Work with a Recruiter: 5 Benefits for Job Seekers Job searching is hard. It’s monotonous. And it’s especially difficult to do alone. So why not have someone in your corner to help along the way? People have different images in their mind when they think of recruiters. Some are positive, most are negative. But there are many ways that a recruiter can help you on your job search, and land you in your ideal role. Let’s walk through how to work with a recruiter, and five specific ways they can help you in your job search.  

What do recruiters actually do?

  Let’s clarify one thing: when we talk about recruiters in this article, we’re talking about third-party staffing agency recruiters, like the ones here at Brightwing. Many larger companies will employ their own internal corporate recruiters, but those relationships work a little differently than third parties. Third-party recruiters generally start as experts within a particular industry, with deep knowledge that enables them to find, screen, match, and coach candidates looking for their next job. Employers will hire them to leverage that expertise, and to save themselves time and money in acquisition costs.  

Who can recruiters help (and not help)?

  As wonderful as recruiters are, we can’t help everyone. There are some types of professionals who are simply better suited for a recruiter relationship than others. For instance, recruiters are the most helpful in the following situations:
  • Your industry or sector has a talent shortage (which, as of now, is pretty much everyone)
  • You have specific or hard-to-find skills, or a lot of experience in your industry—especially if you’re a manager or executive
  • You currently work for a top company known for its talent (Google, Facebook, Tesla, Apple, etc.)
  • You’re a consultant or contractor looking for a temporary position, not a permanent job
On the other hand, if you fall into one of these categories, a recruiter probably can’t help you:
  • You’re an entry-level job seeker
  • You’re looking to make a big transition or pivot in your career—like switching industries or starting a new specialization
  • Your job doesn’t require specific skills or knowledge
  • You’re looking to relocate, but don’t have a compelling reason why companies should employ you over a local candidate

Of course, these are all just general rules of thumb, which means you may find an exception. So don’t let this deter you from reaching out to various recruiting agencies. Just be clear-eyed about what to expect and your chances of success.

 

5 ways a recruiter can help you in your job search

  All of this brings us to the central question: why should you work with a recruiter, instead of going it alone? Here are five specific ways that a recruiter can help you in your job search.  

1. Recruiters save you time

If you’re job hunting while also holding a job, you basically are working a full-time job on top of another full-time job. It’s exhausting, monotonous, and sometimes discouraging. A recruiter can help relieve some of this stress. Instead of sending a resume to a hundred different companies, you just have to send it to one, and they’ll get it out there. You don’t have to spend hours searching job boards, because they already know the jobs that are out there—even before they become public. Granted, recruiters will only work for you if you work for them. You have to demonstrate your expertise and attractiveness to potential employers, and make sure that you’re working the leads that they give you. But so long as you take your job search seriously, the relationship with your recruiter can be truly synergistic.  

2. Recruiters expand your network

Short of sending cold resumes and cover letters to companies, your job opportunities are only as expansive as your network. When you work with a recruiter, however, you get to leverage their network and client base, which opens you up to hundreds if not thousands of opportunities. This not only increases your odds of landing a new job, but also of landing a good fit or, potentially, your dream role.  

3. Recruiters help you through the process

Because they want to maintain a good relationship with their clients, it’s in the recruiter’s interest to make you look as good as possible. That means that if a recruiter thinks that you’re a good candidate, they’ll help you put your best foot forward throughout the process. Remember: the faster the recruiter can get you hired, the faster they get their paycheck. From your perspective, that means you get a coach throughout the process, as well as an advocate who can speak on your behalf. They can highlight specific skills with the employer, and address concerns before you even step into the interview. This is something that you’ll never get with just a cold cover letter.  

4. You can leverage the recruiter’s expertise

If you’re in a highly specialized or competitive field, it may be hard to find jobs that match your particular skill set. When you work with a recruiter who has expertise in your field, they’ll easily match you to the specific job descriptions and companies that fit the bill. Not only that, but a recruiter can also hunt down more obscure job opportunities that you might miss on your own, simply because they have their ear to the ground.  

5.  You stay in a job search database

Let’s say you go through the process with a recruiter, interview for a bunch of different positions, and don’t end up getting hired. Does that mean the process of working with a recruiter was a wash? Not at all! Even if you don’t end up getting the initial positions you apply for, your relationship with a recruiter is one that you can keep for the long haul. On top of that, you’ll stay inside their job search database. So when a position comes up that you’re a match for, your profile will automatically resurface.  

Final thoughts: Why recruiters are worth it

  At the end of the day, having an ally in your corner can give you a serious leg up in your job hunt. So it’s worth it to at least start a conversation with a recruiter. Keep in mind that you’ll need to find a recruiter that’s a good fit for you: someone who knows your industry, has connections with the types of companies you want to work with, and is willing to guide and coach you along the way. If you’re in IT, automotive, finance, engineering, or any highly specialized fields, Brightwing may be a good fit for you. Click here to schedule a one-on-one conversation with one of our talent experts.

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How To Fill Jobs In Your Automotive Supplier Business

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There’s fierce competition for employees in the automotive supplier business, but this industry is booming with great jobs of all ranges.

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How to Make Meetings More Effective: 8 Productivity Tips

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How to Make Meetings More Effective: 8 Productivity Tips Unproductive meetings waste more than $37 billion per year, and 67 percent of all meetings are considered failures. Yet most people suck it up when their calendars get overloaded—or complain about it to their coworkers—never bothering to ask the question: how do I make our meetings more effective? Granted, if you’re new to an organization, you probably aren’t in a position to dramatically change your team’s meeting habits. That said, there are some actions you can take to help you make the most of meetings—and guide others to do the same. Read on for eight tips to make meetings more effective and productive, so you can get the greatest possible value out of your time.  

1. Understand the purpose of the meeting

  A meeting for the sake of having a meeting is a waste of everyone’s time. If you’re going to pull people away from their valuable work, then you have to make sure the meeting provides equal or greater value—both to the organization and the individual people involved. This means that understanding, defining, and communicating the purpose of the meeting is critical. If you don’t know what the goal of the meeting is, you’ll show up unprepared and won’t be able to contribute effectively. The same goes for your coworkers. Generally, meetings fall into one of three categories:
  • Information sharing. In these meetings, information flows in one direction—usually from leadership to the employees. Generally there will be a Q&A, but the purpose is to clarify and reinforce the information shared.
  • Creative discussion. This is a back-and-forth discussion where you toss out ideas, ideally in a judgment-free way.
  • Consensus decision. Stakeholders come together to reach a decision on a particular topic. Ideally, once the meeting is over and the decision made, no more discussion is needed and you move to execute the plan.
Defining the purpose of the meeting will provide clarity, help you avoid rabbit holes, and help you make the meeting more effective.  

2. Have an agenda

  In addition to having a set purpose for the meeting, it’s also important to have a firm grasp on the subjects and topics to be covered. If not, it’s easy for the meeting to get off track—especially during a brainstorming session. Although your agenda should always be in writing, it doesn’t have to be fancy. It just needs to answer the following questions:
  • What type of meeting is this? What is the expected outcome?
  • What are the topic(s) of conversation (define these as narrowly as possible)?
  • Who needs to be present at this meeting?
  • Who is responsible for leading the meeting? Who manages the post-meeting action items?
Creating an agenda provides clarity, allows everyone to show up prepared, and helps to ensure you are as time-efficient as possible.  

3. Be time conscious

  Everyone’s time is valuable. If you’re attending a meeting, show up on time (or a few minutes early). If you’re running a meeting, show up on time and, most importantly, end the meeting early. This is easier said than done. There are a number of reasons why a meeting might run late:
  • Too much small talk or catch-up
  • Lack of focus on the topic of discussion
  • Allowing some people to dominate the conversation
  • Expecting to accomplish too much in a short amount of time
It’s always a good idea to plan more time than you think you need, and focus the meeting on a narrow enough topic that you can accomplish your objective in the allotted time.  

4. Know your role

  Everyone has a job in a meeting. If you don’t have a role, then you probably shouldn’t be there (more on that later). Are you leading the meeting, or just a participant? If you’re a participant, how active do people expect you to be? What are the risks of dominating the conversation? One of the biggest problems with corporate meetings is that expectations are often unspoken. If possible, reach out to the meeting leader with a quick email to clarify any details. It may take a few minutes of your and their time, but that small effort could mean the difference between a productive and unproductive session.  

5. Prepare in advance

  If you’re going to productively contribute to a meeting, you need to be prepared. But that important truth cuts both ways: if you want everyone to productively contribute, you have to give them the information they need to be prepared. So if you’re a participant, do your research ahead of time. If you’re unsure about anything, ask in advance. And if you’re running the meeting, make sure you provide participants with the background information they need to be successful:
  • Data, stats, and charts
  • Sales plans
  • Production plans
  • Roadmaps & backlogs
 

6. Identify who needs to be present

  Not everyone needs to be in every meeting. While some people feel like they should be present because they’re involved in a project, the truth is that if they’re not going to actively contribute, the meeting is a waste of their time. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has a “two pizza” rule of thumb: if you need more than two pizzas to feed everybody, then there are too many people. If you think that you need more people in the meeting, then it’s possible that the scope of the meeting is too big. In that case, focus on a narrower topic and objective.  

7. Listen actively

  The point of a meeting is to gather input from your colleagues. If you don’t listen to what they have to say, then there’s no point—regardless of whether you’re a leader or participant. It’s true that the post-COVID world has blurred the lines between what’s acceptable in meetings. Generally speaking, spending time on your phone or holding sideline conversations is a bad move. Not only is it rude, but you’re missing out on important information—and you won’t be able to contribute to the discussion. And if these meetings are so boring that you don’t feel like you’re getting anything out of them, then consider this next point…  

8. Make sure you need the meeting

  “This meeting could’ve been an email.” We’ve all heard (and probably said) that line a time or two. So before you schedule a meeting and expect people to give up their precious time, decide whether or not a meeting is absolutely necessary. Some issues can be solved via email, Slack, or a couple of one-on-one phone calls. As important as meetings are, if you spend your whole day in them, you’ll never get your work done. So consider the idea of “meetings as a last resort” — you’ll end up with higher quality outcomes in the end.

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How to Take On More Responsibility at Work

How to Take On More Responsibility at Work Everyone dreams of the corner office and the pay raises. But none of these perks come for free—they’re the reward for taking on more responsibility. As you advance in your career, at some point you’re going to ask the question: when is it time to take on more responsibility at work? If you step up to the plate when you’re ready, you could end up thriving in both your professional and personal life. But if you bite off more than you can chew, you could end up imploding your career & hurting your long-term prospects. This post will walk through some signs that you’re ready to take on more responsibility at work and give you some tips to do that effectively.  

Why take more responsibility at work?

  It can be scary to step out of your comfort zone. But if you don’t take risks in your career, you’ll end up stagnating; worse, you could become irrelevant. So if you want to take your career seriously (and we assume that if you’re reading this article, you do), then you need to proactively expand your responsibilities at work, both laterally and vertically. Here are some of the benefits of doing so:
  • Expand your contribution to the success of the organization and team—make yourself indispensable
  • Learn new skills to help make you into a more well-rounded professional & build your resume
  • Work with different kinds of people, improving your soft skills and expanding your networking potential

 

When are you ready for more responsibility at work?

  If you’re within the first 30 days of a new role, that’s probably not the right time to start expanding your responsibility. But if you’ve been there for two years and nothing has changed, then odds are you’ve waited too long. So what’s the right timing for expanding your work responsibilities? There’s no black-and-white answer, but generally the more prepared you are, the more effective you’ll be. That said, opportunities present themselves at strange times, and you have to be willing to seize them. Here are three solid signs that you’re ready to take that next step.

 

You’re already succeeding at your job

Take care of the basics first. If you can’t handle your current responsibilities, what makes you think you can take on more? Focus first and foremost on excelling at the tasks at hand. Then, once you master those responsibilities, you can start taking the next step. A corollary to this rule: if your boss is happy with your current performance, then it’s probably a good sign that you should ask for more responsibility. If they aren’t, then focus on the task in front of you, then move on when you’re ready.

 

You have a good relationship with your team members

Although none of us like it, office politics are part of succeeding within an organization. So if you don’t have a good relationship with your fellow team members, then you probably won’t be an effective leader. If, on the other hand, you have genuine morale with your team—better yet, if they’re the ones spurring you on toward leadership—then that’s a sign you should consider moving upward.

 

You’re naturally drawn toward leadership

By this we don’t mean you like to “boss people around” or you’re a control freak. The best leaders are effective when they have a purpose to align people toward. If you naturally spend time thinking about how to improve things for the good of the organization, then you could do well in a leadership role. A key aspect of leadership is working with people. If you find yourself drawn toward team projects and enjoy supporting and encouraging people, then an upward move may be right for you.

 

You want to excel in your niche

Not every person is cut out for leadership. But that doesn’t mean you can’t work on taking on more responsibility. If you’re a “head down” person who wants to excel in your niche, then you can expand your scope by becoming an expert in your area. This will make you attractive to your current organization and others, which will make your work more lucrative.

 

How to take on more responsibility in your job

  Once the stars align and the signs point in the right direction, here are a few tips to help you expand your responsibility in a way that provides the most value to your organization.

 

1. Talk to your boss

Your boss is an important part of expanding your role. Not only will you need their green-light in order to move ahead, but they can clue you into the organization’s biggest needs, and provide mentorship and coaching along the way. On the flip side, talking to your boss can be a wake-up call, if you think you can take on more responsibility than you’re ready for. They may be able to gently tell you: “you’re not ready for this yet, but let’s work on getting you to that point.”

 

2. Look for gaps in your current team

An organization’s most pressing needs are almost always obvious. Stressed employees, dropped balls, and an air of “never getting enough done” signal gaps in your organization’s capabilities. Before offering to help your colleagues, make sure you’re meeting all your responsibilities, and that you have enough marginal bandwidth to help them out. There are different schools of thought as to whether you should do this before approaching your boss. On the one hand, it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission. On the other hand, you don’t want to drop the ball on your own responsibilities, and your only excuse is: “I was doing someone else’s job.”

 

3. Become an expert—and put that expertise into practice

If there’s a gap within your organization, one of the best ways to be assigned that task is to work on becoming an expert. That way, when the conversation of “who should take this on” comes up, you’re the obvious choice. The good news: most of this knowledge is available online for free. This will require you to spend some of your off-time educating yourself, and even practicing some of these skills. While not everyone is thrilled with that idea, remember: this is about your career. If you want to be successful, you have to invest in yourself. Once you feel like you’re up to speed enough to start putting that knowledge into practice, then you could take on a small project at work. Then, as you provide value to your team, your reputation as an expert can start to speak for itself.

 

4. Hone your soft skills

While becoming an expert in your field is important, it’s impossible to be successful without soft skills. After all, you’re not just becoming more responsible for things, but people as well. Here are some areas where you should focus:
  • Awareness of your areas of responsibility, and where the boundaries between your lane and your colleagues’ lie
  • Integrity, a strong moral code, and expressing good and logical judgment
  • Resilience in the face of obstacles—-especially stamina to continue after failure
  • Accepting responsibility and accountability for the consequences of your actions
  • Confident decision-making
  • Determination and drive to succeed, even when things get difficult
  • Flexibility in both your personal and professional life

 

Final thoughts on taking on more job responsibility

  Taking on more responsibility can be key to succeeding in your job role. If you plan your moves strategically and focus on the value you deliver to the organization, it can be a true win-win situation.   For more information on career advice and succeeding in your current role, click here to talk to one of our experts.

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Brightwing Named Great Recruiters Certified 2022

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Brightwing Named Great Recruiters Certified 2022

We are proud to announce that Brightwing has been named Great Recruiters Certified⁠—for the second consecutive year⁠—in recognition of creating a top-ranked candidate experience.

  Great Recruiters is a candidate experience and management platform that solicits and measures feedback from tens of thousands of candidates from hundreds of recruiting firms across the country. Great Recruiters measures recruiting and staffing firms’ individual recruiters against industry benchmarks by soliciting continuous feedback from candidates throughout their journey with a firm. “It’s truly an honor to be recognized as a top-performing recruiting company,” says Jeff Genovich, Brightwing’s Executive Vice President of Sales. Genovich continues: “It’s a testament to the talent of our recruiters and to the strength of the recruiting training program our senior recruiters lead. I am so looking forward to watching our recruiting team grow in this mold, providing unforgettable experiences to an ever-growing talent pool.” Great Recruiter’s benchmarks are based on the key components of a candidate’s recruiting experience: genuineness, responsiveness, experience, transparency, and whether or not a recruiter acts as an advisor. Brightwing and its recruiters measure as “best” in each of these categories. Our Great Recruiters Certified status is a testament to Brightwing’s commitment to deliver the highest quality experience to our clients and candidates. We’ve earned this distinction because we lead our clients and candidates through a continuous high-touch, and high-quality experience throughout the entire recruitment lifecycle. “The feedback we receive from the Great Recruiters platform helps us continuously improve upon our processes to ensure that we’re always providing a top-notch experience for our clients and candidates,” explains Mick Narusch, Brightwing’s Executive Vice President of Operations. We are proud of our recruiters and our recruiting leaders for achieving this distinction. Cheers to being Great Recruiters Certified in 2021, 2022, and beyond! [vc_images_carousel images=”28320,28319″ img_size=”full” autoplay=”yes”]

We’re hiring recruiters and salespeople of all skill levels.

 

→ Learn more about what it’s like to work here.

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How to Fight Against Job Burnout

How to Fight Against Job Burnout Everyone has a breaking point. If you push and push and go and go, eventually you’ll burn yourself out. That’s why it’s critical to fight against job burnout as a proactive part of your career strategy. Given everything that’s happened over the last two years, it’s no surprise that job burnout became more commonplace:
  • 60% of adults felt burnt out during the pandemic (HBR)
  • 85% felt like their well-being declined over the course of the pandemic (HBR)
  • 84% experienced stress-related emotions over the course of the pandemic (APA)
But you don’t have to be in a pandemic to experience job burnout. In fact, it can creep up at any time. When you take on a new role, job burnout can be particularly nefarious. You want to make your mark and add value to the organization, so you go full speed ahead. But then you hit the inevitable wall, and your performance starts to slip. In this post, we’ll take a look at how you can proactively fight against job burnout, setting you up for greater success in your organization.  

What is Job Burnout?

  Burnout is a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion caused by excessive or chronic stress. Those experiencing job burnout usually experience a lack of energy or motivation, or even a sense of hopelessness regarding their job. Typically, burnout consists of three components:
  • Depleted energy or exhaustion
  • Increased mental distance from the job—including cynicism or negativity
  • Reduced effectiveness on the job
Burnout goes much further than mere fatigue. Fatigue is part of it, yes, but the other two components are necessary for it to be considered burnout. If you’re wondering whether or not you’re burnt out, ask yourself the following questions:
  • Have you become more critical or cynical lately?
  • Do you have trouble starting your day?
  • Are you irritable or impatient with people at work?
  • Is your productivity slipping?
  • Do you no longer get satisfaction from your job accomplishments?
  • Are you self-medicating with food, drugs, or alcohol?
  • Have you changed your sleep habits?
If you answered “yes” to the majority of those questions, then it’s quite possible you’re experiencing job burnout.  

What Are the Causes of Job Burnout?

  There’s no one, clear reason why people experience job burnout. However, here are a number of factors that come into play.  

Lack of control.

When you don’t have the power to make key decisions about how you do your work, you can start to feel discouraged and burnout can set in. This is also the case when you aren’t given the resources to do your job.  

Unclear job expectations.

Expectations are key to a functioning work environment. If your supervisor doesn’t give you clearly defined expectations, then stress can take hold and impede your ability to do your job.  

Workplace drama.

Your relationships with your coworkers  can set the tone for your entire work experience. When there’s drama in the office, it’s easy to let it overwhelm you.  

Extremes of activity.

The best jobs are neither monotonous nor chaotic, but strike a happy balance. When you spend too much time on one side or the other, then it’s easy to become exhausted and bored with your work.  

Work-life imbalance.

Remember: you work to live, not live to work. If work is constantly getting between you and your family, friends, hobbies, and other “life” stuff, then you’re going to end up resenting the job.  

How to Fight Against Job Burnout

  The best way to fight against job burnout is to take a proactive approach. By prioritizing your mental and physical health, you can ensure that you’re in peak performance when you show up to work. Here are six tips to take action and prevent burnout before it becomes too big of a problem.  

1. Practice healthy habits.

Your mental health and physical health are inextricably linked. After all, your brain is part of your body! Even though we often use unhealthy habits to cope with stress, try to fight against them. Eating well, practicing good hygiene, getting plenty of sleep, and exercising regularly can all help stave off burnout.  

2. Set boundaries (especially if you WFH).

One downside of working from home is that it blurs the lines between work and life. However, one of the keys to fighting burnout is to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Try keeping your work computer and materials in a separate room if possible, and at the minimum set office hours for yourself. It will help you use your off-time to recharge and come back to work the next day in fighting shape.  

3. Schedule time off.

If you’re starting to feel burnt out, see how long it’s been since you had a vacation. Taking a week to refresh and recharge can do wonders for your energy levels and mental health, even if you don’t end up taking a trip.  

4. Practice mindfulness.

Although it seems like the “trendy” thing to do these days, practicing mindfulness is proven to reduce stress and help you process your emotions. This can be as simple as a five-minute meditation practice where you focus on your breath, scan your body to identify aches and pains, or engage in a simple yoga practice. The goal here is to keep your mind from running amok so you can manage and control your negative thoughts.  

5. Reach out to loved ones.

Sometimes, a little perspective can help you to bring you back into alignment. Talking to a loved one—whether a parent, sibling, significant other, or friend—can help you to feel less isolated. This, in turn, will improve your resilience.  

6. Lighten your load.

Sometimes, burnout happens because you have too much on your plate. Remember: you can only handle so much! If you’re working 60-80 hours a week, on top of your personal and familial obligations, you’re almost certain to burn out at some point. Now, that doesn’t mean that you don’t put in extra work for a set amount of time. For instance, the first 90 days of a new role are a critical time in your relationship with the company. You want to invest extra time to prove your value to them. But if this continues over the long haul, that can be a problem. There are a number of strategic ways to lighten your load:
  • Become an expert at prioritization, and focus on the tasks and projects that deliver maximum value to the company
  • If the workload continues to pile up, consider hiring someone (even an intern) to take on some of the smaller tasks
  • Remember to take breaks throughout the day and give yourself the chance to recharge
You’ll want to be open and transparent about communicating these things with your supervisor. If you have a good relationship with your manager,  they can help you figure out a good path forward.  

Final Thoughts on Fighting Job Burnout

  If you experience job burnout, it’s important to know that’s not a death sentence for your relationship with a company. With the tips listed above, you can actively fight against it and have a long, well-established tenure with the organization. Make sure that you communicate with your team if these feelings of burnout become more serious. Sometimes the fix is simple, and it can lead to great things for you, your team, and your company.

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How to Build a Great Relationship with Your Boss

How to Build a Great Relationship with Your Boss Your relationship with your boss is critical to your success in a particular role. In fact, it’s not a stretch to say that your boss can make or break a job experience. According to data from DDI, 57 percent of employees have said they’ve left a job because of their manager. If you’ve recently taken on a new role and want to make it work, then it’s important to proactively build a great relationship with your boss. However, relationships take time to grow. That’s why it’s extra important to start working on it from Day One. Here are six things you can start doing right now to improve your relationship with your boss.  

1. Take the Initiative

  The best way to get on your boss’s good side is to continually demonstrate that you’re a value-add to the organization. You do this not just by performing assigned tasks to excellence, but also taking initiative and taking on new projects. Unless your boss is a sociopath (which is unlikely),  they don’t want to spend time micromanaging you. All they want is for you to perform and add value to the company. When you take initiative to start new projects, you’re showing them that:
  1. You care about the success of the organization
  2. They don’t have to worry about you “working while you’re at work.”
By taking initiative, you not only contribute to the organization’s long-term success, but you also establish yourself as a leader. If your boss is worth their salt, this will only lead to good things as time goes on.

 

2. Set Up Regular One-on-One Meetings

  No relationship can grow without regular communication. Unfortunately, it’s easy for communication between you and your boss to fall by the wayside—until something goes wrong, that is. So instead of waiting until there’s a problem to talk to them, be proactive and set up regular one-on-one meetings with them. These can be as simple as 15-30 minutes per week. You’re not supposed to solve all the world’s problems here; it’s just a time to check in and see how things are going. The main advantage of these meetings is that you can identify potential problems, either in the relationship or in your performance, before they become catastrophic. As the old adage goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” You can also discuss your short- and long-term goals, ask for advice on difficult situations, and see if they have any feedback for you. The goal is to maximize the value out of each session, demonstrating to your boss that you value the relationship (and them).  

3. Be Open and Personable

  It may surprise you to learn that your boss is a person too. That means you should talk to them as a person, not some faceless entity. Talk conversationally with them, be humorous (to a point), bring up interests and life outside of work (when appropriate) and remember to be vulnerable with them, particularly around areas where you’re struggling. However, this doesn’t mean that you should be overfamiliar. There’s a fine line between personable and unprofessional. Generally, it takes experience and understanding about the person to get to this point. So it’s probably better to err on the side of caution, and then open up as you get to know your boss better.  

4. Work Hard

  Don’t just talk the talk: walk the walk! The best way to build up a positive reputation with your boss is just to work hard. Establishing yourself as a hard worker is something that has to happen in your first 30-90 days of taking a new role. If you can cement your reputation among both your boss and other coworkers, then you’re probably going to be in a good spot. On the other hand, if people see you as a slacker, that’s a very difficult situation to overcome.  

5. Ask for Feedback

  Nothing proves to your boss that you care about the organization, your projects, and your performance than proactively asking for feedback. From their perspective, it shows that you care about more than just “holding down a job” and that you actually want to increase the value you offer to the organization. This also shows that you are interested in growth, which will come back to benefit you when promotions and raises come around. No one is perfect. When you request feedback, you can identify potential problem areas in your performance and make adjustments before they get out of hand. Of course, this only works so long as you internalize the feedback and make the necessary improvements.  

6. Talk About Goals

  Both you and your boss have things you want to achieve. Open and honest conversations about these goals can help you both stay aligned and support each other. Understanding your boss’s goals can ensure that you stay engaged with the long-term goals of the company. And when they understand your goals, they can provide support in career pathing.  

Final Thoughts

  If there’s been one word that we’ve used over and over again in this piece, it’s proactive. At the end of the day, that’s the key to maintaining a great relationship with your boss. They shouldn’t do all the heavy lifting; that’s not fair to them or you. This can be difficult when you have a boss that you don’t necessarily like, or who’s difficult to work with. It’s tempting to bunker down in your cubicle or home office, hoping you can fly under the radar and avoid their ire. But if you don’t take ownership of the relationship, your boss will control your destiny, rather than you. Of course, there’s always the possibility that you have a toxic and abusive boss. In that case, you could consider switching teams or making another lateral move. If that doesn’t work, then you should probably move on. But barring an abusive situation, you should do everything in your power to make the relationship with your boss work. Because if you can do that, it can be a massive boon to your current and future prospects.

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How to Get Along with Difficult Coworkers

How to Get Along with Difficult Coworkers Everyone knows about that coworker—the person who makes you dread going to the office or signing onto Slack. It could be a boss or a peer, or even someone who’s not on your immediate team. And while working remotely can bring a sense of reprieve, you still have to interact with these people on the regular. According to data from Olivet Nazarene University, interpersonal relationships are the number one source of tension in a workplace. In fact, 96% of the respondents admitted to getting annoyed with coworkers on a regular basis, and 36% said they had changed jobs because of an annoying coworker. If you’re thinking about changing jobs because of a difficult coworker, think again. Whether you’re confronting a problem head-on or just ignoring someone’s quirks, getting along with difficult coworkers is a soft skill that will help you go far in your career. So before you hand in your two weeks’ notice, read through this article for some tips on how to get along with difficult coworkers.  

Why It’s Important to Get Along with Coworkers

  If you want to work at an organization that’s actually making an impact, odds are you’re going to work with difficult people. Highly effective people can often be disagreeable—after all, they’re busy getting s**t done and don’t have time for niceties. In fact, if you consider yourself to be a highly effective person (or if you aspire to be one), then to someone else, you’re the difficult person to work with. Part of being a professional isn’t avoiding conflict wherever it pops up. It’s learning how to manage conflict and use those moments to deepen working relationships. That way, everyone can focus on excelling individually, and the organization can excel as a whole. That said, there are some lines that shouldn’t be crossed. If someone is abusive or toxic, it’s important to report that to the appropriate person in the company. And if they refuse to deal with it, then you should consider leaving.  

7 Types of Difficult Coworkers in the Office

  Not every difficult person is created equal. Some are easier to handle, and others aren’t. Here are seven of the most common—you’ll likely encounter at least a couple of these in your career.  

1. The Bully

If you feel intimidated by or dismayed around a particular coworker, chances are you’re dealing with a bully. Nearly 54 million Americans have been targeted by a bully at work, so take heart: this is a relatively common phenomenon!  

2. Negative Coworker

In most organizations, there’s that one person who doesn’t like their job—and wants to bring everyone down with them. Sometimes this isn’t entirely their fault (maybe their boss is particularly difficult), but these people can sap the life out of you if you spend too much time around them.  

3. The Difficult Boss

Everyone has probably dealt with a difficult boss at some point in their career: they’re overbearing, micromanaging, incredibly demanding, and generally disrespectful. It’s a far cry from the competent, kind boss who genuinely wants you to succeed and will push you to do so.  

4. The Slacker

If you work hard day in and day out, then a coworker who slacks off can be particularly annoying. The impact of a slacker on your work can range from low morale to holding up work that needs to get done.  

5. The Scene Stealer

There’s always that one person—the one who takes credit for you or your team’s work. Generally speaking, these people are hiding some insecurity, and a good boss will spot them from a mile away.  

6. The Know-It-All

We’ve all worked with someone who takes over conversations and dismisses other people’s input. These know-it-alls rarely listen, and their overall attitude is “my way or the highway.” These people rarely succeed for long within a good organization.  

7. The Office Gossip

Gossip can be a good way for coworkers to bond, but it can also quickly turn into a hurtful activity that poisons the workplace. Unfortunately, the office gossip loves drama, and is willing to create it, to the detriment of getting work done.  

7 Tips for Dealing with a Difficult Coworker

  Now that we’ve covered common types of difficult coworkers, let’s dive into some practical tips for dealing with them. Note that you’ll probably need to mix and match these depending on who you’re dealing with (i.e. you shouldn’t follow #5 for a Slacker). But each of these should provide good food for thought as you work through these challenges.  

1. Confront the situation.

When conflict arises, confronting it head-on is usually the fastest way to resolve it. This should be the first tactic you consider. Granted, sometimes you may need to bide your time or approach it more strategically. And sometimes, there’s not a problem at all—it’s just a miscommunication (all too common in our remote-first world).  

2. Listen to the other side.

Sometimes the source of the conflict is: you. That’s why it’s important to listen to the other person’s story and consider what you may have done to create or worsen the situation. That doesn’t mean you have to take everything they say to heart, but you should at least give them a fair shake before going in guns blazing.  

3. Focus on your positive relationships.

Although one person can take up an undue amount of mental space, remember there are other people in the organization you like working with. Focusing on the positive relationships can help to put things in perspective, and remind you why staying at the company is the best option.  

4. Talk to your boss.

If the situation escalates beyond something you can handle—especially if there is toxicity or abuse—take it to your boss. Sometimes they’ll intervene directly, and sometimes they can offer advice on how you can handle it yourself.  

5. Accept their personality.

People have quirks. It’s a reality of working in an organization. Sometimes, the “problem” isn’t a problem after all, and you need to accept the other person for who they are.  

6. Avoid gossip.

When conversations around difficult coworkers are constructive, they can be a powerful tool. But idle gossip does nothing except to gin up everyone’s emotions and make the situation worse. Avoid it if at all possible.  

7. Limit your interactions.

If someone is absolutely unbearable and you can’t resolve the situation, try to limit your interaction with them. (Note: This really only works for someone who’s not on your immediate team.)  

Final Thoughts on Dealing with Difficult Coworkers

  It’s completely normal to have conflict, especially in a high-powered organization. The problem arises when:
  • Conflict goes unresolved
  • Small problems develop into big ones
  • Genuinely unacceptable behavior goes unchecked
So if there’s an issue, see if you can handle it yourself. See if you’re the one who’s actually the problem. Then if that doesn’t work, go to someone for advice. This could be your boss or someone else you trust in the organization. If that doesn’t work, then you should go to your boss and see what they can do. But if any of the difficult personalities we listed above are allowed to persist, it usually means there’s a deep fault in the leadership or culture of the organization. At that point, you should consider moving on. However, if you can mitigate the issues and keep your workplace from turning toxic, you’ll set yourself up to thrive in that environment, which can only boost your career prospects.

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