Don’t Live a Life of “What Ifs”

As you know, and probably have felt before, most of the time people don’t like stepping out of their comfort zones, especially when it comes to the business world. However, if you have an opportunity in your life that will benefit you in the long run, then take the risk. If not now, when? If you don’t take chances that require a leap of faith, you may end up regretting it later on.

For example, let’s say you find something that you are extremely passionate about, but it doesn’t have anything to do with your current job. Go for it. Try something new, because if it will benefit you in some way then it’s worth it.

When taking chances you may not have all of the answers, but there are always lessons to learn about determination, leadership and courage. You are responsible for creating the life you want and the career that will satisfy you. Fear is the main factor that holds us back from reaching our greatest potential; therefore we won’t know what is achievable until we try.

People are inspired by the idea that they can own their life and meet their own ideal success. Next time there is a promotion at work or an opportunity that you wouldn’t normally take simply because of fear, just remember that life is about risks. Don’t let the “what ifs” in life stop you, because they might end up being the best decisions you ever made.

Please contact Connor | Caitlin at www.connorcaitlin.com for more information, or for help to reach your next goal.

The Secret to Getting a Promotion

When a topic regarding promotion is brought up, it often leaves people quite perplexed. In many situations people complain about the unfairness of how promotions are chosen. So, what is the secret to getting a promotion?

For one, start associating yourself with other people who have been promoted and those who are highly respected within your company. Habits rub off; therefore it is important that you gain the right ones. Along with the correct skills for the job, you should also strive to have the best attitude you can.

           

Communicating is one of the most important characteristics you need to maintain in the business world. Know how to effectively and appropriately discuss your accomplishments and strengths with your boss. Also, try giving your boss a weekly update so they are aware of what’s going on in your department; this displays your attention to the company. With that being said, “don’t just talk the talk, but walk the walk”. While communication is vital, so is participation. It’s always noble to get involved, particularly when it comes to meetings and business socials.

You have to be willing to show your boss you can handle responsibility and be more involved than the average Joe. One thing yo

u never want to do is obsess over getting a promotion, just go with the flow. If you ask your boss over and over again then you will end up seeming desperate and that is not a quality they are looking for. Don’t stress too much over whether you do or don’t get a promotion, its nothing personal, so all you can do is strive to be the best employee you can be.

Please contact Connor | Caitlin at www.connorcaitlin.com for more information.

What to ask the Newbie

Effectively hiring a new employee is important for any company. How is this successfully achieved? The faster you get your new hire up-to-speed with things the more productive they can be.

It’s vital to get to know your new employee personally so they feel more comfortable at work. For example, take them out to lunch one day or to get a cup of coffee. Be sure to ask them questions in order to gauge how they are adjusting to their new job and work environment. See if their job has been what they expected so far and if it meets all of their standards. Make it very clear that honesty is critical with your new employee and they should be open with you. In order to get them more involved make sure they aren’t confused about their role in the company and that nothing is unclear.

As the manager, offer your new employee actions that could possibly make their transition easier. This will prove your commitment to them when it comes to improving their performance. Discuss what they are enjoying the most about their role, this way you are bringing up a positive topic. This is a clever way to bring up their strengths if you haven’t already.

Teamwork is one of the most important aspects in today’s business world. Make an effort to introduce your new employee to their colleagues. Start by inviting them to a group discussion or even set up lunches with people you think they would get along with.

The first few months at a new job can be quite difficult and sometimes uncomfortable to adjust to. By having occasional meetings with your new hire and asking them these questions, you will see them adapt much quicker to their new job.

Please contact Connor | Caitlin at www.connorcaitlin.com for more information on successful on-boarding practices. 

What’s your best practice?

The phrase “best practice” is tossed around all the time, especially in human resources and recruiting. What does it really mean though?

A company begins to call a procedure a “best practice” after it is proven to provide results. Companies love hearing about “best practices,” sharing theirs with others, and learning new “best practices” from others. When just thinking about it on the surface, that makes a lot of sense. However, if the surface of the idea is scraped just a tiny bit, the idea begins to fall apart.

If there is one thing that is constant in the world it is change. Change is necessary for progress and progress is vital to continual success. If these ideas are held true, then the idea of “best practices” is almost a laughable one. How can one expect to change and progress while using the same procedures over and over again?

The other vital piece to consider is that all businesses and people are different. What works best for one may be a catastrophic failure to another. Learning from others is a great practice and can lead to miraculous innovation, but only if done while still considering differences. 

All of this is not to say that you should throw all procedures and practices out the window. Some consistency and much organization are both also key factors of success. However, it is important to regularly examine everything being done to insure no updates or improvements can be made.

Contact Connor | Caitlin to talk about “best practices” and continuous improvement by emailing info@connorcaitlin.com 

It's Not What You Know, it's Who You Know.

We’re all familiar with the phrase “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” When you are making new connections and expanding your network, it is important to take time to think through how you can make your network work for you to get the most out of your connections.

Each new person you meet can be a new point in your network, but planning ahead and having a strategy can exponentially increase the value of networking. By thinking through how you will network and coming up with your plan of attack, you not only will be more prepared to make better connections, but will refine your networking abilities and become a networking genius.

Begin with figuring out what kind of people you need to add to your network. This can be anyone from lateral employees at companies within your industry to higher ups in a field you are interested in penetrating into. Once you have determined what kind of people to add you can begin to look for specific people and events. After you have found events to attend, try to obtain a copy of the list of attendees to strategize whom to meet. When you are at the event ma

king connections, be sure to have meaningful interactions. It does you no good to meet someone if they will not remember you afterwards. Finally, after you have made your connection, be sure to follow-up quickly. Your follow up could be a quick note in an email, an invitation to coffee or lunch, or even a connect on LinkedIn.

Networking will never be an exact science, but with careful consideration and planning it can become a nearly perfected art. Do not be afraid to try different techniques and figure out what works best for you. Inevitably mistakes will be made, that is okay. Learn from the mistakes and do better the next time. With planning, networking prowess will soon be in your wheelhouse.

Contact Connor | Caitlin to talk more about networking and how you can improve your skills.  

Diving into Uncertainty

            No one can predict the future; therefore every day comes with uncertainties. However, uncertainty will not stop a successful individual from achieving their goals. To be able to predict and able to understand are two important concepts when it comes to overcoming uncertainty. It’s always critical to determine the possible outcome of events and prepare for them. Once you are able to make rational assumptions, you will not be as anxious about future. 

When it comes to being successful in your career, taking risks is an instinct everyone should have, seeing as human beings are naturally curious. Taking risks is driven by the desire to understand. Nobody likes an unresolved situation, thus if you don’t fix the problem you will never be satisfied. How will you know how to resolve the situation? Well, that’s where predicting and understanding the situation comes to mind.

            It’s always an individual’s first instinct to control a problem when it arises, or even before it does. Since people attempt to predict the future when they are uncertain, it gives them a sense of control so they feel more powerful in their position. Uncertainty is our reaction to external factors, so when that factor can be controlled the feeling of uncertainty disappears. In the time of doubt, if you don’t have sufficient information, it is always a smart idea to rely on your gut feeling. Trusting your subconscious can be very helpful considering your intuition about a person or situation is usually correct. 

Even when given no insight on a situation, successful people never let uncertainty stand in their way because they use their first instinct. Stressing about uncertainty is just a waste of time and energy, which is why it’s always important to use your instincts so nothing can hold you back in your career and everyday life.

For more information please contact Connor Caitlin Talent Solutions at www.connorcaitlin.com

Be a Learner!

Whenever a person is recognized as being successful, people always want to know how they did it. One thing that nearly every successful person will contribute his or her success to, is lifelong learning.

Successful people never stop learning; they learn from every opportunity they can. They’re continuously looking for new opportunities to grow and develop. This allows them to constantly be at the top of their game and know what is going on in their market.

There are tons of ways you can develop lifelong learning habits. Read a book a month, an article a day, or a newspaper every weekend. Go to a conference. Set up a training program at work. Sign up for something you have never done before. The important thing is to set goals for yourself and make sure you are making progress towards them.

Once you have your goals set, decide how you will use your new knowledge and make the most of it. Talk about what you are learning with others. Write about it in a journal, or keep notes in the margins of the book you are reading. Teach others what you have learned. Surround yourself with other lifelong learners that will challenge your ideas and push you to try new things.

If you dedicate yourself to being a lifelong learner, it will impact far more than just your professional life. Lifelong learning can create new friendships, develop new skills and hone existing skills, keep your mind sharp, help you adapt to change, lead to higher levels of self-fulfillment and it can even help make the world a better place. 

If you have any questions about lifelong learning or how you can promote it in your workplace, please contact Connor | Caitlin at www.connorcaitlin.com.

The After-Graduation Black Hole

Congratulations Class of 2015!

Now that you've hit the major milestone of graduating from college, it’s time to enter the working world.  Some of you may already have job offers, and some may still be discovering themselves, but we can all benefit from job/career advice. 

Business professionals have long since stated the importance of networking, and that is still a large part to the success of many careers today.  Networking, meeting people from all specialties and industries will open your eyes to opportunities that you never even thought about, or knew existed.  Plus, down the road, you never know when one of those connections you made will come in handy.

 

Here’s a fun one.  As a recent college graduate, learn to let your parents help you find the right position.  Parents always want their kids to succeed, and will do anything in their power to help.  While this may seem like you are reverting back to your childhood, trust me, it will help in the end. They know people that they can trust, and people always love to help others.

Forget about your age.  Present yourself as you want others to see you.  Never say “I know I’m young, but…”  This will only get the interviewers thinking about how young you really are, and if you have what it takes to make it at that company.  Instead, present yourself as a professional.  Leave them wondering how old you really are, because you present yourself as a seasoned professional.  Don’t be intimidated by those who are older and wiser, and learn from their experiences that they are willing to share.

Read articles, google the company you are interviewing for, and meet everyone you can.  You will find your niche.

If you want help discovering your career path, please contact Connor|Caitlin. 

The new age of the Millennial

Millennials are such a popular topic of conversation these days, so I would like to expand on our previous post from last week on Millennials. 

For those who are not a part of the millennial generation, you may have been taught early in your career that relocation would be a part of your life.  For millennials, this has not necessarily been the case.  This generation typically is one that would rather stay where they are comfortable, and where they can have a good, but maybe not great job.  However, relocation can be a possibility, even internationally, if approached the right way. 

Millennials need to feel that they aren't alone.  We are social creatures, so continuing that openness as we move to a new location is key.  Setting up lunches, after-hours activities and other outings with folks from the hiring company are just a few of the steps that need to be taken to make relocation a reality for millennials.

Putting together a relocation package, (I’m not talking just money!) could be the catalyst that helps a young professional move.  This package needs to include housing information, realtors that they can trust, things to do in the area, the best neighborhoods near the office, and much more.  This can be instrumental to the success of a relocation.  Since not adjusting to a new environment is the top reason for a negative relocation, hiring companies should do everything in their power to ensure the successful move of any professional.

A relocating Millennial should be given the same attention that would be given to a more seasoned professional, and sometimes even more so.  With the changing workforce, companies need to adapt to the new ways of the millennials.

If you need help attracting top talent like millennials, please contact a practice leader at Connor|Caitlin. 

Infographic from http://kevincsnyder.com/millennials-millennials-millennials

What the heck is a Millennial, and what do I need to know about them?

Millennials are the newest and fastest growing generation in America’s work force. Millennials are people who were born in the 1980s or 1990s. Just like every generation before them, millennials are being misunderstood by the generation before them. Really though, millennials are more like Generation X members than they are different. If you are hiring millennials, and you should be, here are the top three things you need to know about the new kids on the block.

1. Grace Hopper said, “The most dangerous phrase in the language is “we've always done it this way.”” Members of the millennial generation believe this is the truest thing ever said. They are eager to make a difference and want to be a part of key decisions. They do not like doing grunt work “just because,” and they will stand up for themselves more than any generation before them. Millennials know that change is constant, and they believe in using change for good.

2. Leading off of that point, millennials are not as motivated by money. What, you’re asking, money does not matter to them? Of course it matters to them, but they are also very motivated by making a difference and discovering the world around them. Perhaps instead of offering pay raises, your company might consider offering extended vacation time for young employees to travel abroad, or maybe an extensive training program in a new sector of the industry.  

3. The last thing you need to know is a two-part point. Millennials are excellent multitaskers. A lot of this is attributed to the fact that they grew up surrounded by technology. So do not hesitate to ask the young guy in the corner office to help with your social media presence while he is working on a new data system. Millennials enjoy a challenge and they are well prepared for them.  

If you have any questions about millennials or want to find some fresh thinkers for your company contact Connor|Caitlin.  

Pay me now or pay someone else later...

The Wall Street Journal had a great article this past Tuesday on how the rebounding economy is placing pressure on employers to raise wages or suffer turnover.  The economic indicators are strong. Growth companies are hiring which means opportunities to move to better paying jobs is a reality for key players looking to jump ship. While most good companies get lower unemployment is good for business, a lot of companies fail to realize that not addressing the wage gap from recessionary times doesn't just go away, it leads to decisions. 

People vote and they vote with their feet, if employers are careless about righting the wage constraints that impacted their business a few years ago, they will pay either way.  Great employers understand the direct impact that turnover has on productivity, training costs and employee morale.  In other words, to compete in the war for talent, a top grading company must be mindful that compensation is a big reason for the decision to leave.   

Worth and value are in the bucket of reasons good employees stay or leave but failing to look hard what you pay people is a key ingredient in the recipe for turnover.  In the end, paying your top talent their worth today is important but really understanding what that worth is may be a challenge.  Top talent will find it out what their worth is but usually this involves them giving their notice to really hit you in the face. 

If you have questions about wage modeling or talent strategy, contact one of our practice leaders at Connor|Caitlin.