When it comes to business trends and buzz-speak, “creativity” is one of the most discussed and least understood words in the modern world. It’s followed at a short distance by “innovation”. While self-described business experts love using these words and claiming to support a culture of spontaneity and ingenuity, the same experts tend to end their speeches by returning to their cubicled workscapes and actively smothering the creativity out of everything around them. There’s a reason for this; most business decision makers depend on the status quo for their security and success, and new ideas—brilliant, impractical, nascent, polished or raw– always represent a threat to the status quo.

So if you’re responsible for supporting business growth and encouraging a thriving culture of ideas, how can you balance that desire with the perfectly natural urge to curtail change and mitigate risk? How can you actually—not just superficially– support creativity and bring out the spark of unconventional genius in each of your employees? More to the point, how can you make sure aren’t crushing that spark every time it shows a sign of life?

Diversity is Powerful, and so is its Absence

Start by looking around your workplace. You should see people from every age group, and these people should represent both genders, multiple ethnicities, and every imaginable size, shape and back story. You may not be leading the United Nations, but the more your employees vary in background, the more they’ll learn from each other, which means the smarter they’ll be, and the stronger your company will become. If you see too much similarity, make some targeted changes to your staffing strategy.

Don’t Rush Things

There’s no faster way to kill new ideas than by forcing them. Be careful how you ration resources, especially time. Brilliant and risky ideas sometimes result from intense deadline pressure….but they usually don’t. Instead, unrealistic deadlines tend to produce assembly line ideas that look just like all the previous ones. 

Regulate Product if you Want, But Not Process

Be flexible and allow employees to work in their own way. Just because you read a management article that says employees work best in teams, or in the morning, or when encouraged to compete, doesn’t mean it’s true. Some processes work well from some employees and not for others. 

Most Important: Don’t Withhold Support

The best way to keep an employee from suggesting an idea (or even considering the idea in the first place) is to reflexively reject, deny, or ignore unsolicited suggestions. Especially in a public setting. The second best method involves taking the idea and putting it into action without providing appropriate credit or compensation. Give employees incentive to think outside the box, and when they do it, thank them and give them support, whether the idea has merit or not.
 
Reach out to the Connecticut staffing and business management experts at Merritt for more ways to encourage creativity in your workplace. We can help you remove obstacles to innovation and bring out the best in your team.

Online applications have a few standard features that seem to carry across from one industry and position to the next. One of the trickiest of these universal questions has to do with salary. When employers ask you to enter your desired salary, or a salary range, into an online application box, how should you respond? Here are a few of your most likely options, along with the pros and cons of each one.

1. Enter the lowest salary you’d ever accept.

This will please your employers if they register the number as “affordable.” But they won’t be impressed if they read your number as “desperate”. Shoppers on a shoestring buy the cheapest item in the store, but those can afford to do so tend to move upscale. Be careful not to undersell your hard-earned skills or compromise your self-respect.

2. Enter the highest reasonable salary you can possibly expect.

This shows that you’re confident in your marketability and proud of your skills and experience. But if you’re bluffing, remember that your employers are more experienced poker players than you are, and they know a weak hand when they see one. Before you ask for too much, gain a sense of how your resume and accomplishments stack up when measured against those of your peers.

3. Enter the salary of your last job.

This is an easy solution with minimal risk and minimal reward. It may keep you out of trouble, but it won’t help you stand out.

4. Conduct some careful research and enter a number just above or just below the exact average for this job in your geographic area.

This is probably the wisest and most practical option. It shows that you know the value of the position and that you’ve taken that number and carefully factored in one of your two most appealing features: either your affordability or your general excellence.

5. Enter a range between the option 1 (the lowest you’ll accept) and option 2 (the highest you can possibly expect.)

If the application will allow you to enter a range, this is probably your best and most open-ended response to the question. But be aware that your employers probably won’t offer a cent more than they need to for the health of the business, which means their attention will fall to the lower end of the scale.
For more compensation request and salary negotiation tips, reach out to the Connecticut staffing and job search experts at Merritt.  

There’s no doubt that the internet has changed the market landscape forever for recruiters, hiring managers, and staffing pros. We now have almost unlimited access to global pools of brilliant candidates…But only if we know how to identify these candidate, target our messages, and approach prospective talent in an appealing and tactful way. Here are a few quick social media tips that help you not only find great candidates, but also attract their attention and encourage them to apply.

Social Media Tips for Employers

1. Use company social media profiles to announce positions and provide information, but do NOT use social media to screen existing applicants. Reviewing a candidate’s Facebook profile to make a hiring decision provides an incomplete and often misleading picture of her credentials. And not only is social media a weak screening option, it may also be unethical and even illegal. Think ahead—what if your social media search leads to a photo of the candidate in a wheelchair? Are you ready to face accusations of discrimination if you decide to pass this person over?

2. When you announce an open position on Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin, follow through. Provide clear links to a page offering detailed requirements and contact resources. Don’t just state that you have a position available and then leave candidates to sleuth for more information on their own.

3. Lead all interested candidates back to your website, or to a blog established specifically for this position. If you go the blog route, keep the blog updated frequently with new information about the job, a history of the company, a video of the hiring manger discussing the position, and a long list of clear responsibilities and applicant requirements.

4. Target posts and Tweets. If you have specific platforms where you’d like your post to get the most attention, use @ functions and hashtags wisely. Direct your message to a feed popular among graduating computer science students at a local top-tier university, for example. 

5. Call in the experts. If you aren’t sure how to navigate the world of social media posting and targeted tweeting, reach out to a digital marketing firm for help. This may be less expensive than you realize, and the benefits can be enormous.

6. Fix broken links, and do it fast. Nothing turns applicants off like broken links, dead ends, and wild goose chases. Determined candidates may find ways around these obstacles, but you may not want to select for determination alone. The most talented applicants will always have other options, and they aren’t likely to put up with confusing nonsense. Don’t let a simple technical glitch drive them away.

Reach out to the Connecticut staffing pros at Merritt for more tips on using social media to expand your access to great candidates.

If your workplace functions like most office environments, your employers probably subject you to some form of overall performance review at least once a year, usually sometime in June or January. And while performance evaluation tools and metrics differ with every industry and every business model, there are probably some clear patterns to the criteria your employers use to measure your success. There may also be some predictable steps you and your managers typically take after the review ends to help you stay on track toward company goals or shift you back in the right direction if you’ve strayed off course.

So if you recognize these patterns and criteria, and they provide a reliable picture of your yearly contributions to the company, why not take it upon yourself to increase the benefits of the review process by giving yourself an extra review a few times a year? Try these self-review tips to help you increase your value to your manager and your organization.

Self-Evaluation Tips

1. Use real criteria, and take the process seriously. Hold onto a copy of your annual review each year and apply the same questions and metrics to your performance three months later. But add your own criteria as well. If your official review offers no 1-5 ranking options for metrics like “timeliness” or “determination and follow-through regarding problem solving”, then add them. Any criteria that can used to measure how well you do your job should be factored into your unofficial review.

2. Be honest. Nobody will see this review but you, and its primary purpose is to help you identify and shore up areas of weakness. So face these areas of weakness head on and see them with clear eyes. Don’t let your ego stand between you and the truth.

3. Be honest about your strengths as well as your areas in need of improvement. We all like to be praised for our positive traits, even if the praise is unofficial, unpublished, and self-attributed. Just be as realistic as possible and give yourself credit where credit is due.

4. Follow through. There’s little value in going the process of a point-by-point non-mandatory self-evaluation if you don’t intend to do anything with the results. One you’ve completed the assessment process, form a clear plan with achievable actionable goals and a realistic timeline. If you need help with your public speaking skills, for example, don’t just give yourself low marks and move on. Reach out and take measurable action by signing up for a Toastmasters course, or asking your employer for guidance and training. 

Need help following through on your self-directed employee improvement plan? The Connecticut career experts at Merritt can help. Contact our office and find out more about our industry connections, tips, job search tools, and training resources.

Are you exhaustively tweaking your recruiting strategy and still not attracting the qualified applicant pool you need? Are you publishing your postings to a carefully identified target audience and still letting great candidates slip away? If you’re doing everything right, but still generating only a thin trickle of candidates while your competitors wade through an avalanche of resumes, it might be time to take a closer look at your application process. Keep these considerations in mind.

1. Keep things simple. Unemployment rates are high, but that doesn’t mean all candidates are desperate or willing to jump through hoops for your company. Nor should they be. If you think that a long, tedious submission process will thin the herd and bring in only the best, think again. This only selects candidates with a high tolerance for nonsense. Talented candidates who have other options will stop after the first or second online submission form you make them fill out… Or after the third time your website application tool freezes.

2. No unconventional file types. Don’t insist that candidates submit their documents as Richtext files, PDF files, blog URLs, or anything else. Just a resume and cover letter in Word will do. Even if a file conversion only takes two minutes, the message you’re sending to candidates is clear: You aren’t familiar with common technology or standard hiring practices, you aren’t sure what you’re doing, and you don’t mind wasting a candidate’s time. 

3. Re-examine your overall hiring process, not just the way you accept submissions. When candidates apply, send them an automatic message letting them know their documents have been received. Keep them updated at least once a week throughout the interview and selection process. Don’t leave them in silence, lose their materials, subject them to five rounds of interviews (three at the most will do), or send mixed, confusing messages about their chances.

4. Respect your candidates. Don’t ask demeaning or baiting questions during interviews, and don’t ask candidates to submit “samples” of work unless you intend to pay for them. Setting up obstacles like these will only weed out the strongest candidates. The ones who stay in the running are the ones with high levels of desperation and questionable self-respect. 

5. Act fast once you’ve made a decision. If you like a candidate, never let her dangle on the line. Put the hiring wheels in motion right away. And follow through—don’t tell her over the phone that she has the job and then wait two weeks to send a formal offer letter. By the time you finally act, your candidate may have signed on with a faster moving competitor.

For more tips on keeping your hiring process lean, efficient, and candidate-friendly, contact the Connecticut staffing experts at Merritt. We’ll help you build up a strong applicant pool and attract the top talent you’re looking for.

You received a formal offer for your dream job earlier this week and you’ve been in celebration mode for the last two days. You announced the news to your family and all of your friends, you tossed the last few copies of your resume in the recycle bin, and you’ve been gearing up to hit the ground running and start your new job off on the right foot. You even bought a new outfit for your first day and you can’t wait to put it on.

But just yesterday a minor scandal was exposed at the top of the company and stock prices are expected to take a hit. Should you be worried?

Job Offers Aren’t Binding Agreements

If your new company is on rough footing financially, or you’re about to step into a department that provides services that are fast becoming obsolete, tread lightly. Don’t panic, but at the same time, it may be a good idea to put off major purchases for a little while. And don’t make important life decisions that depend on the assumption of stable, long term employment.

It may seem cruel or unfair for a company to make a commitment to an employee that it can’t keep, but bear in mind that most employment contracts in the information economy are “at-will” agreements, which means both sides have a right to terminate the agreement at any time, for any reason. As long as your termination or suspended offer doesn’t represent an act of discrimination, the company can let you go at any time, even days or weeks before your first day.

If recent events are shaking your confidence in an employer’s ability to support you, have a little faith. But be practical, and remember that no binding promises have been made or accepted on either side of your relationship. Don’t become angry or reactionary, and don’t preemptively reject the offer if you really do like the company and want to work there. But don’t throw your resume into the trash bin just yet. Recognize that the modern job market and business landscape are shaped by the winds of sudden change. Stay flexible.

Need help navigating the uncertain currents of today’s job market? The Connecticut staffing experts at Merritt are standing by with guidance, industry connections, and job search resources you can rely on.

Sixty years ago, a standard four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited university was a common, but nowhere near universal, credential for an entry level job in the nascent information economy. At that point, offices were beginning to replace farms and factories as gateways to a middle class lifestyle, and for most upwardly mobile office work, a college degree was coveted by employers. A degree suggested that a candidate had the tenacity and intellectual rigor to spend four years engaged in study, skill acquisition, and broad cultural immersion in the humanistic concepts that shape Western thought.

Candidates with a degree were considered intelligent and determined, and they were assumed to possess functional competence in their specific area of study. A degree also suggested a middle class background, since college was typically impractical or out of reach to those who had grown up in poverty.

Sixty years later, bachelor’s degrees have become such a universal symbol of readiness for information-based positions that their value is now being called in question. When you screen a candidate for an entry level office position, should a missing degree be a deal breaker? Or should you look beyond this credential for other qualities that provide more accurate predictors of success? Take these considerations into account.

You Make the Call

If you have sole or final responsibility for the consequences of this hiring decision, it might be a good idea to look beyond rigid and overly generic standards. Take control of the process and do what’s right for your business, your goals, your office culture, and yourself.

Take Technical and Clinical Knowledge into Account

A degree sometimes suggests immersion in broad ideas and intellectual rigor, which can also be judged by alternative methods. But without a degree, technical knowledge can be very hard to certify and prove. Make sure you’re not taking on a candidate who’s starting from absolute zero and will need to develop volumes of skill and information at your expense. Technical skills like drawing, writing, design, software development, and engineering take time and money to master. Calculate the cost of this training versus the salary premiums commanded by degree-holding candidates.

Get What You Pay For

If you do decide to fork over a salary premium for a candidate with a degree, make sure you get the value you expect for your money. Ask thoughtful questions during the interview that can give you real insight into the candidate’s overall knowledge base. And even though it may seem like a superfluous or overly cautious step, it’s never a bad idea to make a call and confirm a candidate’s educational credentials.

For more information on screening candidates for entry level positions, arrange a consultation with the Connecticut staffing and employment experts at Merritt.

There are a few common interview questions that aren’t just common…they’re nearly universal, across every industry at every career level. These questions typically begin the conversation, and the way you decide to answer can set the tone for the rest of the session. So when a hiring manager opens an interview by asking you to talk freely about yourself and your background, how should you respond?

Think About Your Overarching Goals

What are you here to accomplish? Of course you want this hiring manager to see you as a valuable asset to the company, but what specific skills and character traits can you offer that will leave an impression beyond the obvious? What can you say about yourself that other candidates might not be able to say? For example:

1. Have you accomplished anything specific and important during your career that other candidates probably haven’t?

2. Have you experienced a mid-life career change? If so, what made you decide to leave the previous field and what attracted you to this one?

3. Have there been some unique and defining events in your life that sparked your passion for this type of work?

Your answers to the questions above will help your interviewer gain a better sense of who you are as person and what you’re specifically looking for as you shape the direction of your career. As she listens, she can think about the information you’re providing and how it fits into the complex needs of the company and the straightforward demands of this particular position.

Showcase Your Personality

The introductory question of your interview gives you an opportunity to highlight the most important aspects of your candidacy that you’d like the interviewer to remember. But it also allows you to put your personality on display and let the interviewer draw conclusions about what it might be like to work with you every day.

If you want her to see your friendly side, now is your chance. If you want to come off as business-focused, analytical, and serious, she’ll be watching and taking notes. If you don’t know exactly what she’s looking for and what kind of person she wants to see, it’s in your best interest to simply be yourself…but the best side of yourself. No matter what you decide to share, keep it positive, stay engaged and energetic, and stay focused on the professional (rather than the personal) side of your life story.

For specific guidance, mock interview sessions, and additional practice questions, reach out to the Connecticut staffing and job search experts at Merritt. We can help you start your interview off on the right note.

A wise person once said “If two people running a business always agree, then one of them is unnecessary.”

Conflict often seems painful or uncomfortable when it flares up and stands in the way of progress. And human feelings are a very real, and often sensitive, aspect of life in the business world. But if you view conflict as an essential obstacle that needs to be overcome or eliminated altogether, it might be wise to adjust your mindset in the interest of protecting and growing you company.  

Though conflict stands in the way of progress, it also lies at the heart of progress, and a variety of personalities and opposing viewpoints are necessary if we’re interested in gaining a more complete picture of complex situation. Don’t be afraid to disagree, and don’t be alarmed if you manage a team that sometimes runs full speed into personality impasses. Embrace this challenge and take advantage of the lessons it provides. Here are a few things to consider when you encounter a seemingly insurmountable workplace clash.

1. Be fair. If you’re in a management position, this means listen carefully to each side in equal measure.

2. Don’t rush or force an easy answer just to end the conflict. Let the two sides battle it out on their own for a little while before you step in as a referee. Both players are adults, so they’re not unfamiliar with tension and disagreement. Let them exercise their hard-earned negotiation skills. Place some trust in their ability to make clear, well-reasoned points, recognize their own logical errors, and stand up for their opinions.

3. Take backgrounds and communication styles into account. If one of your team members is a peacemaker and the other has a tendency to bluster and bully, don’t let this pattern determine the outcome of the conflict. Use your intervention to balance the strengths and weaknesses of each side.

4. Try not to let personal issues play a role in business decisions. If the two conflicting sides are also involved in an outside battle that has nothing to do with the issue at hand, help them recognize this, compartmentalize their feelings, and stay focused on the best interests of the company.

5. Act as a translator if one side clearly doesn’t understand the other’s points or point of view.

6. If the resolution of the conflict ultimately falls to you, stay cool-headed, focused on the long term future, diplomatic, and just. Whether your final decision leads to success or not, make sure you encourage an atmosphere of fair and responsible argument. Don’t punish your team members or become annoyed with them simply because they disagreed. Instead, praise them for facing their disagreement boldly and doing their best to overcome it.

For more help with conflict management in the workplace, reach out the Connecticut staffing experts at Merritt and arrange a consultation. We can provide the business management and negotiation skills you need to make the most of your diverse teams.

Should the resume of a 50-year- old person look different from that of a 35-year-old? Or a 25-year-old? In terms of basic organization, no. Resumes tend to follow a simple, straightforward format that helps employers compare one to another in a way that’s easy, timely, and fair. All resumes should begin with an initial summary, which should be followed by distinct sections for education, work history, and skills. But in terms of specific content, the resume of a middle-aged, mid-career employee can and should include details that younger resumes typically don’t.

If you’re over 50, consider updating and tweaking your resume in accordance with the following considerations. Even if you aren’t on the job market at the moment, making these changes now can save you some time if you find yourself applying for a new position.

The Over-50 Resume: Considerations

1. Streamline strategically. If you’ve been in the workforce for decades, a catalogue of your experience and accomplishments might fill ten pages or more. But a ten page resume is out of bounds, so you’ll need to trim. How can you say everything you need to say about your work history in two pages or fewer? Start by choosing only the five most relevant positions you’ve held (possibly also the most recent five). Leave the others out. You’ll just need to explain those gaps in your timeline during your interview, which is acceptable and widely expected.

2. While most entries under “work history” are divided equally between a summary of responsibilities and a list of special accomplishments, a mid-career resume should lean more heavily toward the second of the two. Don’t waste precious resume space listing the responsibilities expected of anyone a given position. Instead, use that space to polish and showcase your unique victories.

3. Don’t let your resume date you. For example, don’t state your age (or any other personal information for that matter, like religion, ethnicity, number of children or marital status). Just include your graduation dates in your education section and let potential employers do the math on their own. Also, make sure you use the latest version of Microsoft Word to draft and format your resume. Unless specifically requested, don’t submit your resume in rare, awkward file types like PDFs or Richtext (and by all means don’t use a typewriter).  

For more resume tips and industry-specific guidance, contact the Connecticut job search experts at Merritt. We have tools and resources you can use to polish your resume and gain an advantage over your competition.