6 Ways to Keep Hold of Your Best Employees

6 Ways to Keep Hold of Your Best Employees A really great employee can be hard to come by, so when you manage to secure one, you dont want to let them go! Not only do your top workers help to keep business running smoothly and boost profit, but the cost of a replacing them if they were to leave can be monumental. However, in order to retain your best talent, youre going to have to provide them with a good reason to stay. There are a number of factors that individuals  look for in a role, from a  company culture that suits their personality, to the opportunity to progress in their career; so what can you do as an employer to ensure you are catering for your employees needs and keep hold of your best staff? 1) Hire the right people If you hire somebody who is a good fit for the role, as well as for your company culture, they are more likely to settle in nicely and stay with the company for a long period of time. By rushing or skimping on the hiring process, you are at risk of hiring  somebody who does not  suit the working environment and is high risk of jumping ship after just a short stint with the company. 2) Effective communication Employees want to be kept in the loop about whats happening in the company, so it is important that you keep staff updated about any significant changes to the business, new clients/projects, etc. They also want to feel like they are being listened to and their ideas are taken on board, so it is essential that they are given the opportunity to contribute and communicate any business suggestions.  By involving your employees and keeping the informed they will feel more valued and invested in the business. 3) Offer employee perks Though some of the largest  global firms have a the budget to offer extravagant  employee perks like company cars and staff holidays, employee perks dont have to be huge and something as simple as the option to work remotely or finish early on a Friday  could help to keep your staff sweet. Offering perks unique to your company will also help to differentiate you from other employers when recruiting. 4)  A competitive salary Employees want to feel like that they are given the compensation that they deserve, or they are likely to look elsewhere. Do your research, so that you have an accurate idea of what the average market wage is for the particular role and make sure you can either match it or even exceed it, if you can afford to do so. Salary can be one of the most competitive factors for job seekers, so you dont want to lose out on the best candidates because they got a better offer. 5)  Training or development opportunities Its never too late to learn new skills and improve on existing ones, so a lot of professionals look for jobs that offer them the opportunity  to undertake further training or personal development while in the job. By offering training courses to your staff or promoting from within the company, employees are more likely to feel inclined to stay and grow in the company. 6) Encourage feedback Creating an open environment, where your employees feel comfortable bringing up any issues they may have, can help to pinpoint problems that need to be resolved before they can cause any damage. Encourage your staff to provide feedback and suggestions about ways that things could be improved and areas they would like to see change, to ensure they dont have any bees in their bonnet.

Retail Resume Skills

Retail Resume SkillsRetail resume skills should be based on industry-specific knowledge. For example, if you're looking for a job as a customer service representative at a fast food restaurant, your retail resume should cover the basics: who the company is, what you would do if you got the job, and how you fit into the fast food restaurant's overall corporate culture. You may also need to list some specific retail experiences for the job.Retail resumes usually highlight how you've built or developed your skills. You can include examples of jobs you have worked on in the past or show you have demonstrated your leadership skills with another employer. People reading your resume will recognize how you have learned or been trained, and they will be more impressed by your ability to learn quickly and make quick decisions.The most effective resume is one that clearly shows what skills you possess. You don't want to give away your real position by filling out a resume that doesn't mention y our skills. It could leave the reader thinking that you have more experience than you really do. When it comes to your retail resume skills, concentrate on writing something that relates directly to your job.In order to be an effective marketing and recruiting tool, your resume has to be organized, so that it stands out from all the other resumes on the market. To help with this, make sure you've included your name, your employer's name, your phone number, and a direct line to the interview. Using a cover letter or introduction is also a great idea.If possible, make it easier for a potential employer to contact you, by including a direct line to your area. When it comes to your retail resume skills, you should also emphasize the type of people that you have worked with. You might mention some of your best customers and say something about a good thing you've done for another company or individual. It could also includea saying that you enjoy, or a reference to a way that you solved a problem.It's important to remember that if your employer is really serious about hiring you, he will want to see some previous work experience. It may sound like common sense, but many people assume that the employer would only care about education and experience. This isn't necessarily true, but it may have limited impact on your prospective employer. To help your potential employer see that you have actual experience, list some recent jobs where you handled customer service.You should also take advantage of the time you have at your current company to make the most of your resume and make it look its best. Reviewing it carefully may not seem like a smart idea, but it could mean saving you time in the long run. You may also find that spending some time in preparing your resume makes it more professional. You can spend less time on your resume, which means less stress, and less money spent on printing.Many employers will actually be very impressed with your retail resume skills, e specially if you spent time learning about them. You may even find that your prospects will start calling you for interviews.

How Safe Is Your Neighborhood Use These 5 Tools to Find Out

How Safe Is Your Neighborhood Use These 5 Tools to Find Out What neighborhood basically means is the community behind it, but there’s so much more hidden in its meaning. Neighborhood makes you feel welcome and safe during your stay. With the modern-day apps and websites, it’s never been so easy to help to track your neighborhood’s safety. Even though the mentioned tools have become available recently, the whole concept of neighborhood crime watch was on the table since the 1960’s. For example, the National Neighbourhood Watch was formed back in 1972. But as time goes, the technologies were developed into a whole new complex, helping people tracking the vital components of their neighborhood in a few clicks or swipes. In most cases like moving into a new neighborhood, or just looking for a new place and, for example, living well in some of the suburbs, checking with trusty online resources will greatly improve your level of safety and overall understanding of the area. Some of the best digital tools just simply gather all of the information publicly available online, along with the tips from the locals and government reports. Today we combined a list of the best neighborhood Safety tools on the market: AreaVibes AreaVibes helps you to get the very best of finest places to stay in America. Company levels areas and cities centered on metrics such as amenities available, crime levels. Simply search a county, city, locality, or exact street to get the idea on how it ranks neighborhoods that ladder up an overall Score of Livability up to 100 points. AreaVibes lets you compare the places from your own list with an average of over 35,000 available in the database. Customized lookup functionality is helping you to tick the offenses that worry you most of all. Nuwber A highly coveted tool for the entrepreneurs and people that are looking to buy property in the area. With its highly intelligent database, you can find contact details of the people living in the place of your interest in just a few moments. Contact them by phone or email and ask local about the neighbourhood’s safety. As simple as that, firsthand info is always the best. NeighborHoodScout This is the local search lookup tool that can be used not only by landlords of all kinds but by property professionals seeking to find new lead-generating opportunities and cut the risks awaiting on the way. NeighborhoodScout algorithms generate true profiles and safety levels for cities and areas, which makes it a resource for individuals that have just started looking for a house. Narrow your choice to meet safety requirements and your way of living. Of course, in the event that you discover an area that is wonderful but the location is not good for you? The tool will navigate you to the same looking neighborhood in a moment. Be aware that while the majority of the website’s functional is absolutely free to work with, payment is required to take certain actions.  CrimeMapping In case youre worried that opinion-based suggestions on various forums and websites may violate information about offenses, then you should definitely check this website. When other crime reposts services aggregate offense reports from several sources (including getting results within other similar resources ), CrimeMapping relies solely upon police-reported offenses from a partnered police departments. As the CrimeMapping way of gathering data implies increased accuracy, but in contrary, it limits the amount of information available. This happens because of the limited number of trusted partners that make it to the website. In case you want to perform a search query in a specific area, CrimeMapping lets you run it through authorities bureaus, any postal address, or even for specific house or address. You may even set up custom alerts when a crime committed in a followed area of your interest. CrimeReports This website gathers data from about a thousand of participating police bureaus all over the country to generate great looking and detailed crime maps. Check a certain area or police department and filter results by the crime type. Scroll the map into the region of concern, subsequently place alerts from the thorough collection of possible events, by the big (theft of vehicle) into the small (disorderly behavior). You may even connect your security camera to help policemen in your area.

Retention Starts Before Recruiting - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Retention Starts Before Recruiting - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career If you want to keep an employee for the long haul then you had better have a retention strategy in place before the recruitment begins. Many companies treat retention as an afterthought, focusing all the efforts on recruiting the key employee. But if they want that person to stay more than three to six months they need to have a retention strategy in place from the start. “The recruiting strategy and the retention strategy need to be one in the same,” says Karen Droz, co-founder and president of human resources software maker Ovation Technologies. “If you desperately try to get them on board and when they get there it’s not the job they were presented with or don’t feel the love anymore, that’s a failure in the recruiting process.” One of the worst things a company can do to a new hire is the bait and switch. In that scenario the company tells them what the job will entail and the potential career trajectory, but when the person starts he or she finds the job is completely different than what they were selling. Doing that will often breed resentment and ultimately the employee will quit for greener pastures. To avoid that from happening, it’s important that the hiring company is upfront and honest about what the person’s days will be like. “You want to provide the candidate with the things people love about the job and culture as well as the challenges and demands,” says Droz.   Companies need to be specific about the tasks and skills that will be utilized. Where you recruit will also have a big impact on retention. When Steven Canale, manager, global recruiting and staffing services at General Electric is recruiting college grads, his team tries to match recruits with the office they will be working in. For instance, they know it’s unlikely that someone from Miami is going to want to work at the Grand Rapids office for that long, just like someone who doesn’t want to travel all the time isn’t going to stay in a position that requires travel the majority of the time. “We might not recruit in Miami for a Chicago job,” says Canale. “Part of the recruiting process is to recruit from parts of the country that are similar to where they will be working,” he says. In addition to aligning location with the recruit, GE makes sure to provide an opportunity for the new employee to have a challenging work environment and one that fosters growth and development. “We continue to invest in them beyond the initial training and throughout the individual’s career,” says Canale. While people are motivated by money they also want a job where they can advance and stay for years to come. Because of that, companies need to have a plan in place for a particular hire in terms of their career path before they even start the interviewing process, says Kathy Harris, managing director of recruiting firm Harris Allied.   Not only do they need to come up with a long term career path for the individual, but they have to articulate that plan to the candidate and be specific about what will happen to their career granted they meet the job performance goals. “They have to create a plan if they want to attract the right talent” and keep them, she says. “Most companies don’t think about retention. They go on auto pilot with some sort of process they have and they don’t deviate from it. Yet they are surprised when they lose someone they really wanted.” Once the person starts it’s a good idea to help that person get acclimated and immersed in the culture instead of letting them navigate it on their own. It also goes a long way to keep an employee if the company checks in periodically to make sure the job is living up to the person’s expectations. “Schedule catch up meetings as they go along, create a mentorship program once they’ve been there for about six months and ensure someone is communicating with them to get feedback,” says Harris. Author: Donna Fuscaldo is a freelance journalist hailing out of Long Island, New York. Donna writes for numerous online publications including FoxBusiness.com, Bankrate.com, AARP.com, Insurance.com and Houselogic.com. As a personal finance reporter for years, Donna provides invaluable advice on everything from saving money to landing that dream job. She also writes a weekly column for FoxBusiness.com focused on technology for small businesses. Previously, Donna was an equities reporter for Dow Jones Newswires and a special contributor to the Wall Street Journal. Through the Glassdoor Blog, Donna will provide tips on how to find a job and more importantly keep it.

Writing a Creative Resume Template

Writing a Creative Resume TemplateFor many people, writing a creative resume may seem like an impossible task. However, you can use this creative resume template to create a workable resume and prove that you have more than just a boring job title.A resume is the first step to getting your dream job. So it is vital that your resume sets you apart from the competition. In the past, a CV was only used by employers, but with the advancement of technology, anyone can put together their own resume. Now that you are aware of how easy it is to create your own resume, how do you go about it?A creative resume template can be one of the best things that you can do. It is relatively simple to follow and it will give you the opportunity to showcase your skills in a creative way. Creative resumes can be categorized as either functional or creative resumes.A functional resume is one where all of the information is given in an organized and logical manner. It may consist of a list of job titles and duties, but it should also list your experience. This will allow the employer to decide what position you fit best. Functional resumes should make sure that they match with the other available jobs on your resume. It should not appear as if it is not relevant to the available jobs on your resume.A creative resume is one that is not written in the same format as your other resume. The job title is usually bold and it contains a few points such as the qualifications you have obtained in your job, the relevant experiences and skills that you have, and the most important, the education that you have acquired. The whole purpose of the creative resume is to show that you have the potential to work in different positions.A resume needs to be professionally written to be considered effective. In order to achieve this, you should utilize your creativity when writing a creative resume.If you choose to go with a creative resume template then it is best to ensure that it is exactly what you ar e looking for. Use the creative resume template as a base to build upon. When you are happy with the outcome, go back and edit the template so that it matches your desired style.Writing a creative resume is not as difficult as many believe. A creative resume template can be one of the best things that you can do. In order to get the best results out of this resume template, you should use your creativity when creating your resume.

5 Tips to Hook Your Reader with a Persuasive LinkedIn Summary Section

5 Tips to Hook Your Reader with a Persuasive LinkedIn Summary Section Photo Credit â€" Pixabay.comDid you know that after the headline section, LinkedIn Summary is the second most widely-read section on your profile?Furthermore, studies show readers spend a majority of their total time focused solely on this section.THE BOTTOM LINE?evalIf you don’t hook the reader with a persuasive LinkedIn Summary Section your chances are slim that the reader will feel compelled to take a deeper dive and read about your job history, education, certifications and awards . . . much less recommendations and endorsements or open up any multimedia you’ve shared.MY RECOMMENDATION? LinkedIn gives you 2000 characters worth of space in the summary section…use them to their full advantage. Here’s how:1. MIND YOUR TONEUnlike a resume that is formal in tone, the tone on LinkedIn is more conversational. This allows the reader to read your “voice.” Because traditional rules for writing are bent as they are with a face-to-face chat, you can even refer to yourself in the first person and use the word “I” without the reader frowning with disapproval.2.INCLUDE A VALUE PROPOSITIONEveryone has something special professionally that they bring to the table. No doubt you do too.In my own case as an Executive Resume Writer, my background includes Journalism and Corporate Communications â€" something that is quite different from my peers.Other examples that come to mind might be learning a business from the ground up, being passionate about a unique aspect of an industry, or bringing years of experience in another area that are invaluable to your success.Whatever the part of your story that is unique from the story of others â€" this is your value proposition and as such should be part of your brand.evalJust make sure to spell it out and explain how you stand out in this section.3. ENTICE WITH HIGHLIGHTSOnce you’ve outlined your value proposition in a conversational manner, what better way to back it up and prove your worth than to include two or three highlights to serve as examples?Remember that numbers often speak louder than words, which is why I recommend selecting accomplishments as highlights that include measurable or quantifiable statistics whenever possible.Having trouble quantifying? Think about ways that you have contributed to making things run better, faster or more efficiently. Also consider ways that you have saved money, headcount, etc.4.INCLUDE SKILLSevalIncluding a list of job- and industry-related skills serves two purposes.A skills section is an ideal place to include keywords that enhance your LinkedIn profile’s searchability.This section allows the reader to quickly skim and ascertain that your skills align with positions they need filled.5. MULTIPLE POINTS OF CONTACTMake it easy for people to connect by including several options for people to get in touch.While people can always send you a connection request or direct message you, including an email and a mobile number makes it easy for folks to reach ou t to you without having to look up your information in another section of LinkedIn.

How Do Positions Really Get Filled

How Do Positions Really Get Filled I was talking with a Hiring Managers from one of the top Gaming companies in the country. Im not a gamer myself, but even I know of the games they have produced. He was sharing his frustration over the terrible resumes that hes received. He said most of them look like theyve just been blasted around. The writers didnt take any time to customize the resumes for the actual job they had posted. There was no connection, at least that he could see, so, on to the next. I asked him about the recent hires they had made and where they had come from. No surprise, connections. Several of the last candidates were recruited out of a college they had recruited from before with fantastic results. Several more were referrals and only 2 were sourced through online job postings. Then he told me this story. He was talking with someone at a college that has a gaming curriculum. He mentioned that he wanted to find another Alex. Alex was a star employee they had hired and he described the successes, attitude and skills that made Alex so valuable.(By the way, Alex had started as an intern.)A few days later, the person he was speaking with said, We have an Alex, want to meet her? In deed, Alex was hiredduring a hiring freeze. I love this story because it highlights how hiring is happening. Word of mouth among industry Hiring Managers, or friends, or past colleagues or Cultural fit is also important. Many of the resumes and candidates my Hiring Manager friend saw were not the right fit. He even said, if any of these candidates had researched my company, they would have realized we dont need them. Take aways: Customize your resume and remove language that is confusing or irrelevant. Connect (meaningfully) with industry players through any means possible Be known for the right things

Be your Own Boss How to Start a Side Hustle IM HIRED

Be your Own Boss How to Start a Side Hustle Big Business starts with Small Steps We all day dream about being our own boss, thinking about the day when we can hand in our notice and do it on our own. According to the financial website  Know Your Money  47.6% of UK adults would like to start their own business, thats almost half of us, so why arent we all doing it? Simple answer is most people dont know where to even begin and the easiest option seems to be to settle in a dead end job and leave those ambitions of setting up your own business as a day dream. If you really have the passion to go it alone, then the fear of taking the first step shouldnt stop you. Remember the first step doesnt need to be the biggest So how do you get started? It all starts with one small step at a time. Have that drive to go big but be realistic enough to realise youre not going to be the next apple CEO overnight. When I decided I was done with the 9-5 life, I didnt drop everything and pour all my money into a business instead I started with a bit on the side. Have it All   Far too often youre told you cant have it all but in reality that couldnt be further from the truth. Why give up everything that employment can offer, such as stability and lets face it the big one a steady pay check; instead focus on your motivation to set up your business as a side hustle. You can work on your ideas in the evening or weekends and gradually grow into a bigger business or self-employment. There is a lot to learn when you first start out and things always take longer than expected so be open to a little extra work in the short term, for a huge benefit in the long term. Have an Idea Okay, so we all want to be our own boss but being the employee of the month for sitting at home watching Netflix marathons isnt going to get you anywhere. You need to have really considered what you want your business or side hustle to be and the best way to do this is to consider all your strengths and desires and put these together to make a successful venture. Though tempting to let your imagination run wide, be realistic and practical in your decision making process. You want to do it your own way but if your business idea is floored then it unlikely youre going to be able to pay your bills and enjoy being independent in your career. Friends and family can be a great sounding board so bounce ideas off people and get a sense check on what they think of your plan of action first. Market Yourself If you want to begin your side hustle, you have to put the word out there and I am not referring to just telling your close friends. A social media and web presence is essential for any upcoming business or side hustle so you can spread your net a little wider than your office bestie and actually start building the momentum of traffic to your business. Your site should be professional, attractive and really sell your brand and if youre ticking all these boxes youll be amazed at how many people your little idea can reach. The problem is, we arent all designers or coding wizards (I am definitely in the camp of complete amateur  when it comes to all things technical) but the solution is easy, get the pros in to do the hard work.Silky Ocean Studios  can take away all that hassle of creating a site and get you online and make that dream of becoming your own boss a step closer. Put in the Effort Like anything in life, no one is going to hand you this on a plate and I hate to break it to you but if you want to get set up on your own you need to be willing to put the hard work in. I started my site 7 months ago now and I am still committed to the 9-5 club part time to give myself some stability. I can voucher that it takes time, late nights and plenty of internal discussions about whether youre doing the right thing. But guess what, it is 100% worth it. The freedom to call yourself the boss and the perk of being employee of the month every month (pick your own choice of award here) outweighs  everything else. Start small, get your ideas together, start your plan of action and get your website and online presence on point. So why not consider taking this bank holiday Monday and actually do something useful with it, put it aside to begin your side hustle!This post has been sponsored by  Silky Ocean Studios, check out our  privacy policy  for full details about sponsored posts.