Did I Hire the Right Person for the Job?

It happens more often than you think. After going through dozens of resumes and conducting numerous interviews with job candidates, you end up making a hire that seems like the right choice. However, after only a few weeks you begin to realize that something is amiss. The person you hire for the position is not shaping up to be what he or she claimed they would be. Suddenly, you are having second thoughts about the hire altogether.

Sadly, this sort of scenario happens more often than many managers would like to admit. While professional staffing agencies go out of their way to extensively screen job candidates, companies that choose to hire without outside help may end up hiring people who are simply not qualified enough or have the right personality to work for them. 

The next time you’re trying to decide whether a new hire is or is not a good fit for your business, try asking yourself the following questions:

Does the Employee Take Initiative?

These days, everyone is trying to land a great job. As a result, most new employees tend to jump at the chance to show their enthusiasm and take on new responsibilities. If you find your recent hire tends to shirk away from responsibility or makes a lot of excuses in general, this may be a sign that he or she is content to do the bare minimum.

Does the Employee Keep Steady Under Pressure?

Good stress management is an important ability for an employee to have, and many people do lack the capability to properly handle hectic business situations. While it’s fine for someone to get a bit nervous about deadlines from time to time, you want to make sure that’s as far as the stress goes. If your employee has a habit of becoming so stressed that he or she cannot do the job effectively, then they may not be a good match for your business.

Does the Employee Perform Well in a Team Setting?

The ability to work well with others in a team environment is a common trait that many employers look for in job candidates - and for good reason. Rarely is there an important position in a company that does not require constant cooperation with other employees or departments. One of the key hallmarks of a bad hire is that he or she is unable to successfully work with others. Should you find that collaborative efforts with your new employee constantly result in project setbacks and other issues, then it might be time to let that employee go.

Should you decide that need to replace a bad hire, J & J Staffing is always able to help you. We assist businesses in finding qualified job candidates through our comprehensive staffing services. Contact us today if you are looking for excellent employees who would fit well with your company.

Hitting the Ground Running: Adapting to a New Job

For as intimidating as the interviewing process may be for job seekers, starting a new job can be even more overwhelming. In the current challenging job market, many job candidates focus solely on getting into an interview and then getting hired. Once employed, however, these hardworking men and women often find themselves unable to meet their own expectations and instead begin stressing themselves out. 

Of course, it doesn’t have to be this way. Being an effective and valuable employee means needing to make sure you are able to adapt to your new workplace environment and setting up the correct behaviors from the start. Everyone wants to work hard and eventually be recognized for their efforts, but without taking the correct approach you may end up exhausting yourself before you even begin. 

The following are just a few ways that new hires can start on the path to success:

 

Never Be Afraid to Get Questions Answered

Many new employees worry about being perceived as inexperienced or unknowledgeable, and because of this they try to ask as few questions as possible. However, while no manager wants to have to constantly respond to questions throughout their work day, employees should always try to find answers to any inquiries they may have. This could mean either asking someone directly or doing a little research on their own.

 

Get to Work a Little Early, Stay a Little Late

It always helps to show a little initiative at work and employers want (and expect) you to be on time all the time. You should always  leave for work just a little bit earlier in order to avoid traffic or weather delays, and you should always stay a bit later to take care of tasks you may have been assigned. This reflects well on you and will reassure employers they made a good hire.

 

Become a Proficient Planner and Know Your Pace

Time management is a crucial skill for any employee to have and it’s doubly important when beginning a new job. One of the greatest causes of stress for new hires comes from being unable to balance out a workload and feeling like you’re forever stuck in crunch time. In order to prevent this from happening, you should always have things scheduled out to accommodate and correctly prioritize your job duties.

It’s a simple fact of working that there will always be stress, but frustration and anxiety can be managed when using proper time management techniques. Just be certain to make sure your new job is something you want to do and that you work with the correct behaviors in place.

Remember, if all else fails and you realize your new job isn’t for you, J & J Staffing Resources can help. As a leading provider of professional staffing services, we can get you started to finding your new career. Contact us today!