In his book, Management Challenges for the 21^st Century, Peter Drucker captures the sense of disquiet that is typically experienced by staff. He writes, “Everybody has accepted by now that change is unavoidable. But that still implies that change is like death and taxes — it should be postponed as long as possible and no change would be vastly preferable. But in a period of upheaval, such as the one we are living in, change is the norm.”

As experts in staffing, we can confirm that employees take change personally.  The question that people ask themselves first when any new initiative is introduced is, “How will it affect me?” 

Our clients, the best employers in the GTA, often address this question directly with their employees.  That’s important for employee morale and retention. 

The Bagg Group staffing solution experts suggest asking the following additional questions to help people manage change, fearlessly.

·         What problem do you think the change is intended to address?

·         What might work better for you as a result of the change?

·         What do you think might affect you negatively?

·         What obstacles do we need to overcome and what support do we need to offer to resolve your concerns?

·         What is in it for you to adopt the change?

These questions are adaptations of standard queries companies usually consider when building a case for organizational change.  

In a recent Financial Post article entitled Change can be managed, Mark Smith of KPMG writes that organizations must tackle such questions as, “How will things be better if we do change? And how will they be worse if we don’t?” to ensure that its new plans are the right ones for moving forward.

By personalizing these questions for the individual, the organization and the employee can recognize change as a way to move forward in synch.  As a result, resistance to change gives way to a willingness to let go of the old and bring on the new.  

And that’s a necessity for all of us in today’s competitive workplace.  As John F. Kennedy so famously said, “Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

That’s why the tactics which entrepreneurs use to get ahead in the marketplace are useful for job-seekers in the GTA.  With that in mind, staffing experts at The Bagg Group offer these four tips, inspired by the book The Risk Takers: 16 Women and Men Share Their Entrepreneurial Strategies for Success.

1.  Don’t overlook the bonus skill:  Successful entrepreneurs say it’s a good idea to service even small, special or niche markets that others overlook or ignore. In the same way, it’s a good idea for job-seekers to develop extra skills, in their spare time, that others in the field may not worry about acquiring. 

These additional skills —  which may range from learning a second language to a new software program — may not be essential for your work. They may only be of use in certain specific situations. But bonus skills can impress interviewers and give you a competitive edge over other candidates.

2.  Keep your eyes and ears open: Top entrepreneurs say they always stay up-to-date on trends so they can meet new needs and interests.  When in the business of job-seeking, stay up-to-date on trends in your area of work so hiring managers will know you’re in step with ongoing developments in your field.  

3. The best time to do anything is now. Those who operate companies insist there is no perfect time to launch a new idea. Instead, they say, the right time to start anything is ‘now.’  Similarly, don’t wait to start your job search until the economy picks up, the holidays are over, or you get the new Ipad.  Begin it today.

4.  Avoid pessimists. People who have built thriving businesses from scratch say they had to ignore those who insisted their plans would never work.  As a job-hunter, you too will want to seek people who encourage and help you, and avoid those who doubt you.  When you do come face-to-face with a pessimist, remind them that you’ve had a job before, and you will have one again.  Then, change the subject to the weather.

In the next blog, we’ll bring you four more strategies to help you succeed in your business of finding a job.

One key piece of advice is to use of your limited time effectively. We know you have busy days and can’t afford to spend hours with each candidate.   A good rule of thumb is to ensure the candidate does 75% of the talking.  At a first meeting, it’s critical for you to spend most of your time together listening so you can assess the person’s potential.

If you find you’re doing more than 25% of the talking, you may be falling prey to one of three common pitfalls. 

1. Recounting the history of your organization:  Telling the history of anything takes time, more than you likely have to spare.  Moreover, it’s not essential information that you need to impart.  This is research that the candidate can do on their own time, and should have done before the meeting

2. Detailing your own career path:  It’s not unusual for a candidate to ask how long you’ve been with the company.  One anecdote leads to another, and soon you may find you’ve talked more about your experience and less about the candidate’s than you’d like.

3. Swapping industry gossip:  It’s hard for people in the same industry not to talk shop, especially if they have people and places in common.  

A little chit-chat is great, and recommended to put the candidate at ease. But it’s easy to lose track of time and have little left for the nitty gritty of the interview.

Also, keep in mind that what is said in the interview room doesn’t necessarily stay in the interview room.  When you trade war stories, it’s easy to make off-the-cuff comments that you may not want the candidate to repeat later. 

Two other common pitfalls to watch out for:

Letting first impressions rule:  We all make snap judgments.  Before a person says two words, we can be wowed or unimpressed by their personal style.  

However, as staffing solution experts who have successfully placed hundreds of people in full-time positions, temporary jobs and contract jobs, we know that first impressions can be wrong. 

The candidate who wears an eccentric tie can prove to be a fantastic team-player.  The one with tattoos may not look likes the sales rep you had in mind, but could have the best people skills you’ll ever come across.

Allowing the candidate to have an easy ride: At The Bagg Group, we ask our candidates hard questions, and only recommend those whose answers satisfy us. But we know that a candidate can be nervous in meeting with a hiring authority.

You may be feeling so sensitive to a person’s case of the nerves that you don’t want to add to their stress by throwing them a curve ball.  Sometimes, being too nice doesn’t do anyone a favour. Ask challenging questions as you need and allow the candidate to rise to the occasion.

If you have ever wished you could stop an email, you are not alone.  When you are seeking full-time work, contract opportunities, or temporary placements, you can get into an impatient state-of-mind.  And sometimes that impatience translates into rash actions.  

For example, perhaps on the spur of the moment, you decide to inject some off-the-wall humour in a covering letter because you think this will help you stand out from the crowd.  As soon as you send it, you remember that unless you are applying to be a stand-up comic, you have to be professional, not funny.

Or maybe you are frustrated because you haven’t received a reply from a recruiter or a hiring manager. You sit at your computer and type out an angry email, demanding consideration.  After you hit send, you realize that what is top priority to you is one item on a long to-do list for others.

Linda Stone, a leading researcher who studies human-computer interactions, says there is a reason we may act quickly, and without good judgment, when we’re at our keyboards.   Her studies show that we often hold our breaths while cranking out emails.  She calls this phenomenon “email apnea” – shallow breathing, or not breathing for a few seconds, while dealing with emails.

Doctors confirm that when we hold back oxygen from our brains, we react emotionally, and less professionally.  We are more impulsive, and less reflective.

Our clients, the best companies across the GTA, have many stories about receiving emails from people looking for work who have asked them to delete an earlier email without reading it.  That’s a sign that the sender didn’t take a deep breath before sending the original message.  It doesn’t leave the hiring manager with a good impression.

The best way to avoid this situation? Stay clear-headed. Recruiters at The Bagg Group urge you to step back and breathe before hitting send. That simple act of slowing down for a few seconds can ensure you don’t send out anything that you’ll later regret.

Also, when you finish writing an email, read it over as if you were a busy hiring manager, who doesn’t know you.  Is there anything in your message that could possibly be misunderstood?  Recruiters at The Bagg Group say the best rule when you aren’t sure about whether to say something is: when in doubt, leave it out.

They wonder if there’s a benefit to social networking with staff. Is it a way to show interest and build a collegial relationship, while also ensuring employees aren’t posting anything that could hurt their company’s reputation?

Or is it the virtual equivalent of gate-crashing your employee’s party?

Since Facebook launched in 2004, there hasn’t been corporate consensus on the answer. At The Bagg Group, our staffing solution experts hear mixed opinions from clients across the GTA and from candidates, whether they are looking for full-time employment, contract work or temporary placements. The feedback we receive mirrors the range of survey findings.

Not surprisingly, for the most part, employees prefer that employers keep out of their social networks. A recent report in the Globe and Mail showed that 69 out of 100 employees don’t want to socialize with their bosses, online or off. Moreover, 56 out of 100 employees don’t want to friend their co-workers either.

The majority of managers responding to that survey said they also would prefer not to mix work with online networking. The study said 72 out of 100 senior executives are uncomfortable about being friended on Facebook by those they manage.

However, there are many who are of another opinion. A different survey, carried out by Deloitte, showed that 60 % of managers believe that people make their private lives public on Facebook and Twitter. These managers speculate that employees are spilling the beans about their work situation, and so their postings should be monitored to make sure they aren’t broadcasting information they shouldn’t.

This same survey showed that, overall, 53% of employees believe that what they say on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter is simply none of their boss’ business. That’s the view of 63% of those in the 18- to 34-years-old bracket.

Yet, one-third of employees admit that they never consider how their employer will be affected when they post material online. Interestingly, almost 75% of employees admit that social networking sites make employers more vulnerable to damaged reputations.

Simply put, there’s no definitive right or wrong answer that applies to every organization. For companies that are unsure which direction to follow, the best step is to open the question up to a candid, respectful internal debate. As always, we urge our clients to talk to employees about issues that affect them so as to foster strong, positive, workplace relationships.

Once you have a policy, make sure everyone understands your rationale for it. It’s counter-productive to have employees make assumptions about why they’re expected to friend, or not friend, their managers on social network sites. We know from experience that when you don’t tell people why you are introducing a particular policy, they’ll invent their own reasons – and these are rarely accurate or flattering.

When our recruiters talk to people who are seeking full-time opportunities, contract opportunities, or temporary-placement, we ask about more than salary.

As well as talking about your skills and experience, we ask about your interests. What do you care about?  What are your ambitions, what do you hope to achieve?  What does a great day at  work look like for you?  These are terrific questions to think about before you go to any interview.

Our recruiters have asked themselves the same questions, and our answers have resulted in The Bagg Group winning the Award for Commitment to Community Service and Education from our industry, the Association of Canadian Search, Employment and Staffing Services (ACSESS).  For the second time.

As a staffing agency, we found that we care most about empowering people.  We believe we succeed when we help our candidates, clients and community meet their goals. The Bagg Group was founded on that belief over 40 years ago, and it continues to drive us today.

That’s why we sponsor a Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA) scholarship that enables a person to complete studies in human resources.

It’s also the reason why we launch and support so many charitable initiatives.  This spring,  recruiters got together to help send our company president, Geoff Bagg, and his son to Honduras to do volunteer work and donate a house to one of the poorest families in a region ravished by poverty and neglect.

Every December, all us at The Bagg Group shop together for gifts for the Scott Mission Adopt-a-Family program.  And we have a great time.

As a group, and individually, we are energized by giving back.  Thinking of how we can best help others makes us more creative in all that we do.  We are inspired to think about more ways we can support our candidates and clients.

So consider what it is that inspires you to be the best you can be?   Acting on your answer will help you succeed in interviews, in your job, and in everything else you do.  We have the proof in the successes of the hundreds we have placed in the best companies in the GTA – and in the awards that hang on our walls.

For us, philanthropy is part of a day’s work.  We are honoured to be recognized for our dedication to empowering others by the Association of Canadian Search, Employment and Staffing Services (ACSESS) which awarded us the 2010 Community Service Award. We first received the award in 2004, and it feels great every time.

The Award champions commitment to charitable, educational and community initiatives. We couldn’t agree more on the importance of this. In turn, we want to champion Hayley Rosenbaum, recipient of the HRPA Scholarship which The Bagg Group sponsors annually to enable a student to complete studies in human resources.

At The Bagg Group, giving back isn’t just corporate goodwill, it’s part of our corporate DNA.  This agency was founded on the belief that you succeed when you help others succeed.  And it is because we live this principle every day that we continue to sustain strong, positive relationship with our clients. 

We have successfully placed people in full-time positions, contract positions and temporary opportunities for decades.  Over the years, we have interviewed thousands of job-seekers. The result is that  we know what people need to feel engaged and productive on the job. And it’s not just money.

The most loyal employees are those who work for organizations which support their efforts to make a difference to their company, and to their community.

We can verify this first-hand.  Our staffing solution experts continuously launch and support various charitable initiatives, and their enthusiasm, optimism and actions invigorate their colleagues, clients and candidates.  Most recently, our recruiters got together to help send myself and my teen son to Honduras to do volunteer work and donate a house to one of the poorest families in a region ravished by poverty and neglect.  

As for the company’s annual shopping spree for the Adopt-A-Family program organized by the Toronto-based Scott Mission every year at Christmas, it is proof of how community service is a tremendous workplace practice.   We have a great time, and are motivated to think of different and more ways we can help others.  This fuels our creativity as a group, and ends up boosting our own productivity.

Geoff Bagg