The Bagg Group Blog

Tis the season to remind all your contacts of your name, say recruiters at The Bagg Group

It’s a great idea to send out holiday cards to people on your networking lists.  It’s not just about keeping a nice tradition going.  The holidays provide an excellent opportunity for job seekers to put themselves on the radar with those who are helpful contacts.

But whether you are seeking full time work, contract work or temporary work, use this occasion to build relationships, not to blatantly sell yourself and your skills.

Our expert recruiters at The Bagg Group have put together a list of etiquette tips for how to send seasonal greetings that impress.

Make it a Happy New Year:  You can’t go wrong with a New Year’s card as it is an occasion that is celebrated by everyone.  It’s a good idea to avoid sending cards with a religious message to mark a holiday unless you are certain that your contact celebrates the event.

If you miss the deadline for sending cards, you can still use the New Year as a good excuse for touching base.  In early to mid January, send an update email that opens with greetings for a happy new year.  Follow this with a short paragraph that details your latest activities.  If you don’t have any professional news, look to share an interesting piece of industry news that relates to your area of work. 

Splurge.  You don’t need to break the bank on cards, but don’t send the very lowest quality on the market.  You want to make a good impression, not a cheap one.  You can never go wrong with cards from Unicef or other charitable organizations.

Keep it classic, not cute:  Consider the greeting card as a marketing piece and keep it professional.   It’s not worth it to you to send a card that could risk being perceived as distasteful, even though you may find it hilarious.  Similarly, one person’s idea of cute is another’s idea of dumb.  

Write a message that is personal, but not pushy:  You need to do more than simply sign your name, but not too much more.  For instance, “Best wishes for a wonderful start to the new decade” or ” All the best for the year ahead” is enough for the occasion.  You may add, if it’s appropriate to your relationship, a line such as, “Looking forward to touching base in the New Year.”

Don’t send ecards to business contacts:  It’s one thing for corporations to send specially-designed emails to their clients, but it’s not ideal as a personal initiative. Unless you know the contact well, don’t send an ecard.  The recipient has to take the time to download the card and most people will not wish to do that so your efforts are wasted.  Even worse, your gesture could backfire as many who suffer from mail overload consider non-essential email simply annoying.  

Keeping your name out there makes a difference.  So make your new year’s resolution to stay top-of-mind.

Office holiday parties– are they an indulgence or a morale booster?  It’s a question I am asked frequently by clients.

At The Bagg Group, we know from years of interviewing A-level talent that candidates are seeking workplaces that not only provide professional opportunities, but also a congenial environment. And employees are far more likely to stick with a team, through thick and thin, that has fun together.

But this year, many companies are concerned that fun doesn’t fit into their budget. According to an October 2009 Reuters survey of 100 companies in the US, only 62% are planning to hold a holiday party, which is down from 77% last year.  Two years ago, as many as 90% of surveyed companies were partying the night away.

Certainly, times have changed, but it’s not best practice to take on the role of The Grinch this year. 

Many of The Bagg Group clients across the GTA have told our staffing solution experts that they are concerned it would appear uncaring to hold a seasonal blow-out in this era of wage freezes and cut-backs.  However, we know that now, more than ever, people need the opportunity to de-stress. 

And while it’s true that this is not the year for flashy extravagances, even small gestures at this time can go a long way to lifting spirits.

New research from Britain shows that human resource professionals there feel that despite the recession, the party must go on-albeit on the cheap.   Marketwire reports that at many British companies, employees are planning to bring their own bubbly to the office to make toasts. And rather than outsource catering and DJs, employees with talents are being recruited to provide food and entertainment.

A number of top employers in the GTA are doing likewise.  It doesn’t matter what you do, just consider doing something to mark the holidays, even if it’s simply a pot luck lunch. It’s a great occasion to mingle with all employees-and our recruiters know a friendly conversation, which is not about business for a change, can go a long way to reinforcing good feelings in the hallways. 

But remember, at an office party, friendly means neighborly, not intimate or indiscreet. The comedian Phyllis Diller once quipped, “What I don’t like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day.”  And as recruiters in the business for over 30 years, we’ve fielded calls from more than one candidate following a party blooper.

Whatever your holiday celebration proves to be, may it be a great reminder that the company of colleagues is worthy of a toast.

Cheers,

Geoff Bagg