IntegraBlog

In deciding on where to start a career, keep your priorities in mind

by: Josh Stahl | Business Development Manager

After graduating from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, I knew I wanted to live in a city where the career opportunity was as bright as the summer sun. Growing up in the cold Midwest, I was desperate to get out of the freezing, cloud-laden winters and needed a new place to call home. That’s when I began researching the best places to live for young people. I had heard of Charlotte, NC and talked to many people that were raving about it, but I was generally unfamiliar of everything it had to offer. I knew that it was growing and plenty of businesses were moving there because of the immense population expansion, but I came to find out that it had everything I could ask for. I soon realized that aside from the wonderful weather where you still get four seasons, there are mountains to the west for the skiers, beaches to the east for the surfers, 3 professional sports teams to root for and a downtown nightlife to boot.

All of that to me was very appealing, but after all the research, I thought the most attractive aspect of the city was the fact that it was affordable. Now don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of crazy expensive neighborhoods on the outskirts of downtown, but overall, a young professional with a fairly decent paying job wouldn’t have that much trouble finding a piece of property to call home. A lot of my friends moved to bigger cities upon graduation like NYC and Chicago, but I felt like Charlotte would give me the opportunity to advance a little quicker in the real estate investment game. Those cities are great for nightlife and job opportunity, but personally I was more interested in owning a home at a young age than seeing a celebrity in Times Square on a Tuesday night. Being that is the headquarters for Bank of America and Wachovia, the largest commercial bank in the U.S. and the fourth largest banking chain based on total assets, people tend to think of the city as strictly a banking town. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. There is a plethora of diversity in industries throughout the city and with new businesses moving here daily, there is practically opportunity for any educational background.

I’m sure I sound like I’m being paid to talk about how wonderful the city of Charlotte is, but in all reality, the reason I am so happy that I decided to move here is the fact that it has everything I was looking for. At the end of the day, when deciding on relocating to another city for a career move, make sure you are doing it for all the right reasons and not just because it might have one or two things you like.

Alternatives to the 9-5 Workday

by: Michelle Fish | CEO
Flexible work arrangements continue to gain in popularity as many of today’s candidates seek a better work-life balance.  Employers who can offer flexible arrangements such as telecommuting, job sharing, compressed work weeks or flex time often have an advantage in not only recruiting, but also retaining, top talent.  Small businesses can leverage flexible work arrangements to stay competitive with bigger companies that often offer higher salaries and better health insurance.

When structured properly, flexible work arrangements can actually boost a company’s bottom line, increase productivity and skyrocket employee satisfaction.  The expense of implementing flexible work arrangements is often minimal especially when compared to the cost of replacing employees, who might need to leave if they can't arrange an alternative set-up.

So how do you successfully implement flexible work arrangements at your company?  Here are some ideas to get you started:

Evaluate your Options

There are several types of flexible work arrangements ranging from telecommuting to job sharing. Evaluate which options will be most conducive for each position as well as each individual.  Some positions require a traditional 9-5 schedule but could be shared between two individuals, whereas other positions could easily be done outside of the office during non-traditional business hours.  Involve your entire team in the evaluation process, including the employees, so that you can address their needs while still meeting the needs of the company.

Develop a Communication Plan

Work arrangements such as telecommuting can result in a lack of business and social contact with co-workers and supervisors.  Therefore it’s important to develop a communication plan to set proper expectations up front.  Do you expect the employees in the office every Monday morning for a staff meeting?  Do you want a written summary of the week’s efforts? Determine the plan up front and hold employees accountable to following it.

Pilot the Program

Try the new arrangement for a specified period of time so that you can access its success and make any necessary adjustments.  A pilot program lets employees know from the onset that, if the new program proves unsuccessful, modifications – or a return to traditional work arrangements – may result.

Becoming an Employer of Choice

by: Michelle Fish | CEO
As the labor market tightens, competition for top performers will continue to become more intense.  While it’s common for companies to focus on pay and benefits to find and keep its best employees, I suggest there is another, more effective method – becoming an Employer of Choice.  What’s an Employer of Choice?  Quite simply, it’s a company that people WANT to work for!  By building a company where people want to work, you hold a critical advantage over your competition – your human assets. 

Integra Staffing is proud to be an Employer of Choice.  In fact we were recently recognized as #1 Small Business Best Place to Work in Charlotte!  How did we do it?  I’ll share some of my top tips…

Promote from Within

The average employee will change jobs 7 to 8 times throughout their career.  Why not let them change jobs within the same company?  Internal candidates have a much higher success rate in their new jobs versus external candidates.  They already know the corporate culture and have proved they can perform well within it.  The key is to clearly define internal career ladders and performance metrics for advancement.  This gives the employee a realistic expectation of future opportunities and signals that high performers are valued and will be rewarded accordingly.

Ownership within the Company

When employees feel like they have a personal stake within the company, they are more apt to perform at a higher level.  Ownership doesn’t necessarily have to be tied to stock options and bonuses; it can be conveyed through more simple practices.  One example is weekly or quarterly meetings.  At Integra we meet every Monday as team and each person shares an accomplishment from the week.  It’s a way to keep everyone on the same page and feel like they are an integral part of the company’s successes.

Education & Training Opportunities

Companies who invest in mentoring programs, cross-training opportunities, and tuition reimbursement are signaling a commitment to the growth and development of their employees.  Employees with advanced education can offer more training, ideas, and skills to their employers, thus adding to the competitive advantage of the company.  Employees who reach their personal goals are not only happier employees, but also exhibit greater work performance.

More on "Fit"

by: Renee Boatwright | VP of Recruiting
I want to take the opportunity to respond a great comment a reader brought up in my previous post titled "Benefits of Hiring Employees that Fit." The concern was...."If a company bases their hiring decisions mostly on 'fit,' would this open up the company to possible discrimination lawsuits due to its subjective nature?"

I think this is a great point and one that I’m sure other readers would question as well. When speaking in terms of CORPORATE culture I disagree with the statement that “most people fit with other people in similar socio-economic and racial backgrounds”. When I refer to “fit,” I am speaking mostly of work ethics and factors such as office communication, work schedule, office layout, dress code, meeting frequency, screen savers, voice mails, emails, etc. Corporate culture would never be derived from sex, race, age or ethnicity. Similar work ethics and other common culture fit determinants can be found in organizations from China to US, Ireland to Chile, and from your minimum wage line-level positions to your six + figure C-level positions.

I do agree that discrimination can be an issue in determining culture fit if the process is not standardized and implemented in the same fashion for the company as a whole; not by department or division only. To control the culture fit process, organizations should compile and publish a standard list of interview questions to ensure that all candidates are given the opportunity to express their individual culture and ensure that discrimination is not an issue. The questions can be as simple as “Do you like to dress professionally or casually while at work?” or “Are you in favor of morning huddles?” Culture is so important that it would be a detriment not to ask the questions in fear that discrimination could be an issue.

Benefits of Hiring Employees that "Fit"

by: Renee Boatwright | VP of Recruiting
Once you start to hire, manage and fire employees based on corporate culture, you will start to recognize and experience substantial benefits. It may take longer for some organizations to recognize these benefits, but you should start to experience reduction in employee turnover and increase in employee morale. By reducing employee turnover and increasing employee morale you’ll find that you’ve created a work environment where employees enjoy being at work. If employees enjoy being at work, they are more likely to interact with their co-workers, clients and business partners in a positive, engaging manner. Not only should the state of the work environment improve, but managers and business owners should start noticing benefits in their bottom line! All the more reason to conserve your organization’s culture!!

In 2006 a Cornell University study found that small businesses that followed the culture fit approach experienced 22% more revenue growth and 23% more profit growth compared to companies that did not follow the culture fit approach. The study also found that companies that followed the culture fit approach experienced 67% less employee turnover compared to the companies that did not follow the culture fit approach. Wow! The 323 companies that were tested in this study hired employees based on culture fit and skill set as opposed to skill set only. The companies that were tested trusted their employees to manage themselves rather than enacting strict controls. They also created a “family-like” environment rather than motivating employees solely by money.

At Integra we believe that working as a team has made us individually and collectively more successful. We meet as a team every day to discuss challenges and possible solutions. It is amazing how beneficial advice can be that is given by an outsider who isn’t “consumed” with the problem. The information that we share with our team may not benefit us individually today, but the act will be reciprocated either tomorrow or the next day and will come full circle time and again. Our open, positive, encouraging, fun culture has caused us to be collectively successful, which is a benefit to our employees, our company, our clients and our business partners.

Hire for Skill AND Culture Fit

by: Renee Boatwright | VP of Recruiting
Once an organization identifies their culture then it is important to “live” by those agreed upon standards. Identifying culture is a huge step for any organization especially since culture affects work environment, dress code, training, development, employee interaction, benefits, and the list goes on. By "live" I mean to use those standards or guidelines in every activity to ensure that the culture is protected. Sticking to what is important to the organization is particularly important in the hiring process. Culture-based questions should be integrated into the interview process for all positions from receptionist to executive.

Below are some questions that I like to use to help determine if a candidate will be a good fit within a company’s culture:

• Do you prefer working independently or in a team environment?
• Do you enjoy being involved in decision making processes within the office?
• What skills and values are important to you?
• Are you a supporter of daily, weekly or monthly staff meetings?
• Do you prefer to dress casually or professionally at work?
• What are your goals for the future? Short term and long term?
• How do you like to interact with management?

Most organizations today hire for skill and fire for fit. Although you may find that hiring for fit on the front end may lengthen your hiring process, you should see a significant reduction in turnover in the long run. It is almost impossible to be certain if an individual will succeed within your organization; however, by integrating appropriate culture questions into your interview process it should put you one step closer to reducing turnover and preserving your company’s culture.

Identifying your Company's Culture

by Renee Boatwright | VP of Recruiting
In order to effectively identify culture, an organization must identify behaviors and common patterns for conducting routine business. Culture can be found in office communication, work schedule, office layout, dress code, meeting frequency, screen savers, voicemails, emails and the list goes on and on. Some behaviors are not as evident and may take a little more “digging” to identify. It may be a good idea to enlist the help of “outsiders” for their opinion. Clients and vendors may be able to identify traits or qualities that set your company apart from the competition. What clients and vendors see an important part of your culture may be just as important as what your internal staff values.

I recommend holding an offsite meeting or retreat in order to dedicate quality time discussing goals, values and common traits or characteristics of the organization. It is up to the discretion of the organization, but I think it’s a great idea to invite clients and/or vendors to contribute. In order to start dialogue between participants, designate a team member to be the scribe for the session. The scribe will responsible for jotting down words and phrases on a whiteboard that the team feels is important to the organization. By doing this exercise, dialogue should start flowing between team members which will bring the group closer to identifying their culture.

The Importance of Culture "Fit"

by: Renee Boatwright | VP of Recruiting
Hiring managers, regardless of industry, struggle with hiring employees that “fit” within their organization. We all agree that previous work experience and education is important and, for the most part, easy to identify. What is just as important, but harder to identify, is culture fit.

What do I mean when I talk about “culture?” Company culture is a term used to define the personality or character of an organization. Company culture can be expressed through the organization’s mission and vision statements, in the architectural style of the offices, the dress code and the means in which employees communicate with each other.

In order to identify company culture, an organization must look to their line-level associates up to their C-level executives for input on what is important to them. The core values and beliefs must be identified along with rules of behavior. Think about what is important to you and what you value.

Every group has a culture…..from your high school cliques to your fraternities to your office staff. Culture “fit” means that you value and enjoy the same things in life. Think about what makes certain groups unique; for example high school cliques that use the same slang terms and dress alike.

Some offices are quiet, some offices are loud, some like to go to lunch together and some prefer happy hour. Think about what your company culture is and keep this top of mind when hiring new employees. Skills can be learned and refined, but appropriate culture fit is harder to change. New hires that “fit” within a company’s culture will often yield higher success and productivity and result in decreased turnover.