3 Qualities that make you an Effective Team Player

The term "team player" is so often used as an essential professional attribute that it’s become a well-worn cliché — but that doesn’t make it any less of a valuable skill to have if you want to be successful at work, regardless of your occupation or industry.

Being able to work well with others and being regarded by your colleagues as an effective team player can lead to a wealth of promising career opportunities. People will tend to seek you out when assembling teams for projects (which are more likely to be successful when the members of your team work well together), peers and superiors will turn to you for collaborations that can enhance your visibility and profile, you’ll increase your chances of impressing your colleagues and others will want to support you and celebrate your success as you climb your personal career ladder.

Although some folks seem to be able to work well with others no matter what the situation or mix of personalities they find themselves in, for others it’s not quite that simple. Not everyone is a natural team player, but everyone can become one with a little effort.

Yes, your work environment and the nature of the work you do will go a long way toward dictating what makes an effective team player in your world, but there are some fundamental personal qualities that most! effective team players seem to possess — and use — to their advantage when opportunities to collaborate arise. If you have the following three qualities, be sure to use them to your advantage at work and keep them polished and sharp.

If not, consider building these skills to maximize your chances of achieving success: 

Patience

Great team players typically have an abundance of patience in their reserves, which comes in really handy when juggling the diverse personalities and work styles of team members.

It can be easy to get frustrated in collaborative work settings, especially when one (or more than one) team member is tough to work with or tries to exert unwanted control over the group, or when the project doesn’t go as well as initially planned.

However, those who are known to be effective team members have the patience and self-control to keep themselves and others calm, cool and collected, which helps to keep colleagues and work projects on track.

Flexibility

A close relative of patience, flexibility allows team players to roll with the punches when things get volatile or tumultuous during a group effort at work and can pivot effectively when a project takes an unexpected turn or requires a course correction.

While some folks lose control when things don’t go according to plan during the life cycle of a project, those who are good team players are flexible enough to swerve when change is needed — without putting added stress or strain on their team members.

Reliability

Reliability is where the "rubber meets the road" on a project, and effective team members consistently deliver in this area.

When collaborating on a project, they are well aware of what they are responsible for and make sure that they deliver as planned and on schedule, allowing their team members to focus on their tasks without having to worry about weak links, with the end result being that the collaborative effort becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

If you set your sights on strengthening your skills in the areas mentioned here, you will improve your ability to work with others and gain a reputation as someone people can count on in any collaborative situation, big or small.

Eric Titner has been an editor and content creator for more than a decade. His primary professional focus has been on education- and career-related topics. He currently lives in New York City.

Surging Business Sales Make Staff Retention a Must!

I came across this relevant article by Joyce M. Rosenberg of the Associated Press:

NEW YORK – Offers of training and stock in their new employer weren’t enough to keep four out of his five staffers when Dennis Chow sold his information technology firm in 2016.

Chow and the buyers learned one of the hard lessons of a business sale – despite their best efforts, some employees will leave. People departed from both companies when SCIS Security acquired Chow’s Houston-based Xtec Systems, most of them workers who didn’t like their new assignments.

"We lost maybe 25 percent of the overall workforce," Chow says.

As the number of small-business sales keeps rising, staff retention is a priority – especially since low unemployment makes it easy for many workers to find new jobs. Transactions tallied by online marketplace BizBuySell.com show more than 2,700 small businesses changed hands during the second quarter, the most since the count began in 2007. The trend is being driven in large part by retiring baby boomer owners.

One big problem can be a culture clash – staffers whose company is sold may be uncomfortable with their new bosses and how the business is now being run. A new owner may be more rigid about schedules or more of a micromanager. Staffers who worked with just a handful of people before might find themselves with dozens of co-workers, and miss the old camaraderie.

Bosses should focus on the quality of employees’ work life, says Mike Astringer, owner of Human Capital Consultants, a human resources provider. Money, whether it’s in the form or a raise or a bonus, may not work in the long run.

"The new acquirer and the seller need to really collaborate in the transition to make sure the culture not going to change, that the reason people work there is going to continue," he says. Critical to keeping staffers is not springing the ownership change on them at the last minute. That will only anger them and add to their anxiety and temptation to flee, Astringer says.

A new boss should acknowledge and validate staffers’ feelings, and not try pep talks to ease anxiety, says John Proctor, CEO of Ottawa, Ontario-based Martello Technologies. The information and communications technology company has made two acquisitions in recent years, giving Proctor experience with persuading reluctant staffers to stay.

"People aren’t praying at the altar of Martello. It doesn’t work like that," he says.

Proctor’s approach is to meet with staffers individually or in small groups, spell out his ideas for the company’s direction and ask employees about the roles they see themselves playing. He recommends listening rather than dictating.

"You’re giving them a sense of ownership instead of, ‘You’re going to be doing this, and you’re going to be doing that,’ " he says.

Still, Proctor warns owners to expect some friction. "You also need to be realistic that there will be issues and disputes and you must deal with those with an open and frank dialogue with all involved," he says.

It can be more difficult to retain staffers in some industries than others. David Crais, chief executive of CMG Carelytics, a health technology development company that has done several acquisitions, has found software engineers reluctant to be part of a company that’s growing by buying others.

"Many times, they’re driven by wanting to be part of a building process," says Crais, The more an owner can align a staffer’s needs with the company’s culture, the greater the chances of retaining employees, Crais says. He considers an acquisition a success if 70 percent to 75 percent of the staff is still there 18 months later.

John Ahlberg, whose technology support and management company has made several acquisitions in recent years, has been able to retain about a third of the staffers who joined his firm, Chicago-based Waident Technology Solutions. Those who left tended to be uncomfortable with the culture at their new company; for example, they were used to working on their own and had a hard time adapting to team work.

"With each person, we sit down and talk to them, and ask, ‘What are you doing now, and what skills do you have?’ " Ahlberg says. "But most of the conversation revolves around, ‘What are your hopes and dreams. What do you want to be doing?’ "Those conversations must be ongoing, Ahlberg says: "We sit with everyone regularly to make sure they are heard; we discuss the company expectations and define what is expected of them. We try to leave nothing vague."

Sometimes there isn’t much an owner can do. Steve Sargent hoped for an easy transition when he bought an automotive repair shop in Car y, North Carolina, in March and turned it into a Mr. Transmission/Milex franchise. He told the three staffers they could keep their jobs, but changes he made, including new technology to handle transactions and accounting, were troubling for the shop manager. Sargent provided training and tried to talk to the man, but couldn’t get him to open up about his frustration.

"He always said he wasn’t going to leave," Sargent says. But nearly three months after Sargent arrived, "he called me and said, I can’t do this anymore," Sargent recalls.  Sargent advises other owners to keep communicating, but be ready for people to quit.

"Not everyone will make it through the transition, so be proactive about looking for replacements before a person leaves," he says.

Perceptive Chosen as Fastest Growing in SC!

Perceptive Recruiting has been named one of the 40 fastest-growing companies in South Carolina for 2018 by SC Biz News!

Twenty large companies and 20 small companies have been named to the statewide Roaring Twenties list presented annually by SC Biz News. This honor recognizes the state’s fastest-growing companies based on both dollar and percentage increases in revenue from 2016-2017.

In order to qualify for the Roaring Twenties designation, companies must have a physical presence in South Carolina and be a for-profit entity or a nonprofit organization (EXCEPT FOR: government entities and charitable organizations, including 501(c)3 organizations.  These types of nonprofits are not eligible).

Company size was determined by gross revenue: A small company was considered as having $10 million and under in revenue. Large companies were classified as having over $10 million in revenue. Small companies must have had revenues of at least $500,000 each year for the years 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Profiles of the winning companies will be published in the winter issue of SCBIZ magazine. The winners will be honored at an event on Oct. 25 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Columbia.

Six Benefits of Using a Recruitment Agency

Hiring a new employee is a time consuming yet a vitally important process. We take a look at some of the true benefits of using a trusted recruitment partner in the search for new employees.

BENEFIT #1: TIME SAVED

In business, time is money and using a Recruitment Agency is a time saver. They will save you time because they take care of the beginning steps of the hiring process. If you post a job opening on traditional job boards, there is a strong chance you will receive hundreds of resumes and applications for any single position. Out of the hundreds of applicants, a significant amount will not be qualified or will simply not be right for the job. Finding the right applicants to interview will take a great amount of time and effort.

BENEFIT #2: ACCESS TO THE BEST

In addition to sorting through submitted applications, a Recruitment Agency will also have access to the best talent available. This includes access to talent that is currently employed elsewhere. These qualified individuals can work discreetly with a recruitment agency when they are looking for a new challenge and opportunity. Recruitment Agencies have their own database of qualified applicants that they can pull directly from.

BENEFIT #3: COST

It is often assumed that bringing recruitment in-house will result in a saving of cost to the business. Cost needs to proportioned to advertising your vacancy, which can prove expensive if posting single one-off jobs. Recruitment Agencies will often have allocations on the all the top job boards, so you can ensure that your job is advertised in all the correct places. Administrative costs also need to be taken in consideration of facilitating the process, sifting through the CVs, initial conversations, the list goes on – these all take time, and as we all know time is money. A Recruitment Agency is also there to help negotiate the best salary, giving you guidance and advice on what is fair and appropriate, but also what you might need to do to guarantee that top candidate that everyone else is after too!

BENEFIT #4: THE SCREENING PROCESS

The screening process when hiring has several layers. You need to run background checks on potential employees, follow up with references and conduct preliminary interviews to make sure the candidate matches the promises they make on their resumes. Again, these are vital steps that just take up time when you are conducting them on your own. A Recruitment Agency will see to it that these steps are taken care of before you meet anyone for your own interviews. You will feel assured that anyone you meet has already passed these tests.

BENEFIT #5: PEACE OF MIND

A good Recruitment Agency is going to have a proven track record of finding the right employees for the job. When you meet with their narrowed down choices, you can feel more confident with your final hiring decision. Working with a Recruitment Agency will help you make a more assured decision.

BENEFIT #6: RELATIONSHIP

Once you have developed a relationship with a Recruitment Agency that you trust, your future hirings will go even more smoothly. The Agency will be aware of the qualities that it takes to make the right fit within your company and what you expect from them. The next time you have an available position, you can fill it quickly and satisfactorily.

Article compliments of BlueSkies.

How to use time in between jobs effectively

By Eric Titner

For most people, filling the time in between jobs can be a real challenge. We want to make sure that we’re using this time to our advantage, but figuring out how to do so effectively — especially if it’s a longer time period than we’d like it to be — can be difficult. It’s really in your best interest to try to structure and make the most of this down time, both for your long-term health and happiness as well as to help set you up for your next job.

Build and maintain your network

In today’s job market, cold calling and responding to general job ads is far less effective than it used to be. These days, a significant percentage of new jobs are obtained by leveraging your network, which includes your personal and professional contacts. Building and maintaining your contacts is an invaluable use of your time, and who knows — it may not be long before one of your 

connections comes up with a job opening that perfectly fits what you need and can offer.

Look for contract/ freelance work

Just because you’re be tween full-time jobs doesn’t mean your time has to be completely work free. Many companies utilize contract and freelance staff for a wide range of projects.

Consider seeking out opportunities in your field or in an area that fits your background and skill set; not only will it provide you with some income, it will also help fill in any lengthy time gaps on your resume.

Plus, if you do a particularly good job on a project, you might be considered for a longer-term position when one becomes available.

Take a class

Keep your mind and skills sharp by continuing your education.

You can pursue a subject in your professional field — which may help you during your job hunt — or you can take a class in a completely unrelated subject area that interests you. Either way, your time will be well spent.

Volunteer

Another good use of your time and energy in between jobs is to volunteer. Not only will you be helping to support a worthy cause, you’ll also be keeping active and could even acquire some new skills. You may even discover some completely new interests, which may help reshape your! career aspirations.

Create a backup plan

If things just don’t seem to be going your way and the amount of time that you’re unemployed is becoming a problem, then you may need to invest some time in coming up with a backup plan.

Take some time to research alternate fields that interest you, industries where your existing background and skills may be easily transferable, and jobs that seem hot right now and have an abundance of openings. It may turn out that your backup plan pans out and leaves you happier and more fulfilled than your previous goals.

Just because you’re in between jobs doesn’t mean that your time can’t be well spent. Use the strategies and advice presented here to make sure you’re using this time to your advantage.

Eric Titner has been an editor and content creator for more! than a decade. His primary professional focus has been on education- and career-related topics. He currently lives in New York City.

How long should you stay at a job you hate?

Everyone goes into a new job with a sense of optimism. New place, new coworkers, new responsibilities — what’s not to be optimistic about? After that initial buzz, however, you suddenly realize: I hate my job. It’s rarely in your interest to quit on the spot when you have that revelation, so how long should you stay? Let’s look at a few of different scenarios:

When seriously bad things are happening.

If you’ve discovered that there are illegal or harmful things going on at work, or your work is causing you serious physical issues, then you should definitely consider getting out now. It’s a safety issue.

When you hate your boss, and your work is starting to suffer.

If your work is making you miserable and you just can’t seem to get along with your boss, then it’s time to start thinking hard about your exit strategy.

But if you can hold on for a few weeks or months while you start putting out feelers about a new job, then you should delay handing in that resignation letter.

When you’re bored or mildly unhappy.

If your job isn’t challenging you like it should or you have a general diagnosis of Over It-itis, then definitely start thinking about your next steps. Don’t quit just yet.! Because this isn’t an emergency, you have time to do some soul searching about why you’re unhappy at work and what you can do to fix that. You may find that adjusting your workload or taking on different projects could make you happier and more fulfilled.

Before you quit, talk with your boss (without issuing any ultimatums) and let him know you’re interested in taking on more opportunities, or changing up your role. If he’s receptive, then give these new responsibilities a try. If he’s not, or you’ve tried out this new regime and you’re still unhappy, then step up your efforts to find another job before you quit this one. Remember that fairly or not, it’s almost always easier to find a job while you already have one.

Here’s what you need to consider before you quit, under an! y of these scenarios:

• What is my financial situation? Do I have enough savings to cover a potentially months-long job search?

• Do I have some good potential job leads lined up, or an interim plan (like freelancing or consulting)?

• Are there any skills I will need to build before I try to get a comparable job (or a step-up job)?

• Is there anything that I could do or ask of my boss that would make my job bearable again?

It’s best to have a plan here; the last thing you want to do is quit your job in a huff, and then realize that you’ve made a mistake. Sometimes leaving is the right thing to do, and quitting ! can push you to move your career forward. But if you take that step before you’re ready, you could be opening yourself up to a period of stress and career upheaval unnecessarily.

Kate Lopaze is a career advice journalist for TheJobNetwork.com where this article was originally published. She investigates and writes about current strategies, tips and trending topics related to all stages of one’s career.

The best way to answer, ‘Why should I hire you?’

BY ERIC TITNER

THEJOBNETWORK.COM

It’s the moment of truth: You’re on the job hunt, have landed an interview and it’s going well. You’re making a great impression on the person you’re meeting with, and it really feels as if you have this locked up. Then all of a sudden, you’re hit with the big question: "Why should I hire you?"

On its face, it may seem like an easy question, but that can be deceptive. There’s a lot riding on your answer (namely a new job), and the way in which you answer the question may reveal a great deal to the person who’s making the hiring decision.

Don’t worry — there are some effective strategies for how to handle this question that can help turn a good interview into a great one, ensure that you leave a positive, lasting impression on the interviewer and increase your chances of getting hired. The Balance, a personal finance website, published an article highlighting proven strategies for handling the, "Why should I hire you?" question. Consider taking advantage of the following tips: Build your pitch

Your answer to the question should reflect a deep awareness of the requirements of the position that you’re interviewing for, the needs of the company and the personality traits, skills and experience that make you an ideal candidate.

This means that you should always do your homework before getting to the interview, and you should be ready to confidently connect the dots between you, the employer and their needs. It never hurts to take a look at the keywords in the job posting and incorporate some of them into your answer. Still, you should always be ready to tweak your answer to reflect any new information you get during the interview.

Keep it brief

A good answer to the question should not be an endless soliloquy. Keep it short, simple and to the point.

Your one goal is to succinctly encapsulate why you bridge the gap between the position you’re vying for and the needs of the company.

Think a minute or two, tops.

Anything longer may exhaust the listener.

What makes you stand out?

It’s always smart to keep in mind that for every good answer you have for every interview question that arises, there’ll be a pack of other qualified candidates who are prepared with good answers, too. Make sure your response separates you from the crowd. Anything that makes you unique and could be viewed as a potential check mark in the "pro" column when hiring personnel are deciding about you is fair game.

Perhaps the interviewer mentioned that the company is seeking to expand its business internationally and you speak the language of a country that they may be looking to do business in — that could be a potential game changer.

Try to have your own game changer in mind when facing this question. Not only will you seem well-suited for the job, but it will also show that you’ve done your homework and know what the company is all about.

"Why should I hire you?" is a question that has the potential to leave you rambling while not saying much of anything.

Don’t waste your opportunity to create a powerful, pointed answer. Your interviewer will be impressed with your ability to summarize all you have to offer in a focused soundbite — you’ll look prepared, confident and responsible, all traits that are key to getting the job.

Eric Titner has been an editor and content creator for more than a decade. His primary professional focus has been on education- and career-related topics. He currently lives in New York City.