As a recruiter with nearly 15 years of experience under my belt, I have listened to countless disgruntled employees tell me why they are looking to make a move or leave their company, so I thought I would share with you a few tips on ways to help keep employees motivated, engaged and happy.

Managers – set a good example: managers need to be available and approachable. They should come to work motivated and ready to work hard.

Let employees know they are needed and appreciated: communicate regularly with staff and let them know how important they are to the organization. Public praise goes a long way.

Let employees see and be a part of the big picture: knowing how their work effects the organization as a whole and feeling in the loop goes a long way as a motivator.

Let employees do meaningful work: it’s hard for anyone to stay motivated if they can’t find meaning in their work, employees need to know that what they do is important. And give them interesting responsibilities.

Give employees autonomy: give employees mastery over their time, tasks, techniques and maybe even their hours. As long as the work is done well and on time, employees can benefit greatly from enjoying these freedoms.

Offer growth: knowing that there is a path to progression is a great motivator. How can someone stay motivated when they are stagnating?

Provide good working conditions: it doesn’t need to be Googleplex, but having a clean and bright workspace and offering to treat for lunch every now and then are small ways to have a big impact.

Pay people fairly: money may be an extrinsic motivator, but it’s a powerful one.

Choose carrots not sticks!

Melanie Benwell is the Managing Director of PathWorks Personnel and sometimes blogger.  Check out her Facebook page and follow her on Twitter.

The job description looks like a perfect match, the recruiter says your background looks great, and you’re looking to make a move to a new company. What could possibly go wrong?

nexus IT group has gathered 8 of the most common mishaps experienced by technology professionals.  What do these blunders consist of and how do you avoid them?

Too casual
IT candidates can often be a little casual in the interview. Their appearance and speech can often be too casual, which comes off disinterested, unprofessional, and flippant.

Lack of positivity
Do you have a glass half empty attitude? This could easily be caused by failed startups, corporate layoffs, or overconfidence. Whatever the case, some candidates will use interviews as a therapy session and they often don’t even know it.

Failure to close
Close.Close.Close. IT professionals are very good at cost justifications for technology, but some can lack simple closing techniques in an interview. Closing techniques such as asking “what’s the next step in the process,” or expressing interest in the company, project, or product.

Over-confidence/Arrogance
Over time we’ve noticed that IT candidates are typically very talented and smart individuals; however, we’ve observed that some individuals can often sound arrogant vs. confident.

Lack of communication
Organizations these days are less focused on pure technical interviews and are moving towards open-ended situational questions. Interviewees can sometimes respond with very short and brief answers, failing to convey or elaborate their communication skills.

Focus on salary and benefits only
Questions about benefits such as vacations days, bonus, sick days, salaries, parking passes, work from home days, etc. are appropriate, but there is a place and time for these types of questions. It’s easy to think what’s in it for me (WIIFM), but keep these questions for human resources and preferably after a job offer.

Apathy
It’s not surprising that an IT candidate can usually nail a technical interview, but when it comes to knowing about a company’s history, culture, competitors, or problems facing the industry, IT professionals can sometimes fail. Not knowing or asking these questions in an interview can be perceived as a lack of interest or lack of preparation.

Appearance
Some IT professionals dress from the waist up. Wrinkled and/or outdated pants, and rubber soled shoes can be seen on some IT professionals during interviews. This dress attire is not exactly the perception that a serious job seeker should be projecting.

Today’s post is a reprinted article by nexus IT group. For the original post and other good reads click here. nexus IT group offers a refreshing approach to recruiting. Follow them on Twitter, they’re interesting.

Quitting a job is never easy no matter what your reasons. It can be a nerve-racking experience fraught with emotions, but it’s important to leave on a professional note so that you can start your next endeavor on the right foot.

Probably the most important piece of advice is not to resign on impulse or when angry. Although it made for a great story, don’t pull a Steven Slater : a JetBlue flight attendant who quit his job cursing at his passengers, grabbing a beer, and dramatically exiting the plane by jumping down the emergency slide.

Make sure you write a resignation letter. Let your employer know how much you enjoyed working for them, but that it’s time to move on. Articulate your reasons and frame them in terms of what you need at this time in your life. Resist the urge to preach or point fingers and get off your soapbox, this is not the time to be negative.

Let your direct manager know privately; don’t send a company-wide email blast. Marching bands… definitely out.

Give 2 weeks’ notice (unless otherwise stated in your employment contract). This will allow plenty of time for your employer to get coverage for your responsibilities.

Don’t slack off during your last 2 weeks of work; wrap-up loose ends and be helpful. Participate in knowledge transfer, whether that means training others or documenting relevant information that may be needed once you’re gone.

On your last day remember to return all company property and files and make sure to leave your workspace neat and tidy.

Talk to HR about any unpaid vacation, salary or commissions that may be owing to you.

And finally, don’t forget to say good-bye to your co-workers. If you can maintain a working relationship with your employer by freelancing or consulting by all means do so.

Before you turn in your resignation remember these tips and resign as professionally and gracefully as possible.

For a chuckle, enjoy this video as an example of what not to do. Keep your eyes on the lion on the left.

Melanie Benwell is the Managing Director of PathWorks Personnel and sometimes blogger.  Check out her Facebook page and follow her on Twitter.

PathWorks is celebrating it’s birthday and we want everyone to get in on the fun.

Like the PathWorks page  and you’re automatically entered to win a brand new iPod Touch 16G. Leave a brief comment telling us about your most embarrassing job and your name will be entered 5 more times. That makes you 5 times more likely to win! Those are good odds!

Contest ends April 30th and winners will be selected by random.org.

Good luck and we can’t wait to see those comments.

So you’ve been asked in to meet an employer or a recruiter, you know they like your resume, so you’re halfway there.  Avoid these common interview bloopers and hopefully you’ll soon be carrying your favourite plant to your new office.

1. Poor handshake: The three-second handshake that starts the interview is your first opportunity to create a great impression. But all too often an interview is blown right from the start by an ineffective handshake. Once you’ve delivered a poor handshake, it’s nearly impossible to recover your efforts to build rapport. Here are some examples:

• The Limp Hand (or “dead fish”): Gives the impression of disinterest or weakness
• The Tips of the Fingers: Shows lack of ability to engage.
• The Arm Pump: Sincerity is questionable, much like an overly aggressive salesman.

Even if you’re a seasoned professional, don’t assume you have avoided these pitfalls. Your handshake may be telling more about you than you know. Ask for honest critiques from several friends who aren’t afraid to tell you the truth.

2. Talking too much: Over-talking takes a couple of forms:

• Taking too long to answer direct questions. The impression: This candidate just can’t get to the point.
• Nervous talkers. The impression: This candidate is covering up something or is outright lying.

Try to practice answering questions in a direct manner in order to prevent either of these forms of over-talking, Avoid nervous talking by preparing for your interview with role-play.

3. Talking negatively about current or past employers/managers: The fastest way to talk yourself out of a new job is to say negative things. No matter how reasonable your complaints, you will come out the loser if you show that you disrespect your former boss. Why? The interviewer will assume that you would similarly trash him or her. When faced with the challenge of talking about former employers, make sure you are prepared with a positive spin on your experiences.

4. Showing up late or too early: One of the first lessons in job-search etiquette is to show up on time for interviews. Many job-seekers don’t realize, however, that showing up too early often creates a poor first impression as well. Arriving more than 10 minutes early for an interview is a dead giveaway that the job seeker has too much time on his or her hands, much like the last one picked for the softball team. Don’t diminish your desirability by appearing desperate. Act as if your time were as valuable as the interviewer’s. Always arrive on time, but never more than 10 minutes early.

5. Treating the receptionist rudely: Since the first person you meet on an interview is usually a receptionist, this encounter represents the first impression you’ll make. Often that receptionist’s job is to usher you into your interview. The receptionist has the power to pave your way positively or negatively before you even set eyes on the interviewer. Importantly, the interviewer may also solicit the receptionist’s opinion of you after you leave.

6. Asking about benefits, vacation time or salary: What if a car salesman asked to see your credit report before allowing you to test drive the cars? That would be ridiculous, right? The effect is similar when a job seeker asks about benefits or other employee perks during the first interview. Wait until you’re at the offer stage before beginning that discussion.

7. Not preparing for the interview: Nothing communicates disinterest like a candidate who hasn’t bothered to do pre-interview research. On the flip side, the quickest way to a good impression is to demonstrate your interest with a few well thought-out questions that reflect your knowledge of their organization.

8. Verbal ticks: An ill-at-ease candidate seldom makes a good impression. The first signs of nervousness are verbal ticks. We all have them from time to time — “umm,” “like,” “you know.” Ignore the butterflies in your stomach and put up a front of calm confidence by avoiding verbal ticks. You can also sometimes avoid verbal ticks by pausing briefly to gather your thoughts before each response.
One of the best ways to reduce or eliminate these ticks is through role-play. Practice sharing your best success stories ahead of time, and you’ll feel more relaxed during the real interview.

9. Not enough or too much eye contact: Either situation can create a negative effect. Avoid eye contact and you’ll seem shifty, untruthful, or disinterested; offer too much eye contact, and you’ll wear the interviewer out. If you sometimes have trouble with eye-contact balance, work this issue out ahead of time in an interview practice session with a friend.

10. Failure to match communication styles: It’s almost impossible to make a good first impression if you can’t communicate effectively with an interviewer. But you can easily change that situation by mirroring the way the interviewer treats you. For instance:
If the interviewer seems all business, don’t attempt to loosen him/her up with a joke or story. Be succinct and businesslike
If the interviewer is personable, try discussing their interests. Often the items on display in the office can offer a clue.
If asked a direct question, answer directly. Then follow up by asking if more information is needed.
Allowing the interviewer to set the tone of conversation can vastly improve your chances of making a favourable impression. You can put the interviewer at ease — and make yourself seem more like him or her by mirroring their communication style.

So there you have it… 10 interview pitfalls to avoid. No need to be runner-up. Go on and land that interview.

Good luck!

For the original article by Deborah Walker, click here.

Being asked to name one of your weaknesses is a common interview question that doesn’t need to trip you up. Nobody is perfect, and interviewers know it, but the question is asked for a few reasons: To see how you perform under pressure (this is a tough question after all), to see that you’re introspective, and to see that you are committed to personal growth.

When answering the weakness question, be sure to follow up with how you’ve chosen to manage the weakness.  For example, you could say that you have trouble delegating work, but are learning that by delegating certain tasks you are able to do a better job of managing your responsibilities. Or that you are not a confident public speaker and dread presentations, but that you have enrolled in Toastmasters to overcome your fear, or that your Excel skills are weak, but that you’ve enrolled in a course. These responses show that you’re proactive and that you can identify a problem and take action to remedy it.

Try to pick a modest weakness that won’t disqualify you from the job. If you’re applying for a customer service role, don’t say that you’re not a people person. Also, don’t be cliché;  your interviewer’s heard the “workaholic” or “perfectionist” response, and few people can use these and sound sincere.

Some chose to use a weakness that can also be seen as a strength, for example your strength could be that you can remove yourself from the emotion of a decision and can decide quickly, the weakness is that you decide quickly when maybe the whole team hasn’t yet arrived at the same conclusion.

Remember, honesty is always the best policy, so do a little soul searching prior to your interview to come up with a weakness that is true for you. Chances are you will be asked this question; it’s a staple in HR’s interview repertoire so be prepared and good luck!

Melanie Benwell is the Managing Director of PathWorks Personnel and sometimes blogger.  Check out her Facebook page and follow her on Twitter.

Firm Type: Construction

Type of Position: 1 month contract

Firm Type: Staffing Agency

Type of Position: Full-Time

About PathWorks:

We’re a boutique agency and that’s just how we like it. PathWorks is passionate about matching great jobseekers with great clients and creating outstanding matches that last.

What we’re looking for:

We’re looking for someone who values hard work, has a habit of excellence and loves what they do. Clients and candidates love working with you. You’re a natural sales person, relationship builder and networker. You’re self-motivated, driven and not afraid of a commission environment (you know what it’s like to eat what you kill)

You know your way around the interweb and have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Recruiting experience, knowledge of Applicant Tracking Systems and a degree are assets.

What you’ll do:

• Get an opportunity to wear many hats in this full-lifecycle role.
• Tap into your exceptional sourcing skills to seek out passive and active candidates using job boards, free boards, social networks, referrals and direct recruiting; yep… we do good old fashioned headhunting over here.
• Interview candidates to determine skills assessments and cultural fit.
• Be responsible for reference checks.
• Provide interview coaching and resume improvements when necessary.
• Prospect for new business, follow-up on leads and pitch to new clients.
• Manage relationships with candidates and clients, ensuring a positive candidate experience at every stage of the process and unparalleled client service with every interaction.
• Stay abreast of social media trends and maybe dabble in blogging.
• Attend networking events.

What’s in it for you?

• You’ll have an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of an exciting start-up.
• To have a direct impact on the growth of an organization, and to directly influence the corporate culture.
• No limit on growth potential, you’ll manage, you’ll build, you’ll shape your role and have a say in decision making.
• This is your chance to build a career with a fun company (and you’ll have a great boss to boot).
• We offer the opportunity to work from home with lots of flexibility.
• Unlimited vacation.
• Exciting compensation potential.

If you’ve read this far and aren’t scared off, send your resume to mel@pathworks.ca. We’d love to hear from you.

About PathWorks:

We’re a boutique agency and that’s just how we like it. PathWorks is passionate about matching great jobseekers with great clients and creating outstanding matches that last.

What we’re looking for:

We’re looking for someone who values hard work, has a habit of excellence and loves what they do. Clients and candidates love working with you. You’re a natural sales person, relationship builder and networker. You’re self-motivated, driven and not afraid of a commission environment (you know what it’s like to eat what you kill)

You know your way around the interweb and have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Recruiting experience, knowledge of Applicant Tracking Systems and a degree are assets.

What you’ll do:

• Get an opportunity to wear many hats in this full-lifecycle role.
• Tap into your exceptional sourcing skills to seek out passive and active candidates using job boards, free boards, social networks, referrals and direct recruiting – yep… we enjoy good ol’ fashioned headhunting over here.
• Interview candidates to determine skills assessments and cultural fit.
• Be responsible for reference checks.
• Provide interview coaching and resume improvements when necessary.
• Prospect for new business, follow-up on leads and pitch to new clients.
• Manage relationships with candidates and clients, ensuring a positive candidate experience at every stage of the process and unparalleled client service with every interaction.
• Stay abreast of social media trends and maybe dabble in blogging.
• Attend networking events.

What’s in it for you?

• You’ll have an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of an exciting start-up.
• To have a direct impact on the growth of an organization, and to directly influence the corporate culture.
• No limit on growth potential: you’ll manage, you’ll build, you’ll shape your role, and have a say in decision making.
• This is your chance to build a career with a fun company (and you’ll have a great boss to boot).
• We offer the opportunity to work from home with lots of flexibility.
• Unlimited vacation.
• Exciting compensation potential.

If you’ve read this far and aren’t scared off, send your resume to mel@pathworks.ca. We’d love to hear from you.

Changing careers can be a challenge, but Craig Fisher offers some sage advice for those looking to transition into another area. Here are Craig’s tips on how to make a career change:

1.  Look at adjacent/complimentary industries: This way you can apply your existing skill set vs. learning a completely new one.

2. List other things you do as ‘jobs’:  Are you on a board? Do you volunteer? If so, list these as you would work experiences.

3.  Start a project online: Creating an online presence in the area of your interest can help you get noticed.

4. Start an industry blog: Post and re-post articles related to the industry you’re targeting and feel free to blog about your job search progress; recruiters and employers are likely to take notice.

5. Focus, focus, focus: Figure out what you love to do, and what you’ve been paid to do and see if there’s an overlap… that could be your new career.

Finally, like any job search, you have to be dedicated and invest the time to research organizations, network and put yourself out there.

Check out Craig’s full article here and good luck in your job search.

Craig Fisher helps companies and people find things and get found. He’s a speaker, trainer, and global consultant on workforce marketing, employer branding and social media strategy. Follow Craig on Twitter – he always has interesting things to say.