Adams & Garth Blog

Ever feel like no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to gain traction and make progress on your “to do” list? If this sounds familiar, there may be a variety of reasons why you aren’t getting things done. Here are some possible explanations and what you can do about them:

1. The activity is unpleasant.

We all have things on our lists that need to get done – but we don’t want to do them. The first step to making progress with such a task is admitting you don’t want to do it. Then decide whether you really have to do the job yourself, if you can delegate it to another person, or just not do it altogether. If you do need to do it, then stop thinking about it and take action.

2. Your constantly distracted or interrupted.

You sit down to work on your “to do” list and your phone rings, or you get an urgent email, or an employee wants to talk to you about an important issue. If this is one of the main reasons you’re not getting your list done, then you need to better manage these interruptions. For instance, commit to several times each day when you are going to check your email – say 9 am, noon, 3 pm, and 5 pm. Decide that from 1 pm to 2 pm, you’re going to let your phone calls go directly to voice mail. And, close your office door to let employees know not to interrupt you.

3. Your tasks aren’t clear enough.

Your “to do” list should consist of clear tasks with precise steps for completion. But if your list is full of vague tasks, then you may have some thinking to do before you’re able to complete the task. So take a few minutes to really think through the steps you need to take to make real progress. For instance, if your task is to “Hire a receptionist,” then write down the steps you need to take:

• Write a job posting.
• Place it in the classifieds and on online job boards.
• Review resumes as they come in.
• Schedule interviews for candidates.

4. Your day is over-scheduled.

If your day is crammed with back-to-back meetings and activities, with no room for a break, then you’re over-scheduled. If you need some time to get things done, then schedule an appointment with yourself – and whatever you do, don’t cancel it! So if you know you need to take two hours to write a project report, then you need to schedule that time into your day. Put it on your calendar and treat that activity as if you were having a meeting with an important client.

If one of the tasks on your “to do” list involves hiring new employees, Adams & Garth can help. As a premier recruitment firm in Central Virginia, we can help you recruit, screen, hire, and train employees for a variety of positions. Contact us today. We can help.

As a Central Virginia staffing agency, we know that many employers are doing more with less in a tight economy. While this approach may help you avoid layoffs, it can also lead to employees who are overworked and stressed out.

So what can you do to avoid employee burnout? Here are some tips:

Tip #1. Celebrate milestones.

When your company has completed an important project or increased sales, have a little celebration to let your employees know that they’re appreciated. Besides giving them some time to blow off steam and relax, it will also motivate them to keep up the good work.

Tip #2. Support your staff.

When you’re asking your employees to take on more tasks, make sure they have the necessary training and support to be successful in their new roles. Otherwise, you may be setting them up for failure.

Tip #3. Keep those lines of communication open.

Be clear about your expectations for each employee and address any concerns they may have. Not only will you build trust and loyalty this way, but you’ll also create a more positive culture at work.

Tip #4. Be realistic about expectations.

It’s only natural to expect more from each employee. But make sure you are being realistic and reasonable about your expectations. For instance, giving an employee an impossibly short deadline to complete a project will only frustrate and stress that employee out even further.

Tip #5. Encourage the use of vacation days.

In a tight economy, many employees don’t want to take any time off out of fear of getting laid off. But a day or two vacation can work wonders. So let your employee take vacations in two- or three-day increments, rather than a full week.

Tip #6. Hire star performers.

Now more than ever, good hiring decisions are critically important to the success of your company. Any new hires will need to hit the ground running. Bad hires, on the other hand, could seriously damage morale and productivity.

If you need help hiring star performers, or retaining existing ones, please contact Adams & Garth. As one of the top staffing agencies in Central Virginia, we can help you find, hire and retain the people you need to get the job done.

As a leading Charlottesville staffing & HR agency, we know how valuable exit interviews can be. Unfortunately, many employers ignore the exit interview process for a variety of reasons.

• They may never have conducted these kinds of interviews before and don’t have a formal process in place.
• They don’t want to spend the time and energy to conduct exit interviews.
• And they don’t want to hear any criticisms from departing employees.

However, many times, these departing employees feel liberated and are therefore a rich source of useful information. During the exit interview, employers can learn about why the person is leaving (if they don’t already know) and also gain some feedback from them that can be used to improve the organization, from the working conditions to the pay and benefits.

So if you’ve never conducted an exit interview before – and you don’t know where to start – here are 12 critical questions to ask to get the process going:

1. What is your reason for leaving the company?

2. What triggered your decision to leave?

3. Is there anything that could have been done to prevent your departure?

4. What did you like most about your job?

5. What did you like least about your job?

6. How was your relationship with your supervisor?

7. Did you feel like you were given the resources and support to perform your job successfully?

8. Were you given clear goals and adequate feedback about your performance?

9. What suggestions do you have to make the company a better place to work?

10. What are some key qualities and personality characteristics that you feel we should seek in your replacement?

11. What are your thoughts on the company’s benefits and compensation?

12. Would you recommend a friend or family member work for the company? Why or why not?

There’s no point in conducting an exit interview if you’re not going to use the information you gather to your advantage. So once the interview is complete, don’t just file your interview notes away. It’s time to take action on the information, details, and criticisms that were discussed.

And if you need help developing a formal exit interview process, please contact Adams & Garth. As a leading Charlottesville staffing & HR agency, we can offer you an extensive range of HR services and solutions to meet your company’s needs. Contact us today to get started.

As a Central Virginia staffing and recruiting firm, we know that employee turnover is costly for every business. Costs to replace an entry level employee can range from the hundreds to the thousands of dollars. In fact, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) determined that replacing an entry level employee can cost, on average, from 30-50% of the employee’s annual salary. So if an entry level employee who’s making $24,000 a year leaves your company, it could cost you $12,000 to replace that person. These costs include recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training, and any loss of productivity.

So what can you do to retain entry level employees? Here are some tips:

Pay the highest salary possible.

Turnover due to low salary will actually cost you more in the long run. So if necessary, stretch your budget a little to pay a higher wage.

Offer rewards.

When an employee achieves an important goal or goes above and beyond, reward them. Offer a cash reward, extra personal days, or a choice of either one. Your employee will feel valued and will also be more motivated to continue doing good work.

Get to know your employees.

By getting to know your employees on a more personal level, you’ll have a better understanding of what makes them tick – and what motivates them. You can then use this knowledge to better manage them.

Offer financial assistance for education.

Paying for all or part of an advanced degree is a terrific way to encourage employee growth. You may also want to consider tying the financial assistance to the employee’s longevity with the company. For instance, an employee who takes advantage of the assistance has to stay with the company for a certain number of years.

Listen, be considerate, and value their ideas.

Entry level does not mean unimportant. And just because an employee is a rookie doesn’t mean they won’t have valuable ideas. In fact, they may be able to offer a fresh perspective. Encourage them to come to you with any thoughts or suggestions. Even if the answer is “no” to a certain suggestion, offer an explanation as to why that is and let them know you appreciate the input.

Be flexible about hours and time off.

Consider offering flexible working hours to your employees. Also consider combining sick, vacation, and personal days. The number of days allowed would be the same – but your employees then have some flexibility in how they use them.

If you need help attracting and retaining entry level – or any level – employees, please contact Adams & Garth. As Central Virginia’s leading staffing and recruiting firm, we can help you find, hire, train, and retain top performing employees.

As a staffing agency working with employers in Harrisonburg, Staunton, Culpeper – and throughout Central Virginia – we know that conflicts at work can cause great harm to your company. That’s why it’s so important to deal with them at the very first sign.

So what can you do to effectively manage issues at work? Here are some tips:

Tip #1: Don’t expect the conflict to simply go away on its own.

It may seem easier to just ignore the conflict and hope it will go away. But that would be a mistake. Even if you think the conflict is not a big deal, it’s important to address it immediately. A conflict that goes unresolved can quickly spin out of control, leading to negative results for you and your team.

Tip #2: Meet with everyone involved at once.

Schedule a meeting with all the parties involved. Go around the room and ask each to explain their side of the story. Don’t comment or interrupt. Simply listen at this point.

Tip #3: Come up with solutions together.

Brainstorm some solutions for the conflict. Ask each individual how they would like to see the conflict resolved. Don’t take sides, even if you think one employee is right over another. Your employees are professionals and should be able to resolve the conflict in an adult-like manner.

Tip #4: Help to find a middle ground.

Once you’ve all met and put everyone’s thoughts and feelings on the table, each side may be better able to understand each other. Oftentimes, conflicts are simply misunderstandings. So hopefully, at this point, there is a compromise that can be reached. If your employees are unwilling to compromise, explain that you may be forced to take disciplinary action.

Tip #5: Follow up.

Set aside some time in the near future to meet with the parties involved and check on how things are going.

Mediating a conflict isn’t fun, but it’s a necessity. Why? Because when conflicts are not dealt with effectively, they can lead to the break down of your team – and your company. If you need help resolving conflicts at work, or with developing a disciplinary action program for your company, please contact Adams & Garth. We can help.

Have too much overhead? Looking to enhance your workforce flexibility? Can’t find employees with the right skills? Experiencing a high rate of turnover?

These problems sound familiar to most experienced managers. But there is a solution – and it comes in the form of working with a reputable Central Virginia staffing agency. Here’s how:

Problem #1: Too much overhead.
Solution: Consider using temporary employees.

Temporary employees allow you to convert fixed expenses to variable expenses since you only pay for temporary employees on an as-needed basis. In addition to helping you cover seasonal peaks and high demand periods, temporary workers can also help you to eliminate overtime – saving you money in the process. Plus, with a temporary workforce, you don’t have to worry about paying out benefits, such as health insurance and vacation time, since temporary employees work for the staffing company, not for you.

Problem #2: Need more flexibility.
Solution: Flexible staffing can help you meet fluctuating demands.

There are probably many times during the year when you feel either overstaffed or understaffed. When demand fluctuates, your workforce should too. With flexible staffing, you can use temporary employees to help you complete big projects, handle a peak in demand, or cover sick leaves, all without having to hire full-time staff. Then, once your need is filled, you can simply release the temporary employees.

Problem #3: Can’t find the right fit employees.
Solution: Develop a better network.

Many temporary staffing agencies like Adams & Garth have developed a network of professionals who are top performers. As a result, a staffing firm like ours can give you access to a pool of talent that has the skills and experience you’re looking for.

Problem #4: Experiencing too much turnover.
Solution: Work with a staffing agency to search deeper.

Hiring the wrong person is a painful mistake to make. But when you work with a reputable staffing agency, one that knows how to properly source and screen high quality candidates, you’ll end up with a skilled and dependable employee. In addition, you’ll also have more time and energy to focus on your core competencies, rather than posting job advertisements, screening resumes, and interviewing candidates.

Problem #5: Too small to hire an HR person, too big to do it yourself.
Solution: Outsource your HR function to a staffing agency.

Human Resources is an increasingly complex and critical function, but many companies don’t have a need for a full-time HR manager or HR department. The good news is that many staffing agencies, like Adams & Garth, provide an extensive range of HR services. As a result, you can get the HR support and expertise you need – when you need it – without having to hire a full-time HR professional.

By working with an experienced Central Virginia staffing agency, you can overcome these common business problems, as well as a host of others. Learn more today about our staffing and HR services and how we can help you.

Ever post a job then get flooded with dozens of resumes from inexperienced job candidates in Lynchburg and throughout Central Virginia? Most managers have experienced this scenario a time or two. So how can you craft a job posting that encourages people with the right kind of experience to apply?

Here are some tips:

Tip #1: Use well-known and familiar job titles.

Use job titles that a candidate will recognize so they can easily find your position when performing a search for jobs in Lynchburg and throughout Central Virginia. Candidates can be confused or misled by unclear job titles, so it’s best to be as specific as possible, such as:

Director of Human Resources
Bookkeeper
Administrative Assistant

Tip #2: Command attention with a targeted headline.

Create a job posting with an interesting headline that will grab the attention of high quality candidates. Your headline should make a candidate want to know more about your company, and ultimately, respond to your job posting. Here’s an example:

Join a Lynchburg, VA company recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the fastest growing manufacturing firms in the nation.

Tip #3: Be brief and straightforward.

A job listing that’s 2,000 words long and filled with minutiae is simply going to frustrate candidates. Instead, be as clear and concise as possible, using simple sentence structure and punctuation.

Tip #4: Avoid exaggerated language.

Using some descriptive wording is fine, but don’t go overboard and excessively use industry buzzwords, or worse yet, misrepresent your company. Candidates will be able to see through this kind of language and will be turned off by it.

Tip #5: Include a clear call to action.

This sounds like a no-brainer, but too often postings will include multiple ways to apply for a job, like an email address, an Apply Now button, a link to the company website, a mailing address, and a fax number. This can lead to confusion; in fact, the less options, the better. Including a simple “Apply Now” or “Apply Online” button is completely acceptable. If the posting is in print, then include an email address and mailing address.

Tip #6: Use a template for all your job postings.

Using a template for all of your job postings is a good way to keep it simple. Be sure to include the following information for each posting:

• Job title
• Brief description of your company
• Job responsibilities
• Required credentials
• Application instructions
• Call to action

Tip #7: Format your job posting.

Use subheads and bullet points to highlight key points and to break up the copy in your posting, making it easier for candidates to skim quickly.

If you need additional help writing your job postings, or you’d like to outsource this task to a professional staffing agency serving Lynchburg and Central Virginia, please contact Adams & Garth. We can craft job postings that will entice the most qualified candidates for your position. We can also screen, interview and help you hire top performers. Contact Adams & Garth. We can help!

Baby boomer retirement is coming – and if you don’t start planning for it now, you could find yourself in a pinch down the line.

So how can you create an effective succession plan for your company? Here are four steps:

Step 1: Determine where your company is most vulnerable to knowledge loss.
When someone retires, they take their experience and their knowledge with them. So you need to figure out where your company is most vulnerable in terms of knowledge loss.

To do so, conduct a knowledge loss assessment. This is simply an evaluation of where your company will be hit hardest in terms of retiring employees and what kind of information and expertise those retiring employees have.

Step 2: Determine which key employees are most likely to retire.
Once you’ve conducted a knowledge loss assessment, hone in on which key players at your company possess the most critical knowledge and are most likely to retire in the near future. Meet with each of them to discuss their future plans and to develop a strategy for transferring knowledge.

Step 3: A knowledge transfer.
Transfers of knowledge can happen in a variety of ways:

• Job shadowing. Pair up younger managers with senior managers and key players at your company.

• Technology. Use simple technological tools, such as electronic discussion groups to capture “shoptalk” and the expertise that only comes with job experience.

• Document processes. Chart and document processes that do not currently have formal documentation.

Step 4: Retain senior employees.
Some senior employees don’t want to fully retire. So think about keeping them on part time or as a consultant.

Companies that plan ahead for the wave of Baby Boomer retirees will be in a much better position to succeed. If you need help creating a succession plan for your company, now’s the time. Please contact Adams & Garth. As a staffing services provider in Charlottesville and Lynchburg, we have the expertise and knowledge to help you create an effective succession plan.

Determining the right amount of staff for a fluctuating workflow can be difficult. You don’t want to hire too many employees and not have enough work for everyone. Nor do you want to hamper productivity by having too few employees on staff.

So how do you know when it’s time to hire again? Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Are employees calling in sick more and more?
If there’s been a recent rise in sick time at your company, it may be caused be an overworked workforce. Your employees may be doing too much with too little.

• Are employees taking advantage of vacation time?
On the flip side, when employees are not taking the time off they’re due, this could also be a sign of an overworked staff. They may feel like there’s simply too much to do, so they can’t take time off.

• How many times over the past couple of months have you missed deadlines?
If deadlines are missed on a daily or weekly basis, then that may be a sign you’re understaffed.

• Are overtime costs consistently on the rise?
If your overtime costs are going up on a regular basis, then you may be understaffed. You simply do not have a large enough workforce to meet the needs of your workflow.

• Have you turned down new opportunities because you don’t have enough people?
You’ll lose your competitive edge without the right people with the right skills in place.

• Are you using temporary or contract workers a lot?
If you’re using temporary employers in the same departments to perform the same tasks over and over, it may be a sign you need to hire a full-time employee to fill that role.

• Are you following your business plan?
You created a business plan for a reason. But if you’re not following through with it, it may be due to lack of time and resources.

Now that you’ve asked yourself these questions, you should have a better idea about whether or not to hire. If you have questions – or are looking to hire additional full-time or temporary staff – please contact Adams & Garth. As one of Staunton’s leading employment agencies, we can source, screen, and hire, so you can focus on other priorities, like running your company.

By Christian Howell, of Adams & Garth, Staffing and Executive Search
Article originally published in Crossroads Business Magazine.

Reference checks are an important and valuable aspect of pre-employment screening, but there are misconceptions about what can and cannot be discussed. The laws on reference checks vary from state to state, however we have some general guidelines to follow. The key is that reference questions should be limited to relevant job-related information.  These questions should be designed to gain information that allows the prospective employer to evaluate the candidate’s ability to perform the job and work well with co-workers. You should avoid any questions that may focus on age, sex, religion, national origin or disability. These personal characteristics cannot be used for hiring decisions as they are not job-related and may lead to charges of discrimination. A good test is: Would I directly ask the candidate the same question?  If the answer is no, then you should not ask the reference source for that information.

The challenge of reference checks is that useful information may be difficult to get. Some employers will only disclose limited information such as dates of employment, positions held and perhaps salary information. These employers are concerned that former employees may file defamation claims if they are unsatisfied with the reference they receive.  This limited reference is really just employment verification and while important, it is not as valuable as a true reference check.

The goal of a reference check should be to obtain qualitative information about the person’s past performance, improvements needed, and recommendation for rehire. A potential solution to the litigation concern starts by getting a signed document from the prospective employee authorizing the job reference. Presenting this document does not guarantee that the former employer will provide such a reference, but it may alleviate some of their legal concerns.

In Virginia, employers providing references are protected by statutory immunity. The guidance about what can and cannot be asked when conducting a reference check is limited, but as long as the information given is true and is not intended to harm the employee or prevent them from obtaining employment, there will be no problem. From Va. Code § 8.01-46.1: “As long as the employer providing the reference is acting in good faith, it is immune to civil liability. Any employer who, upon request by a person’s prospective or current employer, furnishes information about that person’s professional conduct, reasons for separation or job performance, including, but not limited to, information contained in any written performance evaluations, shall be immune from civil liability for furnishing such information, provided that the employer is not acting in bad faith.”

Exercising due diligence to get qualified, revealing, and useful reference information on potential new hires can be overwhelming and time consuming, but it is worth the effort and may prevent a costly hiring mistake.

Christian Howell is Business Development Manager for Adams & Garth, Staffing and Executive Search.  He holds CSP and TSC certifications from the American Staffing Association and graduated from The University of Virginia. Adams & Garth is a member of the Greater Augusta Chamber of Commerce and has offices in Verona, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Culpeper and Richmond. Christian can be contacted at chowell@adamsandgarth.com or 434-974-7878.  The company website is www.adamsandgarth.com.