Is Unlimited Vacation Really a Recipe for Disaster?

Unlimited Vacation: 3 Questions to Ask

For employees, an unlimited vacation policy can seem like the ultimate benefit. For recruiters, it can be an attractive recruiting tool. While cutting edge tech companies in Silicon Valley have put unlimited vacation on the map, it’s still only being offered by 1-2% of companies nationwide. There are major pros for both employee and company, such as this study by Project: Time Off concluding that it’s more cost effective than offering traditional paid time off. Staying on top of trends to entice top tier employees is important, while keeping in mind the best interests of both your company and employees. Could offering unlimited vacation at your company end up being a recipe for disaster?

Here are 3 questions to ask if you are considering offering unlimited vacation:

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4 Tricks to Shut Down Bad Company Reviews

Reputation Management: The Trick to Overcoming Bad Reviews

These days everyone reads online reviews before they purchase a product or hire a handyman, so why not use the same tactic while job searching? 48% of job seekers are now using Glassdoor as a guide to company reviews and are subsequently showing up to interviews with a preconceived bias. People are more likely to trust an anonymous reviewer than a company CEO, so while you may think your company is fantastic, other employee’s negative reviews can taint your reputation. The important thing to remember in this situation is that bad reviews happen.

For example, I’ve had a firsthand experience with a negative Glassdoor review affecting business. After sourcing and thoroughly vetting a candidate for a client, the candidate ended up declining an interview with my client due to having read several negative company reviews online. Everyone in the situation was left feeling deflated, and I knew it would be very difficult to change the candidate’s mind.

On average, a happy customer will tell three people about their great experience, while an unhappy one will tell more than three times that. What do you do if your company starts to get weighed down with bad reviews? Take your head out of the sand and do everything in your power to turn it around!

 Here are 4 ways to address bad company press and move forward:

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The Artificial Intelligence Scare: Why It’s Not a Threat

Should You Be Scared?

The rise of Artificial Intelligence has created a lot of uncertainty regarding the future of our jobs and the operation of entire industries. I remember when game-changers like Monster and LinkedIn emerged, making many people in the recruiting industry fear for their jobs. Thankfully, this has not been the case and these technological advances have actually provided tremendous aid to recruiters. The big question is, will artificial intelligence continue to be a useful tool, or will it take over the workforce and displace us?

There are two different schools of thought on this subject; those who are for the A.I. revolution and those who are against it. The pro side believes that A.I. will actually produce more jobs than it will eliminate, all while making life seamlessly easier. The con side views A.I. as a threat that will completely take over production and eliminate the human workforce. The University of Oxford has estimated that over the next two decades, a staggering 47% of U.S. jobs will be replaced by machine learning algorithms due to the availability of big data and its ability to be computerized. This has carried a wave of worry across the nation.

NYU Professor of psychology Gary Marcus explains that it has proven difficult to autotomize common sense. For example, a robot serving drinks can be programmed to pour and serve one drink, but, if a fly lands in the glass it has a tough time deciding whether or not to serve it. Though only time will tell just how far the A.I. revolution will reach, you can cover all of your bases in the meantime.

3 things to help you overcome the Artificial Intelligence hysteria:

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Level the Recruiting Field

4 Tips to Get Top Talent!

At the core of any successful organization you will find top tier employees who exceed expectations and create new standards. Recruitment of exceptional employees can prove difficult, as they have often seen the impact of their contributions first-hand and understand their value. While your company may not be able to offer free five-star meals like Google, you can still leverage powerful perks.

Here are 4 tips on recruiting the best of the best in a job market that favors the candidate:

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Make the Worst Part of Your Job Easier

Which Is Better: Generic vs. Specific?

As a manager you will inevitably find yourself in the uncomfortable position of having to terminate an employee. While dismissing a staff member can be a delicate situation, thoroughly preparing yourself for the daunting task can make it easier to carry out.

After you have exhausted your disciplinary efforts and find you have reached the unfortunate basis for dismissal, follow company termination policy and procedure. Do what’s best for the company while being mindful of the employee’s difficult situation. Keep the conversation short and to the point to avoid any pitfalls. Provide a prepared written statement of your Just Cause as well as performance reviews and any documentation of previous disciplinary action.

California is an “At-will” state, which means you are not obligated to provide specific details unless the employee’s contract states otherwise.  A generic letter can simply reflect that you have verbally confirmed the employee’s termination. I prefer to cover all the bases by composing a specific termination letter. This provides detailed proof of all verbal, written, and final warnings of the employee’s misconduct or underperformance. Here is a great example of a specific letter:

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Help! How Can I Start Networking?

Invest Your Precious Time in These 3 Things

Wow, I received such an overwhelming response to last week’s PC Pointer  4 Secrets to Building a Quality Professional Network! The most popular reply was a request for more information on how to join professional networking organizations. So, I’ve decided to share additional tips on where to start.

There is an exhausting list of reasons why you should join a professional group; building self-confidence, increasing your sales pipeline, and keeping up with industry news. One of the main reasons comes down to this: In your career, you can either come to a standstill or you can continue to develop your expertise. What will you do?

3 ways you should invest your time in order to expand your network:

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Create a Professional Network You’ll Actually Use

4 Secrets to Building a Quality Professional Network

Throughout your career you have undoubtedly heard the phrase “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” but is it true? The answer is yes! The great news is, the term “professional network” can be boiled down to “colleagues who are willing to give a helping hand professionally.” Finding a professional organization and building your own personal network shouldn’t be hard, and it surely doesn’t have to include saying yes to every event or invitation on LinkedIn!

“The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity.”   – Keith Ferrazzi

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Does Workplace Culture Lead to Success?

4 Ways to Boost Your Workplace Culture

While it’s easy to get lost in productivity hacks, don’t let the importance of your company culture fall to the back burner. A recent study concluded that a positive workplace culture cultivates better employee performance. The concept of company culture covers many different characteristics of a business. It has visible components in the way that a business looks and how employees dress, but it really thrives in the attitudes of employees by setting goals and communicating your company values to workers and customers. Management sets the pace for creating, defining, and instilling company culture. I know first-hand that a happy employee is more productive, so let’s explore some easy ways to build a comfortable yet productive tone at your office.

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Email Sign-off Etiquette

What does your email say about you?

When we write emails to our colleagues, we tend to strictly focus on the content.  Most of us have automatic signatures that populate at the foot of our email, unless we are working outside of the office. What many of us don’t realize is that our signature and the way we end an email is the perfect opportunity to stand out and make an impression.

Make sure that you reserve casual salutations for friends and family. Just because you are in a professional setting, doesn’t mean your signature has to be boring either. These are my top tips for a polished email signature and professional sign-off!

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