Careers at Gallman Consulting!

01/24/2018 |

Careers at Gallman Consulting!

Careers at Gallman Consulting: At Gallman Consulting, we know all about the companies you’re most interested in—the companies you’d love to work for. We’ve built close relationships with some of the most successful and cutting-edge companies, and as a result, we have insight regarding how these companies operate, the types of people they hire, and their culture as an organization.

By partnering with Gallman Consulting, you’ll have the ability to gain access to this insight and information and quite possibly put it to use for the purpose of enhancing your career. The most successful companies are always looking for the best and brightest talent available, and if YOU are somebody who can provide value to a company, Gallman Consulting has the connections to get you in front of those companies.

If you are searching for a new career – you want to utilize your limited time wisely. Gallman Consulting offers access to jobs and career opportunities not found on job boards. We work with a core group of clients in Manufacturing, Logistics, Construction, Human Resources, Insurance, Legal, and Collision Repairs to provide direct placements and contract/consulting staffing services. Additionally, as a member of Top Echelon – the largest recruiter network in the United States, we offer you access to positions posted by more than 1500 association members. Since you will be working only with authorized recruiters, you do not run the risk of the wrong person seeing your information posted on a website. You should also know that all fees for services are paid by the hiring employer.

Careers at Gallman Consulting:

Manufacturing Engineer – Injection Molding – Camden, SC
Controller – Camden, SC
South Central Regional Sales Manager AR, OK, Southern MO, and Northern LA – Little Rock, AR
Maintenance Supervisor – Orangeburg, SC
Production Planner Scheduler – Columbia, SC
Senior Manager – CPA – Firm Experience – Charleston, SC
Aftermarket Director – Detroit, MI
Quality Engineer Injection Molding Facility – Columbia, SC
Personal Lines Account Manager – Licensed Position – Charleston, SC

#gallmantalent

| Account Manager Aftermarket Director Controller CPA CPA Senior Manager Injection Molding Maintenance Maintenance Supervisor Manufacturing Engineer Personal Lines Account Manager Production Planner Production Scheduler Quality Engineer Regional Sales Manager Sales Manager Senior Manager

How to Make Potential Employees Feel Welcome

11/02/2017 |

How to Make Potential Employees Feel Welcome

4 weeks ago by Corinne Ledling | 0

One of the biggest mistakes that employers and recruiters make is by simply putting off potential candidates by making them feel like an intruder. An uncomfortable interviewing or hiring process is a sure way to lose the best talent to competitors. If you’re part of the recruitment process for a company, you are likely to make the first impression they will have of what it will be like to work there. Here are some tips for putting candidates at ease during the interviewing process.

Don’t waste anyone’s time

The initial screening process for candidates should include not only questions about what they can bring to the company, but what the company has to offer them as well. While final salary negotiations are usually done towards the end of the whole process, asking an experienced professional to go through an interview process and candidacy, only to learn at the end that it’s an entry-level salary, is insulting. Make sure that the candidate knows whether it is a contract or full-time position, a general idea of what the position pays, and any benefits that they may be eligible for before scheduling any serious interviews.

Communicate clearly

Once you’ve screened a potential applicant and they’ve accepted an interview, be sure to explain the process in detail. Give clear directions and instructions for locating your office and who to ask for when they arrive. Just saying “be here Thursday at 2:00” is simply not enough info. They need to know the location of the building, if there are other suites they will need to navigate past, and what to expect when they arrive.

Help them prepare

If an applicant thinks they’re coming in to meet with you to go over their resume, and you march them to a conference room where they’re met by the department head and three other team members for a technical interview, you’ve just set them up for failure. Not only will this intimidate your candidate, but they won’t be able to adequately demonstrate their skills if they aren’t prepared. Let them know who they will be meeting with, the purpose of the interview, and what kinds of things they will need to be ready to discuss.

Greet them and treat them as guests

Leaving candidates waiting in the lobby for an extended period of time is never a good idea. Interviews are stressful situations, even when they go well. Being blatantly rude and leaving applicants alone or unattended will build anxiety, which can lead to a negative performance during the interview. Invite them in, thank them for coming, and if you are running behind schedule, find someone who can take a few moments and give them a tour of the facility. If you’ve gone through the trouble of setting up an interview, there must be something in them that you desire. Don’t throw it away by being inattentive and distant.

Try to show them the real face of the business

Remember that an interview is a meeting between two parties, to see how well the arrangement will work. If your office is normally a chaotic and high-energy collaborative environment, don’t stifle your other employees for an hour because you’re trying to make a good impression. On the other hand, if your office is quiet and compartmentalized, don’t try to make it appear to be a fast-paced and fun atmosphere. Trying to be something you’re not will create a tension in the workspace that candidates will be able to feel when walking around.

Let them also interview you

Whether a candidate will fit into a position well has implications for both sides. While they are selling themselves to you, you’re also selling a company to them. Leave space at the end of the interview for the candidate to ask any potential questions, or discuss possible deal-breakers. Both sides need to be comfortable with the relationship if you’re going to avoid turnover.

Interviewing candidates for a position shouldn’t be a question of seeing who will jump through the most hoops. Welcoming potential employees and putting them at ease will help to ensure the best fit, not just for them, but also for your company.

| Hiring Tips Interview Best Practices Interview Etiquette Interview Tips

Hottest Job Openings at Gallman Consulting!

08/04/2017 |

View our hottest job openings at Gallman Consulting! At Gallman Consulting, we know all about the companies you’re most interested in and the companies you’d love to work for. We’ve built close relationships with some of the most successful and cutting-edge companies. As a result, we have insight regarding how these companies operate, the types of people they hire, and their culture as an organization.

You can easily nominate yourself for one of our hottest job openings using our online application process. http://ow.ly/aLLj30eb9AV #gallmantalent

Our Hottest Jobs:

Plumbing Technician ~ Nashville, TN
Regional Sales Manager ~ Little Rock, AR
Plumbing Technician ~ Jacksonville, FL
CNC Operator ~ Columbia, SC
Customer Service Rep ~ Livonia, MI
Manufacturing Engineer ~ Orangeburg, SC
Automation Engineer ~ Orangeburg, SC
Paralegal – Personal Injury ~ Charleston, SC
Senior Accountant ~ Charleston, SC
Manufacturing Engineer ~ Columbia, SC
Production Supervisor ~ Columbia, SC
Human Resources Manager ~ Winnsboro, SC

By partnering with Gallman Consulting, you’ll have the ability to gain access to this insight and information and quite possibly put it to use for the purpose of enhancing your career. The most successful companies are always looking for the best and brightest talent available. And if YOU are somebody who can provide value to a company, Gallman Consulting has the connections to get you in front of those companies.

Are You Playing Offense or Defense?

02/24/2017 |

Are You Playing Offense or Defense?

January 2, 2017 – Leadership & Learning ~ Kevin Eikenberry

Are you Playing Offense or Defense?

I recently read this question somewhere, and it stuck with me. The more I thought about it, the more convinced I was that it is a valid question for us to ask as individuals and as leaders.

Are you playing offense or defense?

Like in sports, where you can have a strength in offense or defense and be successful, but can’t be successful with a complete lack of either one; this question isn’t an “either/or black or white” question as much as it is a “relative balance” question.

It is a question that can be asked strategically (what will our focus be for the year?) or tactically (how will handle this situation?). In either case, it is a question worth considering, because if you don’t consider it and challenge yourself with it, you will in the short- or long-term operate from your habits – which might not give you the results you most desire.

Are you playing offense or defense?

What do I mean when I suggest this question to you?

Your own definitions for the two words matter, and so my urging you to ask yourself might really be all that is needed (and would make for a short article). But if you want to hear the definitions and descriptions I have been using as I have considered the question, here is a sampling.

table {
font-family: arial, sans-serif;
border-collapse: collapse;
width: 100%;
}
td, th {
border: 1px solid #dddddd;
text-align: left;
padding: 8px;

Offense means . . .	Defense means . . .
• Being proactive	• Being reactive
• Improving processes	• Solving problems
• Playing to win	• Playing it safe
• Maximizing return	• Minimizing risk
• Trying something new	• Maintaining what you have
• Creating new Customers	• Focusing on the competition

As you can see, what appears to be a black and white question is far from it. As just one example: there is a time to improve processes, and a time to solve problems – and there is value in knowing which will be your overall focus too.

The question has helped clarify my thinking for our team in the coming year and I hope it will do the same for you. It has also come in handy in regards to some specific situations and decisions since I have been considering the question.

So, I ask you to consider this question for yourself from three perspectives.

Which is my subconscious habit, to play offense or defense?

Which will serve me best, most often in reaching my goals for year, playing offense or defense?

Which will serve me best for the situation or decision I face right now, playing offense or defense?

Whatever your answers, make sure you don’t ignore what you didn’t choose. If you choose to focus on offense, there will be a time when defense is needed and vice versa. Asking the question will however make you more intentional and likely more successful in whatever context you use it.

| Defense Offense Successful

How To Create Your Own Opportunities At Work

02/02/2017 |

How To Create Your Own Opportunities At Work

When your job isn’t giving you room to grow, make some.

You’re a hard worker, just like you said at your job interview. In all your time at your company, you’ve done consistently good work. You’re reliable. But for some reason, you just aren’t shining as much as you’d like. Maybe there’s a sexy new project at work that you were hoping to be assigned, but it went to someone else. Perhaps you’re holding out for a promotion but haven’t seen it yet.

You’re starting to wonder if your hard work doesn’t cut it. You’re doing some great things, but your boss doesn’t seem to notice. You aren’t getting bigger or better projects, which means you aren’t really growing in your position. Is there something else you should be doing?

Executing Isn’t Enough

The solution here isn’t necessarily to approach your boss and ask point-blank what gives. Before you charge into your boss’s office demanding a change, stop for a minute and ask yourself: How proactive am I in my career? Do I take on more than is required of me? Do I go out of my way to take on projects that benefit teams other than my own? Do I regularly help my teammates? And do I do these things without permission, or only when I’m asked to? In other words, am I fearless?

If the answers here are mostly “no,” it’s time to be more proactive. Don’t wait for your boss to create opportunities for you—create them yourself.No matter what stage of your career you’re at, simply “doing” the work is never enough. In order to take charge of your own career, you often have to take the initiative.

The most successful people are proactive. They provide value beyond what’s asked of them, and in the process, they showcase their talents and show everybody else how much they can contribute. Over time, teams learn to come to them with bigger and better projects. It’s a virtuous circle that benefits both the company and their careers.

Depending on your personality, this might not feel so natural. It may also come more easily to people at senior levels who typically don’t have to wait for a supervisor to approve every decision they make. People earlier in their careers might hesitate to be so proactive, fearing that if they do, they’ll be scolded for overstepping.

In reality, this fear is typically unfounded. What it really boils down to is your confidence and how much you know about the company and industry you’re in, not the current stage of your career. Here are a few tips for being more proactive at every level.

Take An Inventory Of Your Strengths And Weaknesses

Just as you would while preparing for a job interview, sit down and log your strengths and weaknesses. Has your team actually seen the full breadth of your skills? Do they know what you’re capable of? Are you actively utilizing your strongest skills, or are they being underleveraged?

Sometimes assets are hidden inside what appear to be disadvantages. Maybe you’ve been harping on the fact that you’re the youngest on your team—does that also make you the most social-media-savvy? Consider your strengths and weaknesses from all angles. You need to understand them better before stepping up to show your team more of what you’ve got.

Pick The Right Project

Being proactive isn’t about picking any extra project and adding it to your to-do list. It’s about identifying strategic opportunities for the good of the company—not just for yourself.

Which opportunities are those? Ask yourself these questions to pinpoint where you can help your company or team—and your career in the process:

What do you know about the business, company, or industry that only you can see?
What are some possibilities your company or team haven’t explored yet, and why not?
What gaps do you see?
What business objectives are you most passionate about at your company, and which of those are you uniquely qualified to help with?

Note that the answers to these questions may mean working with your current team, or not! Embrace the opportunity to meet teams other than your own if that’s where you can best contribute. Going out on a limb to forge those relationships is another sign that you’re interested in growing beyond what you already do.

Once You Seize It, Sell It

Now it’s time to sell your boss on the value of you taking on this project. Boil it down to a one-liner summarizing what you hope to achieve, and why it’s important to the company or team. Practice explaining that in the mirror if it helps.

While it can be scary to work on a project with no obvious stakeholders, if it’s a truly valuable undertaking, it’ll prove itself. Other people will see its value as it develops, and you yourself will become more certain of it.

Keep in mind, however, that it’s essential that you believe in the value of the undertaking. If you’re not sure it’s worth pursuing, get a second opinion from someone you trust (a close colleague, a mentor), or table it until you find another opportunity that makes your heart beat faster with conviction.

Keep Up Your Existing Responsibilities

The only way you can get away with working on something only you see the value in (at first) is if you’re keeping on top of all your current duties. As you start to stretch into self-initiated projects, it can be tempting to focus on those alone, but that’s a mistake.

Being proactive only to drop the basics isn’t a sign of leadership potential—it’s a sign of poor time management, a reason why you might not be progressing in your career as quickly as you thought yourself capable. That can be tough to recognize, but it’s useful intel.

Don’t Wait For Permission To Do More

This is crucial, whether you’re an intern for the season or a seasoned manager. If you find yourself waiting for someone else to signal or approve the next step, check yourself: It’s up to you to keep the ball rolling. Rather than waiting for a new assignment or task, ask yourself what else could be done, and do it.

Of course, be sure to use your best judgment here. There’s a category of things that you may in fact need approval for; sending a mass email to the whole company or expensing some unapproved dinners might create some challenges. But for a more run-of-the-mill project, it may not be necessary. Default toward asking for forgiveness, not permission.

Manage Up

You’re ultimately the best (and only) person to represent your own interests to your boss. Tell her what you want out of your career, and ask her to keep an eye out for opportunities for you. A good manager will keep you top of mind for upcoming projects that match your interest and skill set—or they’ll tell you why they think you’re not ready for those opportunities just yet. (If it’s the latter, don’t despair; this kind of feedback can be helpful, as now you have something tangible to work toward.)

But asking for your manager’s support isn’t the same as sitting on your hands and waiting for it. After all, it’s easy to wait for approval. It’s a lot harder to take initiative. But when you’re proactive, it often pays off—for you as well as your employer.

| Create opportunities at work Job Advancement Manage Up Opportunities at work Promotion

Do You Have Any Questions for Me?

01/13/2017 |

Do You Have Any Questions for Me?

“Do you have any questions for me?” Don’t get stumped by this common interview question! Answer “no”, and you might as well start looking for another job. So why do interviewers ask if you have any questions? They want to find out three important things:

Did you do your homework about the position and the company?
Are you really interested in the job?
How are your conversational skills and thought processes?

And, since you could possibly be working at this company, it’s in your best interest to ask as many questions as possible so that you know exactly what to expect. Here are some examples of what you might want to ask…

To find out more about the company:

Where do you see the company headed?
What will the company be like five years from now?
Can you describe the company culture?
How do you stay ahead of the competition?
Where do you see this industry headed?
What is turnover like?

Interviewer questions:

What do you like about working here?
How long have you been working here?
If you could change or improve anything, what would it be?

To find out more about your position:

Is this a new position? If so, why was this position created?
Describe a typical work week/day in this position.
How many people work in this department?
Can you show me an organizational structure chart or give me an idea about the chain of command?
How will my performance be measured? By whom?
Will I be given periodic reviews?
How would you describe the responsibilities of this position?
What is the management style like?
What are the opportunities for advancement?
What is the company’s policy on providing seminars, workshops, and training so employees can keep up their skills or acquire new ones?

Work-life balance and other expectations:

How much travel is expected?
What are the typical hours like?
Is overtime expected?
Is relocation a possibility?

Follow-up questions:

If I am offered a position, when would I be expected to start?
What are the next steps in the hiring process?
When should I expect that you’d be making your decision?
Is there anything else that you’d like to know?

And NEVER ask these questions:

Questions that can easily be answered by checking the employer’s website or any other literature that has been provided to you before the interview.
Salary and benefit information, unless the employer brings up the topic.

References:

Doyle, Alison. “Your Guide to Job Searching: Interview Questions and Answers.” http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewquestionsanswers/a/interviewquest2.htm

| Communication Skills Interview Interview Questions Interview Tips Opportunities for Advancement Thought Process

Minimum Wage Increases In Store For Many In 2017

01/03/2017 |

Minimum Wage Increases In Store For Many In 2017

12.19.16 Fisher Phillips Legal Alert

While the federal minimum wage has remained steady at $7.25 for the past seven years, many state and local jurisdictions have set their own minimum rates higher than the federal level. And, of course, when a local jurisdiction mandates a rate higher than the federal rate, you must pay your employees the higher rate.

Here is a listing of all the planned increases currently on tap for 2017. If your state or local jurisdiction is not listed, there is presently no increase in store for you in the new year. Obviously, though, these laws may change at any time, and you should consult with your local employment counsel before acting upon the information contained in this summary.

NOTE: These rates are for non-tipped employees. Check with your Fisher Phillips attorney, or with any attorney in the Fisher Phillips Hospitality Practice Group, for information about minimum wage rates for tipped employees.

The Alaska minimum wage will increase from $9.75 to $9.80 on January 1, 2017.

Arizona will see a minimum wage increase from $8.05 to $10.00 on January 1, 2017. Also, the city of Flagstaff will see an increase from $8.05 to $10.00 on January 1, 2017, and an additional increase to $12.00 on July 1, 2017.

The minimum wage for Arkansas will increase from $8.00 to $8.50 on January 1, 2017.

There will be plenty of activity in California. The statewide minimum wage will increase from $10.00 to $10.50 as of January 1, 2017 (although employers with 25 or fewer employees will receive a one-year reprieve and will not face the statewide increase in 2017), but 18 local jurisdictions in the state will also see minimum wage increases this coming year:

Berkeley will see an increase from $12.53 to $13.75 on October 1, 2017.
There will be an increase in the minimum wage in Cupertino from $10.00 to $12.00 on January 1, 2017.
Smaller employers in Emeryville (55 or fewer workers) will see an increase from $13.00 to $14.00 on July 1, 2017, while the increase for larger employers will be announced in 2017 and go into effect on July 1, 2017.
The minimum wage in Los Altos will increase from $10.00 to $12.00 on January 1, 2017.
Los Angeles will see an increase from $10.50 to $12.00 on July 1, 2017.
Those employers in Los Angeles County will also see an increase from $10.50 to $12.00 on July 1, 2017.
Mountain View employers will face a minimum increase from $11.00 to $13.00 on January 1, 2017.
In Oakland, the minimum wage will increase from $12.55 to $12.86 on January 1, 2017.
There will be a minimum wage increase in Palo Alto from $11.00 to $12.00 as of January 1, 2017.
In Pasadena, employers with 25 or fewer employees will face a minimum wage increase to $10.50 as of July 1, 2017, while larger employers will face an increase from $10.50 to $12.00 as of the same date.
Richmond will see an increase in the minimum wage from $11.52 to $12.30 on January 1, 2017.
In San Diego, the minimum wage will increase from $10.50 to $11.50 as of January 1, 2017.
San Francisco’s minimum wage will increase from $13.00 to $14.00 as of July 1, 2017.
The San Jose minimum wage will increase from $10.30 to $10.50 as of January 1, 2017.
There will be a minimum wage increase for employers in San Mateo, with rates increasing from $10.00 to $12.00 on January 1, 2017.
Santa Clara will see a minimum wage increase from $11.00 to $11.10 as of January 1, 2017.
In Santa Monica, the minimum wage will increase from $10.50 to $12.00 on July 1, 2017.
Employers in Sunnyvale will face a minimum wage increase from $11.00 to $13.00 on January 1, 2017.

The Colorado minimum wage will increase from $8.31 to $9.30 on January 1, 2017.

Connecticut will see an increase to the state minimum wage increase from $9.60 to $10.10 as of January 1, 2017.

In the District of Columbia, the minimum wage will increase from $11.50 to $12.50 as of July 1, 2017.

The Florida minimum wage will increase from $8.05 to $8.10 as of January 1, 2017.

The minimum wage in Hawaii will increase from $8.50 to $9.25 on January 1, 2017.

In Illinois, the statewide minimum wage will remain steady in 2017, but employers in Chicago will see an increase from $10.50 to $11.00 on July 1, 2017, and those in Cook County will face an increase from $8.25 to $10.00 on the same date.

While the minimum wage in Iowa is not scheduled to increase in 2017, three local jurisdictions will see increases:

Johnson County employers will face a minimum wage increase from $9.15 to $10.10 on January 1, 2017.
For employers in Polk County, the minimum wage will increase from $7.25 to $8.75 on April 1, 2017.
In Wapello County, the minimum wage will increase from $7.25 to $8.20 on January 1, 2017.

In Maine, the minimum wage will increase from $7.50 to $9.00 as of January 7, 2017. In Portland, the increase to the minimum wage will be from $10.10 to $10.68.

Maryland’s minimum wage will increase from $8.75 to $9.25 on July 1, 2017. Also:

Montgomery County employers will face a minimum wage increase from $10.75 to $11.50 on July 1, 2017.
For employers in Prince George’s County the minimum wage increase will be from $10.75 to $11.50 on October 1, 2017.

In Massachusetts, the minimum wage will increase from $10.00 to $11.00 on January 1, 2017.

The minimum wage in Michigan will increase from $8.50 to $8.90 as of January 1, 2017.

In Missouri, the minimum wage will increase from $7.65 to $7.70 as of January 1, 2017. Further:

The Kansas City minimum wage, which was slated to increase to $9.82 on January 1 2017, is stalled due to pending court challenges. The Missouri Supreme Court is expected to soon rule on the issue.
The same holds true for the St. Louis minimum wage, which was scheduled to increase to $10.00 as of January 1, 2017.

Montana’s minimum wage will increase from $8.05 to $8.15 on January 1, 2017.

New Jersey’s minimum wage will increase from $8.38 to $8.44 on January 1, 2017.

While the minimum wage in New Mexico is not scheduled to increase in 2017, various local jurisdictions will see increases:

In Albuquerque, the minimum wage will increase from $8.75 to $8.80 on January 1, 2017. However, if the employer provides healthcare and/or childcare benefits to the employee during any pay period and pays an amount for these benefits equal to or in excess of an annualized cost of $2,500, the minimum wage will increase from $7.75 to $7.80.
In Bernalillo County, the minimum wage will increase from $8.65 to $8.70 as of January 1, 2017.
The minimum wage in Las Cruces will increase from $8.40 to $9.20 on January 1, 2017.

In New York, the minimum wage will increase from $9.00 to $9.70 on December 31, 2016. For fast-food employers outside of New York City, the minimum wage will increase from $9.75 to $10.75 on the same date.

The New York City minimum wage increase will see rates rise for businesses with 11 or more employees from $9.00 to $11.00 on December 31, 2016. For smaller employers, the minimum wage will increase from $9.00 to $10.50. For fast-food establishments in New York City, the minimum wage will increase from $10.50 to $12.00 on the same date.
In Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties, the minimum wage will increase from $9.00 to $10.00 on December 31, 2016.

The minimum wage in Ohio will increase from $8.10 to $8.15 as of January 1, 2017.

Oregon’s minimum wage will increase from $9.75 to $10.25 as of July 1, 2017, unless otherwise described below:

For employers within the state’s Urban Growth Boundary, the minimum wage increase on July 1, 2017 will be from $9.75 to $11.25.
For employers in frontier counties, the minimum wage increase on July 1, 2017 will be from $9.50 to $10.00 per hour.
For more information on this system, please read this summary.

In South Dakota, the minimum wage will increase from $8.55 to $8.65 as of January 1, 2017.

The minimum wage in Vermont will increase from $9.60 to $10.00 on January 1, 2017.

Washington’s minimum wage will increase from $9.47 to $11.00 on January 1, 2017. Meanwhile:

Seattle employers with 500 or more employees will see an increase in their minimum wage from $13.00 to $15.00 on January 1, 2017; those with 500 or fewer employees will see an increase from $12.00 to $13.00.
The SeaTac minimum wage applicable for hospitality and transportation workers will increase from $15.24 to $15.35 as of January 1, 2017.
In Tacoma, the minimum wage will increase from $10.35 to $11.15.

The minimum wage for federal contractors covered by those regulations and Executive Order 13658 (primarily those with Davis-Bacon Act and Service Contract Act contracts) will increase from $10.15 to $10.20 effective January 1, 2017.

For more information, visit our website at www.fisherphillips.com, or contact your regular Fisher Phillips attorney.

This Legal Alert provides an overview of state and local minimum wage increases. It is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal advice for any particular fact situation.

| Minimum Wage

12 Signs You Desperately Need a Vacation from Work

10/24/2016 |

12 signs you desperately need a vacation from work

Business Insider

Jacquelyn Smith 6/16/2016

Despite a seemingly endless stream of articles warning of the perils associated with overworking, many people still choose to forgo vacations. In fact, a 2015 survey from Glassdoor found that US employees only use half (51%) of their eligible paid vacation time.

“Some people are simply workaholics. Many employees feel they are already too behind in their work and they fear falling even further behind if they take their vacation,”explains Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of “The Humor Advantage. “Some are worried about their boss’s perception, especially when no one else is taking their vacation. And some employees in a highly competitive industry are even fearful it can cost them their job either because it will reflect poorly on their work ethic or it will leave an opening for a colleague to prove themselves while they’re away.”

But no matter how worried you are, or how much you love your work, not taking regular vacations is a proven recipe for burnout that can lead to major health issues and end up requiring an even longer break away from work, he says. “The list of stress-related health issues caused by an endless work schedule is enormous, including sleepless nights, stomach issues, irritability, backaches, and tension headaches.”

A 2015 study from University College in London found that overworking can lead to a 33% higher risk of having a stroke, and a 13% increased risk of a heart attack.

And beyond the numerous documented impacts on your health, forgoing vacations can lead to reduced productivity, dampened creativity, and more careless mistakes at work.

Taking vacations, however, can help you return to work refreshed and re-energized and thus better able to cope with challenges and day-to-day stressors.

“Unplugging from work, even just for a day or two, can help you maintain a better overall perspective on life, help strengthen your personal relationships, and boost your happiness levels which will all support a healthier, happier person showing up at work,” says Kerr.

“Since creativity is fed by new experiences and serendipitous encounters, taking regular vacations can lead to powerful insights and new ideas that you can bring back to the workplace. And although some people worry about their job security when they go away, the reverse can also be true: If you’re a valuable commodity at work, then going away can serve as a great reminder to your boss and colleagues of just how sorely you’re missed when you’re not around to handle things.”

Here are 12 signs you desperately need a vacation from work.

| Unplugging Vacation Workaholics

Missing the (Recruiting) Mark? Myths about Millennials

10/07/2016 |

Missing the (Recruiting) Mark? Myths about Millennials

A few years ago, TIME Magazine ran a cover story that made headlines of its own. In “Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation,” the magazine outlined in black and white all of the stereotypical horrors of Generation Y. The author used studies to back up the notion that millennials are the laziest, most self-absorbed generation in history.

There’s only one problem: Every generation gets labeled as the laziest and most self-absorbed of any in history.

Generation X was the “Slacker Generation.” Baby boomers were the “Me Generation.” It’s only natural for older folks to look down at young people and write them off based on the wisdom they have accrued since they too were new to the world of work.

The Millennial Myth

A quick Google search about millennials in the workplace kicks back results laden with adjectives like selfish, impulsive, careless, unenthusiastic and inattentive. However, when you dig deeper, you see that underlying these supposed traits are things like a drive for personal and career development, the desire to find meaningful work, the desire to lead, the ability to multitask and more.

Stereotyping is never a good thing, especially when it comes to recruiting. Misconceptions about millennials — or any generation — can lead to bias and even discrimination. Just as an individual should not be defined by race, religion, ethnicity, gender or socioeconomic background, they also should not be defined by their generation.

Consider this: Generation Y spans in age from college students to parents in their mid-30s. Painting millennials with a broad brush isn’t just unfair; it simply doesn’t work.

Just How Different Are the Generations?

You might be saying to yourself, “There have to be differences in generations. I see it all day long at my organization!” If so, you’ll be interested to learn that a recent IBM study looked at the differences between generations in the workplace and concluded that millennials really aren’t that different from their older colleagues. In fact, the only significant difference found was a higher technical aptitude among Generation Y.

IBM reports that people from every generation are equally likely to seek out meaningful work, want to make a positive impact on their employer, and value diversity. They also learned that older people are equally as willing to leave a job for money or incompatibility as their younger cohorts.

So why do millennials get labeled differently?

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin wanted to know and discovered that the differences between generations are a product of perception, rather than actual differences in values. In other words, we see what we want to see when we group a generation of people together. And while some differences in motivators exist, different generations really aren’t so different at all.

How to Break Through the Stereotypes

So, if millennials are stereotyped and misunderstood, how can you make sound judgments throughout the recruiting process? Behavioral interviews are one important tool that hiring teams can use to evaluate whether or not an individual is a good fit.

Another useful tool is a personality test. Psychologists have found little evidence to show that our personalities change significantly over time, so an individual’s personality at age 14 will look very similar when they are 24, 34, 44, etc., which lends accuracy to the testing.

When used together, personality tests and behavioral interviews can paint a detailed picture of how someone is likely to behave on the job. When you understand the behaviors that drive success in a role, you will be better equipped to match candidates with the behavior patterns you are looking for.

One of the keys to success when attempting to evaluate potential behavior is to focus on how someone behaves over the long term. Why? Because behavior can easily be altered for short periods of time, but inherently, we all revert back to our natural tendencies. This means that behavioral interviews must be thorough and robust, to help identify patterns that show themselves over time.

The Secret Weapon You Need

Gather a group of millennials together who all applied for the same position, and you’ll find that most of them have equal skills and knowledge. But if you spend time talking to individuals for even just a few minutes, you’ll discover that each is quite unique and brings specific strengths and weaknesses to the table.

No matter what generation a person can be classified into, a strong recruiting process looks beyond the superficial and effectively evaluates the likelihood that a candidate will thrive on the job. Even with personality and behavioral testing, this is no easy task. To complicate things even more, many internal HR teams are not equipped with the money, the manpower, the resources or the time it takes to make such strong matches.

When you partner with a strategic recruiting firm, you instantly access the tools necessary to make strong matches. Professional recruiters have the time, resources and experience to thoroughly vet all potential candidates and evaluate them for a strong fit. This frees up your internal staff to focus on business-critical initiatives while your staffing partner focuses on hiring.

Stop focusing on generational labels and start looking at your candidates as individuals with unique experiences, perspectives, talents and goals. This is the only way you can attract and retain the top talent you need to help your business thrive.

| Gallman Consulting Generational Labels Hiring Millennials Millennials Stereotypes Top Talent

5 Simple Methods to Fight Tunnel Vision at Work

07/21/2016 |

5 Simple Methods I’ve Learned To Fight Tunnel Vision At Work

Find yourself getting sucked into your work? Here’s how to climb back out and stay grounded.

Adam Steele 07.13.16 5:00 AM

I catch tunnel vision like a virus, and it always has the same symptoms. I know it’s happening when I feel fatigued and disinterested. I begin to withdraw from important side projects and my social life, and despite the fact that I’m completely focused on one thing, I’m more susceptible to being blindsided by others that I should’ve seen coming.

Maybe it happens to you, too. Maybe, like me, you’re great at multitasking some of the time but find yourself swallowed whole by big projects and challenges other times—and then struggle to claw your way back out. I have to admit that I’ve actually made myself vulnerable to tunnel vision. I now run four companies, host a YouTube show, and serve as an administrator for a few entrepreneurs’ groups. Lots of things compete for my attention, and any one of them can lock me out of the others if I let them.

Here’s how I’ve learned to avoid giving in to all-consuming work at the expense of everything else.

1. Post Big Goals Where You Can’t Ignore Them

There’s more than one effective way to organize your schedule and track your goals. While I use many of the same apps that most entrepreneurs do, like Todoist and Evernote, sometimes you have to go a little old fashioned. Goals easily get lost when you need to swipe through screens or shuffle through Chrome tabs just to remind yourself what they are. That’s why I keep my all of my most important goals on a giant whiteboard that dominates a wall in my office.

You may not have access to a whiteboard that’s big enough to take up a huge chunk of your workspace, but you can achieve the same effect with big piece of paper and a marker. Whatever you do, scrap the tiny sticky notes and pocket-size notepad—those won’t grab your attention the way you need them to. Just make a large hard copy and put it right where you can’t ever ignore it. I like to keep mine just past my monitor, so that every time I look up from my screen, my goals are glaring right at me.

There’s something to be said for the tactile feeling of crossing something out on a hard surface versus tapping a screen. There’s also something to be said for listing goals in imposing, foot-tall letters that you can’t help but see constantly.

When your immediate goals are impossible to overlook and you’re confronted with success or stagnation every time you look up, your goals are more likely to be compressed into a diamond in your mind that can’t be easily dislodged.

2. Don’t Stop At Professional Goals

Getting fixated on a big project for too long can lead to burnout, which is why I’ve made sure that my goals include everything I want from life, not just the things I want in my career.

So remember to include experiences, pleasures, and things you find personally meaningful—not just achievements that will push your career forward or help your business grow. Reading certain books, visiting certain places, and sharing certain experiences with loved ones are all equally valid goals that can help you stay grounded and avoid tunnel vision when the pressure starts to build.

Keep in mind, too, that not all your goals have the power to make you happy. Some objectives are business necessities, others are personal necessities—sometimes they overlap, but not always. Make sure the goals that actually make you happy make it toward the top of your list, this way you can actually invest the same time and focus in them that you pour into your other major undertakings.

3. Keep Yourself Accountable—Or Have Others Help You

I’m a pretty competitive guy, and I know what stings the most for me: someone else knowing I’ve failed. That’s why I force myself to share my toughest goals with friends and colleagues. When a deadline passes and I know that they’re aware of it, I’m more determined not to let myself fail.

You may find different ways to keep yourself motivated and accountable, but if you like this approach your mentors should be your first stop. There’s no one better to judge you and hold you to your intentions than the people you’ve chosen to look up to, right?

Sometimes, though, I’ve found it works even better to share my goals with people who are more like “frenemies”—people I talk to and respect but still compete with in business. By playing into my competitive streak, I can remember to lift my head up from my own work now and then and refocus on the big picture.

4. Clean Up Your Workspace Daily

Remember that whiteboard I mentioned that “consumes” my office? That’s because my office is tiny by deliberate design. I’m a chaotic worker, and I need to force myself into a situation where I simply can’t use my workspace if I don’t make the effort to file everything where it belongs.

This routine forces me to break out of whatever intense focus I might’ve sunk into over the course of a day—to look up, take stock of things, see how far I’ve come, and get everything back in order before diving in again. It’s a great, regular “reset” button for tunnel vision.

5. Look For Easy, Routine Ways Expand Your Perspective

It usually costs, at most, $15 to change your point of view: That’s more or less what a book costs. It may sound silly just to be reminded to read, but professionals prone to tunnel vision tend to banish all other activities and pastimes in order to devote their full focus to their work. And that can be a mistake.

I’ve forced myself to read at least one book each month, and by turning that into a regular habit—as opposed to an occasional thing I need to make an effort to do every now and then—and it’s influenced my work and goals and has helped keep me grounded.

The best way out of tunnel vision is to expand your perspective. But you need to build excuses into your daily routine to actually do that regularly, and simply reading about others’ experiences can help you. It takes practice, though. Fighting tunnel vision requires constant vigilance. All the more reason to start right now.

Adam Steele is a builder of things, including Internet marketing agency The Magistrate and outsourcing solution Loganix, among others. He is a member of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs.

| Be Accountable Clean Workspace Multitasking Professional Goals Tunnel Vision

newer

older