Wondering If You Got the Job? Leverage the Power of a Customized Thank-You Note

Wondering If You Got the Job Leverage the Power of a Customized Thank-You Note

Wondering If You Got the Job Leverage the Power of a Customized Thank-You Note

When you finish a final round of interviews, there is one more step you can take to increase your odds of receiving a job offer: write a thank-you note. Expressing appreciation for the interviewers’ time within 24 hours of your meeting leaves a positive impression. If the competition is narrowed down to you and another candidate, and they do not send a note, you are more likely to be offered the role. This could mean the difference between getting a position you truly enjoy or one that simply pays the bills.

Find out how to craft a thank-you note to increase your odds of landing a job.

Personalize Your Note

Begin your thank-you note with a clear, concise email subject line. For instance, “Thank you for the interview yesterday” or “[Company Name] seems like a great place to work.” Include in your email the interviewer’s proper title and first name. Express genuine gratitude for taking the time to talk with you. Repeat the process for each interviewer whose business card you received during the interview. Alternatively, you can ask the person who set up your interview for everyone’s contact information.

Make Yourself Stand Out

Jog the interviewer’s memory about something you mentioned you offer that no other candidate can. Perhaps you talked about a specific solution, experience, or skill the hiring manager is looking for that you have. Share how your ideas and contributions for prior employers can help you achieve success in the new position. Include additional information not mentioned during the interview that makes you the best-qualified candidate.

Express Interest in the Role

Restate the reasons you are passionate about working for the company. Reasons could include the challenging responsibilities, available training programs, or opportunities to advance. Encourage the interviewer to contact you if they have additional questions. Include your full name, email address, and phone number for easy follow–up.

Ask About the Next Steps

Find out when the interviewer plans to make a hiring decision. Use this as a guideline as you pursue other opportunities. If you end up not receiving a job offer, continue to move forward with your search.

Get Help With Your Job Search

Trade Management can help you find your next job. Visit our job board today.

5 Steps Every Foreman Needs to Take to Improve Their Communication Today

5 Steps Every Foreman Needs to Take to Improve Their Communication Today Trade Management

5 Steps Every Foreman Needs to Take to Improve Their Communication Today Trade Management

Communication is a key aspect of succeeding in your role as a construction foreman. Because you oversee multiple projects at a time, proper communication ensures the work is completed correctly, on time, and within budget. It also reduces the risk of injury and damage to equipment and property. You need to continuously improve your communication skills while on the job.

Implement these five steps to improve communication with your construction crew.

Prepare for a Bilingual Workforce

With a growing number of construction workers born outside the U.S., you and your crew must be able to share information in a way everyone understands. This might mean offering basic language training, especially in Spanish, and explaining processes in multiple languages to ensure everyone can do their job. Being able to communicate with crew members effectively increases safety, efficiencies, and productivity.

Use Terms Your Listeners Understand

If you have a conversation with a roofer and you mention ponding, they know what you mean. However, if you mention ponding during a conversation with an electrician, they may not picture water collecting on the roof. Using jargon with those who work in the construction industry increases understanding about the issue. This keeps everyone on the same page and maintains productivity.

Perform Quality Checks on Communication

Implement regular quality checks on your crews’ communications. Require each crew to properly document their communications. Schedule regular checks to make sure the processes are followed. Measure their communications by the frequency of meetings and accuracy of documentation.

Promote Training 

Make sure construction managers train their crew on new processes and equipment. Ensure managers regularly review equipment manuals to refresh their knowledge and stay current on new developments. Also, be sure construction managers undergo training to understand the details of what their teams are doing. Proper training increases safety and efficiency in the worksite.

Implement Technology 

Purchase construction technology to increase efficiency and reduce safety hazards. For instance, use drones for site mapping and project inspections. Implement building information modeling software to provide project updates for off-site stakeholders. Provide wearable artificial intelligence for geographically distant crew members to see a project site and help explain the project. By gathering data in the field, workers and stakeholders can sort and organize the information in real time. Maintaining a flow of information through one platform lets the appropriate parties access the information as needed.

Hire Construction Personnel

When you need construction personnel, leave the recruiting and administration to Trade Management. Our experienced recruiters use their extensive construction and safety training knowledge to source and screen candidates throughout the entire hiring process. Get started with us today

Proceed With Caution but Proceed Anyway – The Optimistic Outlook for 2021

Near the end of last year, construction industry experts predicted a slowdown in new construction starts in 2021. Fortunately, things are not turning out as expected, and the construction industry continues to move forward. However, the lack of skilled construction workers remains an issue. Because there are not enough experienced professionals taking the place of those who retire, many construction jobs remain unfilled. The good news is if you are looking for work in the industry, you should be able to secure a position.

Find out why the outlook for the construction industry is optimistic and how this can benefit you.

The Coronavirus Created Construction Opportunities

The spread of the coronavirus opened up many construction opportunities going into 2021. For instance, because people learned that the way they were occupying buildings often caused the virus to spread, leaders had to rethink how they wanted their workspaces organized. This created a need to remodel office buildings. Also, because millions of employees transitioned from working on-site to working from home, many homeowners realized they needed to separate their workspace from their living space. This created a need to remodel houses. Skilled construction workers are needed to fill these demands.

Construction Jobs Continue to Grow

The need for construction workers is on the rise. One reason is that historically low-interest rates have increased the demand for single-family homes. Because housing inventory is low in some areas and costs are increasing, many people are opting to build a home rather than buy a preexisting one. Also, many building owners have been modernizing their structures while employees work from home. Additionally, nonresidential construction remains stable because of the backlog going into the pandemic, and construction was declared an essential industry. These factors contribute to the increasing need for construction workers.

There Is a Construction Industry Labor Shortage

The number of trained professionals in construction fields continues to decrease. With a significant number of employees retiring after investing decades in the industry, not enough workers are taking their place. This is a huge problem in states that require licensing for specialty trades. The decreasing pool of skilled workers and increasing demand for construction and infrastructure repair and development create opportunities for you to secure a well-paying job right now.

Find a Construction Job

Work with a professional recruiter from Trade Management to find a construction job. We can match you with opportunities and help you start working in a short amount of time. Get started with us today 

Are You a Foreman? Here’s Why You Need a Self-Improvement Plan for 2021

As a foreman, part of your success plan for 2021 should include prioritization of management self-improvement. After all, your team members’ performance depends on your performance. The more engaged you are, the more engaged your team members will be. And, the more you practice self-development to improve, the more your employees will follow your example.

Discover four reasons why you need professional self-improvement and how it can benefit your team.

Enhance Your One-on-Ones

Maximize results through effective one-on-ones. Predetermine when and where you meet, how long your discussions are, and how often you have conversations. Prepare topics to cover and questions to ask to make the subjects actionable. Provide clear, constructive feedback so your employees can improve their performance. Plus, hold your team accountable for carrying out the activities they are assigned.

Cultivate Your Listening Skills

Learn to ask great questions and focus on the answers. Pay attention to what someone is saying and ask follow-up questions. Questions may include, “How do you feel your work-life balance is right now?”,  “What motivates you to perform your best each day?” or “In which parts of your work would you like me to provide more or less direction?” Reflection is one of the best ways to perceive answers. Reflection involves sharing what you believe the person is saying and seeing if they agree. You can either get clarification or move forward knowing you interpreted their words correctly.

Encourage Buy-In

Present an idea in a way that is exciting to team members. Bring up potential concerns and solutions in advance to overcome them. Then, ask your team members for input and suggestions for improvement. When team members feel they have a say, they are more likely to “buy into” the decision.

Maximize Productivity

Because your team’s productivity is critical, emphasize improving their collective results. For instance, teach your team members to find ways to increase productivity for themselves and their teammates. This may include finding ways to make team meetings more effective. Ask whether anyone feels that someone is not fully contributing to your team’s results. If so, ask whether a team member will provide the individual with constructive criticism or set up a time to privately discuss the matter with the employee.

Enhance Your Team’s Success

Enhance your team’s success by adding experienced construction and skilled trade talent from Trade Management to your workforce. Learn firsthand how we earned the 2020 Best of Staffing award for providing remarkable service to our clients. Get started with us today.

Happy New Year!

We’re officially 4 days into 2021. While it may still feel like the same winter we had only a week ago, we’ve entered into a new month, a new year, and a new opportunity to rebound from the impact 2020 had on all of us. If you haven’t already, now is the time to begin looking forward and letting the hardships of last year serve only as a reminder of what we can overcome.

Economic forecasts predict improvements in non-farm payroll employment of approximately 600,000 new jobs each month. By the fourth quarter of the year, household employment is projected to recover to 148 million. There are industries that are expected to continue to recover more slowly, such as food service and hospitality, but others including delivery and warehouses and those tied to e-commerce will continue to grow at a fast pace to meet the continuously increasing demand of online shopping and contactless purchasing. Additionally, if the vaccines work, we can expect the labor market to heal rapidly this year.

We all have optimistic hopes that this year will be vastly different from last. Some of the factors are well outside of our control, but plenty are still within. Go into the year with positivity and a spirit of accomplishment and tenacity and let’s all see a productive and economically strong 2021. Contact us at sales@peoplelinkgroup.com for all of your 2021 workforce needs!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

2021, the dream we have all been waiting for is now in sight! Christmas is only a few days away. The approach of the 2020 holiday season has young and old equally excited for a new year to begin.

While COVID is unfortunately still here, we have many gifts for which we can be thankful. In a remarkably short time, the medical community has delivered a vaccine to the general public. We are seeing more signs of stability in the economy with the stock market rallying sharply in recent weeks. Unemployment continues to wane and many companies are reopening. The US Labor Force Participation Rate has significant room for improvement, but we are still seeing progress. According to a recent American Staffing Association article, 80% of job candidates, both active and passive, foresee working for a new company in the next 12 months even despite the economic uncertainty created by the pandemic. In addition to this, 1 in 3 candidates are more open to working as a temporary employee through a staffing agency. Undoubtedly fueled by the astronomically high unemployment rates we’ve seen this year, 66% of respondents for the article said that looking for a job is more stressful than planning a wedding. 59% said it was more stressful than the birth of a child and 25% and 24% said it was more stressful than the death of a loved one or financial concerns related to COVID-19, respectively.

Confusion and concern abound amongst unemployed individuals and those considering changing employers. Even the most talented candidates may burn out before finding the next career opportunity due to the stress of job hunting. As a respected staffing provider, Peoplelink provides candidates with guidance navigating the challenging application process. We can help you tap into a skilled candidate pool with which you may not otherwise connect. As professionals in the staffing industry for over 30 years, our tried-and-true methodology for screening candidates gives you access to the highest quality talent. Partner with us to achieve your optimal workforce. Call us at 817-684-8022 or submit your information through our website.

Creating and Onboarding a Remote Workforce

Why is it important?

If 2020 has taught us anything in the staffing world, it’s that we must find a new way of doing business. This includes getting creative in how we partner with our clients and engage with our talent. The global pandemic became “real” for us all in March of 2020. Organizations that were able to pivot to a remote workforce quickly and effectively were able to stay ahead of the current and set themselves up for a period of sustained growth.

One of the unintended benefits that has come from this terrible pandemic has been an awareness that new ways of delivering business results, no matter the industry, is essential. Organizations that were previously hesitant to entertain a remote workforce now realize it is a viable alternative to remain competitive in the race for talent. According to Stanford Research, an incredible 42% of the U.S. labor force was working from home full-time by June. Even by August, the fraction of entirely home-based work, despite a slight decline relative to earlier in the pandemic, remained very high at 20.3%, according to the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank.

What are potential wins for organizations that are able to make the right pivot? When physical geography is de-emphasized due to remote work capability, there is access to a more diverse workforce in greater supply. Kate Lister, President of Global Workplace Analytics, touts that an estimated 25-30% of the workforce will be working from home multiple days a week by the end of 2021. In keeping up with this plunge, people become the peak differentiator of every industry. Greater diversity creates ideas that spur growth. Teams are more effectively engaged. Expensive, unwanted turnover rates drop significantly. Your employees and your business collectively experience a win/win.

Having proven, repeatable onboarding steps is essential for riding the long-term wave of a successful remote work arrangement. Throughout the recruiting process, candidates form impressions quickly that are crucial for a long-term employment partnership.

What are the crucial steps to successfully onboard a new candidate?

1) Ensure that all necessary equipment is delivered early. Too often, candidates are stressed the week before starting a new position because they are unsure how to perform their job duties. An important unknown to remove is the physical equipment necessary. Make sure that new resources have the necessary setup at home. IT equipment should be delivered with enough time to test access to all applications that the candidate needs to perform their duties. The Friday before the start date is too late.

Gather requirements with the candidate on what they need to be successful. Would they benefit from a second monitor? Is their email set up correctly? Do they have access to all the appropriate applications? Are their security protocols configured? Do they know who to turn to if they have issues? What types of communication are used to interact with leadership and teammates?

This is one of the greatest areas of uncertainty that can provide a negative initial impression for a candidate. On the bright side, it is also one that can be easily eliminated through a well-designed, repeatable process that ensures everyone is operating on the same wavelength.

2) Communication of the organization’s mission, vision, and values during the recruitment process. One of the keys to a successful remote engagement is to recruit to an organization’s mission, vision, and values. Inherently, leaders are placing an increased trust in remote workers due to lack of direct oversight. Identifying candidates that fit from a values perspective is crucial. In addition, a candidate must be propelled by the mission and vision of an organization and be able to identify with that “why” factor!

3) A clearly defined, pre-communicated schedule for the first week. This is another often over-looked aspect of onboarding. Everyone that starts a new job is dealing with some level of anxiety, much of which is caused by the unknown of what they will be doing while they initially settle in. A simple step to take during the onboarding process is to set up a time to go over the first week in detail. Lay out a calendar that can be given to the candidate so they can prepare their thoughts ahead of time. Knowing what the first week looks like from a schedule perspective eliminates much of the unknown and reduces the ramp up period, ultimately saving both time and money!

4) 30-60-90 day expectations laid out during the onboarding process. As mentioned in the previous point, every candidate has anxiety stepping into a new role. Too often, we forget what that feels like. Another key action to minimize this anxiety is to provide absolute clarity in the expectations of the candidate. Successful leaders go so far as to spell out these expectations in offer letters! If a new employee can step into a role knowing what is expected of them, they can plan and be set up to succeed. Unclear expectations lead to disengaged employees and some of that expensive, unwanted turnover.

5) Build trust. This point cannot be understated. Trust is at the crest of building a high-functioning team. There are several tactics for building a trusting culture:

a. Introduce the new employee to the team ASAP. Don’t make the initial intro about work. Make this intro about getting to know each other on a personal level by having every individual on the team share something about themselves. This tactic is not a box to be checked once – it must be repeated consistently. Continue to start all team meetings with a “get to know you” exercise. Make some fun and light-hearted. Make some serious to understand the why behind each individual.
b. Provide collaboration opportunities. Actively schedule opportunities for the new employee to collaborate with different members of the team. One of the quickest ways to shorten the ramp up period and establish long-term engagement is to provide opportunities to accomplish a task together with a teammate. Emotional connections are established through joint success that will keep the workplace current flowing strong.
c. Focus on the culture. The first step here is to be aware of what the impression is of your current culture. Next, envision what you want your ideal culture to look like and onboard with those goals in mind. Communicate the vision for that culture consistently and be sure to demonstrate those values in all interactions.
d. Engagement is critical. A remote candidate is at an increased risk of disengagement when they are isolated and new to the team. Go above and beyond to engage with the new resource and be sure to include them in all appropriate meetings. Use video for the majority of interactions – with the camera on! Set that expectation immediately so that no one shies away.

Remember that people are typically our most valuable resource and turnover is costly in every aspect. Navigating the ocean of remote onboarding is difficult, but having a repeatable process focused on the areas above can ensure that no one gets caught in the undertow. Working together, we can use these strategies to differentiate an organization in an ever flowing and very competitive employment marketplace! Please reach for us at sales@peoplelinkgroup.com.

Giving Thanks

The end of the year is a time traditionally reserved for gathering as family and friends, celebrating togetherness and relationships, and ushering in a new year with excitement and joy. People will remember 2020 as a year of interrupted traditions, adjusted plans, and postponed gatherings, all for the sake of protecting the very loved ones we may not get to see. While tensions have been high and general stress and anxiety a daily concern, how we close out this year is ultimately up to us.

Despite difficulties, in the remaining weeks of the year, we can reflect on our many blessings – supportive friendships, socially distanced walks and talks, and valuable technology making it possible to connect with those closest to us via calls and video chats. Most of all, we can be thankful for a light at the end of the tunnel. We have weathered the storm and are emerging stronger than ever.

We must remain hopeful. This will not last forever. If this year has taught us anything, it is that we are both flexible and resilient. We have changed many aspects of our lives to keep ourselves and others healthy. We are vigilant about hand washing and sanitizing, wearing a mask, and maintaining social distancing whether in the workplace or in public. We have proven that we can face an unprecedented challenge head-on and not let it get the better of us.

We close out 2020 proudly, thankful for the acts of bravery and kindness we’ve witnessed. Grateful for our friends and family, we face 2021 with optimism, knowing even in times of difficulty we will persevere. We look forward to working together with you in 2021. Please reach for us at sales@peoplelinkgroup.com.

5 Ways the Jobsite Has Changed

In the months since the pandemic began, job sites have changed dramatically for tradesmen. Both safety measures and changes in the economy have altered the industry, meaning construction workers are returning to the job to find a much different world than they left. As your sites begin reopening, here are five changes your company may notice and implement.

1. Additional health and safety measures

Additional health and safety measures are a logical change, considering everything that is going on around the world. To keep teams safe, precautions are being taken at job sites to make sure they are clean. Measures may include checking temperatures, sanitizing all equipment, and adjusting shifts to have fewer people on site at the same time. Masks, gloves, and additional hand sanitizing options will also be seen more frequently.

2. Video calls when possible

Project planning meetings with clients and team members will likely remain virtual for some time. As with most industries, anything that can be done remotely is shifting that way, meaning even construction meetings will look different than before. In some situations, virtual tours of sites are also being done.

3. Shift in projects

Project demand will increase by industry and by type of project. Certain project types will likely be in high demand such as converting offices from open concept to traditional as a safety measure. The medical and healthcare industries will likely see an increase in demand for construction projects as well. Even as states begin to reopen, certain businesses remain closed or are not looking to renovate or move until they are beyond the pandemic. Office projects may grow as those with more open concepts need to readjust to meet safety procedures. As people continue to order online versus shopping in person, warehouse and distribution projects are likely to be in demand as well.

4. Offices remaining remote

Even with workers back on site, the office and administrative employees will likely continue to telework. Especially with the goal of keeping people on site low, having these team members at home allows the job to continue with the maximum number of workers possible. Fortunately, technology makes staying connected easier than ever.

5. Increase in project time

Under the current circumstances, projects will take more time. With social distancing in place and both projects and shifts more staggered, the speed of completion will be slowed. Workers will continue to do their best, but the reality is things are different now. Old timelines will need to be updated to reflect current conditions.

What can Trade Management do for you?

Find out today! At Trade Management, we maintain a skilled, permanent workforce, to help our clients increase profit through productivity and reduced hiring costs. You focus on bidding and building; we handle the rest. Contact us today to get the help you need!