Talent Connection Blog

We all know the commonplace definition of an entrepreneur is one who starts his/her own business, but what about the character traits behind those who become successful entrepreneurs? You’re in luck—20 entrepreneurs share what they think makes a successful entrepreneur. One popular trait shared by many entrepreneurs is the desire to blaze new trails and make things better . CEOs Derek Hutson and Debbie Roxarzade, of Datical and Rachel’s Kitchen respectively, both insist that the drive to make anew is at the core of a fruitful entrepreneur.   Similarly, Pace University Entrepreneurship Lab executive Bruce Bachenheimer and TrueFacet

There are a number of ways to approach the task of job searching. Some require more time and effort than others, but not all of them are effective enough to pursue. These job search methods should be avoided so you can focus your time on ways that will really land you the job you deserve. Searching for job postings on the Internet. This may seem like the most effective method, but you’d be surprised to know that this route works only about 4% of the time. Even jobs that are related to technology—IT, engineering, etc.—only raise this percentage to 10.

Sometimes it can be frustrating to deal with employee retention problems—even when you make retention efforts—only to see other companies accomplishing it with apparent ease. Your company may not be as big as theirs, but it doesn’t mean you can’t use their same tactics to achieve the same results. Netflix, Whole Foods, Clif Bar & Company, and Amazon are four companies that are retaining their employees in creative ways. Take a look at their ideas for some inspiration for your own employee retention strategies. Netflix reminds people to focus on character in the hiring process—because it’s not just about skill

If you were to do a quick Google search of ‘how to reduce employee turnover,’ most articles you would find may have the tip “hire the right people” as their first bullet point. That is definitely important of course, but even when you have the right people it is crucial that you make the necessary efforts to keep the right people. Another few commonly heard tips are things like offering competitive pay and flexible work schedules—things that’ll put your company ahead of the competition and make it a more desirable place to work. And those are great tips, too. However,

Everyone likes being appreciated or recognized for their accomplishments—so how can there be negatives to employee appreciation? Don’t let the phrasing mislead you; it’s more about employee appreciation challenges that, when not addressed correctly, can have negative effects. So what are these challenges, how can you avoid them, and what can you do differently? It isn’t personalized. It’s not easy to keep track of how each employee likes to be recognized, whether subtly in private or in a showy manner in front of their team, but it is extremely important to remember which type of individual you are dealing with.

Did you know that employees who exercise their strengths daily are 8 percent more productive and 6 times more likely to be engaged than those who don’t? Or that work overload can reduce productivity by 68 percent when employees feel they don’t have enough time in the day to complete their tasks? Productivity is the driving force of high performance. However, although it has strong ties with employee engagement, it is in fact its own entity. Focusing on one and ignoring the other will not usually warrant effective results. Let’s look at some employee productivity strategies so your employees’ productivity

Recent studies have found that 76 percent of organizations with over 100 employees rely on assessment tools for external hiring. That number is expected to jump to 88 percent within the next few years. The studies show that assessments are relied upon more heavily for higher seniority roles. Estimates suggest that 72 percent of middle management positions, 80 percent of senior roles, and 59 percent of entry-level positions rely on assessments. So, why bother assessing these upper management candidates? Surely, if a candidate is good at doing a job, they must be good at managing people who do that job,

Training is just as important of a task for managers as it is for employees. Whether you are a brand new manager or one with years of experience, management training is a must. People have a tendency to view it as “How to Be a Manager 101,” and although it does serve that purpose, the much larger purpose of management training is to keep managers operating at peak performance. In fact, there are several negative effects of neglecting to recognize the importance of a routine training process.  Some of those negative effects include: Decreased adaptability for both manager and employee

Onboarding is the logical next step after hiring a new employee. That new hire can be the ideal candidate for the job, but if the onboarding process goes south—or doesn’t happen at all—there’s a chance that it’ll have a strongly negative effect on the new employee’s overall fit within the company. Although there are numerous styles and methods to follow that can be more or less effective for your specific organization, there are some universal dos and don’ts that will keep you on the right path, regardless of the style you choose to follow. Take a look at them below

The hiring process consists of more than just an interview and a handshake. There are behind the scenes steps that take place long before you’re face-to-face with a candidate, as well as after the interview. This isn’t exactly new information, but it makes for a good reminder. The issue is, most hiring departments focus too much on one stage of the process and end up neglecting other stages. They could be so distracted by preparing for the interview that they lack effort when it comes to recruiting. Or maybe they spent all their time on screening and neglected to set