Author: Michael Caicco

Do You Have the Right Team?

Michael Caicco

It is often said that good managers will surround themselves with top talent.

So it is surprising how many managers are not happy with the people on their team: 27% of managers have unwanted employees.

Having a strong team improves productivity and reduces stress in the work place. Employees not pulling their weight will create animosity, leading to a poor work environment. If your team is not made up of the talent you need, it’s time to put a plan in place to improve it. Build a team with the right people and shed the under-performing staff.

Hiring a successful team requires competitive salaries, good work environment and culture, as well as room for advancement.

How to Gain and Retain Top Talent

Michael Caicco

Hiring skilled or trained employees is a challenge for most employers in today’s market.

The cost of attracting employees is high and is continuing to increase. However attracting employee is not enough. Companies need to invest in retaining these employees as well. How do companies retain employees? Competitive salary, benefits, good working conditions and extras (community lounge, fitness area etc.), ensuring a good work-life balance among others are very important attractors and retainers.

But the most important expectations according to a recent study is a commitment by companies to make sure that employees obtain proper training and skills updates related to the position. Employees feel that it is the employers’ responsibility to keep them up to date with their skills.

To Sing or Not to Sing… Should the Complaining Customer Decide?

Michael Caicco

Have you heard about the singing bus driver from Ottawa who was asked by his employer to “stop singing” after 11 years of serenading his passengers?

The transit company responded to passenger complaints about the “singing”. Since this story was released, there has been an outpouring of support on Facebook and in the community for the singing bus driver. People have weighed in on both sides of this issue, but it appears that the majority say “let him sing”.

Was the employer right to ask the driver to stop something he had done every day on his route for 11 years? Was there a creative solution to this problem? Should every customer complaint be treated equally? Sometimes organizations make the wrong decisions while trying to do the “right” thing.

We are all familiar with the saying “you can’t please all the people, all of the time”. The reality is that unhappy customers complain, and happy customers rarely let you know how they feel, unless you ask. In trying to provide good customer service and respond to customer complaints, the transit company may have angered some of its other customers who weren’t given the opportunity to voice their opinion. 

Responding to customer complaints and resolving issues can be a challenging task. Before you make decisions that change your service delivery you need to know what the majority of your customers are thinking. If you only focus on customer complaints you may end up heading off in the wrong direction. Do your research, look for a creative solution and most importantly use common sense. 

Personally, I would choose the singing bus driver over a surly unpleasant driver any morning.

More Money & Job Satisfaction for Engineers

Michael Caicco

A recent post at the Engineering Blogs claims that the engineers are unhappy with their income levels.

The author pointed out two interesting facts about engineering salaries…

  1. “Over time, engineering salaries tend to level off, and one has to go into management to make more money.”, and
  2. “Despite this plateau, engineers make more money over time than high school grads and nearly every other major.”

Are engineers as a group unhappy with their salaries? If yes, how does this affect their job satisfaction?

Overall, engineers are a well-paid group. Those engineers struggling to find a job that makes them happy should remember that salary is not the only factor affecting job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is an individual experience, yet most people will agree that it takes more than a good salary to be happy at work.

7 Reasons to Use a Recruiter

Michael Caicco

Not everyone feels the need to use a recruiter when looking for a job or making a career change. However there are many advantages to using expert help.

When unemployed and searching for a new career opportunity, we recommend that you use all the means available: job boards, friends, your professional network, as well as a recruiter.

What if you are currently employed and considering a career change? In this case, a recruiter’s services are a must! Here are some of the benefits of working with one:

  1. Confidential job searches
    When using a recruiter, you can search for new opportunities without worrying that your current employer will find out. There is no need to post your resume on a job board and have your boss find it.
  2. Save time
    Searching for a new job takes a lot of time and effort. Working with a recruiter allows you to focus on you current job and saves you time chasing potential dead-ends.
  3. Career direction
    Recruiters will take the time to understand what is important to you in your next role, and then match you with the right job to achieve your career goals.
  4. Resume advice
    Many professionals find it difficult to articulate their skills and experience on paper and communicate the advantage of hiring them. An experienced recruiter can help polish your resume so it stands out amongst your peers.
  5. Interview guidance
    Recruiters are in tune with what their client company is looking for and understand the interview process. This valuable information can help you to successfully handle the interview.
  6. Access to the decision makers
    Recruiters work closely with their clients and have the ability to fast-track and put it in front of the right people.
  7. Access to private opportunities
    Some opportunities are never posted on the public boards. A company may choose to keep the information “quiet” for a number of reasons and will use recruiters to fill these positions.

Working with a recruiter can be a very rewarding experience. Give us a try:

Interview Preparation

Michael Caicco

Interviewing is an art. If you want to be noticed, you have to be able to make yourself stand out, which is not an easy task. 

The first step is having a resume that would make the interviewer choose you for an interview. Customizing your resume to each potential job opportunity is very important. You need to articulate on paper why you are the right candidate for the company, but this is just the first hurdle in your job quest. Once selected you need to be able to navigate your way through the job interview or – more likely – a series of interviews with the potential new employer.

Each face-to-face interview is different and each interviewer has their own way of leading the process. As the interviewee, your goal is to not only having the skills for the position but to be able to make yourself stand out and be remembered by the interviewer. This is a challenge since the interviewer may be interviewing ten or more individuals for this one position, plus dozens of others for various other positions within the organization.

I recommend this terrific article on being prepared for probing interview questions.

We also offer some valuable tips in our Fusion Careers Interview Guide.