Define the Role

To feel comfortable, competent, and armed for success, new employees need to understand their roles. Instead of just handing them a list of tasks and responsibilities, each employee should understand how their duties contribute to the success of the company as a whole. They’ll feel more committed to the company and engaged in his work, yielding a higher performance.

Let them know what your expectations for this role should be, in what timeframe, and how they can go about getting there. What should their goals be? By when? Have a co-worker sit with them or at least check in with them every few hours, for the first week to show them the ropes. Remember that you’ve already invested time and money in them by recruiting and hiring them, so it pays to invest a little more to make sure he’ll be successful.

Have the manager check-in

It’s important to develop the employee-manager relationship early. Their manager is the one who will teach them, guide them, encourage them, and empower him to be confident and successful. Managers should communicate immediately what they expect from their new hire and how they prefer to communicate. He should ask questions to ensure that the employee is understanding and learning their new role. Schedule meetings during the first week, at the end of two weeks, and again monthly and quarterly to check progress and offer feedback to the employee. They should understand that their development is important to the company, expect constructive analysis, and be given the chance to ask questions and offer comments.

Welcome Them Into the Culture

Sometimes new employees struggle with their jobs or leave the company because they don’t feel comfortable in the culture. You have to reach out before they even start the job to make them feel welcome, emotionally connected, and bonded to new co-workers. In addition to your company’s mission and core values, communicate your brand as much as possible in an orientation program.

Take your time and be patient with this process so you don’t risk having a bad employee or a quitter. A new employee is only a clean slate once! After that, it takes more time and effort to unlearn something they have misunderstood, and by that time, they may have done damage to your company’s efficiency or already be on their way out the door.

For more tips on how to bring on new employees, contact us today.

The post 3 Steps for a Successful Employee Onboarding Process appeared first on CulverCareers.

Python

Python is popular in data science and scientific computing, mainly because it’s one of the easiest ones to start with. Similar to Ruby, Python is used for desktop apps, web apps, and data mining at companies like Yahoo! and Google.

Java

Thanks to the growth of Android users, the amount of Java jobs posted has increased a lot over the past year. All Android apps use Java, as well as almost all Fortune 500 companies, so it’s a valuable language to learn. If you’re working for a tech company or a startup, there are probably simpler languages to learn first.

PHP

Used to build more than 80 percent of websites, including Facebook, Wikipedia, Tumblr and WordPress, it’s extremely useful to know just because it’s so common. Though some programmers complain the language has too many random functions and keywords, there always seems to be work repairing and modifying PHP blogs.

JavaScript

It’s important to learn JavaScript because it’s used in over 90 percent of all webpages and it’s compatible across all browsers. It sometimes receives a lot of criticism for slowing down browsers and exposing security vulnerabilities. JavaScript also has some complicated features like anonymous functions, callbacks and prototypical inheritance that might be tricky for rookie users. It helps if you have experience in another language first.

Ruby

Ruby is a 24-year-old language that’s popular with first-time coders because it’s relatively easy to read, write and build web apps with. It’s used by companies such as AirBnB, BaseCamp, Groupon and GitHub, and is a great gateway into other coding languages.

For more tips on how to advance your programming career and ensure you’re prepared for the newest technologies and programming languages, contact CulverCareers today.

The post The Five Most In-Demand Programming Languages You Should Know appeared first on CulverCareers.

Here are eight ways to recognize your top performers.

Thank you

It doesn’t need to be fancy, you can simply say thank you. Or take the time to write a personal note to let an employee know they’re appreciated. If nothing else, you can brighten their day.

Unique award

Personalize an award for something an employee accomplishes and dole it out in front of the rest of the team. It can be in the form of a $15 plaque or even a gift card—something inexpensive and simple that your employee can be proud of.

Public acknowledgement

Use a staff meeting to spotlight something your employee just achieved. It can be very motivating to be recognized in front of peers.

Write about them

Publish a blog post or company-wide press release that recognizes your employee’s accomplishments. Highlight how their production contributes to the overall well-being of the company. This is a great way to document their stellar performance and provides him something he can share with his friends and family.

Educational opportunity

Top performers are usually driven and motivated already, so reward them by allowing them to pursue education courses or conferences and workshops that can help to develop their skills.

Increased responsibility

Delegate some new, more challenging tasks to the star employee. You’re showing them that you see their efforts and you trust them, at the same time you’re beginning to groom them for future leadership or even management.

Flex schedule

Top performers have already proven they have the intrinsic motivation and self-discipline to get the job done, so reward them with the ability to choose some flexibility in their schedules. Perhaps an occasional day off or the opportunity to work remotely. This alone might serve as an incentive for your other employees.

Bonus

Employees who are exceeding expectations should likewise receive pay that exceeds the average. As you plan to distribute raises, link them to performance appraisals. This way, workers will be compensated in proportion to their efforts and output.

For more tips on how to manage and incentivize your team, contact us today.

The post Eight Ways to Recognize Your Top Performers appeared first on CulverCareers.

Be a people person

Your team is filled with a cast of characters – individuals with different personalities, skills, talents and challenges. You have to enjoy working with them and putting them in positions to succeed. Treat everyone equally and don’t let your personal biases affect the team dynamic.

Be flexible

It’s not your way or the highway! Be open to new processes and ideas, especially those of your team. While you shouldn’t compromise your expectations, you might have to adapt your leadership style to fit the needs and individuality of your team members.

Teach and learn

Guide and use constructive criticism, but don’t control. Recognize everyone’s strengths and weaknesses and challenge your team to improve. Praise successes and jump in to help when obstacles arise. While a boss already knows it all, leaders are willing to learn from those with less seniority and respect the skills and experience of team members.

Motivate and inspire

Bosses limit the creative process and self-expression, which kills motivation and innovation, causing employees to resent them. Instead, figure out what gets your team to perform at the highest levels and expect greatness from them. Cheer their successes and encourage self-sufficiency.

Give credit and accept blame

Leaders know that success is a result of teams’ efforts and are humble enough to praise and reward those employees responsible for it. But when the team fails, you also need to accept responsibility and not blame your team. See that those failures are learning opportunities.

Communicate

Listen and inquire, don’t dictate and demand. Actively seek thoughts and ideas about critical topics from your team, and be willing to share information that empowers them. Check in with the group and with individuals as needed and clearly communicate your expectations.

Be hands-on

You want to allow for autonomy and be able to delegate big responsibilities; however, know when you need to step in. Show your employees you trust them to do a good job and make sure your team has the necessary time and resources. But go the extra mile and demonstrate you’re part of the team, willing to take on the same tasks you ask of them.

Being an effective leader is important to the success of your employees. At CulverCareers, we understand what it takes to be a great leader. Contact us today for more information.

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But those discrepancies can be easily exposed, and when that happens, you risk losing any chance of being hired. Or worse, you could later be fired from the job you misrepresented yourself to get! Here are three reasons it’s important to be completely honest and accurate on your resume.

Employers perform background checks

Most employers complete thorough background checks including a sweep of your references. Whether it’s a gap in your work history or a specific project that you claim to have worked on, these facts are easy for employers to verify when they call a former supervisor. Even if it’s only a small discrepancy that’s discovered, you’ve jeopardized your credibility and reliability, and potential employers will start to wonder if there’s something larger and more serious you’ve been dishonest about.

It will be obvious when your start work

If you can’t demonstrate the abilities you claimed to have on your resume, you could be fired. Your new supervisors and co-workers will have expectations of you that you won’t be able to meet. This failure will be more obvious than if you had just asked for help in learning how to tackle a new task. Whether they uncover your lie or they’re just disappointed with your poor performance, this is not a good first impression to make.

You’re cheating yourself

It’s exhausting and stressful to maintain a lie or to “fake it” on the job! You’d rather start at a new position with a clean slate where you can focus completely on taking in your new surroundings, trying to master your new tasks and responsibilities, and getting to know your co-workers. You shouldn’t also have to worry about keeping your story straight or covering up your weaknesses!

Instead of succumbing to the urge to exaggerate on your resume, make yourself stand out by putting your strongest attributes, experiences, and skills first. Mention your non-work related experience, such as volunteering, or certifications you’ve earned. Whether an inconsistency comes out in the interview process or after you’ve started your job, you don’t want these embellishments or misrepresentations coming back to haunt you.

For more information on how to construct a quality resume and land your dream job, check out our website at https://culvercareers.com.

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