Remote. It’s a term you continue to hear more and more when talking about the modern workplace. Working remotely is becoming the preference of Gen Z and Millennials, especially. In fact, it’s been estimated that 50% of the workforce will work remotely by 2030. Not that long ago, working remotely was unheard of. But, thanks to technology and the ease with which information can be shared, it appears to be here to stay. While there will always be a place for the corporate office, it’s becoming harder to recruit quality people that are content with the nine-to-five cubicle life. If you’re thinking about hiring a remote team however, there are some important things to consider.

Make Expectations Clear

Even though some of the most talented people work remotely, it’s still essential that you make expectations clear upfront. One of the most important ingredients is schedules. A major benefit for remote workers is a flexible schedule. They assume as long as they get their work done on time, they’re free to do it when they like. Let’s say for example that your company needs someone available from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. Before you set about hiring someone o in the Pacific Time Zone, you’d better be sure they’re alright with getting up at 5:00 am local time.

Hire the Right People

Even though a remote worker might not ever come face-to-face with a client, they can still have a tremendous impact on your brand and who you are. Just like any employee you hire for the office, it’s important to make sure remote workers are aligned with your company’s core values, mission and brand.

It’s best to vet remote workers in the interview process. Ask leading questions about what they’re passionate about, what their goals and ambitions are and what strengths they possess that allow them to work remotely. Of course, make sure this person has the experience and qualifications necessary to meet the demands of the job.

Key Performance Indicators

Also known as KPI’s, key performance indicators help companies meet goals and track progress from the top to the bottom. If you have KPI’s in place already, great. They might need some tweaking for a remote position but, their intent and metrics should remain more or less the same.

If you don’t have any KPI’s in place, start by looking at what your goals are. What KPI’s do you have in place to track your own results? How do the KPI’s for the employees you manage align with accomplishing the company’s goals? Asking these questions will provide you a foundation from which you can develop KPI’s for a remote employee.

Have a Central Location

A successful business of any size has a laundry list of different things happening at a given time. Marketing projects, sales goals, customer retention, hiring, the list goes on. If there isn’t a central place where everyone can communicate, it’s easy for important tasks to fall by the wayside. Whether you have employees that work remotely or not, software platforms like Monday, Asana and Trello have all the tools you need to manage each facet of every project and they’re easy to use.

Communication Reigns Supreme

We harp on it all the time but, there’s no understating the importance of effective communication in the workplace. This is especially true for remote workers. In an office, it’s easy to walk down the hall and knock on someone’s door. Remote workers don’t have that luxury. That’s why it’s important to keep these people abreast of what’s going on. Sure, everyone checks their email on a regular basis. But, being able to communicate face-to-face via programs like Skype or Zoom, allows everyone to feel engaged.

Only you can decide if hiring a remote team is the right decision. There are certainly some risks that come with not being able to physically manage someone. On the other hand, there are plenty of capable people out there that prefer to work remotely. They don’t require the overhead of an office employee either. If you come to the decision that hiring remote positions is a risk worth taking, keep in mind the matters discussed. If done correctly, hiring remote workers can be a win-win for everyone.

If you are interested in growing your remote team in the Life Sciences industries in the Bay Area, contact me, Jeff King, at jking@rqfocus.com or (541) 639-3501. I am an experienced recruiter that can help you find the best remote or in-house employees for your company.

You consider yourself a leader. After all, you’ve spent most of your career managing employees and overseeing large teams of people. Sure, you’ve made some bad hires and dealt with difficult situations just like everyone else, but you have a track record of success. Maybe you’ve always been a leader, or you developed the skills to become one in recent years. Whatever the case may be, the time has come for you to pursue a new leadership opportunity. You’ve dusted off your resume, started hunting for jobs and even landed a couple of interviews. If you hope to find the opportunity you’re looking for however, you’d best be sure some of the skills mentioned below are polished.

Communication

There’s been no shortage of articles written about the importance of communication but that’s for good reason. It’s a vital skill for any leader. We’ve all had that boss at some point that is more of a dictator than a leader. You constantly find yourself second-guessing the job you’re doing and wondering if your performance is above board or lacking. Working for this kind of superior is no fun and now you make it a point to communicate with those around you in every sense of the word.

It’s also important to remember that not all communication is verbal. When you’re interviewing for a new job, the hiring manager is going to scour your resume for grammar and word choice. During the interview they will also pay attention to non-verbal communication cues like body language, how you shook their hand and how actively you listen with your eyes as well as your ears.

Vision

In order to be successful, companies are always looking for ways to increase the bottom line, save money and make their processes more efficient. They know you can’t do business the same way forever. For this reason, you’d better be armed with some real-life examples of how your vision improved a company’s prospects in the past. Did you implement a new marketing campaign because the old one wasn’t working? Maybe you re-wrote the policies and procedures manual because the one from 2002 was no longer relevant.

Assertiveness

Anyone in a position of leadership is going to be forced to make decisions at some point. There’s no avoiding it. Hiring managers will want to see evidence of this skill too. They will surely ask you about important decisions you made in the past. Not only that, they are going to want to know how you arrived at the decision and what the outcome was. Your ability to highlight your decision-making skills in a favorable light could be the deciding difference in whether you get the job or not.

Ability to Adapt

Even if your resume screams that you’re the most qualified candidate for the job, you have to be able to adapt. After all, you’re applying for a job at a new company where chances are the culture, values, and ways of doing things aren’t what they were in your previous post. If your plan is to come in, clean house, and do things the way you’ve always done them, chances are you won’t get the job. On the other hand, if you can demonstrate that your eager to learn, listen, implement necessary changes and receive input from all sides, you’ll quickly set yourself apart from other candidates.

Influence

When the word influence comes to mind, you probably think about the ability to get others to do what you want. While this is certainly a large part of it, how you go about influencing others is important too. Sure, you can influence people through fear, intimidation and barking orders, but it probably won’t last long as people will quit or fail to respect your authority. Conversely, if you’re able to lead by example, portray confidence, keep a level-head and meet your subordinates on their level, your
chances of being a successful leader are much greater.

Effective leadership is more important now than ever in the workplace. Without the right people in place to make decisions, the chances of an organization succeeding are slim to none. That’s why hiring managers spare no expense in finding the perfect fit for each and every position of leadership. Even if you consider yourself a seasoned leader and have the track record to back it up, you’re going to have to demonstrate all the necessary skills to do the job effectively. Before you step into that next interview, take a moment to give some of the qualities above some serious thought. Doing so will provide honest insight and just might be what puts you over the top.

If you are an experienced leader looking for a job in the Life Sciences industries in the Bay Area, or an employer seeking a high-quality employee to fill a leadership position, contact me Jeff King at (541) 639-3501. I serve the pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device fields.

If there’s one thing that’s constant in this day and age, it’s change. And it’s something that most people have a hard time with. The crazy thing is that it inevitably happens to all of us, yet we resist it. Our brains are hard-wired to tell us that there is safety found in predictability and routine. The unfortunate part is that if you refuse to change, you end up stagnating, get bored and your productivity suffers. This is especially true in the workplace. The bottom line is, change can be good a thing if you’re no longer happy in your current post.

It’s Time for a Change if You’re Bored to Tears or Overwhelmed

In order to be your most productive at work, you need to be challenged in the best ways possible. When you’re bored, you aren’t being challenged enough and conversely, if you find yourself overwhelmed, you either have too much on your plate or the job you’re expected to do might not be something that fits your skillset. Pay close attention to symptoms of both stress and boredom. If they show themselves on a regular basis, it’s probably time to look for something different.

If Your Mind Wonders, It’s Time to Move On

Do you ever find yourself sitting at your desk staring off into space and thinking about what it would be like to be anywhere but where you are? This is an obvious sign that you’re no longer happy with your current situation. If this goes on long enough, you might even start to complain to family, friends and even colleagues about what’s missing. If this is the case, you’d best take decisive action, or someone else might make the choice for you.

No One Wants to Feel Underappreciated

When you started your current job, you were eager to share your thoughts and ideas with your colleagues and superiors. They even asked for your input on important decisions. But now you feel like everything you have to say falls on deaf ears. And what about that overtime you put in to meet a critical deadline? No one acknowledged your efforts or thanked you for all your hard work. It sucks when this happens. Whether you’re simply not a good fit for the culture or you actually are being walked on, take it as a sign that there are greener pastures somewhere else.

If You’re Constantly Being Told to Work on Your Weaknesses, Adios

Individual reviews are the norm in the workplace these days. We all dread them, but our hope is that they go well. That’s not always the case unfortunately. If you’re consistently being told that you need to strengthen this, that or other thing, it might not be worth beating yourself up or feeling inadequate just to make other people happy. Of course, constructive criticism can be useful, but if it’s to the point where you feel like your efforts aren’t good enough or you’re just being berated, probably time to head for the door and find a better fit.

You’re Unhappy

It’s a simple fact that if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, you probably don’t do your best work. People that love their jobs derive happiness from the process of completing projects and accomplishing goals. Sure, they might be motivated by a promotion or a bonus, but they truly enjoy the journey of getting there. If you find the work you’re currently doing to be laborious and dreadful, what the heck are you still doing there? It’s time to consider some other options.

Have the Courage to Make a Change

Maybe you can identify with some of the symptoms above and know in your gut that it’s time to do something else. That’s only the first step though. Having the courage to act decisively and follow through is another story. Because of the way are wired to think, most people are hesitant to take a drastic step because doing so involves uncertainty and going outside their comfort zone. That’s ok, no one ever said change was easy. But you have to ask yourself the question, “can I really expect different results if I keep doing the same thing?”

As much as you might not like it, change is something you’re going to have to deal with. Sometimes your hand is forced and you don’t have a choice except to change. But what about being your own instigator for change? Scary? Sure. Dealing with unknown? Ditto. Just ask any successful person you know and they will tell you that at some point in their life, they took a risk that allowed them to become who they are today. In fact, they probably failed many times along the way. But in the end, failure isn’t the opposite of success, it’s part of it. So, if you notice any of the signs discussed above, take a leap and make a change. It doesn’t even have to be a big step to start. Just be open to learning of other opportunities to see what your options might be. Things will start coming your way then and you can figure out the next step. Even if it doesn’t work out right away, you’ll set yourself on a trajectory to achieve the things you really want.

I am a Regulatory and Quality Recruiter that helps people make career changes in the Bay Area. If you are interested in making a change in the Life Sciences industries, contact me, Jeff King at (541) 639-3501.

At some point in your career you’ve probably worked for a boss that wasn’t your favorite person in the world. Whoever it was, they probably had an ego, talked down to employees and thought they were the smartest person in the room. Praise for a job well done was hard to come by but criticism was around every corner. Going to work every day was anything but enjoyable. Everyone complained about this person and staff morale suffered.

Since then, maybe you’ve moved up and now you’re in a position where you not only manage people, but are in charge of hiring and firing as well. You’ve probably become skillful at hiring quality folks and your employees probably look up to you as a manager. But maybe you’re still a little reluctant to hire people that are smarter or more adept at a certain part of the job than you. Whatever the reason might be, most hiring managers shy away from hiring these types of individuals and they shouldn’t be. Below we discuss why hiring people that are smarter than you can be beneficial for your team and the entire company.

Check Your Ego at the Door

If you’re going to find the best people for the job, you have no choice but to check your ego at the door. While it’s understandable that you might be intimidated by candidates whose qualifications or experience exceed your own, you should only be concerned about finding the candidates that allow your company to grow. In all reality, the likelihood of someone you hire taking your job is pretty insignificant. Much to the contrary, you’ll likely be lauded for making such a great hire.

You Get to Learn

Most hiring managers do a great job finding the candidates with the most experience and best qualifications, but few take the extra step and ask what they might be able to learn from a potential hire. When you find someone that has the capacity to contribute fresh ideas and new ways of thinking, they are certainly worth considering. Not only can these candidates be a great asset for your organization, they can be a tremendous resource for you to learn and grow as well.

Diversity Is Essential

While logic might dictate that hiring a team of people that perfectly execute their respective job descriptions is ideal, such thinking is limiting. Sure, all of your employees need to be able to fulfill their minimum responsibilities, but finding people that can go above and beyond is key. As an example, some individuals might crush it on the technical side, but they might lack the skills necessary to clearly write a procedure to keep systems running at their best. When you hire people with diversified skillsets, you allow them to stay in their lane and maximize their capabilities. Instead of having a group of individuals who perform a number of functions adequately, your goal should be to create of team of rock stars that all contribute to your company’s success in their own way.

Reorganization Isn’t Always a Bad Thing

The term reorganization is often dreaded in the workplace. We are all familiar with reorganizations that happen when companies are sold or merged and there’s no doubting that cleaning house is something that happens on a regular basis. Reorganization within a company isn’t always a bad thing though. When you come across a candidate that possesses the skills to make a real impact, it can often be beneficial and cost-efficient to create a position just for them. Doing so might mean that other members of your team have to take on new roles or be reassigned to other departments entirely. As long as it’s properly communicated to everyone involved that they aren’t being demoted and are still a valuable part of the team, most employees understand that sometimes change is necessary and can be a good thing.

There’s no questioning the fact that depth of talent in the workforce today is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Industries across the board are more competitive than they’ve ever been and if your company isn’t constantly seeking ways to improve, they are falling behind. For these reasons, attracting and hiring the best talent available is paramount. Even though it can be difficult to hire people that are smarter than you, doing so can not only increase your bottom line, but give you a chance to learn and grow as well.

If you need help hiring a top employee in the life sciences industry, contact me, Jeff King. I help business owner and employees in the Bay Area.

We’ve all been there. Whether you’re still employed and looking for another opportunity or switching careers entirely, updating and customizing your resume is the first step when beginning the job hunt. You’ve probably downloaded a template from the Internet and filled it out in chronological order with places of employment, title, lists of your duties and a section at the end that highlights your skills and other interests. Maybe you’ve even spent hours going over it with a fine-tooth comb to sure it’s squeaky clean. This is all good and well, but have you thought carefully about the words you choose? Sadly, the resumes most people submit to prospective employers use language that is either too basic and antiquated or too sophisticated and over the top. To help you out next time someone asks for resume, we’ve come up with a list of the most impactful words to include.

Numbers

No, we don’t mean the actual word “numbers.” We’re talking about metrics like revenue you generated, money or time you saved, people you managed, etc. It doesn’t mean much when you say that “you reduce the time required to X.” Your employer is going to want to know by how much. A better way to put it would be “reduced processing time by 40%.”, or “cleared out a backlog in 7 months” Bottom line, if there is anything you did in a previous job that can be expressed in numbers, it better be on your resume.

Modernized

Maybe a responsibility you had in your last job was to improve existing systems or come up with new ways of doing things entirely. While you might be tempted to write “updated policies and procedures manual” on your resume, simply exchanging the word “modernized” for “updated” is like a switch to the hiring manager. In their eyes, anyone can update a simple document, but to modernize or streamline it? That’s powerful stuff.

Value

When companies are looking to hire someone for a position, they want a person who will add value to the organization. If you make it known on your resume that you’re hard-working, that only goes so far. Sure, hard work is commendable, but it doesn’t always achieve results. By using the words value or valuable, you make it known that you think about the work you do in terms of how it will improve the company at large.

Action Verbs

Action verbs are words like supervised, authorized, guided, managed, unified, initiated and designed, to name a few. These words show your ability to succeed. Moreover, they tell a hiring manager that you have been trusted with significant responsibility in the past. When choosing which action verbs to use, it might be a good idea to create an extensive list and carefully choose the ones that best communicate the message you’re trying to get across.

Orchestrated

Anyone can say that they’ve led a team or organized a charity event. Sure, those are qualities that are favorable to an employer but if you use the word orchestrated instead, you communicate that you were the one in charge.

Spearheaded

The last place you want to appear modest is on your resume. Much like the word orchestrated, spearheaded emphasizes your level of involvement. For example, instead of saying you “created a new submission procedure,” telling the employer that you “spearheaded the modernization of the submission process” is much more specific and conveys confidence in your abilities.

Committed

Simply put, employers want to see that you’re committed to your work and to your employer from the beginning to the end. While it’s great if you can use this word specifically, using any type of language that evokes loyalty and dedication places you ahead those that don’t.

Results

While stating what you do and what you are responsible for is good, listing what you accomplished while in your role paints a much clearer picture of what you can do for your employer and the impact you can have.

Skimmable

Again, we aren’t talking about using this word specifically. Your resume needs to be skimmable when someone reads it. Interviewers are going to look over anywhere from dozens to hundreds of resumes so you want yours to not only stand out from the rest, but be easy to read as well. Avoid excessively long sentences and exclude any information that isn’t relevant. Remember, your resume is your personal highlight reel and nothing more.

Edit

We can’t emphasize this enough. Your resume is your first impression so you need to make it count. If you have any grammar or spelling mistakes, you might as well kiss the job goodbye. Even though it might be tedious, take the time to edit your resume so it’s perfect. When you think you’re done, give it to a trusted friend to review.

Ask any interviewer and they will tell you that the number of bad resumes they receive is astounding. While some are just flat out awful because they’re riddled with bad spelling and grammar, others just don’t seem that exciting because the language is simple, vague and boring. Even if someone else is more qualified than you, the words you use in your resume can paint you in a favorable light and put you ahead of the competition. Next time you have to go polish it up, try using some of the words above to emphasize your accomplishments and abilities. Doing so just might be what it takes to get you the job.

As a Regulatory and Quality Assurance Recruiter, I can help you refine your resume. I help employees find jobs that fit in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device industries.

If you’re a regular reader of my articles, you know how much importance I place on hiring the right people. As I’ve written about previously, hiring the wrong people can prove expensive, adversely affect your bottom line and the morale of everyone in the organization. While there are plenty of ways to find those diamonds in the rough, there are also ways to weed out potential toxic employees during the hiring or interview process as well.

Make Everyone Part of the Process

If you’re considering bringing someone onto to your team, there is likely no better feedback than from your team itself. For this reason, it’s a great idea to get everyone together for lunch or dinner or some other fun activity outside the workplace to see how the potential hire gets along with everyone. Conversely, this opportunity gives the job candidate a chance to see how they will fit in with the culture and values of your team. This simple effort will let both parties know right away if it’s going to be a good fit for everyone or not, and gives you a chance to see the person’s personality outside of the somewhat artificial interview atmosphere.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Too many interviewers make the mistake of asking yes and no questions from a preset template during an interview and fail to dig deeper to find out who they are really talking to. While there is a time and place for rudimentary questions, it’s also important to ask hypothetical questions like “Give me an example of how you handled (fill in the blank) situation in the past.” or “What would you do if your were faced with (fill in the blank) in the future?” While most good interviewees will be able to quickly cite one example when faced with these types of questions, they may have a more difficult time providing additional anecdotes. The best ones should be able to provide multiple examples and will give you a better idea of their depth of knowledge of the topic.

If you feel like you still need more insight, consider asking some of the following questions:

• What would you most like to improve about yourself?
• What do you think your former supervisor would say about you, positive and negative?
• What do you notice is different about yourself when you’re under too much stress?
• What types of people do you work best with? How about those that you find difficult?
• Describe in detail a couple of instances where you failed in the past and how you dealt with it.

Pay Close Attention to Behaviors

As you ask the questions above, you should also take into consideration behaviors like punctuality and preparedness.

• Did the candidate show up on time for the interview with their affairs in order?
• Do they readily blame others, or do they seem to accept responsibility when things don’t go as planned?
• Do they speak highly of former colleagues and employers? Or do they speak poorly of them and throw them under the bus?
• While answers to questions are important to take note of, so is the way someone behaves during an interview.

Ask Specific Questions when Checking References

Whether it’s due to lack of time or the feeling that it’s not important, most interviewers don’t thoroughly vet a candidate through their references. Instead of calling references when time permits and having only a brief conversation, make the effort to schedule a few minutes when you can both talk about the potential hire in some depth.

When you get the time to chat with someone’s reference, it’s important to have some specific questions in mind to keep the conversation on track.

Some examples might include:

• Would you rehire this person? Why or why not?
• Did the person demonstrate emotional intelligence? Were they able to read people properly and react accordingly?
• Describe the duties of the position the person is interviewing for and ask their reference, “Do you feel (applicant’s name) would be a good fit for this role and why?”
• Were they a team player or did they prefer to keep to themselves and worry only about their own work?
• How did they handle authority and constructive criticism?
• Is there anything else you should know about the candidate that hasn’t been discussed?
• As you’re processing the answers the reference is giving you, take note of more than just their words as you would when interviewing the candidate. Did the reference’s tone of voice convey admiration for the candidate? Or did they speak quickly and seem nervous about providing honest answers?

These subtle clues can give you valuable insight into who the candidate is as well.

Be Respectful

It’s easy to get so wrapped up in learning about someone else and their experiences that you forget to notice your own demeanor. How’s your tone of voice? Are you actively listening and making eye contact? Or is your head buried in your notepad? If you act professionally and treat each candidate you interview with respect, you will likely receive the same in return.

Regardless of whether your hiring someone for C-suite position or a janitor, taking adequate time to ask the right questions and really get to know them can make all the difference. While making the occasional bad hire is something that every manager is going to do at some point, knowing how to weed out potentially toxic candidates goes a long way in saving money, maximizing productivity and keeping company morale high. If you put into practice even a few of the ideas discussed above, you’ll be on your way to hiring only the best people for your organization.

If you are hiring someone in the life science industries in the Bay Area, I can help find a great employee that fits the position. Contact me, Jeff King, at jking@rqfocus.com or (541) 639-3501.

Employees at every level are the backbone of any successful company or organization. Without quality people on your team productivity suffers, profits go down and the morale of everyone involved can sink to dangerously low levels. In a day and age where everyone is always on the lookout for a better opportunity and loyalty isn’t what it used to be, employee turnover is a real concern. Not only are your best employees a tremendous asset, losing them and onboarding someone new can be prohibitively expensive. That’s why now more than ever it’s important to recognize the signs when a valuable employee is about leave.

Less Active in Meetings

Employees that are engaged are quick to share ideas and ask questions. If you notice that someone continuously shows up to meetings just to go through the mandatory motions, it might be a sign that they are less engaged and on their way out. Even if there is just something going on at home or with a family member, you should take note of this withdrawn behavior and at the very least ask if there is anything you can do to help.

Increased Absences

When a particular employee first started maybe they never called in sick or took extra time off. Now, all of sudden they either consistently show up late and leave early or simply don’t show up at all. This is a red flag that you need to address right away as it’s a clear sign that something is going on you aren’t aware of.

No Longer Willing to Commit to Long-Term Projects

If you notice an employee is no longer willing to commit to long-term goals or assignments, it’s likely a sign that they want to finish what work they have left and jump ship. It might even be the case that these types of assignments interfere with the start date of a new job. In this case, there might not be much you can do.

Starts Taking More Personal Calls

If you notice someone frequently excusing themselves from meetings or stepping into the hall to take personal calls something is definitely off. They could be dealing with a family emergency or talking with a prospective employer. While you can’t make any assumptions, it’s a good idea to check in with this person to make sure everything is alright.

Didn’t Receive the Raise or Promotion They Were Expecting

When someone expects to move up in a company and it doesn’t happen, it’s only natural for them to become less enthused with the work they do day in and day out. At this point, there’s a high likelihood that they might begin looking for employment elsewhere. If you value this employee enough to keep them around, you’ll probably have to provide some incentive for them to stay.

Major Life Event

Major life events like getting married, a sick family member, giving birth or a spouse finding a new job can change someone’s reality in a heartbeat. When these sorts of events happen, they may change how an individual feels about their current employment situation. In some cases, there might be not much you can do but if the person is a critical asset you might want to make them an offer they can’t refuse. It’s up to you to make that call.

Friends Are Leaving

If someone has been at a company for any length of time, they have likely bonded with their colleagues and become friends. Not only do these people enjoy working together, they might even share hobbies outside of the office. If someone experiences a mass exodus of their friends leaving, they might be more inclined to leave too. In some cases, if an employee leaves, they may even recruit their colleagues to follow suit.

Difficult Relationships With Other Employees

Numerous studies have proven that happiness is more important in the workplace than salary. A major key to happiness is an individual’s relationship with others. If friction exists between even just two employees, especially employees that work closely together, it may prove too much for them to take and they might quit. In order to prevent this from happening it’s a good idea to regularly check in with everyone on your team to make sure everything is on the up-and-up.

You Just Know

As someone in a position of leadership, you’ve had to develop the skills or reading people and trusting your intuition. From time to time you might get the sneaking suspicion that all is not well with a certain employee. The majority of the time you’re probably right. When this happens, you’re best to address the situation up front instead of waiting and continuing to wonder. By being proactive you place yourself in a position to address whatever the problem may be and your chances of retaining the employee are much greater.

It’s unfortunate that days of loyal relationships between employees and the organizations they work for have largely diminished, but such is the reality in which we live. While this is a two-way street, employees are always going to look out for themselves first and foremost. If you want to lessen the amount of turnover you experience and save yourself the headache and cost of constantly having to hire new people, take note of some of the signs above. By doing so, you’ll quickly find that your employees see you in a favorable light and will have much less of an incentive to look for work elsewhere.

If you are at the point of needing to hire a new employee or looking for a new job, contact me, Jeff King, for recruiting in the Bay Area. I work with the pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device industries.

If you’ve ever managed a team or overseen a department you’ve surely noticed people in your organization that stand out. Sometimes it’s for the wrong reasons but other times it’s because these individuals set themselves apart in ways that others don’t. These people go above and beyond the call of duty, move up faster than their colleagues, have the best interests of the company in mind and are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the success of the organization and everyone around them. In short, you would do anything keep these people around.

So what traits do these folks have that sets them apart?

Want for Continuous Improvement

One trait that all great employees have in common is a will to get better at what they do. While most employees are satisfied to remain in their roles and simply do what they are asked, the superstars are always finding ways to improve their performance. What these people understand that others don’t is that in order to stay on top, they constantly have to keep learning and getting better. Whether that means continuing education or an insatiable desire to move up quickly, these people are any organization’s most valuable asset.

Personal Growth

Not only do exceptional employees do a great job in the workplace, it’s evident that they’re obsessed with personal growth. These individuals have curious minds. In the evenings and on the weekends, you’ll find them reading books about business, science, history or philosophy. They’re always seeking new ideas and perspectives that shape who they are as people. In the workplace, you’ll often hear them sharing fresh ideas or new perspectives with those around them. Simply put, these people have a zest for life and new experiences and that translates to workplace as well.

Discipline

It’s no secret that discipline leads to success. That doesn’t pertain to only the workplace though. Employees that stand out have their lives in order. You won’t find them out partying on weeknights, eating unhealthy foods or wiling away in the EZ Boy for hours on end when the day is done. It’s evident that the best and brightest see their work as part of a larger picture that is their life and they have the discipline to maintain a healthy balance in everything they do. They know what’s best for them, their co-workers and the organization and would never do anything to compromise what’s important.

Self-Deprivation

No one enjoys doing things they don’t want to do. Indispensable employees however, understand that doing things they don’t enjoy is a fact of life and necessary at times. They are tough and courageous. In the workplace, they aren’t afraid to have difficult conversations if it means bettering the organization or those around them. They’re also the ones willing to take on tasks that no one else wants to perform because they know the job has to be done.

Away from work these people are experts at saying no. When everyone else chooses to stay out late or blow off steam, you’ll find these people doing things that relax them and help them get recharged because they know they have to be at their best the next day.

Emotional Stability

Everyone has ups and downs both at and away from the workplace. How individuals handle the constant ebb of highs and lows says a lot about who they are as employees and people. When most employees can’t help but bicker, gossip and backstab, the best of the best know that this behavior is poisonous. These people celebrate successes and acknowledge low points but remain even keel and are low-maintenance. They know they have a job to do and aren’t going to let anything distract them from achieving the results they want.

Make Others Better

While your best employees are very much focused on their own development and improvement, they recognize the value in making those around them better as well. If they learn a new skill or come up with a more efficient way of getting things done, they readily and enthusiastically share it with everyone involved. The best employees have a fundamental understanding that if individuals in the organization improve, the entire organization becomes better as a result.

Indispensable employees are few and far between. Sometimes they’re hard to notice because they aren’t the attention-grabbing power-hungry type. Often times they fly under the radar because they are so laser-focused on improving themselves and those around them. It’s important to recognize these folks though because they are your greatest asset. Failing to do so could result in a catastrophic loss for your team, department or company.

If you are struggling to put together a strong team, contact me, Jeff King. I am a Regulatory and Quality Recruiter in the Bay Area. I provide hiring services for biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries.

Never before has hiring the right person for your organization been so important. With such an emphasis on specialized skill sets and company culture, finding the perfect candidate is vital to the success of the entire company. While knowing what questions to ask and how to gauge responses during an interview is a necessary skill, there are other things you need to take into consideration as well. One facet that often goes overlooked is thoroughly vetting a candidate through their references. Sure, a person’s references are most likely going to speak highly of them but if you ask the right questions, you’ll glean some useful insight that you might have otherwise missed.

What is Your Relationship to the Candidate?

If you ask this question at the outset of the conversation with a reference you gain context to process the information that is shared. Did the reference oversee the candidate in their previous job? If so, their insight might be especially valuable. Is the reference a co-worker that shared the same responsibilities? In this case, the information you get might be a little biased one way or another.

Can You Verify A Candidate’s Job Title and Dates of Employment?

While this question seems like a no-brainer, it’s amazing how many hiring managers fail to ask it. Even this rudimentary information can tell you a lot about a candidate. Were they in the same position with a company for a long time or do they show a history of never being in one spot for very long? Based on their job title, what were their responsibilities? Do these responsibilities align with what they would be doing in their new role with you?

Can You Tell Me About their Job Performance?

It’s easy for anyone applying for a job to beef up their resume with items like inflated sales numbers or claiming responsibility for managing a huge budget and large number of people. The only way to make sure the information on someone’s resume is accurate is to ask. If a reference is able to verify the information, great! On the other hand, if there are gaps in the information, it’s a sure sign you need to ask some tougher questions to get clarification.

What Are the Candidate’s Strengths and Weaknesses?

This question is worth its weight in gold. When you’re considering hiring someone, you’re going to want to know how they’ll fit in culturally and if they have the skills needed to excel. Equally important however, is having an idea of what their weaknesses are. Weaknesses aren’t a bad thing, everyone has them, but knowing what someone’s shortcomings are will allow you to further deduce if they are a good fit. There’s no more reliable source for this information than a previous employer who knows the candidate well, so make sure you don’t let this question fall through the cracks.

What Was it Like to Work With the Candidate?

When you ask a reference what it was like to spend a day working with the candidate you’ll gain some critical insight into who they are as a person. Were they jovial and fun-loving? Or were they task-oriented preferring to keep to themselves? Did they get along well with others and demonstrate a willingness to work as a team? Or were they primarily concerned with fulfilling their own duties? How well did this person take direction? Were they open to new ideas and ways of doing things?

Why Did the Candidate Leave Their Previous Job?

While this question can reveal red flags like someone being let go from a previous job, it also gives you an idea of how long they might stay with your company should you end up hiring them. Does this person have a tendency to jump ship thinking the grass is always greener? Or have they demonstrated loyalty in their previous posts?

Would You Hire This Candidate Again, and Why or Why Not?

If you only have time to ask one question, this should be it. A reference’s response to this single question can sum up everything that might be revealed in a lengthier conversation. If the reference says they would hire the individual back in a heartbeat, you’ve probably got a quality candidate. However, if they say no or seem unsure, you might want to do a little digging.

Hiring the wrong person for the job can be costly. A 2017 survey conducted by Career Builder found that companies lost an average of $14,900 for each bad hire they made. While there is no way to tell for certain how a candidate will perform until they’re hired, consistently hiring the wrong people can be devastating for the bottom line. If you think it’s difficult to manage with the position open, just imagine how difficult it will be to manage a bad hire.

If you ask the right questions in the interview and take the extra step to ask references some poignant questions, you’ll arm yourself with all the information necessary to choose the right person for the job.

As a Regulatory and Quality recruiter, I can help create a list of essential questions to send to candidate’s references. I help life sciences employers in the biotech, medical, and pharmaceutical industries in the Bay Area. Contact me, Jeff King, at jking@rqfocus.com or (541) 639-3501.