9 Reasons the Best Employees Quit - Career Advice Blog for Millennials

9 Reasons the Best Employees Quit - Career Advice Blog for Millennials Many hiring managers wonder why good employees suddenly quit, when their performance has always been on par. What happened? Often, good employees are gone and snatched up by another company without any mention of complaints in the exit interview or resignation letter, if they’ve left one. The cost of a good employee quitting is more expensive than employee retention: Studies estimate that when a business must replace a salaried employee, the cost is typically six to nine months of that salary. For example, if a manager makes $40,000 annually, between $20,000 and $30,000 of this goes to recruiting and training expenses. For low-paying roles that have high turnover, it’s estimated to be 16 percent of that salary yearly. Instead of letting good employees quit, managers must practice a type of preventive action within their work culture. Content and thriving employees keep a business growing, and good employees leave when their needs aren’t being met or respected: 1. Feeling Stuck There comes a time for every employee when they feel stuck in their role, unable to develop their career further. No one wants to feel stuck in a humdrum existence of doing the same thing day in and day out like a drone, but sometimes the best employees get held back for being too good at what they do. Dreams begin to feel impossible. What routes are there within the company for the individual to aspire to their dreams? What’s blocking them? Good employees want to grow and give back, and without a career ladder in the company structure, they can’t do that. 2. Inability to Develop Skills Good employees are lucky when constructive and positive feedback is consistently given after the training period on the job. When an employee masters their skillset, an employer is happy and may assume the employee is, too. After time, feeling stuck in a rut may cause the employee’s spectrum of talents to erode. A good manager will nurture and push their employee with equal and appropriate measure. The employer will find ways for the employee to develop and apply their skills, whether that’s in a new project or role within the company. Some employers offer to help cover costs to further an employee’s education because the return on investment is better than losing the employee altogether: An employee will typically stay with the company longer. 3. Inability to Pursue Passions Work-life balance is vital to employees and managers, and allowing an employee time to pursue their passions is important. No one was born to pay bills and die, as the saying goes, and employers want eager, hungry employees who are passionate about their jobs, too. Employers should encourage employees to pursue their passions, because good workers will continue to perform well on the job. This energy will also carry over into an employee’s work. 4. Overworked And  Burned Out Low-key and dynamic jobs both have stressful points, but all overworked employees eventually burn out. When the endless source of stress comes from the top, good employees will be buried. With no hand to help them up, they only can turn to themselves to find a way up and out. They think if only they work harder, the work will get done and even out. They try to convince themselves it’s only one of those typical stressful points, but overwork adds up. Good employees feel taken advantage of in the workplace and leave. Employers need to recognize the signs of employee burnout, such as crankiness and drops in performance, before it’s too late. 5. Unseen, Unrecognized and Underestimated Good employees want to hear “Great job! You’re the best!” Without this, good employee contributions go without reward or respect, and they feel unseen, unrecognized and underestimated. Managers have already seen what good workers can do and that they deliver. As long as the job is done, all is well, since everyone knows their place and how everything runs, right? Wrong. Managers must regularly and openly communicate with their employees to address their needs and positively reinforce them. Is it a raise or a bonus? Is it more social time to get to know coworkers or taking a well-deserved lead on the next project? Go big, or your good employees will go home for good. Performance reviews are a wonderful time to begin creating a flow of open communication, where the exchange is mutual. Good questions to ask are: How can I make your job easier? What are your goals for the next six months, or the next year? What do you feel is your best achievement this year? What tools or resources do you need? What do you want your next position to be here? Employees may also answer with personal responses. Allow employees to open up. Managers should give balanced and empathetic performance reviews, actively listening to their employees. 6. Hierarchy Is Too High Managers shouldn’t forget the importance of having an open-door policy. Sometimes, it’s not a lack of reward, but the fact that employees have to climb too far up the hierarchy to reach someone to be seen and heard. How can those employees contribute or grow if there is no one checking in or communicating with them? Employers who have an open door and accept the need for an employee to skip a rung in the ladder to communicate will hear and meet their employee’s needs. 7. Lack of Common Respect and Trust Managers expect the respect of their employees, and while many return that respect, others don’t. A manager’s ego may be too big, or stressors may get in the way. Even in the professional world, relationships fluctuate from good to poor communication and vice versa. Some managers are so focused on turning a profit they fail to motivate their employees in a human way, respecting their contributions, time and value as a person. Managers must remember the golden rule and offer up the same respect, decency and trust they expect from their employees. If this doesn’t happen, don’t be surprised when good employees walk. Treating employees with respect will boost their productivity, because it shows their concerns will be addressed with a considerate approach. 8. Negative Work Culture When a candidate interviews for a position, all staff are typically on their best behavior. Everyone wants to give each other a good impression, but as a hired employee adjusts, negative work culture can become more apparent. When no one talks about work culture, it’s clear there’s no work culture to speak of. It’s like fight club, but it’s often filled with managers who have beautiful offices and employees who work in cold cubicles, while everyone gossips over the proverbial water cooler. It’s a manager’s responsibility to nip negative work culture in the bud and cultivate a positive environment. Create a comfortable and motivating work environment that isn’t depressing, gray and filled with gossip. 9. Employers Flake on Commitments When employers flake on their commitments to their employees, it breaks an intrinsic professional trust. Employers may have alluded to or promised raises, better benefits, contributions to causes and more participation in the community and failed to deliver. For good employees, a company’s word is only as good as its actions. Before those good employees walk, employers must make reparations. Sometimes, that means revisiting company identity and policy to revise and rework core values for inspiration, reevaluating how those are implemented on an inner and outer scale as action. It costs less for employers to retain good employees, whose hard work is earnest and pays off. Employers must practice a form of preventive medicine in the workplace, keeping lines of communication open with employees, rewarding their contributions, treating them fairly and encouraging their growth on professional and personal levels. After all, happy employees will keep a business thriving. What are the best ways for employers to retain their best employees? Weigh in the comments, and keep the conversation going by sharing and subscribing to Punched Clocks. Get everything you need to build a career you love by signing up for the newsletter.

What To Look For In A Free Printable Resume Builder

What To Look For In A Free Printable Resume BuilderWhen you are looking for free printable resume builder, it is important to choose the right one. It should be both affordable and easy to use. A good free resume builder will have plenty of features, but you may want to pick one that has more features if you know you will need a few in the future. In this article, we will help you find the best free resume builder.First, what is a free resume builder? Basically, it is a tool to create a custom resume that can be used as a template. This can be used by companies who cannot afford to hire an employee. It is also a tool that can be used by people to create their own customized resume.By using a simple resume, you save money and time, while creating a well-written and professional resume. Since you are using a free resume builder, you do not have to worry about using words or ideas that your employer may not understand. It is easy to edit the resume after you are done with it, and create more documents to use as part of your resume. You can also save yourself some money by creating a printable resume and a portfolio to show employers.The biggest problem with a free resume builder is that they are usually out of date after a few months. For example, the Google tool will show you a number of different resume templates. As you go back and edit the templates, you may find a dozen more you wish to use. Once you start using the Google tool, it becomes difficult to get past the Google page rank.Another problem with the free resume builder is that you may get a lot of strange comments and emails from other people, asking you to delete certain entries. You may have to read and decide which comments you want to keep. Your editor will be able to approve your changes, or let you know how they feel about the submissions. The other problem with a free resume builder is that it does not allow you to post links. However, some free tools offer you the option to post links.When you go online to find a printable resume builder, make sure it has all the features you need. In order to find out which free tool will best suit your needs, do a little research. For example, a free tool may have an impressive number of pages, but may only be compatible with Microsoft Word. If you want to use MS Word, you will have to pay a small fee to get a program to use MS Word.Keep in mind, a free printable resume builder does not necessarily mean it is worthless. There are many free tools out there that will allow you to create a resume using any software you already have. A good free resume builder can allow you to save a lot of time and money, while creating a custom resume that is very professional. Just remember to keep it simple and professional.

Retirement Plan for Millennials Not Just Working Forever

Retirement Plan for Millennials Not Just 'Working Forever' Wall Street and the financial press have been harping for decades on the retirement savings crisis. But it seems that for some young people the wrong message is getting through. A large group of millennials have decided to punt on retirement altogether: One in eight plan to work until they die, according to Manpower Group. Some young workers simply feel they have no choice: According to Merrill Edge, one in five say they would need to win the lottery to retire and, partly because they have little faith in Social Security, 83% plan to work in at least some of their retirement years. Working past a traditional retirement age in your mid-60s may indeed be a financial imperative. Just don’t assume that means you can go light on saving in a 401(k) or other accounts. That is a misguided and dangerous conclusion. The reality is that many people are forced to leave the workforce before they would like. Three in 10 retirees quit work sooner than expected, Transamerica found. A quarter of those were forced to quit for health reasons and 11% quit to deal with family responsibilities. Two-thirds quit for employment-related reasons, including job elimination. Half of Americans wind up retiring between ages 61 and 65. So even if you plan or want to work into your 80s, say, you may not be able. If that’s the case, you will look back to your 20s and 30s and wish you had been saving more diligently. That’s not to say that millennials aren’t saving for retirement, even while many of them are saddled with college loans. The average millennial began saving at age 22, remarkably young, and is more likely than a Gen Xer or boomer to consider a company 401(k) plan his or her most valuable benefit. Yet even those who are saving are not saving nearly enough. The average young worker is saving just 6% of pay, according to a report from BlackRock. That same report concludes that they need to save 25% of pay in what is likely to be a slow economy for decades to come, if they want to retire at 65. Other reports reach only slightly more optimistic conclusions. Part of the problem is that millennials generally distrust the financial community and take their cues from poor role models. Generally lacking financial know-how, a third of millennials rely most on financial advice from friends and family, according to Fisher Investments. In a Fisher survey, four of five millennials flunked a 401(k)-plan quiz. Overwhelmed by the oppressive 25%-of-income saving target that BlackRock recommends? Then aim at least for 15%, which will give you a solid cushion and may prove enough to quit at 70 or 72. Besides, even if you are fortunate enough to be able to work as long as you want, you may find that 40 years from now you will have changed your mind and wouldn’t mind calling it quitsâ€"or at least downshifting to a less demanding job. You may even want to try starting your own company. You can’t know how you will feel four decades from now. By saving along the way you will build insurance against involuntary job loss and create flexibility to change your mind.

Female Engineer Designs Buildings Throughout Her City - Work It Daily

Female Engineer Designs Buildings Throughout Her City - Work It Daily In this career interview, an engineer shares what she has learned thus far in her 10 years in this career. If you have considered a career as an engineer, read on to learn the good, the bad, and the ugly of this woman's experiences. This is a true career interview as told to LatPro.com. This is one of many interviews with individuals in the engineering or manufacturing fields including interviews with a civil engineer and with an efficiency expert. I am currently an engineer with a local business in my city. I help to design buildings and stores. I have been in this field for about 10 years. Three words to describe myself would be unique, outgoing, and realistic. Being a white female has been a bit of an obstacle to overcome. Men who I work with sometimes don’t think I have the greatest ideas, but I just have to show them that I can design something that is similar or even better than them. I haven’t really been discriminated against, but I have felt ignored. You have to find people who work in the field as you and then make friends while sticking together. My job is very simple, really. I look at empty spaces in the city whether it is land or buildings, and I work with a team on the best way to put something else there. People sometimes think that engineers operate machinery, which sometimes they do. But most of my work involves the design process. Currently, I would rate my job as a seven. I would like to stay busier, but with business not really growing as much as we would like, that is hard to do. I do like the work I have been doing, and the more technology advances, the more options we have with creating buildings. I would like to take my career to the next level. I would love to own my own company at some point as an engineer. When I was younger I would always draw pictures. I guess this is how I got started in my career. I liked looking at empty buildings and thinking about what I could put in them so they would not go to waste. The bigger the city you live in, the more work you will have. There are several places in the city I live in that needs to be redone, so we always have something to think about. However, unless the money is there to get the work done, it’s only a design. One of the strangest things I have seen is when we were designing a building in downtown. We had to tour the old building, and while we were there, I would bet anything that there were ghosts in the building. I go to work because I know something I do or design will make a difference. There are places in the city I live that I can look at and say that I helped build that. One of the challenges I have had of late is the lack of funding for new buildings. If people can’t build, then you can’t get paid. My job is not that stressful, but you do have longer hours when there is something new to work on. This does mean the money is good, so I try not to complain. I make about $30,000 a year or more depending on the work I do. The longer you are involved in this line of work, the more money you will make. I take about two weeks vacation during the year and I have holidays off. This is plenty for me because I like what I do. In school I took the engineering courses and got my Associates degree in Engineering. The more classes you go back to school for, the more money and better jobs there are. I would tell my friend if they are creative, then engineering is the best field for you right now. In five years I would love to own my own business in a larger city. JustJobs.com is a job search engine that finds job listings from company career pages, other job boards, newspapers and associations. With one search, they help you find the job with your name on it. Read more » articles by this approved business partner | Click here » if you’re a business Female engineer image from Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

Signs of Sexual Harassment Arent Always Obvious

Signs of Sexual Harassment Arent Always Obvious At least one in four women are sexually harassed at work, according to a recent report by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Some studies report that the number of victims ofworkplace sexual harassmentisactually much higher, at a staggering 85 percent.With sexual harassment case aftersexual harassment case coming to light, researchers are looking into the aftermath and realizing just how muchit can lead totoxicworkenvironments that encourage discriminatory behavior and induce post-traumatic stress disorder. Thats why its important to detect.Despitethe prevalence of sexual harassment, however, it can be difficult to discern the behavior and signs.Heres how to tell if a coworker is being sexually harassed at work and what you can do about it.Behavior to Look forin the HarasserAccording to theU.S. News Report harassers exhibit the following behaviors continuously, repeatedly, and/or severelyRequests for sex or sexual favors, or makes any kind of sexual advanceRequests for a dateMakes comments or remarks of a sexual nature, including ones referring to genitalia and/or physical appearanceMakes comments or remarks about a persons sex, such asoffensive comments aboutwomen or a womans sexual orientation, as well as other comments thatd be considereddiscriminationTouches either someone orthemselves in sexually provocative waysShares or forwards sexually graphic pictures, including provocative and/or explicit personal photosShares or forwards sexually explicit or provocative storiesBehavior to Look for in the VictimMany times, sexual harassment doesnt take place out in the open at work. That said, a person experiencing sexual harassment mayshow the followingsignsSudden and/or frequent absences and tardiness A coworker who is normally reliable and dependable might suddenly be late for work, call in sick, frequently leave early or miss important meetings. Your coworker might also put in for a sudden tran sfer or change their schedule.Reduced productivity Your coworker might suddenly struggle to meet deadlines or there might be a decrease in the quality or quantity of their work produced. Avoidance and anxiety You might notice that a coworker who welches once incredibly extroverted now passes on opportunities to socialize or becomes visibly uncomfortable or silent when a certain person enters the room or a conversation.Declines professional development opportunities Your coworker may pass up a promotion orother professional development opportunities for no apparent reason.Increased alcohol or drug use This sign might not be noticeable if you dont socialize with your coworker. However, you may notice that a coworker suddenly keeps a bottle of alcohol in their desk drawer or repeatedly has a few drinks at lunch.What to DoEven if you suspect your coworker is being sexually harassed, they may not feel comfortable going a traditional route, such as reporting to HR or their employers.If t hey do, help your coworker to review your workplace policies on sexual harassment and get clarity on to whom they should report the incident.If they dont want tofile a complaint, you can take the following stepsValidate their experiences Oftentimes a victim of sexual harassment experiences intense feelings of shame, guilt and anger. They might doubt that what happened was a big deal or worth mentioning. Listen to your coworkers experience and believe what they are telling you. Acknowledge their pain and that, while their reaction is normal, the type of behavior they experienced is not.Provide resources While your coworker may not want to make a formal complaint, you can provide them information on how to do so if they change their mind. You can also offer to find other resources, like the number to your Employee Assistance Program or connect them with a mental health professional.Report any witnessed incidents of harassment Its on all of us to put an end to sexual harassment in the workplace, and many workplaces encourage employees to report an incident of sexual harassment even if they werent the target. Consult your policies or talk to your employers for help.--Jennifer Koza is a social worker specializing in program development. By day she is a research and evaluation analyst, committed to preventing violence against women and studying the value of work and workplaces. By night she is a painter- or at least she tries to be when shes not catching up on t.v./movies (or re-watching The West Wing, Gilmore Girls, or The Office).

What You Should Know About Writing a Combination Resume and Why

What You Should Know About Writing a Combination Resume and Why Writing work letter demands tact and suitable use of words while describing your duties and obligations. Writing a resume isnt as difficult as you may think. Writing about personal objectives and aspirations ought to be kept to a minimum and is frequently unnecessary. Resume writing for career change shouldnt need to be a significant challenge. Functional Sample whenever you are referring the online resume samples, you will require a functional sample in case you have employment gaps in your past. Conclusion You are going to be able to structure your resume well in the event that you proceed through some sample resumes. A combination resume sample gives examples of what things to put in each individual section that the candidate can use as a guide to make certain they make the the majority of the practical combination resume format. Prior to taking reference from the internet sample resumes, think on what sort of resume sample format will fit your requirements. How to compose resumes is a skill youll be able to learn and there are lots of resources available to assist you. How to compose resumes in the ideal way for you will ride on your private experience, circumstances and objectives. Functional resumes are excellent for highlighting transferable skills which will be applicable to your new field of work. Targeted Resume Targeted resumes are extremely much like functional resumes however here you are especially highlighting the abilities and experiences youve got for the job which youre applying for. What Does Writing a Combination Resume Mean? If youre searching for work. Apparently, you are going to want to highlight certain skills for each position, but the simple information will continue being the same. Resume writing help can come from a number of places. To make an effective resume you want to study the industry and business you are targeting and include information that demonstrates your expertise and appeals to their unique needs. Every work applicant knows the way to compose a resume. The combination resume is a great pick for professional jobseekers that are seeking to change careers, industries or positions or for candidates that have a specific, well-developed skill set they desire to present together with their career trajectory. Chronological resumes arent the very best fit for fresh graduates since they dont have a lot of knowledge in the very first location. Where to Find Writing a Combination Resume A combination resume may be an effective alternate to a functional resume oftentimes. As the basis for it resume lies in a balance of information, it does not especially highlight the work experience or education of the individual, it is therefore not widely recommended for students or entry-level applicants who might be more interested in the traditional student resume style or entry-level resume format. A well-written combination r esume can be a highly effective tool for promoting a professional image and receiving a work interview.

3 Secrets to Using LinkedIn Recruiting to Build Candidate Relationships

3 Secrets to Using LinkedIn Recruiting to Build Candidate RelationshipsLow unemployment plus rapid company growth equals a challenging and busy time for employers. In fact, we surveyed 500 talent acquisition professionals and found that 77 percent plan to increase their own staff size by 25 percent in 2018.To reach these goals, you need to find a way to bring a higher volume of candidates into your talent pipeline. One of the best ways to do this is to build a strong network ofactive and passive job seekers. Luckily, LinkedIn provides the perfect platform to find the new hires you need.Here are three tips for building your network with LinkedIn recruiting1. Focus your effortsIf you try to network with every qualified LinkedIn user, youre going to spread yourself thin. Youll spend all your time sending out InMail messages and only get responses from a fraction of candidates. Then, to make up for lost time, youll have to rush job seekers through the hiring process instead of taking the time to build a relationship.Focus on quality, not quantity, when LinkedIn recruiting. The platforms Recruiter tool has a Spotlights feature that can help you filter out uninterested candidates. Your search results will show which individuals have engaged with the company page, applied before, or are otherwise connected to the organization. Given this established familiarity, its mora likely Spotlights candidates will respond to your messages.Once you have a list of Spotlights job seekers, cater your InMail messages to them and outline what they can gain by working for the organization. For example, if the candidate used to work with a successful manager at your company, let the candidate know there are opportunities for similar leadership development in the open role.Dont waste time trying to recruit LinkedIn candidates who wont respond.Click To Tweet2. Dig into interestsA strong LinkedIn recruiting relationship is built on more than what a candidate can do for the company. There needs to be a sense of comfort and trust. The best way to earn that with candidates is to get to know more about them.People have interests outside of their professional lives. Use LinkedIn to find out where theyre from, what their opinions are, and what causes they care about most. Mentioning common interests when you communicate with candidates will help them open up and give you a better picture of who they are.For example, if a job seeker volunteers for the same charity as you, bring it up. Ask them how they got involved with the cause and why its important to them. Also, be sure to reciprocate and tell them why the organization speaks to you. This will help create a stronger relationship leading into the interview process. And if they dont end up taking that particular job, it gives you a reason to stay in contact in the future.3. Reach out for feedbackGreattalent acquisitionprofessionals know that a strong relationship with talent is about more than filling a role. They can al so help you improve your hiring process.For instance, not every job seeker who starts an application finishes it. Somewhere along the line, they get new information that changes their mind about the job or company. Its beneficial for you to get feedback from these job seekers when LinkedIn recruiting.Use LinkedIns new Apply Starters feature to see who dropped out of the application process. Then, reach out with a short list of questions to determine what changed your mind. This will give you powerful insights about holes in the employer brand or hiring process. Plus, it gives you a chance to clear up misunderstandings with the candidate. This will preserve your relationship with them and allow you to approach them in the future with other job openings.LinkedIns latest Apply Starters feature can improve your hiring process.Click To Tweet