The word on the street in Silicon Valley is that we are currently in a “gig economy.” What that means is that more and more people are opting to work as independent contractors, as opposed to traditional full-time employment. The swing toward contract employment can be explained by several factors, such as the need for a flexible schedule, to the desire for increased autonomy.

But, if you find yourself thinking about joining the growing ranks of contract workers, you need to first understand the pro and cons of this kind of work.

The Pros and Cons of Contract Work

PRO: Potential for Higher Earnings

Companies looking to hire contract staffing because it provides the flexibility they need, it saves time, money and resources. However, they are looking to hire experts, not neophytes. They do not want to invest in training or other onboarding expenses. A contractor who knows what to do and how to get it done in a timely manner is worth top dollar. They come in, do the job and don't put any further drain on company resources.

CON: Increased Uncertainty

The potential for higher earnings is a great benefit of work-for-hire, but there’s no guarantee you will keep working once a contract expires. (no guaranteed job security after contract) And since the nature of the work you’ve been hired to do is finite, you have no guarantee that you’ll make the money you thought you would. Another thing to consider is that the project you were hired to work on can be unexpectedly canceled. All of these factors can add up to increased financial instability --if you’re not working, you’re not getting paid.

And finally, there’s no way of knowing the amount of time you’ll spend between contracts, or during your next job search.  

PRO: Lifestyle Flexibility

According to Randstad’s Workforce360 Study, about 86% of independent contractors reported their level of job satisfaction to be good/excellent. With this kind of work arrangement, comes more freedom. You are able to control your career path without having to wade through office politics for a promotion, pay raise, or time off. You negotiate to get the employment packages that suit you best, and you take as much or as little time off in between contracts. If this type of flexibility is appealing to you, then contracting out may be the best of all worlds.  

CON: Outside Looking In

All that flexibility may be nice, but the price you pay is that you’ll always be the outsider.  Contract work makes it difficult to create connections that might help advance your career further down the road. There’s also the fluid and ever-changing nature of social engagement at work. As we all know, you spend more time at work than at home, so your social life tends to stem from your work life. Relationships are fleeting and long term bonds are rarely formed.

PRO: Increased Technical & Professional Knowledge

You’re an expert in your field and have a certain skill set that companies in your industry want. But, contract work also provides the opportunity to sharpen your expertise and work in different sectors. It allows you to broaden your experience in your field and perhaps gain new skills in other industries. You’re at liberty to choose the skills that you would like to further develop in other industries, allowing you to enhance your CV and marketability for future jobs. It can also be part of your story when explaining an employment gap to a potential employer.

CON: Career Development

The freedom provided by contract work to broaden your technical and professional skills means that you are in charge of your own development. Great, right? Maybe not. Although it feels empowering to be in charge of your own career development, it is a heavy burden to bear. You no longer have the human resources department or a talent management team to ensure that you’re properly trained and qualified for the job. It is now up to you to make sure that your skillset is up to par with the current trends of the industry.

Like everything in life, contract employment has its benefits and drawbacks. Although it might not be a career-long plan, if you’re returning back to the workforce or need a flexible work arrangement, contract work very well might be a great option. Although there’s no fixed amount of time you can guarantee being unemployed between contract positions there are definitely a lot of pros to short-term positions.

In a recent survey conducted by the Association for Talent and Development of 494 employed American adults over the age of 18, 39% of respondents reported that the opportunity to advance their careers is a motivating factor at work. Providing training and development opportunities helps create a vibrant workplace for employees to grow.

Yet even in the face of these statistics, there’s a gap between companies that understand training and development is a sound investment, and those that don’t.

So, the question is: Why would you invest in your employees’ development?

It Gives You A Competitive Edge

No CEO wants to be faced with the consequences of their company losing the competitive edge. You may be a leader in your field, but if you’re not investing in training and development your company runs the risk of losing employees to your competition. But, by giving your employees the opportunity to build and develop new skills, you’re not only investing in them but also your company’s operational efficiency. Company goals and objectives can be met that much sooner.

It Helps You Save and Earn Money

Believe it or not, training and development are less expensive than firing, hiring, and retraining. The Association for Talent and Development 2014 State of Industry Report determined that the cost of replacing a human resources manager is about $133,000, whereas the cost of training an employee is on average, $1,208. While training current employees can be cheaper than hiring new employees, there’s another important type of saving: time.

A well-trained and engaged employee is an added benefit to your company and a cost saver. Approximately $11 billion is lost annually due to employee turnover. With training and development, employees are more efficient and proficient.

Remember, a great employee is like money in the bank, and you don’t want to lose money!

It Strengthens Your Talent Pool

Training and development strengthen your talent pool, which reduces the risk of losing employees who are perceived as “irreplaceable.” The more highly skilled employees you have, the larger the pool you’ll have to draw from when looking for new managers. Promoting current employees to management positions is often more preferable because they know the in’s and out’s of the company.

It’s a Valuable Retention Tool

Investing in employee development helps build loyalty. It shows employees that you value them not only as employees but as individuals, you want to see them grow. Providing a challenging and interesting training programs increase employee engagement, and keep employees happy and satisfied.

It’s a Useful Recruiting Tool

Most job seekers are looking for more than a salary and some perks. The highly sought after employee wants a position that will allow them to learn new skills and build toward their future. In a recent survey, Sodexo employees named career growth and opportunity as the number one reason for coming to work for the company.

Remember that the opportunity for professional development can often be the deciding factor for a candidate who is choosing between your company and a competitor.

Every company wants to hire the best, most dynamic and highest performing talent they can. But when unemployment is hovering around 5% and the IT sector is in a growth phase as it now, you have to make sure you are on top of your game if you want to attract top talent. Candidates have lots of options available to them, and you have to make sure that you stand out from your competition. So, how can you improve your hiring strategy to attract top candidates?

Check out these 5 ways to attract top talent for your openings!

Turn Job Descriptions into Stories

A good job description needs to tell a story. Savvy candidates are looking for more information than the standard listings of responsibilities, they want some insight into the heart of the company. Use words that evoke emotion, not corporate jargon. Appeal to the candidate’s desire to connect with their employer, to be a part of a culture they can believe in, and not just punch the nine to five. You must think like the candidate. Remember, your job description is as much a sales pitch as your marketing materials are.

Define Exceptional Performance not an Exceptional Person

Many hiring managers think they should only be looking at candidates that meet each and every one of the listed job qualifications. But by doing so, are you limiting yourself by looking through too small of a looking glass? It is crucial to widen your scope and avoid overvaluing your hiring checklist. You need to focus on the abilities and past performance of the individual, and how these correlate with the position you are looking to fill. Remember, that the candidate who meets all your desired traits may not necessarily mean that they’re the best match for your open position or your company.  

Refer to Your Network

You’ve built a large network of connections, and now is the time to make it work for you. Post job openings within LinkedIn groups and keep your eyes open for interesting prospects at conferences and events. You should be looking for top talent wherever you go. But, most importantly, if you aren’t already doing so, you should be working with a recruiter. Recruiters offer specialized experience and a database of contacts in your industry.

Streamline the Hiring Process

It’s a seller’s market. The last thing you want to do is deter candidates with a difficult hiring process. Job candidates, especially the top 25%, know their worth and they know there are many opportunities available for them. So, if your company takes too long to respond, or the application process is too difficult, candidates will most likely move on to the next opportunity. It is crucial to maximizing the candidates’ experiences throughout the entire hiring process by making the process faster and easier.

Show Off Your Company’s Value

An interview is as much for the candidate’s benefit as for yours- they’re weighing the benefits of working for you against other potential employers. Compensation, company culture, available training and opportunities for advancement are important to potential candidates. You want to show off the perks that your company offers to employees. Define the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) to capture the attention of top talent.

Here are 7 tips for interview success.

1. Start with your Resume

You will have to speak about everything in your resume in great detail. Make sure to have key points to talk about your resume. Review your resume to make sure that you have not stretched the truth in certain areas. Also, be sure to bring extra copies of your resume to pass out.

 2. Question Preparation

Spend some time preparing for the actual interview questions, think about ones that may come up and develop answers that will address what the employer is looking for. Also, formulate questions that you'd like to ask the interviewer, such as "what was the most challenging project you have worked on while your time in the company?" or "what is the next step in moving forward?" Rehearse your potential answers, but on the day of the interview make it sound natural and not rehearsed. The job description is also a good place to look for ideas for questions

 3. Company Research

Do in-depth research on the company. Learn about the company's mission, history, news events, conferences, and future development. Don't forget to check out the company's social media accounts to discover what the company is doing on a day-to-day basis and its interaction within their industry. You'd be surprised by how much information you can find on companies' social media accounts! Nicole, a Hiring Expert at ManpowerGroup says, "By thoroughly researching the employer you increase your chances of making a positive and memorable first impression. I would recommend digging deeper than just general knowledge about an employer.

• What are the services/products that the company offers?
• How large is the company? Other locations? How many employees?
• What is their philosophy or mission statement?
• What is the company culture like?
• Do they have other locations?
• Have they won any awards or received recognition?
• Do they give back to the community?
• Who are their competitors?
• Research the executives and the person you are interviewing with.

The more information you have about a company, the more confident you will feel during the interview, and the better impression you will make.

 4. Leverage Your Network

Make sure to use all of your resources to learn about the internal aspects of the company, especially your LinkedIn connections. Do you know someone who works in the company? Have you attended events of conferences that the company has also attended? Mentioning current employees and events or conferences attended by the company can show how much you know about the company and how quickly you can assimilate to their company. This is also a great way to show off your communication skills!

 5. Talk to Your Recruiter

Make sure to talk to your recruiter! Your recruiter is one of your most valuable resources and should be used to prep and coach you for the interview. Your recruiter will have valuable information on the company that can boost your interview such as specific questions to prepare for, the personality of the hiring manager or the qualities searched for in candidates. Your recruiter can be your potential lifeline and make a difference in the outcome of the interview.

 6. Arrive on Time

Make sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before the interview, to allow for time to fill out additional paperwork. It will also make a great first impression on the interviewer.

 7. Interview Outfit (Attire)

Make sure to look as professional as possible! While some companies have a more business casual atmosphere, others prefer the traditional button-down and pressed suit image. Make sure that your attire matches the company dress code. For either type of company, make sure your clothes are clean, ironed, and your shoes shined. As the old saying goes "the first impression is the most lasting."

We here at J. Patrick & Associates place individuals in positions all over the country. We’ve realized a growing trend in relocation rates, an increasing amount of individuals that we work with are more willing to relocate. According to a study conducted by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the 2014 relocation rate was at its highest since 2009. Before the recession, candidates were largely unwilling or unable to relocate for a job. With the changing dynamics in the job market, it is increasingly common for employers to consider hiring employees that require relocation and for candidates to do so.

So, what’s driving job candidates’ willingness to take positions in other cities?  

It’s A Renter’s World

Fewer people are in the market to buy homes now than ever before. This is attributable to several factors; the high level of student debt, the 2007-2008 financial crisis, and the fact that extended families are more widely dispersed than ever before.  Certainly making a cross-country move requires an investment of your time, energy and faith, but since renting reduces the financial risk, it allows for more flexibility should a move prove to be disappointing.

All of these factors are contributing to candidates increased flexibility in terms of where they live and for how long.

Up and Down the Ladder

In our recruiting practice, we’ve observed that the trend in relocation rates is affecting all levels, from managers to senior executives. In a tightening talent market, hiring firms have to get more creative and flexible as to how and where they source their candidate pool. This can mean changing your requirements if you insist on strictly local candidates, or looking outside your region to get the best available player among those motivated to move to your location. 

An average of 15 percent of job-seeking managers and executives moved for new positions over the last two quarters of 2013. Top-level executives are realizing that relocation can boost their career progression. The opportunities that come with the big move are endless, from increased salary and improved lifestyle to the opportunity to reinvent themselves in a new market. Ultimately, relocation provides top-level executives the chance to reinvigorate their CVs, and provide them with fresh challenges.  

Follow the Jobs: The Wave of the Future

Industry-specific job opportunities have also shifted candidates’ perspectives on relocation. In today’s job market, the perfect job opportunity very well may be in another city. It’s no longer just New York or San Francisco, the tech industry is increasingly decentralized from the West Coast, and opportunities are abundant in new markets,  such as in Austin, Texas and Boulder, Colorado. The fact that these newer markets may also offer a lower cost of living helps to boost their appeal.

Job candidates, especially Millennials, understand that they are likely to work in several different sectors over the course of their career. Flexibility on location increases the chance of being able to follow interesting and challenging opportunities. And as we know, keeping your career on track and fresh, increases your personal satisfaction.  

Both international and domestic relocation rates have been on the rise, and in the present climate, they show no evidence  of slowing.  If the opportunity to relocate presents itself, keep your mind and your options open!

Looking for a new job or to relocate? Give one of our recruiters a call!

J. Patrick & Associates, Inc is an Executive Recruiting firm that focuses on Executive Management, Sales, Marketing and Technical roles within Information Technology markets. We have over 20 years of experience recruiting in every aspect of AV/VTC/UC, Application, Storage, Information/Network Security, Mobile Technologies, and Telecommunications.

The purpose of an exit interview, according to Alexandra Levit, author of Blind Spots: The 10 Business Myths You Can’t Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success. is “to get the departing employee to divulge why they are leaving and how they feel about their experience with the company.”   

Exit interviews are valuable to both employers and employees, whether it be via an automated phone call, website or a good old-fashioned sit-down meeting. These interviews provide employees with the opportunity to air out all of their grievances and positive experiences at your company. But what should be asked during an exit interview?

Check these 5 questions that are crucial for your company to conduct insightful exit interviews.

Why are you leaving?

This is the most obvious, but important question to ask employees that have handed in their resignations. It allows you to determine if a single event triggered their departure, such as a falling out with a co-worker or manager. Or perhaps the position of the ex-employees lacked key aspects, which should be resolved before hiring a replacement.  Either way, this question is crucial to receive feedback from an ex-employee.

How did the position match your expectations?

A key determinant to understanding your employee’s departure is to determine if the position met their expectations. You want to know if, in practice, the position was what was presented in the job description. Or perhaps the ex-employee felt that there was no correlation between their position and the company’s strategy. Brilliant Ink reported that clear communication about the line between the company’s strategy and the daily work of employees led to increased employee engagement.   

Did you have the tools and resources needed to effectively do your job?

If employees aren’t set up for success, from the beginning, they won’t be engaged, and so will begin looking for challenges elsewhere. Identifying what you are doing well, and how you can improve employee support will help you identify what areas you need to strengthen.

What was your relationship like with your manager?

According to BambooHR, issues with a manager is one of the top five reasons why employees resign. As important as it is to find an employee that matches the company culture, it is crucial to ensure that the managers are able to interact effectively with all employees. Although you cannot force everyone to mesh well, you can provide support where needed to assure a stable work environment.

What did you like most about your job?

Although the exit interview is a chance to receive constructive criticism from your departing employee, you also want to highlight any positives from their experience at your company. Along with learning areas of improvement, you will be able to learn what aspects of the job you should maintain for future employees.

Exit interviews may seem like a waste of time and money, but if conducted in an efficient manner your company will gain insight into what can be improved in the future.

The job interview is one of the most important, and nerve-wracking, components of the job search process, and it needs preparation beforehand. You know all of the interview prep basics -- from developing questions to ask your interviewer, to bringing multiple copies of your resume. But are you forgetting basics that are invaluable to your interview prep?

6 Ways that you might be sabotaging your interview

Being Late for an Interview

It is the day of your interview and you have the directions ready to go, but your car breaks down or your bus is late. What do you do? Although arriving late for an interview may not always be your fault, it can still make a bad impression. If you’re stuck in traffic, your train is delayed, or there’s the slightest chance that you won’t make it on time, always call ahead, your interviewer will appreciate not being left in the dark.

Remember, a good rule of thumb is to arrive 10-15 minutes early to an interview to have time to relax and compose yourself beforehand. But most importantly give yourself enough time for your commute, you never know what bumps in the road you may face!

Dressing Inappropriately

We all know the old saying “dress to impress,” but are you dressing too impressive for the position you’re interviewing for? It is important to research the company’s dress code policy, whether it be through web forums, your LinkedIn connections or asking your recruiter if you’re working with one. Dress codes vary immensely from company to company, even within the same sector, doing as much research as possible will help prove that you’re a good cultural fit.

Not Researching the Company/Position

For many candidates, this may be a given, but there are some who do not conduct research on the company that they’re interviewing for. This could be a disastrous omission. It’s important to be prepared for questions about the company such as “what do you know about our company”, and/or “how do you think this position will aid in your career development?” It’s very easy to find information on almost any company these days, whether it be on the company website or through your recruiter. You don’t have to know all the company history per se, but it is important to understand their mission statement and know their current financial standing.

Bad Mouthing a Previous Employer

Would you trust the opinion of someone who can’t stop badmouthing their last job or employer? If your answer is no, then don’t do it at your interviews! Even when you’re asked the reason for leaving your previous position or to provide an example of a time you showed leadership at work, avoid speaking negatively about your previous employer. These negative comments will reflect badly on you, even if the employer was at fault. Be creative with your answers and put a positive spin on your current or previous work situation.

Not Knowing When to Stop Talking or Not Talking Enough

Whether you are a nervous rambler or your nervousness makes you go silent, know how to balance both. It is important to keep your interviewer engaged, just as it is important to engage in active listening to understand the questions asked by the interviewer. You do not want to seem as if you’re rambling, but you also do not want moments of dead silence to permeate the interview. Whether you’re a nervous talker or not, remember to relax and rock your interview!

Knowing the Right Questions to Engage Your Interviewer

As important as it is to understand the hiring process or to understand the roles of the position, it is crucial to get to know your interviewer. Yes, the interviewer will ultimately be the deciding factor of whether or not you’ll proceed onto the next step of the hiring process, but you need to remember that she is also attempting to determine if you would be a cultural fit. So, engaging in friendly conversation and learning about the interviewer’s current position will help to put you both at ease.

But, remember that this is a professional meeting and not a coffee date!

As simple as they may sound, these interview mistakes are committed very often. So, next time you land an interview, keep these basics in mind.

When there’s a job opening, the first thing many hiring managers do is reach for their checklist of what constitutes the perfect candidate. Whether it be years of experience in a specified field or big company credentials, hiring managers have their checklist and most will only hire candidates who meet all criteria. And while these points are important, they can often prevent you from seeing the bigger picture and lead you to miss out on the actual perfect candidate.

How to avoid missing out on the perfect job candidate.

Over-valuing Your Hiring Checklist

Remember that most skills and requirements of the job can be learned, but attitude and personality cannot. To hire the perfect candidates, you must accept the fact that not every candidate will meet all the qualifications for the job. Basing your hiring decisions completely on a hiring checklist can lead to looking over really good candidates. It is important to become more open-minded, would you rather hire a candidate that is motivated and has a positive job attitude but meets 6 out of the 10 requirements or the candidate that meets all 10 requirements, but doesn’t necessarily fit with the rest of the organization or the job?

Over-valuing CVs

Today, most hiring managers base their hiring decisions on the credentials of job candidates, such as degree status, work experience, and certifications. This intensifies the pressure on job candidates to have a standout CV. In a recent survey conducted by Careerbuilder.com, about 58% of hiring managers reported detecting exaggerations and outright fabrications on resumes.  Remember to approach CVs with an open but critical eye to pinpoint any discrepancies!

Under-valuing Cultural Fit

Although it's important to look for the right skills and experience, ensuring that the candidate meets the fit of the organization is also crucial. A given candidate might meet all of your requirements, but will his attitude and personality fit with the rest of the organization? You may be asking yourself, how can I determine if a candidate meets the cultural fit? Well, many firms are administering personality tests to figure out if said candidate is the right match. Remember that it works both ways. If a candidate is a great fit for your company don’t pass on them just because they don’t have the necessary qualifications!

Before selecting a candidate based on your checklist ask yourself, “did my best employee meet all the qualifications when they were first hired?” It is important to remember that job skills and certifications can be learned and earned, whereas cultural fit and positive job attitudes cannot.

Give Your Social Media Strategy A Makeover: 3 Key Tips

We live in a world defined by rapidly developing technological advances that are influencing almost every aspect of our lives. Leveraging social media for your business can seem like a full-time job, but the benefits are invaluable. Investing the time and resources into creating a social media presence will not only increase your brand awareness but also help establish increased loyalty.

Check out these 3 ways to give your social media strategy a makeover:

Reframe Your Outlook on Social Media

Social media marketing is so much more than sharing funny photos and stories. It provides platforms for companies to interact in real-time with current and potential clients. Unlike traditional promotional approaches that command a one-sided conversation, social media sites allow for a two-way dialogue between clients and companies. Social media is being used as a means of connectivity now more than ever. In 2015, The Pew Research Center reported that about 65% of all adults in the United States use social networking sites, which increased from 55% usage in 2012.

Develop a  Clear Social Media Marketing Strategy

First things first, set goals and objectives! What do you want to benefit from social media? Do you want to increase your followers? Promote a new product or service? Or do you want to increase your candidate pool?

Once you’ve set the goals for your social media campaigns, it’s important to then set a plan to measure your success. Which metrics you look at will vary depending on the social media platform selected, but they are all equally important. You can start off with the basics; reach, likes, shares and then move into the more lead-related metrics, such as leads generated per offer and call-to-action click through rates.

Maximize Your Social Presence

After setting your goals and plan of action, the next step is to maximize your social presence on the selected platforms. Engaging your target audience requires conveying your company’s personality and culture through your posts on social media. Target’s Twitter account is a great example of how to engage followers with the use of bright and colorful photographs, as well as a friendly and informal dialogue. The company posts about everything from its products and specials to posts about what’s going on within the company all in a manner that expresses their brand.

It may take some time to develop an effective social media presence but the payoff will be in deeper and more connected relationships with your customer base, and keep your company one step ahead of your competitors.

To many companies, hiring a recruiter may seem costly and maybe even unnecessary, especially if you have an HR department. But there are several benefits to outsourcing the hiring process. Working with a knowledgeable recruiter, who is an expert in your industry will not only save you time and money, but can also target talent that your competitors may also be trying to attract. Here are 4 benefits to working with a recruiter

Here are the 4 Benefits of Working With a Recruiter:

1. Recruiters Have Specialized Experience

Depending on the recruiting firm, the recruiter may know just as much about your industry and the type of people you’re looking for your company. Many recruiters focus on specific industries or roles and have wide ranging contacts in your field. When working with a recruiter, you not only benefit by working with an experienced, specialized professional, but also their connections, database of candidates and search strategies built from years of experience.

2. Recruiters Can Save You Time and Money

Think about it, the longer the position is empty, the more time and money you’ll lose. Even if your company does have an HR department, the amount of time allocated to the hiring process may not be enough. Recruiters take care of about everything in the hiring process, which speeds up the hiring process and frees you up to focus on your other tasks. When you speak to candidates referred by recruiters, you will only speak to qualified, pre-screened candidates that fit your bill.

3. Recruiters Serve as a Partner Through the Entire Process

Recruiters will accompany you throughout the entire recruiting, interviewing, hiring and on-boarding processes. Most recruiters do not get paid unless they produce a successful hiring, so it's in their best interest that everything runs smoothly. Recruiters will help with and/or take over components of the hiring process, such as background testing, reference gathering, and salary negotiations, to minimize errors.

4. Recruiters Serve as the Eyes and Ears in the Industry

Recruiters know what’s going on in the industry, from what hiring strategies are being used by top companies to the typical traits of candidates you and your competitors are looking for. It is important for you to use recruiters as a resource to learn as much as you can to beat out the competition.

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