Archives April 2021

When you’re hiring for a position, you’ll probably be looking for two kinds of skills: hard skills and soft skills.

If you work in information technology hiring, most applicants already have hard skills. They’re the technical capabilities related to your position requirements, such as coding.

Soft skills describe abilities to relate and work with others. These skills include leadership, creativity, flexibility, organization, and conflict resolution. These abilities translate across a variety of industries and are typically innate – rather than trained or taught.   

Soft skills are sometimes brushed over in the hiring process. Candidates who have them can make invaluable additions to your workforce. Here are some of the main ways that prioritizing soft skills when you’re staffing your company can pay off.

Soft Skills Matter More Than You Think

It’s easy to underestimate the role of interpersonal skills in your workplace. While it’s common to think of “people skills” as a trait of customer-facing careers, they move your internal organization forward as well.

Except for certain highly technical and labor-intensive work, most jobs center on some variation of human interaction. Even tech-heavy careers in fields like web development, network administration, and cybersecurity require teamwork and communication.

In addition, if an otherwise promising candidate is missing important hard skills, you can usually close the gap with training – especially if the candidate shows flexibility, eagerness and an aptitude for learning.

Whether or not you’re hiring for a customer-facing position, it’s always worth looking for a candidate who is kind, cooperative, and a good communicator.

They’ll Make Your Team Happier

Hiring a candidate with strong interpersonal skills also has benefits for their coworkers.

Studies show that job satisfaction goes up 50% for employees who build a strong relationship with another person in their workforce. Facilitating bonds within your workplace isn’t just about everyone getting along—it’s great for retention, too.

By bringing in candidates with qualities like empathy and friendliness, you stave off burnout and invest in your company’s long-term well-being.

Adaptability is a Superpower

A sound employment acquisition strategy is about more than finding the right candidate for right now. It’s about finding the candidate who can switch gears, solve new problems, and adapt to changes as they occur.

There’s no such thing as a perfect job candidate. However, hiring a candidate who is flexible and able to learn at a quick pace may result in them growing into the perfect employee.

If you’re looking for a way to make hiring easier, consider ABBTECH. Our recruiters are highly trained in evaluating both technical and interpersonal skills so that you get the best-fit candidate for your unique environment. Get in touch to find out how ABBTECH can help you add skilled tech professionals to your workforce.

Named after the phenomenon popularized by dating apps, professional ghosting refers to when a candidate or new employee disappears from the hiring process without warning.

Not only is professional ghosting on the rise, it’s also something that many members of the workforce are willing to defend. According to a study, 40% of employees believed it was acceptable to ghost during the interview stage of the hiring process.

Technology makes it easier than ever to leave the hiring process without follow up. In addition, the sheer volume of opportunities online may make it difficult to track applications and action items. However, there are several critical reasons you shouldn’t ghost a recruiter or new employer.

Confrontation is Healthy

Even though it may feel uncomfortable in the moment, turning down a job offer is an important professional skill. In the workforce, you’ll often find yourself in situations that require you to manage conflict, deliver bad news, and say no.

When you choose ghosting over having a conversation that makes you uneasy, you lose a valuable opportunity for this form of career development.

Taking the time to write an email or call your recruiter is good practice for larger-scale confrontation down the road.

It’s a Small World

Maybe you’ll never run into the recruiter you ghosted again.

Then again, maybe you’ll end up assigned to that recruiter or recruitment agency the next time you apply for a job. There’s no way to know—which is why you should always avoid burning bridges in the professional sphere.

Vanishing midway through the hiring process leaves a bad impression. It especially stings if you’ve had extensive correspondence with a hiring manager or anyone at the company where you were an applicant.

On the other hand, withdrawing from the hiring process via a formal, diplomatic message can salvage that professional connection.

It’s Inconsiderate to Ghost

The most important reason not to ghost is that it’s impolite, unprofessional, and unfair to your recruiter.

The process of vetting, interviewing, and onboarding a new employee is expensive and time-consuming. When candidates disappear, they leave behind a mess for the talent acquisition team to clean up.

Avoid the temptation to ghost by finding out exactly what a job entails before going into an interview. Staying informed throughout recruitment helps you set expectations and hold yourself accountable.

It’s easy to stay informed and organized in your job search with ABBTECH. Our recruiters are superior communicators. We will facilitate your job search process with regular updates, interview notifications and reminders. We’re with you every step of the way for support and feedback.

In the workforce, social media is often a loaded topic. The question of whether to address its use by employees—and if so, how—is a difficult one for many employers.

Anxiety over social media use runs both ways. One study found that 51% of employees are concerned that their online activity will be held against them in the workplace.

The solution is implementing clear guidelines. In setting standards for appropriate social media use, you can resolve uncertainty about what’s appropriate to post and help employees balance professional responsibilities with their personal lives.

Not sure where to start? Here are some goals to have in mind when creating your guidelines.

Build Digital Literacy

When you develop guidelines for social media use, you have the chance to impart general education about how to navigate and behave in online spaces.

Employers may find it helpful to go over basic etiquette and provide resources that help interpret the popular expressions seen in web communities today.

In this way, you will help employees improve their overall digital literacy and represent themselves well online.

Promote Your Company’s Accounts

Point employees to your company’s social media accounts for examples of professional presentation and usage.  

By following your official accounts, employees can stay up-to-date on how your company uses and optimizes these platforms.

When employees engage with your company’s content, it’s also beneficial for your online presence. On some platforms, like LinkedIn, connecting with employees is a major strategy for recruitment and brand promotion.

Set Cybersecurity Standards

Establishing social media guidelines presents an opportunity to give employees guidance on protecting their accounts.

Take the time to review your cybersecurity policy with your employees and reiterate the importance of compliance in all areas, to include social media.

Inspire Positive Representation

Above all, employees should strive to represent your company well in all their digital interactions. Remind them that they are the faces and spokespeople of your brand.

That doesn’t just go for full-time, long-term personnel at your company. By including temporary workers, contractors, and others in your social media guidelines, you shape an environment where everyone can be a positive representative of your company.

When you need to hire professionals who can be trusted to represent your company well, ABBTECH has you covered.

Contact us to learn about how our IT staffing services can fit your company’s needs, your requirements, and your culture.

Phone and virtual interviews have become the go-to way for hiring managers to vet candidates. Considering that 74% of recruiters find video interviews make the hiring process easier, they’re likely here to stay.

By adhering to best practices for remote interviewing, you can impress recruiters and improve your employment opportunities. Use these five tips to keep your interview professional and stress-free.

Prep Your Interview Space

Whether you’re interviewing via phone or Zoom, your environment should have good reception and no distractions. If possible, take the call in a private room where the chance of background noise is minimal.

If your interview is over video, tidy the surrounding area and remove distracting objects from the camera’s view.

Hold a Rehearsal Interview

Prepare yourself by coming up with responses to standard interview questions ahead of time. Common topics to prepare for include employment goals, personal strengths and weaknesses, your ability to work as part of a team, how you overcome challenges in the workplace, and addressing gaps in your resume. You should always plan your interview responses according to the business and type of job for which you are interviewing.

Test your microphone and camera before a video interview so you won’t have to troubleshoot during the call. Position the camera so it is level with your face. If you wear glasses, adjust your lighting to prevent glare.

Practice speaking into the camera, watching your posture and natural mannerisms. You should appear professional and engaged onscreen.

Stay Focused

During the interview, give the hiring manager your full attention. Stay engaged and interested. Try to limit voluntary fidgeting, checking your watch, multi-tasking, and unnecessary background noise. If you’re on a video call, maintain eye contact by looking into the camera.

It’s often difficult to read cues during a virtual interview. You can avoid interrupting by waiting a moment after the interviewer asks a question to make sure they’ve finished speaking.

Be Confident

Speaking with confidence is critical to nailing an interview. Whether you’re a seasoned contractor or you’re reentering the workforce after some time away, showing conviction in your abilities leads interviewers to take you seriously as a candidate.

Send a Thank-You Email

Finally, while you should always thank the hiring manager at the end of your interview, it’s a good idea to follow up with an additional thank-you message. This is a great opportunity to reiterate your interest in the position and highlight a few of your key strengths as a match with the position requirements.

Recruitment professionals speak to dozens of candidates each week. Sending a short, courteous email to thank the interviewer for their consideration helps you stand out from the recruitment pool.

Call ABBTECH Today!

ABBTECH places IT professionals in positions with small businesses, startups, and Fortune 500 companies nationwide and has nearly 30 years of experience in staff augmentation services.

Start your job search with ABBTECH today and connect with an experienced recruiter. Once we find a great match for your skill set, our personnel can assist you with every stage of the placement lifecycle.

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