Archives September 2022

We all understand what it means to be “employed” or “unemployed” because you either have a job or you don’t. “Underemployment,” however, is more complex and far more common than you might think.

The Center for Law and Social Policy estimates that 4 out of 10 part-time workers are currently underemployed, meaning you have a job, but in some way, you are working below your capacity.

Think you are underemployed but not sure? Read on for a closer look at 3 signs you are underemployed and what you should do.

Your Wages are Too Low

It’s true; some jobs do not pay a high wage. However, you may be underemployed if you think your role would typically pay more. Do your research and check out websites that track average salaries to understand better what you should be paid for the job you do. Remember to consider location when calculating your salary range. Job salaries differ from state to state and from place to place within a state.

If you find that your wages are below the market rate for your role, talk to management. If adjusting your salary isn’t possible, consider applying for positions that offer a higher wage.

You’re Overqualified

In some cases, this is obvious. If you hold a graduate degree, but the position requires only a high school diploma, you’re likely underemployed. Now, it’s not a problem for you if you’re happy in a role considered underemployment on paper. However, if you have learned and acquired skills and experience and have no opportunity to showcase them in your position, you no doubt feel underemployed.

Before you decide what to do in this situation, ask yourself: Am I happy in this role? If you are, there’s nothing to fix. If you aren’t, it’s time to look for jobs that better match your skills and qualifications. Take the time to refresh your resume and update your professional profiles. Identify the best keywords to generate job leads in your job searches.

Not Enough Hours

When it comes to hourly work, it’s simple: the more hours you work, the more money you make. Employers may restrict the number of available hours for various reasons, including not wanting to provide benefits or simply not having enough work. You may be underemployed if you have to work multiple jobs to pay your bills.

Have you discovered signs you are underemployed? Before you hunt for a job with more available hours, check with your employer to see if you can move to full-time or work less desirable (and often higher-paying) shifts like nights or weekends. If these options aren’t open, start hunting for a role that provides the hours you need.

If you’re ready to explore your next opportunity, get in touch with our team at ABBTECH!

The world radically changed over the last few years. As a result, employee priorities have shifted. And many employees now look to their employers to create an employee positive culture that is safe, inclusive, productive, and satisfying.

The Whole Personnel Experience

So, what do employees look for now? What attracts them to a job and company, and more importantly, what makes them want to stay? Let’s look at some key areas you can address within your company culture to create a more satisfying whole employee experience for all.

Purposeful Work

Employees who find purpose and meaning in their work are two times more likely to stay in a job and express satisfaction in it. When employees genuinely understand why the tasks they do every day are important, why a particular project or duty matters in the scope of their career, and how their role in the company impacts the company and beyond, it creates a strong sense of fulfillment.

Flexibility & Work-Life Balance

Even before the pandemic put work-life balance in focus, flexibility was a critical criterion for employees. Though we have made the journey back to our offices entirely or in a hybrid fashion, flexibility is still important to workers.

Social & Supportive Cultures

We spend a considerable amount of time in the workplace, which can significantly impact our mental health. Creating a supportive environment where employees and management interact positively and feel safe and included begins with management but ultimately is everyone’s responsibility.

Career Development/ Training

Opportunities for career growth are also priorities for employees and an integral part of strong, positive company culture. Continuing education classes, tuition reimbursement, and mentoring programs are all steps you can take to provide employees with the tools, training, and opportunities to advance in their profession and within the company.

Health & Wellness Programs

Employee Health and Wellness programs are another essential element of a strong company culture that prioritizes employee needs. Your employees are not simply workers; they are assets that play a vital role in the company. Investing in your employees’ mental and physical health and well-being sets them up to do well at work. It directly affects their productivity and the subsequent profits of the company. Employee priorities have shifted as well, and many employees now look to their employers to create a workplace culture that is safe, inclusive, productive, and satisfying for them. Create a company culture with your employee’s priorities in mind.

If you want to build your dream team this year, get in touch with ABBTECH today!

While many software development opportunities are available, the competition is fierce unless you stand out from the crowd. The best way to stand out from the crowd when going after a software development position is to be a great software developer. Here are 5 qualities that make good developers GREAT.

If you want to be known as a great software developer and increase your chances of landing your dream job, some vital qualities make.

1. A Positive Attitude

Great developers don’t let their egos get in the way. They bring a positive attitude to every project and task, bringing their best every day. A great developer takes pride in their work but never lets it get in the way of receiving constructive criticism. Even when faced with an urgent deadline, a great developer will step up and get the product ready as soon as possible because they genuinely care about its success.

2. Excellent Communication Skills

To be a great developer, you have to be a great communicator. It is crucial to understand problems, break them down quickly, and transparently propose proactive solutions. Great developers process information quickly and know the right questions to ask when they need clarification or more information.

3. Self-Management

A great developer can self-start and often have taught themselves new languages and technologies out of personal interest. When confronted with a situation to which they don’t have an answer, a great developer will pursue the resources and people necessary to discover the solution. Great developers are also reliable, managing their time and completing tasks on schedule and as desired.

4. Deep and Broad Technical Experience

A great developer has worked competently with several technologies and is an expert on several. Diverse industry experience, cognitive abilities, and familiarity with standards and best practices are all hallmarks of a great developer.

5. Big-Picture Focus

Great developers do not simply focus on the task in front of them. They want to know that the feature they are programming is high-value and how it will impact the system and the user’s experience. Their abilities and experience help them see this big-picture view, and they are more than willing to speak up about changes that could compromise the software. Put these 5 qualities that make good developers great to use. Ready to search for a new developer role? Explore our career opportunities today!

Many employers struggle to keep positions filled in today’s competitive job market. The more extended positions remain unfilled, the more it hurts your company’s bottom line and negatively impacts employee morale. Find out How much does it affect your company bottom line to not fill that role. Find out the cost of a vacant position.

The Financial Impact

Calculating the actual cost of employee vacancies is complex and time-consuming. A study by Dr. John Sullivan, a well-known author, international speaker, and advisor to Fortune 500 and Silicon Valley companies, sets the cost of a vacancy in the thousands of dollars per day. In some key roles, a single vacancy costs the company upwards of $7,000 daily. Some engineering positions could be as high as $20,000 a day.

The Business Impact

Beyond the financial impact, employee vacancies also affect engineering, production, marketing, and sales. Many factors go into the calculation of the cost of a vacancy, and the more open spots you have in your employee roster, the more serious these issues become.

Productivity

Departments within a business work closely together to develop and produce products and services. Any disruption in a department adversely affects the others. Understaffing due to employee vacancies lowers the probability of meeting productivity targets, and not meeting those goals also impacts other related departments.

Culture and Brand

Excessive or extended employee vacancies affect your company’s culture and brand image. As you struggle to hire new employees, it may adversely affect the hiring screening process and allow poor performers to slip through the gaps. Once you’ve hired poor-performing employees, you may not be able to secure top performers in the future.

Employee vacancies also send a message to competitors and analysts that your company may weaken, a warning sign that can manifest in increased competitive pressures and stock market issues. This sign of organizational weakness also impacts recruiting, sending a message that your hiring process is vulnerable and inefficient concerning your hiring process.

The Social Impact

Employee vacancies also affect other employees as individuals and as a team. A vacancy may mean picking up extra work and obligations for individual employees. Though functional in the short term, it leads to stress, decreased productivity, and reduced job satisfaction if the situation remains unresolved. 

This overwork and frustration also spread to co-workers and team members, disrupting team cohesiveness and increasing grievances, productivity issues, and absenteeism.

Employee vacancies truly impact your business on many levels. Investing the effort to avoid vacancies and recruit top performers when vacancies occur improves your business on many levels and helps you stay one step ahead of the competition. To fill your open seats, get in touch with the recruiting experts at ABBTECH!