How to avoid employees recruiting errors in the automotive industry?

Hiring the wrong candidate can turn out to be a very costly mistake for any business. Imagine the consequences of a recruiting process gone wrong: you may need to terminate the Embauche_mecanicienemployee and risk being sued; you need to repeat the recruiting process, which is costly in both time and money; you also risk negatively affecting your troop’s morale and winding up frustrating certain employees. Of course your employees picked up early-on that your new hire wasn’t ”delivering the goods’ and realized that they were the ones that needed to pick up the slack to compensate for your mistake. The atmosphere and tension produced by this situation can seriously affect the cohesion and motivation of your team members.

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Automotive Industry References: Follow the guidelines!

We all know how hard it is these days to find well-qualified staff. Technical skills are easily identifiable, but the much sought after ʺsoft-skillsʺ are not as easy to quantify. The last thing any Manager wants is to put up with the insubordination of their best technician or service consultant!Job_search_reference

As very few dealership administrators or shop managers have any practical human resource management training, many fail to ask for references, or if they dare ask, the references aren’t followed up on in an organized manner. This usually ends looking more like an ʺinformal chatʺ than an actual structured reference check.

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Changing jobs for all the right reasons

These days, changing jobs has become a fact of life for the vast majority of workers on te job market. The mythical ”lifetime” job is definitely a relic from the past. Nowadays, the best you can hope for is that this change will happen under your terms, and not those of your employer. Even if you do switch jobs under your own terms, the rationale behind this move must be logical and sound. Are there any wrong reasons for changing jobs?  You bet there are. For example, certain people will act rashly, emotions having gotten the better of them, after a negative comment or harsh evaluation on the part of their boss. Others will accept a position that flatters their ego, even if this new job does not really suit them. You need to be absolutely certain that the motivation behind this important decision is sound before taking any further steps.

Oops!

If the ”Monday-morning blues” start kicking in on Saturday evening, or if every time you set foot in the office, you keep asking yourself how is it even possible for you to make it through another day, without doubt you need to start planning your next career move. There are a multitude of reasons that can explain this negative state of mind, which is detrimental to both your physical and mental well-being. If this is the case, you better start evaluating your options sooner than later. If the irritants are related more to the work environment than the actual tasks you are required to perform, then a change of scenery is your next logical move. However, you might need to consider a career change if the work itself is at the root of the problem.

Your sense of fulfillment

Human beings tend to more balanced and fulfilled as we get older. Every aspect of our lives, including work, can provide this sense of fulfillment. Personal fulfillment is a complex subject that has fueled an entire industry of writers and experts; it is at the core of our quest for well-being and happiness. We all have basic needs and desires that need to be met in order to progress as human beings. As far as work is concerned, our sense of empowerment, of feeling needed and accepted, and our sense of accomplishment, all need to be met in order to flourish and grow. Any sense of imbalance between your tasks and skills, feeling of alienation, or lack of motivation in your job, must be addressed. A career or job change might be the answer.

Unsatisfactory work conditions

Sometimes a job evolves so much over time that it eventually ends up being very different from its original requirements. Suddenly, for a number of reasons, such as increased workload, incompatible responsibilities, illogical work procedures, or others, you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation.

A career change, why not!

In certain cases, the nature of the work itself threatens an individual’s well-being. Look at the number of people you know who constantly bicker about a job that doesn’t suit their personality, skills, or ambitions! If the infamous ”you can’t always get what you want” is continually playing in your head while you’re complaining, get rid of that thought right now. With all the time we spend at work in our lifetime, we might as well get some satisfaction and enjoyment out of it. Consult a career coach or counselor to help you with this important endeavor. It may very well change your life!

Employee retention tips and secrets

It seems that the number of younger workers required to replace the rapidly aging workforce just isn’t there. This could result in a catastrophic shortage of qualified workers in various trades and professions in the Canadian market in the next few years. Under these circumstances employee loyalty and retention become critically important issues. We all know very well that raising wages cannot in itself be the ultimate retention strategy. Are there other solutions? What must you do to create a productive and loyal team?Gestionnaires

Gone are the good-old days when you could crack-open a couple of beers as a reward to your staff. Anyhow, it never was the best idea. Busiess leaders need to create a culture that builds loyalty to spark a sense of belonging for their employees. The workplace remains the major source of personnel and professional accomplishment. Employees who feel that they are valued and appreciated, who feel important as human beings, will benefit from a level of motivation that breeds superior performance and loyalty.

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Team Building: 21st Century Tool

”Team Building” is all the rage these days, but what does it really mean? Generally speaking, it has to do with consolidating or strengthening the work team. In most cases it consists of an event that a company organizes in order to strengthen bonds and motivate team members. These days, organizations are constantly searching for ways to motivate their troops and unleash the creativity of their human resources, who are both the heart and soul of every orgaMécaniciennization. There is a growing trend towards hiring outside resources to launch team-building sessions. The terms burnout, depression, anxiety and absenteeism are unfortunately too common in today’s workplace. These issues are a major expense for employers, which is why there are specialists in this field who are working on solutions to help improve the performance of individual workers.

Sport as a Source of Motivation

Obviously, there are a number of different team-building activities to choose from. It can be as simple as a meal at a restaurant, or a week of workshops and conferences. Certain businesses offer services that are designed to change the daily habits and lifestyle of employees. By taking up different sports-related challenges, employees will raise their overall performance and efficiency, and be in better physical condition. What’s more, team spirit will be strengthened by the new climate of support and collaboration that was put in place to meet the challenges. Your business will profit from this new level of employee commitment which will also be attractive for any new employees you wish to recruit as they will be more than willing to adhere to this new business culture.

A Concept Which has Evolved

Team building, which became popular in the 80’s, was based on studies performed in the 60’s. The objective consisted of strengthening the ties that unite team members in order to improve their overall efficiency. If you aren’t quite convinced of the benefits of team building, here are a few that may influence your opinion:

  • Better work climate
  • Personal development
  • Improved motivation
  • Stronger commitment
  • Better communication between team members
  • Closer ties among team members
  • Clearer objectives
  • Improved efficiency
  • Better understanding and appreciation of fellow employees
  • Better awareness of personal and team potential

A Variety of Choices

Here are a number of ways to implement team-building activities in your business: A number of employers turn to the arts, theatre, painting or movies. Others will use role play, improvisation exercises, go-kart or other racing, outdoor survival, circus training, cooking lessons, etc. The choice of activities to use with your team members is unlimited!