Employees provide a first impression of your organization and, of course, it needs to be a good one. Therefore, a good employee is extremely valuable to your business. Getting good employees starts with a good hiring process.
Hiring a Good Employee
- Write down the characteristics of a good employee for your organization. Consider the attributes of your current employees that you would like to see in your newly hired employee.
- Be sure that the qualifications of the prospective employee match the requirements needed to perform the job. Overqualified employees may seem enticing at first. However, it is possible for them to become bored from not being challenged. An unmotivated employee can be detrimental to a department or organization. Good employees have short and long term goals and need to have room for growth. A good employee will choose to use his/her talents on an organization with potential career advancement.
- Meet the candidate more than once. After several interviews, the potential employee will begin to relax and you can start to see their real personality.
- Check all references. Even if you receive a wonderful report from a reference, it is best to be thorough and contact all of them.
- Competition is not just for customers. You are also competing for good quality candidates to work for your organization. Make sure that your salaries, benefits, and atmosphere are equal or better than that of your competition.
Tired of working long hours and never getting a day off? Then it’s probably time to bring in some help. Here are ten tips for hiring employees for your small business.
High Expectations: Do not expect to find someone who is the exact same as you. Your motivation, habits, and ideas are uniquely yours. You do want to hire someone who is in-line with you. However, hiring an exact replica is unreasonable and could hold you back from moving forward even faster.
Know Your Expectations: Write down exactly what you expect from your new hire. Clearly communicate the skills, talents, and education that are needed to successful complete the job you have in mind. List the goals you have for what the new hire and what your expectations are. The more clear you are with your description the better chance you will have at finding a candidate that is a good fit for your organization.
Be Honest With Yourself: Are you more of a ‘hands-on’ or ‘hands-off’ type of manager? Different employees have different needs. Some of them enjoy a manager who gives them freedom to make decisions while others prefer managers who give step-by-step instructions. Knowing the type of manager you are will help in determining the employee that can best work alongside you.
Give Yourself Time: It takes time to find the right person. Giving yourself a close deadline could be detrimental. Never hire a person just to meet a deadline. Plan to interview and train until you have met the person who is the right match.
Make Policies: Sick-leave, personal time-off, and paid or unpaid vacation time all need to be determined before hiring your new employee. Decide what course of action needs to happen if your new employee cannot be at work. Will you be able to jump in and cover?
Discipline: Unfortunately having a disciplinary action plan is a part of being a manager. Before bringing on your first employee you need to have a written plan for the steps that will be taken. Consider possible issues of both poor performance and chronic absenteeism. How many acceptable warnings will be considered before termination? How will you communication your warnings and /or termination? This policy needs to be in place before you bring on your first team member.
Create a Fact Sheet: Creating a one page fact sheet will provide applicants with all the information they need to know about the job. This sheet should cover your basic job description, expectations, and hiring process.
Training: Make sure you have a written outline for your training process. It should include all areas of the job that your new employee needs to complete. Having a written guideline will help minimize frustrations between you and the employee in regards to the expectations for the position.
Setting up an email account that is specifically used for your job search is always a good idea. A professional email address will keep your personal mail separate from your professional mail. Therefore important emails from potential employers are less likely to get lost in the shuffle. Do NOT use your work email address, with your current employer, for job searching or networking. Many companies monitor email communications and you may violate your employers’ email regulations by searching for jobs while at work.
Free Email Accounts
There are many choices in free web-based email services. Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail are a few to choose from. With any of these options, you can check your email from any computer and/or smartphone so that you can stay on top of your job search.
Choosing An E-mail Address
When setting up your email address, be sure to choose a professional, appropriate name that will be acceptable for your potential employers. Something such as firstname.lastname@gmail.com would be a great choice as opposed to cutiepiemommy@yahoo.com
Email Format
When you’re sending an inquiry about a job or applying for a job, it’s important to format your email as professionally as you would any other business letter.
Subject Line
If you forget to include a subject line there is a good chance your email will not even be opened.
Salutation
If you have a contact person, address your email to Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name. If you don’t, address your email to Dear Hiring Manager. If you would like, you can exclude a salutation and simply start with the first paragraph of your message.
Body
When you’re applying for a job via email, copy and paste your cover letter into the email message or write your cover letter in the body of an email message. Be sure to send your resume as an attachment, send your resume as a PDF or a Word document.
Be sure to create an email signature and to include it with every message you send. Include your full name, your email address, and your phone number in your email signature so it is easy to find how to contact you.
When you are applying for employment, how you format your cover letter is important because that letter is how you are going to make the best impression on the employer. If your letter isn’t easy to read, it can knock you out of contention for a job.
Cover Letter Contact Section
When you are writing a cover letter to mail the first section of your cover letter should include your contact information and your employers information. If you are emailing your cover letter, your contact information is included in the signature.
Your Name 
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Your Phone Number
Your Email Address
Date
Employer Contact Information
Name
Title
Company
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Cover Letter Salutation
It is best to include the employer’s personal title and full name in the salutation (i.e. “Dear Mr. Timothy Miller”). If you are unsure of who will be reading your cover letter, address the letter “Dear Hiring Manager.”
Cover Letter Body
The body of your cover letter is the section of the letter that tells the hiring manager what position you are applying for and why the employer should select you for an interview.
First Paragraph:
The first paragraph of your letter explains why you are writing. Include the position you are applying for and where you saw the listing. If you have any contacts or a person who referred your to the job include it here.
Middle Paragraphs:
This section should describe what you have to offer the employer. Make sure you understand the position and use similar wording to describe your skills and strengths.
Final Paragraph:
Finish your letter by thanking the employer for considering you for the position. Include information on how you will follow-up.
Cover Letter Signature
When you send a paper cover letter your signature just needs to include your first and last name. If you are sending an email cover letter include all of your contact information in the signature line.
Finding Your Passion
Want to transform your life? A big step is to find something you are passionate about and do it for a living. It may not be easy, but the rewards are worth the effort. If you are not feeling challenged or feel lack of motivation staying in your current job will not only continue to make you unhappy, but you are not realizing your full potential in life. It’s time to dare to dream, dare to imagine the possibilities, and dare to actually search for what you love, and it is not only a possibility, but a probability.
Consider your hobbies. Is there something you loved as a child? Something you love now? It’s time to research the possibilities of making money from it. What do you enjoy reading about? Don’t close your mind to these topics. Look into them as a career possibility.
Brainstorm. Get out some paper and start writing down ideas. There are no bad ideas at this stage. Write everything down, and consider them later.
Research. Learn as much as you possibly can. Read everything you can on the topic through websites and books. Find other people in the same profession, preferably in your area, who you can interview. If there is no one in your area, find someone on the internet who you can interview via email.
Practice. Amateurs do not make much money. To make money, you need to have professional skills. If it’s something you love, the practice should be something you enjoy doing.
Don’t quit. It takes time to find your dream job. Success doesn’t come easy, so giving up early is a sure way to fail. Keep trying, and you’ll get there.
Dress For Success
The first impression you make on a potential employer is the most important one. As always, the first judgment a person makes is going to be based on how you look and what you are wearing. This is why it is important to dress professionally for a job interview.
Often times it is a subconscious decision for the interviewer that the candidate dressed in a suit and tie is going to make a much better impression than the candidate dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.
Below is a list of clothing to make the best impression in your interview.
Men’s Interview Attire 
- Suit (solid color – navy or dark grey)
- Long sleeve shirt (white or coordinated with the suit)
- Belt
- Tie
- Dark socks, leather shoes
- Little or no jewelry
- Clean, Professional hairstyle
- Neatly trimmed nails
- Portfolio or briefcase
Women’s Interview Attire
- Dark Suit
- Skirts should be long enough so you can sit down comfortably
- Coordinated blouse
- Conservative shoes
- Professional hairstyle
- Neutral pantyhose
- Light make-up and perfume
- Neatly manicured clean nails
- Portfolio or briefcase
5 Interview Mistakes To Avoid
Default Answers
Many people tend to create ‘default’ answers that are used throughout multiple interviews with various companies. Instead, focus on each job description and what the company is looking for in an employee. Include specific terms and skills that are mentioned. Be sure to communicate how your skills, talents, and knowledge can help that company. Be prepared to share specific examples of how your talents have helped previous employers.
Forgetting the ‘Big Picture’
When in an interview, be sure to discuss your ability to help the entire company and not just the department you are applying for. Employers are looking for people who are versatile and are able to work with people in various departments. Also emphasize any projects you have been involved in working with people on virtual teams, across time zones, in other countries. Be sure to include volunteer work as well. Just because you did not get paid, does not mean that you did not acquire special skills or knowledge.
Not Knowing Salary Expectations
One of the biggest mistakes people make in an interview is too high of salary/compensation demands. Research the salaries of that position in your area to get a good idea of where your skills and experience would place you on the salary bracket.
Struggling Through the Interview
Practice the interview process many times before the day of your interview. Have specific examples prepared for all of the skills listed on your resume. Hiring managers want to hear the stories of how you have applied your talents and experience to the workplace. Also prepare yourself for questions such as ‘name your 3 biggest weaknesses,’ or ‘name your greatest accomplishment before age 18.’
Forgetting Your Research
Before the interview, be sure to research the company so you understand its history and goals. Understand how you can fit in with its current needs. Look up the person interviewing you and find out more about him/her. Connecting with the hiring manager is an important step in the interviewing process.
Socila Ogilvy has come up with a great infographic showcasing 5 ways to improve your Linkedin Profile.
Key Improvements:
- Improve searchability with keywords.
- Tell the story of your career.
- Focus on your personal brand.
- Use a professional photo.
- Use your unique link to share your profile.
Job Interviewing 101 [INFOGRAPHIC]
This infographic prepared by Interview Success Formula provides some great tips on how job seekers can stand out in the interview process.
Important Points
- There are 5 types of Interviews, in-person, phone, testing, video, and group.
- Department heads are more willing to do group interviews than one-on-one interviews
- Be prepared to read what type and style of interviewer is conducting your interview.
Citigroup has provided $250 million in financing to Community Preservation Corporation to develop 6,000 units of low and mod-income housing. The project will have 50% of the 6,00 units developed specifically designated for New York City.
“This initiative will provide much needed capital for affordable housing in communities across New York City and State,” said Rafael E. Cestero, president and CEO, The Community Preservation Corporation.
The first properties slated for renovation under the financing will be two occupied 10 unit buildings at 539-541 East 147th Street in the Mott Haven section of The Bronx. The properties, currently owned by Wokforce Housing Advisors (WFHA) are currently overleveraged. $1.59 million of the capital will come from Citi and CPC and $2.4 million in financing from HPD.
Affordable Housing Developer Goes Out of Business
After 25 years non profit developer Progressive Development Inc will be closing up shop. The Georgia based developer ran into cash flow issues during the real esate crash of 2008 and has not been able to right the ship. Through various partnerships progressive development has developed 4,188 affordable housing units.
The financial issues began in 2008 when the housing market was flooded, and “PRI had sustained too much damage to be able to raise needed capital for new projects that fed its revenue stream. Eventually, the numbers told the tale — our cash flow could not support the organization much less recapitalize our struggling properties”.
The CEO of Progressive Development Robert Gunter plans to continue to work in the field of affordable housing.
LIHTC Compliance Conference In CT.
CHFA Asset Management staff, in conjunction with Spectrum Enterprises, will be conducting a LIHTC Compliance Conferences in the month of April, 2013.
Location: Crowne Plaza, 100 Berlin Road, Cromwell, CT.
FEE: Free of Charge
Registration Deadline: April 10, 2013
April 19, 2013— Morning Session (9:00 AM to 12:00 PM)
The morning session of the conference is designed for owners, as well as management agents of LIHTC properties, with new credit allocations. This session will provide an overview of the allocation and compliance monitoring components of the tax credit program and CHFA’s & Spectrum’s monitoring program.
April 19, 2013— Afternoon Session (1:15 PM to 4:00 PM)
This session is designed for compliance staff personnel who process applications and complete Tenant Income Certifications. Spectrum will cover how to complete verification forms, the most common mistakes and easiest ways to avoid findings of noncompliance, plus tip on how to prepare for a Spectrum review.
New Feature: Job Alerts!
We’ve lifted the covers on a new feature for Job Seekers: Our Job Alerts will send you an email anytime your job criteria has been triggered. You can set your job alerts to be triggered through job catagories, locations, job titles or a combination of different critieria so you only get jobs sent to your inbox that your seriously interested in pursuing.
So, give it a go. Create your job alerts or post your resume to your account to find a job today.
Novogradic Tax Credit Developers Conference
From January 10-11 Novogradac will be conducting their annual Tax Credit Developers Conference, the annual event designed so that industry stakeholders can stay current on strategies and legislation, meet with like-minded professionals and learn of new and innovative ways to utilize Low Income Housing Tax Credits.
Last year’s Novogradac Tax Credit Developers Conference played host to over 200 developers and other affordable housing professionals. The conference has been designed to benefit beginners and experts alike, providing high-level information on the following areas:
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