2 Crucial Characteristics to Look for in a Staffing Company

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Once you have determined that working with a staffing company is the right move for you and your business, the next challenge comes when you have to choose the firm which is best suited for your needs.  While many businesses base the decision simply on price, there are other factors that should be a larger priority.

Before you make your final decision as to which staffing company is right for you, be sure to examine these two crucial characteristics that can help determine whether your selection will lead to a successful business relationship, or send you back to the drawing board.

Local Reputation

The reputation of a staffing agency can provide significant clues as to how they function as a business, especially when it comes to recruiting in your local area.  While many businesses seek out information on the company as a whole, this may not provide a clear indication as to how they operate within your specific community, especially when examining national chains.

Each location should be considered its own separate entity, regardless of the presence of a larger corporate structure, as you will likely only have interactions with the location closest to your business.  If you want to see how the staffing company’s services are viewed within your area, consider contacting other local businesses who use the staffing company’s services for a review, or solicit for recommendations within the community.

While the firm’s reputation within the business community is important, discovering how their services are perceived by those working as employees through the service is also vital.  If you want to ensure you are gaining access to the most qualified talent, align with a firm that attracts the best candidates regardless of their relationship with your company.

Consider taking the time to speak with your employees to determine the staffing company’s reputation from that side of the equation.  If employees speak positively about the company, it is more likely that qualified candidates will be attracted to the service as well.

Experience and Specialization

Just as you would prefer your employees to have the appropriate amount of experience within a specialized position, you should consider that a key factor when selecting a staffing company, especially when the positions you are looking to fill are industry specific or highly skilled in nature.  By selecting a company that focuses on your sector, you can increase the likelihood they will be able to meet your needs.

Just as an experienced employee can perform better than a less experienced co-worker, an experienced staffing firm has advantages over less experienced competitors.  Less specialized staffing companies may not be able to keep up with all of the trends within your company’s field as they work with a large number of markets.  Specialized firms can focus on a primary area of expertise, allowing them to dedicate the time necessary to truly understand your industry, as well as the people who work within it.

Additionally, specialized staffing firms have a well-established pool of potential candidates, as well as a deeply entrenched network of professionals within the community.  This can provide them with unprecedented access to information regarding the local employment and business markets, which allows them to spot trends that are pending on the horizon.

Looking For A Top IT Staffing Company?

If you are ready to work with a staffing company that can meet the unique needs and demands of the IT marketplace, Resolution Technologies is here to help.  With staffing experience specifically focused on technology, we have the knowledge necessary to find the right candidates for your open positions.  Contact Resolution Technologies today to see how you can put our knowledge to work for you.

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3 IT Soft Skills You NEED to Succeed!

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While many people focus on hard skills when developing their IT career, your soft skills can be just as critical to your success.  Many college and university graduates leave the classroom armed with the technical ability and know-how to work on today’s most advanced systems in fast-paced and challenging environments. However, this form of experience does not necessarily indicate that a potential employee has the soft skills necessary to function well within a workplace.

Combine this with the fact that while hard skills are often easy to teach and transfer to new employees, soft skills cannot be so easily developed through standard forms of instruction, which makes those who already possess these traits even more valuable.  In order to ensure your IT career will flourish, make sure you work to develop your soft skills, especially in these three key areas.

Communication Skills

The IT field can be highly technical, making it seem very complex to co-workers who are not as familiar with the terminology and the intricacies of the profession.  In order to work more effectively with others, your communication skills will need to be developed in such a way as to allow you to work with those who may not have the same knowledge base or experience.

Sophisticated communication skills will allow you to explain the necessary information to those who are less familiar with the subject without sounding condescending.  This is critical when you are responsible for training users in the proper operation of new technology-based solutions, working with members of management to create project plans and outline business goals, as well as for guiding user requirements during product development.

Teamwork and Collaboration

While communicating effectively with other employees is important, so is the ability to work effectively as part of a team.  Within the IT sector, a project’s success is rarely based on the work of a single individual, especially as more technologies begin to integrate with each other in new ways.

Being able to work as part of a team allows individuals to pool their strengths and offset their weaknesses.  It can also serve as a wonderful learning opportunity for those interested in advancing their current skill set or cross-training into similar areas.  For example, the movement towards unified communication technology has begun to integrate voice services with other IT messaging solutions in ways that would previously have been unimaginable, and those efforts are now integrating with mobile technology and cloud-based IT solutions.  Being part of a collaborative team effort allows you to gain exposure into new areas, as well as network with other professionals with compatible skill sets.

Adaptability and Creativity

With the pace at which IT seems to change, an IT professional needs to be prepared to adapt to the shifting environment in creative ways.  This can include dealing unexpected changes to project requirements, most often referred to as scope creep, as well as adjustments to overall business priorities that can cause one project to be shelved in favor of pursuing another.

Additionally, you may be required to conjure unique solutions to improve the overall effectiveness of a final product, including integrating features across multiple systems while promoting mobility within the workplace.  This can lead you to use your knowledge in new ways, and being open to trying solutions that may not have been attempted before, in order to produce the desired outcome.

Looking for a Career in IT?

If you are looking for ways to help make your soft skills shine, the professionals at Resolution Technologies are here to help.  With a focus in technical staffing, we understand what current employers are looking for beyond the basic hard skills in the job descriptions.  Contact Resolution Technologies Today!

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Unlocking Productivity: 2 Keys to Motivating Your IT Team

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Keeping your IT team motivated requires dedication.  It is often easy to ignore the need to encourage employees when times are good, and it can be difficult to figure out the best way to help them rally after a setback.  In order to provide your team with the support and direction they require, consider these two key areas when determining how best to motivate your team.

Allow the Positive to Envelop the Challenges

Regardless of the overall success of a project, there are always some positive takeaways that should be acknowledged.  In cases where things met or exceeded expectations, taking time to review what efforts made the project a success, and how they can be implemented for future projects, not only demonstrates to the team you are aware of their efforts, but also you want to help them continue moving in a positive direction.

If a project was not entirely successful, reviewing the things that did go right will find the positives in a situation that may otherwise feel quite negative.  Once the positives are highlighted, work with the team to develop constructive feedback on any needed improvements.  Avoid placing blame unnecessarily. Instead, use it as an opportunity for growth and encouragement.  Follow up any critical assessments by reaffirming the positive occurrences to show , though there may be room to improve next time, the team still provided value through their efforts.

In the end, successes should always be acknowledged, and even celebrated when the situation calls for it.  Recognizing hard work and providing praise can go a long way to keeping your team working with the same dedication you have come to expect.

Listen With Intent

While most people understand the value of listening to your team, listening involves much more than simply not speaking.  When you are soliciting feedback and input, take the time to understand what your team values as well as what they find frustrating.

Employees who feel aligned with the mission or goals of a business are more likely to remain engaged in their work.  By learning what your team sees as intrinsically important within your business’s activities, you can help them connect their work with those key points.

By being open to hearing about their frustrations, you can come to understand what about the work, or the environment, may be preventing them from performing to their full potential.  An employee may feel additional training opportunities would allow them to more comfortably perform certain necessary duties, or cross-training would allow the team to better understand one another’s functions while also being available to provide support.

Some team members may express they feel overworked or under an undue amount of pressure, while others may feel they are not being fully utilized by the company.  As you learn about what the team values, as well as the individuals within it, make adjustments to allow each employee to thrive based on their needs and preferences.

Further, encourage them to recommend their own solutions to any expressed frustrations.  By being asked to share their ideal scenario, this can motivate employees by showing you value their judgment.

Looking For Top IT Candidates?

If you are looking for additional ways in which you can motivate your team, or to begin the search for your next team member, Resolution Technologies is available to assist.  With staffing experience specifically focused on technology, we understand the challenges managers and employees face within the workplace, and can help develop a plan to bring out the best in everyone involved.  Contact Resolution Technologies today and let our experience become your experience.

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Essentials Every New IT Manager Needs

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Stepping into your first IT management role can feel like walking into another world.  The position comes with a new set of roles and responsibilities that are well removed from the day-to-day tasks of an IT professional.  If you want to prepare to take your seat at the management table, here are some management essentials every new IT manager should possess.

Be Technically Competent

If you are going to lead a team of IT professionals, it is critical that you have a working understanding of their various skill sets and areas of expertise.  While you may not need to be able to perform every task that is assigned to each team member, you should have a fundamental understanding of every key piece of software, primary operating platforms, and other critical technology-based solutions that are being created, used, or supported by your team.

Be Able Take Charge and Lead Well

Whether you are taking a promotion within your current leadership structure or are beginning with a new company, be prepared to assert yourself in the role.  This includes effectively communicating your expectations to your new team, as well as serving as their representative in larger leadership gatherings.

As an IT manager, you function as a go-between in regards to your team and other nontechnical areas of the business.  You have to make sure other business areas understand what it takes to meet certain technical expectations, as well as be realistic about what is or is not possible based on your current resources.  At times, this requires being able to express highly technical information in a way that is easily understood by those without an IT background, as this helps ensure business-wide comprehension.

Be a Problem Solver and Negotiator

Regardless of the skills brought by your and the members of your team, issues will inevitably arise.  Whether it is based on a technical error or unexpected incompatibility, or a project goal that cannot be realistically met, you will need to work with both the members of your team as well as members of management in order to craft realistic solutions to problems as they come to pass, or before they are fully realized.

Functioning as a problem solver requires being informed of the current progress of any projects, as well as keeping abreast of any barriers your team may be concerned about when it comes to a project’s success.  As a negotiator, you have to work with the business as a whole to keep expectations reasonable, especially if changes are being requested on a project that is already in progress.

Be Authoritative

As an IT leader, it will be your responsibility to make sure project information is accurate when it is gathered, and you will also be the primary voice to stand up against unnecessary scope creep.  You will need to assess any changes in costs, both financial as well as those associated with the anticipated shifts to deadlines, in order to articulate how seemingly simple requests can have large-scale implications.

Looking to Advance Your Career in the IT field?

While taking your first IT management position can seem overwhelming, by focusing on the key areas above, you can begin by presenting your best self.  If you are looking for additional information on working as a leader within your workplace, or would like assistance acquiring your first hire, contact Resolution Technologies today.

 

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featured jobs

Hot Jobs: Week of August 29

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This week, we’re featuring positions in the Atlanta area for our “Hot Jobs of the Week” spotlight. If you see a job that interests you and fits your skills and expertise, click the links below to learn more about the position and apply.

  • Windows Engineer– Atlanta, GA
    • Responsible for designing, administering, installing, configuring, and maintaining operating systems and related software, diagnosing hardware and software problems and recommending solutions, and administering multiple computer operating systems, software and security
    • Must have experience working in a Systems Engineering role, experience with Windows 2000, 2003, 2008, 2012, and experience with VMware
  • Citrix Engineer– Atlanta, GA
    • Responsible for designing, building, and supporting virtual solutions within Citrix, providing coordination and architecture design of SCCM current and future versions, troubleshooting network connectivity in a LAN/WAN environment, and monitoring and responding to system alerts
    • 3–5 years experience supporting a Citrix XEN App/Desktop environment, with strong communication skills, executive presence and humility, someone who takes direction well
  • Sr. UNIX Engineer– Norcross, GA
    • Responsible for performing UNIX system administration and configuration tasks, such as DNS, sendmail, and other server services, working independently to complete assigned tasks without supervision, and creating documented procedures for new system administration task
    • Experience working in environments with Solaris, AIX, Red Hat Linux, or HP-UX, experience working with Blade servers (HP C7000, Virtual connect for HP-UX and Linux H/W or SUN V-series, T4 servers), and experience with any virtualization technology (VMware, LDOMS, HP-IVM, HP VSE)
  • Web Developer– Atlanta, GA
    • Responsible for adding features to the React/Node.JS web application, architecting and building an internal tools portal to streamline operations, collaborating on technical challenges, and helping develop workflow processes
    • Professional experience working as a web developer, experience with JavaScript, experience with scripting (Ruby on Rails or Python or Groovy or PHP), and experience with Agile development practices
  • iOS Mobile Application Developer– Atlanta, GA
    • Responsible for maintaining and building new features for the native iOS application in SWIFT, automating the building process for iOS applications, collaborating on technical challenges, and developing workflow processes
    • iOS development experience, and experience with Ruby on Rails

Here at Resolution Technologies, we understand that serving our clients and consultants is what matters most and promise to never lose sight of that! We take the time to understand your individual needs through face-to-face interaction and strive to always make sure your objectives are met. Resolution Technologies is a full-service Information Technology Staffing firm offering flexible solutions for our clients ranging from contract, contract-to-perm, and direct perm placements. Whatever your needs are, we promise to provide unrivaled quality and service.