What’s one very necessary part of your job search? Monitoring your online reputation. So Google your own name! You need to know what employers are going to see when they search it.

Employers research potential employees more than 80% of the time, according to recent research. If you’ve applied for a job or are being considered for a job, the name you put on your resume or application will probably be Googled

Do you know what results show up if someone Googles your name?

People have had their job searches damaged by their own mistakes—posting inappropriate photos or videos online or making nasty comments on blogs and other public forums.

Sometimes it’s someone else’s mistakes that can harm you—if someone with your same name did something illegal or stupid, like robbing a bank or posting revealing personal photos. Few employees will take the time to double-check what they see online. If there is any confusion or uncertainty, they’ll just move on to the next applicant.

So, what should you do?

1. Know what online content is associated with your name.
Run your search. If there are no issues, consider yourself very lucky. If there are issues, the steps below will help you address them.

2. Pick a clean, relatively unique version of your name to use publicly.
Assume that, unless your name is very unique, someone else with the same name will turn up eventually, so use more than your first and last name.

If there is harmful content about you online, or if you share a name with someone who has a bad online reputation, find and claim a “clean” version of your name.

Add your middle name or middle initial, turn your first and middle name into initials, or figure out some other change that makes your name unique (but still professional).

3. Establish, or re-name, your LinkedIn and Google profiles with the clean name.

You have two powerful platforms to clean up your online presence: LinkedIn and Google. You can control what they tell the world about you. And Google ranks both sites’ results high on Google search results pages.

Go to Linkedin.com and profiles.Google.com to set up or modify your profiles—using your “clean name.”

Going forward, use that “clean name” online, on your resume, on everything public that’s associated with your work/professional life. Don’t use one version on your resume and another on your LinkedIn profile.

The Bottom Line? Monitoring and managing your online reputation is a necessity in today’s job market. The sooner you get started, the better for your job search and career.

And if you need more advice on how to find the perfect job, or help finding it—contact Clark Personnel today!

A recent survey of workers by Right Management, part of ManPowerGroup, revealed that the number one priority for those looking for their next job is the opportunity for advancement—not better compensation, not a more flexible work environment.

Workers were asked, “What is your highest priority in your next position?”

• Greater opportunity for advancement – 27%
• Better management team – 21%
• More flexible work environment – 21%
• Better compensation – 17%
• Less work pressure – 14%

Employees are looking for other recognition for their efforts, so employers need to do a better job of engaging employees and showing the career paths within their organization.

Here are our top tips for motivating your staff with career advancement and opportunity:

1.    Think outwards, not upwards

A career path doesn’t necessarily mean constant promotions. There are many options for career development—an employee can move upwards, or move outwards by building cross-functionality or responsibility.

The most effective career paths involve a mix of both upward and outward movements. Not every employee will want to move to a management position. Skill development, switching functions, and increased responsibility can be equally motivating.

2.    Ask your staff what they want

It’s elementary: find out what drives and motivates your staff by asking them– you might be surprised! Check in with your employees to see if they’re happy and encourage them to discuss their career aspirations. If you don’t ask these questions, a headhunter or a competitor probably will.

3.    Show staff where they can go

Help your staff get to where they want to be in your organization by creating individual career and development plans for each employee. Consider creating both a short-term (12 month) and long-term (3-5 years) plan to demonstrate their bright future with your business.

The number one reason people stay at companies has to do with developmental opportunities, not how well they’re paid. Your best employees want and need to have growth opportunities. They won’t stay at a company where they don’t feel challenged and where they don’t feel their bosses take their development seriously.

If a staff member can’t see a career path for their future, they’ll look for it elsewhere. Career pathways show staff that their skills and contributions are valued, and also offer business benefits with improved succession planning and staff retention.

If you’re looking for more insight into employee engagement, feel free to contact Clark Personnel.Our decades of experience in the staffing industry have given us an insider’s view that we’d be happy to share with you!

We are all creatures of habit and if you make good habits, good habits will make you. This wisdom has been around since ancient times. Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

 The subconscious mind—the habitual mind—is over one million times more powerful than the conscious mind. This means that we spend a substantial amount of our lifetime on “autopilot,” playing out the mental programs that govern our behavior.

 We know to, habits can also be destructive.  The real key to success is replacing destructive habits with successful habits. We have the power to let go of old thinking and adopt the mindset of a champion.

Click the link below to read about the qualities that make remarkable employees.

8 Qualities of Remarkable Employees

Just like when you’re dating, looking desperate isn’t going to get you anywhere in your job search. If you seem too anxious, employers will question your motives and you’ll lose credibility in an instant.

 What are two signs that you’re coming across the wrong way?

1. You’re Using the “Spray’n'Pray” Technique

If you’re sending out the same resume and cover letter to multiple positions a day, you’re going to look not only desperate but unprofessional and unqualified. A recruiter will disregard a resume from someone who #1, looks like they’ll take any job they can get their hands on and #2, doesn’t even bother to personalize his resume or cover letter for the job in question.

2. You’re Excusing Your Actions with “Someone told me to…”

For too long, the typical ‘expert’ advice was to call the recruiter and/or employer just to “check in” and make sure they read your resume— and put you at the top of the pile. In this day and age, this won’t make you stand out. If anything, you’ll just annoy the recruiter and probably guarantee your resume goes either to the bottom of the pile or in the trash can. A hiring manager wants enthusiasm from a new employee, but not desperation.

But Shouldn’t I Do Whatever It Takes To Get A New Job?

Of course you should try everything—within reason. You only get one chance with each company, and you want to make it count. Instead of applying, imagine being headhunted or even contacted directly by a hiring manager. This would put you in a much stronger bargaining position to leverage from, especially if get a job offer. Try to get yourself referred to a recruiter via somebody else. Or work on your personal branding, start getting active online, give talks in your field and raise your profile. Employers and recruiters will come after you, not the other way around.

How To Avoid Looking Desperate

Have high standards and only go after jobs that you really want. By only applying for the right roles for you, you’ll save your time and effort for the ones that really count. Furthermore, recruiters and employers will respect your integrity and remember you for the next opportunity they have that is more relevant to your preferences.

You want to turn the tables and be truly different than other jobseekers. You don’t want to be pushy. Just like in dating, the hard-to-gets get more offers and can pick and choose. Set standards for yourself, remember your dignity and make it work!

Have you ever hired someone who seemed like the right person on paper, convinced you in the interview that their skills were a great match for the job, then turned out to be a complete mismatch for your company?

Most positions you’re trying to fill require teamwork, or at least interaction with peers. Since applicants put their best personality forward in a job interview, you may not spot the loner who prefers to work on his own—but they’re the ones that can really be the fly in the ointment on an otherwise successful team.

So how can you weed out the non-team players?

1. First, trust your instincts. You get feelings about someone when you’re talking to them that go beyond what’s spoken. Even if you don’t notice any arrogant body language or poor eye contact, pay close attention to an interviewee’s words. Are you hearing “I, I, I” or “We”? Does she mention working with colleagues, or does she present herself as a superstar soloist? If you sense that this person is a lone wolf and not a team player, pay attention. If you hire the wrong person, your team will be getting the same feeling—and worse—40 hours a week.

2. If you’re still unsure, try personality testing. Personality profile tests can reveal a lot about a candidate that may get glossed over or miscommunicated in an interview.  Reliable tests are available online from many reputable companies and can be given to all applicants you’re seriously considering. By showing you which candidates aren’t likely to work well with others, you can save yourself time and money by crossing them off the hiring list.

3. Another way to protect against hiring the anti-social type is by thoroughly checking references. Go beyond the perfunctory questions. For example, ask a former employer to give you 5 words that describe the applicant and pay close attention to the responses.

• Good communicator, cooperative, flexible? Team player.
• Keeps to himself, gets along well with superiors, independent worker? Dig deeper.

Ask how the candidate gets along with peers. Does independent mean needs little supervision or demands to be left alone?

4. And, of course, you can always ask specific questions during the interview:

• Do you feel decisions are best made on your own or as part of a group process?
• Do you get along with your coworkers?
• Tell me about a time you had to handle conflict with another peer or supervisor.
• Do you prefer to work alone?
• Have you ever been a team leader?

This direct approach may be all you need to cull the lone wolves from the pack.

Anti-social employees can cost your company a great deal in lowered morale, poorly executed projects, wasted training dollars and unhappy customers. You can avoid these expensive mistakes by following these tips, or with some help from Clark Personnel. We pre-screen candidates for you and so much more! Contact us today to see how we can help!

Throughout the most recent employment drought, many professionals have been making ends meet through a variety of freelance gigs and part-time jobs. Some people enjoy the security of working two, three, four or more jobs—figuring if they lose one gig, they won’t lose all their income. Others find job juggling to be a hamster wheel: It’s hectic, and the work isn’t necessarily leading anywhere.

Whether you’re working multiple jobs by choice or necessity, here’s some advice for turning your part-time jobs into the career you want.

Maintain Your Long-Term Vision

It’s easy to lose sight of your target career when you’ve been taking any job to pay the bills. Make sure you have a 5-year plan in place. Then regularly reevaluate what you’re doing to make sure you’re making progress on that plan.

Build a Job Portfolio

Connect the dots between your vision and your jobs. How do all of your income sources relate to your overall career path? Then try to create a narrative that says you’re a professional with a wide range of useful experience. Good part-time jobs should give you some skill or opening that will help open other doors.

Make Time for a Job Search

Even if you need the income, don’t take on too many jobs if they keep you from pursuing your career. Some people think they can work 70 hours a week, earning as much as they can, then get around to their real career when their time frees up. But when is that going to happen? Keep up your job search!

Stay Current in Your Industry

Join industry associations and network at every opportunity. It’ll help your career to get additional training, to stay up on innovations and to show an employer you’ll be ready to go on Day 1 when you’re hired.

Click the link below to read about how the manufacturing and construction industries are growing.

Manufacturing and Construction Growing

Making a job offer is an art. It’s also a science. There are certain things you have to do beforehand to make sure that the process runs smoothly. Otherwise, you could lose that candidate you finally found!

Here are three tips for making an effective job offer:

Make the offer as soon as possible

The individual you’ve chosen has either gone on other job interviews, if they’re actively looking, or is going to need to be courted, if you’re luring them away from their current employer. So you want to make a move before anyone else does or try to influence them to come over to your team. By making an offer as quickly as possible, you increase the chances that you you’ll be able to hire the candidate you want.

Make the offer as attractive as possible

Put some thought into this. If the applicant initially reacts negatively to your proposal, chances are he or she will reject the job. The compensation package you offer should be competitive with those offered by other companies. It’s far too easy for candidates these days to know their value in the marketplace. They are unlikely to settle for less than they’re worth.

You may have only one opportunity to make your offer to a prospective employee. Therefore, make the offer in a friendly, upbeat manner. Indicate to the applicant that you will do everything possible to ensure that he or she will succeed on the job.

Be prepared to make a follow-up offer

Chances are that the job applicant will want to mull over your offer a day or two before giving you a final answer. There is nothing wrong with that; in fact, it shows that the applicant is a deliberate person who will not take things at face value.

If the candidate seems to hesitate, though, questions the details of your offer or even tells you he’s weighing your position against another, your follow-up offer should be attractive enough to really show the candidate that you want him or her. In fact, you should attempt, if possible, to offer the prospective employee top dollar. If you invest in high-quality personnel, you’ll find that it will really pay off for your business.

Kelly Johnson

Staff Writer and Social-Media Strategist – Sacramento Business Journal

The recession has touched everything, including the cost of workers’ compensation claims.

The faster growth of workers’ comp costs per claim in California after 2007 may be partly due to the recession, according to a new study.

The Workers Compensation Research Institute    Workers Compensation Research Institute Latest from The Business Journals Workers’ comp claim costs increased in Florida, study showsWorkers comp claims in Texas riseWorkers comp claims in Texas rise Follow this company , a nonprofit in Cambridge, Mass., reported this week that the economic woes contributed to indemnity costs per claim growing faster from 2007 to 2009 than in prior years.

Indemnity claims are payments for lost wages, loss of earning capacity and permanent impairment or disability.

Between 2002 and 2005, California’s indemnity costs per claim dropped nearly 30 percent as a result of systemwide reforms. But costs per claim rose at an annual rate of 7 percent between 2007 and 2009, the organization noted.

“This growth in indemnity costs per claim was faster than the average growth rate from 2005 to 2007, and indicated some impact of the recession in California,” a news release said.

The average weekly wage of California workers injured on the job didn’t change much between 2007 and 2009 as wage growth declined, the study found. In prior years, the growth rate was 4 percent.

Meanwhile, “the average duration of temporary disability benefits increased by nearly one week per year, likely indicating the slower return to work because there were fewer jobs available,” the news release said.

California also experienced a swift rise in medical payments per claim to injured workers after 2005, after previous large decreases. The amount after 2005 was 8 percent a year for claims in which workers lost more than seven days of work, the study found.

“Recent growth in medical payments per claim stemmed from multiple factors, including an increase in prices paid for office visits due to a fee schedule increase; growth in payments per service for facilities associated with surgical procedures; more complex office visits with higher prices billed more frequently; and moderate increases in services per visit for physical medicine,” the release said.

“Medical-related expenses per claim,” the release said, “also grew continuously over the study period, including the average medical cost containment expense per claim and the average medical-legal expense per claim.”

Kelly Johnson covers retail, sports, insurance, education, nonprofits, manufacturing, social media, international trade, distributors/wholesalers and disability access for the Sacramento Business Journal.