If you are looking for work right now, you may want to take a look at larger companies.

Recent poll results show that larger companies – those with 500 employees or more — are more likely to be hiring than smaller companies. But the survey showed that almost 75 percent of companies are doing some hiring for full-time employees.

The survey of more than 2,000 companies was conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management to gauge the ongoing impact of the recession  on companies’ hiring and their bottom line.

Most of the hiring, about 75 percent, is for levels below management — hourly and salaried positions. More than half of the businesses surveyed are hiring for management positions. About 20 percent are hiring at executive levels.

Almost three-fourths of the companies surveyed said they had lost about 10 percent of their employees or fewer in 2011. That is actually up from 2010, where about two-thirds of companies said they had lost 10 percent or fewer employees. Only about one-tenth of the companies reported laying off between 10 and 20 percent of the workforce. About one-tenth of the companies surveyed reported laying off between 20 and 50 percent of their workforce.

As far as the financial health of businesses is concerned, most reported little change from 2010 to 2011. Two-thirds said things had pretty much stayed the same or had improved a little, while the other third said they had experienced a small decline.

In 2011, a majority of companies, nearly two-thirds, indicated that they were hiring to replace people, but only about a third  are hiring for new positions. Only about one-tenth of the companies surveyed said they were adding new duties to current positions.

The survey also showed that the small companies, those with fewer than 100 employees, were most likely to be hiring for new positions.

More than half of the new positions created require new skills, along with the same kinds of skills needed in the past. About 15 percent of the new jobs created, however, require completely new sets of skills. About one-fourth of the new jobs require the same skill sets as jobs did before the recession. When a job required new skills, almost two-thirds of the companies surveyed said they had difficulty finding people to fill the positions, especially smaller companies.

When you’re looking for work, look to Winston Resources. We have connections with hundreds of New York City’s best companies – both small and large – and we can help you get your foot in the door through a temporary, temp-to-hire or direct-hire assignment. Contact us today!

When looking at job a candidate, there are many factors to consider in making a decision as to whether someone will be successful or not in the job. Naturally, education and training play a key role in making a hiring decision. But there are other factors as well. Personality and character traits – the so-called intangible elements – are also very important and need to be given serious consideration also.

These character traits can be the difference between a person who is mediocre in a job and one who is outstanding. A person who has strong problem-solving skills, yet may lack the specific educational or work experience required, still might be the one to hire because of his or her unique ability.

It may be well worth the effort to find a person who thinks outside the box, works well with others, thinks independently, and questions the way things are done. This is particularly important, according to human resource professionals, if you are in an industry that is changing quickly, or if your company is growing rapidly.

To find these qualities, human resource professionals recommend the following:

First, you need to figure out what particular qualities you seek. You need to establish these qualities even before the first candidate comes in for an interview. For example, do you want someone with good problem-solving ability? If the job is one where the person will need to increase sales of a flagging product or merge supply chains, it may be important that the person can think creatively. How important is it for the person to be calm under pressure? Is unpredictability a key element of the job, where there may be a lot of competition or a lot of change in demand? Then poise under pressure may be a key trait the person will need to succeed in the job.

And if the environment is unpredictable, how important is it that the person be a quick study, that her or she is able to learn and adapt quickly? How important is it that the person is able to work well with others and/or influence them?

You’ll need to develop questions that focus on the traits you seek. For example, if you see from a candidate’s work experience a time when he or she was navigating an unfamiliar landscape, you can ask how the candidate felt about and handled the situation.

When you’re looking for that special employee, let Winston Resources help your Manhattan-based company find the right candidate. We’ve been helping NYC companies find high-performing and reliable employees throughout our 44-year history. Contact us today!

In work, as in life, there inevitably will be failure along with success. Some failures are more spectacular than others, ones we think we may never recover from.

Losing a job could fall into this category. Perhaps you lost a job because of a major mistake. It may seem as if you’ll never recover from it.

But there is a road back. Regardless of how big the mistake or how steep the fall, you can resurrect your career. It is more a matter of attitude than anything else. In fact, it’s more about you than your circumstances. It’s about your resiliency, your ability to bounce back from a setback. Studies of leaders, including corporate leaders, have shown that it wasn’t their successes that made them, but how they reacted to and recovered from failure. It is really this recovery from failure that is key to molding and defining leaders.

Life, as Walter Lippmann has said, is elastic, not brittle. Your error does not cause things to shatter, but to bend. The key is not giving up. You are not a failure when you fail, only when you quit. Or, in other words, fall down seven times, get up eight, as a Japanese proverb has it. You will have to contend with your past as you work your way back, as it is likely to come up, but you cannot let that stop you.

It is also important to understand why you failed, so that you can take steps to remedy the problem.

You want to assess your strengths and use them. You need to put the knowledge and the skills you have to use, according to Suzanne Lucas, a human relations counselor.

You should also be willing to make big changes, Lucas says. You may have to go in a different direction. You may have to try things that are completely new.

And this ability to start over will be a test of your energy and purpose and resilience. You will need to realize that the climb back up will not be easy. It will require a lot of hard work, and it won’t happen overnight.

If you’ve had some career setbacks, give one of Winston Resources’ recruiters a call and discuss – we may be able to help you get back on your “career” feet. We look forward to hearing from you!

You are out of work and actively looking for a job. You have had an offer, but it’s something you are not thrilled about. You are way overqualified for it, and it doesn’t pay nearly as much as you had been making. What should you do?

Some would counsel passing on the offer. It is not the right fit, they would say. If you don’t like the job, you won’t be happy doing it and that will show up in your performance. Also, being hired at a lower salary level will affect future earnings and benefits.

But there are advantages to taking the job. You know the old saw, “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.”

The fact is that with the unemployment needle stuck at more than nine percent, you never know how long you will be waiting until another offer comes along. And there is also the unfortunate reluctance on the part of many companies to even consider people who are currently unemployed. Also, the longer you remain unemployed, the more your skills deteriorate, which will in itself affect your employability.

And sometimes, taking the lower level job leads to something better, along with a better salary. You might be able to learn new skills. Also, you will meet new people, giving you the opportunity to network and find out about other positions. And being employed will make you a more attractive candidate for other job openings.

The fact is that today a steady climb up the job ladder may not be as realistic as it may have been in the past. You may find you need to make some lateral moves or even a few steps back required in order to get back on track.

Being employed also has other intangible benefits. It certainly helps your self-esteem. And it also helps if you take a different perspective on the situation – not letting yourself be defined by your job. It may be an opportunity to broaden your life, to try new things outside of work, develop new interests, to become a more well-rounded person. In short, in may help you to realize that you are more than your job, and help you to take a more balanced view of your life.

Getting employed quickly in a down market is where staffing services such as Winston Resources can be of great help. Apply with us and we could have you working quickly within temporary, temporary-to-hire and even direct-hire assignments with some of New  York City’s best companies. Contact us today!

As with any business, occasionally you will have employees resign for any one of a number of reasons. When this happens it raises issues with how to handle the resignation, such as how to announce it, and when.

If the employee has not submitted the resignation in writing, you need first of all to get it in written form, including the final day the employee will be working. This provides protection for the company for such things as unemployment claims.

If you decide to let the employee work for the final two weeks, or whatever time period is decided upon, he or she can be very useful in making the transition for after he or she is gone.

The employee can tie things up and bring people up to date on what projects, what has been accomplished, what needs to be done, and what problems might arise. If someone is taking over the person’s duties, he or she can explain to the new person what needs to be done. And if the person who is leaving worked with customers, he or she can provide and introduction to the new person filling in.

You should notify other workers in the person’s department first about the resignation, and inform them when the person’s last day will be. You can ask the other department members to help take care of any issue still hanging, and then also work out what duties other people will have to assume to pick up the slack.

You should also give the other employees some idea of how long it will take to find someone else for the position.

You can notify the rest of the staff about the resignation through e-mail. Generally, a notice like this tells the other employees that a person is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities at another company. Then, it usually includes some words of praise for the employee and well wishes for his or future endeavors. If there is going to be some kind of farewell gathering, the e-mail could give the details on that. You should, however, check with the person who is resigning to get his or her approval on the e-mail and the information in it. After this, you would conduct the exit interview.

All of this helps to give a sense of closure for everyone, and it shows all of the employees how they are valued within the company.

Call Winston Resources when you need to fill positions in your Manhattan company. We can provide you with top marketing, administrative, healthcare, IT, accounting, legal, human resources, publishing, and real estate professionals. Contact us today to learn more about how strategic staffing can help your business succeed.

When hiring for a job, it is the interview that is the most important element in the process for companies. But all too often job candidates do little, if any, preparation for the interview which, given its significance, is a serious mistake.

Personnel is the biggest expense for employers, so in hiring a new person, a company really wants to make the right decision, because a wrong one will be a great cost in time and resources. It is during the interview that the company tries to determine if a candidate’s skills and experience are a good fit.

Here are some ideas to help with the interview.

The first thing is to understand why you are there – what this process is about. It is first and foremost for you, to sell yourself, to put on, in effect, an advertising campaign for your abilities. The other purpose is for you to find out about the company and the position, to learn exactly what it is you will be doing and if it is right for you.

You are not just answering questions, but doing so with a purpose – to address the needs of the company. You and the interviewer are doing the same thing – gathering information, selling something and trying to determine if you and the company are a good fit.

Before the interview, take the time to come up with three to five achievements or skills that will be your main pitching points. Think about the times where you showed your enterprise and leadership, where you overcame challenges or solved a problem. When the interview wanders away from your talking points, see if you can steer it back again.

In the interview, try to adapt your communication style to that of the interviewer, to let him or her know you are comfortable. If the interview is very formal, you should follow suit; if more casual or lighthearted, follow the interviewer’s lead there as well. This helps to build up trust during the interview.

You can make the interview more relaxed and conversational by asking questions yourself. This will also show your preparedness and interest. You should come prepared with questions to ask.

There also are a few standard questions that almost always pop up in every interview, and so you should be prepared for them and have a good answer ready. Some of these questions include: tell me about yourself, where do you see yourself in five years, describe your strengths and weaknesses.

Finally, practice your answers, so that when you respond you can do so in a relaxed and confident manner.

Come to New York City’s premier staffing service, Winston Resources, for the chance to interview with some of Manhattan’s best companies for long- and short-term temporary, temp-to-hire and direct-hire opportunities. We look forward to hearing from you!

If you are a recent college graduate, you no doubt know that now is an exceptionally tough time to enter the job market. The unemployment rate is remaining stubbornly high at more than nine percent. That means there are a lot of unemployed people looking for work. So, even experienced workers are taking entry-level positions, making it all the more difficult for those just entering the job market.

So, what can you do to increase your chances of landing an interview, to make yourself stick out from the crowd?

One thing is to make sure that you are networking. Networking is something that everyone should be doing if they are looking for work. You need to make sure you are using LinkedIn and Twitter, which are the best social media sites for professional networking.

You also should check your college’s alumni office to tap into alumni organizations to see if you can make any contacts that way. In addition, check around for any professional organizations in your field or any other business groups, such as the local chamber of commerce, that you may be able to join. Volunteering also is a good way to make connections.

Make sure your e-mail and voicemail have look and sound professional. The funny music, jokey voices or other sounds on voicemail were fun in college, but they won’t go over well with possible employers. The same is true for e-mail. Anything that is humorous or off color will not look good to possible employers. For your e-mail, your name or initials will do.

Finally, keep your expectations realistic. The job search is probably going to take a while, and it will demand just as much effort as the job itself. The salary, the job’s duties – or both! — may not be quite what you expect. But you will get to where you want to be in time.

Aim to avoid the emotional roller coaster, the highs and lows that come with good news and bad, and keep steadily working toward your goals in spite of setbacks you’ll inevitably face.

Winston Resources can help recent Manhattan-area college grads get that all-important first “post-college” job. Contact us today so that you may learn more about how our staffing service can help!

When it comes to job interviews, there are plenty of things to think about, from the introduction, to your answers, to your enthusiasm.

But in running through your job interview checklist, don’t forget about how you dress. It is one of the first impressions you will make walking through the door. If you are not dressed appropriately, it may ruin the interview.

The way you dress should help you get across the image of yourself that you created through your résumé and responses during the interview. They should all work together.

You need to dress appropriately for the type of job for which you’re interviewing. For example, if you are applying for a job in a law firm, or in the financial services industry, a business suit is a necessity. And it should be on the conservative side. However, it is perfectly acceptable to add some personal touches to your outfit to help make an impression, although nothing too ostentatious. It helps the interviewer get a little better idea of who you are, and you will feel more comfortable during the interview.

Don’t overlook the smaller details – does your belt match your shoes, are your shoes polished? Are your fingernails trimmed and clean? Make sure you are well groomed. Getting a trim before the interview might be helpful as well.

If you are applying for a job in a more creative field, a business suit may not be necessary. But for whatever job you’re applying, you should never wear casual dress to the interview. If you are not sure how to dress, go to a business where people in your field are working and see how they dress. But if you are unsure at all what is appropriate, always err on the side of more formal dress.

Also, be careful about adding too many extras to your outfit. They might only get in the way. Try to bring no more than a briefcase or portfolio for your résumé and any other necessary documentation. That means also avoid bringing things such as cell phones, iPods, gum, cigarettes, or coffee to the interview.

Dressing the part is an essential part of preparing for any interview and should not be overlooked.

If you’re in the market for a great new job, bring your résumé to Winston Resources. We can help you move your career in a new direction with some of New York City’s best employers. Contact us today!

Sounds like the kind of “problem”  we all wish we have in this economy – feeling that we should decline a job offer.

Yet declining a job offer the wrong way can have an adverse impact on your career. Here’s how to decline an offer the right way.

1. Thank the hiring manager for the offer. After all, you were selected from dozens, if not hundreds, of applicants for the position. The company obviously thought very highly of you and you should be grateful and respectful Be apologetic as you decline the offer.
2. Tell the hiring manager about your decision as soon as you possibly can. Calling at 8:55 on the morning you were supposed to begin at the new company is just…well, there really are no words for how rude, immature and disrespectful calling at the last minute is. In fact, the only worse way to decline an offer would be to never tell your new boss that you’re not coming onboard (see number 3, below).
3. Actually decline the offer. Just don’t disappear. Contact the hiring manager via phone (e-mail is too impersonal) and tell him or her you’re not accepting the job. Trying to “hide” from giving this bad news by not responding to calls or e-mails shows a huge lack of professionalism. And don’t think the hiring manager won’t remember – and mention to others –  how immature, unprofessional and thoughtless you were.
4. Explain honestly your reasons for declining. If you feel you’re not really up to the position, say so. If something critical has come up (a family emergency, financial constraints, a counter offer by your current employer), let the hiring manager know.
5. Say no to the waffle. That is, be firm in your decision. Don’t be wishy-washy. Don’t decline an offer in the hopes that you’ll get a better salary and/or benefits package. Be honest and forthright. Show that you have backbone in your decisions.
6. Depending on how your conversation goes, it may be wise to write a letter explaining further about your decision. Be very complimentary to the hiring manager in this letter yet professional in your tone. You want to be seen as a competent individual with a good but considerate head on your shoulders. After all, you could very well find a position that’s perfect for you at this company at a future date and if you’ve declined the current offer well you still could take the company up on a future opportunity.

Speaking of opportunity, Winston Resources has dozens of terrific professional positions with some of New York City’s top companies. Contact us today to learn more!

Do you start projects with great gusto, work consistently for a few hours or days and then peter out as the project continues, losing interest and steam?

Many people are just like you, paying attention to the beginning of a task but ignoring its ending. We lose focus. We procrastinate, missing deadlines.

So how can we maintain our drive from the start of a project to its completion?

Researchers at the University of Chicago studied people who were working toward a goal. The researchers wanted to know if people were looking back at what they’d accomplished so far or looking forward to what they had to do. People tend to use both to motivate themselves. The researchers wanted to find out if one or the other was better.

They found that, while both ways can work, focusing too much on what we’ve completed can actually lessen our motivation because doing so can give us a feeling of a job well done too soon and so our motivation declines.

Researchers studied college students and found that the students were more apt to focus on their work if told that they still had more than half of the information to still study. Students who started slacking off had been told they had covered about half of the material.

Researchers found that the reason looking ahead helps keep us motivated is due to the fact that our brain sees the difference between the ways things are currently and how we want them to be, so it focuses on how to close the gap between them. This results in focusing our attention more on the task before us and giving it more effort.

In short, to stay motivated, think more about what the goal and now about what you’ve already accomplished.

Looking for a new job in the New York City area and needing a bit more motivation? Contact Winston Resources! We can help you get the proverbial “foot in the door” with some of Manhattan’s best employers. We look forward to hearing from you!