How to Turn a Work Setback into an Opportunity

Every career has its setbacks. However, don't get caught up in keeping score. It's not about those raw numbers; it’s about turning those failures into opportunities.

Maybe someone else got that big promotion you were vying for. Perhaps you were left off a project that included a conference in Hawaii. Or, maybe you had to move your office to a windowless cubicle and can’t remember the last time you saw the sun. In short, things aren't going your way.

Here are four ways to turn your work setback into a long-term opportunity:

Keep Moving Forward

6 Ways Managers Can Motivate Their Employees

All managers want to motivate and inspire their employees, and how you do so is crucial. Here are a few ways to help you accomplish your goals in this regard:

Provide Rewards

Nothing motivates like personal gain. If you want employees to go beyond expectations, you must incentivize them to achieve. Offer bonuses and other rewards for stellar performance.

Remain Even Keeled

Five Benefits of Working with a Staffing Agency

Let's be honest: hiring is a drag. And not just in the colloquial sense. It can cause a literal drag on time, profits, and growth. While bringing in top-notch talent is pivotal for success, the process of finding that talent creates near-term costs and distractions.

If only it were possible to maximize the long-term benefit of bringing in top team members while minimizing the near-term disruption that comes with the hiring process. Good news: it is possible.

How to Properly Screen Candidates Over the Phone

Picture this: you publish a job posting, full of anticipation and excitement. But quickly, as resume after resume starts pouring into your inbox, your mood begins to change. Excitement at the prospect of finding a brilliant new team member transitions to dread, as you suddenly face the question: "How am I going to screen and vet all these potential hires?"

Why You Should Be Conducting Pre-Employment Background Checks

Background checks bring up sensitive concerns. After all, every candidate has a past. You aren't in the business of punishing applicants for previous mistakes. You simply want to find the best people for your available positions.

Tips to Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance

If you're not careful, work can become all-consuming. Before you know it, seemingly never-ending work duties and challenges take up excessive amounts of your time.

But it's important to remember that work isn't everything. Even if your overall goal centers on long-term career advancement, having outside interests and nurturing a healthy support system will only help you. Your off-the-clock activities will actually keep you from burning out and will provide lessons that will ultimately help you at work.

How to Tell You’re a Good Fit for Your New Job

Congratulations! You passed the hard tests, braved the multitude of interviews, and scored a quality job offer.

And now? Challenges await as you start your new gig. There’s no way around it, you will have to make it through those awkward early stages as you try to become oriented and attempt to fit into a whole new corporate culture. It’s almost enough to trigger PTSD flashbacks to the first day of junior high.

Learn the Right Way to Ask Your Boss for Help

You've run into a problem, one you require your boss’s input to fix. However, this isn't as simple as strolling into their office and asking for help.

Asking for your boss’s help can sometimes open a Pandora’s box of potential issues. Your request can have a ripple effect, impacting not only your team, but other parts of the company as well. As such, you’ll want to handle your request with tact and careful planning.

Here are some steps to take when asking your boss for assistance:

Choose Your Approach Carefully

Learn About the 7 C’s For Finding and Hiring Top Talent

The process of bringing on new hires is a multifaceted one. After all, you are not simply finding someone to fulfill the current position. You are betting on this new hire to benefit your organization in the long term.

You both want this new hire to begin contributing immediately, and also evolve with the company over time. Meanwhile, you need someone who is an excellent organizational fit. This new hire needs to both get along with their new co-workers and thrive in your work environment.

6 Tips For Creating a More Productive Work Environment

Work environment plays a significant role in employee productivity. Before you cast judgement on your employee's output, take a look around. Have you created the best possible work environment to encourage efficiency and productivity?

Here are some tips to create a more productive work environment:

Set the Appropriate Tone

Employees look to management to set the pace and tone. If you spend hours in your office playing with fidget spinners and practicing your golf putting, they will get the impression they don’t need to take their work seriously.