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Category: Benefits

Networking Tips for Introverts from an Introvert

Meeting new people is scary. Making small talk is scary. Getting out of the office and meeting people is scary. I’ve been there. You’re sitting at a table looking around awkwardly in between forced smiles you exchange with people that you accidentally make eye-contact with. Your brain is going into overdrive searching for something witty to say or a question that you can ask the people around you. All you want is to go back into the peace and quiet of your home or office. 

For introverts, networking is an evil necessity. Networking is essential for opportunity finding, job searching, relationship building and sharing your name and abilities for whatever arises as a result. However, it all has to start with the worst combination of The Introvert’s Scary “S” Trio: Small talk, Strangers and Socials. Luckily for you, I, a fellow introvert, have compiled a list of networking tips to help you be less anxious when you attend your next event.

  1. Bring a friend or coworker. Having someone that you are already comfortable talking with at your side can really help to ease the conversation. Through bringing a friend, you both can benefit from networking so it’s a two-for-one event!
  1. Establish your purpose. It can be less awkward for you when you attend your networking event if you know exactly why you are there. Set a goal for yourself. It could be anything from making three new connections, supporting a coworker, learning more about a new business venture or just simply to listen to a keynote speaker or presentation and share thoughts on it.
  1. Come up with some questions before the event. Having a few questions for different scenarios can make it easier to keep a conversation going. Come up with some basic get-to-know-you questions. Also, think of some topics about yourself that you would like to share.
  1. Allow yourself to recharge. Being social can be very draining. Allow yourself to take time to step out and take some alone time and get your energy back up for when you re-enter the event. 

 

Hannah Sharp               
Marketing Intern

7 Questions with Ahmed Moledina

We are so excited to announce our NEW summer web series, “7 Questions With…” on our NEW Youtube page.

In this series, we will be going around the office shooting quick questions at our employees. Through this web series, we hope to let you in a bit more to who works at the Austin branch of SOAL Technologies and who you would be working with. Watch these videos to kind of meet us, and we are looking forward to meeting you too!

Our first interview is with SOAL’s very own CEO, Ahmed Moledina.

Business vs. Casual: Is a professional dress code really essential for the workplace?

We’ve all been there. You’re running late for work and you find that all of your work clothes are in the wash, wrinkled or just not what you feel like wearing today. Staring at you are your jeans, t-shirts and other casual wear, and you wonder to yourself, “Is all of this effort to look ~professional~ really necessary?”

As millennials have entered the workforce, companies have opted for a more casual dress code. This is big in the tech world as seen at Facebook, Google and the ever-growing Buzzfeed. These companies have employees sporting t-shirts, sweats and flip-flops.

Why is this?

The argument for casual workplace attire is that employees should be able to express themselves as they work without feeling uncomfortable by the required suit, A-line skirt or dress shoes. Office employees with minimal client interaction can be found working in something that your drug store on the corner has seen you in thousands of times. With most companies, this is to change with the incoming demographic and the more open mindset of individuality.

Can this affect the quality of work that the employees produce?

This question is for the employer to decide. For some people, they are more productive when they look the job. However, this is not true for everyone. Companies that press for a professional dress code, argue that a dress code keeps employees uniform and focused towards the common goal.

The answer to the aforementioned question, “Is a professional dress code really essential for the workplace?” Is more of a question for each company themselves and what they expect from their employees. The company’s values and image play an important part in what the dress code is. However, we can expect more companies to adopt a casual dress code in the years to come.

 

Hannah Sharp               
Marketing Intern 

Advantages of Employee Involvement

Let’s face it, the people that work for you are your company’s backbone. The hiring, recruiting, and vetting that goes on before your employees even start the job, already showcase their level of talent. These employees represent what you stand for and your company’s values. Your employees represent knowledge and ideas, but oftentimes that resource is overlooked. Involving these employees in the decision-making process not only empowers them to contribute to the success of the organization, but will also save the company a lot of time and money.

What are these advantages you ask?

  1. Increases Morale
    Many companies have a strict line between management and workers; however, employee involvement eliminates that distinction and opens the room for greater communication between supervisors and employees. This creates a sense of belonging and a positive work environment that not only increases job satisfaction but overall company satisfaction as well.
  2. Motivation and Productivity
    Listening to your employees is POWERFUL! Not only does having a say provide them with intrinsic motivation, it goes hand in hand with increasing your company’s productivity. When they know their ideas have an impact and can make a real difference, it gives employees a real stake in the process and they’ll work harder to see their efforts succeed. Managers that focus on strengths are one third more likely to manage people that are engaged versus with managers that focus on weaknesses.
  3. Knowledge Source
    There is a lot of untapped creativity and innovation that exists within your organization. Allowing room for employees to have a say will empower them and this brings forth greater opportunity for the company.
  4. Teamwork
    Implementing an environment of collaboration and involvement within your company drastically impacts the way the company is viewed by its own employees and by potential new hires. Having a safe social setting for employees to nurture friendships builds teamwork and trust.

SOAL Technologies emphasizes the importance of working in a team environment. Collaboration, good spirits, and team work are what lead us all to be successful. Having a work culture that supports this sense of community is what sets us apart from companies that focus solely on individual efforts and cut throat competition, and this is what makes our company stand out. We believe that autonomy in work allows everyone to contribute at their highest levels and this in turn provides rewards for the company. With employee involvement you will be sure to not only find, but keep your ideal employees working hard for you, and themselves.

 

Saher Lalani
Marketing Manager

A Summary of the Skills Gaps Conversation

As society, technology, and the economy constantly change, the way policymakers look at traditional labor data has also changed. The traditional workforce is not what it looked like in the past and will continue to change, grow, and align with the way the world is moving forward. So it makes sense that all these changes would have an impact on the ever elusive skills gap.

These changes were examined at the first Economic Graph Forum in Washington, D.C. Here are key components of the conversation:

  • Learning and Education – The increasing value of critical reasoning and creative problem-solving are crucial in a world that is constantly changing. Especially one in which learning on the job is vital. CEO of LinkedIn, Jeff Weiner “urge[s] the importance of developing digital fluency” to meet the demands of learning multiple skills.
  • Soft Skills – Though hard to prove on a resume, soft skills are crucial. They make up an important part of the skills gap and yet are often overlooked.
  • Following the Talent – Going to where the skills are may be a better approach than waiting for talent to come to you or where you’re headquartered. Creating opportunities elsewhere or allowing for more remote work may be the missing link for many companies.
  • Equality in Education – Making quality education available to all. This includes tackling obstacles of the disenfranchised members of our society such as access to internet, healthcare, and childcare.
  • Performance-Based College Funding – Creating ways to reduce tuition costs for students and encouraging performance. Models that reward such programs will help students with barriers to success.
  • Aligning Academic Institutions and Companies – If companies and educational institutions communicate on job availability and which skills are in demand, these institutions can better prepare future applicants and students can also prioritize their learning.

If you’d like to read more about the conversation, here’s the original link below:

https://economicgraph.linkedin.com/blog/a-conversation-on-skills-gaps-at-the-economic-graph-forum

At SOAL Technologies, what we see in our line of work is that there are ample jobs available. So much so, especially in Austin, that we have very low unemployment rates. It is already hard to recruit talented people and with the immigration and administration changes, it is even harder. We work to find quality people and continue to improve our meticulous screening methodologies and testing requirements. With the ideas discussed above, we can make momentous strides to better cater to eliminating the skills gaps.

Let us know your thoughts on the current skills gaps conversation and where you think there needs to be more or less attention.

Saher Lalani
Marketing Manager

Great Recruiting: Trust, Time & Passion

It takes an average of 13-17 WEEKS to land a new job. The process is often frustrating, confusing, depressing, and flat out lonely. And that is where I would come into the picture- your friendly, and local technical recruiter. Our recruiting services are free of cost to you so why not take advantage?

I cannot stress enough the importance of working with a recruiter who is local to your city or at the very least local to your state. This not only allows for better and effective communication but as a recruiter, I always have my candidate’s back. When the time comes for an in person interview, I will always call the candidate in the office a day or two prior to the interview to prep him/her on fundamental things such as the client address, attire, potential interview questions and even basic things like where to park.

And you may read this and think to yourself that all this “prep work” can be done via email and/or video calls. My answer: yes it could possibly be done over those mediums but I assure you it’s a lot harder and definitely less effective. Case in point- a few weeks ago, on the day of his F2F interview, my candidate affected by all the external stressors in life as all humans tend to do, got very overwhelmed and started to go into panic mode three hours prior the scheduled interview. He still wanted the job, he still wanted to go in for the interview but his voice was shaking and his confidence was shot.

Here is where we shine, we the recruiters at SOAL- I suggested to the candidate that we should meet, I knew he was having car troubles so I offered to pick him up. He agreed. He got in my car and weird as this sounds, we went to get a scoop (or two) of ice cream roughly around 11 in the morning. I truly believe ice cream with sprinkles fixes almost anything life throws at you. The two of us just hung out like buddies for the next hour and half. We talked about everything- family, work, The Black Panther movie and of course his upcoming interview. I dropped him off and the rest is history. It doesn’t matter if he got the job or not- that’s not relevant (but yes he did get the job!) What is important is that my employer gave me the tools and courage to go out and be hands on with my candidate. Most people don’t know a recruiters most valuable trait: its empathy! I care about my candidates; I know they have families to look after. I know they have goals they want to achieve and I know they want the best opportunity so they can excel at it and build upon their skill sets.

“There is never enough time in a day,” is a reality for most recruiters. To build a rapport between job seeker and recruiter takes trust. To gain trust, takes time. And here at SOAL Technologies – we are willing to put in the TIME with you. Feel free to reach me at atejani@soaltech.com for any job inquiries or to begin working with a recruiter.

Ali Tejani                
Technical Recruiter   

Recruiters… Not Used Car Salesmen

Ever get turned off by the thought of working with a recruiter? I know I did. When I began my own job search, I thought recruiters were pushy, dishonest, and didn’t always have my best interests at heart. Some recruiters even portrayed themselves as used car salesmen, always trying to “sell” me something as opposed to just helping me. Well I swore I would never do that to someone else.

I always had a vision of helping others. Let’s face it, your career is one of the most significant parts of your life, so I thought it would be so incredibly rewarding to be a part of that process for someone. I thought about everything I’d look for in a recruiter and decided to be just that! It’s all about building relationships and truly understanding what both your client and candidates needs are. Not just to fill an opening, but to really ensure a perfect marriage.

After 15 years of recruiting, I knew exactly why I loved what I did, but then I found that not everyone in the industry had the same perspective…that’s up until I decided to be a part of the SOAL train. All of the recruiters here at SOAL Technologies are so passionate about what they do, they don’t just submit to submit. The recruiters really focus on “serving” as opposed to “selling”. That’s when I knew I found my home.

At the end of the day, it’s all about building relationships, making friends, and really understanding someone’s goals.

Melanie Cunningham                
Technical Recruiter                  

How to Choose the Right Recruiter for You

The job market is tightening and your skills are in demand. This may be the right time to work with a recruiter who can help you advance your career. But, what do you look for in that relationship?

Who Pays for What?

First, recruitment services could be free to the candidate. The employer could be the one paying for the service. There are also job placement services that charge the candidate, but in our line of work, candidates receive the services free of charge.

Why Health Benefits are Important

You are healthy and don’t think you need health benefits and a 401K. That is wonderful. At SOAL, we offer them anyway because we know that life can change. It is important that we support your career with options that promote your health and wellbeing so you can focus on the work at hand and not worry about other issues.

We have found that candidates who opt to work with us stay longer and have a better experience because health benefits are offered. More stability is good for everyone in the equation, staff member and employer alike.

The Vetting Process

The vetting process is critical for both employers and employees. As a candidate you want to make sure the company you join is right for you – that their values mesh and that the work you do will be fulfilling. That is why we spend so much time working with employers to make sure we know exactly what they want.

From job skills and work ethic, to career visioning, to your bigger purpose, we will ask you what you want in a placement. This is a process that ensures we match your expertise with the appropriate degree of skills needed. We look at this as a matchmaking process with both parties married in the end.

As part of the process we will do reference checks and send your resume internally to at least three of our recruiters. We’ll have a long conversation about your goals and then critique your resume and help you prepare for the interview so you can make the best impression.

After placement, we will stop by to make sure you and the client are happy with the arrangement. It is an additional level of service we provide to both the client and candidate. It is our way of building long-lasting relationships so everyone wins.