Adams & Garth Blog

As one of the leading staffing agencies in Central Virginia, we know that making the transition from co-worker to boss isn’t always easy. But there are some steps you can take to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. Here’s a look at six of them:

Step 1. Understand your role has changed.

It can be hard to swallow if all of a sudden your former co-workers aren’t including you in conversations or activities. But you have to accept that they no longer can relate to you in the same way because you are their boss. This may take some getting used to, but don’t take it personally. It’s simply an inevitable part of your promotion.

Step 2. But don’t change who you are.

Just because you’re in charge now doesn’t mean you need to rule with an iron fist. Nor does it mean you should start kowtowing to former co-workers because you still want to remain friends. Be who you are and take a balanced approach to supervising.

Step 3. Be clear about expectations.

Call a staff meeting as soon as possible and let your new team know what you expect from them as a whole. You may also want to hold private meetings to discuss individual expectations with each of your employees, or with key players, depending on how large your team is.

Step 4. Nip issues in the bud early on.

It may be those who you are closest with who give you the most trouble. They may have a hard time taking you seriously as a boss, or they may think they can get away with more since you’re friends. Deal with these issues immediately by making it clear that the rules are the same for everyone, regardless of your relationship.

Step 5. Communicate often.

Always keep the lines of communication open. Let your former co-workers know that you have an open door policy and they can come to talk to you whenever necessary. It may take some time for them to feel comfortable doing so, but they will eventually come around if you’re patient and consistent in your communication efforts.

Step 6. Make changes in small doses.

Change can be hard for many employees to accept, especially if it’s swift and significant. So if you plan on implementing changes, do so in smaller doses, if possible. Your employees will be less resistant if it doesn’t seem like everything is changing at one time.

And if any of your planned changes include adding new employees to the mix, contact one of the top staffing agencies in Central Virginia – Adams & Garth – to help you get the job done and impress your boss. We can partner with you to:

• Create a strategic staffing plan
• Provide access to qualified direct hire talent, as well as skilled temporary and temp-to-hire workers
• Trim staffing costs and take the hassle out of hiring along the way

Learn more about staffing your company wisely >

Obviously, if a potential employer asks for references along with your resume, then you should submit those references. But what if they don’t ask for references? Should you submit them anyway?

Some experts say yes, while others say no. As a Central Virginia employment agency, we recommend including a reference page along with your resume. After all, if you have strong references, it certainly can’t hurt, whether they’ve been requested or not.

But don’t just haphazardly place references anywhere on your resume. Be sure to include a separate reference page, along with your cover letter and resume. Why? Reference pages have been found to be more effective than including references on your resume.

Here are some tips for creating a reference page:

• Determine whom you want to use as a reference. These should not be friends and family members; they should be colleagues, former co-workers, and managers. Include at least three professional references.

• In addition to professional references, you may also want to include a couple personal references. Again, these should not be your mom and your spouse. Personal references are people you have sat on community boards with, volunteered with, or gotten to know through an industry association.

• Now that you have your list of references figured out, get in touch with each to make sure it’s ok to include them on your references page. Inform them that potential employers will be contacting them to discuss your background, so they are prepared.

• The final step is to create a separate document for your references. Make sure you include each reference’s name, company, job title, phone number, and address. Also include in what capacity you worked with them in the past – i.e. Supervisor for three years, etc…

• Also, make sure you put your strongest references first in case the interviewer only has time to contact one or two.

If you’re searching for a new job opportunity in Central Virginia and you need help creating a resume or reference page, contact Adams & Garth. As a premier employment agency serving the Central Virginia region, we can help you create a resume that gets results and also give you access to a variety of job opportunities. Contact us today to learn more.

Laying off employees is never a welcome proposition. Not only does it mean that things are not going well at your company, but you also have to actually sit down face-to-face with your employees and let them go – no easy task.

So is there any way to avoid laying off employees? Here are some tips you may want to consider first:

Reduce the number of hours worked.
Consider creating four-day work weeks in order to reduce hours and salary, or ask your employees to trade in some of their pay for additional time off.

Institute a temporary pay cut.
Though most employees will protest, if it’s between a pay cut and a job loss, most will take the cut.

Allow attrition.
When an employee quits or retires from the company, don’t fill their position. Instead, assign their job duties to remaining employees at your company.

Encourage leaves of absence.
Allow employees to take leaves of absence with full benefits for a specified time period. However, make sure you promise them that they will have a job when they return, though it may not be the same position with the same salary.

Put a cap on overtime.
Put a limit on the amount of overtime employees are allowed to work. If you need employees to work a lot of overtime, consider bringing in some temporary employees instead. It may cost you less in the long run.

Offer an early retirement package.
Create and offer a retirement package to those employees who qualify.

Place a freeze on hiring.
Even if you’re going through a temporary increase in demand, don’t hire more staff until your company’s situation has truly stabilized. If you need extra help for a period of time, then consider bringing in some temporary employees.

Offer a shared ownership package.
Offer your employees the ability to trade pay for company stock.

Encourage job sharing.
Let some of your full-time employees convert to part-time employees and share certain job roles.

Use temporary staffing.
Meet a rise in demand without hiring more core staff or paying overtime by using temporary staffing.

At Adams & Garth, we’ve helped many companies throughout Charlottesville and Central Virginia to avoid laying off full-time employees through the use of strategic, temporary staffing. If your company is currently in a position where lay offs seem imminent, please contact us. We may be able to help.