Quitting a Job the Wrong Way

Quitting a Job the Wrong WayQuitting a Job the Wrong WayQuitting a job can evoke a variety of conflicting emotions, from nostalgia for the job youre leaving behind to great relief to anticipationfor the new position. But emotions should not drive how you quit a job.We surveyed mora than 600 human resources managers about the most unusual way they have heard of someone quitting a job. Here are nine real-life examples of how not to quit, in addition to some tips on exiting gracefully.1. Sticky businessThe employee who used a sticky notenzeichen to explain why he was quitting gave new meaning to the term thinking small.2. Extended bathroom breakOne employee went to the bathroom and didnt return. Enough said.3. Tell one, tell allThe employee who quit by sending an email blast to the entire staff may be limited in future endeavors - unless town crier comes back as a hot job.4. Bricking itAn irate employee tossed a brick with I quit taped to it through a window. Not exactly a great way to build your career.5. Informing the wrong peopleOne employee told coworkers it was his last day but forgot to let his boss or the HR manager know. I knew I was forgetting something6. Spousal assistanceDont delegate uncomfortable conversations. One employee had his wife call in to say he wouldnt be returning to work.7. Going shoppingMaybe the woman who went out to buy boots and never returned was hoping to get a salary hike at a new job.8. Antisocial mediaQuitting a job through a Facebook post, as one employee did, wont get you a lot of likes.9. This one takes the cakeBaking a cake with your resignation letter on top isnt in good taste - unless youre leaving to open a bakery.Quitting a job the right wayHow you end up quitting a job can have lingering repercussions. In the OfficeTeam survey ansicht outlandish examples were taken from, 86 percent of HR managers polled said the manner in which someone quits a job will affect that persons future career opportunities. Consider these tips Let your boss know first. Your manager wont be pleased to learn of your departure through the office grapevine. Give him or her the courtesy of being the first to know youre leaving.Offer enough notice. Give your boss a least two weeks notice so he or she can begin the process of identifying your replacement and plan for someone to cover your workload.Keep it low-key. Making a dramatic exit might sound exciting or cathartic. But the impression you leave will last - and it wont be a good one. Even if youre fed up with your job, resist the urge to tell your boss what you really think on your way out the door. Youll only burn a bridge.Remain focused. Remember that you are still on the company payroll until your last day. Dont check out. Rather, use your remaining time to tie up loose ends and makes sure colleagues have the information and instructions they need to keep things moving once you leave.Leave the counteroffer on the table. Counteroffers are often more of a temporary bandage than a cure. While you may feel valued in the short term, the issues that prompted you to consider leaving will likely surface again.Stay in touch. Give your colleagues your email address. Be proactive and reach out via LinkedIn.Quitting a job and looking for another one? Robert Half can help you find a new opportunity in a variety of professional disciplines.Submit Your Resume Today

How to Interview Candidates, Not Educate Them

How to Interview Candidates, Not Educate ThemHow to Interview Candidates, Not Educate ThemHow to Interview Candidates, Not Educate Them HerrenkohlA director of ausverkauf welches frustrated by the fact that her boss was always mora impressed with certain sales candidates than she was. She bewerbungsinterviewed these people when they rst came into the ofce and did not nd them to be all that remarkable. Then other sales managers interviewed each candidate.Finally, the candidate met with her superior, the senior vice president, at the end of the day. By that time, the interviewees really knew how to sell themselves and wowed her boss. Why?It turned out that that the other sales managers were spending too much time talking about the company and not enough time asking good questions. Instead of digging into peoples past sales accomplishments, these interviewers were educating job candidates about the company and its industry. Being salespeople, the candidates used this information to hone their personal sales pitches.To remedy this situation, the company moved to a team interview approach. It controlled the questions that were asked and the amount of information that was provided to job candidates early in the interview process. This helped to reduce its hiring mistakes. Heres how to make sure job candidates do their homework and you dont do it for them.Ask the Right Interview QuestionsOpen-ended questions always trump closed-ended questions in the interview process. Take a look at these two sample interview questions and ask yourself how effective they are. In this case, the hiring manager wants to probe into a candidates leadership skills.Open-Ended Interview Questions Tell me about a time when you had to lead your team in a new direction. Candidates will have to provide you with one or more challenges that they faced and the specic steps they took with their team to meet them. It will be clear to you if they fudge their answer and if the experience is genuine.Clo sed-Ended Interview QuestionsDo you consider yourself to be a leader? This question lets candidates off the hook by allowing them to give a one-word (or at least very limited) answer.You have learned nothing.Unlike mutual funds, interview questions about peoples past performance is the best indicator of their future results. A simple but powerful approach to interviewing is to use open-ended questions to get people talking about their accomplishments at every stage of their life and career. If you ask the questions correctly, you will obtain an accurate picture of what theyve achieved up to this point. Then you can decide if they are likely to realize the results you want from your next hire.A-Player Principle A well-conducted interview always focuses on getting people to elaborate in detail about their past accomplishments. Use open-ended questions to encourage a conversation, not just yes-and-no answers.Always Ask Follow-Up QuestionsEven when you ask open-ended questions about peo ples accomplishments, you often receive rehearsed answers. Dont just accept these responses and move on. Always ask one or more follow-up interview questions.Dr. Kurt Einstein was an executive recruiter who conducted research on interviewing techniques. One of Einsteins key points was that follow-up questions force job candidates to reveal if there is any substance behind their initial programmed responses. If candidates can describe in living detail how they accomplished something, they are likely telling the truth. If they provide broad-brush generalities in response to repeated follow-up questions, they are probably embellishing their achievements or overemphasizing their role in some way.Using follow-up questions makes your job as an interviewer easier, since there are as many follow-up questions as there are accomplishments to discuss. You can simply ask about specic accomplishments and then follow up with Tell me more and Why so? and run a very effective interview. In addition , you can ask questions such asWhy did you choose that strategy?What made you believe that layoffs were the right answer?What steps did you take to make purchasing more efcient?What specic things did you do to reduce the time to close the books from 30 days to7days?This tactic puts less pressure on you to come up with a lot of creative interview questions. Instead, you spend your time listening in the interview process. If you follow this simple approach, you will conduct a strong interview every time.A-Player Principle The most important question to ask in an interview is the follow-up question. Dont let candidates get away with just providing their rehearsed answers to your inquiries about their past accomplishments.Reprinted with permission of John Wiley Sons, Inc., Copyright 2010 by Eric Herrenkohl Herrenkohl Consulting.Author BioEric Herrenkohl is the author of the book, How to Hire A-Players, (John Wiley Sons, 2010) and is President of Herrenkohl Consulting. Herrenkohl Cons ulting helps executives create the organizations they need to build the businesses they want. To receive Erics free monthly e-letter Performance Principles, go to herrenkohlconsulting to subscribe.Know exactly what to ask job seekersThere is a time and place in the recruitment process for educating people about your organization, but make sure not to overdo it early in the interview process. You want to spend valuable interview time asking questions that will help you understand the candidate sitting in front of you. Could you use some help with that?Sign up for exclusive https//www.youtube.com/ adviceand well send you the latest recruiting tips, hiring trends, management strategies, and even some awesome deals.You can rely on expertise tohelp you craft smart, insightful interview questions that will help you make your next terrific hire.

How to Get Ahead With Payroll Classes

How to Get Ahead With Payroll ClassesHow to Get Ahead With Payroll ClassesWhether youre fresh out of school or a payroll expert, professional development can seem like a never-ending journey. From basic PayTrain Fundamentals to global payroll operations, there are myriad courses that might have value to your career. And then there are classes to get relevant certifications - and to remain certified.Are payroll classes really worth the time and financial investment? Can they help you progress up the corporate ladder or land higher-level positions? In a word Yes. Absolutely. Definitely.Here are six things you can do when you pursue continuing education at all stages of your career in this fast-moving field1. Expand your skill setTheres always something to learn. As a clerk, you start out with payroll calculations, making deductions and refunds, auditing the payroll register, and preparing reports. But to qualify for a job with mora responsibilities, you need to deal with compliance an d operational issues, oversee payroll policies and procedures, supervise a team, and submit quarterly payroll taxes. Then there are the mora complex points of multistate and international payroll, virtual employees, contractors and freelancers.In addition, many companies are blurring the boundaries between payroll, human resources and basic accounting functions. Formal training is key to learning about these and other payroll-related fields.2. Keep your knowledge currentWhen it comes to payroll, learning doesnt stop once youve passed an exam. Keeping up to date with constantly changing tax laws, payroll procedures and reporting requirements is essential for businesses to remain in compliance. Whats more, year-end procedures often shift, and a smooth close depends on having the latest information. You should also be versed in the latest advances in payroll technology, such as business process automation.Whether youre learning the basics of payroll administration or taking an advanced course on artificial intelligence, continuing education courses help you keep doing your job well.3. Earn and maintain a certificatePayroll is one of the few well-paying professional fields where a four-year college degree is often elend a requirement. But to show hiring managers you have the basic know-how to do the job, you can work toward the Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC). This credential does not require previous payroll experience. The more advanced Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification has more prerequisites, including a extremum of three years in payroll, but attests to the holders extensive knowledge base.To remain in good standing, the FPC requires at least 60 Recertification Credit Hours (RCHs) in three years, while the CPP requires at least 120 RCHs in five years.4. Demonstrate commitmentStudying for payroll classes and attaining/maintaining a certification takes time and money, but consider what going through with all that says about you. When you r boss or hiring managers see that you highly value continuing education in payroll, they realize youre serious about staying in this field and are committed to payroll best practices. And the more you demonstrate your professionalism and dedication, the more likely you are to get promoted or land new positions with more responsibilities.5. Earn more money and respectCertified payroll professionals dont just have the potential to earn more money they actually do earn more money. The combination of practical experience and specialist knowledge makes them stand out from the crowd as sought-after candidates. Many employers are willing to pay more to get that level of expertise.Whatever your level of qualification, upskilling yourself through payroll classes improves your chances of commanding a higher salary. To find out what you could earn as a payroll clerk, coordinator or supervisor, check out the Salary Guide for Accounting and Finance Professionals.Visit the Salary Center, where y oull be able to adjust salaries for staff accountant jobs in your city with the Salary Calculator.6. Meet other payroll professionalsMost payroll classes are virtual and on-demand, which is handy for busy workers. But theres also the option of enrolling in live seminars or attending conferences - which typically have a host of workshops and general sessions. These are fun and efficient ways to quickly earn a large number of RCHs or continuing professional education (CPE), and a nice break from the office.Whats more, you meet dozens of like-minded professionals and expand your network of contacts at events like these - and possibly even get leads on exciting new career opportunities.Making payroll classes a priorityThe payroll field does not stand still, and neither should your knowledge base or career. Whether youre building skills, updating your knowledge, earning certifications, demonstrating dedication, boosting your salary or meeting others in your field, youre not wasting you r time.By pursuing continuing education and regularly taking courses, you help your organization as well as your professional future.