Tips for surviving the IT shortage
The IT talent shortage rages on – which means recruiting processes need to become more creative and proactive, and retaining valuable employees will be more challenging. Here are a few consideration
The Three Rs of Background Checks and Other Evolving Employer Challenges
By Andrew C. Jackson I have recently seen an uptick in three employment areas that employers should be aware of. If you employ IT professionals, you likely have experience with one of more of
8 Best Practices for Validating Candidate Credentials (Without Losing Top Talent in the Process)
A 2020 survey by ResumeLab found a majority of job seekers fudge a detail or two on their résumés. Fake candidates are an even more insidious problem, wasting significant time and money for
Hybrid and Remote Roles Increase Hiring Success
A recent Careerbuilder.com poll found remote positions pull in seven times more applicants than in-person roles. Read more for current data on employee preferences and the benefits of remote and hybri
When the Thrill is Gone: Four Steps to Take When You Don’t Love Your Job
By Andrew C. Jackson You work...a lot. Even if you work from home, you may spend more time working and thinking about work than you spend at leisure activities. So what should you do when you start t
The Shrinking Shelf Life of IT Candidates
By Andrew C. Jackson, President, BravoTECH This is an update to an article I penned two years ago and it is even more relevant today. Do applicants for your technical positions have a shelf life
Ten Ways to Attract Quality IT Candidates and Win the Talent War
By Andrew C. Jackson The war for talent is nothing new for IT leaders, but it has grown in intensity with no end in sight. As the economy continues to expand, tech pros with in-demand skills are n
Avoiding The Great Resignation
In what psychologist Dr Anthony Klotz called “The Great Resignation”, workers began quitting their jobs at a record-setting pace following the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. Some predict this trend
The IT Talent Shortage Rages On (And Four Things You Can Do About It)
By Andrew C. Jackson True: Unemployment figures were way up in 2020 and have not returned to the levels we saw prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also True: The majority of the jobs l
ABCs of Virtual Meetings
The use of video conferencing technology exploded in 2020 as millions of workers transitioned to work from home (WFH) and business meetings went virtual. Most WFH rookies learned the basics of video c
Where Do We Go from Here?
Some things to consider when returning to an office environment By Andrew C. Jackson So where do we go from here with regard to where and how we work? Work-from-home has been a good fit for some j
Four Remote Work Personas
By: Andrew C. Jackson During our transition to a remote work environment, I began to notice the different ways in which individuals adapted to working from home. While I am not a psychologist and don
How the Pandemic Changed Our Use of Technology
The 2020 pandemic changed every aspect of our lives, including our relationship with technology. Analysts predict many of the changes are here to stay. Here are 14 stats and fun facts about how we use
The Importance of Staying Connected
By: Andrew C. Jackson Last March, like many other firms, we transitioned to a 100 percent remote workforce. This was a dramatic shift for our company. Our IT systems were already cloud-based, wh
Some Recruiting and Hiring Trends Are Here to Stay
By: Andrew C. Jackson The pandemic changed many of the ways organizations do business, including how they recruit and hire. Some changes may be permanent, including new benefits for employees. Org
Taking Your Business to the Next Level
By Andrew C. Jackson While watching a webinar the other day, a presenter made a comment that caught my attention. He said, “this pandemic is not just a tsunami…it’s climate change!” As a bus
What are Your Business Resolutions?
It’s mid-January, and if you’re already struggling to keep a New Year resolution, know that you’re not alone. A study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology found that it take
Following Up: The Essential Thank You Note
A well-written and timely thank you note will give your prospective employer a positive impression and improve your odds of getting an offer. In fact, some hiring managers say they only extend offers
Unpredictable Candidates? Don’t Shoot the Messenger
With an unemployment rate less than two percent for IT professionals, retaining qualified tech employees is harder than ever. In fact, I’ve noticed that the hiring process has entered a new phase of
Why You Should Attend Industry Conferences This Year
Each fall presents a multitude of opportunties to attend industry conferences and attend professional networking events. It's also a busy time of the year for companies, with annual planning and budge
PHONE INTERVIEW TIPS
A phone interview is often the first step in the hiring process. Advancing to the next round of interviews depends on making a great first impression – and with a little preparation, you can incre
Get Out of Your Office! Three Reasons IT Leaders Need to Network
The other day, I called an old friend to catch up. He recently took a new position as CIO for a fast-paced company, and I hadn’t seen him at the usual industry events. When I mentioned it, he lament
Don’t Worry, Be Happy
It seems like we’re constantly bombarded with negative news, doesn’t it? We live inside a 24-hour news cycle, where cable television, social media and hundreds of online news outlets compete for o
Half a Dozen Points for Staffing Success
By Andrew C. Jackson We're headed into another positive year for business growth. For the technology sector, this equates to a continued period of low unemployment and the associated scarcity of skil
Holiday Networking Works
As the year-end approaches, business moves at a slower pace. Phones ring less often as colleagues and clients take long-awaited holiday breaks. Hiring slows down significantly between November and Jan
Demystifying Dress Codes: Business Casual vs. Casual
You just landed a new job, and your manager tells you the dress code is business casual. This is great – no worries about what to wear, right? Not exactly. There’s no universal definition of bu
How to Avoid Hiring Fake Candidates
Have you discovered that an employee you recently hired isn’t turning out to be as capable as they said they were? If so, you may have been fooled by a fake candidate – a growing scam victimizing
Excellence 101
Why do some people achieve more than others? In my career as a manager I have noticed there are two types of people when it comes to what motivates them to excel. The first type – and most of us
The Shelf Life of Candidates is Getting Shorter
To say we’re experiencing a tight IT labor market is an understatement. The current unemployment rate for IT professionals in the U.S. is hovering around two percent, while the rate for certain IT s
Finding Hidden Gems to Meet Your Hiring Goals
As you talk to job candidates, you may have noticed a shift in their attitudes. They are in high demand and they know it. This shift is forcing employers to look for innovative ways to identify and re
8 Ways to Improve Employee Retention
As the demand for skilled IT professionals continues to outpace supply, hiring managers have increased their focus on recruiting and hiring strategies. To secure the best talent, many companies have a
Four Ways to Prepare for the Peak Hiring Season
Hiring is cyclical. Traditionally, the peak hiring seasons are mid-winter (January and February) and fall (September and October). The slowest hiring seasons are the summer months, June through August
Old School Ideas That Have Stood the Test of Time
Technology has changed the business environment so rapidly that we have to continuously challenge our assumptions about how we will serve customers, manage employees and remain competitive. We are now
Improve Hiring Success Through Better Interviews
Bad hiring decisions cost us time and money. At best, they keep us up at night worrying about an employee (or worse, a manager) who is limiting productivity. At worst, they can cause the los
Balancing Flexibility and Innovation
IBM recently rocked their employees' world in a controversial move. The company that pioneered telecommuting announced it was bringing employees back to the office. It was a radical concept when IB
Why We Really Fail to Achieve Our Goals
Most of us get "stuck" at some point in our careers. We're not happy where we are, but we don't know how to get to where we want to be. We've tried a few things we thought might help us get the resu
Tips for Surviving the IT Talent Shortage
The first quarter of 2017 reported the largest IT hiring increase in more than five years. This isn’t necessarily good news if you’re a hiring manager, since it may take more effort, more time and
Advance Your Career Through Power Networking
Everyone agrees that networking is valuable, but few people do it well. Whether you’re seeking a new position or just looking to expand your professional contacts, successful networking requires mor
What to Do About a Job You Hate
You work -- a lot. In fact, many of us spend more time at the office, getting to work and thinking about work than we spend with friends and family. So what should you do when you hate your job? Th
How to Run Killer Meetings
“Why am I here when I have so much work to do?” We’ve all asked that question while sitting in a meeting that lacked direction and energy. And it’s the last thing you want people to think ab
Do You Want to Lead?
As the role of business technology evolves, growing companies will increasingly rely on IT leaders to take them to the next level. Do you have what it takes to move into management? Here are some trai
Interpersonal Skills Are Critical for IT Professionals
By: Andrew C. Jackson As the role of IT departments has evolved, the need for IT professionals with strong interpersonal skills has grown. Experts say that customer service and communications skill
Expedite the Hiring of In-Demand IT Workers
By Andrew C. Jackson The high demand for skilled IT professionals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area continues. As candidates consider multiple offers, we’ve seen hiring delays that can lead to lost
Keep Productivity High During Summer Months
Summer vacations are an American tradition, and they are important to our mental health. Vacations allow us to reconnect with our families and alleviate stress, which in turn can have an energizin
Communication is Key in Your Job Search
By Andrew C. Jackson, President BravoTECH How you communicate is critically important to a successful job search, because there are no take-backs or do-overs. From building your resume to the f
Don’t Let Communication Skills Get in the Way of a Good Hire
What is one of the worst reasons to pass on an IT job candidate? Communication skills. Difficulty understanding a candidate's speech during your initial conversation is not a good reason to exclude
Interview Do’s and Don’ts
By: Andrew C. Jackson Google “interview tips” and you’ll find a year’s worth of reading…222,000,000 results, to be exact. With all this available advice, you would think that today’s In
The Six Ps of a Great Interview
By: Andrew C. Jackson In the current IT hiring market, managers should be selling as much as they are screening when interviewing candidates for their open positions. The scarcity of technical prof
Six Early Actions to Ensure Success in Your New Position
Congratulations! You landed the new gig and you are ready to start. Here are a few things you can do to make sure you are quickly aligned with your new team and accepted into the company culture.
Make Networking Work for You
Networking, when done correctly, is one of the best ways to accelerate your career and enhance professional relationships. When I receive an inquiry from an IT executive seeking a new opportunity, I a
Ace the Interview — 10 Tips for IT Professionals
Achieving your professional and personal goals can sometimes require a job change. Here are a few tips for acing your next interview. Arrive early. This advice may seem elementary, but walking in
Business Benefits of Summer Interns
By: Andrew C. Jackson, President, BravoTECH, Inc. Last June, I phoned my neighbor’s daughter after her first year of engineering school at the University of Oklahoma. She had been our favorit
Attracting Top Talent Requires Multiple Strategies
Recruiters have three basic employment models to choose from when going after candidates for your next opening: direct placement, contract, and contract-to-hire. The contract-to-hire model appeals to
Tackling the Turnover Problem
Written By: Andrew C. Jackson, President BravoTECH A few years ago I wrote about the importance of keeping employee morale high during the lean years as a hedge against high turnover. During a r
Follow Your Passion, But Make a Plan
Over the years I have counseled many people who wanted to make a career change. Most of them experienced some degree of fear and hesitation. My advice to them has usually been the same - if this is re
Candidates Have a Shelf Life
By Andrew C. Jackson, President and Cofounder, BravoTECH The "shelf life of top IT candidates is getting shorter as demand for skilled technical professionals increases. An unemployed or under-empl
10 Networking Tips for Introverts
You want to get into the networking game to expand your professional network - but you keep procrastinating. It seems like you've always got something more pressing to do instead of attending that awa