I have blogged about focus a few times, but am constantly reminded about the importance of focus and just how easy it is to (a) lose focus; and (b) make others lose their focus.  So … this is a HUGE topic, and I can’t do it justice in a short blog entry so here are some thoughts.

Back in March I fought in a charity boxing match to raise funds for cancer research, the event was called Fight for the Cure (it was a great event for a great cause).  One thing you learn when you get into a boxing ring with someone who is intent on bashing your brains in, is focus!  You are totally focused on your opponent and how you are going to win the fight.  Everything around you is lost because if not, you can be in big trouble.  This is an extreme example of the importance of focus.  (Yeah, that’s me focused in the picture!)

I ride a powerful motorcycle, that is capable of incredible acceleration and top speeds that would see me locked up if I ever was crazy enough to go that fast!  When you ride any two wheeled vehicle you need to be very focused, not only on your bike and the road, but also on all of the other vehicles around you.  The cost of losing focus when riding a fast bike can be extreme.  It is one of the reasons that I like to ride … I can’t take up mind space with other things when I am on my bike, which gives me a break from the regular day to day business issues.

When executing on a business strategy it is very simple to get distracted by the “noise” … and that is a great way to NOT hit your targets.  You get distracted by the HR issues in your group, the paperwork issues of month end, the “needy client” that never really gives you much business anyway, the weather, the news … anything but the thing that is going to make your business a success.  This is extremely common with start-ups, and it would not surprise me much to see “lack of focus” as a primary reason why small businesses fail.  The owner gets wrapped up in the “glamour” of being a business owner, they get swept along by the endless opportunities that they have, they spend time living the high life instead of rolling up their sleeves, watching the pennies and executing on their plan!

The way to be successful is to have a plan and to execute on it with TOTAL focus … not be distracted by anything from your goal.  If you are an entrepreneur, a small business owner, a salesperson or anyone charged with developing a business you can’t afford to take your eye off that goal.  It could be a revenue target, market share, product penetration rate, or any other goal … every day you should be focused on that goal and what it will take to meet and exceed it.

THAT is how you avoid getting “knocked out” or “road kill” in the business world! 

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!

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I wrestle with this problem … when does fighting change that hurts my industry become fighting change that is good … OR is it possible they can be both! 

I believe that our world has changed … forever. Technological advances, global competition, the recession, changing needs of society have all contributed to this fundamental change … in basically every industry.

I can go online and get someone half way around the world to do almost any kind of work I want at a fraction of what it might cost me locally.

Canadian companies compete with people who have never set foot in our country.

Clients are living with their realities … smaller budgets, more competition, tougher business environment,   ’tough to get’ financing etc.

As a business owner I have a responsibility to my staff and contractors to keep my company healthy so they can pay their mortgages; and to my clients to supply them with quality people, quickly and at a good price.

I have a responsibility to the community that has allowed us to build a company and has supplied the workforce and clients.  I need to give back and do what I can to be a good corporate citizen.

At the end of the day there are no easy answers … but when I am concerned about a change in the way my client procures my services, or a change in the way they do business I need to be sure that I am looking at the situation with my eyes open .. and NOT with those “blinkers” that don’t want to deal with change.

Sometimes the right answer is to tell the clients some truths that they don’t want to hear … that is the responsibility of a good supplier (who wants “yes people” as employees OR as suppliers?).  BUT I should ALWAYS seek to understand whether MY concern is MINE alone, and whether it really is something to tell the client.

Welcome to the new world … change has always been a constant, the new reality is the PACE of that change!  Hold onto your hats, it is not going to get any easier! 

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!

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Here in Ontario we will be going to the polls in early October.  One of the lessons that I have learned is that it is important to keep politicians of ALL parties informed about your industry, whatever your industry is. 

The reality of our society is that all of government’s services are paid for from taxes, and if the tax base is not sufficient then everything else  suffers.  SO … in order to have a healthy society you need enough people working and paying taxes, and enough companies paying taxes.  AFTER THAT you can look at spending money on programs that increase the quality of life of your electorate.

The Staffing Industry is a huge influence on jobs, we enable the job market, we create the environment that allows people to find their next job, to find their first job, to get the experience they need to move from temporary to permanent employment.

Did you know …

88% of staffing employees say that experience made them more employable;

77% of staffing employees say their temporary assignments led to to full time work;

80% of staffing clients say they use it as a means to hire permanent employees;

80% of temporary and contract employees work full-time hours.

There are a lot of myths and negative messages concerning our industry, but here are just SOME of the benefits of the staffing industry. 

Workforce benefits of the staffing industry:

1.)        Temporary and contract – Employees

                                                  i.    Explore a wide range of opportunities

                                                ii.    Find positions they are uniquely qualified for

                                               iii.    Valuable experience leading to career growth

                                               iv.    Lifestyle flexibility

2.)        Temporary and contract – Employers

                                                  i.    Reduce fixed costs

                                                ii.    Rapidly respond to economic changes

                                               iii.    Meet fluctuating labour demands

3.)        Search & placement – Employees

                                                  i.    A source of jobs the never get advertised

                                                ii.    Advice that helps get the job

                                               iii.    The inside track on employer needs

                                               iv.    Career advice

                                                v.    Insight into the employment marketplace

                                               vi.    Services at no charge

4.)        Search & placement – Employers

                                                  i.    Find the best people for the job

                                                ii.    Talent across a range of professions and trades

                                               iii.    Consultative advice, including HR

                                               iv.    Insight into the employment marketplace

If you work in the staffing industry I would encourage you to tell your elected officials about the value your industry brings to the economy.  That way, when they are tempted to bring in legislation that will hurt the industry they will at least understand what they might be doing. 

 If you work in another industry I would encourage you to develop messages that educate your elected officials about the value your industry brings.

Every economy needs jobs, let’s tell politicians how best to help business do that!! 

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!

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There are many people that I admire, most of whom I will never know … but they affect how I lead my life, they are role models to me.  It might be more accurate to say that there are many “types of people” that I admire because I only know their public persona, and not the private person behind it. 

I admire people who make things happen;  I admire people who LIVE their dream; I admire people who have passion; I admire people who have a goal and “go for it”; I admire entrepreneurs;  I admire people who give it their best shot … win or lose; I admire people who dedicate their life to politics, a cause, the arts; charities, building something, giving; I admire people with “grit”; I admire people with compassion; I admire people who treat others well.

That are a lot of role models that help me to become the person I want to become … but ALL of that group of people represent a very small minority of the population. 

Today a great Canadian passed away.  I don’t need to be a fan of his politics to admire Jack Layton.  He was committed to his goals, he dedicated his life to Canadian politics, he was a great leader who achieved great things, he was a compassionate man with grit and passion.  He was 61 years old and cancer got him .. he will be missed.

We all question our own mortality from time to time, whether it is when we lose someone close to us, we hear a story of  loss that strikes a chord or someone like Jack Layton passes away.   I often write about the importance of truly LIVING life, of making the most of our situation and striving to reach our potential.   some time ago I wrote a blog entry about Mortality that is worth a read.

Are you LIVING your life?  

“Every man dies, not every man TRULY lives” … from the movie Braveheart. 

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!
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A few days ago I wrote a blog entry called 3 Attributes to get a Job … Experience, Skills and Attitude.  I gave some high level thoughts on how you might improve you experience and skills … and suggested that a great attitude can REALLY differentiate.

Today I thought I would spend a little time talking about skills, and why you should always be investing in improving them.  If you are not improving your skills, in a world that is changing at an ever incresing pace then effectively you are going backwards.   So, what are you doing about it?

Some people will point to their job and suggest that their years of doing that job makes them very experienced … I might suggest that a computer developer (or receptionist or payroll clerk etc) with 10 years experience brings very little extra value than one with 2 years experience.  Their on the job skills improve dramtically in their early time on the job, but the rate of improvement drops off dramatically after a while.

So … ask yourself some questions.

>  What are you doing to improve your skills? 

>  What would you do if you were laid off tomorrow? 

>  Are you comfortable that you would be able to find a replacement job, and would it pay as much?

>  What could you do to get a better job?

>  What could you do to be better at this job?

>  Are you willing to invest time/money to improve your situation?

When you really think about these things it takes you a little out of your comfort zone …however  there are a lot of people who lost their jobs over the recession, and many of those jobs did not come back.  There is no way anybody can be complacent in their situation, so get out of your comfort zone and invest in yourself.

>  Take some courses.

>  Take on special projects.

>  Read … about your industry, about the economy, about what is happening in the world, about other industries that might interest you, about different jobs and roles that might interest you.

>  Get involved outside of work in non-profit organizations, sports clubs, charities etc.

>  Take an interest in other areas of your company.

Broadening your horizons, demonstrating interest and showing intitiative will (1) increase your worth in your current job, (2) it will make your work day that much more interesting, (3) it will reduce the chance that “you” will be the one to go … and (4) it positions you well for your next job.

Invest in yourself it just makes sense.

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.”  ~Henry Ford

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Subscribe to News from the Nest for updates about job market trends, industry news, and more.
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General Observations:

After three months of growth, employment in Canada basically remained steady in July, although there were regional differences such as Ontario losing jobs and Alberta gaining jobs.  The employment rate did however improve from 7.4% to 7.2%, primarily because less people participated in the labour market.  Overall Canada has added 252,000 jobs since July 2010.

The Canadian Dollar weakened slightly against the US dollar but is still above par at $1.01 US.  The strong dollar is one indicator of the strength of Canada’s economy, and while it can help in terms of buying power it hurts the sale of Canadian content.  The world markets continue to be exceptionally volatile and over this last month we saw a number of events.  The US credit rating was downgraded to AA+, partially caused by the debt ceiling debacle that shook the world’s financial systems even harder!  We saw riots in the UK that are partially blamed on austerity measures and unemployment.  The “PIGS” continue to cause concern within the EU and around the world.  The result of all this turmoil has been some of the biggest market declines since the recession!  Despite a strong Canadian economy the TSX has not been immune to the impact of these events.  After many months of a steady recovery on the TSX it has been hammered, and today sits more than 1,000 points down from when I wrote this update last month … today’s reading 12,308 versus 13,324 a month ago.  Oil too has been affected with the price per barrel, although still healthy, down to $84 a barrel versus $97.99 a month ago. 

Here at Eagle, the July volumes both in terms of resumes submitted and orders received from our clients was down very slightly from the previous two months, however we would attribute that to the typical Summer vacation period and not to a downturn in demand.

More Specifically:

We have seen little change in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and it remains the hottest job market in Canada.  Although the concerns about the world markets may yet affect this, it is the financial sector that continues to drive demand, with the telecommunication sector close behind.  There is a general buzz in the city and we are regularly seeing candidates turn down good offers because they have several to choose from.   The Ontario election will come in the fall, and until that is all said and done the government sector will be a little slower in demand than the rest of the market.  Summer vacations caused a little slowdown in demand and decision making, but nothing more than the normal annual July slowdown. 

Again, little change month over month in Western Canada with Calgary almost as busy as the GTA.  The resources sector continues to have high demand and like the GTA we are seeing a regular trend of candidates having multiple offers from which to pick and choose.  Other Western markets are steadily busy, but not at the same scale as the big two Canadian (head office) cities Toronto and Calgary. 

In Eagle’s Eastern Canada region, comprised of Ottawa, Montreal and the Maritimes it is still Montreal that is the busiest market.  Ottawa remains a little slow as the government works through it plans for renewal and shared services, and the influence of the summer vacation period.  Ottawa expects to get busy in the fall, as new requirements hit the street and some promised larger initiatives start to shape up.  The Maritimes continues to be a slow area for Eagle, and Canada’s employment numbers would suggest the region continues to struggle.

The following are some facts/indicators we are watching as of time of writing:

> the price of oil dropped a fair bit, from $98 a barrel to $84.

> The TSX lost a whopping 1,000 points month over month as the markets are generally hammered.  Current reading is 12,240 as against 13,324 last month.

> The Canadian dollar remains strong at $1.01 US, down slightly from $1.03 last month.

> Prime remains at 3% and is expected to remain steady through to the fall.

> Canada did not add or lose jobs in July, but the unemployment rate improved from 7.4% to 7.2%.

> Eagle continues to be busy in its largest markets Toronto and Calgary with steady business in most other markets. 

 Summary:

This past month has been tough on the world’s economy.  The protracted US debate about the debt ceiling led directly to the US credit rating downgrade and contributed greatly to undermining the already shaky confidence in the world’s markets.  When the EU continued to highlight the struggles of the “PIGS” and the UK suffered riots somewhat attributed to the austerity measures and high unemployment the effect on the markets was probably unavoidable.  The markets have tumbled, but most experts suggest this is not like the recession and expect the markets to come back, however a very recent report suggests that the US and EU are both very close to slipping into recession.  A tough backdrop for an update on employment!

Canada has fared well, despite all of the above.  Our employment rate improved to 7.2%, we have added 252,000 jobs over the last 12 months and we remain one of the brighter lights in an increasingly bleak world economy.

Across the country we have not seen any appreciable decline in demand, other than a slight seasonal dip attributable to the summer vacation period.  The two hottest markets, Toronto and Calgary, continue to set the pace yet there are decent signs in most markets.  We are hearing from many clients that they expect to pick up the pace of their projects in the fall, our government clients both Federal and Provincial seem to fall into that camp too.  The early October election Ontario may slow things a little, but opportunity should follow.  The Federal Government seems to be bringing change forward which can only mean opportunity in the National Capital Region, which will be a breath of fresh air for that market.  Montreal continues to be fairly busy and most of the smaller markets should be adding jobs this fall.

Unless the world slips back into recession I anticipate strong demand for skilled labour this Fall, which will lead to skills shortages which we are already seeing in those two very hot markets (Toronto and Calgary).  Hence I will end this write up with my “standing advice” to ANY company needing people:

(a) Start the process now with a strong PLANNING phase; (b) Develop very clean processes to find, screen, choose, hire and onboard these new resources; (c) Know that you will have a lot of competition and therefore speed in decision making will be critical; (d) The job doesn’t stop there … retention becomes the next challenge!

That was my monthly look at the Canadian job market and some of its influences. 

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)

Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!

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How often do you you think your sales team listen to you, but not hear what you are saying?

Probably you don’t know … because you think they heard what was said.

The reality is, very often we don’t process the information that comes into our ears correctly!  We use filters that bias what we hear.

Have you ever heard the words, “Its not going quite how we expected” … but processed it as “we are doing great” … OR “we are in big trouble”.  BUT you didn’t ask the questions you needed to ask to be sure you REALLY understood the message.  That is what salespeople do … inside they are saying, “ya, ya, ya … can I go sell yet?” OR they are looking at their PDAs, hoping they can get away soon!

As companies we develop messages that we want our sales teams to take to market … do you REALLY understand what they are saying?  Are they saying “yes I get it” to your face and delivering whatever they think it should be to their clients?  Do you role play with them to ensure they have it right?  You send an email to your team telling them the 4 messages you want delivered about the new line of business … do you actually know what they are saying to their clients?

It all starts with listening … and listening is not just about hearing the words, it is about understanding the meaning behind those words, the true message!

Sometimes the “listener” needs to hear the message in various ways … send the email, follow up with a conference call and finish with some role playing.  NOW you have some chance that the message will have been REALLY heard!

 You cannot assume your messages are being delivered correctly … you need to be sure, or YOU become the one who doesn’t know what your company is selling!

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!
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I’m a soccer player … and next to “theatrical dives” one of the things soccer players do well is use cliches!

I had a coach whose favorite line at the half time point of a game was … “It’s a game of two halves!”  he was pretty convinced that this was a deep philosophical statement designed to make us realise that no matter how well or how poorly we had played in the first half, we still had 45 minutes to win the game!

Well … to paraphrase that great philosopher, “The year comes in two halves, the first six months and the second six months!” 

What is my point?

Now is the time have a GREAT second half!

Are you on track with your plans?

Can you revisit your plans for the year and modify them to have a fantastic finish?

With six months (less a couple of weeks) to go, there is time to make things happen.  If you wait till October it might well be too late.

Go get ‘em!!!  (Another one of his sayings!)

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Subscribe to News from the Nest for updates about job market trends, industry news, and more.
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I recently blogged about the Job of Finding Work … which is a brief guide for those out hunting their next role.

There are however a class of unemployed that, for many reasons, become a little desperate.  They may have been unemployed for some time, their financial situation is dire, there is a lot of unemployment in their area, perhaps a big employer shut down or laid off so there is a lot of competition for jobs.

Here is some advice for you … there are basically three things you bring to a new employer … skills, experience and attitude.

You can’t do much about your experience, but you can do a couple of things.  (i)  add to your experience through charitable/volunteer work; (ii) put your experience in its best light highlighting how it can benefit an employer.

In order to get a job you need to stand out from the other candidates … remember it doesn’t matter how many people are looking for a job, you only need one!  You CAN differentiate based on skills AND most definitely on attitude!

SKILLS: 

What can you do to add to your skills?  Can you take some courses?  Can you get an unpaid job (intern) that gives you new skills?  Can you do some self-learning online?  If your skills are too generic can you consider going back to school and starting a new career? 

ATTITUDE:

This is THE number one way to differentiate from everyone else … but to truly take advantage of it you need to really BUY IN to your new attitude.  It is not enough to  say the words, you need to live and breathe it.

Recognise that your job is an important part of your world so be truly grateful that you have it …no matter what the job is!

Do EVERYTHING you can to be GREAT at your job.  If you sweep floors, then do it better than everyone else and with a smile on your face!!!

NEVER, EVER use the words … “that’s not my job”!  If you are asked to do it then just do it … and ask if thee is anything else you can do!!!

Dress for success … take pride in yourself.  Take your cues from those around you but always try to dress at the upper range of your peers … if you are a janitor, then clean coveralls, a little polish on the boots, a tidy appearance will go a long way to establishing what you what the world to see.

Don’t watch the clock … putting in a little extra time when its needed can make a huge impression.

Adopt a positive attitude … you have a job, your health, live in a great country etc.  Don’t get dragged down by negativity.

The world is full of people that expect the world to cater to them … they expected their parents to give them “stuff”, they expect their government to provide them with “stuff”, they expect their employer to pay them while they give as little as possible back!   YOU can beat them to the jobs every time, IF you can demonstrate a positive ATTITUDE.

Nobody said it was easy … but REALLY, it isn’t THAT hard to be a positive person!!! 

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!
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Maybe it is just me but I have a sense that common courtesy is waning and that more and more people seem to be very comfortable “unloading” a piece of their mind.  It appears that “open honest communication” has somehow degenerated and people are just rude.  I think that is sad, and our society is a little poorer with the passing of good manners!

1.  You can be open and honest without being rude.  It is just fine to voice your dissatisfaction with a situation, service, product or person … but there is no need to get personal, insulting or aggressive, EVER.

2.  In the workplace, communication should always be professional … emotional outbursts should be a very rare occurrence for which an apology is forthcoming, it should NEVER be the norm.

3.  Taking a strip off a store clerk is a lousy thing to do.  These are not highly paid people, if their attitude is not to your satisfaction then let them know and take your business elsewhere, if you are unhappy with the store don’t blame them … there is no need for drama.

4.  Bullying is more common in the workplace than any of us would like to think … and it is NEVER acceptable.  Always treat the other person the way that you would like to be treated if the roles were reversed … no matter what their status is!

5.  An aggressive, rude approach to life outside the home will result in spillover into the home … do you really want that kind of relationship with your kids, your spouse, your friends?

I see this kind of irrational and rude behaviour from people driving cars honking at everything that annoys them, from people on discussion boards who might disagree with the article they are commenting on, from people in the line-up at the coffee shop irritated at the delay, from people in stores and restaurants who think they are not being well served … it is an epidemic of bad behaviour!

We should institute a National Be Nice to Everyone YEAR!!!  Perhaps that would break this bad habit that is “going viral”! 

“Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.” -Frank Clark.  (As tweeted by my friend Amanda O’Reilly while I was writing this blog entry!!!)

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!
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