The Perfect Resignation Letter – My 5 Minute Rule

Marvelous day! You have just been recruited for a wonderful new company, but you are still working for the old firm. How do you break off work relations without burning years of bridges? The future looks good, but you know there may be a time on down the road when you will need that job reference.

Your recruiter can and usually does help you write the all important ‘Letter of Resignation’. They know you well by now, they have sung your praises to their clients and quickly located a better job for you. 

A1 Best Staffing frequently helps our candidates with this last hurrah. It’s all about how the letter is written and constructed. Give the customary two-weeks notice, but consult your employee handbook to verify company expectations. State a specific last day of work date.

Sample wording for the first paragraph: “after much reflection and consideration,” I have decided to leave __________ (your old employer) on ______ (a specific date). 

Remember, you are moving on. You deserve this better job. Don’t sell yourself short and stumble now over regrets about leaving. Your decision has been made, and now all that is left is to resign in style.

That said, definitely avoid any criticism of the present employer. Rein in your temper; this is not the time/place to rant about your old work place. If you do they won’t care, nothing will change and the resignation letter will be in your permanent file for eternity to come back and haunt you.

You are a pro, so leave them wanting more not wiping their brow with relief that you are gone. If you do this step right you will have great references from your old company.

Sample wording for next paragraph: “Thank you to ___________(your old supervisor) and the whole ___________ company for the opportunity to work with you.”

Next, mention your most specific accomplishments. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to ‘toot your own horn’ in your own words. Make it count.

Give a paragraph or two to reciting how well you did your job, giving specific examples. Do refresh their memory, get those high points down in print for all to see, crafted in your own language. Don’t be shy here.

Got the resignation letter printed and signed? Now, verbally carry your goodwill to a new level as you announce to management your decision to quit. Five minutes talk time max, and then offer to help them find and train your replacement, if possible. If this goes well they will remember you fondly. (Also an excellent opportunity to earn a confidential referral commission from your recruiter.)

Now, the final step.  Deliver the letter personally and with a smile within five minutes of your verbal announcement.  That’s it, you are done. Moving on - with a smile. 

Still Good Advice

Interviews. You gotta love 'em, no matter which side of the desk you find yourself sitting at.

I ask every new employee at A1 Best Staffing: "Be candid with me. I want to place you in a job that is a good fit for both of us. I won't judge you and I won't put you in a job that you aren't qualified for. Will you really talk to me? What you tell me today, right here, will help us both in the long run."

And they do, tell me. Followed by the plaintive cry temp recruiters hear so often - "I'm here because I can't find a job. Why don't I ever get called back after the first interview? But they seemed so interested, what did I do wrong?" My standard answer -  "Maybe you didn't do ANYTHING wrong. Maybe it's more what you  didn't do."

I place temp, temp to perm, and direct hires through A1 Best Staffing. Most of our temps don't interview with the client, we are trusted to provide the best candidates and we do. However, our direct hires, unlike temps, always interview first. We are sometimes asked to be a client's HR Agency - to screen and skill test, then send a few hand picked candidates for interviews.

So, of course I want to make sure our candidates ace the interview. To be chosen for the job, they have to stand out and step forward. My advice to them for that important interview? This article continues to sum up what our clients expect from top candidates, even now in 2013.  

4 Essential Questions To Ask At The End Of A Job Interview
By Amy Fontinelle | Investopedia – Tue, Sep 25, 2012 11:14 AM EDT

"I am always surprised how some interviewees tend to trail off towards the end of an interview instead of finishing strong and leaving a lasting impression," says Zachary Rose, CEO and founder of Green Education Services, a green jobs training firm in New York City. Whether you're a senior preparing for campus recruiting or a recent graduate still hunting for a job, here are the top questions experts recommend asking at the end of a job interview to leave a great final impression on hiring managers and establish yourself as a top candidate.

"Is There Any Reason Why You Wouldn't Hire Me?" 
Kelsey Meyer, senior vice president of Digital Talent Agents in Columbia, Mo., says, "A recent candidate asked, 'If you were to not offer the job to me, what would be the reason?' This was extremely straightforward and a little blunt, but it allowed me to communicate any hesitations I had about the candidate before he left the interview, and he could address them right there."
"This one question is something I would suggest every single candidate ask," adds Meyer. It lets you know where you stand and if you need to clarify anything for the interviewer. "If you have the guts to ask it, I don't think you'll regret it," she says.
Rachel Dotson, content manager for ZipRecruiter.com, says, "All too often you hear about candidates leaving an interview and thinking they aced it, only to get a swift rejection email soon after. Take the time while you're face-to-face to ask about and dispel any doubts that the hiring manager has." Make sure a key asset of yours hasn't been overlooked.

"As an Employee, How Could I Exceed Your Expectations?" 
Michael B. Junge, a staffing and recruiting industry leader with Irvine Technology Corp. in Santa Ana, Calif., and author of "Purple Squirrel: Stand Out, Land Interviews, and Master the Modern Job Market," says that one of his favorite interview questions is when a candidate takes the lead and asks, "If I were offered this position and joined your company, how would you measure my success and what could I do to exceed your expectations?"
"The question shows confidence without being overly brash, while also demonstrating that you have an interest in delivering positive results," Junge adds. What's more, the answer you receive can reveal what the interviewer hopes to accomplish by making a new hire, and this information can help you determine whether to accept the position if you get an offer.
"How Could I Help Your Company Meet Its Goals?"
Dotson also suggests job candidates ask the interviewer, "How does this position fit in with the short- and long-term goals of the company?" The response to the short-term side of the question gives you further insight into your potential role and helps you tailor the remainder of the discussion and your interview follow-up, she says. "Second, by bringing up long-term goals, you are telling the hiring manager that you're there for the long-run, not just another new grad that is going to follow suit with her peers and job-hop every six months," Dotson says.
Junge also recommends that interviewees ask, "What challenges have other new hires faced when starting in similar roles, and what could I do to put myself in a better position to succeed?" He says few students or new grads will ask this question because most haven't witnessed failure. To a hiring manager, this question demonstrates maturity and awareness, and if you're hired, the answers can help you avoid the pitfalls of being new.

"What Excites You About Coming into Work?" 
Murshed Chowdhury, CEO of Infusive Solutions, a specialized staffing firm in New York City, suggests that candidates ask the interviewer, "What excites you about coming into work every day?"
"This is a role reversal question that we often suggest candidates ask," he says. People love the opportunity to talk about themselves, so this question provides an excellent chance to learn about the hiring manager and find ways to establish common ground. "This is also a great opportunity for the candidate to determine whether he/she is excited by the same things that excite the hiring manager to see if the culture is a good fit," Chowdhury adds.

The Bottom Line 

Although it is important to provide a great first impression to a potential employer, as well as acing the basics of a job interview, closing the interview strongly is just as important.
"Prove to your interviewer that you want this position and you are in this for the right reasons, not simply to fill your day with something to do," Rose says. Ask these questions before you leave, and leave your potential new employer with a great impression.

Integrity and Being Perfectly Centered

A1 Best Staffing had a great day yesterday at the Oceans of Opportunity Job Fair at the Galveston Island Convention Center. We were thrilled to meet so many eager potential candidates, and even some new clients. Enthusiasm and optimism ran high throughout the packed exhibit hall.

It was a fantastic shot of adrenaline to immediately put a face to a resume and just plunge in talking about job planning, how the applicant's industry was changing, what their strongest skills were and hear incredible 'war stories' of the latest job separation. We didn't have a spare moment all day, the steady stream of qualified job hunters stayed consistent.

Some old friends came by, happy to see me and looking a bit embarrassed that they were out of work.  We all arrive at that place sometime in our lives, and need a bit of help.

If all the hundreds of applicants I spoke with yesterday, the most notable were those who left the job field years ago and are now job hunting, and only beginning to realize how tough the playing field is for someone of  ‘a certain age’ to get back into the game. Word of caution: Never set idling. Constantly keep training and learning new skills which add accomplishments to your list as you advance through life.

·      Coursera is a great free online college course site and offers classes from all the best universities. Less stressful than paid course and lets you try out new interests.

·     Volunteering locally is always welcomed by the community and is obviously self fulfilling.

Back at the office, my team sorted and looked over the resumes and applications. So much talent here for our clients. So many solid skills and personable candidates that we want to help.  Happy recruiters on my team.

Caution: As much as I know my candidate will be a perfect fit for them, I also know I will have to set perfectly centered between my client/hiring employer and my candidate, a position where my ability to facilitate, mediate and negotiate is dramatically increased.

I won’t be present at their meeting and interviews, I will introduce them separately to each other via inside information about my client’s business to my candidate, and via my candidate’s resume to my client. I relay information as thoroughly and accurately as possible; and then I sit back and listen. 

I want that great feeling when you receive the phone call from a satisfied CEO telling me that after a lengthily interview process, that she just spoke to my candidate and they both agreed to the terms I outlined. That they have a start date, and by the way, go ahead and send me an invoice. A match made by us, everyone happy. Very heady stuff.

So, I always remember that, even though our client companies pay the fees, the way we earn that fee is by maintaining equal respect and admiration for both parties and staying centered. It’s all about integrity.

Affordable Care Act

Many of our business clients are discussing how the Affordable Care Act will affect their company. They know it will have a significant impact on every element including hiring, profits, and taxes.

They are reaching out to us, to completely bypass some of the problems and lessen the resultant administrative and recruiting hassles.

In response to the Affordable Care Act a staffing industry survey completed by R.A. Cohen Consulting found that 28% of temporary staffing users stated they are increasing temporary and contract staffing usage.

We would like to discuss the effects of the new rulings with you. ACA guidelines do not apply to our client’s temporary workers.  Instead, A1 Best Staffing is responsible for providing healthcare options to our temporary workforce.

Partnering with a staffing firm will provide an intelligent option to employers and still allow them to be productive in their business.

Keep your eye on the ball.

“Where can I get more qualified employees? I don’t’ have enough staff, what do I do now? Do I run an ad? Do I contact the workforce commission? How can I get good people, fast?” These are questions we hear every day. At A1 Best Staffing we provide qualified candidates for your business team. Any good company needs to be able to make a game plan for steady, consistent growth which highlights their key strengths and will make them successful; no matter how fast their segment of the market grows.

As a whole, business owners know they need to do a much better job of being flexible, quick and nimble. They look to their HR Department to get the ball rolling. But, when an HR manager tells me they have 800 resumes for a position and have been working on them for two weeks or more, that's a problem.

Every day I read reports saying how big a certain facet of our business industry is growing, or how big the pool of unemployed applicants is. Yet even with that, I see many businesses wait and agonize over the decision to hire more staff. They decide they no longer need to focus on hiring, but rather on new products and services that don't really align with their current pool of talent. Then problems pop up and those 800 resumes set on someone’s desk, leading to lost productivity and an overwhelmed HR dept.  Why are you taking your eye off the ball and losing focus?

A1 Best Staffing fits the right candidate to the right job. And most of the reason for that is our laser focus on our clients’ needs. Call today and ask about our special rate package. You save and you get the right employees you need.