Why Employees Quit: Top Reasons and How Recruiters Can Help

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Over the last year, more companies have seen employees quit than ever. The collective movement of workers voluntarily leaving their jobs, coined the Great Resignation, began in 2021 as a response to wage stagnation, rising cost of living, and job dissatisfaction – and has continued well into 2022. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that 4.2 million people voluntarily separated from their job in August alone. As a result, companies are left scrambling to replace employees and prevent further turnover. But what’s causing workers to voluntarily leave en masse? From burnout to bad management, we’ve identified the top reasons why employees quit, and how working with recruiters can help. 

 

Employees Quit Because of Toxic Company Culture 

The beliefs and attitudes of an organization can highly influence job seekers’ decisions to join a company; and conversely, be a contributing factor to why employees quit. According to a poll conducted with our LinkedIn followers, a toxic company culture was the number one reason for leaving their last job. If employees don’t feel connected to the mission or values the company holds, they’re more likely to be disengaged and unproductive, leading to higher turnover. Consequently, a high turnover rate can have a negative effect on company culture and be costly to the business – with the cost of a bad hire ranging between $17K and $240K. With dissatisfied employees leaving and poor management offloading the extra workload onto the leftover workers, a toxic company culture can be perpetuated and reinforced by that turnover. Ultimately, this destructive, cyclical movement forces employees to leave their job. 

How Recruiters Can Help Combat a Toxic Company Culture

As an outside, impartial party, recruiters have a unique perspective when looking at clients’ company cultures. Through conversations with leadership and management, recruiters can evaluate the culture holistically and offer recommendations for improvements. They can give advice on cultural initiatives – such as diversity, equity, and inclusion – that can transform company cultures from toxic to empowering. 

When it comes to establishing a positive company culture, it’s key that management is involved. Specializing in executive recruitment, our recruiters help build leadership teams that influence culture from the top down. Our recruiting team finds executives, senior leaders, and managers that drive results for both culture and performance; which in turn, results in engaged and productive employees. Establishing an inclusive, positive company culture will lead to higher retention rates and increased job satisfaction.  

"My company has been working with Blue Signal for several years. In that time, Blue Signal has changed our company for the better in so many positive ways, but especially from a cultural and performance perspective. Most of our leadership team and middle management have been permanent placements from Blue Signal. As a result of their incredible initiative on our behalf, we’ve earned numerous awards for culture (e.g., Best Places to Work, Certified Great Place to Work), performance (e.g., Inc lists, Fast 40 mid-market companies, Financial Times Fast 500 in the Americas, Charlotte Fast 50, etc.), and have been recognized as one of the leaders in our industry in innovation. We wouldn’t be anywhere close to where we are today without Blue Signal."

— CEO, Wireless Company

Employees Quit Due to Lack of Opportunities for Advancement

According to a Pew Research Center survey, 63% of employees quit a job in 2021 due to the lack of opportunities for advancement. On top of leaving workers hanging and disengaged, unclear promotion paths can also lead to low morale and efficacy in the workplace. As a result, employees feeling like they’ve hit a dead end in their current role are bound to leave for somewhere that offers upward mobility. 

How Recruiters Can Help Establish Upward Mobility

It’s a recruiter’s job to fully understand the scope of the role – including responsibilities, team organization, and growth opportunities. During intake calls with candidates, recruiters can set clear expectations of professional development and career growth within the company. This way, the candidate is fully prepped on what is expected of the role, and what can be expected from the organization. Additionally, recruiters can work with hiring managers to establish clear internal promotion paths and professional development ladders. With those processes established, candidates can envision what they’d be working towards, even before they take the job.  

Employees Quit Because of Burnout

The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies employee burnout as a “syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” While all employees are sure to experience burnout sometime in their career, it may be more prevalent for some workers. In fact, 84% of millennials say they have experienced burnout at their current job. Like a toxic culture and lack of opportunities, workplace burnout can directly affect job satisfaction. Thus, burnt-out employees are 2.6x more likely to be actively seeking another job. If you notice employees quit because of burnout, you may be missing the mark when it comes to supporting your employees’ mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. 

How Recruiters Can Help Battle Burnout

Bringing in an outside recruiter’s perspective can uncover what your company’s missing – whether that is mental health benefits, inclusion initiatives, or retention strategies. Recruiters are masters of employee retention and engagement, even with a remote workforce. After all, they want to see the candidate they placed at your company thrive long-term. Utilizing recruiters’ expertise, hiring managers can apply their recommendations to help battle burnout.  

employees quit due to burnout statistic

Bad Management Makes Employees Quit  

We’ve all heard the saying, “Employees quit bad bosses, not bad companies.” While sometimes a terrible manager is easy to spot due to their unprofessionalism or negative attitude, others can fly under the radar. Less overt characteristics like constant micromanagement, lack of transparency, and being ill-equipped to lead can affect employees’ morale and productivity. For those considering leaving the company, these attributes can be the breaking point. When it comes down to it, a bad manager can cause even the best employee to quit. 

How Recruiters Can Help Restructure Management 

One of the key benefits of working with a recruiter is having the ability to restructure management by finding professionals skilled in leadership. Recruiters can ensure the executives they place have the qualifications needed to lead and inspire a team, such as emotional intelligence and a strong work ethic. Conversely, they’re able to spot the red flags in an intake interview that could lead to bad management. As a result, recruiters can build leadership teams that inspire, mentor, and build a team around trust and collaboration. 

 

Employees Quit Due to Poor Compensation

It should come as no surprise that employees quit due to being compensated poorly or unfairly. In fact, low pay was a major factor for more than a third of workers who left their jobs in 2021. With tools like Salary.com and LinkedIn Salary Insights, employees can easily find their market rate – and if their employer isn’t paying fairly, they might think it’s time to move on. Additionally, job seekers are looking for higher paying jobs to offset inflation. With the rising costs of everyday essentials, employees may look at their employers to provide an inflation or cost-of-living adjustment. At the end of the day, poor compensation is not always the primary factor for making employees quit, as it could be a combination of all the reasons above – but it may be the deciding one. 

How Recruiters Can Help with Compensation

As experts in the space, recruiters have deep insight into market conditions and can determine what candidates are expecting in terms of compensation. Hence, recruiters have the unique advantage of being able to advise hiring managers on salary, commission, and bonus structures that will give their job offer a competitive advantage. In addition, they will have insights on whether a candidate has multiple offers, or higher offers, from other companies throughout the interview process. Using this inside information, they can also advise hiring managers on decision speed, to not risk losing a candidate to another offer. Recruiters can also properly inform candidates on the company’s salary range at the beginning of the hiring process, so that they are not blindsided in the offer stage. Setting clear expectations for compensation, to both candidates and clients, is an essential way recruiters can help prevent employees from quitting.  

 

Conclusion

Employees quit for a multitude of reasons; it may be because of a toxic company culture, lack of opportunity, burnout, bad management, poor compensation – or a combination of each. If your company is wondering why employees quit, look internally to see if any of these factors are prevalent. Then, if you’re not sure how to mitigate them, reach out to a recruiter. At Blue Signal, our recruiting team is your partner in the hiring process, even after we make the initial placement. By utilizing our recruiters’ expertise, you can avoid the top reasons employees quit, and establish groundwork for a thriving work environment. Contact us today to partner with a recruiter on your next search.  

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Coffee with a Recruiter Feat. Karli Larson – Mastering Engagement for Remote Employees

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Karli Larson is Blue Signal’s own employee engagement guru. As our Director of People and Culture, Karli helps BSS keep our own workforce engaged – with nearly 40 remote employees nationwide! Her initiatives have resulted in marked improvement in engagement as well as overall employee satisfaction. Karli’s expertise can easily be applied to any remote workforce. Watch her segment and read on to hear about some of her best practices!  

“Whether your workforce was remote before the pandemic, they were forced to go remote, or they transitioned to remote indefinitely as a result of the pandemic, you may be wondering – how do I keep everyone engaged? Virtual happy hours have lost their luster and there is no longer an opportunity to connect by the water cooler or coffee machine, so what keeps people connected when they’re working remotely?” 

 

Can Remote Employees be Fully Engaged?  

“YES! And it doesn’t cost you a lot of money or time spent sipping White Claw at 4 o’clock in the afternoon in front of your computer screen. Recent studies have shown that remote employees who get regular feedback are the most engaged out of any other group, including in-person employees! They have the autonomy of working how and where they want to and they get meaningful feedback, creating optimal engagement.” 

 

What Exactly do Remote Employees Need to be Engaged? 

“Connection is the name of the game here. My top three suggestions for getting people engaged are: 

#1 - Connection with their manager.  

Employees want to know how they are performing and that someone cares about their success and well-being. This comes from regular one-on-ones. These one-on-ones can be every week, biweekly, or monthly depending on the needs of the employee, but they should be scheduled and there should definitely be an agenda. Gallup did a study that found that managers account for a 70% variance in employee engagement. So, no pressure managers, but you influence how your team feels about their job and the company. 

#2 - Connection to their peers.  

Human beings have an inherent desire to belong to a group. This sense of belonging helps them appreciate their work and not feel like they are going at it alone. Having regular team meetings creates a culture of shared values and open communication. Team meetings should focus on team goals that everyone’s striving for. They should also celebrate people's wins and offer assistance when people are dealing with work related hurdles. 

#3 - Connection to the company.  

Being connected to the company can look different for many people, but it starts before the  offer is ever made. Maybe they align with your mission and values, they feel connected to the philanthropic endeavors of the company, or they’re just really excited about the company culture that they’re seeing online. Most of the time there is an attraction to your company, and you should find out what it is. During an interview, simply asking, “what drew you to our company?” will not only tell you about the level of research they did about your company, but it will also let you know what’s important to them.” 

 

So Remote Employees Don’t Want Virtual Happy Hours?  

“People want connection! So, after there has been a meaningful connection – i.e., the three things we just went over – find ways to bring people together. This may be mentorship programs, special groups, or even the occasional happy hour with games to learn about each other.” 

 

Why is this Important? 

“When you have high employee engagement, you have productive employees and better overall results – and that’s a win-win!” 

 

Key Takeaways for Ensuring Engagement with your Remote Employees 

When examining your engagement level among remote employees, it can be easy to miss some of the details. For instance, does your online presence align with your company’s values and goals? As a remote employer, how do you highlight your culture to job seekers? It’s important to make sure that your content represented both internally and externally to the worldwide web audience reflects the reasons why employees were excited to work for you to begin with. Make the mission of your remote engagement initiatives clear to everyone who sees your content. This way, you’ll attract candidates whose needs you are ready and able to meet. Furthermore, you’ll improve your retention by making those working for you today feel part of the bigger picture.  

Karli covers several main points within her segment. Namely, that the tools to ensure engagement within your remote employees are simple, and free! With a good set of company values, the right communication, and dedicated leadership, remote employees will thrive when given the opportunity to connect. 

Karli Larson
Karli Larson

Karli Larson

SR. MANAGER OF PEOPLE & CULTURE

Karli’s path to HR came from her two passions, people and service. She believes that HR is one of the single most human-based roles out there. By supporting the internal culture for the humans of Blue Signal, she is in turn helping humans from all industries succeed in their chosen careers!

 

Employee Referrals: A Sourcing Secret

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The Importance of Employee Referrals

Employee referrals may be the best kept secret when it comes to recruiting. Whether you have just begun a search or are months in the trenches, employee referrals can be an important tool when sourcing talent. Traditional methods of recruiting through career sites and job boards are starting to become less fruitful as the platforms become saturated with candidates that have dozens of recruiters pining after them. When you hit a dead end with your traditional sourcing methods, it’s time to turn to your network. Recruiters and hiring managers are realizing that qualified (and often passive) talent can be found through word of mouth – that is, through asking their network for employee referrals.

Why Employee Referrals are the Best Source of Hire

They’re Effective:

Research from Jobvite found that the most effective way to find top talent is through employee referrals, citing that 78% of recruiters find their best quality candidates using this sourcing method. Despite career sites and job boards having the highest number of applications, employee referrals have the highest conversion-to-hire rate. This makes employee referrals cost effective while streamlining the timeline of the search. According to Jobvite, only 7% of applicants come from referrals. Incredibly, this small number accounts for nearly all hires – further proving that employee referrals are lucrative when recruiting top talent.

Graphic explaining why to hire employee referrals. Paragraph of text next to a horizontal bar graph of hires by source type vs. applications by source type.

In addition to being cost and time effective, employee referrals are the most efficient when it comes to onboarding. Employee referrals onboard with an average of 29 days from their application date, which is 55% faster than applicants on a career site (with an average of 55 days). By onboarding faster than other hire sources, employee referrals are able to get up to speed and start succeeding in their new roles quicker. Consequently, this saves companies money. With the average cost of an open role being around $18,000, having an vacancy for months on end can be detrimental. At the end of the day, employee referrals are the most effective way to save time and money during your search.

They’re a Better Culture Fit:

When it comes to hiring, determining if a candidate is a culture fit can be a make-or-break decision. Despite job boards and career sites attracting hundreds of applicants, candidates referred by a current employee are more likely to reflect and/or adapt to the core values and attitudes of an organization than those from other hire sources. Consequently, recruiters consider an employee referral to be the second most important factor when evaluating a candidate because those candidates are proactively evaluated as a good fit for the company by the referring party. In addition, the new hire has a cultural support system before they even step through the door; the referring party will be genuinely invested in the new hire’s success and will help them navigate the corporate culture. As a result, having an employee that you know matches the organization’s ethos and structure will not only strengthen company culture overall, but decrease turnover.

They Have Higher Retention Rates:

Employee referrals have the highest retention rate compared to hires from other sources, with the average length of employment being over three years. Having been referred by a previous or current employee, candidates that come in with detailed insights of the company – such as company culture and structure – have a significant advantage over their counterparts. This knowledge eases new job nerves and guarantees less speedbumps during the onboarding process. Equally as beneficial, employees who refer others also have a higher retention rate, and stay at the company 20% longer. With increasing retention rate becoming a major recruiting priority for 2021, hiring managers need to invest in employee referrals – they’re a win-win-win for the referrer, referee, and the company.

How to Get Employee Referrals

Employee referral programs are a tried-and-true method of unlocking top talent. According to Jobvite, 79% of organizations offer an employee referral program, and 48% of organizations are seeing a higher participation in these programs in 2021. By tapping into their current employees’ networks, companies could potentially expand their talent pool by 10x. Although employee referral programs have potential for great success, they are entirely dependent on the motivations of the referring party – whether it’s wanting to help their friend, wanting to support the company, or wanting to receive the monetary incentive provided. Therefore, this could be unpredictable and unreliable for filling urgent roles. Whilst established referral programs can be a great source for roles that aren’t time sensitive, it is also important to consider other ways to reach employees’ networks.

Today, one of the most important networks is the one found online. Utilizing social networks among recruiters has been a common practice, but has picked up momentum in the recent years. Over one third of recruiters are leveraging social media to supplement employee referral programs. Additionally, 80% of recruiters believe that investing in social media is absolutely crucial, as more and more candidates are being found through social networks. As your network expands, so does the opportunity for employee referrals. An action as simple as a LinkedIn connection could lead to your next placement. For example, if you have 500 connections on LinkedIn and each of your connections has 100 connections, that totals 50,000 reachable contacts. When it comes down to it, it really is all about who you know.

Conclusion

Employee referrals are an unparalleled source when it comes to recruiting top quality candidates for your organization. The quality of employee referrals is reflected in their time and cost efficacy, higher conversion and retention rates, and likelihood to be a better culture fit. When searching for employee referrals, turn to your network – utilizing your company’s employee referral program or sourcing from your social network can yield an unmatched talent pool. In the midst of fighting the War for Talent, trust in Blue Signal as your partner in the process and for industry-focused tips.

Recruiting Across Different Generations

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The Generational Divide: Recruiting Employees Across Different Generations

Today's workforce currently includes four generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Gen Z. With so many differing ideals and motivators, avoiding conflict and fostering cohesion between these age groups is essential. To create a robust and diverse workplace, examine your recruitment process, job advertising, employee benefits offerings, and internal culture to ensure that you’re attracting and retaining the best talent.

 

What Differentiates the Four Generations Found in the Workforce Today?

Generations are demographic groups arranged by birth years that are often defined and affected by significant cultural or historical events within their lifetimes. For example, the Greatest Generation (born in 1901 – 1924) lived through the Great Depression and World War II, whereas Baby Boomers (born in 1946 – 1964) had the 60s counterculture, civil rights movements, and the Vietnam War that set the tone within their lifetimes.

Technology and the internet are significant factors for the four most recent generations currently in the workforce. Boomers adopted technology as older adults, while Gen X (born in 1965 – 1980) was the first to have access to personal computers. Meanwhile, Millennials (born in 1981 – 1996) and Gen Z (born in 1997-2012) are "digital natives" who have had internet access for most, if not all, of their lives.

Differentiating the Four Generations

Recruiting Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z Talent

When setting up your digital recruitment strategy to attract diverse and talented employees, you'll want to reach your target audience where they are and keep job seekers' goals in mind while marketing the position to candidates. For generations across the board, you can feel free to forgo print media. Boomers might not be digital natives, but most have smartphones, and many are active social media users.

In addition to platforms like LinkedIn and third-party job boards, consider mobile and SMS advertising. Using various media tactics and communication channels such as social media goes a long way toward maximizing your recruiting potential across different generations.

 

Best Practices for Advertising Jobs & Benefits to Multigenerational Candidates

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to enticing candidates with job descriptions and benefits, certain perks attract some age groups more than others. Appealing to job seekers by their generation can help you advertise your position and communicate to potential hires with exactly what your company has to offer.

Advertising Jobs to the Four Generations

Use the following list as a general guide to what each generation finds appealing in terms of work, company culture, and benefits:

Baby Boomers

Less concerned about company culture, most Boomers want to know about day-to-day duties and how their experience can contribute to the organization. They like to hear about the why behind decisions, and how the results of their actions will support company success. These job seekers are looking for stability, good healthcare benefits, and the potential for flexible hours as they get closer to retirement.

Generation X

Most Generation X candidates will be looking for growth opportunities as well as professional development and clear paths to promotion. Work-life balance will also be important as job seekers in this generation may be caring for aging parents or children. Healthcare and good retirement benefits have strong appeal for this group.

Millennials

Company culture and ethics are important to this age group. Most Millennials want to work for businesses they can believe in and trust. They thrive on social connection and want to work for companies with strong internal culture. Perks like working from home, free lunches, and gym memberships, in addition to affordable healthcare and flexible PTO, attract this generation.

Generation Z (Zoomers)

Much like Millennials, the ethics of your company will be important to Gen Z. They'll want the same perks as their Millennial counterparts and typically thrive in all-digital environments or work-from-home setups. Conversely, they will not pay much mind to company culture, as long as they are treated as equals amongst peers.

Hiring managers might not be able to offer benefits that appeal across all of these demographics. However, including the benefits and perks your company offers, providing insight into day-to-day work tasks, and adding an overview of your office culture in your recruitment efforts goes a long way toward attracting a diverse workforce.

 

Hiring the Right Candidate

When looking to add a diverse mix of people and generations to your company, the bottom line is that you want the best of the best in terms of talent. While tailoring your recruitment advertising to attract multigenerational candidates is essential, at the end of the day, you want the best person for the job. So regardless of a candidate's specific generation, look for the following traits and concepts when making a hire:

Preparation 

Regardless of a candidate's generation, job seekers should be informed and ready to talk about your company. Not only should they be able to give detailed answers about the business, its background, and its purpose, but good candidates will also have company-specific questions prepared for the interviewer.

Zeal

Look for job seekers who are genuinely interested in the position. Have they done any research into your industry? How are they keeping up with trends and technologies in this area? Employers can train skills, but you can't teach enthusiasm. Therefore, candidates who display eagerness and a drive to succeed in their field or career are ideal.

Suitability

Emphasizing company culture in an interview has two main benefits. First, noting the values and mission of your company will strongly appeal to Millennial and Gen Z candidates. Describing these dynamics and seeing how a candidate reacts can be very telling. Second, specific, detailed interview questions about how the candidate embodies or believes in these same values and mission of the business can help you determine which candidate is the best fit for your team. All the better if the candidate has questions of their own regarding culture, allowing you further insight into what their role would be in the team’s structure if brought on.

Initiative

Beyond training, potential employees need to be very self-motivated to fulfill their roles. Working from home and performing tasks with little supervision is the new normal, and employees will oftentimes have to figure things out for themselves. Asking interview questions about how candidates have taken initiative in the past or have thrived in a role with low supervision can help you make an informed hiring choice.

 

Best Practices to Support a Diverse Team

To support a multigenerational workforce, managers need to encourage a proactive office environment that promotes inclusion. By catering to different communication styles, offering two-way mentorships, emphasizing respect, and avoiding certain assumptions and stereotypes, companies can reduce conflicts due to different age groups in the workplace.

Support Diverse Generations Team

Varied Communication Channels

One factor that differs among all four generations is their communication preferences. For example, Baby Boomers often favor calls or face-to-face meetings, while many Millennials and Zoomers might prefer text or video chats. To bridge the gap and create a collaborative workspace, offer a variety of in-person meetings, calls, chats, email, and social media so everyone can use their favorite communication methods or explore new options.

Reverse Mentoring

Setting up two-way mentorships among people in different age groups has several benefits. The concept centers on both parties sharing what they know with one another without a power struggle. By pairing an older worker with a younger employee, one might gain insights from the other's extensive experience while inspiring a more tech-savvy approach to problem-solving.

Respect

Respecting workers regardless of age should be the cornerstone of your workplace culture. Acknowledging that both Boomers and Millennials have a wealth of knowledge and talent to bring to the table can break stereotypes. Placing value evenly among Generation X and Zoomers can encourage collaboration. Treating all generations as equals will strengthen relationships among colleagues.

Avoid Assumptions

Assuming what people want, based either on your own generational view or preconceived notions about others, can throw off the balance of your workplace. Instead of guessing that a younger worker might want more vacation time as a benefit rather than working from home, simply ask them. As an overarching rule of thumb, by talking with employees and finding out about which incentives/benefits, processes, or communication styles they prefer, you are more likely to retain your staff and avoid leaning into stereotypes based on age.

Mix Things Up

Fight the urge to group younger employees together with the assumption that they'll work well together or get along better. By allowing your office to settle into a natural mix, with younger and older employees working side by side, you can encourage communication and collaboration. Let workers find what they have in common on their own and discover the strengths that each individual and group brings to the table.

 

Beyond the Generation Gap: Life & Career Stages

Some studies suggest that the four generations' values and preferences really aren't that different, despite popular opinion on the matter. In fact, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) suggests that career and life stages play a more significant role in workplace relationships and management.

For example, apartment dwelling Zoomers and Gen Xers who are single with no kids may have more in common, along with similar goals and needs, than a Boomer or Millennial with a mortgage and a family. A person's life stage is another way to define someone beyond their generation.

Similarly, Boomers who are changing careers and Zoomers fresh out of college both have to figure out how to navigate modern hiring processes and online interviews successfully. These employees may also seek out promotions to advance their new careers and increase their salaries. While appealing to the wants and needs of each generation can help recruitment, similar life and career stages often transcend differences between age groups in the workplace.

 

Resources for Recruiting Generations Across the Spectrum

Whether you’re looking to hire Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Gen Z, or just need the best of the best, leverage a recruiter. Recruiting firms are experts at navigating the constantly changing landscape of the job market. It’s a recruiter’s duty to represent people based on skill, looking beyond gender, generation, race, ethnicity, etc. When looking to create a robust and diverse workplace, consider engaging with a firm like Blue Signal to truly strategize your recruitment process, job advertising, employer branding, and so much more to attract and retain the best talent – no matter their generation.

 

About our Contributor, Hazel Bennett: Hazel Bennett is a freelance writer and blogger. She has a degree in communications and lives in Northeastern Ohio. Hazel loves writing about numerous topics and showcasing her expertise with words.

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Blue Signal Women of the Workplace, 2021 Update

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Since the beginning, Blue Signal has worked to advocate for women - both internally within our company, and externally within our greater community. In 2019, this took a more official form with the founding of Blue Signal Women of the Workplace (BSS WOW). 

This female empowerment initiative brings together everyone in the company, with the working purpose “to promote education, connection, and empowerment for women (and those who support women) and their contributions to the broader goals of Blue Signal… and beyond!” Just like Blue Signal’s other DEI initiatives, BSS WOW has an impact that extends beyond just the internal organization. Below is an update on the projects we’ve worked on over the last year.

Blue Signal Women of the Workplace Purpose Graphic

BSS WOW Partnering with Live and Learn AZ 

Live and Learn is a local non-profit organization that was created to empower women in the Phoenix-metro area to break the cycle of generational poverty. They support the financial independence and career growth of women in our community by offering classes, workshops, and training geared toward accomplishing each individual woman’s goals. Their incredible education programs have resulted in life-changing successes, like earning degrees, landing jobs, and so much more. 

Blue Signal’s Women of the Workplace has been supporting Live and Learn in this mission since 2020, by providing resume writing tips and interview coaching. Through collaboration and a little bit of recruiter magic, Blue Signal has been able to walk these women through the resume writing process and renew their confidence to dive into the job market. In 2021, we are excited to continue this partnership and plan to provide as much value as possible to the clients of Live and Learn AZ. 

Blue Signal Women of the Workplace, Live and Learn Testimonial Graphic

BSS WOW Education and Certifications 

Despite COVID-19 changing the way we meet, Blue Signal’s Women of the Workplace has continued to come together since our company moved to a fully remote work model. We meet virtually once every other month to discuss updates on our Live and Learn philanthropic work, learn about issues surrounding women, and empower one another through discussion and shared experiences.

In our meetings, BSS WOW has discussed gendered language and its impact on how we understand and represent the workforce overall. We have examined articles, like this one from the New York Times that has stirred quite a bit of commentary surrounding gendered titles like “Female CEO” in corporate leadership. We’ve also covered difficult topics like biases, intersectionality, discrimination, and privilege. Through prioritizing these meetings, we’ve discussed everything from #GirlBoss to “fireperson,” learning along the way about inclusivity and empowerment. These topics have also led to conversations about ways we can implement better industry practices for emailing candidates, addressing clients over the phone, and writing job descriptions to advertise online. 

During a recent meeting, the entire BSS WOW group became LinkedIn certified in helping Women Succeed in the Workplace by taking this course as a team. The course was aimed toward helping women (and their male or non-binary allies) advocate for success within their careers. By learning about better practices surrounding self-confidence, executive presence, and pay equity, Blue Signal is continuing our education on how best to support our candidates on their career paths, and our clients in fostering success throughout their teams. 

Blue Signal Women of the Workplace LinkedIn Learning Course Certification Graphic

Summary

Blue Signal Women of the Workplace seeks to create an assembly that unites our workplace to further the goals of each other as individuals, and propel Blue Signal to be the best recruiting firm on the planet. We believe that connected, empowered women, and those who support them, are unstoppable. BSS WOW has served as a platform to give Blue Signal colleagues the tools and resources needed to support their growth and to build long-term relationships while reaching new heights within professional development. BSS WOW has helped us improve the way in which we support our clients, candidates, colleagues, and community. We are excited to continue in our mission to be a resource for supporting and advocating for women in any workplace. 

Blue Signal Ranked Among Inc. Magazine’s Best Workplaces 2021

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 BLUE SIGNAL RANKS AMONG HIGHEST-SCORING BUSINESSES ON INC. MAGAZINE’S ANNUAL LIST OF BEST WORKPLACES FOR 2021

 

429 Companies that Make Work Worth It

 

Blue Signal has been named to Inc. magazine’s annual list of the Best Workplaces for 2021. Hitting newsstands May 18 in the May/June 2021 issue, and as part of a prominent Inc.com feature, the list is the result of a wide-ranging and comprehensive measurement of American companies that have created exceptional workplaces and company culture whether teams are operating in person or remotely.

Best Workplaces Inc Stat Graphic

Collecting data from thousands of submissions, Inc. singled out 429 honorees this year. Each nominated company took part in an employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace, on topics including management effectiveness, perks, and fostering employee growth. The organization’s benefits were also audited to determine the company’s overall score and ranking.

Blue Signal has worked hard to meet the changing needs of its workforce this last year. Founder and Executive VP Matt Walsh puts it best: “we take pride in our strong employee retention, and a large part of our success is due to our ingrained culture. Our culture is centered on five core values: excellence, transparency, integrity, commitment, and respect. Where only one in 10 in our industry go on to a career in recruiting, our tenure is well above the industry average. We have ensured that our company culture is prioritized and unwavering with consistent check-ins and virtual events that help us build community across our remote, nationwide workforce.”

“The definition of a positive workplace has changed drastically over the past year,” says Inc. magazine editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. “Stocked fridges and nap pods were no longer perks many companies could rely on once work went remote. So, this year’s list is even more important as it reveals organizations that continue to enrich the lives of its employees amid a pandemic.”

 

About Blue Signal Search

Blue Signal is a nationwide executive search firm that connects companies seeking the best talent in their respective industries with superior performers. The industries we specialize in include wireless, telecommunications, Internet of Things (IoT), medical/healthcare, finance/accounting, emerging technology, cloud, managed services, manufacturing/industrial, logistics/supply chain, and human resources. We build deep relationships with our consultants and candidates, providing career consultation and opportunities to help make a career advancement possible.

Our dedication to building relationships within key industries allows us to provide our clients and candidates with unparalleled access and a high level of expertise around market conditions. As a business partner, we will never compromise on professionalism, providing an uncommon level of transparency for our industry.

 

About Inc. Media

The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

 

About Quantum Workplace

Quantum Workplace, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is an HR technology company that serves organizations through employee-engagement surveys, action-planning tools, exit surveys, peer-to-peer recognition, performance evaluations, goal tracking, and leadership assessment. For more information, visit QuantumWorkplace.com.

How 5G Will Revolutionize the Way You Do Business

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By now you’ve probably caught the buzz about this thing called 5G that’s coming to change the world… but what is it really? And what will it mean for your business once it’s here? 5G is the 5th generation mobile network and the new global wireless standard. 5G wireless technology is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps data speeds, much lower latency, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users across the globe. Simply put, it’ll make your mobile connectivity faster and more reliable. This technology is a huge breakthrough in wireless tech and some industry insiders have gone so far as to say that the 5G network will be as revolutionary as the printing press, the automobile, and electricity. So the question is, have you thought about how your business will change? In this blog, we’re hitting on all the key features of 5G that will revolutionize the way you do business and how to utilize them most effectively.

Ability to Work From Anywhere

With the recent pandemic and the majority of the nation’s workforce working from home, the capability to connect wirelessly, from any location is more necessary than ever. 5G enables just that; making being chained to an Ethernet cable or within range of a Wi-Fi hotspot a thing of the past. With the power of 5G, users will be able to connect to high-speed connections from just about anywhere. Yes, anywhere. A recent study shows 62% of employees work remotely at least part-time and this number only continues to rise as more employers continue to enforce health and safety precautions. With the abilities of 5G, businesses will be able to allow even more flexibility to their employees when it comes to working locations. In turn, this creates a larger candidate pool as geographical location ceases to be a qualifier for employees. This ease of accessibility is sure to increase morale and create a more relaxed workforce.

Seamless Functionality

With 5G, not only will the connection be vastly available but the functionality will be seamless. Through its fluid capabilities, 5G allows not just remote work but virtual work. The difference? Users will be able to access data, communicate with co-workers, collaborate on projects just as seamlessly as if they were physically in the same room. Remote workers will no longer be held back by needing access to large amounts of data, or a brainstorming session interrupted by poor video connection and lag. Further, with the increased capability, running more advanced technology becomes a breeze. Businesses will be able to access and implement virtual reality, augmented reality, and AI technology into their typical work routines creating a more connected and technologically advanced environment.

5G to Increase Productivity Poll

Increased Productivity

The entire workforce is buzzing in anticipation of the impact 5G will have on the way we function. 91% of US organizations and 88% of small to mid-sized enterprises agree that 5G will increase productivity. As mentioned earlier, lagging connections and download speeds can really disrupt remote and in-office employees’ workflow and attention span. Significantly faster data speeds mean far lower latency while waiting for a file to load, a meeting to start, attachments to download, etc. A big contributor to slow or glitchy connections is an influx of users in a centralized area. 5G allows for up to a million devices per square kilometer, making high-speed connections seamless even in extremely high traffic areas. There is an overwhelming amount of both large and small impacts that will contribute to maximized productivity from every angle. Even something as small as improved energy efficiency will result in prolonged battery life on devices, eliminating time searching for a lost charger or an outlet in a crowded coffee shop.

Improve Company Communication & Culture

Especially in the current state of the world, having a strong company culture is more important than ever to keep employees engaged. Human connection and interaction is key to keeping a positive mindset throughout the office and even more so for employees working at home. Companies are hiring more remote employees, expanding across the country and even the globe. While this leverages several benefits, it also can create some challenges in developing an inclusive company culture and connected dynamic. All of the capabilities 5G will introduce into your business play a role in how you’ll connect and interact internally, no matter your organization’s geographical location. Trust us, boring conference calls will be a thing of the past as the potential of 5G innovations expand to holographic calling, enabling users to view 3D presentations with or without glasses, and interactive meetings utilizing AI technology. Why would you choose to use small chat boxes on computer screens when augmented and virtual reality connectivity will run seamlessly?

It’s clear to see that the power and innovation 5G is bringing will revolutionize the way people do business in a big way. Here at Blue Signal, we plan to utilize many of these advancements in multiple aspects of our business. One area we are excited to embrace is the ability to further empower our remote employees’ flexibility in where and how they work. Blue Signal has a long history of leveraging a geographically diverse team as we’ve had recruiters working from all over the country since our inception. The ability to further advance the way we communicate and engage with each other internally will be a huge initiative in the coming year as we look forward to continuing to nurture our tight-knit company culture. Additionally, the connectivity and seamless functionality of 5G will allow us to better serve our clients and candidates. As the recruiting industry continues to grow, we continue to stay committed to rising above the norm by utilizing the most effective resources, technology, and processes available to us. Reach out to one of our recruiters today to talk about what 5G advancements mean for your workforce and how you can capture these benefits.

Blue Signal Cares: “Abby’s Big Day Out”

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On May 4, 2019 Blue Signal had the privilege of sponsoring the event, “Abby's Big Day Out” during Brain Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Association for Cancer Research, more than 23,000 people are diagnosed with brain cancer and other nervous system cancers each year. Some of these diagnoses are for DIPG, a type of tumor that starts in the brain stem - usually in children aged 5 to 10 years old.

A cause rather close to the Blue Signal family is the charitable organization, “Another Day with Abby.” On September 19th, 2016 Abigail was diagnosed with DIPG, a rare, inoperable, brain tumor that only affects 300 children in the U.S. every year. After a courageous battle with cancer that lasted 9 months, Abigail passed away on June 15th, 2017 at eight years old.

Her family describes her as a “smart, sweet and funny individual. She wore her heart on her sleeve and committed herself fully to everything that she did. She was so many things to so many people; she was a girl scout, a burgeoning artist, a pint-sized humanitarian, a self-taught swimmer, a comedian, a musician (thanks to her cherry red Fender Stratocaster) a voracious reader and lover of books, a daughter, a granddaughter, a cousin and a sister. She loved everything and everyone she met, she was a genuinely kind and trusting person who wanted to be a musician one day and a painter the next.”

“Another Day with Abby” was created in her honor to help raise money for the families of children who have been recently diagnosed with the disease to make sure they can cover the financial burden that something like this places on a family.

Their first event “Abby’s Big Day Out,” was a picnic-style event that had fun field games, kickball, and BBQ. With over 150 attendees, the event raised over $4,000 for the family of Peyton, a 5 year old from Michigan who was diagnosed with DIPG in February.

Blue Signal was proud to be a presenting sponsor for the event. Community involvement has always been paramount to our office culture, and we are humbled to be able to turn this initiative into something that can help other families, because as Abigail taught the world, every day is worth fighting for. If you are interested in learning more, please follow the links above or go to https://www.anotherdaywithabby.com/#donate to donate.

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