Aureus Group Launches New Web Site

Aureus Group is excited to announce the launch of its new Web site. Updated implementing a fresh color palette, enhanced navigation, and dynamic graphics that feature each of the Aureus Group practice areas, the site not only offers information about Aureus Group’s staffing options, but is packed full of resources to help employers and job seekers through out the hiring and career searc process. Check out the Job Seekers and Employers Knowledge Center sections for useful staffing and career resource links, salary tools, interview tips, and more. The Aureus Group Web site also features Success Stories from esteemed Aureus Group clients and details on upcoming Aureus Group events.

We hope that our valued partners will find the tools and resources on the new Aureus Group Web site helpful and that you’ll continue to turn to Aureus Group for all of your staffing and career needs.

Embrace Your Inner Trainer

Training. What does this word mean to you? Are you one of those professionals who gets excited to participate in every training session opportunity that comes your direction, or do you try to avoid it at all costs and fly below the “training radar?”

Let’s think about this for a moment. What constitutes a good training session? Consider all the training sessions you’ve participated in throughout your professional career? What sessions were engaging for you personally? What factors do you believe contributed to that successful training session?

Building your Network Through Mentorship

I have several professional mentors and continue to look for more. Recently I asked someone I admire for advice on how to approach a new business partnership. The candid, “keep it simple” advice was exactly what I needed. The words of wisdom and vote of confidence helped me to switch gears a bit, allowing me to put my best foot forward. When I thanked my friend from Pennsylvania, he responded by telling me, “It’s not that I’m that smart, I’ve been around a while; I listen to knowledge and repeat it”. He is so humble.

Defining the “It” Factor in a Great Employee

Think of your best employee or co-worker. Now, think about their most prominent traits. What makes them the valued business partner that they are? If they are a game changer in your organization it’s likely that there isn’t just one characteristic that sets them apart. There must be, however, a few ties that bind it all together. These overriding qualities displayed by the elite professionals you know are the “it” factor and are the traits that have you pining for more individuals just like them.

We decided to ask our top clients, across varying industries, this question recently: What are the top three soft-skill (non-technical) traits you find in your highest performing employees? Here is what we found, in order of frequency:

Striking the Balance Between Ethical Leadership and Bottom-Line Leadership

I took a class this summer about leadership and I found it to be extremely interesting as it relates to what I do. Our class researched the last 100 years of leadership styles in the world, the methodologies behind them, and studied the evolution of approaches to leadership from 1900 to today.

I found the ethical leadership research to be the most interesting and timely in today’s environment. The vast majority of the work that the Executive team at Aureus Group does is tied to helping our clients find great leaders. We are hired by companies that are looking for people to lead initiatives, lead teams, lead change – all in an ethical environment.

Two New Tax Benefits for Employers

Aimed at providing hiring incentives to restore some of the jobs lost in the latest economic recession, and to help put Americans back to work as soon as possible, the IRS recently updated language in the HIRE (Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment) Act, which offers employment tax incentives to businesses, established in March 2010.

This new $17.5 billion legislation (scaled down from an earlier $150 billion package) is of particular interest to businesses as it includes new tax benefits directly related to hiring employees and writing off investments in business equipment.

Email Pitfalls

Think of a time when you were minding your own business, right in the middle of your daily grind. Up pops the email icon on your PC, perhaps accompanied by that familiar written tone we all know so well. You stop what you are doing; knowing full well that whatever is in your inbox can surely wait, and rush to see what waits. It’s from your boss and the subject line reads “Report Question”. Your heartbeat ratchets up a notch as you go to click on the message. “What did I do wrong?” you wonder out loud as the email opens to full screen. You see the words “What is this?” with a print screen below showing the report you had just turned in.

The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership Development

There are undoubtedly many different factors that contribute toward someone developing into a great leader. In previous Aureus Group blog articles, we’ve addressed the importance of demonstrating effective communication skills when interacting with colleagues in the workplace. Well what about emotional intelligence? How does one’s emotional intelligence impact their ability to be a top performer in the professional world?

Update Your Job Descriptions and Hire Smart

The employees you hire can make or break your business. Don’t make the common error of skipping the job analysis and updating of job descriptions. Take the time to figure out your staffing needs and know what you’re looking for in an employee before you actually start looking. This exercise will save you time and money in the long run.

Social Media: It’s Time to Get Connected!

What? You don’t have a Facebook page or a Twitter account? You’re not even LinkedIn? Fear not, the phenomenon of social media is hurdling toward critical mass by way of the wonderful Internet and it is not too late for you to get on the bus. But when you do sign on, do yourself a big favor. Be responsible and know how to use the different social media sites appropriately.

So, what is the difference between social and professional online networking? Great question! Easy answer is Facebook/Twitter equal “social” and LinkedIn equals “professional”. I talk to many business owners and managers who are fearful of getting involved in either for various reasons, but most simply assume that all social media is the same. Not true of course.