Category Archives: Human Resources

We’re in our teens!

13 cue ball

Monday, September 23rd, 1996.  That was the day our company was born.

Today, we celebrate 13 years of doing what we love, and doing what we do best….

Ever since that magical day in 1996 McNak has stayed true to its roots and continues to colour outside the lines. We are still crazy about positive experiences after all these years, McNak enjoys every day conjuring up new ways to make ourselves and others smile. And yes we will always be a remarkable staffing company, but we’d really just like  to make someone’s day a bit brighter.

Our commitment to fun lives on. Its just the McNak way.

Happy Birthday McNak!

~Sarah McNeill and Cheryl Nakamoto

photo credit: Thomas Hawk

How to use social media participation to turn your employees into ambassadors for your own brand

Below is Dennis Wolff’s current article in this week’s edition of Business in Vancouver newspaper.

The emergence of social media sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter has created a critical mass of users who are voicing their opinions online. With distinct online personas, individuals are not only more connected than ever before, they also have started to play a much more distinct role as consumers. User-generated business directories such as Yelp are evidence of who is really in control of brand perception. In an effort to stay connected with their customers, many companies were quick to adapt to this new reality by creating corporate profiles and engaging in social media marketing to build online communities and increase brand visibility. However, the emergence of social media has caused a paradigm shift in the field of corporate marketing and communication: Companies are no longer in full control of how their products and services are being perceived. In the age of Yelp, a brand is only as strong as the most recent user-generated review. Social media participation has become a key to the new reality of corporate branding and communication.

3366804492_f276ccaa75In its recently published Social Media Survey, Vancouver’s 6S Marketing Inc. claims that every second blogger in Canada runs a business blog. One third of these post on both personal and professional topics. The lines between public and private, personal and professional have become more and more blurred; with Generation Y joining the workforce, this trend can only intensify. While some companies have not yet formulated specific rules for social media participation, others have restricted their employees’ access to social media websites during work hours. From a corporate perspective, there are valid reasons to fear employee participation in social media platforms. Most concerns circle around legal uncertainties and worries of inappropriate comments made about the company. This risk-focused approach, however, ignores that employees are often the biggest brand enthusiasts of their own company. Such employees will naturally act as their employer’s ambassadors when participating in social media. Raving employees have the power to create an online buzz around a company that will help raise brand recognition while marketing their company as a desirable place to work.

To ensure that both employers and employees are clear on each other’s expectations with regard to social media participation, and to protect both the company and the employee, guidelines are essential. IBM and Intel are two prominent companies that have successfully developed social media policies that allow their employees to be active online participants. In the case of IBM, a blogging policy was drafted for all employees to discuss internally. After a quick corporate review and final edit, it found approval from legal. When Intel recently announced its new social media approach by publicly posting its guidelines online, the company received raving responses from the blogosphere and was praised for its commitment to employee empowerment. Not only does Intel allow workers to use social media for work purposes, it even encourages them to truly be themselves while doing so. The online buzz IBM and Intel employees have successively created speaks for itself and only suggests what enormous branding and marketing potential is to be unravelled by supporting employee participation in social media. And what can be more exciting from an employer’s perspective than turning your employees into ambassadors for your own company and brand?

~ Dennis Wolff

Job interview: know how to “wow”

So, you’ve decided to apply for that really awesome job. You’ve managed to impress the hiring manager or recruiter in the preliminary phone screening. “Half way there!”, you might think. Think again. Few job seekers understand that the job interview is where the selection process really begins. Until now, all your desired future employer knows about you are your work history and your educational background. They may have gone as far as to glance at your volunteer experience and hobbies – but don’t take that for granted. On paper, you look like a viable candidate but so do all the others that have also been called for an interview. And chances are the competition is fierce, now that more people are in the market.

Now how do you make it into the round of finalists? A great way to start is by learning from the mistakes your competitors will make. A shockingly large number of candidates simply don’t prepare properly for the job interview. Most companies use behaviour-based interviewing styles in which the interviewer follows the mindset that past behaviour predicts future behaviour. The core of a behaviour-based interview is a set of questions where you are being asked to come up with specific examples. For instance, an interviewer might ask you to tell them about a situation where you had to deal with a particlularly difficult customer. The question is open and invites for rambling on and on. This is exactly what you don’t want to do. Instead, focus on answering any behaviour-based question within 2-3 minutes by following three simples steps:

1. Describe the situation.
2. Describe what actions you took.
3. Explain the results your actions had.

Regardless of the actual content of a behaviour-based interview question, the interviewer will always listen for how you approach a question. Don’t be shy about being specific. The more focused and specific your example, the better. Sure, it’s easy to simply start talking about a topic in generic terms. Try to refrain from falling into that trap. If you need to, take a moment to think about a question.

Behaviour-based interview questions is no secret. An interviewer will very likely formulate questions that key in on those requirements that have already been outlined in the job description. Read the job description thoroughly and think about examples from your experience where you displayed the competencies and qualities the job posting is asking for. In addition, try to do some research on your prospect employer. What is known about their work culture? Are there any blogs where (former) employees unveil the unique corporate culture? If you’re applying with a larger organization, take a close look at how the company brands itself on their career and recruiting sites. Preparing yourself for an interview by thinking about situations where you have shown a certain behaviour that is of importance for a position will give you a remarkable advantage compared to other candidates.

~ Dennis Wolff

The results are in. We know who you are. But do you know your team?

Wonder Woman action figure So the survey says 53% of our blog readers are Influencer/Communicators. 20% of you are Dominant/Results oriented. What a power bunch! Hope you have at least one Compliant/Analytical on your team.

Consider this – a team with only great visionary thinkers but no one to lead them to the desired result.  All you have is one great party! To quote General George S. Patton, ‘If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.’

We were so interested in the effect of the right mix of people on teams that we’ve incorporated this into our business model so that we can help other companies capitalize on synergies. Our key Consultant on Talent Diversification, Sandra Mebs, says that ‘by measuring existing team dynamics you can gain valuable insight into who you need to have on your team.  This knowledge is so powerful when you are engaged in the process of building high performance work teams. ‘

So before your next hire, promotion or team building retreat, consider the personality traits on your teams and what might be missing that takes your group to higher level performance and overall happiness. Having the right collection of superheros on your team will make the difference.

~ McNeill Nakamoto

Personal Branding in the age of Google

For those of you not yet convinced of the value of personal branding and the permanency of your online persona. Seth Godin has a humourous perspective in his article, Personal Branding in the age of Google.  Here it is: Short and sweet with lots of punch:

A friend advertised on Craigslist for a housekeeper.

Three interesting resumes came to the top. She googled each person’s name.

The first search turned up a MySpace page. There was a picture of the applicant, drinking beer from a funnel. Under hobbies, the first entry was, “binge drinking.”

The second search turned up a personal blog (a good one, actually). The most recent entry said something like, “I am applying for some menial jobs that are below me, and I’m annoyed by it. I’ll certainly quit the minute I sell a few paintings.”

And the third? There were only six matches, and the sixth was from the local police department, indicating that the applicant had been arrested for shoplifting two years earlier.

Three for three.

Google never forgets.

Of course, you don’t have to be a drunk, a thief or a bitter failure for this to backfire. Everything you do now ends up in your permanent record. The best plan is to overload Google with a long tail of good stuff and to always act as if you’re on Candid Camera, because you are.

And for us at Team McNak, we have to admit we have had a few chuckles in our searches, especially of the Facebook profile persuasion.

personal brand in age of google

~ Sarah McNeill

photo credit Thiago Avancini

Brand YOU – Who do you think you are?

BRAND. Companies have them. At least, the good to great ones do. But have you ever considered if you have one and what people think about you? Some people might call it your image. We see it as far more than that. And the proof is found when good to great companies connect with you.

In these uncertain economic times, even though unemployment is relatively low, the best opportunities will be fewer and far between. That is the current reality. Companies will only bring on superstars that can positively affect their bottom line. If you are not clear on your brand, then you might lose out on some great opportunities.

What can you do? Consider how you can stand out from the pack. We’re not talking about buying a bright red tie or wearing edgy glasses, your brand can be found in taking time to shortlist your strengths and talents. What makes you feel most empowered? Perhaps it is from the compliments that you receive from others where you will begin to define your brand. What makes your memorable and irresistible to an employer? What makes you innately happy? Know these sweet spots and you will drawn to work that is best suited to you.

Your brand is also your track record, what your references say about you. Your consistent themes with those who work with you define your brand. Keep them updated on your career.  Make it easy for the references to rave about you!

Remember that your brand must be transparent in your social media. Who you are on line should reflect yourself in person. And while your brand may evolve as you progress through your career and life experiences, consider that what you show on line may be permanent. A recent article from Mashable, Are You Sure Those Photos Have Really Been Deleted,  highlights this exact challenge.

You define your own success. Who do you think you are? This is a question you should ask yourself at least yearly.  As you grow and evolve, the more you will understand yourself, your strengths and your vision of career success and happiness. This is a lifelong learning adventure! Expect it and embrace it.

Enjoy your brand!

~ Sarah McNeill

What type of superhero are you?

We all know that human capital is a company’s most valuable asset.  Every organization can reach their full potential with the right mix of superheros.

Teams are made and lost by the right or wrong grouping of individual characteristics.

~ Sandra Mebs

The Job

Where the labour market is heading?

Thank you Chad Heidelberg for this excellent content!

~ Sarah McNeill

How to Leverage your Business with Temporary Staffing

You don’t need another hero. You just need to hire a temporary employee!


In today’s ridiculously busy business climate, some days it may seem hard to function effectively. Looking around your office you may see pile upon pile of projects that, while a priority, never get to your top 10 list. This is your ‘a-ha’ moment.


The preconception that temporary staff are to be used for vacation relief or as an interim holding pattern while hiring for a full-time position is so last year. Granted, you can and should utilize temporary staff to keep the flow of business moving in the absence of other staff, but have you ever considered how you could leverage your business with a temporary employee?


Temporary staff can be your secret weapon for business success. You don’t need to keep them forever. In fact, keep them only as long as they are needed. The best thing about using temporary staff is that it is exactly that – temporary. Talk about a great way to leverage your business in all types of markets. Don’t add what you don’t need. Utilize this flexible staffing option for days or months. If you no longer need the temporary employee, you call the staffing agency and the assignment will end. No more buyouts and long notices to work through. All employer responsibility is included in the hourly bill rate, and you don’t need to provide severance to terminate the relationship. Easy. Efficient. Flexible. Need we say brilliant?


Smart staffing companies are trained to help you pull together a profile of an individual that gets you through projects that have never officially been staffed by an employee. More great ideas can come from having this resource. Could you imagine having more time to actually take on your key business opportunities? The bonus with a temporary employee is that you will often have access to more qualified staff than you might expect. This could be a huge asset to maximizing your business’s productivity and bottom line.


Maybe you currently don’t have an executive assistant, or don’t need one on a full-time basis. A temporary executive assistant might be your perfect solution when you have one too many projects on the go, and things start to fall behind. Getting the right person in – for even a few weeks – can make all the difference and get you or your team back on track.


Consider a temporary employee with a specific skill set when only required for a unique project. The injection of new staff, even on a temporary basis, can bring new life to a team and in particular allow the full-time staff to get back to their top work priorities. And anytime you can regenerate your team’s productivity, you have a major win!


Have you ever been in a situation where the staffing company has provided such a great fit that you hire them on as a result of the temporary assignment? In many situations, hiring a temporary employee is indeed a great way to get to know how they function in your business environment before you make the commitment to bring them on in a permanent capacity. Many temporary staff are open to full-time work when the work environment is right. You will very often find a person doing a role that is not of their full-time interest or calling, but their flexibility and adaptability is a very good indicator of how they would fit into your corporate culture.


At the end of the day, a great fit within your corporate culture really makes the difference to the bottom line. With small yet important investments into your team mix, temporary staffing can produce returns on value in terms of productivity that are certain to be high. Perhaps, after all, you really will find some super-heroes in disguise!


Enjoy!

~ Sarah McNeill

Did you know?

Did y0u know that the top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004. A fascinating crystal ball to our future and for the youth of today. Succession planning anyone?

~ Sarah McNeill