We have all heard the old saying “one bad apple can ruin the whole cart.”

The same is true concerning employees, especially small businesses. One negative employee can be like a cancer that sucks the life out of your other employees, making the environment tense at best for all. It is especially damaging in the workplace when there is even one person who is always complaining and negative about everything. Your first instinct might be to fire this person; but if they are a high performer, it might be worth the employers time to try to create a harmonious environment for all. But, sometimes even high performers have to be fired.

The first thing you need to do is figure out who this person is. A good manager probably already knows this, but in small businesses, the owner is normally so stretched for time that they may be out of the loop as far as what’s going on behind the scenes with employees. If you don’t have one already; implement an open door policy. Example: everyday from 4:30 – 5:00 pm, have this time set aside for all employees who need to come in and “talk personally or off the record.” Talking out situations in a nonconfrontation environment will help to maintain problems from getting out of control. An employer really needs to take the time to get to know their people; this will in turn make the employee feel comfortable enough to speak with you directly about “office politics.”

Second, find out what motivates “each” employee. Don’t use “blanket motivation”, what works for a visual employee may not work for an auditory employee. Managing by motivation and understanding your employees will help you deal with the “bad apple” a lot easier.

Third, deal with the “bad apple.” Talk to them, find out what is going on. They may have personal problems, health problems or they might be upset about a promotion they didn’t get, or a work assignment they are having difficulty completing. It could be a number of things and then it could just be their personality. If the reason for their “negativity” is situational, it can be corrected. If not, and it is their natural disposition, you can not correct or change this. If it is situational, offer to help them, “get help.” If it is their natural disposition, you have the option to let them work from home, or in an area where there is no team involvement. If those suggestions are not options, then it may be time to fire them, for the sake of the rest of your employees. Legally, you can not fire an employee for a bad attitude but you can fire them due to organizational changes.

Sometimes and only sometimes, the ‘bad apple” is actually the boss or small business owner. Look within yourself, are you breeding negativity? Are your employees feeding off your own bad attitude? Sometimes an employees “bad” attitude might be due to how they are being treated by their boss and the boss doesn’t even realize that they are putting this bad attitude out there.

Communication, communication, communication! Just like the saying regarding business; location, location, location. You can never go wrong with either one!

 Joseph Chris Partners | Executive Recruiting Search Firm » Blog

By: Evelyn Amaro

You are at your desk, or at home watching TV when you get a call from a recruiter who has found your contact information using the many secrets of the trade (sorry – that’s one secret I intend to keep). Before you hang up the phone, remember that recruiters can hold the keys to the hidden jewels of the job market. Use them and they may just open the door to a new career opportunity. I am not saying this because I am a recruiter, because I’m not – I just work for them. What I have learned working behind the scenes is the important role a recruiter can play in a persons career path. Even if you are not looking now, you may need their help later, so this applies to those who are blissfully happy with their careers, as well as those looking for a new opportunity. Here are the top 5 reasons why you should use a recruiter.

Hidden Job Market. I said earlier that recruiters hold the hidden jewels of the job market, and here they are – undisclosed jobs. Many times, especially with Sr level positions, companies have confidential roles that are for restricted eyes only. Companies then turn to recruiters for help with these positions. You cannot find these positions listed on Monster, or the various other job sites on the web. Imagine – your dream job may just be a recruiter away. This point goes hand in hand with #2.
Connections. Recruiters have clout with hiring managers and sr. level executives – many of us do not. You send your resume to numerous companies, and post your resume on various job sites to no avail. You still haven’t heard a peep. Recruiters have the connections to not only get you in the door, but also get feedback – whether positive or negative – rather quickly. Think of how many others are applying to the same job you are.tons. Hiring managers and HR personnel simply cannot and do not have the time to review every resume. A recruiter can guarantee that you won’t be just another resume in a pile; you will be sent to Sr manager who will review your resume. Don’t you love recruiters just a little bit more now?
Expertise. Are you underpaid? Overpaid? Are you ready for a Sr role? Are your technical skills up to par? There are a number of questions that can help you make an informed decision when it comes to strategic career planning, and a recruiter is a great resource to utilize. They can help you find answers and ask questions that will guide you to the right job and the right steps to take in order to advance your career. Best of all, this information is free, unbiased and essential when determining your position and worth in today’s job market.
End Game is the same. You and your recruiter have the same goal, and that is to make sure you are putting your best foot forward, meeting the right people, and hopefully getting you an ideal role that is a perfect fit for both you and your future employer. Their on your side. This leads me to point #5.
Long-term ally. Let’s say you found a recruiter, you find a job (whether it was their role or not), and you are now perfectly content, remember this may not always be the case. Come 3-5 years down the line you may decide to try your hands at a new company/role again. Or you may spend the rest of your days in the company you are working for, but may need advice when it comes to compensation, employee rights, etc. You now have an ally that is there for you to utilize. Recruiters (meaning legitimate, professional recruiters) are in it for the long haul. They are in the business of building relationships with both candidates and clients, and making sure both parties are equally satisfied. Therefore you not only gain a new role, but you also gain an important ally to guide you through your current and future career path.
So the next time a recruiter calls you, you just might want to pick up the phone.

 Joseph Chris Partners | Executive Recruiting Search Firm » Blog

Homebuilders!  Our friends at CB/USA are offering a social media webinar geared towards homebuilders!

April 24th 1pm Eastern: Sponsored by CB/USA Business Development-Social Media Webinar available for Homebuilders looking to stay up-to-date and competitive in the on-line world.

Learn step-by-step, in easy-to-understand terms how Google +, Facebook, Twitter, P-Interest, YouTube and other powerful tools can be put to work in your business today.

http://goo.gl/qPAc2

 Joseph Chris Partners | Executive Recruiting Search Firm » Blog

Builders began work on fewer homes than forecast in March, signaling a sustained industry recovery will take time to get underway.

Housing starts dropped 5.8 percent to a 654,000 annual rate, less than the lowest estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News and the least since October, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. The slump was led by the volatile multifamily category, which at the same time showed a jump in permits, a proxy for future construction.

While warmer weather may have spurred home construction at the beginning of 2012, a competing supply of cheap existing properties may be steering potential buyers away from purchasing a new home. That means home construction may not help boost the economy in 2012.

“Housing continues to bump along the bottom,” said Jacob Oubina, a senior U.S. economist at RBC Capital Markets LLC in New York. “The best we can hope from housing over the next couple years is that it won’t subtract from growth. The numbers in the past few months were decidedly impacted by a much milder winter, so a significant portion of construction was pulled forward.”

Stock-index futures held earlier gains after the report as concern about Europe’s sovereign debt crisis eased. The contract on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index maturing in June climbed 0.6 percent to 1,371.7 at 8:42 a.m. in New York.

Survey Results
The median forecast in the Bloomberg survey called for a 705,000 rate. Estimates from the 82 economists ranged from 670,000 to 750,000. February’s building pace was revised to 694,000 from a previously reported rate of 698,000.

Building permits climbed 4.5 percent to a 747,000 annual rate in March, the highest level since September 2008. They were projected to drop to a 710,000 annual rate. Applications for multifamily units increased 21 percent, while those for single- family houses, which account for about 70 percent of the market, dropped 3.5 percent.

Construction of single-family houses eased 0.2 percent to a 462,000 rate. Work on multifamily homes, which include townhouses and apartment buildings, dropped 17 percent to an annual rate of 192,000. The decrease followed gains of 13 percent and 17 percent in the prior two months.

The decrease in starts was focused in the South, where builders began work on 16 percent fewer houses. Construction was little changed in the West and rose 33 percent in the Northeast and 1 percent in the Midwest.

Record Warmth
Record-breaking warm weather may have contributed to the surge in construction in the Northeast last month. The average temperature in the U.S. was 51.1 degrees Fahrenheit (10.6 Celsius), 38.6 degrees warmer than the 20th century average and the hottest reported March in records going back to 1895, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Even so, low borrowing costs and better job prospects should support demand for new homes. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage reached an all-time low of 3.87 percent in February and was just a point higher at 3.88 percent in the week ended April 12, according to data from Freddie Mac.

Buyers “are starting to feel pressure not to miss this moment,” Lennar Corp. (LEN) (LEN) Chief Executive Officer Stuart Miller said during a March 27 conference call with analysts. “The fully- loaded cost of ownership is lower in the most-desirable markets than comparable rental rates.”

More Orders
New-home orders increased 33 percent in the three months ended Feb. 29, the third-largest U.S. homebuilder by revenue said. Shares of the Miami-company rose to the highest level since 2007 after it reported the orders growth and net income that beat estimates.

Nonetheless, without the benefit of milder weather and further income growth, activity pick up much faster for the residential construction industry. Homebuilder confidence fell in April as buyer traffic diminished, according to the National Association of Home Builders. The Washington-based group’s index of sentiment slid to 25 this month. Readings lower than 50 mean more respondents still said conditions were poor.

Existing homes are also offering a cheaper alternative to new properties. The difference between the median price of an existing and new single-family house was more than $ 76,000 in February, near the widest gap on record and more than $ 50,000 larger than when the recession began in December 2007.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Kowalski in Washington at akowalski13@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Wellisz at cwellisz@bloomberg.net

 Joseph Chris Partners | Executive Recruiting Search Firm » Blog

Stop doing what does not work!
Sounds simple, but how many of us go through the day doing the same things over and over with the same results?
You might think, I’ve always done it like this and if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. Stop kidding yourself.
The bottom line is filling the position for the client and if you are not making as many placements as before, then maybe you do need an “adjustment.”

Tactics for keeping it real:

1. The telephone: The oldest form of “social networking” and, it still works! Recruiting is about connecting, selling, listening, negotiating and closing. Email and social media are good, but they do not influence and persuade like you do!
2. Focus on what’s closest to the $ $ $ : Talking to and meeting with potential clients, established clients, candidates and prospects. These are $ $ $ activities. Checking your email 10 times a day, tweeting and re-tweeting 20 times a day and doing administrative functions do not bring you money, they just keep you busy. Bottom line, turn your computer off and remove the distractions.
3. Candidates: Everyone is a candidate and we all know that the perfect candidate is the passive candidate. So, go out there and convert them, do not wait for them to come to you.
4. Focus on the things you control: There is doom and gloom everywhere, TV, internet, radio, bad economy, the election, and the middle east, need I say more? Do we control it from our recruiting desks…NO! So, while you are at your desk, focus on what you control and can impact.
5. Social Media: There are benefits, but it can also waste your time if you are not careful. Social media is a recruiting tool that is necessary but use it wisely. Have a plan, set the timer and get on and get off. Don’t drift to your email and the local news, stay focused.

 Joseph Chris Partners | Executive Recruiting Search Firm » Blog

By Reuters
Groundbreaking on homes fell unexpectedly in March, but permits for future construction rose to their highest level in 3 1/2 years, Commerce Department data showed on Tuesday.

Housing starts slipped 5.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 654,000 units, the government said. February’s starts were revised down to a 694,000-unit pace from a previously reported 698,000 unit rate.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast housing starts little changed at a 705,000-unit rate.

“From a trend perspective, it is still on a rising path. Tentative is the best we could say about this,” said chief economist Gregory Miller of Suntrust.

March’s decline in housing starts was the biggest percentage drop since April of last year, although most of the fall was in the volatile multi-unit category, which declined 16.9 percent.

Starts for single-family homes eased 0.2 percent.

And brightening the report’s message on the economy, new permits for home construction surged.

Permits rose 4.5 percent to a 747,000-unit pace last month, the highest since September 2008 and beating economists’ expectations for a 710,000-unit pace.

The long-moribund housing sector has showed signs of an incipient recovery in recent months, and homebuilding could add to economic growth this year for the first time since 2005.

Still, an oversupply of unsold homes, which is depressing prices, remains a major hurdle.

Sentiment among home builders ebbed in April for the first time in seven months, a survey showed on Monday.

 Joseph Chris Partners | Executive Recruiting Search Firm » Blog

Recruiting in 2012 has changed drastically in the last ten years. With new technology, it seems to change from year to year. New tools, new websites, stiff competition and never ending challenges.

Social media sites, an abundance of search engines and the fact that almost everyone is mobile are just a few of the many changes. These tools are used on a regular basis today. Five years ago it was job boards and prior to that, it was good old “cold calling.” Personally, I believe in “cold calling”…always have and always will. Don’t get me wrong, I do use and recommend the “new” tools available, but there is nothing like slamming fifty calls out for a new position and getting return calls and resumes in your inbox.

Having the right tools and knowing how to use them is what sets you apart from other recruiters. The hard truth is that if you aren’t using the same sites and tools that your competition is, you’re going to miss that passive candidate who they can find. Competition for talent today with industry specific skills is getting tougher to find. The top talent is being headhunted often, and when they are happy in their current role it can be tough to get their interest in what you have to offer.

There are a couple of “tried and true” approaches that every recruiter should always do. First and foremost it is very important to remember to always target top talent from your clients direct competitors. Also, make sure that you are prepared, knowing everything you can about your clients culture, job description and responsibilities, company values, benefits, growth opportunity and industry news regarding the company.

What is most challenging today for recruiters; is the candidate performing well during the interview process. It is one of those areas that we can prep them for but we can not do it for them. Some of the best talent has not interviewed in 5+ years. Interviewing, without a doubt has changed significantly over the years and if the candidate does not understand the client, he will not get the job.

Technology is changing daily, and we as recruiters have to be knowledgeable and aware of these changes. Simply put, we have to adapt. What recruiters and companies are doing today, is not what they will be doing in five years.

One of the only things that will never change is the “good old cold call!”

 Joseph Chris Partners | Executive Recruiting Search Firm » Blog

We all know that Linkedin is a great site for networking, gathering information about companies and finding candidates. It is, in my opinion; one of the most professional site’s for doing the above mentioned. So, with that being said, here are some tips on how to make yourself much more accessible to recruiters!

1. Update your status regularly. Let people know what you are doing, what positions you are working on, or post a link to an interesting article. Be professional but personable. Social networking is about being “sociable.”

2. Follow companies. A lot of companies are using Linkedin as a platform to sell themselves. They also post news releases as well as let you know who has left the company and who has joined.

3. Follow people. Use the “Signal” tool to set up searches, this will allow you to follow the latest news, job postings and most importantly changes. Don’t be a stalker.

4. Join Professional Groups. This will allow you to message other group members, and jobs postings are sometimes listed in the careers section. Take part in discussions, this will help to show case your knowledge.

5. Connect, Connect, Connect. Build a network, upload your connections from your email address book. Don’t try to connect with people you do not know, if they are a friend of a friend, ask to be introduced and try to connect with people that are relevant to what you do.

6. Get recommendations. Ask your clients, ask your co-workers but make sure they know you well. This is a great way for prospective employers to see how respected you are.

7. Embrace other social media sites. Twitter and blogs can interact with Linkedin. Just remember to keep it professional. Employers are using these site’s to screen prospective hires.

8. Add Applications. My Travel, Box.net, and Events are just a few that let people know what you are doing professionally.

9. Adjust your settings. This allows you to receive what you want to receive and filter out what you do not want to receive.

10. Make sure your Linkedin profile is 100% complete.

 Joseph Chris Partners | Executive Recruiting Search Firm » Blog

John Burns Real Estate Consulting
Strategic Building Market Intelligence™

Over the last 3 months, prices are up in 90 of the 97 markets we analyzed. The average price increase over the last 3 months is 1.1%, or a 4.5% annual rate.

This is big news, so why isn’t anyone else reporting it? It is because most price indexes are at least 3 months behind what’s happening with home prices right now. The Burns Home Value Index (BHVI) gives you a 3-month competitive advantage.

We developed the BHVI to answer the question, “What is happening to home prices today?” The answer is, “Home prices are rising!”

Prices have been trending up nationally since January (see national index below).
In the last 3 months, 90 of 97 markets we analyzed appreciated.
More markets have turned positive recently, with 93 of the 97 markets we analyzed showing appreciation over the last month.
No other major price index has picked up on this trend yet. The National Association of Realtors did report last week that median price was up in February, but their short-term trends have been historically volatile and unreliable because of sensitivity to mix shift and seasonality (e.g., false uptick in November 2011).

To read the remainder of the article and see the graph click here: http://bit.ly/GXBRRy

 Joseph Chris Partners | Executive Recruiting Search Firm » Blog

Please join us in welcoming a new hire for Joseph Chris Partners, Lisa Gallagher our Business Development & Marketing Specialist.
Lisa joins Joseph Chris Partners after ten years of marketing and recruiting Intercollegiate Athletes. Her attention to detail and commitment to matching the needs of clients and candidates allowed her to excel as a recruiter and relationship manager.

As the newest member of our team, Lisa will be focusing on business development, marketing, recognizing new business opportunities and analyzing marketing trends in our core industries. Through her use of mainstream communication and social media platforms, Lisa will be delivering a powerful message to the market regarding Joseph Chris Partners’ strength as the “Partner of Choice” in consulting and Executive Recruitment.

Lisa has an MBA in Marketing from Sage Graduate School and received a BA in Communication from The University at Albany.

Outside of work, Lisa coaches USA volleyball for the TCA Houston volleyball club. She is the proud mother of a toddler and enjoys traveling with her husband back to their home state of New York whenever time allows.

Welcome to the team Lisa!

 Joseph Chris Partners | Executive Recruiting Search Firm » Blog