Are you tired of sifting through resumes? Conducting countless interviews? only to end up with the wrong candidate? Does it seem like you are always searching for the needle in the haystack? With the influx of resumes you’re getting, the fastest way to find the needle might be to burn the haystack of resumes, which […]
Are all types of writing the same? Of course not. A whitepaper is different from your website blog An instruction manual is different from your grocery list Your procedure guide is different from a text message Technical writing and regular writing are two distinct forms of written communication that serve different purposes and target different […]
Should you use a recruiter? It’s a great question. At times, the job search process feels like dating. You look online, reach out to friends, and go to places where you think you’ll meet just the right new partner. When you meet someone interesting, you arrange a date, dress up, and try to make an […]
You know that sinking feeling. Another great team member is leaving for greener pastures. You’ve lost a great colleague and now you must contend with the hassle of hiring someone. What can you do to help retain your top talent? One strategy is to conduct stay interviews. What are stay interviews? A stay interview is […]
Retaining top talent and experienced employees can help your company’s overall performance and success. With a tight labor market, it is vital to keep your top talent. While there is no definitive list of the top employee retention strategies for 2023, there are some common approaches that have been shown to be effective in retaining […]
Every day, you are reading about thousands of people that are being laid off and unfortunately, today is your day. You’ve been laid off. If you’ve been laid off, or if someone you care about has lost their job recently, you’re not alone—and you are going to be okay. Layoffs are shocking because they’re almost always unexpected. […]
Facebook. Twitter. Stripe. Netflix. GoodRx. Wayfair. Peleton. Ford. Vroom. Goldman Sachs. Groupon. Better. Every day, there is another company announcing a layoff. 2022 has been an unexpectedly lousy year for layoffs. Why? Business growth is slowing and labor costs are rising. 51% According to an August PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) survey of 722 corporate executives, 51% have made or plan […]
You’ve made it through most of the interview, and now it’s your turn to ask the interviewer questions. When you are asking your questions, think of it as a conversation between you and the hiring manager rather than an inquisition. By creating this conversation, you will come off more memorable and likable to the interviewer. […]
You’ve created the killer resume and cover letter. You made it through the applicant tracking system. Next step: the job interview with all those interview questions… And that scares even the best of us…Are you prepared? Being judged and evaluated by people who have your future in their hands can riddle you with anxiety and self-doubt. Everyone […]
Today, your challenge is to bake the perfect cake! Er…Write the perfect case study. Um…Lead the perfect presentation? Exactly. There is no perfect (and, let’s face it, even a good enough cake is still pretty great). Yet, as women, we’re always striving to be more. But why? According to the American Psychological Association (APA), perfectionism is the tendency to […]
My water heater can teach you so much about your documentation practices…
Every heard someone say something like this, “Where have all the good people gone?” We hear it from frustrated job seekers who say there are no more good companies out there We hear it from companies who feel the pool of candidates has dried up When you start believing this perception is the truth, what […]
At docstrats, we launch March by celebrating women in technology. We know that teams and organizations that prioritize diversity are stronger and healthier. Currently, visibility for women in technology is low. So, what can you do to increase opportunities for women in technology? Hire More Women This seems simple. But why should you work on […]
Doing what’s right in business… There’s always a debate about what this means in practice. In business, doing the right things means delivering great customer service, correcting mistakes, helping your colleagues and customers, being a good role model, and the list goes on and on. There are so many interpretations. But doing what’s right also […]
Be like licorice…and you also need to understand that licorice is not for everyone. I know that sounds strange, but there is a reason. Why? You can’t be everything to everybody.
Writing a good job description can be tedious. But taking that extra 15-30 minutes to get down exactly what you want for each position could save you lots of time, stress, and money.
You know you’re awesome. You’re experienced. Hard-working. Sought after. So, why does your LinkedIn profile look like this? There’s no profile in your profile! So, what are the things that your recruiter wants you to know that would make you a more attractive candidate for open positions? Open to Work The first thing your recruiter […]
You want to be healthy…you don’t want to be sick You want to be rich…you don’t want to be poor You want to be in love…you don’t want to be alone You want your company in the black…you don’t want your company in the red. These are examples of approach vs. avoidance goals. In each, […]
We all know this guy. What many of us don’t know is that statistically speaking, most of our New Year’s resolutions won’t make it past February 2nd (that’s the Groundhog’s big day). So, how do we set business resolutions that will last? We break them into long- and short-term goals! Knowing how to set goals […]
When it comes to your business, isn’t more just…better? But what about more…Resolutions? Bite size resolutions aren’t more resolutions, they’re taking one resolution and breaking it into two or three manageable “bites.” By the end of the year, you’ll have finished three complete tasks, each one leading to a more likely fulfillment of your overall […]
It is that time of the year when managers make up employee Naughty or Nice lists. The employees on the nice list get the best “presents”: the best assignments, most promotions, biggest raises, etc. The employees on the naughty list get the “other” assignments, cost of living wage increases, etc. You get the picture… it’s […]
An outdated Hiring Process circa 2005 does not work well (in general) but it especially doesn’t work well in today’s labor market and with hard-to-fill, in-demand job positions. This tight labor market looks like it’s going to continue well into 2022… So, what strategies can help you in your hiring process to find that perfect candidate? […]
docstrats is a proud sponsor of the fall edition of Connect with Careers 2021 – the Rensselear County Chamber’s virtual career exploration video series for students! In this video, meet Tami Cole, President, and CEO of Docstrats, a Women-Owned business. In addition to her career journey, Tami shares her thoughts on how internship and apprenticeship […]
Knowing how to trick or treat properly is key to Halloween. I always wanted to get the best candy in the quickest amount of time. In my opinion, the search for candy on Halloween put me at my most strategic. I couldn’t just randomly go from house to house, it wasted precious time. I had to think […]
In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the differences between independent contractors vs employees. . In Part 2, we determine which hire is best for you. Let’s review. What’s an independent contractor again? An independent contractor is a worker who:• Carries their insurance.• Provides their tools and equipment.• Pays their expenses.• Sets their […]
For many young girls, lemonade stands are a summer tradition, a way to pass the time and earn some money when they aren’t in school. These lemonade stands can also teach these young kids valuable lessons in business and personal finance that they won’t necessarily learn in the classroom. Quick Story… As I was driving […]
In Part I of this series, we look at the differences between employees and contractors. In Part II, we’ll investigate the pros and cons of each and determine which hire is right for you. Employee vs. Contractor: It’s All About Control Generally, the question of whether someone qualifies as an employee or an independent contractor […]
Simplifying the complex…. That is what technical writers do. Technical writing is a type of writing where the author is writing about a particular subject that requires direction, instruction, or explanation. A good technical writer can make a difficult task easy and quickly explain complex information. Here are the skills of a technical writer: Detailed […]
Technical Documentation is not in most people’s top 10 to-dos to either read or write. In fact, many people believe that watching grass grow and paint dry on a wall is more exciting than writing documentation. People don’t like doing it. But… It’s a necessity (or necessary evil) that you accept when you muddle your way […]
You’ve heard about the importance of documentation in your business. But to really get on board, you need to understand why documentation is such an integral part of your business. So, here are 4 reasons why documentation is key to your business’ success: 1. Your Employees don’t have to be mind readers…. If you want your employees to do something in […]
We’ve all been there. It’s the beginning of a technical writing project, and you have no idea where to start. There’s a template for that! What’s a technical writing template? A technical writing template is a premade model for new documents. Think of a template as a form you fill out. Completely uncreative, kind of […]
KYA….Know Your Audience. Knowing your audience will help you decide what information you present and how you present it. It’s of the cornerstones of great technical writing. Simple in concept. But is it? Technical writing provides material that explains a process or makes a complex process easier to understand. The writing is methodical and […]
It can take 45 days to fill a technical job. 45 days….That’s half your summer. And that’s not all. According to SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), it costs $4129 to hire a new employee. That’s a big bite out of your bottom line. The pandemic. The remote workforce. The Zoom Interviews. The drive-up […]
What do technical writers do? Simple–Technical writers explain things. They take complicated concepts and they break them down into easy-to-understand bite-size pieces of information. Then, they organize the information so that is flows logically.
Let’s face it…growing your business takes more than successfully delivering your product(s) or service(s) to your customers. Many times, growth requires expansion – of your staff, your product and/or service offerings, your location(s).
