Interviewing is a very important process in a company and defines the culture of the people who work there. In order to find the best, you need to interview for attitude and not accolades. Hiring managers need to look beyond the surface and grab their shovels to really dig deep. Did you know that 46% of new hires failed within the first 18 months? And that 89% of the time, these new hires failed because of attitude?

In a very competitive job market, you’ve applied to your dream job and your resume has made it to the top of the pile. Congratulations! You’ve been confirmed for an in-person interview! Now what?

It’s budget time! Since labor is usually the highest expense an organization has, it is crucial to take the time to determine your pay budget. If planned properly, pay increases can be a tool to help engage, motivate, and retain top talent. Below are a few things to take into consideration when setting your pay budget:

A recruiter or hiring manager calls you and you and lets you know you got the in-person interview! Along with researching the company, learning about their total rewards and culture, reviewing the scope of work and your preparation, there is one additional decision that must be made prior to the interview that is extremely important: what to wear. It’s imperative that you look sharp and dress for success!

As the overall economy continues to improve, employers are looking for additional methods to reduce costs while also finding ways to add value to the organization. As an HR Business Partner who works with various clients across multiple industries, I find many organizations do not have an employee benefit strategy. Instead, organizations tend to review and modify their existing benefit plan designs or employee contributions and call it a day. This is only a short term fix to a long term issue.

I wanted to share the impact of my experience at Camp CEO last week. I participated with 30 other women who were CEOs or executive leaders. We each were assigned a buddy—a high school girl—to mentor during our stay at Camp Winonoa in Hughesville, MD. The girls at Camp CEO are amazing. My buddy's name was Ziggy, a young lady who I immediately connected with because she too is big into community impact and very high energy.