Sun, Sea and Flexibility

Sun, Sea and Flexibility Employers know all too well the wistful daydreaming that comes with the summer months. As temperatures rise, holidays increase, and childcare demands become 6 weeks long, employers could turn down the rising heat workers are facing, by offering flexibility when they need it most. So as summer gets into full swing, Erik Fjellborg, CEO and Founder of  Quinyx, the workforce management expert, explains how businesses can embrace flexibility over the next few months. He says: “Flexible working, in whatever form it takes, is one of our most powerful tools for improving working lives across the UK,  and at Quinyx we believe that flexibility should be for everyone    whether you call a boardroom, a shop floor or a coffee shop your office. What we need moving forward is a change in mindset amongst businesses and  for them  to create an open dialogue between employees and employers. It’s only then that we’ll be able to ensure that flexibility becomes the norm â€"  not an exception, reward or perk.” Plan for the holiday season Summer sees an influx of holidays come through the diary, which can leave employees stretched and struggling to find cover when needed. As soon as requests start coming in, managers should ensure every day off is accounted for so that action can be taken if certain weeks are looking particularly thin. On top of keeping an eye on staff holidays, managers should also consider if major summer events will see some areas of their business more stretched than others (e.g, summer sales making stores busier, or sports events filling out pubs and bars). Making sure this is factored into plans means that there shouldn’t be any surprises when staff starts to jet off to enjoy a break. Think of the children (and parents!) According to our research, 10% of the UK working population goes as far as to say that their family life is suffering because of a lack of flexibility at work a statistic that can only be exacerbated by parents facing a 6 week (or sometimes longer!) summer. By providing flexible working to all staff members, parents, in particular, facing a childcare conundrum can move shifts where needed, start later or even work from home to help ease stress around childcare. Try something small Flexibility doesn’t have to be a complete overhaul all at once. By starting small in the summer months and letting people finish early, or take longer lunch breaks employers can see the difference this makes in productivity and engagement, and use this as a benchmark for bigger more long term changes. One of the biggest issues holding back flexibility is fear this will reduce the amount of work achieved, despite the fact, all the stats suggest the opposite. By taking small steps in summer and seeing the benefit, managers will be in good stead to suggest bigger plans in the future. Summer holidays can be an exciting time for some, but as productivity wanes and the stress of higher workloads, or children out of school, becomes more apparent, there really is no better time to try a flexible working policy. Small steps at this point in the year can mean great groundwork for future plans, and as summer sizzles on, your employees will thank you through higher engagement levels, and by being more productive. About the author:  Quinyx  was founded in 2005 by  CEO Erik Fjellborg  after a summer spent working at McDonald’s. After witnessing how difficult it can be for managers to sort shifts manually, Erik built one of the world’s first  fully web-based Workforce Management solutions to do the heavy lifting.  McDonald’s loved Erik’s solution and became Quinyx’s first customer.

How to Measure Post-Hiring Success

How to Measure Post-Hiring Success No business wants to lose money, especially from a decision youve made and even worse if you can easily avoid it. Bad hires continue to cost recruitment companies thousands of lost revenue every year. A recent survey in the UK on bad hires has put the  loss at anything between £15,000 to £30,000 per year, with some businesses admitting to losing more than £30,000. In the US, the true cost of a bad hire is even more. Researching and matching a candidate BEFORE inviting them for an interview is probably the best way to make sure your recruitment process is a success from start to finish because lets face it, if they fail at the first hurdle then you would never put them forward saving your business and client a lot of time and money. But what does post-hiring success look like AFTER youve placed a candidate? Happy management If the management and team are happy with the new hire then surely that has to be a good thing. Management can take pride in the fact that theyve hired the right person for the job who is an all-round fit. Someone who gets on with management, someone who can do the job and the real deal-breaker, someone who can get on with others. Its quite difficult to gain access in to the inner circle of a well-established team and although this may not happen instantly, the current teams acceptance of the new hire is as good as measure as any that the hire was a success. Employee contribution Im not talking about the amount of teas and coffees the new hire makes or the ability to treat the office with cakes and doughnuts on a regular basis but REAL contribution. If the whole point of a new hire is to help turn things around in a company or to implement a new product or idea then  if this is achieved then it can be deemed a success. Lets face it, theres nothing worse than recruiting someone who SAYS  they can be the change the company wants to see if they fail to deliver. Longevity Long service is something a lot of companies take great pride in and this is often rewarded with things like extra days off work, a gift, a bonus or in some cases an actual award. If someone you have just hired is likely to stay committed to the company and grow with it over the years then this is going to save the company thousands compared to those who have a high turnover of staff.  It’s also good for employer branding and reputation. This shows that the company is investing in the development and career opportunities of its staff enough so that they dont go elsewhere or get bored. It is  important however to have some staff turnover because this will bring in new experience gained from other organisations. Farhan Raja from Jobinterviewology says: If you’re a small start-up/company longevity is vital because it provides stability to help the organisation grow. Plus the loss of 1 person, say in a team of 20, actually contributes to 5% of the workforce so naturally it will have a far greater impact on the business. Compared to an organisation with 2000 employees. New employee contribution is obviously important in all types of organisations, however if the role is strategic rather than operational, new employee contribution is more important, as it will bring in new ideas, concepts and help drive growth. So  dont just pour your money down the gutter by rushing to onboard that new candidate. Dont miss out key stages of the recruitment process because, in this case, speed is not always of the essence and it will end up costing you more in the long run.

Dos and Donts of Cover Letters - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Do’s and Don’ts of Cover Letters - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career You should use a cover letter whenever you apply for a job. Usually, companies ask you to also send a cover letter in addition to your resume so they can have a better idea about your personal brand, skills and experience as well as what you are looking for and what values you can bring to the company. A cover letter is usually three paragraphs. The first is an opening paragraph in which you introduce yourself and state why you are applying for this position. The second paragraph is the body of the letter, and it is the most important part of a cover letter which you can show your personal brand. This paragraph lists your experience related to the job you are applying for, why you think you’re a good candidate for that position, and what values you can bring to the company. The third, closing paragraph is where you give the reader a call to action. You state your phone number and e-mail address so the person reading the letter can follow up with you. Keep in mind that a great cover letter is usually less than one page. It is important to always have a different cover letter for each application. You shouldn’t be generic. You should be very specific about the job you are applying for to show that you are a good fit for that position; that you are truly interested in working in that position; and that you will bring more experience to that company because employers are looking for what values you can bring to their company. You can certainly have a general cover letter template, but I recommend that you edit that template for each position you are applying for to tailor it for that position. Let me tell you a story regarding a candidate who applied for a position in my friend’s office.  My friend said “The person who applied to our office was denied, with good qualifications, because she did not change the address and the organization in her cover letter. She applied to another company and she sent the same letter to us without changing the name of the organization.” This is one of the most common mistakes made by job seekers. They usually send out so many applications that sometimes they forget to update their cover letters according to the position that they are applying for. Always have a final check of your applications before hitting the send button. Also, making a cover letter generic is a big mistake because most job seekers usually prepare one cover letter and send it off with every job application. You should make your cover letter very specific to the job description. Also, a cover letter shouldn’t be too long or too shortâ€"you should find the appropriate size. Author: Ceren Cubukcu  is a top 5 bestselling author of  Make Your American Dream A Reality: How to Find a Job as an International Student in the United States.  She recently founded her consulting business to help more international students find jobs in the US in addition to her self-service digital event ticketing platform,  Etkinlik Fabrikam  (My Event Factory), to be able to offer her webinars in her home country. You can follow her via  Facebook  or contact her via  www.cerencubukcu.com/contact.

Dont Work with People Like You Marla Gottschalk

Dont Work with People Like You Marla Gottschalk This may seem counter intuitive â€" but I dont recommend that you work with people like you. In fact, you shouldnt work with those that make you feel entirely comfortable. (You dont even need to like the people you work with, every minute of every day. But, liking all of your co-workers is a bonus.)   What you really need are people to challenge you and help you contribute to the limits of your potential. If you surround yourself with those of the same perspective â€" or temperament or even in the same field or function â€" you are missing out on options for career growth and eventual success. Most of us have a tendency to drift towards what we know â€" a completely normal response to an often harried world. Well travel the same path to work, and order the same menu item at a restaurant. This process becomes second nature and we dont often question it. However, if we apply this to the workplace, things become problematical. You require exposure to differing opinions, experiences and work styles to excel. Lets imagine that you have the responsibility of forming a team to take on a problem or company initiative. You choose a team of   individuals whom you know and trust. What follows, is that you have a group of individuals that may certainly be strong in certain areas â€" but there is the possibly that they hold the same perspective or skill set that you possess. Consider the worst case scenario: that your team is just not robust enough to tackle the task in front of them. You now have a very serious problem. If you have indeed formed a team with similar perspective or skills as yourself, your team is now officially limited. The same premise can hold for your career. If you have contact with only individuals who share your specific perspective, youll likely never be challenged. This can handicap you in so many ways. The next opportunity you have to network or build a team, pause and consider bringing at least one completely fresh perspective to the table. Build your team with a wide breadth of both skills, temperaments and perspectives â€" being sure to represent all related functions. Add a mentor to your life from a completely unexpected background. Find out how that new co-worker, that you dont quite get ticks. You simply never know. That odd man may be holding the piece of the puzzle that youve been searching for. Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist. Connect with her and continue the conversation on Twitter and Linkedin.

How to Survive the Four Types of Workplace B.S.

How to Survive the Four Types of Workplace B.S. Photo Credit â€" publicdomainpictures.netCompanies spend an extraordinary amount of time and money trying to keep employees happy. They send out engagement surveys. They haul in new office furniture. They bake cakes to celebrate work anniversaries. And they are completely puzzled when employees still leave the company.If you are HR leader or team manager you may be reading this and thinking, “Yes! But what can I do?” And we’re sorry, but this article for your employees. The ones who take the surveys, sit on the new office chairs and eat the cake â€" but are still completely miserable.We get it. We escaped our jobs after working for more than 20 years in our fair share of dysfunctional workplaces. And now that we’ve put a little time and distance between us and our former careers, we can attribute our misery to one destructive, globally pervasive problem: workplace B.S.evalThis B.S. is everywhere. It winds you up and grinds you down. And left untreated, it can make great emplo yees â€" like you â€" leave otherwise good companies.So, think of this as a public service announcement: four specific types of misery-inducing workplace B.S. explained. How to spot them. How to avoid them. And how to be truly happier in your job every day How to deal: This is a dangerous game, my friend. The swirl of office politics can be exhausting and unproductive â€" sucking up much more energy than it’s worth and harming your reputation and job prospects in the process.Steer clear of the battles. Don’t fraternize with those the kings deem as the enemy. And work in the cafeteria with your headphones on, so you can’t hear the screams of the villagers caught in the fray.3. The Emperor’s Clothing StoreA new leader arrives with impressive credentials and heroic tales of previous workplace successes â€" then quickly proves himself incapable of managing the basics.What it looks like: The new boss throws around terms like innovation, “step change” and “journey management .” He eliminates activities he doesn’t understand, and gives you vague direction on his directionally vague vision. He flip-flops on important issues, chalking it up to “managerial agility.”evalHow to deal: Be a good corporate soldier â€" emperors don’t appreciate candor, unless you’re telling them how awesomely awesome they are.Gently steer them toward work that will be successful, knowing full well they’ll take the credit. Then kick your network into gear: Schedule coffee chats with people who work in departments or companies that have leaders you can respect.4. Forced FunThe leadership team intends to make you happy â€" whether you like it or not.What it looks like: Eye-rolling icebreaker exercises kick off every meeting (e.g, “If you were sea mammal, what sea mammal would you be?”). Attendance is tracked at “optional” happy hours. Mandatory fun activities, like 2-minute afternoon dance parties, are rammed down your throat.How to deal: Smile and fly under th e radar. Grin through the icebreakers, make brief appearances at the unhappy hours, and schedule meetings during the dance-a-thon. Then find your real work friends and schedule an off-the-radar happy hour where you can vent.Photo Credit â€" rockandvossbooks.com

Strategies to help your college grad land a dream job

Strategies to help your college grad land a dream job Strategies to help your college grad land a dream job Rising tuition costs, growing student debt, and a very tough job market for graduates are signals that we need to help our kids with this last mile of securing employment. Granted, our kids are putting their hearts into their educations and looking forward to improved job opportunities and challenging careers. But they may need your help. Lets look at some data. According to an Accenture study: Nearly half of those who graduated in 2012 and 2013 consider themselves underemployed and working in jobs that do not require their college degrees While 81 percent of the class of 2014 planned to earn more than $25,000 per year, 41 percent are earning $25,000 or less While 69 percent of 2014 grads expected to find a job within 6 months of graduation, only 42 percent found one While 85 percent hoped to find employment in their chosen field, only 67 percent are working in their field Unfortunately, your son or daughter may have to settle for a job for which he or she is overqualified, or delay a career in a chosen field, risking as much as a decades worth of foregone wages. What can you do? With graduation coming, give them something; dont just ask. Your child is saying, I got this, right? Wrong. They may be strolling into their college or universitys career placement center, expecting help. But school placement centers are most useful on a broad level, not focused on individual needs. The career placement center on campus is optional for students to visit, and my informal survey shows that only about 10 percent of students are using the resources there. Finally, these centers are often underfunded, not in touch with the latest recruiting, interviewing, and hiring practices, and focus too much, in my opinion, on résumé writing. Most likely, your children havent done anything yet because they mistakenly think its too early to look for a job. And if you ask them, Hey, would you like some extra help in your job search? Ill bet they will answer, Nah. I am a mother of two twenty-something boys and I have privately coached many college graduates, so I know! What to give To help them attain success, choose gifts that can augment the resources available on campus. There are multiple options, depending on how your child learns best and what you believe is going to deliver the best results. Here are two main options: Books There are lots of good books available, written by authors with various types of backgrounds. Look for those that come with tools and templates, are current with the latest hiring trends and, preferably, authored by those who have been on the hiring side of the table. Many come in audio or digital versions, but also invest in a good old-fashioned book so your child can highlight, make margin notes and give it a few dog-ears. Private job search coach If your child needed private assistance in a specific subject, you may have secured a tutor Did your child ask for a tutor? Probably not. You recommended it and maybe even just did the presumptive close: Heres your tutor. Similarly, think of private fitness training. Maybe you have a trainer because simply going to the gym may not yield the results you want. Taking classes is a little better, but a private trainer accelerates the time toward meeting your goal. A private job search coach can do the same. Get involved, push your child to start job searching right now, and consider options like a job search coach who will customize a program to help your son or daughter hit the ground running and get that dream job. Parents, whatever you do, now is not the time to stop parenting.

Act As If It Were Impossible to Fail - A review -

Act As If It Were Impossible to Fail - A review - Act with enthusiasm and confidence act as if it were impossible to fail. Your beliefs become your reality, and your expectations have a direct result on the outcome of any given situation. Concentrate on your strengths, your triumphs and your successes as you power up the corporate ladder (p.177). Act As If It Were Impossible to Fail, by Joe Lavelle I met Joe Lavelle, author of Act As If It Were Impossible to Fail The Employee Handbook That Your Empoyer Hasnt Given You, via Twitter and when he began to comment on this blog. He writes the Act As If Blog, which offers great advice to anyone hoping to accelerate his or her career plans. So, I was delighted to read a copy of his book. Joe doesnt disappoint! His book is filled with stories that lead the reader to understand his points. My favorite was the story of how Ford rolled out the Edsel, as it relates to seeking (or not seeking!) feedback and the inevitable results. How often have you thought about feedback as a gift? If you hope to propel your career to a new level, it is something to focus on. If you are not getting the feedback you need, it is time to think about how to ask for it. Joe reminds readers that first impressions are important, but it is even more important to manage the impression you offer. In fact, he details a story of Karen, who had failed to make a good first impression, but who worked to revise how people viewed her. The point Every day is an opportunity to make a new first impression to introduce the world to the new and improved you (p. 13). I really enjoyed Joes book. It is a good read, with lots of useful information to help anyone who hopes to drive his or her career bus, which is something I write about a lot and believe everyone should do! I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?   If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While youre at it, dont forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on FacebookId be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since were on the subject of doing something newAre you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.